Preview: Dodgers (53-41) at Braves (44-49)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 22, 2015 12:10 PM EDT
Now would be an ideal time for Mike Bolsinger to break his spotty road form and pitch deep into a contest.
Bolsinger looks to give the overworked Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen a rest in a bid to avoid a three-game sweep by the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Bolsinger (4-3, 3.04 ERA) is winless in his last seven starts overall and 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA in seven outings on the road. Despite the solid ERA, the right-hander has not been one for long appearances outside Dodger Stadium - Bolsinger has failed to pitch more than six innings in those seven games partly because he has averaged 16.4 pitches per inning.
His short outing Friday night at Nationals Park, however, was beyond his control. He pitched four innings around a delay due to a power outage and gave up one run and two hits in a suspended 5-3 defeat eventually completed Saturday.
"An hour and 20 minutes, realistically, that's a long time to be sitting around doing nothing," Bolsinger told MLB's official website after getting his last two outs following the first of two delays. "You start stiffening up. With me getting older nowadays - I'm not 21 years old - you start feeling things."
While the Dodgers bullpen can usually count on All-Stars Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke for a breather, they've been busy at Turner Field. The relievers pitched 5 1-3 innings of one-run relief after Brett Anderson suffered an Achilles injury in Tuesday night's 4-3 loss and logged 9 1-3 overall in the two defeats after finishing up weekend victories at Washington by Kershaw and Greinke by only pitching the ninth.
Bolsinger's lone start versus the Braves on July 5, 2014, was a disaster as they tagged him for seven runs and 10 hits over 3 2-3 innings. He'll have to contend with Nick Markakis and Chris Johnson, who are a combined 7 for 12 with four extra-base hits and five RBIs in this series.
Atlanta (45-49) has won 10 of its last 14 at home, with its starters going 8-3 with a 2.56 ERA after Alex Wood allowed three runs and grinded through 6 2-3 innings Tuesday. Julio Teheran (6-4, 4.53) contributed two of those victories by conceding an unearned run in 14 innings, but he was upset manager Fredi Gonzalez pulled him in the fifth Friday against the Chicago Cubs with the score tied at 2 after yielding five hits and three walks.
"I was surprised because I was competing right there and that's what I can do when I got in trouble like I did in the first inning," said Teheran, who only threw 54 of his 90 pitches for strikes, to MLB's official website.
Teheran has gotten into plenty of trouble versus the Dodgers, going 0-3 with a 6.86 ERA in three starts. He was roughed up for a season-worst eight runs in four innings of an 8-0 road loss May 26.
Though Yasiel Puig is 4 for 6 with a homer versus Teheran, he may give way to Carl Crawford, who appeared as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement after being activated from the disabled list Tuesday.
Adrian Gonzalez - currently 10 for 20 with three homers and a double through five games of this 10-game road trip - is 4 for 9 with a homer and a double in this matchup.
Los Angeles has not lost three straight since June 15-17 against Texas.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Dodgers at Braves
Mon, Jul 20 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Dodgers at Braves
Tue, Jul 21 - Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Dodgers at Braves
Wed, Jul 22 - 12:10PM EDT
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 22, 2015 12:10 PM EDT
Now would be an ideal time for Mike Bolsinger to break his spotty road form and pitch deep into a contest.
Bolsinger looks to give the overworked Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen a rest in a bid to avoid a three-game sweep by the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Bolsinger (4-3, 3.04 ERA) is winless in his last seven starts overall and 0-1 with a 3.18 ERA in seven outings on the road. Despite the solid ERA, the right-hander has not been one for long appearances outside Dodger Stadium - Bolsinger has failed to pitch more than six innings in those seven games partly because he has averaged 16.4 pitches per inning.
His short outing Friday night at Nationals Park, however, was beyond his control. He pitched four innings around a delay due to a power outage and gave up one run and two hits in a suspended 5-3 defeat eventually completed Saturday.
"An hour and 20 minutes, realistically, that's a long time to be sitting around doing nothing," Bolsinger told MLB's official website after getting his last two outs following the first of two delays. "You start stiffening up. With me getting older nowadays - I'm not 21 years old - you start feeling things."
While the Dodgers bullpen can usually count on All-Stars Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke for a breather, they've been busy at Turner Field. The relievers pitched 5 1-3 innings of one-run relief after Brett Anderson suffered an Achilles injury in Tuesday night's 4-3 loss and logged 9 1-3 overall in the two defeats after finishing up weekend victories at Washington by Kershaw and Greinke by only pitching the ninth.
Bolsinger's lone start versus the Braves on July 5, 2014, was a disaster as they tagged him for seven runs and 10 hits over 3 2-3 innings. He'll have to contend with Nick Markakis and Chris Johnson, who are a combined 7 for 12 with four extra-base hits and five RBIs in this series.
Atlanta (45-49) has won 10 of its last 14 at home, with its starters going 8-3 with a 2.56 ERA after Alex Wood allowed three runs and grinded through 6 2-3 innings Tuesday. Julio Teheran (6-4, 4.53) contributed two of those victories by conceding an unearned run in 14 innings, but he was upset manager Fredi Gonzalez pulled him in the fifth Friday against the Chicago Cubs with the score tied at 2 after yielding five hits and three walks.
"I was surprised because I was competing right there and that's what I can do when I got in trouble like I did in the first inning," said Teheran, who only threw 54 of his 90 pitches for strikes, to MLB's official website.
Teheran has gotten into plenty of trouble versus the Dodgers, going 0-3 with a 6.86 ERA in three starts. He was roughed up for a season-worst eight runs in four innings of an 8-0 road loss May 26.
Though Yasiel Puig is 4 for 6 with a homer versus Teheran, he may give way to Carl Crawford, who appeared as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement after being activated from the disabled list Tuesday.
Adrian Gonzalez - currently 10 for 20 with three homers and a double through five games of this 10-game road trip - is 4 for 9 with a homer and a double in this matchup.
Los Angeles has not lost three straight since June 15-17 against Texas.
SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Dodgers at Braves
Mon, Jul 20 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Dodgers at Braves
Tue, Jul 21 - Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Dodgers at Braves
Wed, Jul 22 - 12:10PM EDT