Fans in the stands today won’t get to see a phenomenon, because Shohei Ohtani won’t be pitching after all. Still, it’s a gorgeous day for a ballgame, and they will get to see Reynaldo López try to continue to amaze.
ReyLo sports a 3-2 record and 2.05 ERA since being brought back to the bigs for maybe his 293rd try to succeed, and he has yet to give up more than three runs (or go more than five innings, but who’s counting?).
Instead of Ohtani — on the mound, anyway — López will be opposing veteran righty Alex Cobb, making his first start since going on the IL on July 30 with wrist inflammation. Cobb had a solid 7-3 record and 3.82 ERA through 15 starts this year before the injury.
Cobb throws a sinker and split finger each about 40% of the time, with a curve and a rare four-seamer mixed in. He tops out in the low 90s on the sinker.
Cobb will be facing a lineup that has Tim Anderson back, but with both Yoán Moncada and Yasmani Grandal getting a rest, we get to watch Zack Collins run back to the screen to recover pitches he didn’t block.
López has the advantage of facing a lineup missing many of its stars, leaving only Ohtani, Jared Walsh and Max Stassi with an OPS+ of better than 100 — and Ohtani is in a slump that has him swinging desperately at anything thrown in his general direction, including the occasional errant hot dog wrapper, so he’s done nothing but K or ground out so far in the series.
First pitch set for 1:10 p.m. Central, under 74 degrees of sunshine, with what should be a light wind out toward left. Usual broadcast suspects.