Dodger Thoughts

In Postgame

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By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers are on a little streak of happy starting pitching, at least by 2016 standards. For the 14th time in their past 15 games, their opening hurler reached the five-inning checkpoint — not Koufaxian by any means, but the majority of the game nonetheless.

This is happening while the franchise currently employs 14 relievers — no, that’s no lie — on its active roster. So with an off day beckoning in a close game, Dave Roberts played himself some cards.

The Dodgers used six relievers to handle the sixth through eighth innings, before Kenley Jansen closed the ninth for a 3-1 victory and series sweep over Arizona.

Los Angeles fared far better than San Francisco, which employed eight relievers tonight at Colorado and still blew a 5-3 lead in the ninth, to fall a season-high five games behind the Dodgers in the National League West.

Following fellow freshmen Jose De Leon, Kenta Maeda and Ross Stripling, right-hander Brock Stewart gave the Dodgers four consecutive victories by rookie starting pitchers, unprecedented in Dodger history.

Scott Kazmir’s rehab outing cut short

In Health/injuries, Minor leagues

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Joining Brett Anderson and Brandon McCarthy in the past week, Scott Kazmir tonight had a short-circuited rehab outing.

Kazmir, whom Dave Roberts today said was potentially on track to pitch for the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium next week, faced seven batters for Oklahoma City in its opening playoff game against Nashville. Two walked, two were hit by pitches, and one — Renato Nunez — hit a three-run home run.

Kazmir then left with the trainer before the inning was over, and was said to be heading back to Los Angeles for evaluation, as Jack Baer of MLB.com wrote.

#VinTop20: No. 7, Don Larsen’s perfect game

Previously:
No. 8, Monday captures the flag
No. 9, ‘We go to Chicago!’
No. 10, Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter
No. 11, Joe Ferguson’s throw
No. 12, Fernandomania begins
No. 13, ‘The Squeeze!’
No. 14, Nomo’s No-No
No. 15, the 4+1 Game
No. 16, Don Drysdale’s streak stays alive
No. 17, Mike Piazza, Giant-slayer
No. 18, Yasiel Puig’s first slam
No. 19, Manny’s Bobbleslam
No. 20, Mark McGwire hits it way, way out

Between now and Vin Scully Appreciation Day on September 23, the Dodgers are revealing the results of the fan vote ranking Scully’s top 20 Dodger calls of all time, one at each home game. Here’s No. 7: Don Larsen’s perfect game.

— Jon Weisman

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Rare start off for Adrian González

In Pregame

Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, LF
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Carlos Ruiz, C
Rob Segedin, 1B
Charlie Culberson, 2B
Brock Stewart, P

By Jon Weisman

Adrian González gets a rare break from the starting lineup tonight for the series finale against Arizona.

González had started 33 consecutive games and has played in 84 in a row (starting 80) entering tonight.

In those 84 games, he has an .815 OPS with 12 home runs and 21 doubles. In the past 33, his numbers are even stronger: .927 OPS with eight homers and 10 doubles.

González leads the Major Leagues in games since 2006 with 1,723, which is 31 more than his closest competitor, Robinson Cano. The only games he has missed this year took place May 17-19 against the Angels and June 1 against the Cubs.

Storied Corey leads Dodgers to latest glory

In Postgame

By Jon Weisman

Corey Seager, who among his many other achievements is on pace to break Mike Piazza’s 23-year-old Dodger rookie record for on-base percentage, was one of four Dodgers with two hits apiece in the Dodgers to a 5-2 victory over Arizona.

#VinTop20: No. 8, Monday captures the flag

Previously:
No. 9, ‘We go to Chicago!’
No. 10, Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter
No. 11, Joe Ferguson’s throw
No. 12, Fernandomania begins
No. 13, ‘The Squeeze!’
No. 14, Nomo’s No-No
No. 15, the 4+1 Game
No. 16, Don Drysdale’s streak stays alive
No. 17, Mike Piazza, Giant-slayer
No. 18, Yasiel Puig’s first slam
No. 19, Manny’s Bobbleslam
No. 20, Mark McGwire hits it way, way out

Between now and Vin Scully Appreciation Day on September 23, the Dodgers are revealing the results of the fan vote ranking Scully’s top 20 Dodger calls of all time, one at each home game. Here’s No. 8: Rick Monday captures the flag.

— Jon Weisman

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Farm Fresh: Hicks, Peters each slug a pair of homers

In Minor leagues

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By Miranda Perez

Highlights from the Dodger minor leagues from September 5, including a pair of two-homer games …

Triple-A Oklahoma City used the same winning formula as the big league club yesterday, belting four home runs in its 10-8 win over Omaha in the final game of the regular season. Brandon Hicks had two homers of his own, while Cody Bellinger hit his third home run in two days and Corey Brown hit a solo shot.
O’Koyea Dickson was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week for August 29-September 5. Dickson went 13-for-26 (.500) with seven extra-base hits, including three doubles, a triple, three home runs and 10 RBI.
Activated from the disabled list before the game, Victor Gonzalez struck out eight in five innings with no walks, allowing only a solo home run as Single-A Great Lakes closed out its regular season with a 5-1 win against West Michigan. Infielder Matt Jones went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI in the season finale. The Loons will go on to the first round of playoffs and face the Bowling Green Hot Rods at home Wednesday to start in a best-of-three series.
DJ Peters did his part to help Rookie League Odgen stay in the playoff race, launching two home runs and driving in four in the Raptors’ 6-2 win over Grand Junction. Peters, Keibert Ruiz and Brock Carpenter each tallied three hits, while Rob McDonnell hurled five solid innings, allowing two runs on three hits and earning the win. With three games left, Odgen is only a half a game behind Grand Junction in the Pioneer League South.

Adrian González nominated again for Clemente Award

In Awards, Community

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Adrian González is the Dodgers’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which honors the player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

This is the third time in the past four seasons that González has been the Dodgers’ nominee. In 2012 and 2014, Clayton Kershaw was the Dodger representative, and he went on to become the youngest ever to win the prestigious prize in 2012.

“The Adrian and Betsy González Foundation empowers underprivileged youth in many ways, from the awarding of college scholarships to pediatric cancer support to ballpark access to low-income families and field renovations in his native Tijuana,” MLB says in its official description.

Fans can vote for the overall winner on social media using hashtags beginning on Wednesday’s Roberto Clemente Day through October 2 — for Gonzalez, the hashtag is “#VoteAdrian.” More information will be available at mlb.com/clemente.

The full list of nominees follows:

Homer-happy Dodgers make it rain against Greinke

In Offense, Postgame

Adrián González, Corey Seager and Yasmani Grandal hit three of the Dodgers’ five homers. (Photos: Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

By Jon Weisman

In distance, they measured 2,025 feet. On the Richter scale, they might as well have been a 10.

Zack Greinke, the darling of Dodger Stadium for three seasons, was punished in his former home like a Rock’Em Sock’Em Robot.

Five home runs off Greinke — a career-high, including four in the fifth inning — shook Chavez Ravine and sent the Dodgers to a 10-2 victory over Arizona tonight.

With San Francisco shut out in Colorado today, Los Angeles leads the National League West by a season-high four games.

The Dodgers’ five leaders in home runs each took Greinke deep — Adrián González (17) with a man on base in the fourth inning, followed by Joc Pederson (20), Corey Seager (24, with two aboard), Justin Turner (25) and feature creature Yasmani Grandal (24).

#VinTop20: No. 9, ‘We go to Chicago!’

Previously:

No. 10, Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter
No. 11, Joe Ferguson’s throw
No. 12, Fernandomania begins
No. 13, ‘The Squeeze!’
No. 14, Nomo’s No-No
No. 15, the 4+1 Game
No. 16, Don Drysdale’s streak stays alive
No. 17, Mike Piazza, Giant-slayer
No. 18, Yasiel Puig’s first slam
No. 19, Manny’s Bobbleslam
No. 20, Mark McGwire hits it way, way out

Between now and Vin Scully Appreciation Day on September 23, the Dodgers are revealing the results of the fan vote ranking Scully’s top 20 Dodger calls of all time, one at each home game. Here’s No. 9: The Dodgers clinching their first National League pennant in Los Angeles.

— Jon Weisman

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Dodgers have baker’s dozen in bullpen — and counting

In Bullpen, Pregame, Transactions

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Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 5:10 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

Luis Avilan has been recalled for the third consecutive month by the Dodgers, boosting the current relief corps to 13.

Behind this week’s scheduled starting rotation of Kenta Maeda, Ross Stripling, Brock Stewart against Arizona and Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill and Maeda at Miami, the Dodgers have the following in the bullpen:

Right-handed pitchers (9): Pedro Baez (expected to be recalled Tuesday), Joe Blanton, Jesse Chavez, Louis Coleman, Josh Fields, Casey Fien, Kenley Jansen, Bud Norris, Josh Ravin

Left-handed pitchers (5): Luis Avilan, Grant Dayton, J.P. Howell, Adam Liberatore, Julio Urias.

Having neared his workload limit, Urias has been shifted to the bullpen, though the Dodgers haven’t definitely said he won’t make another start. Jose De Leon, who made his debut Sunday, doesn’t have an obvious next date to take the mound.

Following a bullpen session today, Alex Wood is scheduled for a short simulated game soon. Out since May, Wood is expected to return in a short relief role later this month.

Yasmani Grandal returns to his hard-hitting ways

Read the entire story by clicking here.

In Profiles, Publications

By Jon Weisman

Sunday brought another homer for the catcher who leads Major League catchers in homers, Yasmani Grandal.

Grandal has actually surpassed Justin Turner in adjusted OPS (126 OPS+) and trails only Corey Seager on the Dodgers. His impressive year still seems to be operating under the radar, but we did make him the cover story in a recent Dodger Insider magazine.

“Whoever tells you that they say, ‘I’m going to hit a home run here,’ and they’re thinking about it and they hit it, not too many guys can do that,” Grandal said. “If you think about it, it’s probably not going to happen. My main point throughout the whole season is being able to hit the ball hard, and wherever it goes, it goes.

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 still wish to subscribe can do so at dodgers.com/magazine.

Debuting De León delights for Dodgers

On September 4, 2016

In Postgame

By Jon Weisman

After his first big-league game, Jose De León has a 6.00 ERA, a number that doesn’t come close to reflecting how good he looked Sunday.

De León, who struck out 33 with no walks in his final three minor-league games this year, became the first Dodger pitcher ever to strike out nine and walk none in his MLB debut, a 7-4 victory over San Diego.

The 24-year-old, who became the first ever to wear No. 87 for the Dodgers, had the most strikeouts in a big-league initiation for the Dodgers since Kaz Ishii in 2002.

#VinTop20: No. 10, Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter

On September 4, 2016