By Jon Weisman
Dodger Stadium is the land of opportunity. In a month shy of two seasons, the Dodgers have used the equivalent of two 40-man rosters.
On Friday, Carlos Ruiz became the 80th person to play for the Dodgers since Opening Day 2015.
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Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Cubs at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Andrew Toles, LF
Julio Urías , P
Chase Utley, 2B
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Joc Pederson, CF
Andrew Toles, LF
Julio Urías , P
By Jon Weisman
As part of Team Photo Day on Friday, the Dodgers indulged in a fantasy — that everyone in the world could be as wonderful as Vin Scully.
Of course, there really can only be one Vin Scully, as a close examination of the above image will reveal. (Click to enlarge.)
Here are some other recent items of note …
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. 15: the unreal end of the 4+1 Game.
— Jon Weisman
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Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Carlos Ruiz, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Chase Utley, 2B
Bud Norris, P
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Carlos Ruiz, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Chase Utley, 2B
Bud Norris, P
By Jon Weisman
As expected, Carlos Ruiz is in the starting lineup for his Dodger debut tonight, with Shawn Zarraga being optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Zarraga, as you can see in the video above, did enjoy the thrill of being an official Major Leaguer, however briefly. He arrived Thursday via private jet, as Michael Clair notes at MLB.com’s Cut4.
As the newest big leaguer told MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick, “It was a 12-seater and it was just me and the pilot, but I got to sit next to him and that was cool.”
In addition, the Dodgers have recalled Brock Stewart from Triple-A. Stewart, who was optioned August 15 to make room for the activation of Casey Fien, threw five innings of shutout ball August 19 for Oklahoma City.
So, how are the Dodgers making room for Stewart on the roster this weekend? They have optioned Kenta Maeda — yes, that’s right — to the Rookie-level AZL Dodgers, whose season concludes on Sunday. That means he can be recalled immediately after that day, without a 10-day waiting period.
As Dave Roberts said today, the plan is that Julio Urías will start for the Dodgers on Saturday and Maeda will take the mound Monday in Colorado, leaving Sunday as TBD.
A quick reminder that Beatles Night at Dodger Stadium is tonight, preceding the Dodgers’ 7:10 p.m. game against the National League-leading Chicago Cubs. Fans are encouraged to arrive early …
- You will be able to take their own picture in front of the above Dodger-ized Abbey Road photo in the Right Field Plaza.
- Select fans who arrive early will be invited onto the field to play Beatles Trivia — the winner gets to throw the ceremonial first pitch.
- Beatles tribute band “The Fab Four” will perform prior to the game, beginning at approximately 6 p.m.
The Dodgers are offering a ticket package that includes a ticket to the game and a co-branded Beatles/Dodger 50th Anniversary Beach Towel. Ticket packages can be purchased exclusively at dodgers.com/beatles.
— Jon Weisman
Vin Scully in the booth at Dodger Stadium, earlier this month. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)
By Jon Weisman
Vin Scully is the king of calling no-hitters, after all. So, nearing the climax of his farewell season, maybe the baseball gods felt it was time for one more for the road.
At the end of a head-spinning day at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers were nealry no-hit for the third time in the past two seasons and the second time at Dodger Stadium in the past 362 days, with Matt Moore coming one out shy of completing the feat in a 4-0 San Francisco Giants victory.
Below, you’ll find some of the words Scully shared with us, in the twilight of his magical career.
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. 16: Don Drysdale’s consecutive scoreless inning streak seemed in jeopardy when a confusing and controversial call took place …
— Jon Weisman
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(Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
Andrew Friedman, on the decision to trade A.J. Ellis to Philadelphia in a deal for Carlos Ruiz (via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com):
“It was a tough decision on a personal level,” Friedman said. “From a baseball standpoint, we felt Carlos fit our team extremely well. I can go on and on about A.J. and his attributes and what he brings to a team, and if Carlos didn’t possess similar things, we wouldn’t have made the move. In terms of leadership ability, ability to call a game and run a pitching staff, Carlos rates extremely well in those things and has experience in what he brings to the lineup against left-handed pitching, which (we) focused on as an area we wanted to improve.”
Read the entire story here.
— Jon Weisman
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Giants at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m.
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Rob Segedin, RF
Charlie Culberson, 2B
Ross Stripling, P
Kiké Hernandez, CF
Howie Kendrick, LF
Corey Seager, SS
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrián González, 1B
Yasmani Grandal, C
Rob Segedin, RF
Charlie Culberson, 2B
Ross Stripling, P
By Jon Weisman
With Carlos Ruiz not arriving from the Phillies until Friday, Shawn Zarraga will come from Triple-A Oklahoma City tonight to serve as the Dodgers’ backup catcher.
Scott Van Slyke, who went on the 15-day disabled list August 9, has been moved to the 60-day DL to make room for Zarraga on the 40-man roster, which means Van Slyke will be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.
Relief pitcher Luis Avilan has been optioned to Oklahoma City to make room on the 25-man roster for Zarraga.
In addition, Rob Segedin has been reinstated from the paternity list after missing Wednesday’s game, and will start tonight in right field.
The 27-year-old Zarraga would be making his Major League debut if he gets in the game tonight. He has a .348 on-base percentage this year in a season split between Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa. Los Angeles acquired him in December 2014.
Oklahoma City’s Austin Barnes, normally next in line for the Dodgers at catcher, has been sidelined since Tuesday after getting hit by a pitch in the hand.
Also: With an eye toward a September return, Andre Ethier begins his rehab assignment tonight with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
A.J. Ellis spoke to reporters shortly after receiving the news of being traded to Philadelphia. The audio can be played above.
— Jon Weisman
Thank you, @AJEllis17! #ThankYouAJ pic.twitter.com/7JQMgWF8P6
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 25, 2016
Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers
Interview: A.J. Ellis speaks about his departure from the Dodgers.
By Jon Weisman
In an exchange of catchers that will mark the end of an era in Los Angeles, A.J. Ellis has been sent to the Phillies in a trade for Carlos Ruiz.
Ellis, minor-league pitcher Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named later or cash considerations will go to Philadelphia in exchange for Ruiz and cash considerations.
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By Miranda Perez
Highlights from the Dodger farm system from Wednesday, not including Cody Bellinger absolutely getting robbed of a home run (in the video above) …
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Carl Reiner doesn’t throw 94, but he is 94 — and he’s a legend. So even though he had to cancel his plans to throw the ceremonial first pitch Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, it was still great to see another legend, Orel Hershiser, meet him at his home for some pitching tips and a conversation about their careers.
Reiner wrote more than 50 episodes of his creation, “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and directed such movies as “The Jerk,” “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” and “All of Me.”
— Jon Weisman
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. 17: Mike Piazza’s second homer in the 1993 season finale ends the Giants’ playoff hopes.
— Jon Weisman
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By Jon Weisman
Sweetly, sometimes softly, Rich Hill mixed his pitches, his curveball surveying the scenic route, his fastball sufficiently startling.
And a team starved for starting pitching suddenly has had two superb outings this week from left-handers.
With six shutout innings, Hill duplicated the Sunday feat of Julio Urías — not to mention Hill’s only previous appearance at Dodger Stadium, in 2007 — and the Dodgers edged the San Francisco Giants, 1-0.
