PITTSBURGH PIRATES NOTES:
THE PIRATES: Went 4-2 on their six-game homestand against the Padres (3-0) and Brewers (1-2)…Have had five separate winning streaks of at least four games this season, including a season-high seven-game winning streak from 4/17-23…Are 5-4 in their last nine games following their season-high 10-game losing streak from 6/13-22.
THE MATURATION OF MITCH: Mitch Keller had a 6.61 ERA after his first seven starts of 2022 before making two appearances out of the bullpen on May 18 and May 25…Since rejoining the starting rotation on May 31 of last year here at Dodger Stadium, the righthander has posted the seventh-best ERA (3.28) among all National League pitchers with at least 200.0 innings pitched behind Zac Gallen (2.87), Logan Webb (2.98), Marcus Stroman (3.01), Spencer Strider (3.13), Blake Snell (3.19) and Merrill Kelly (3.24).
NO THANKS, JUST LOOKING: Mitch Keller comes into today ranked third overall in the National League with 118 strikeouts…According to Baseball Savant, Keller ranks second in all of MLB with 340 called strikes…The only pitcher with more this year is San Francisco’s Logan Webb (343)…Teammate Rich Hill ranks third in called strikes (325).
SETTING UP THE SERIES: Tonight the Pirates return to Dodger Stadium for the first time since sweeping a three-game series here last year from May 30 to June 1…It was the team’s first series sweep at Dodger Stadium since September 4-6, 2000 (also three games)…The Pirates outscored the Dodgers 21-11 while taking two of three games at PNC Park this year from April 25-27…Since the beginning of last year, the Pirates are 7-2 against the Dodgers.
GO WEST YOUNG BUCS: Tonight the Pirates open a seven-game road trip beginning with this four-game series here at Dodger Stadium…The trip will conclude with a three-game series this weekend at Arizona…The Pirates are 12-6 overall, including 5-1 on the road, against the National League West this season.
ANGEL OF PITTSBURGH: Angel Perdomo struck out left-handed batter Raimel Tapia and switch hitter Blake Perkins in his 1.2 scoreless innings of work on Sunday…Perdomo has allowed one hit in 16 at-bats while recording 11 punchouts this year against left-handed batters…Since making his Pirates debut on June 3, Perdomo’s 20 strikeouts are tied for the sixth-most among all relievers in MLB, including the third-most among lefty relievers…The only left-handed relievers to strike out more batters in that time are Sean Manaea (23) and Aroldis Chapman (22).
FEELING THE DRAFT: Since making his big league debut on June 19, 2021 No. 1 overall pick is tied for the second-most hits (14) among all National League rookies…The only NL rookie with more hits in that time is Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz (15)…Nick Gonzales, who was selected seventh overall in the 2020 draft, went hitless in each of his first three games after making his MLB debut on June 23…Since then, Gonzales is 6-for-19 with a double, triple, two home runs and seven RBI.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Pittsburgh has scored 40 runs in their last six games beginning with last Tuesday’s win against the Padres…That’s tied for the second-most runs in all of MLB along with the White Sox and Phillies…The Dodgers have scored the most runs in MLB since June 27 (41).
STARTING PITCHER – 23 – RHP MITCH KELLER
MITCH KELLER: The 27-year-old righthander will make his 18th start of the season tonight…He allowed one run in 6.0 innings and won a 7-1 decision in his last start Wednesday vs. San Diego.
VS. LOS ANGELES (NL): 2-1 in three career starts…Is 1-0 in in one start this year after striking out 10 batters while winning a 6-2 decision on 4/27 at PNC Park…Last year he allowed two runs in 5.0 innings and won a 5-3 decision against Julio Urias on 5/31 at Dodger Stadium…He also allowed four runs on five hits in 2.2 innings while losing a 6-3 decision on 6/10/21 at PNC Park.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS NOTES:
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY: The Dodgers return home tonight for the first contest of a four-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates and six-game homestand as the Boys in Blue speed toward the end of the first half. Yesterday, the club completed its final road trip before the All-Star break, losing to the Royals in Kansas City, 9-1, and dropping their first series since June 16-18 vs. the Giants. Los Angeles finished the road trip going 3-3 and will conclude the first half with a disappointing 22-22 record away from home. Following the long series with Pittsburgh, the Angels come to town for two games (July 7-8) as the All-Star break begins on Sunday, July 9. The Dodgers are in second place in the National League West, 3.0 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks. Los Angeles dropped a series to Pittsburgh in April, losing two of three at PNC Park and are now 2-7 in their last nine games against the Pirates since the start of 2022. The Buccos swept the Dodgers on their last trip to Chavez Ravine, taking three games from May 30-June 1 last year. The Dodgers are still 194-122 (.614) vs. the Pirates all time at Dodger Stadium. The first 40,000 ticketed fans this evening will receive a Gavin Lux bobblehead, presented by Security Benefit. Lux is out for the season after having right knee surgery to repair a torn ACL, suffered while running the bases in a Feb. 27 Spring Training contest.
NO FUN ON A SUNDAY: The Dodgers were beaten up by the Royals yesterday, giving up 15 hits and nine runs and mustering just one run in a 9-1 loss that gave Kansas City a series victory. The day was a struggle for Dodger starter Tony Gonsolin, as he gave up four runs on six hits in just 3.2 innings. The Dodgers have now lost the last three starts by Gonsolin and his ERA jumped to 3.69 on the season. The offense didn’t help, with Miguel Vargas driving in the only run on a sacrifice fly. Outfielder David Peralta was the lone bright spot in the game, going 3-for-4 and continuing his hot streak. Peralta is hitting .423 (11-for-26) during his eight-game hitting streak and slashed .365/.406/.556 in the month of June.
THE MAGIC MAN: Dodger All-Star starter Mookie Betts went 1-for-4 with a double yesterday, collecting the Dodgers only extra-base hit of the game. He’s currently on a five-game hitting streak and hit .474 (9-for-19) with three homers, five doubles and nine RBI on the just completed road trip. He reached base safely 17 times in 29 plate appearances on the trip and his OBP is now .372, which ranks 11th in the NL. Betts reached 20 doubles in a season for the eighth time in his career yesterday, with the only exceptions being his rookie season (52 games) and the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign (55 games). The outfielder is among the National League leaders in homers (22, T-3rd), RBI (56, T-4th), OBP (11th), SLG (.555, 5th), OPS (.927, 4th), walks (49, 6th), extra base hits (43, T-3rd), total bases (172, 4th) and runs (64, 4th).
STEADY FREDDIE: Dodger first baseman Freddie Freeman went 0-for-3 with a walk yesterday and he is tied with Matt Olson for third in the Majors league in runs scored (65), behind Marcus Semien (67) and Ronald Acuña Jr. (76). Freeman leads the Major Leagues with 28 doubles, is tied for fifth with 43 extra-base hits, sixth in batting average (.315) and sixth in total bases (176). On June 25, he became just the 98th player in Major League Baseball history to record 2,000 hits with 300+ homers.
PROVIDING THE POP: The Dodger offense continues to be at the top of the National League in various categories, as they rank first in walks (344) and second in runs per game (5.42), extra-base hits (293), home runs (130), slugging percentage (.444) and OPS (.772).
THE BOYS OF SUMMER (CAMP): Three years ago today, Major League Baseball and the Dodgers began “Summer Camp,” the three-week training period before the start of the 60-game 2020 season that was necessitated by the global pandemic. The Dodgers went on to go 43-17 and win their seventh World Series title in franchise history that season.
TONIGHT’S STARTER vs. PIRATES: RHP MICHAEL GROVE (0-2, 7.54 ERA in 9 G, 7 GS)
2023 SEASON NOTES:
- In his start on June 15 against the White Sox, he tossed 5.0 innings, allowing seven hits, four runs, four home runs and one walk….tied his season high of seven strikeouts
- Spun a career-high 5.2 innings on April 15th against the Cubs…allowed just one earned run on two hits with six strikeouts
- Made his 2023 debut against the Rockies on April 3, where he hurled four innings, giving up three runs on two hits, two walks and punching out four
- Allowed career-highs in runs (9) and hits (12) in his start against the D-Backs on April 9
- Started six games during Spring Training, posting a 0-1 record with a 5.40 ERA (10 ER/16.2 IP) and 17 strikeouts against just three walks…produced a 1.03 WHIP
- Named to his first Opening Day roster as a Major Leaguer after making his big league debut last season on May 15 against the Phillies
VS. PIRATES:
- Will face Pittsburgh for the second time in his career
- Last faced the club on June 1, 2023…tossed 1.0 inning allowing three hits, three earned runs, and one walk against one strikeout in the no decision
