Closing in on the franchise record for victories, the Los Angeles Dodgers are in position to pick up two more when they play host to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a day-night doubleheader on Tuesday.
The Dodgers earned their 102nd victory Monday, against 44 defeats, and are five away from posting the highest total in franchise history, going all the way back to 1884 when the club called Brooklyn home. The Dodgers have reached 106 victories twice, both in the past three seasons.
Even without staff ace Walker Buehler, who is sidelined following undergoing Tommy John surgery, the Dodgers have one of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Left-hander Tyler Anderson has helped pick up some of the slack and will pitch in the doubleheader nightcap, while rookie right-hander Michael Grove will pitch for Los Angeles in the opener.
Anderson (15-3, 2.62 ERA) already has more victories than he had in the past three seasons combined over 49 starts. Tuesday will be his 26th start of this season.
His most recent appearance came Sept. 12 at Arizona when he held the Diamondbacks scoreless on five hits over seven innings in a 6-0 victory. It was Anderson’s fourth scoreless outing of at least seven innings this season.
“I didn’t think he had his best stuff,” Dodgers manager Roberts said about Anderson’s outing that included two walks and two strikeouts. “But it just shows his compete (level) and his will.”
Anderson is 6-3 lifetime against the D-backs with a 4.81 ERA over 17 outings (15 starts). He is 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA against them this season in three starts and 20 innings.
Grove (0-0, 4.40 ERA) has made just four career outings, most recently pitching against Arizona on Wednesday. He gave up two runs on two hits over five innings in a no-decision. The Dodgers eventually lost the game 5-3 in 10 innings, their only loss in their past 12 games against the D-backs.
While the Dodgers are set to make club history, the D-backs (68-79) are having a season they would prefer to forget. They already have been eliminated from playoff consideration, although they are ahead of the Colorado Rockies in the National League West standings.
Arizona is set to unleash a pair of right-handers on Tuesday: Zach Davies (2-4, 4.06 ERA) in Game 1 and Drey Jameson (1-0, 0.00) in Game 2.
In 13 career starts against the Dodgers, Davies is 4-5 with a 3.16 ERA. This year, he is 0-2 with a 6.27 ERA vs. Los Angeles.
Jameson, a first-round draft pick by the D-backs in 2019, made his major league debut Thursday in impressive fashion. He went seven scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres in a 4-0 victory.
“That was awesome,” Jameson said after the outing. “I can’t really talk about it because I don’t really know what to say about it. It’s just an experience that not many people get to do and I’m going to cherish every moment of it.”
Jameson’s outing, along with seven scoreless innings from Ryne Nelson in his debut 10 days prior, at least has been something to savor for Arizona.
“As long as I throw my pitches and trust in my stuff, everything’s the same,” Jameson said about the difference in pitching at the major and minor league levels.
–Field Level Media
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