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Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Following through on their plan to separate Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke in the starting rotation, the Dodgers will kick off the Second Half of the 2015 Major League Baseball Championship Season with Kershaw on the mound Friday at Washington, followed by Mike Bolsinger on Saturday and Greinke on Sunday.
Separating the two top starters is designed to even out the workload on the bullpen. Though it hasn’t been announced, expect Brett Anderson to take the mound for the start of the Dodgers’ series Monday at Atlanta, followed by the No. 5 starter, which could be Brandon Beachy.
Kershaw’s Friday start will come on eight days’ rest, following his season-high 123-pitch shutout of the Phillies July 8. His 22 pitches at Tuesday’s All-Star Game can be considered the equivalent of a bullpen session.
It’s looking like Greinke will face Max Scherzer on Sunday in a showdown of this year’s two top pitchers to date. A year and a week ago, Scherzer bested Greinke in a 4-1 Detroit Tigers victory over the Dodgers, in which the only Dodger run came on Miguel Rojas’ only career MLB home run.
Here’s MLB.com’s second-half outlook for the Nationals, and likewise for the Dodgers.
Once the Dodgers complete this 10-game roadtrip with four games against the New York Mets, they will have played 100 games on the season: 50 at home, 50 on the road.
Mark Hagerstrom
Drooling with anticipation here in DC!