Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Howie Kendrick, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Kenta Maeda, P
By Jon Weisman
Though it’s not as dramatic as it was in July and August, when seemingly every start was up for grabs, the Dodgers did have some small tweaks and tidbits to share this afternoon about their starting pitching.
Brock Stewart will make Saturday’s start at Arizona instead of previously announced Bud Norris, according to Dave Roberts, who said Stewart was getting the nod based on “the way he’s thrown” in his recent outings. Norris will remain available out of the bullpen.
Here’s a sneak peek at the cover of Dodger Insider magazine for September 19-24. This will be distributed at auto gates (one per vehicle) and via Fan Services for those who use alternate transportation.
When Rich Hill struck out Brandon Drury in the second inning tonight, that gave him 27 consecutive outs — the final batter he faced September 3, plus all 21 on September 10 and the first five Diamondbacks this evening.
The next hitter, former Dodger minor-leaguer Kyle Jensen, homered. In his 21st inning as a Dodger, Hill had given up his first run.
Things started to unravel slowly after that. Arizona scored another run in the third inning, then sported a Big 5 in the fifth against Hill and Louis Coleman, on their way to a 7-3 victory over Los Angeles.
Hill was charged with four earned runs for the first time in 2016. Coleman, who hadn’t allowed a run or inherited run since July 22, was hit with both, the topper being a three-run homer by 18-game veteran Mitch Haniger.
Down 7-1 in the seventh, the Dodgers scored twice with nobody out, but their next nine hitters were retired. Chase Utley, who had reached base his first four times up, made the final out.
Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 6:40 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
Joc Pederson, CF
Rich Hill, P
By Jon Weisman
Not only does Rich Hill enters tonight’s start against Arizona having retired 22 batters in a row, but the last 50 batters against Hill are 1 for 47 (an Alexei Ramirez single) with two walks.
Since he first took the mound for the Dodgers on August 24, opponents are 6 for 63 (.095) with the two walks and no extra-base hits — and, of course, no runs. Hill has struck out 20 of the 65 batters he has faced.
Hill’s batting average on balls in play for those three starts is .140, so he’s due for some regression — as if you didn’t know. But including his Oakland games, Hill has yet to allow more than three earned runs in any of his 2016 starts.
The Dodgers have completed the Carlos Ruiz-A.J. Ellis trade by sending minor-leaguer Joey Curletta to the Phillies as the player to be named later.
The 22-year-old outfielder had an .834 OPS and 13 homers in 77 games with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and .652 OPS with four homers in 29 games with Double-A Tulsa this year.
Curletta was a sixth-round pick in the 2012 draft.
Dodger minor-leaguer and Dominican Republic native Luis DePaula spoke at a local elementary school, as part of the Dodgers’ transitioning program.
By Jon Weisman
In a recent piece for Dodger Insider magazine by Bob Harkins, we look at the extra steps the Dodgers are taking to ease transition of international players into the organization. An excerpt:
… The Dodgers are aggressive about helping their international signees as soon as they arrive at their academy in the Dominican Republic, Campo Las Palmas, and also every step of the way as they move into the minor leagues.
The education efforts go well beyond English lessons, as some players, typically ages 16-18 when they arrive, haven’t attended school since they were 10. They live and breathe baseball, but there is much to learn before suddenly being thrust into the American culture.
“These guys are developing life skills beyond just the cultural acclimation part,” Dodger senior manager of player development Matt McGrath said. “For us, it’s as much developing them as men as it is culturally or language-wise.
“We’re trying to make them stronger men, give them the ability to communicate across languages with teammates. That makes everybody better. That’s the ultimate goal of what we’re trying to do.” …
Harkins begins the story by talking with Juan Castro, whom the Dodgers first signed 25 years ago, to illustrate the evolution from then to now.
Beginning this year, the Dodgers merged their previously separate Playbill and Dodger Insider magazines into one publication (at least 80 pages per issue) with a new edition available each homestand plus one in October, 13 issues total. It is distributed at auto gates (one per vehicle) and via Fan Services for those who use alternate transportation. Dodger Insider magazine includes news, features, analysis, photos, games, stadium information and more. Fans who wish to subscribe for 2017 can do so at dodgers.com/magazine.
Despite three hits apiece from Kyle Farmer and Drew Maggi, Triple-A Oklahoma City dropped their second straight game in the Pacific Coast League finals, losing 10-4 to El Paso and falling within one game of elimination in their best-of-five series.
Oklahoma City tied the game at 2-2 in a bizarre top of the fourth that featured four El Paso errors and two runners thrown out on the basepaths. The Chihuahuas’ Carlos Asuaje homered off Chase De Jong to give El Paso the lead for good.
The remaining three games of the series, as needed, will be played at Oklahoma City beginning Friday, with Brett Anderson taking the Game 3 start.
Clinton 16, Great Lakes 6:In the opener of the best-of-five Midwest League Finals, DJ Peters (2 for 2, two walks) hit a three-run homer in the first inning for Single-A Great Lakes, but the Loons never recovered after allowing eight runs in a fourth inning that included three errors and three wild pitches. Great Lakes pitchers had 10 walks and eight wild pitches in the game.
Brendon Davis and Jake Henson each added two hits for Great Lakes.
Clayton Kershaw in the first inning at Yankee Stadium today, when the sun still glowed. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
By Jon Weisman
As Clayton Kershaw showed he was ready to reign over New York, the only problem was how much it rained over Clayton Kershaw.
In his second start since returning from the disabled list, Kershaw threw five shutout innings — the first four of them perfect — despite being interrupted by two separate rain delays, in a game ultimately won by the Dodgers in the ninth, 2-0.
Scoreless for 17 innings, the Dodgers left Yankee Stadium as winner of tonight’s game, winners of this week’s series and holders of a five-game lead in the National League West.
Dodgers at Yankees, 1:05 p.m. Kershaw CCLX: Kershawtlanta
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Andre Ethier, DH
Joc Pederson, CF
Andrew Toles, LF
(Clayton Kershaw, P)
By Jon Weisman
There’s always something you can worry about. The bullpen used to be the Big Glum, unless it was the offense, or the starting pitching, or all the injuries.
Now, it seems nothing is more vexing for the Dodgers than their struggles against left-handed pitching.
That was the dominant theme after Tuesday’s 3-0 loss to CC Sabathia and the Yankees, leaving the Dodgers 18-20 when a southpaw starts against them this year, compared with 63-43 when a northpaw noshes.
“Every time we get a left-hander, we feel good about it and are optimistic, but it has been a tough year against left-handed pitching,” Dave Roberts said, according to Doug Padilla of ESPN.com. “The numbers, obviously, as they say, don’t lie. We have to look back at the video with C.C., but it seemed like he kept us at bay and off balance and we didn’t get very many good swings against him. Regardless, we have to find a way to produce baserunners and ultimately runs.”
It’s certainly noticeable that the Dodgers have the Majors’ worst offense against lefties by nearly every measure, from a .294 on-base percentage to 73 weighted runs created, though I’m not convinced that a record near .500 in 38 games sample spells doom.
After beginning the 2016 regular season at San Diego, the Dodgers will open their 2017 season at home against the Padres on Monday, April 3, according to the preliminary schedule released today (click the image above to enlarge).
For the second consecutive season, the Dodgers will play their 162nd game away on the road, concluding the 2017 campaign October 1 in Colorado, in the first October game ever between the two teams at Coors Field.
Here’s what’s cooking for the 160 games in between …
As we reach the waning moments of Vin Scully’s 67 seasons with the Dodgers, let’s pause for a moment to remember his broadcast partner for nearly half of those years, Jerry Doggett, born 100 years ago today on September 14, 1916.
Like Scully, Doggett wanted from childhood to be a broadcaster, as Larry Stewart wrote in this obituary for the Times, after the 80-year-old Doggett passed away in July 1997.
Doggett, born in Moberly, Mo., grew up in Keokuk, Iowa, listening to St. Louis Cardinal and Chicago Cub broadcasts and dreaming of being a baseball announcer.
After graduating from Northwestern and spending three years in the Navy, Doggett got a job doing odds and ends at a Chicago radio station. He got his first full-time announcing job in 1938 at radio station KFRO in Longview, Texas.
After working in Longview for three years, Doggett went to WRR in Dallas, where he spent the next 15 years announcing Texas League games and calling the Game of the Week for the old Liberty Broadcasting System.
Doggett joined the Dodgers in 1956 — 60 years ago this September, as team historian Mark Langill pointed out to me, adding that Scully handed over the ninth inning of Sal Maglie’s September 25 no-hitter to the 40-year-old rookie as a kind of christening.
You can also hear Doggett here from April 16, 1957, on his first Opening Day with the Dodgers — and last in Brooklyn.
For the Dodgers’ first 19 seasons in Los Angeles, Scully and Doggett were the only radio voices fans knew, each calling the game separately, each working with folksy, knowledgeable styles at once distinct and complementary.
In 1977, Ross Porter became a third individual voice, with the Dodgers continuing the solo booth past 1987, when Don Drysdale succeeded Doggett.
For a kid like me raised in that era, Doggett was very nearly as integral to the Dodger experience as anyone.
“Jerry deserves every nice thing that can be said about him,” Scully told Stewart. “He was one of my closest friends and the best partner anyone could ever have.
“He never complained about not getting more of the limelight, he never showed any ego or any of that baloney. Jerry Doggett was just a terrific guy, and I will miss him forever.”
Yankees 3, Dodgers 0
Home runs on consecutive pitches by Jacoby Ellsbury and Didi Gregorius in the bottom of the seventh broke a scoreless duel. Ross Stripling, in his third inning of relief, took the loss. Gary Sanchez added a third Yankee homer in the eighth off Jesse Chavez.
By Jon Weisman
If tonight’s was in fact Julio Urías’ final start of 2016, as Dave Roberts told reporters today, what a journey it has been. And whether it’s the bullpen for the remainder of the season or the starting rotation in years to come, what a journey we have to look forward to.
Urías bookended his run of starts this year where he began it — in New York. And as he did against the Mets on May 27, Urías walked more Yankees than he struck out tonight. Those are the only two nights Urías pitched this year in which that happened.
As symmetrical as those moments might be on the surface, Urías seemed to improve with every outing in between. Since June 7, his ERA was 2.80. Since the All-Star Break, it was 2.02.
… He then connected the day he was walking home from school and heard about a World Series game that cemented him as a baseball fan (a Giants fan at the time, to be honest) and changed his life.
“That little boy saw that World Series linescore — October 2, 1936,” Scully said. “My last game, my wonderful last game after 67 years with the ballclub, will be against the San Francisco Giants. It will be October the 2nd, 2016. Exactly 80 years from when that little kid saw that Giants score.” …
Similar to his choice not to participate in any network postseason broadcasts at this point of his life, Vin is deservedly ending his career on his terms.
If there’s any upside to this, it’s that for all of us privileged to be in his audience, the firm departure date allows the focus to be on saying goodbye to Vin, rather than having that parting diluted by playoff triumph or tragedy.
It’s going to be indescribably difficult to say farewell to Vin Scully, and I can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t want one more game with him, one more inning, one more pitch. But if you think about it it — no surprise — Vin is right.
The first step in the process is choosing who will be the finalist from each division. Justin Turner is the Dodgers’ nominee for the National League West.
A regular participant of his teammate, Clayton Kershaw’s Ping Pong 4 a Purpose, Justin is always active in his local community. This past August, he joined the Los Angeles Dream Center for their annual Back to School Bash in distributing 2,000 backpacks, each field with supplies including pencils, paper, and notebooks to families from the Echo Park, Rampart District, Skid Row, Lincoln Heights, South Central and Watts neighborhoods.
Kershaw won the award in 2014.
Turner’s competition from the NL West is made up of A.J. Pollock, Carlos Gonzalez, Jon Jay and Jake Peavy. Vote here. Finalists will be announced September 20.
What happens when three old friends in crisis fall into an unexpected love triangle? In The Catch, Maya, Henry and Daniel embark upon an emotional journey that forces them to confront unresolved pain, present-day traumas and powerful desires, leading them to question the very meaning of love and fulfillment. The Catch tells a tale of ordinary people seeking the extraordinary – or, if that’s asking too much, some damn peace of mind.
Thank You For Not ...
1) using profanity or any euphemisms for profanity
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3) baiting other commenters
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7) using sarcasm in a way that can be misinterpreted negatively
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9) typing "no-hitter" or "perfect game" to describe either in progress
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Attendance
1991-2013
Dodgers at home: 1,028-812 (.558695)
When Jon attended: 338-267 (.558677)*
When Jon didn’t: 695-554 (.556)
* includes road games attended
2013
Dodgers at home: 51-35 (.593)
When Jon attended: 5-2 (.714)
When Jon didn’t: 46-33 (.582)
Note: I got so busy working for the Dodgers that in 2014, I stopped keeping track, much to my regret.
