Daily Clips

July 17, 2016

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2016

LA TIMES: Dodgers squander chances in walk-off loss to the Diamondbacks, 2-1- Andy McCullough

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw closing in on return to rotation- Andy McCullough

Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier will continue rehab despite lack of healing in fractured leg- Andy McCullough

OC REGISTER:

Dodgers pay for wasted opportunities in loss to Arizona- Bill Plunkett

Dodgers lineups: Trayce Thompson goes to the DL with lower back problem- Bill Plunkett

Versatile Zach Walters can take criticism- Bill Plunkett

On deck: Dodgers at Diamondbacks, Sun., 1:10 p.m.- Bill Plunkett

DODGERS.COM: McCarthy extends stellar return to form- Ken Gurnick

Dodgers derailed in 9th, 12th after strong start- Jake Rill and Ken Gurnick

Back injury sends Thompson to DL; Walters recalled- Ken Gurnick

Kershaw, Wood make strides in sim games- Ken Gurnick

Dodgers among clubs scouting Archer- Ken Gurnick

Maeda closes Dodgers' visit to Arizona- Ken Gurnick

Pipeline preview: Verdugo on a roll- Mike Rosenbaum

DODGER INSIDER:

Brandon McCarthy sails through six shutout innings, Dodgers sail into extras (and lose)- Jon Weisman

Thompson heads to DL, Zach Walters recalled- Jon Weisman

TRUEBLUELA.COM:

Dodgers can't score, can't contain Jake Lamb in loss to Diamondbacks- Eric Stephen

Joc Pederson shines in rehab assignment- Brandon Lennox

Quakes drop one in the ninth, lose 7-4- Craig Minami

Brandon McCarthy has best start since his return- Eric Stephen

ESPN LA:

On a day Dodgers falter, Brandon McCarthy shows staying power- Doug Padilla

Lamb, Drury lead Diamondbacks past Dodgers in 12- Associated Press

Back soreness sends Dodgers' Trayce Thompson to DL- Doug Padilla

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (back) throws simulated game- Doug Padilla

Umpire leaves Dodgers-Diamondbacks game with injury- Associated Press

NBC LA:

Kenley Jansen Blows 4th Save as D-Backs Beat Dodgers 2-1, in Extras- Michael Duarte

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

SUNDAY, JULY 17, 2016

LA TIMES

Dodgers squander chances in walk-off loss to the Diamondbacks, 2-1 By Andy McCullough Yasiel Puig jogged the 90 feet from the plate to first base while clutching his bat. He had just grounded out for the final out of the 12th inning, stranding three runners to push the Dodgers’ total on the night to 15. Once he ran through the bag, he completed a gesture that spoke for the rest of his team in a 2-1 loss to Arizona. Puig yanked his helmet off his head and smashed it with his bat. The frustration was obvious for the Dodgers, who were unable to puncture the threadbare Diamondbacks pitching staff. The group managed only one hit in 15 at-bats with runners in scoring position. “The numbers don’t lie,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “We had opportunities.” The bullpen could not protect a one-run lead. Kenley Jansen blew his fourth save of the season, forcing the game into extra innings and opening the door for Arizona three innings later. By then, Roberts had emptied his bullpen. Casey Fien was the sixth reliever he used in the game. Fien had yielded a pair of home runs the night before. In the bottom of the 12th, he surrendered a leadoff triple to Jake Lamb and a walkoff single to Brandon Drury. Heading into the ninth, the Dodgers (52-41) appeared on the verge of a 1-0 victory. Brandon McCarthy spun a minor gem. In his last outing, McCarthy operated with minimal command of his pitches. At times, he lamented afterward, he felt like he was throwing a football. He experienced a revival on Saturday, scattering three hits and striking out eight Diamondbacks in six scoreless innings. Adam Liberatore turned in his 25th consecutive scoreless appearance, striking out All-Star Paul Goldschmidt in the process. Joe Blanton left a pair of Diamondbacks on the bases. Then came Jansen, who could not record his 28th save. The rally by the Diamondbacks started in innocuous fashion. Michael Bourn, the former All-Star outfielder, stroked a one-out single. Jansen did not protest when Bourn stole second base with two outs. Jansen fed Lamb a cutter at the belt. Lamb rocketed a game-tying double off the left-field wall. “We expect Kenley to be perfect,” Roberts said. “It’s not going to happen. At some point, you have to tip your hat. Lamb put a good swing on it.” McCarthy experienced an awkward beginning to his outing. Diamondbacks shortstop Jean Segura fouled McCarthy’s second pitch of the game off the mask of home-plate umpire Dale Scott. The accident forced Scott to leave the game. McCarthy waited nearly 12 minutes between pitches.

The delay did not appear to affect him. Upon the game’s resumption, McCarthy struck out Bourn and Goldschmidt to end the first inning. He stranded Lamb after a leadoff double in the second. McCarthy allowed a leadoff single by shortstop Nick Ahmed in the third. Then he picked Ahmed off. An inning later, Goldschmidt got caught stealing after a one-out single. “I was able to stay in the moment, and make pitches,” McCarthy said. “I tried not to do too much.” Facing Chase Utley to start the third inning, Arizona starter Archie Bradley worked the outer half of the strike zone. A 1-2 changeup drifted closer toward the plate. Utley laced a double. Two batters later, Justin Turner floated an opposite-field RBI single into right to give McCarthy a lead. The advantage nearly evaporated in the fifth. McCarthy flung a 92-mph fastball at the letters to Arizona outfielder Yasmany Tomas. Tomas ripped a drive to center field. Andrew Toles, the rookie outfielder called up just before the All-Star break, backed up toward the wall. At the base of the wall, Toles leaped and extended his 5-foot-10 frame skyward. A few feet away from him, Puig decided to scale the wall, too. As Puig climbed up the fence, Toles came down with the baseball for the out. The Dodgers frittered away a cavalcade of opportunities to increase the lead. On three occasions, McCarthy made the last out with runners on base. Howie Kendrick ripped four hits on the evening, but struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh. The group also made a series of outs on the bases. Puig got thrown out trying to steal second. Scott Van Slyke was picked off first base in the 11th. Seager got caught trying to advance from second to third in the final inning on a grounder to the left side of the infield. “You never want to feel like you gave a game away,” Roberts said. “But when you have opportunities like that to put a team away, and especially with the performance that Mac gave us tonight, it stings a little bit.” Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw closing in on return to rotation By Andy McCullough Clayton Kershaw logged four simulated innings during a session at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. His next outing could occur on a major league mound. On the disabled list since late June because of a herniated disk, Kershaw has been making steady progress in his rehabilitation. Manager Dave Roberts indicated the decision for the next step will be left up to the player. “For us and for me, it’s more of deferring to Clayton and how he feels and his comfort level,” he said. Roberts added, “With a guy like Clayton, yeah, you’ve got to defer to him. And he’s earned that.”

Kershaw would be on schedule to pitch Thursday in Washington. The team could also provide him an extra day of rest and start him Friday in St. Louis. Kershaw completed his outing Saturday while throwing at maximum effort and using the full complement of his pitches. Both Kershaw and Roberts have said they do not feel the pitcher needs a rehabilitation start before rejoining the big league staff. “It’s hard to put a leash on Kershaw,” Roberts said. Pitching alongside Kershaw, Alex Wood (elbow impingement) also threw two simulated innings. He is not eligible to return from the disabled list until July 30. Thompson lands on DL The Dodgers placed Trayce Thompson on the 15-day disabled list because of lower back irritation. The stint is retroactive to July 10. To take his spot on the roster, the team recalled utility man Zach Walters, who can play both the middle of the infield and the corners of the outfield. Walters hit .298 with an .836 on-base-plus-slugging percentage with triple-A Oklahoma City this season. “I think I can rotate around and help give guys a break, help set them up for the long haul,” Walters said. “I like to say my best defense is offense. Hopefully I can show what I can do with my bat.” Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier will continue rehab despite lack of healing in fractured leg By Andy McCullough A scan taken of Andre Ethier’s fractured right tibia revealed that the bone still had not healed, but the Dodgers have not ruled out Ethier’s returning to the majors this season. “The fracture is not completely healed,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “But it’s healed enough where we feel Andre, to his tolerance, can continue to progress with baseball activity. At this point, we’re going to monitor him and see where it takes us. “Because it’s not healed completely, we really don’t have a timetable. As every day passes, there’s going to be a little more healing, and he’s going to progress a little bit more.” Roberts indicated Ethier would not be at risk of reinjuring the leg, but said he would need to manage the discomfort caused by the initial break as he increased his activity. Ethier broke the bone by fouling a ball off his leg in March. The initial hope was he would miss 10 to 14 weeks.

“It’ll be healed at some point,” Roberts said. “But if you’re looking at this season, if you’re hoping and expecting to be pain-free, [that] is something that may be a little too optimistic. Obviously, Andre wants to be back with us. He’s going to do everything he can to get back.”

OC REGISTER

Dodgers pay for wasted opportunities in loss to Arizona By Bill Plunkett PHOENIX – Singer Luis Coronel’s post-game concert at Chase Field Saturday started a little late. The opening act couldn’t hit the right notes. The Dodgers went 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position and stranded 15 runners on base, failing to hold a one-run lead in the ninth inning and eventually losing 2-1 in 12 innings to the Arizona Diamondbacks. “We had our opportunities,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We had our opportunities and you never want to feel like you gave a game away. But when you have opportunities like that to put a team away, especially with the performance Mac (starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy) gave us tonight, it stings a little bit.” That sting is the lingering pain from multiple paper cuts. The Dodgers had runners on base in 11 of the 12 innings, in scoring position in seven different innings. But they managed to push across just one run on Justin Turner’s RBI single flared to right field in the third inning after Chase Utley led off with a double. “Yeah, you don’t want that,” Corey Seager said when confronted with the numbers. “It was one of those days where both teams were searching for runs. Not very normal for Arizona.” The Dodgers loaded the bases in the seventh and 12th innings without scoring. Howie Kendrick had four hits, but struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh. Yasiel Puig went to the plate with the bases loaded in the 12th 8 for 15 in his career against Diamondbacks reliever Randall Delgado. But he bounced out on a 3-and-1 pitch. “I don’t want to go through every single at-bat,” Roberts said. “Some of them I think we got too big and a little too aggressive. “I’d have to go back and look at all those at-bats but obviously the numbers don’t lie. We had opportunities.” Some opportunities never materialized thanks to poor baserunning. “One of the things we try to do is not give teams extra outs and not give away outs on the bases,” Roberts said. “Tonight, there were too many outs that we gave away.”

Puig was thrown out trying to steal second base in the eighth inning, his slide stopping comically short of the base, on a full-count pitch. Andrew Toles took the pitch for a called third strike and the front end of a double play. In the 11th, Scott Van Slyke singled with one out and then got picked off first base by Diamondbacks catcher Welington Castillo. And in the top of the 12th, Seager was on second base as the potential go-ahead run when he broke for third on a hard ground ball to shortstop Nick Ahmed. He was caught in a rundown and tagged out. “Bad mental mistake,” Seager said. “Where I thought he was and where he released to (when the pitcher went into his motion) were two different spots. You really kick yourself for that one.” Given just a 1-0 lead to protect in the ninth inning, Kenley Jansen was one pitch away from closing it out when Jake Lamb ripped an RBI double to the left-field wall, tying the game. It was Jansen's fourth blown save of the season. All four have come on the road against NL West teams – two in San Diego, one in San Francisco and now one in Arizona. “It was just one of those nights. Those guys made pitches and they hung in there,” Roberts said. “Jake Lamb is a heckuva ballplayer. He got a big hit against one of the best closers in baseball. We expect Kenley to be perfect. It’s not going to happen.” Lamb was at the heart of things in the 12th as well. He led off with a triple off Dodgers reliever Casey Fien. After intentionally walking the next two batters to load the bases, the Dodgers went to a five-man infield. It didn't matter. Brandon Drury lined a single into right field to drive in the winning run. Dodgers lineups: Trayce Thompson goes to the DL with lower back problem By Bill Plunkett PHOENIX -- The Dodgers placed outfielder Trayce Thompson on the DL with lower back irritation Saturday and promoted infielder-outfielder Zach Walters from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Thompson had been dealing with the lower back problem for some time now. Coinciding with that, he has hit just .189 since the start of June with 11 hits in his last 77 at-bats (.143). The DL move is backdated to Thompson's most recent appearance, last Sunday against the San Diego Padres. He will be eligible to return July 26. Walters, 26, was acquired from the Cleveland Indians in April and has played seven positions for Triple-A Oklahoma City -- all four infield positions, left field, center field and even pitcher for 2/3 of an inning. In 77 games at Oklahoma City, Walters was hitting .298 with 10 home runs and 47 RBI. He played briefly in the majors for the Indians and Washington Nationals over the past three years.

Versatile Zach Walters can take criticism By Bill Plunkett PHOENIX – Maybe it just took being insulted for Zach Walters to unlock the potential three previous organizations have seen in him. Walters was promoted from Triple-A by the Dodgers on Saturday, taking the place of outfielder Trayce Thompson who went on the disabled list with lower back irritation. Walters has been to the majors before with the Washington Nationals and Cleveland Indians (after originally being drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks). He hit .182 in a combined 82 games during those brief big league visits while spending parts of the past five seasons in Triple-A. But he has never had a run of success quite like he has had for the OKC Dodgers over the past six weeks. Since June 1, Walters hit .349 with a 984 OPS, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 7 home runs, 28 RBI and 29 runs scored in 39 games. “It’s the hitting coach (in OKC), Shawn Wooten,” said Walters, who was acquired by the Dodgers in April. “He just kind of made fun of me that I was raw and had no idea how to repeat a swing. Then he kind of worked with me mechanically and I have an idea of what I’m doing now. Consistency is the name of the game and that’s kind of where I’ve been the last four or five weeks, pretty consistent.” Walters said Wooten told him “you hit a ball 450 (feet) or whatever then completely miss one in batting practice.” “He said, ‘You have no idea what you’re doing?’” Walters said. “‘No, I have no idea.’ “I need that. I can take constructive criticism. I didn’t really have that with some other clubs. I was fairly new, young. But that’s something I need. Coming over here has kind of been a blessing in disguise, especially with Shawn.” Walters has played seven positions in Triple-A this year – all four infield spots, left field, center field and even pitcher (for part of an inning) – and is a switch hitter. With the Dodgers carrying eight relievers, that versatility is valuable, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Walters could head back to OKC on Tuesday when the Dodgers plan to activate Joc Pederson from the DL. Pederson is with the OKC Dodgers this weekend on a minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment. KERSHAW COMING As scheduled, injured left-handers Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood threw to hitters from Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in a simulated-game setting Saturday in Los Angeles. Kershaw threw approximately 60 pitches and Wood 40 during the session which “went well,” according to the reports Roberts received.

If Kershaw comes out of the workout feeling fine, the only thing left is “figuring out what day we can work him into our rotation,” Roberts said. That could come as soon as Thursday in Washington or Friday in St. Louis. A number of factors will be weighed in making that decision, Roberts said. But “with a guy like Clayton, yeah, you defer to him. He’s earned that.” Roberts said Wood will throw a bullpen session and then face hitters again next week. Brett Anderson is scheduled to throw to hitters for the first time since his surgery either Sunday or Monday. THOMPSON OUT Thompson had been receiving treatment on his back for some time before going on the DL Saturday. “He just couldn’t be the player he was,” Roberts said. “You’re talking about the back. With what we have left in the season, we didn’t want to put him in harm’s way. So we felt that with the opportunity to have some days back dated and not lose too many games on the calendar it just made sense for us, to let Trayce get back to 100 percent.” Thompson has hit .189 since June 1 with only 11 hits in his past 77 at-bats (.143). He will be eligible to return on July 26. On deck: Dodgers at Diamondbacks, Sun., 1:10 p.m. By Bill Plunkett Where: Chase Field TV: SNLA, 1:10 p.m. Did you know: Rookie shortstop Corey Seager reached the All-Star break with 105 hits. Only one Dodgers rookie since 1933 had more hits before the All-Star break – Raul Mondesi (108) in 1994. THE PITCHERS DODGERS RHP KENTA MAEDA (8-6, 2.95 ERA) Vs. Diamondbacks: 1-0, 1.59 ERA At Chase Field: 1-0, 3.38 ERA Hates to face: Jean Segura, 4 for 5 (.800), 1 double Loves to face: Nick Ahmed, 0 for 4, 1 strikeout DIAMONDBACKS LHP ROBBIE RAY (4-8, 4.81 ERA) Vs. Dodgers: 2-2, 2.40 ERA At Chase Field: 3-10, 5.37 ERA Hates to face: Yasiel Puig, 3 for 8 (.375) Loves to face: Adrian Gonzalez, 0 for 11, 2 strikeouts

DODGERS.COM

McCarthy extends stellar return to form By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- Setting aside the 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position, 15 runners stranded, Kenley Jansen's blown save, baserunning blunders and a 2-1 loss in 12 innings Saturday night, the Dodgers at least could applaud Brandon McCarthy's dominant start against Arizona. In fact, that's just what manager Dave Roberts did, stressing what went right before itemizing all that went wrong. "First and foremost, Brandon threw a heck of a game, and to come back here against his old team and give us a great outing was exciting for all of us," Roberts said of McCarthy, who struck out eight in six scoreless innings in only his third start back from Tommy John surgery. McCarthy allowed only three hits without a walk. He picked off one of the baserunners, and catcher Yasmani Grandal threw out Paul Goldschmidt trying to steal second base. Roberts said he didn't send McCarthy back out for the seventh inning because he wanted to be sensitive to the pitcher's restored health. "Unfortunately, we couldn't get him the win," Roberts said. "That was the longest he's been out there, and to have him try to go seven, I wanted to be sensitive to his health going forward. Today, he had that two-seamer running in on righties, it had depth and some run, late movement. He threw the breaking ball for a strike whenever he needed to. His direction to the plate, the mechanics were repeatable." "I want to get more innings," McCarthy said. "The pitch count will evolve. I want to maximize efficiency. Getting through six is encouraging, but I'd like to get into seven and eight. That's going to come with a little bit of time." Nonetheless, the six innings were the most after a pair of five-inning starts. He's held the opposition scoreless twice. He's struck out at least six each time and eight twice, this time while facing his former club for the first time in his career. While Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is tentatively scheduled to start Wednesday in Washington, has made one shaky start since returning from shoulder surgery, McCarthy has a 1.69 ERA and doesn't seem to be in danger of losing his spot when the Dodgers' injured starters -- Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood and Brett Anderson -- return to the rotation, which figures to happen as early as next week with Kershaw. "We've got a lot of talent coming back soon, and it's on all of us to keep pitching well and show what we can," McCarthy said. "But it's not like it's a Spring Training competition. We're all just trying to pitch well during the middle of the season." McCarthy agreed with Roberts that the sinker had good life in this game and called the consistency of his curveball in each start "crucial," but he was unhappy with the "sloppy" mechanics of his four-seamer. "[Grandal] did a great job calling what I had going well," he said. "Like any start, some good and some bad and you stick with the things going well."

Dodgers derailed in 9th, 12th after strong start By Jake Rill and Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- In the ninth inning Saturday, the D-backs were down to their final out, having yet to score a run. By night's end, they were the victors of a 2-1 game against the Dodgers at Chase Field, as Brandon Drury hit a bases-loaded single in the 12th inning for the walk-off win. D-backs third baseman Jake Lamb, who tied the game with an RBI double in the ninth inning off All-Star closer Kenley Jansen, led off the bottom of the 12th with a triple off Casey Fien (1-1). After intentional walks to both Welington Castillo and Yasmany Tomas, Drury smacked the game-winning hit to right field despite the Dodgers' five-man infield alignment. Arizona snapped a five-game losing streak and won for just the third time in its last 16 games, while the Dodgers' four-game win streak was snapped. "I've come up in that situation a lot this year and haven't came through," Drury said. "To come through there and to learn from my past experience in that situation is nice moving forward." Randall Delgado (2-1) notched the win for the D-backs after he got Yasiel Puig to ground out to leave the bases loaded in the top of the 12th. Los Angeles clubbed 10 hits but left 15 runners on base. "The offense, we had opportunities, just couldn't get the big hit," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "We've been doing good things offensively [scoring 13 the night before], this is just one of those nights, those guys hung in there. Jake Lamb got a big hit against one of the best closers in baseball. We expect Kenley to be perfect every time, and it's not going to happen." Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy tossed six scoreless innings against his former club in his third start back from Tommy John surgery. He allowed just three hits and struck out eight in his first career start against Arizona. D-backs starter Archie Bradley allowed one run on six hits over six innings. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Down to their last out: After Michael Bourn hit a one-out single and stole second base, Lamb smacked a double to deep left against Jansen, who allowed his first run since June 11 and blew his fourth save attempt of the season. "We just stuck with it," Lamb said. "I just choked up, thought about getting on top, getting on top, and just make sure you're early and not late. That pumped me up quite a bit, that was pretty fun." More > Almost nowhere to run: The Dodgers erased two potential D-backs basestealers in back-to-back innings. McCarthy picked off Nick Ahmed as he took off for second after his third-inning leadoff single. In the fourth, Paul Goldschmidt singled with one out but was cut down by catcher Yasmani Grandal trying to steal second. But Bourn successfully stole second in the ninth, setting up Lamb's tying double. No 'Arch' support: Bradley did a good job of keeping the Dodgers from pulling away, despite allowing a hit or walk in each of his six innings, stranding eight baserunners. For his second straight start, the offense did nothing to support him. The D-backs have scored no runs in the last 12 innings Bradley has been on the mound.

Running amok: The Dodgers ran out of their share of innings. Puig was caught trying to steal second base in the eighth inning. Scott Van Slyke faked a steal of second and was erased before he could get back to first in the 11th inning. And Corey Seager, after leading off the 12th with a single and taking second on a wild pitch, was erased trying to advance to third on a ground ball to shortstop in front of him. "We try not to give teams extra outs and give away outs on the bases, and tonight there were too many outs we gave away," Roberts said. "Slyke was trying to be aggressive and got too far out there. With Corey, the ball was in front but Ahmed first was behind him and to the left, and he floated back to the other side when the pitcher came set and he lost track of him. The caught stealing with Yasiel, 3-2 pitch, I wanted [batter Andrew Toles] to put ball in play, he got rung up on a ball that was borderline, but that was a chance I wanted to take to put guys in motion." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Lamb is the fifth player in D-backs history to have at least 21 doubles, 20 homers and eight triples in a season. He is the first since Stephen Drew in 2008. UPON FURTHER REVIEW D-backs manager Chip Hale won a challenge in the 11th, when Castillo picked off Van Slyke at first base. The initial call was that Van Slyke was safe, but after a quick review, the call was overturned for the second out of the inning. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Kenta Maeda, coming off a 13-strikeout, seven-inning victory over San Diego a week ago, starts the series finale on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. PT. The last time Maeda faced the D-backs, he was struck on the right shin by a Goldschmidt line drive and left the game, having allowed three runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings. D-backs: Robbie Ray looks for his first win in a month when he takes the mound Sunday at 1:10 p.m. MST. The left-hander is 0-3 with a 6.04 ERA over his past four starts. Ray has a 2.40 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers and had a quality start in his only outing against them this season, back on April 14. Back injury sends Thompson to DL; Walters recalled By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- The Dodgers placed outfielder Trayce Thompson on the 15-day disabled list with an unspecified lower back injury on Saturday, retroactive to July 10, and recalled utility man Zach Walters from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Thompson has been dealing with lower back issues since June but aggravated the area on a swing last Sunday, manager Dave Roberts said. The club has said he has irritation in his lower back, but has not provided an injury. This is the 20th time the club has used the disabled list this season. "He just couldn't be the player that he was," Roberts said. "When you're talking about the back and what we have left in the season, we didn't want to put him in harm's way. We have the opportunity to

have days backdated, not lose too many days on the calendar, and it just made sense to get him back to 100 percent." Thompson went 5-for-35 on the recent homestand and saw his average sink to .225, so he also figures to work on his swing while he's out. Walters, 26, was purchased by the Dodgers from Cleveland in April. Originally drafted by Arizona in 2011, he has played briefly in the Major Leagues for Washington and Cleveland, most recently last year. "Zach can play anywhere, a switch-hitter, and with a four-man bench, to have the ability to have a player that can play both corner-outfield spots and anywhere in the infield, it gives me flexibility," Roberts said. While at Triple-A Oklahoma City this year, Walters hit .298 with an .836 OPS, 10 homers and 47 RBIs in 77 games. He credited OKC hitting coach Shawn Wooten with leading to his offensive improvement. "He just made fun of me that I was raw, had no idea to repeat a swing, and he worked with me and I have an idea what I'm doing now," Walters said. "I can take constructive criticism, something I need. Coming here has been a blessing, especially with him." Kershaw, Wood make strides in sim games By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- Clayton Kershaw's back passed another test on Saturday with a 60-pitch simulated game at Dodger Stadium, and while manager Dave Roberts still won't commit to the ace's return date, he is lined up to pitch Thursday night for the Dodgers in Washington. Kershaw has been on the disabled list since June 27 with a slight herniated disk in his lower back. Alex Wood, out with a posterior elbow impingement since May 31, threw a two-inning simulated game. Both faced hitters from Class A Rancho Cucamonga. "From what I hear, they both went well," Roberts said. "Clayton threw 60 pitches, Woody two innings, 40 pitches, I think. Both went really well, as good as we could have hoped. We'll see tomorrow how they respond." With an arm injury, Wood needs more time, but if Kershaw keeps to his normal throwing schedule, he will have a bullpen session on Monday and be ready for a game three days later. Because his injury was not to his arm, Roberts said Kershaw does not need a Minor League rehab stint and won't be under a pitch limit. "Clayton threw all pitches, max effort," Roberts said. "With where he's at and when he does come back, he'll be free to do whatever he can do. It's hard to put a leash on Clayton. Woody is a little behind, but he's coming along. Brett Anderson [back surgery] will throw tomorrow or Monday. Guys are coming. Wood will throw a [bullpen session] and then [a sim game] around 60 pitches. "With Clayton, limited time off, he's given us the confidence to know the arm strength is still there. It's about how his back feels and it's responded favorably."

If the Dodgers send out Kershaw on Thursday, he would follow Scott Kazmir and Hyun-Jin Ryu -- three lefties to face the Nationals with the goal of neutralizing left-handed hitters Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper. Dodgers among clubs scouting Archer By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- Because they can never have enough pitching, the Dodgers were among clubs scouting the Friday night start of Tampa Bay's Chris Archer. Despite a 4-13 record and 4.68 ERA, Archer is an obvious candidate for the Dodgers because he's with the Rays, having been acquired by current Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman in 2011 when he ran that club. Friedman's first trade for the Dodgers was a deal with Tampa Bay and netted reliever Adam Liberatore. Current Dodgers management also has made several deals with the Cincinnati Reds, one of many reasons the Dodgers are linked to slugging outfielder Jay Bruce. Acquiring a starter like Archer, a 27-year-old right-hander, would add to the Dodgers' impending surplus, when any combination of Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood and Brett Anderson return from injury, providing chips with which to deal. Maeda closes Dodgers' visit to Arizona By Ken Gurnick Kenta Maeda starts for the Dodgers in Sunday's series finale against the D-backs, and his first test will come in the first inning, when he faces All-Star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. That's never an easy task, but Maeda has an added psychological hurdle. The last time they met, at Chase Field on June 14, Goldschmidt hit a line drive off Maeda's right shin that drove him from the game. He escaped serious injury. Arizona will start Robbie Ray, who pitched well but lost his only start against the Dodgers this season in April, allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings. Three things to know Dodgers' lineup. He got a spot start Friday night against lefty Patrick Corbin and drove in six runs, finishing a single shy of the cycle. When Arizona started right-hander Archie Bradley on Saturday, Taylor was back on the bench. • Goldschmidt's homer on Friday night was his 24th against the Dodgers since he debuted on Aug. 1, 2011. That's 11 more than any other player against L.A. in that span. His 71 RBIs against the Dodgers are also the most in that stretch.

• Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson (slight shoulder separation) is expected to make his third and final start of a Minor League rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Sunday, then rejoin the club and be activated off the disabled list for Tuesday's game in Washington. Pipeline preview: Verdugo on a roll By Mike Rosenbaum Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action: Hitter to watch: Alex Verdugo (Dodgers' No. 6), Tulsa vs. Northwest Arkansas (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) Verdugo, No. 91 on the Top 100, connected on his 10th and 11th home runs on Saturday as he went deep in both games of Double-A Tulsa's doubleheader against Arkansas. Despite celebrating his 20th birthday in mid-May, the outfielder has been anything but overmatched this season in the Texas League. Through 81 games for the Drillers, Verdugo is hitting an even .300, with 27 extra-base hits and 49 RBIs. Pitcher to watch: Robert Stephenson (Reds' No. 2), Louisville vs. Indianapolis (6:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) Stephenson has been missing more bats of late for Triple-A Louisville, as he enters the day having fanned 23 hitters in 18 1/3 innings across his last three starts. And while his control and command still leave something to be desired, the No. 30 overall prospect has consistently worked deeper into games since the beginning of June, completing at least six innings in five of his last seven turns for the Bats. Duel of the day: Andrew Moore (Mariners' No. 10) vs. Lucas Sims (Braves' No. 10), Jackson at Mississippi (6 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) Moore picked up his first Double-A loss in his most recent turn for Jackson, despite allowing just two earned runs in six innings. The 22-year-old right-hander has pitched to a 3.64 ERA over 47 innings (nine starts) since being promoted from Class A Advanced Bakersfield, where he had posted a 1.65 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP over 54 2/3 innings while holding opposing hitters to a .188 average. Sims, meanwhile, is set to make his fifth start for Mississippi since being demoted from Triple-A Gwinnett. The 22-year-old righty has fared much better in his return to the Southern League, registering a 3.68 ERA with 26 strikeouts across 22 frames, and he owns a 2.95 ERA through seven starts for the M-Braves for the season. Sunday's Top 100 prospect probables No. 15 Jose Berrios (Twins' No. 1) vs. Joe Gunkel (Orioles' No. 18), Rochester vs. Norfolk (1:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) No. 49 Jorge Lopez (Brewers' No. 3), Colorado Springs at Tacoma (4:35 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) No. 62 Luis Ortiz (Rangers' No. 4), Frisco vs. San Antonio (7:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) No. 78 Kolby Allard (Braves' No. 4), Danville at Bristol (6 p.m. ET)

DODGER INSIDER Brandon McCarthy sails through six shutout innings, Dodgers sail into extras (and lose)

By Jon Weisman When this year’s Dodger transactions are tallied, let’s not forget Brandon McCarthy being acquired in exchange for 14 months of suffering. In his third start since completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery, McCarthy again asserted himself against the void of opposing bats, throwing six shutout innings for the Dodgers at Arizona tonight. McCarthy sliced up the Diamondbacks on only 77 pitches — fewer than 13 per inning — allowing three hits and no walks while striking out eight. He wasn’t fazed at all by a delay of more than 10 minutes after he had thrown only two pitches, when home-plate umpire Dale Scott took a foul ball to the face mask and ultimately had to leave the game. So far in this comeback season, McCarthy has thrown 16 innings with an ERA of 1.69, walking four, striking out 22 and looking every bit like a key second-half figure for the Dodgers. The Dodgers put 12 runners on base — including Howie Kendrick’s third consecutive three-hit game — before McCarthy was relieved at the seventh-inning stretch by Adam Liberatore, but only one of them scored. In the third inning, Chase Utley doubled and scored one out later on Justin Turner’s opposite-field single. Liberatore pitched a perfect seventh, and Joe Blanton survived a walk and a single in the eighth. Those two baserunners, however, meant that Kenley Jansen would have to survive Paul Goldschmidt before getting the final out. On a 3-2 pitch with one out, Michael Bourn singled to right, bringing up Goldschmidt as the potential winning run, but the Arizona star slugger fouled a 1-0 cutter (that had a lot of the plate) to Turner for the second out. Jansen then got within a final strike of victory, but unfortunately for him and the Dodgers, the third didn’t come. After a Bourn stolen base, Jake Lamb hit an RBI double on a 2-2 pitch to tie the game. Though Jansen would then strike out Yasmany Tomas, the Dodgers and Diamondbacks went into extra innings. Update: Brandon Drury’s RBI single in the bottom of the 12th gave Arizona a 2-1 victory. The Dodgers finished with 18 baserunners but only the one run. Thompson heads to DL, Zach Walters recalled By Jon Weisman Trayce Thompson, who hasn’t been able to shake a lower back irritation despite the All-Star Break, has become the 20th Dodger to go on the disabled list this season (retroactive to July 10). Taking his place on the active roster will be infielder-outfielder Zach Walters, who is already on the 40-man roster.

The 26-year-old Walters was acquired during the opening week of the season from Cleveland and has spent the entire season with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He has a .346 on-base percentage and 491 slugging percentage in 77 games, with 15 doubles and 10 homers, while playing every position except catcher. (Yes, he even pitched to seven batters this year.) He has played second base, shortstop, third base, left field and right field in his 82-game MLB career, with a .233 on-base percentage and .394 slugging percentage — including 10 homers in 127 big-league at-bats in 2014. Thompson has a .302 on-base percentage and .436 slugging percentage this season for the Dodgers. He is tied for third on the team with 13 homers. There has also been mixed news on Andre Ethier, as Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reports. Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier’s broken right leg still isn’t completely healed, but he will ramp up workouts as his pain tolerance allows, manager Dave Roberts said Friday night after a 13-7 win over the D-backs. “We’ll monitor, but ramp him up and see where it takes us,” Roberts said after being briefed on the findings of a bone scan taken earlier in the day. “Because it’s not healed completely, we really don’t have a timetable. It’ll be healed at some point, but this season to hope and expect it to be pain-free is something that’s maybe too optimistic. Andre wants to be back and he’ll do whatever he can to be back.”

TRUEBLUELA.COM Dodgers can't score, can't contain Jake Lamb in loss to Diamondbacks By Eric Stephen Jake Lamb drove in the tying run with a two-out double in the ninth, then tripled and scored the winning run in the 12th inning, lifting the Diamondbacks over the Dodgers 2-1 on Saturday night at Chase Field in Phoenix. Lamb led off the 12th with a triple in the right field corner against Casey Fien, who then intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases and set up a force play at every base. The Dodgers brought Howie Kendrick in from left field to have a five-man infield, but Brandon Drury rendered that formation moot with a line drive single to right field to end the game. Lamb had three extra-base hits on the night. The loss snapped the Dodgers' four-game winning streak. The Dodgers fell to 5-5 in extra innings in 2016, including 4-4 on the road. One strike away

Kenley Jansen was one strike away from closing out a 1-0 win, but instead blew his fourth save of the season. Michael Bourn got a one-out single in the ninth inning, but then Jansen got Paul Goldschmidt to pop up on a pitch that caught an awful lot of the strike zone, for the second out. That brought to the plate Lamb, who doubled to the warning track in left field to score the tying run. It was the first blown save since June 11 for Jansen, who struck out 26 in 14⅔ scoreless innings in between blown saves. Jansen had the save opportunity thanks in large part to Brandon McCarthy having his best start since returning from Tommy John surgery. McCarthy threw six scoreless innings, then watched the bullpen hold his one-run lead into the ninth. Adam Liberatore pitched a scoreless seventh inning and, continuing his progression from lefty specialist to trusted setup man, even struck out Dodgers killer Goldschmidt in his perfect frame. Joe Blanton allowed a walk and a single in the eighth but stranded them, setting the stage for Jansen in the ninth. There's your run After Lamb doubled to begin the bottom of the second inning, he advanced to third base on a ground out, but then McCarthy struck out Yasmany Tomas for the second out and snagged a soft liner back to the mound by Drury to strand Lamb. After the commercial break, Chase Utley had a leadoff double of his own, and also advanced to third on a ground ball. Justin Turner followed with a soft liner into short right field to score Utley and give the Dodgers the lead. It was the second straight day Turner drove in the first Dodgers run. After starting slow this season, with 17 RBI in his first 55 games, Turner has driven in 29 runs in his last 33 games. Feeling stranded The Dodgers put two runners on base in the second, fourth and sixth innings as well, but each one of those innings ended with McCarthy making the final out and no runners scoring. The club also stranded a runner at second base in the fifth inning, then left the bases loaded in the seventh and 12th. On the night, the Dodgers were just 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position, and left a total of 15 runners on base. Hot Howie Starting in left field on Saturday one day after playing second base, Kendrick singled in the second and fourth innings, then doubled in the sixth. It was the third consecutive three-hit game for Kendrick, the first Dodger to do so since Adrian Gonzalez in the first three games of the 2015 season. Kendrick added a single in the 10th, giving him his third four-hit game of the season.

Kendrick was hitting .246 entering play last Sunday, but after his 10-for-14 performance over the last three games will enter Sunday hitting .271. Ring my bell Two pitches into the bottom of the first inning, Jean Segura fouled a ball back that struck home plate umpire Dale Scott on the bottom of his facemask. The force was such that Davidson had to leave the game and, after a delay of 13 minutes, play resumed with three umpires, and first base umpire Lance Barrett moved behind the plate. Two pitches later, just the fourth of the game by McCarthy, another Segura foul struck Barrett in the mask, though he was okay and was able to resume without any delay. Saturday particulars Home runs: none WP - Randall Delgado (2-1): 1 up, 1 down LP - Casey Fien (1-1): 0 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks Joc Pederson shines in rehab assignment By Brandon Lennox A rehabbing Joc Pederson reached base in all four of his plate appearances on Saturday even though the OKC Dodgers lost just like all of the other full-season minor league clubs did on Saturday. Player of the day Pederson was 2-for-2 with two walks in his second rehab game with OKC. Joc played six innings in center field, just as he did on Friday night. Pederson is scheduled for one more game with Oklahoma City before he is expected to join the Dodgers in Washington D.C. Triple-A Oklahoma City Pederson was perfect at the plate in his second rehab game, but the OKC Dodgers fell to the Reno Aces (Diamondbacks) 8-3. Will Venable was 2-for-3 and his double was the team's only extra base hit, while Austin Barnes also had two hits and drove in a run.. Ross Stripling started this game and allowed seven hits and four runs over four innings, although he did strike out six. A trio of relievers also struggled out of the bullpen, including Jacob Rhame who gave up more than one run for the first time this season. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers split their doubleheader with the Arkansas Travelers (Angels), falling in 3-1 game one and then pulling through 2-1 in game two. Scott Barlow took the loss in the first game after his offense managed just two hits, one of them being the 10th homer of the season by Alex Verdugo. In game two, the Driller offense still had its limitations as Tulsa managed just four hits, however Verdugo clubbed another long ball and finished the contest with an average at an even .300. Tim Shibuya tossed three shutout frames while allowing four hits, and Chris Anderson recorded the win while Daniel Corcino picked up his third save with five of his six outs coming via the strikeout.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes lost to the Lancaster JetHawks (Astros) on Saturday, and Craig wrote a separate recap here. Class-A Great Lakes Loons starter Michael Boyle got hit hard and failed to strikeout a batter as Great Lakes fell to the Peoria Chiefs (Cardinals) 4-3. All three of the Loons runs came in the final frame, with two of those runs coming on a two-run bomb by second baseman Noah Perio. On the mound Boyle allowed 10 hits and four runs while not making it out of the fifth inning, although he kept his ERA below 3. Shea Spitzbarth threw well in relief with a couple of shutout frames. Rookie - Ogden The Raptors got crushed on Saturday, falling to the Helena Brewers 13-5. Every Odgen pitcher was hit hard on Satruday, starting with MJ Villegas who allowed five runs. Both Jairo Pacheco and Gregor Mora permitted three runs in relief. The offense was led by Luis Paz who doubled and drove in a pair of runs in this contest. DJ Peters and Jordan Paroubeck also connected on two-baggers in the loss. Rookie - Arizona The Arizona Dodgers tied the game in the bottom of the ninth, then walked off with a 7-4 victory over the Athletics. Nick Yarnall tripled to lead-off the bottom of the ninth, then scored on a single by Cristian Santana. A rehabbing Yusniel Diaz then homered in the bottom of the 10th to walk-off with a victory. 20 year old Carlos Mosquera from Panama had the only other noteworthy game at the dish as he was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI's. On the mound the rehabbing Yimi Garcia started with scoreless frame. Five different relievers had varying adgrees of success before 19 year old Saul Castellanos from Mexico recorded his third win of the season. Dominican Summer League - Dodgers1 and Dodgers2 The Dominican teams were off on Saturday. Transactions Triple-A: Zach Walters was recalled by Los Angeles while Brandon Hicks was reinstated from the disabled list. Class-A: A.J. Vanegas and Yusniel Diaz were sent to the Arizona Dodgers from the Quakes on rehab assignments. Jake Henson and Victor Gonzalez were placed on the Loons DL while Garrett Hope was activated from the DL and Caleb Ferguson joined the club from Ogden. Saturday Scores Reno 8, Oklahoma City 3 Arkansas 3, Tulsa 1 Tulsa 2, Arkansas 1 Lancaster 7, Rancho Cucamonga 4 Peoria 4, Great Lakes 3 Helena 13, Ogden 5 AZL Dodgers 7, AZL Athletics 4

Sunday Schedule 2:05 p.m. - Lancaster (Brock Dykxhoorn) at Rancho Cucamonga (Tommy Bergjans) 3:00 p.m. - Great Lakes (Caleb Ferguson) at Peoria (Cardinals) (Dailyn Martinez) 3:00 p.m. - Helena (Michael Petersen) at Ogden (Nolan Long) 5:05 p.m. - Tulsa (TBD) at Arkansas (TBD) 7:05 p.m. - Oklahoma City (Jharel Cotton) at Reno (Anthony Banda) Quakes drop one in the ninth, lose 7-4 By Craig Minami RANCHO CUCAMONGA ---- An error on what looked like the final out of the game led to a four-run JetHawk (Astros) rally and the Quakes lose 7-4 on Saturday at LoanMart Field. The Quakes had been behind all night until newly arrived Dian Toscano hit a two out, two-run home run in the eighth inning to give the Quakes a 4-3 lead going to the ninth. The Quakes had received scoreless relief for the previous three innings and handed the ball to Jeff Mahm for the save. With two out and a runner on first, Mahm got a ground ball to short. Erick Mejia fielded the ball but his throw to Michael Ahmed was a little high and Ahmed dropped it. With new life, Ramon Laureano came up as a pinch-hitter and he doubled in both runners to give the lead back to the JetHawks. That double extended Laureano's hitting streak to 12 games. After that, the JetHawks scored two more runs to give them a four-run inning. The Quakes were retired in order in the ninth as the JetHawks won their seventh straight game. Both starting pitchers had nothing to do with the game at the end, Andrew Sopko gave up three runs in five innings pitched. Corey Copping and Luis De Paula came out of the Quake's bullpen to combine to pitch three scoreless innings. In his California League debut, Dion Toscano not only hit the for the moment go-ahead home run in the eighth, he also singled and had three RBI in his first game as a Quake. Brandon McCarthy has best start since his return By Eric Stephen Brandon McCarthy had his best start since returning from Tommy John surgery, and his longest, too, which was a good sign for the Dodgers on Saturday night against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field. McCarthy ended up in the same rough pitch range as his previous two starts, matching his last outing with 77 pitches. Only on Saturday, he made that stretch through six scoreless innings, with eight strikeouts and no walks. McCarthy threw 55 of his 77 pitches for strikes.

"The pitch count is going to slowly evolve, and I'll get into the lineup a few more times. It's something that will slowly evolve. I want to make sure to maximize innings, maximize efficiency," McCarthy said after the game, as seen on SportsNet LA. "Getting through six is encouraging. You'd like to start going into seven and eight when you're pitching well. That's going to come with a little bit of time." McCarthy only allowed three hits in his third start, and two were erased by a pickoff and caught stealing,respectively. It came against one of his old teams, the Diamondbacks, for whom he pitched a season and a half, in 2013-2014. Arizona was the only major league team McCarthy hadn't faced in his career, before Saturday. Since returning from Tommy John surgery, McCarthy has faced 58 batters and struck out 22 of them, a whopping 37.9 percent, which goes a long way in explaining his 1.69 ERA in 16 innings. Up next Kenta Maeda gets the call for the Dodgers going for the series win in Sunday's series finale, while the Diamondbacks will counter with left-hander Robbie Ray in the 1:10 p.m. PT start on getaway day.

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On a day Dodgers falter, Brandon McCarthy shows staying power By Doug Padilla PHOENIX -- Brandon McCarthy just placed a reservation for a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation for the remainder of the season. With no fewer than three starters on the mend, including Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers will have to make decisions when it comes to their pitching staff. McCarthy wants in on the action, and performances like the six scoreless innings he delivered Saturday against the Arizona Diamondbacks will help make his case. He left with nothing to show for it as the offense behind him faltered and Kenley Jansen blew a one-run lead in the ninth inning. The Diamondbacks completed their comeback with a 2-1 victory in 12 innings. The Dodgers went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left the bases loaded in the seventh and 12th innings. McCarthy was long done by then, having completed his own mission in fine fashion. Afterward, manager Dave Roberts was asked about both the bullpen and the offense but veered off in a different direction. “First and foremost, Brandon threw a heck of a game,” Roberts said. “To come back here against his old team and give us a great outing was exciting for all of us. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get him the win. That was the longest he’s gone out there, so to have him go [six], I wanted to be sensitive of his health going forward.”

When Kershaw returns, potentially as early as next week, McCarthy figures to stick around. He made his 2016 debut on July 3, after sitting out for more than a year because of Tommy John surgery, but is making up for lost time in a hurry. The scoreless outing was his second in only three starts; he has used the increased velocity that surfaced before his injury to go along with a sinker and fashioned a 1.69 ERA over his first 16 innings. McCarthy even managed to reach six innings in an efficient manner. His 77 pitches Saturday were the same he threw when delivering five innings July 9 at home. Roberts would not comment when asked if his starters are basically in auditions to keep their spots, but the situation no doubt has that feel. McCarthy has more to think about than what the coaching staff will do with the rotation, but he admits it’s a situation that is hard to not consider. “I think everybody (has a sense of it),” McCarthy said. “We have a lot of pitchers coming back, and coming back soon. It’s kind of on all of us to just keep pitching well. Everybody wants to earn their spot and show everything they can, but I don’t think it’s like a spring training situation; it’s just guys wanting to pitch well during a major league season.” After Kershaw returns, the Dodgers will next need to carve out a rotation opening after Alex Wood comes back from his sore elbow, perhaps in a few weeks. Further away would be the return of Brett Anderson from a back procedure in spring training. Roberts already has said he has no intentions of going to a six-man rotation. The Dodgers could always mix and match starters in the second half, sort of a five-men-for-six-spots scenario, meaning a couple of starters might end up sharing a role. It might be a way for the Dodgers to keep pitch counts and innings totals in check. But McCarthy doesn’t look interested in sharing either. Traded away from the Diamondbacks during the 2014 season, McCarthy’s 160th career start was actually his first as a visitor at Chase Field. It has been a mixed bag since leaving the desert, where he lives full-time now. He pitched well immediately after joining the New York Yankees in 2014 and signed a hefty four-year, $48 million contract with the Dodgers before last season, but then was hurt after four starts. The next time he takes the mound, later in the road trip, he will have made as many starts this season as last. And, at 33, his stock appears to be on the rise. McCarthy didn’t have his best fastball, the one that emerged after leaving Arizona, but he baffled the Diamondbacks with his sinker instead. “I felt like I was able to get a grip on things early,” McCarthy said. “I was a little out of sync like last start but I was able to figure it out, unlike last time. I was competitive in that regard, which I was happy with.” Afterward, McCarthy said all the right things but seemed like a guy who would have appreciated going longer into the game and pushing his pitch total past the 80 mark. “I want to get more innings,” he said. “Pitch count is going to slowly evolve getting through the lineup a few more times. That’s something that will come as you continue building strength, so I wanted to make

sure that I want to maximize innings, maximize efficiency. Getting through six is encouraging, but you’d like to start moving into seven and eight when you’re pitching well. That’s going to come in a little bit of time.” And, by the looks of it, the Dodgers will give him the chance to go deeper into games. Lamb, Drury lead Diamondbacks past Dodgers in 12 By Associated Press PHOENIX -- Maybe Jake Lamb deserved more write-in votes as one of five NL players in the "Final Vote" lineup for the All-Star Game. The Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman finished fourth in the voting, but won the battle Saturday against an actual All-Star, Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. Lamb later delivered another key hit that helped the Diamondbacks beat the Dodgers 2-1 in 12 innings Saturday night. "I'm not afraid to fail," Lamb said after a three-hit night. "He (Jansen) has dominated me. I don't think I've ever gotten a hit off him." Lamb got the triple off Dodgers reliever and losing pitcher Casey Fien (1-1). "I hit it hard enough to get through. I just put it in the right spot. So that was nice," he said. After two intentional walks to load the bases, Drury laced a single through the drawn-in infield off Fien, ending the Diamondbacks' five-game losing streak. It was Drury's first career game-ending hit. "I was just trying to stay inside the ball," Drury said. "I have really learned to focus just on the ball and not on the situation." The Dodgers had the bases loaded with two outs in the top of the 12th, but Randall Delgado (2-1) retired Yasiel Puig on a groundout to end the threat. The Dodgers stranded 15 runners on base. They still were in position to win with Jansen on the mound and a 1-0 lead with two outs in the ninth. But Lamb lined a two-strike double to drive in Michael Bourn, who had singled and stole second base. Of Lamb's 63 runs batted in this season, 11 have come in the ninth inning. Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy struck out eight in six scoreless innings. McCarthy, a former Diamondbacks pitcher making his third start since returning from major elbow surgery that cost him most of last season, held Arizona to three hits in his longest outing of 2016. Diamondbacks starter Archie Bradley allowed a run on six hits, walked three and struck out three.

The Dodgers bullpen, which entered Saturday with the lowest ERA in the majors, got scoreless innings from Adam Liberatore and Joe Blanton before Jansen blew his fourth save chance of the season. Jansen had not allowed a run in 14 previous games. Diamondbacks relievers held the Dodgers scoreless for six innings. Well before that, Justin Turner drove in the game's first run with a soft single in the third inning, driving in Chase Utley, who'd led off with a double. The Dodgers lost a chance to add to the lead in the seventh when Howie Kendrick, who was 3 for 3 up to that point, struck out against reliever Jake Barrett with the bases loaded. "The offense, we had opportunities. We just couldn't get that big hit tonight but we had been doing a lot of good things offensively going into the break and (Friday) night," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "It was just one of those nights where those guys made pitches and hung in there. "Jake Lamb is a great ballplayer and he got a big hit against one of the best closers," Roberts added. "We expect Kenley to be perfect. It's not going to happen." INJURED UMPIRE Home plate umpire Dale Scott left the game in the bottom of the first inning after taking a foul ball to his chin. The umpiring crew went to three men, with Lance Barrett moving behind the plate from first base after about a 12-minute delay. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: LHPs Clayton Kershaw and Alex Wood threw to live hitters for the first time in their rehabilitations from injuries Saturday at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw throwing 60 pitches. Wood threw 30 to 40 pitches, Roberts said. If Kershaw feels fine on Sunday he could pitch as soon as next week at Washington or St. Louis. Kershaw (back) has been on the DL since July 1 and Wood (elbow) on the 60-day DL since May 31. ... OF Trayce Thompson was placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back irritation and OF-IF Zach Walters was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City. ... OF Joc Pederson (sprained AC joint) got a hit and walked twice in four at-bats Friday night in a rehab game for Oklahoma City. He's been on the disabled list since June 29. Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke is still dealing with oblique tightness and may not be ready to make a start this month. ... C-OF Chris Herrmann (hamstring) had an MRI Saturday morning but appeared as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning. UP NEXT Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (7-6) is the scheduled starter against the Diamondbacks. Maeda has a win in two starts against Arizona this season. Diamondbacks: Sunday starter Robbie Ray (4-8) is 2-2 with a 2.40 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers.

Back soreness sends Dodgers' Trayce Thompson to DL By Doug Padilla PHOENIX -- Trayce Thompson's roller-coaster rookie season will take a hiatus, as the Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back irritation. To replace Thompson on the active roster, the Dodgers called up Triple-A Oklahoma City outfielder Zach Walters, who was acquired in a trade with the Cleveland Indians on April 10. Thompson originally hurt his back in late May, missing consecutive games at the time, and the Dodgers have seen his production wane from that point. Before the injury, Thompson was batting .274 with a .528 slugging percentage in 41 games; his marks fall to .185 and .362 in 39 games afterward. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Thompson aggravated the injury in the first-half finale on Sunday against the San Diego Padres. He was held out of the lineup at Arizona on Friday. In Walters, the Dodgers now have a versatile defender who started out as a shortstop in the Arizona Diamondbacks' system. Already this year, Walters has seen action at every position except catcher, even pitching in one game. "I think I can rotate around and give guys a break, set them up for the long haul," said Walters, who has 82 games of major league experience with the Washington Nationals and Cleveland. "But I would say my best defense is offense, so hopefully, I can show what I can do with the bat." Walters said work with Triple-A hitting coach Shawn Wooten helped him to become more consistent at the plate, batting .298 with 10 home runs and 47 RBIs in 77 games with Oklahoma City. Walters is appreciative of the opportunity, especially after being involved in a Dec. 22 car crash near his residence in Las Vegas. He was knocked unconscious in the accident and needed 26 stitches to his head and face after a driver turned in front of him at an intersection. "It's the Dodgers, a historic franchise, so I'm just happy to be here," he said. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (back) throws simulated game By Doug Padilla PHOENIX -- With Clayton Kershaw's simulated 60-pitch game completed Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers will wait to see how their staff ace feels after the session before deciding on their next move. If Kershaw reports no setbacks from the outing on Sunday, the three-time Cy Young Award winner could return to the rotation Thursday at Washington or over the weekend at St. Louis. Kershaw last pitched June 26 at Pittsburgh. He came away from that start with lower back discomfort, which was diagnosed as a mild disc herniation. He already is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list.

"I think, as far as Clayton, it's one of those things now where if it goes well, figuring out what day we can work him into our rotation," manager Dave Roberts said. Also participating in the same simulated game at Dodger Stadium was fellow left-handed starter Alex Wood, who has been on the DL since May 31 with a left posterior elbow impingement. Wood threw 40 pitches and remains a little further behind schedule than Kershaw. Even without their best pitcher, the Dodgers have gone on one of their best runs of the season. They are 11-4 since the left-handed Kershaw last pitched in a game, winning with an improved offense and a lockdown bullpen. Kershaw's return still remains highly anticipated. On the 14 days he started a game this season, the Dodgers won 12 times. He still leads baseball with a 1.79 ERA and is fourth in strikeouts with 145 despite not pitching in more than two weeks. Roberts said Kershaw pitched at maximum effort in his simulated game and mixed in all of his pitches, throwing to batters brought in from Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. There are issues to consider when it comes to Kershaw pitching as early as Thursday. If he faces the Nationals, it would give the Dodgers three consecutive left-handed starters, along with Scott Kazmir and Hyun-Jin Ryu, against the same team. There is also the consideration of having Kershaw fly across the country to make the start. "For us and for me, it's more of deferring to Clayton, how he feels and his comfort level," Roberts said. "That's a variable. Clayton would obviously have to be comfortable with it. With a guy like Clayton, yeah, you defer to him. He's earned that." Umpire leaves Dodgers-Diamondbacks game with injury By Associated Press PHOENIX -- Plate umpire Dale Scott left the game between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in the bottom of the first inning Saturday after taking a foul ball near his chin. The count was 1-1 on Arizona leadoff man Jean Segura after he fouled off a pitch from Brandon McCarthy of the Dodgers. The ball struck Scott, who was attended to by a Diamondbacks trainer. Scott was able to remain standing while being checked and walked off the field. Lance Barrett moved from first base to the plate and play resumed after about a 12-minute delay. A three-man crew worked the game.

NBC LA Kenley Jansen Blows 4th Save as D-Backs Beat Dodgers 2-1, in Extras

By Michael Duarte Jake Lamb must still feel slighted he wasn't an All-Star. Lamb knocked in the game-tying run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and then scored the winning run in the bottom of the 12th as the Diamondbacks came from behind to beat the Dodgers 2-1 on Saturday night at Chase Field in Phoenix. All-Star closer Kenley Jansen blew his fourth save of the season and his first since June 11th in San Francisco as Lamb hit a two-out, RBI double off the wall in left-center to score Michael Bourn. "Jake Lamb is a heck of a ball player and he got a big hit against one of the best closers in baseball," Dodgers' manger Dave Roberts told reporters. "At some point you have to tip your hat and Lamb got a big hit." Jansen already has four blown saves this season, twice as many as he had all in 2015. "We can't always expect Kenley to be perfect," added Roberts. The Dodgers squandered a masterful outing by starter Brandon McCarthy as they left 15 runners on base and were just 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position. "Brandon threw a heck of a game," Roberts continued. "To come back here against his old team and give us a great outing was exciting for all of us. Unfortunately, we couldn't give him the win." Justin Turner tallied the lone run for Los Angeles with an RBI single in the third inning, but the boys in blue would not score again the rest of the game. Chase Utley started the third inning with a leadoff double and scored two batters later on an opposite field single for Turner. Turner has picked up where he left off in the second half of the season after a home run and two runs scored on Friday night in the team's 13-7 victory. McCarthy threw six shutout innings of three-hit ball with no walks and eight strikeouts in his third start since coming off the disabled list following a 14-month layover after Tommy John surgery. Archie Bradley also recorded a no-decision for the Diamondbacks surrendering just one run on six hits with three strikeouts in six innings. Yasmany Tomas nearly tied the game for the D-Backs in the fifth inning when he crushed a first-pitch fastball to deep centerfield that rookie Andrew Toles had to leap over the wall to catch, keeping the Dodgers in the lead. The potential game-saving catch would become a moot point however as Lamb tied the game with two-outs in bottom of the ninth.

LA was one strike away after allowing Bourn to steal second before Lamb tied the game with a double off the wall. Lamb was a finalist for the final NL All-Star spot, but finished fourth behind Giants star Brandon Belt in fan voting. Lamb led off the bottom of the 12th inning with a triple down the right field line and after back-to-back intentional walks, Brandon Drury singled to right field to score Lamb and win the game for the D-Backs. Howie Kendrick had a double and four hits for the boys in blue as he raised his average to .271 on the season and is now batting .358 in his last 27 games. Zach Walters was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday as the team placed outfielder Trayce Thompson on the 15-day disabled list. Walters made his Major League debut with a pinch-hit appearance in the top of the eighth. The heartbreaking loss is the Dodgers second in extra innings loss this month and snaps a four-game winning streak. Meanwhile, Arizona snaps a six-game losing streak with the victory. Players of the Game: Jake Lamb: 3-for-5 with a double, triple, and game-winning run. Justin Turner: RBI single. Howie Kendrick: 4-for-5 with a double. Three Takeaways: 1. Meet the Snake: Brandon McCarthy threw six shutout innings against his former team. The right-hander made his first career start against Arizona after starting 40 games for the Snakes in 2013 and 2014. 2. Welcome to the Show: Dodgers' rookie Zach Walters made his MLB debut with a pinch-hit appearance in the bottom of the eighth inning. Walters lined out to first base on the first pitch he saw. 3. Return of the King: Three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 MVP Clayton Kershw threw a 60-pitch simulated game against Class-A Rancho Cucamonga pitching on Saturday at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw is expected to come off the disabled list next Thursday against the Washington Nationals. Up Next: Dodgers (52-41): Kenta Maeda takes the mound as the Dodgers look to win in the finale of the series. Diamondbacks (39-53): Robbie Ray will pitch on Sunday at 1:10PM PST.