Ben Burns

THE PLAY: Los Angeles Dodgers -134 F Valdez (LHP), S Ohtani (RHP) Must Start

The Dodgers got absolutely embarrassed yesterday. The 18-1 loss was their worst in the history of Dodger Stadium. With Ohtani on the mound, they'll get off to a much better start today. Ohtani, who turns 31 today, threw the hardest pitch of his career in his last start. Currently, he's being used like a multi-inning “opener,” as he builds up his strength. He's likely to be followed by Justin Wrobleski, who has thrived in long relief situations. While Ohtani won't be around long, Wrobleski has a stellar 1.48 ERA in five appearances (24 1/3 innings) coming out of the bullpen. Last time out, Wrobleski delivered six shutout innings, allowing just three hits. He's recorded 16 K's against only three walks, over his past three appearances. Of course, Valdez has been red hot for the Astros. That said, he hasn't been as good on the road (3.78 ERA compared to 1.83 at home) and his lone career start at Dodger Stadium didn't go well though, as he allowed five runs in five innings. I like the Dodgers to bounce back.