The Dodgers look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds in a Wednesday afternoon affair at Dodger Stadium. Chad Billingsley gets the start for the Dodgers, who lost 6-4 on Monday night and 3-2 on Tuesday thanks in part to a lack of relief work from the bullpen. Travis Wood, who lost to Billingsley and the Dodgers 10 days ago, will start for the Reds.
Billingsley is 5-5 with a 4.13 ERA this season, and has allowed 10 runs and 21 hits in 9 2/3 innings in his last two starts. He won the first of those starts, in Cincinnati on June 5, thanks in part to his own hitting. Billingsley hit a home run and a double, and had a bases loaded walk against Wood.
Dee Gordon has only played eight games so far, two at home, but has quickly become a crowd favorite. His blinding speed has been intoxicating, with several exciting trips around the bases (he has three steals and six runs scored so far), and even though he has yet to draw his first major league walk he has still been relatively productive at the plate, hitting .323/.323/.387. In addition, Gordon has shown great range and a very good arm at shortstop. The comparisons to Juan Pierre are apt and though Pierre was vilified because of his overpriced contract, if Pierre had an arm and played shortstop while making the major league minimum he would have been beloved too, like Gordon is becoming.
The Dodgers are wearing powder blue throwback uniforms from the 1940s today, one of six such dates on the schedule this season. The Reds will also be wearing throwback uniforms, from the 1944 season. The Dodgers are 15-18 at home this season.
Today's 12:10 p.m. PDT game will be televised by Prime Ticket. For more news and information on the Dodgers, or on today's game, be sure to read the SB Nation blog True Blue LA.