Daily Clips

April 24, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017

DODGERS.COM:

Six-run inning backs McCarthy gem in finale win– Barry M. Bloom and Ken Gurnick

Pederson (groin) could be headed to DL–Ken Gurnick

Pitching win then soccer intro for McCarthy– Ken Gurnick

Struggling Maeda could have start pushed back– Ken Gurnick

Romo set for AT&T Park debut in Dodger Blue– Ken Gurnick

Dodgers recall reliever Liberatore, option Eibner- Ken Gurnick

Urias could make '17 debut this week- Ken Gurnick

LA TIMES:

Dodgers take the fifth (and its six runs) to defeat the Diamondbacks- Andy McCullough

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offers encouragement, advice to struggling starter Kenta Maeda– Andy McCullough

OC REGISTER:

Brandon McCarthy goes seven strong innings as Dodgers win, 6-2– Bill Plunkett

Dodgers’ Sergio Romo on going back to San Francisco: ‘I don’t know what to expect’– Bill Plunkett

On deck: Dodgers at Giants, Monday, 7:15 p.m.- Bill Plunkett

ESPN:

Sergio Romo's move to the 'dark side' solidified by ... an ice cream flavor?– Doug Padilla

Clayton Kershaw's right-hand man? Brandon McCarthy– Doug Padilla

McCarthy, Dodgers salvage final game of series in Arizona– AP

TRUE BLUE LA:

Dodgers & Giants find themselves in unfamiliar positions in the NL West– Eric Stephen

Will Smith hits two home runs in 11-5 win, Quakes sweep 66ers– Craig Minami

Joc Pederson exits with groin tightness– Eric Stephen

Dodgers Week 3 results: Looking up at the division– Eric Stephen

Dodgers Week 3 results: Looking up at the division– Eric Stephen

Dodgers use their own big inning to escape Phoenix with a win- Eric Stephen

DODGERS INSIDER:

McCarthy logs longest outing since 2015– Rowan Kavner

Liberatore recalled, Eibner optioned– Rowan Kavner

NBC LA:

Dodgers' Bullpen Finally Allows a Home Run as D-Backs Win Finale, 4-2– Michael Duarte

Discover Your Dodgers: Ross Stripling (Short)- Michael Duarte

Discover Your Dodgers: Ross Stripling- Michael Duarte

AMERICAS QUARTERLY:

5 People Who Bring Mexico and the U.S. Closer Together- AQ Online

AQ Top 5 Border Ambassadors: Adrián González- Benjamin Russell

THE DENVER POST:

Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees cut projected luxury tax bills– Ronald Blum

LA TIMES:

Dodgers Dugout: Time for short-sighted fans to abandon ship- Houston Mitchell

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

MONDAY, APRIL 24, 2017

DODGERS.COM

Dodgers' big inning, McCarthy gem sink D-backs By Barry M. Bloom and Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- The Dodgers avoided a series sweep Sunday, scoring six runs in the fifth inning of a 6-2 win over the D-backs at Chase Field. Adrian Gonzalez doubled in two runs and Yasmani Grandal slugged a two-run homer in support of winning starter Brandon McCarthy (3-0), who recovered after Paul Goldschmidt's two-run homer in the first to pitch seven strong innings and give the weary Dodgers bullpen a break. It was the first time McCarthy went seven innings since 2015 Tommy John surgery. "It starts with the starting pitcher," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose club had lost five of six. "Brandon was pounding the zone, changing speeds, keeping the infield involved. It's exactly what we needed." Arizona starter Shelby Miller walked five in four-plus innings and left the game with right forearm tightness. He's scheduled for an MRI on Monday. Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson left the game in the sixth inning with right groin tightness and is day to day. "Overall, we're very pleased with what we did," said D-backs manager Torey Lovullo, whose club took the first two games of the three-game weekend series. "The Dodgers come in here expecting to win games. Our guys set a very nice tone over the last couple of days. Yes, we're happy we won the series, but we want to win every game. In today's game, we had a 2-0 lead and couldn't maintain it." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Not Miller time: Miller had already walked five and given up a two-run lead when he left, but things went south for Arizona when Randall Delgado took over. He was greeted by a single from Justin Turner, a double by Gonzalez and Grandal's homer before getting an out. Wake-up call: Gonzalez hasn't shown power this month (.298 slugging percentage coming into the game), but his bat woke up some on Sunday. Although his first-inning double was a blooper, he drove a second double in the fifth inning to the left-field fence that Daniel Descalso couldn't catch for two RBIs in the six-run rally. He has 18 doubles and 21 homers in 87 career games at Chase Field. "Everything has been a work in progress," said Gonzalez, who has batled forearm tendinitis since Spring Training started. "I've been hitting a lot of balls on the ground that have been outs. For me, it's to hit the ball in the air. Thank God everything's healing and I'm starting to feel better."

WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu starts Monday night at 7:15 p.m. PT to open a series vs. the Giants at AT&T Park. He's coming off two years on the shelf and showing the rust, with a 5.87 ERA and six homers allowed in 15 1/3 innings. He's 4-2 in his career at AT&T Park. D-backs: The Padres are in Chase Field next for a four-game set of night games this week, with the opener on Monday night at 6:40 p.m. PT. It's Zack Greinke for the D-backs against Jhoulys Chacin for the Padres, who took two out of three over Arizona last week at Petco Park. Pederson (groin) could be headed to DL By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson strained his right groin lunging for the first-base bag on a sixth-inning groundout in Sunday's 6-2 win, and manager Dave Roberts hinted that he might be headed to the disabled list Monday. Pederson has been listed as day to day, with a re-evaluation set to happen before the team's four-game series against the Giants in San Francisco begins Monday. "Right now, it's sort of tender, and we're not going to make a [roster] decision yet," said Roberts. "We'll get to San Francisco and see tomorrow morning how he feels. With the groin area, unlike any other muscle region, it's really a dynamic part of the body, the core moving in different direction. For me, as a person who's had injuries with the legs, you've got to be extra careful." Pederson had earlier doubled, walked and scored a run. On the groundout, he said he took a "bad step and lunged at the bag with bad running mechanics," repeating an injury he had three years ago. "After that, I made some running mechanical changes, and this is the first time that it kind of came up," said Pederson. "It was bad on my part. My legs have felt great the whole season. I just took a boneheaded step." The Dodgers nearly lost two more outfielders in the bottom of the ninth inning when right fielder Yasiel Puig and Pederson's replacement in center, Enrique Hernandez, collided just after Puig made a sliding catch in the gap on Jake Lamb's liner. The ball popped loose when the players made contact and went for a double, but Roberts said neither player was injured. Pitching win then soccer intro for McCarthy By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- Brandon McCarthy pitched seven innings Sunday, won a game over his former Arizona team, 6-2, restored order for the Dodgers pitching staff and even triggered a six-run inning with a leadoff walk.

Then Sunday night, when the team flew to San Francisco, McCarthy stayed back for the official introduction of international star Didier Drogba, the newest member of the Phoenix Rising soccer club partly owned by McCarthy. A longtime fan of Liverpool in the English Premier League, McCarthy aligning with the former Chelsea star Drogba is a little like the Dodgers rolling into San Francisco with Sergio Romo in their bullpen. Sports can be strange like that. Just as unpredictable is that McCarthy (3-0, 2.25 ERA), whose last two years were destroyed by Tommy John surgery and then the yips, would now be the starting pitcher manager Dave Roberts mentions alongside Clayton Kershaw at the top of a rotation missing Rich Hill and Scott Kazmir, with Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu struggling. "We needed it," Roberts said of McCarthy's seven innings with six strikeouts, his longest outing since before his 2015 surgery. "When you have Clayton the ace, to have another guy to go alongside him to give the bullpen a day and reset our guys going into San Francisco, we're right on track." The Dodgers had lost five of their previous six, were two games below .500 for the first time this year and were trying to avoid being swept in a three-game series at Chase Field for the first time since 2008. The bullpen had been so taxed the previous two games that the Dodgers expanded it to eight Sunday morning by recalling Adam Liberatore. "Getting deep was a priority," said McCarthy, who allowed a two-run homer to Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning. "The first couple hitters, I was just not commanding the ball very well. I got a grip on what I was doing and the ball started going where I wanted it to." Arizona didn't get a runner past first base against him after the first inning. "He's just got a good look in his eye," said Roberts. "I like the word relentless. He's relentless. He was pounding the strike zone, he had confidence in his entire mix, he's aggressive, and I love his tempo." McCarthy said he took advantage of the D-backs' aggressive hitters and was able to induce seven groundouts. And as much as he was looking forward to his soccer owner gig for Drogba's intro, he's definitely keeping the day job, especially after having it taken away the past two years. "This is the priority, that's my secondary life," McCarthy said of the difference between baseball and soccer. "That's going to be a very cool thing, really fun to be part of. It would have been a lot less fun if today hadn't gone like this." Struggling Maeda could have start pushed back By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said struggling starting pitcher Kenta Maeda will remain in the rotation but is likely to have his next start pushed back one day.

"We haven't made that decision," said Roberts. "We might give him an extra day. Right now we're going to have him ready for Thursday." An extra day means Maeda would start Friday night in Los Angeles against the Phillies instead of Thursday in San Francisco. It also means Julio Urias probably would be recalled from Triple-A to make the Thursday start at AT&T Park. Roberts wouldn't confirm any of that, and the club still has Alex Wood listed to start Wednesday and Maeda to start Thursday. Roberts said he met with Maeda on Sunday morning to discuss his pitch selection, location and confidence level. The staff believes Maeda will be effective only if he pitches no higher than the knees. Maeda's ERA has ballooned to 8.05 in four starts. "I encouraged him to do what, in my opinion, makes him good," said Roberts. "His velocity has ticked up, which is a good thing, but his reliance is on the four-seam fastball; I just know I've seen Kenta put the ball on the ground and changing speeds a little more. We talked about that, and for me it's just to have him exhale a little and feel good about him. I know he'll be fine." Roberts said he also spoke to Maeda about using the cutter he worked on in Spring Training against left-handed hitters. He threw the pitch only twice Saturday night, while three of the four homers he allowed came off fastballs. Left-handed hitters have a 1.103 OPS off Maeda. "He's trying to get the four-seam fastball in there, but it leaks back over," said Roberts. "The cutter might come into play in his next start." Maeda told the Japanese media Saturday night that his confidence has wavered. Roberts addressed that as well. "I think it starts with his confidence, and execution is a byproduct," he said. "We have to reinstill that confidence in Kenta. The skill is there, the ability is there, the arm strength is there, and he is healthy. Now it's about confidence that leads to the execution." Romo set for AT&T Park debut in Dodger Blue By Ken Gurnick Class A Advanced Palm Beach right-hander Junior Fernandez put his tough start to the season behind him in a truly dominant manner on Wednesday night, retiring the first 19 batters he faced en route to tossing eight scoreless innings to pace the Cardinals in a 7-0 shutout of Tampa. With Hyun-Jin Ryu set to square off with Matt Cain, the Dodgers open a four-game series in San Francisco on Monday night in what will be reliever Sergio Romo's first visit to AT&T Park wearing Dodger Blue. Romo can't wait. "I'm excited to go," he said. "I get to see my former teammates, these are my friends. Not only that, I spent 12 years in that organization, nine years in the big leagues, spent every day with these guys. They know when my birthday is. They know my kids and family on a personal level. I will never, ever forget those guys. It's a lifelong relationship. It's pretty dope. Maybe between the lines we're playing against each other, but it will be hard for me to keep that smile off my face when I get on that mound."

Romo isn't worried about the reaction from the fans, who long considered him a favorite. "I don't expect them to boo," he said. "But I do expect them to know I'm on the other side. It's cool. They have sellouts and I'm blessed to be part of those sellout crowds. I created a home in San Francisco. Can't just erase it all." Things to know about this game • The last time Ryu faced the Giants, Sept. 12, 2004, he left after one inning with shoulder irritation, the start of a two-year journey that included shoulder and elbow surgery. • Cain, who has weathered numerous injuries since the end of 2013, actually recorded his most recent quality start against the Dodgers not long ago. He yielded two runs in six innings on April 8, 2016, in San Francisco's 3-2 victory. • Beginning Monday through May 17, the Giants and Dodgers will face each other 10 times. Dodgers recall reliever Liberatore, option Eibner By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- The Dodgers sent for bullpen reinforcements on Sunday, recalling left-handed reliever Adam Liberatore from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioning outfielder Brett Eibner. The move gives the Dodgers eight relievers for Sunday's series finale against the D-backs, who scored 14 runs off the Dodgers' bullpen in the first two games. The Dodgers were expected to bring up Liberatore for the four-game series that starts in San Francisco on Monday night. "A little bit it's about the bullpen usage -- Adam is throwing the heck out of the baseball, but more importantly to get him here for the San Francisco series coming up," manager Dave Roberts said. Liberatore was a mainstay in the bullpen last year until needing left elbow cleanup surgery. He had a 1.59 ERA in six games at OKC. Eibner went 1-for-5 in three games. Urias could make '17 debut this week By Ken Gurnick PHOENIX -- Manager Dave Roberts said 20-year-old Julio Urias' next start might be for the Dodgers this coming week. Urias has been throttled back in the Minor Leagues by a management wanting to limit his innings. Roberts on Sunday said struggling Kenta Maeda might be pushed back one day from Thursday to Friday night, which would leave Thursday's start in San Francisco open for Urias. On Saturday, Roberts was asked if Urias could start in San Francisco.

"He might," a coy Roberts said before Saturday night's game against the D-backs. "Cryptic. We'll see. That start yesterday was the way it was supposed to look." Urias threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings and 93 pitches, which would set him up to pitch as deep as the Dodgers are willing to let him go. Roberts said that means another five-inning start, somewhere. "He's getting close, getting real close," Roberts said. "We don't know yet. He's tracking. He's right where he needs to be." On Saturday, injured lefties Rich Hill, Grant Dayton and Scott Kazmir threw bullpen sessions. Roberts said Dayton is expected to come off the disabled list on Friday and Kazmir needs to show more consistency in a slow recovery from an unspecified left hip issue. Hill threw his 25-pitch session with a bandage to protect his tender middle finger, but the covering isn't allowed in a real game. Roberts said Hill "tinkered" with a new grip and would need a Minor League rehab start before he is activated. He reiterated that the bullpen is an option if Hill's finger won't hold up to the pitch count of a starter. "I assume we'll work our way into long toss without anything covering it, then a bullpen uncovered," said Hill. "It's toughened up for sure." Among the remedies Hill said he's tried are pickle juice, Drysol to absorb perspiration, plunging the digit in a bucket of rice to further dry the skin and applications of former trainer Stan Johnston's Rodeo Rub. "The only research or studies are on long-distance runners, marathoners and ultra-marathoners, and it's dealing with foot blisters," he said. "We've contacted a few people that specialize in blisters. The feet, though, include taping, which we can't do. It's all about callousing it. It's a mixture of things. And throwing, conditioning the finger that way, it's about getting it calloused without the blister."

LA TIMES Dodgers take the fifth (and its six runs) to defeat the Diamondbacks By Andy McCullough His itinerary did not allow much time to dawdle. A few hours after Brandon McCarthy steadied the Dodgers through a 6-2 victory over the Diamondbacks, he planned to drive to Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex in Scottsdale. It was a momentous evening for the club, which counts McCarthy as part of the ownership group: The team was expected to introduce recently signed superstar Didier Drogba. And it was not the highlight of his day. That had already happened. “This is the priority,” McCarthy said. “That’s almost like a secondary life. I get to go over and see some friends. It’s a really fun thing to be a part of. But it would have been a whole lot less fun if today hadn’t gone well.”

The game unfolded in close to ideal fashion for both McCarthy (3-0, 2.25 earned-run average) and the Dodgers (9-10). Sapped by overuse during the first two nights here, the team’s bullpen entered the day desperate for a lengthy outing from a starter. McCarthy responded with seven innings of two-run baseball. In the process, he became the first Dodgers starter to throw a pitch in the seventh inning this season besides Clayton Kershaw. It was McCarthy’s longest outing since April 13, 2015, two weeks before he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. In his third season as a Dodger, after years ruined by injury, McCarthy resembles the pitcher this front office desired when the team signed him to a four-year, $48-million contract. His performance Sunday brightened the spirits of manager Dave Roberts. As McCarthy fired fastballs at the knees of Diamondbacks hitters, inducing ground balls and soft contact, Roberts approached Alex Wood and Kenta Maeda, the starters on Friday and Saturday. This, Roberts explained to them, is what the Dodgers want. “He’s just got a good look in his eye,” Roberts said. “I like the word ‘relentless.’ Right now, he’s in that focused mind-set, and he’s relentless.” Roberts was able to rest his relievers heading into a four-game set in San Francisco. Both clubs will enter the series with losing records, but the Giants (6-13) appear caught in free-fall. They’ve lost four in a row and six of seven. Thus the matchup affords the Dodgers an opportunity against their longtime rival to stabilize themselves after a rocky April. The offense was not the issue this weekend at Chase Field. The lineup produced five runs on Friday and five more Saturday. Those totals paled compared to the 24 scored by Arizona. With McCarthy mollifying the Diamondbacks on Sunday, the Dodgers surged ahead with a six-run outburst in the fifth inning. “That’s what good teams do,” Roberts said. Trailing by two runs, McCarthy led off with a walk against Arizona starter Shelby Miller. Joc Pederson, who would leave the game with an injured groin an inning later, followed with a walk of his own, and Corey Seager doubled off the center-field wall to bring both runners home. A single by Justin Turner set the table for Adrian Gonzalez. The first baseman remains dogged by discomfort in his right forearm, and has struggled to elevate the baseball. He has yet to hit a home run this season, and he’d looked overmatched in his previous at-bat, when Miller blew him away with a series of elevated fastballs in the mid-90s. By this point, though, Miller had left the game because of stiffness in his forearm. In his place arrived reliever Randall Delgado. Delgado can generate impressive velocity. His command is less than reliable. He grooved a 2-2 fastball over the plate, which allowed Gonzalez to extend his arms and unleash a drive to the opposite field. The ball thumped off the left-field wall as two runs scored. “I was just trying to get something in the air, and keep the line moving,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez did not linger on the bases for long. The next pitch Delgado threw was a flat changeup. Yasmani Grandal blistered the baseball beyond the right-field fence. The onslaught provided McCarthy with a four-run lead.

McCarthy had not allowed a hit since the first inning, when he paid for a mistake to Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. He tried to thread a fastball past his fists. Goldschmidt responded by smashing a two-run homer. “It’s one of those ‘Don’t screw up to that guy’ things — and I screwed up to that guy,” McCarthy said. McCarthy did not waver. He survived the inning and settled into control. The Diamondbacks did not hit the ball out of the infield again until the fifth. McCarthy collected seven ground-ball outs and struck out six. He fanned outfielder Yasmany Tomas with a 94-mph fastball to start the seventh, and finished the frame by inducing a popup by shortstop Nick Ahmed. McCarthy headed back to his dugout, where an appreciative manager awaited him. The Dodgers needed an outing like this, Roberts said. “Going into this big series in San Francisco,” he said, “we’re right on track.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts offers encouragement, advice to struggling starter Kenta Maeda By Andy McCullough Dave Roberts called Kenta Maeda into his office Sunday morning. The Dodgers were a little more than 12 hours removed from a second thrashing at Chase Field, this one wrought by a disastrous performance from Maeda. Roberts met with Maeda to help boost his pitcher’s confidence after he surrendered four homers on Saturday night. Roberts offered strategic advice for Maeda, who the team believes has gotten away from the mix of two-seam sinkers and off-speed pitches that helped him produce ground balls in the first half of 2016. Maeda has become prone to giving up damage on elevated fastballs. “His velocity has ticked up, which is a good thing, but I think there’s a little bit of a reliance on the four-seam fastball,” Roberts said. “I’ve seen Kenta putting the ball on the ground, pitching down in the zone and changing speeds a little bit more. It was just to have him exhale, and feel good about things.” Maeda (1-2, 8.05 earned-run average) is tentatively to start on Thursday in San Francisco. The Dodgers could push him back to Friday to make room for Julio Urias, who could make his 2017 debut during this upcoming series against the Giants. A maneuver like that would give Maeda an extra day of rest, which benefited him in 2016. Maeda tinkered with a cut fastball during spring training, but has not worked it into his arsenal much in 2017. Roberts brought up the usage during their meeting on Sunday. “The cutter might come into play in his next start,” Roberts said. Peterson is injured Joc Pederson left the game in the bottom of the sixth inning after feeling a tweak in his right groin area while running out a grounder.

The Dodgers expect to reevaluate Pederson on Monday in San Francisco and determine whether he will require a stint on the 10-day disabled list. Pederson blamed himself for lunging into first base. “It was bad on my part,” Pederson said. “Hopefully, I come back tomorrow feeling a lot better.” Romo excited for return to San Francisco Sergio Romo, who spent the first nine years of his career as a member of the Giants, will return to AT&T Park on Monday for the first time as an opponent. A crucial part of three championship clubs, Romo admitted he was relishing the chance to reconnect with his friends in the organization and the fans inside the ballpark. “It’ll be hard to keep that smile off my face when I get on that mound,” Romo said. Short hops The Dodgers called up left-handed reliever Adam Liberatore to aid the bullpen before Sunday’s game. Outfielder Brett Eibner was optioned to triple-A Oklahoma City. ... Franklin Gutierrez (strained hamstring) had his rehabilitation delayed for a couple days after getting hit in the elbow with a pitch during an at-bat at Camelback Ranch. The Dodgers hoped to activate him off the DL in San Francisco, but he may not be ready until next weekend against the Phillies.

OC REGISTER Brandon McCarthy goes seven strong innings as Dodgers win, 6-2 By Bill Plunkett PHOENIX – Halfway through the four-year, $48 million contract he signed with the Dodgers in December 2014, Brandon McCarthy had been able to do little to justify that expense. But the Dodgers are starting to get a return on that investment. McCarthy continued a strong start to the season by completing seven innings for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2015 as the Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-2, Sunday afternoon. “It starts with the starting pitcher,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Today Mac came out aggressive, gave up a couple runs early but was pounding the zone, changing speeds, working at the bottom of the zone and keeping our infield involved. “It’s exactly what we needed.”

It’s not exactly what they could have expected. McCarthy made only four starts in 2015 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. His return at mid-season last year was rocky to say the least, with McCarthy struggling as much with the mental hurdles of his comeback as the physical. This spring, he arrived surrounded by skepticism that went unspoken, and it wasn’t until the end of the preseason that he had secured a spot in the Dodgers’ starting rotation. In the first weeks of the season, however, the journeyman right-hander has become the surprise answer to the Dodgers’ seemingly annual attempt to fill in the blank next to Clayton Kershaw in their starting rotation. Only those two have managed to see the seventh inning, and the Dodgers are 6-2 when one or the other starts. The pair have combined for a 2.41 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in those eight starts. “I don’t have expectations,” said McCarthy, who has nonetheless exceeded everyone else’s for him. “I don’t sit down and map things out and this is how this should go. I’m pitching the way that I feel like I can and should. That’s really as far as I consider that. If I feel right and I’m able to execute and command, then the results should go in my favor.” That they have while the rest of the rotation has struggled to find its footing is something “we needed,” Roberts said. “No one’s a bigger fan of a player than himself,” Roberts said. “I talk about being the leader of your own fan club. I know Brandon’s the leader of his own fan club and believes in what he potentially can do and what he has done at this level. “But for me, my sample, he was hurt and then coming back there was some things mentally getting in there. Just what he’s done – he’s got a good look in his eye. I like the word ‘relentless,’ and he’s in that mindset right now and he’s relentless.” McCarthy made his only mistake of the day in the first inning when he gave up a two-run home run to Paul Goldschmidt. It was Goldschmidt’s 25th career home run against the Dodgers, the most among active players. “It was supposed to be a four-seamer away, and I think it ran across the plate and in,” McCarthy said. “It’s one of those ‘Don’t screw up to that guy’ and I screwed up to that guy.” He didn’t screw up again. McCarthy gave up three hits in that first inning but was in command after that, retiring 12 of the next 13 batters before allowing another hit. The Diamondbacks had frolicked around the bases while scoring 26 runs in their first 17 at-bats in this series, but didn’t get another runner past first base against McCarthy. “He’s pounding the strike zone,” Roberts said. “He has confidence in his entire mix. He’s aggressive and I love his tempo.” The Dodgers did all their scoring in the fifth inning when their first six batters reached base and all came around to score. Diamondbacks starter Shelby Miller walked McCarthy and Joc Pederson to jump-start the Dodgers offense and wound up leaving with forearm tightness in his pitching arm. Randall Delgado replaced him

after two runs scored on a double by Corey Seager and he gave up three more hits – a single by Justin Turner, a two-run double by Adrian Gonzalez and a two-run home run by Yasmani Grandal. Pederson later left the game with tightness in his right groin after trying to beat out a grounder. He will be re-evaluated Monday but will likely be sidelined for some games. “I just took a bone-headed step and lunged for the base,” Pederson said. “I think we’re going to take it day by day. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow.” Dodgers’ Sergio Romo on going back to San Francisco: ‘I don’t know what to expect’ By Bill Plunkett PHOENIX – Sergio Romo always knew the odds were against San Francisco being his only baseball home. “It’s a small percentage (of players), from what I know, that get drafted by an organization and play your whole minor-league career, your whole big-league career with the same organization – let alone being a reliever,” Romo said Sunday. “It just doesn’t happen. I wanted to be a part of that small percentage. I thought it might happen.” That dream ended last winter when the Giants let him know he was not in their plans for 2017. Drafted by the Giants in 2005, Romo spent parts of nine big-league seasons with them, won three World Series titles with them and even threw the last pitch in one of those (2012). But he will return to AT&T Park this week for the first time as the enemy, wearing Dodger blue. “I don’t expect them to boo. I do expect them to know I’m not on their side anymore,” Romo said with a smile. “I don’t know exactly what to expect. What I’m hoping for is that people remember what I did and really understand that I didn’t leave them out of spite. I didn’t leave them with a bad taste in my mouth, sour taste in my mouth. I do feel that things happen. It’s a business and it was time to move on. “At the end of the day, I appreciate everything they did for me. If it wasn’t for the Giants giving me an opportunity to be in the big leagues I wouldn’t be able to take care of my family the way I have. But now I’m with the Dodgers and they’re continuing to give me an opportunity to take care of my family. I have no complaints, no quarrels whatsoever. I’m excited about it.” Romo was also excited about joining the Dodgers after growing up a Dodger fan – in a family of Dodgers fans who remained loyal to the Los Angeles team even as Romo made his way north. This week’s series is a chance to reconnect with his second home. “I get to see my former teammates,” he said. “These are my friends. I spent 12 years in that organization, nine years in the big leagues. I spent every day with these guys. I mean, they know when my birthday is. They hit me up on my birthday, you know what I’m saying? “You never forget things like that. They know my kids. They know my family. This is on a personal level. I will never, ever, ever forget those guys. Those are life-long relationships to me.”

Boos or cheers aside, Romo knows one thing for sure. “I will be honest – it will be hard to keep that smile off my face when I get on that mound,” he said. MAEDA ROLE Dodgers manager Dave Roberts met with struggling right-hander Kenta Maeda in the visiting manager’s office before Sunday’s game. Roberts said the discussion focused on encouraging Maeda to do “in my opinion, what makes him good.” That means more effective use of his two-seam fastball, particularly inside to left-handed hitters, and perhaps incorporating a cut fastball Maeda was working on during spring training. Maeda’s ground ball rate has dropped dramatically through his first four starts this year – 27.6 percent compared to 43.9 percent last season – and the fly balls are turning into home runs (seven in 19 innings). “He’s really gotta be stubborn down,” Roberts said. “Where last year he was missing just off the edges, there was a little giving the hitter too much credit, for me. Now, he’s attacking which is a good thing. But I think the ball still needs to be at the bottom of the strike zone.” It remains to be seen when Maeda will get a chance to make those adjustments. He is scheduled to start Thursday in San Francisco but Roberts indicated that might not happen. With Julio Urias expected to join the rotation this week, Maeda could be pushed back a day or moved out of the rotation entirely. “We haven’t made that decision,” Roberts said Sunday. ALSO The Dodgers promoted left-hander Adam Liberatore from Triple-A Oklahoma City and returned outfielder Brett Eibner to the OKC Dodgers. Liberatore was 0-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in six appearances for OKC. Outfielder Franklin Gutierrez’s return from a hamstring injury has been delayed after he was hit in the elbow by a pitch while getting at-bats at extended spring training Saturday. Gutierrez will stay behind in Arizona to get at-bats at Camelback Ranch on Monday before likely going on a brief rehab assignment. Roberts said Gutierrez will be activated from the DL later in the week. On deck: Dodgers at Giants, Monday, 7:15 p.m. By Bill Plunkett DODGERS at GIANTS When: Monday, 7:15 p.m. TV: SportsNet LA (where available); MLB Network (blacked out in Southern California)

Where: AT&T Park THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP HYUN-JIN RYU (0-3, 5.87 ERA) Vs. Giants: 4-4, 4.07 ERA At AT&T Park: 4-2, 3.74 ERA Hates to face: Hunter Pence, 10 for 22 (.455), 2 doubles Loves to face: Brandon Crawford, 2 for 13 (.154) GIANTS RHP MATT CAIN (1-0, 3.31 ERA) Vs. Dodgers: 5-11, 3.53 ERA At AT&T Park: 58-56, 3.36 ERA Hates to face: Chase Utley, 11 for 32 (.344), 1 double, 4 home runs Loves to face: Yasmani Grandal, 1 for 8 (.125) UPCOMING Tuesday – Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 3-1, 2.54 ERA) at Giants (LHP Ty Blach, 0-0, 4.76 ERA), 7:15 p.m., SportsNet LA Wednesday – Dodgers (LHP Alex Wood, 1-0, 3.29 ERA) at Giants (RHP Johnny Cueto, 3-1, 5.25 ERA), 7:15 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network (blacked out in Southern California) Thursday – Dodgers (TBD) at Giants (LHP Matt Moore, 1-3, 5.87 ERA), 12:45 p.m., SportsNet LA

ESPN

Sergio Romo's move to the 'dark side' solidified by ... an ice cream flavor? By Doug Padilla PHOENIX – The moment Sergio Romo's departure from the Bay Area really felt official was the day the ice cream flavor with his likeness on the container was rebranded. Called "Sergio Romo's Mexican Chocolate," from the popular Petaluma, California, ice cream brand Three Twins, the packaging had a cartoon version of Romo blended into the company's regular logo. The

tagline "It only tastes illegal" was a nod to the T-shirt Romo wore during the Giants' 2012 victory parade that read "I just look illegal." Three Twins, which prides itself on donating to charitable causes, gave some of the proceeds of the flavor to immigration reform causes. Romo said he also received nominal proceeds from the sales, and subsequently put those directly into his own charitable foundation. Regional differences seem to have altered the relationship now. "They took my face off the logo," said the former San Francisco Giants pitcher, who is now with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers after signing a one-year, $3 million deal this offseason. What new ice cream packaging can't erase is the contributions Romo made over nine seasons with the Giants. He was named to an All-Star team, but the bigger accomplishment was performing well for three World Series champions in San Francisco. A beloved member of those successful teams, Romo returns to AT&T Park on Monday wearing the blue cap of the hated Dodgers. The 34-year-old right-hander still hopes his reception will be positive but acknowledges that he doesn’t know what will happen when he enters a game along the bay wearing road grays. "I don't really have expectations, or I don't know exactly what to expect," Romo said. "What I am hoping for is that people really remember what I did, to really understand and take into consideration that I didn't leave them out of spite. I didn't leave them with any bad or sour taste in my mouth. I do feel that things happen. It's a business and it was time to move on." Romo would have liked to be in that small percentage of players who spend their entire career playing for the same organization that draft them. As a reliever, though, Romo knew that would be a long shot at best. When the Giants were not interested in retaining him after last season, he signed with the Dodgers, the club he rooted for while growing up as a kid in Brawley, California. His Dodgers era began with six solid outings before he was crushed for five runs in one-third of an inning Friday at Arizona, walking three of the six batters he faced. Seemingly slow to embrace this former Giant -- and a successful one at that -- fans at Dodger Stadium have been cheering progressively louder as time goes on. "Yeah, I feel that since I came over, the reception I've gotten has been really positive," Romo said. "The majority of it, if not all of it, has been good in my eyes. I know I am coming from what they consider the dark side, but I'm here as a Dodger now. "I am thankful for the time I spent in San Francisco, but I'm a Dodger. This is the spot at the table that I have been given and the Dodgers feel I deserve, so I'm just trying to come here and help them win. At this point in my career, it's all about winning." Now it's the Giants fans' turn to react to Romo as a member of the dark side.

"I guess I don't expect them to boo, but I expect them to know that I'm not on their side anymore," he said. Sure, the Giants did not ask Romo to return, but the pitcher did pick the Dodgers in free agency. How that is perceived will become clearer when Romo enters a game this week. "I don't know how he will be received, but I expect him to get cheers; I think he deserves them," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "It was the organization's decision not to re-sign him so now you put the player in a certain situation. It was out of his hands and it was our gain to get Sergio. I know he was excited and I think he will pitch well." Romo's personality suggests he will get a huge kick out of whatever reaction he gets from Giants fans. And while the reception is an unknown, he is more certain about how the meeting with his former teammates will go down. "I get to see my former teammates again; these are my friends," he said. "These are guys that [I] not only spent 12 years in that organization with, and nine years in the big leagues, I spent every day with these guys. These guys, they know when my birthday is. They hit me up on my birthday. You know what I'm saying. Stuff like that, you don't forget stuff like that. They know my kids, they know my family." Perhaps everybody can get together and have some Mexican chocolate ice cream this week? Romo insists the flavor is still being produced; it just isn't marketed with his likeness anymore. Three Twins does not show a Mexican chocolate flavor on its website, though. Times change. People move. But memories live on. This week in San Francisco, Romo's two worlds will collide. He will be on the other side of the electric atmosphere AT&T Park provides for Dodgers-Giants games. "Yeah, it's cool," Romo said. "They sell out and I was blessed to be a part of those sellout crowds. I'm excited. I created a home in San Francisco. It's not like you can erase it all. I'm excited, I really am." Clayton Kershaw's right-hand man? Brandon McCarthy By Doug Padilla PHOENIX -- Brandon McCarthy had goals for the afternoon and plans for more goals in the evening, and he accomplished at least half his agenda with his outing Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starter continued to look like the right-handed complement to the left-handed Clayton Kershaw the club has needed, giving up two runs on five hits over seven innings. He struck out six and walked just one in the Dodgers’ 6-2 victory that avoided a sweep in the desert. “Everything was efficient, at least for strikes,” McCarthy said. “The pitches weren’t all fantastic, but they were at least in the zone. [Catcher Yasmani Grandal] called a great game and kept them off-balance. They were aggressive in some counts, so we were able to take advantage of that and get some quicker outs.”

Next on McCarthy’s day planner was a short drive down the freeway to see a soccer game. McCarthy, who bought into the ownership group of the United Soccer League’s Phoenix Rising this past summer, was ready to exchange his player’s hat for one befitting of an owner. The Rising was set to introduce Didier Drogba to the home fans. Not only is the soccer legend from the Ivory Coast planning to play for the Rising at some point this season, he is then expected to join the ownership group in the future and help the club in a bid to one day join Major League Soccer. To say things were really coming together for McCarthy on Sunday would be an understatement. “[Pitching] is a priority and that’s almost a secondary life, but it’s going to be a very cool thing over there,” McCarthy said. “I get to see some friends and it’s just a really fun thing to be a part of. But it would have been a lot less fun if today had not gone well.” When he threw a pitch in the seventh inning against the Diamondbacks, McCarthy became the first Dodgers starting pitcher other than Kershaw to last that long in a game this year. For a Dodgers staff desperate for somebody to supply innings, McCarthy’s effort has been appreciated. “He’s pounding the strike zone, he has confidence in his entire mix, he’s aggressive and I love his tempo,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We needed it. When you have Clayton, who is your ace, who is your stopper, to have another guy alongside Clayton to kind of give the pen a day [off], and to win a baseball game [is big].” Roberts even suggested that McCarthy could get an extra day of rest before his next start, a move that could end up pairing him with Kershaw on back-to-back days. If both starters continue to supply innings, it would give Roberts a chance to reset his bullpen each time through the rotation. Kenta Maeda was supposed to be that guy the Dodgers could pair with Kershaw to reset the bullpen, but as his struggles continue, McCarthy has been the dependable one. McCarthy entered spring training with question marks after developing something resembling the yips while on the mound last season. McCarthy has called last year's issues a mental hiccup, although he was returning from Tommy John surgery in 2016, no doubt learning to trust that his elbow would hold strong. Instead of fretting this winter, McCarthy said he slept well, went through his typical routine and came back strong in spring training. He was one of 10 potential candidates for the Dodgers’ starting rotation and he ended up performing the best of those who didn’t have a set spot. “Nobody is a bigger fan of a player than himself, and I talk about being the leader of your own fan club,” Roberts said. “He believes in what he potentially can do and what he has done at this level. But for me, my sample, he was hurt and he came back and there were some things mentally getting in there. Just what he has done, he just has a good look in his eye. I like the word 'relentless' and I think right now he’s in that focused mindset and he has been relentless.” McCarthy, now in the third year of a four-year, $48 million deal, is giving the Dodgers what they had hoped for, but even they couldn’t have been expecting him to deliver No. 2 starter stuff behind Kershaw.

“I don’t have expectations; I don’t sit down and map things out how they should go,” McCarthy said when asked if he is even exceeding expectations after surgery in 2015, and struggles upon his return in 2016. “I’m pitching the way I can and should. So that’s as far as I really consider that. If I feel right and able to execute and command, then results should go in my favor.” From the owner’s box, McCarthy won't impact wins and losses in the same way. But having Drogba on the ownership group's side now should help matters. The mere presence of the superstar is supposed to immediately help the Rising ownership group with that future MLS bid. The club currently plays its home games in a pop-up stadium where Scottsdale and Mesa meet, but things could be moving in a different direction soon. When the team gets a proper stadium, it could be the home that Drogba built. “I have hated him for what he has done to my favorite team for years,” said McCarthy, who has been a longtime supporter of Liverpool, while Drogba played for Chelsea. “So I went in to meet him with a low expectation and he was fantastic. I’m very cautious around superstars, and tamp things down, and he did not have that feel of somebody who is going to be like that. I thought that was great.” If McCarthy is going to keep pitching like this for the Dodgers, perhaps he can invite Drogba to a baseball game and show him what an important piece of a baseball starting rotation looks like. “I told him there was one game where he ruined a full week for me,” McCarthy said. “I’ll keep reminding him.” And if Drogba claimed an allegiance to the Diamondbacks after arriving to his new home away from home in the desert this week, perhaps McCarthy returned the favor. McCarthy, Dodgers salvage final game of series in Arizona By The Associated Press PHOENIX -- Brandon McCarthy has been the Los Angeles Dodgers' best pitcher not named Clayton Kershaw this season. On Sunday, with his team in dire need of a good performance, McCarthy was the best he's been so far. The 33-year-old right-hander threw seven strong innings and got plenty of support with a six-run fifth inning in a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday. The win prevented a three-game Arizona sweep. After an injury-plagued first season with the Dodgers in 2016, McCarthy is 3-0 in four starts with a 2.25 ERA. "He's just got a good look in his eye," manager Dave Roberts said. "I like the word relentless and I think that right now he's in that focused mindset and he's relentless."

After scoring 24 runs in the first two games of the series, the Diamondbacks managed only a first-inning, two-run home run by Paul Goldschmidt. McCarthy (3-0) blanked Arizona on two hits after that. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits with six strikeouts. "I started hitting more spots," McCarthy said. "The first couple of hitters I was just not commanding very well. Then at that point I got, not necessarily settled in, but just kind of got a grip on what I was doing and the ball started going closer to where I wanted it so it's not as easy to give up hard contact." Shelby Miller (2-2) threw four shutout innings before walking the first two batters and giving up an RBI double to Corey Seager in the fifth. He threw one more pitch and left after a visit to the mound by the Arizona trainer. Miller had tightness in his right forearm. He'll have a precautionary MRI on Monday according to Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. Lovullo said he got a signal from an Arizona player that something wasn't right and made the decision to remove Miller from the game. "These are tough things for me to address. It is really unfortunate," Lovullo said. "Shelby has been throwing the ball really well. This is a minor setback for him but, numbers aside, you just hate to have a situation like this pop up." Miller downplayed the problem. "I feel it will feel better tomorrow," he said. "I don't think it is that big of an issue. Just one of gross things that flares up when you are out there." The Diamondbacks lost at home for just the second time in 10 games this season. Adrian Gonzalez doubled twice, the second one off the left field wall to drive in two runs in the fifth-inning Dodger eruption. All six runs in the inning came with no outs. Randall Delgado relieved Miller and gave up a single to Wes Turner, the two-run double by Gonzalez and Grandal's third home run of the season, a two-run shot into the right field seats on the first pitch. McCARTHY'S SOCCER After the game, McCarthy was off to suburban Scottsdale to watch a game played by Phoenix Rising. McCarthy has a share of ownership in the second-tier U.S. team. And Sunday was a big night, with international star Didier Drogba to make his first appearance. Drogba is to play, though not Sunday night, for the team as well as serve as part-owner. "It's a fun thing to be a part of," McCarthy said. "But it wouldn't have been as fun if things hadn't worked out today."

TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: CF Joc Pederson left the game in the fifth inning with right groin tightness. Roberts said the team would see how Pederson feels on Monday before deciding whether to take further action. ... LHP Scott Kazmir (left hip strain) threw a 40-pitch bullpen session at Chase Field on Saturday. There is no timetable for his return. Kazmir has been on the 10-day DL since March 30. LH reliever Grant Dayton (intercostal strain) threw a bullpen Friday and could rejoin the team next Friday in Los Angeles. UP NEXT Diamondbacks: Arizona, in the midst of a 10-game home stand, sends Zack Greinke (1-2, 3.28 ERA) to the mound Monday night in the series opener against the San Diego Padres, who will start Jhoulys Chacin (2-2, 4.70). The two squared off last week, Greinke pitching a complete game but Chacin getting the win in a 1-0 Padres victory. Dodgers: Move on to San Francisco for four games against the Giants, who were swept in three games in Colorado over the weekend. Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-3, 5.87) starts for Los Angeles against the Giants" Matt Cain (1-0, 3.31).

TRUE BLUE LA

Dodgers & Giants find themselves in unfamiliar positions in the NL West By Eric Stephen The Dodgers and Giants meet for the first time in 2017 with a four-game series starting Monday night at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Both teams are reeling, and find themselves looking up in the National League West standings. Both Los Angeles (9-10) and San Francisco (6-13) enter Monday under .500, in third and fifth place, respectively in a division they have owned of late. San Francisco has the worst record in the National League, off to their worst start since 1983. The Giants have lost six of their last seven games, and the Dodgers lost five of six before escaping Arizona with a win on Sunday afternoon. This is the first time the Dodgers and Giants have faced each other each with a losing record since July 7, 2013. The Dodgers and Giants have been the class of the division for the last five years. Los Angeles has won four straight NL West titles and finished second in 2012. During the same span, San Francisco has reached the playoffs three times, winning two of their three World Series championships in this decade. The only time in the last five years that someone other than the Dodgers or Giants finished as high as second place was in 2013, when the Diamondbacks at 81-81 finished 11 games behind the Dodgers.

That was the second straight .500 season for Arizona, the only two non-losing seasons for the Diamondbacks, Rockies and Padres dating back to 2012. This year, however, Colorado and Arizona are both off to hot starts. The Rockies are 13-6 and in first place, with the Diamondbacks, at 12-8, close behind. Colorado just finished off a sweep of the Giants at Coors Field, and is 6-1 against the Giants already this season. The Rockies have also beaten the Dodgers in three of their five meetings in 2017. The Diamondbacks are 4-3 against the Dodgers and 4-3 against the Giants this season, which has both Los Angeles and San Francisco in the unfamiliar position of late of looking up at their competition within the division. Dodgers problems The Dodgers are without Logan Forsythe for a little bit with a broken toe, and Franklin Gutierrez has been sidelined with a strained hamstring. Those were the two biggest weapons brought in this offseason to help combat left-handed pitching, which remains a problem. Against left-handers in 2017, the Dodgers are hitting just .225/.310/.360, and the problem has been exacerbated by facing much, much more of them this year. The Dodgers have faced 10 left-handed starters in 19 games, and lead the majors with 318 plate appearances against southpaws, 49 more PA than any other team (Colorado is second). The Dodgers are 3-7 against lefties this season. They will face two more lefties in San Francisco, facing Ty Blach on Tuesday and Matt Moore on Thursday, which makes 12 lefties in 23 games. In 2016, the Dodgers faced their 12th left-handed starter on May 23, their 46th game. Rich Hill is out with recurring blister problems, which doesn’t help the fact that Dodgers starters not named Clayton Kershaw are averaging just 4.98 innings per start this season, with a 4.94 ERA. Giants problems The big blow to the Giants is Madison Bumgarner spraining his left shoulder and bruising his ribs in a dirt bike accident that came right out of central casting. He’s out for a while, but San Francisco was struggling with Bumgarner anyway. Bumgarner has pitched very well this season, with a 3.00 ERA, a 2.33 FIP, 28 strikeouts and just four walks, but the Giants were 0-4 in his four starts, thanks in part to having scored no runs with him in the game in his last three outings. Giants left fielders — Chris Marrero has just over half the plate appearances — are just 8-for-66, hitting .121/.192/.197. Giants center fielders — Denard Span and Gorkys Hernandez platooning — are hitting just .171/.232/.237, and Span strained his shoulder crashing into the wall at Coors Field on Saturday (sounds familiar!).

They have already been without Buster Posey for a week with concussion symptoms, though he’s back. Hunter Pence hurt his knee over the weekend, but is expected to start Monday against the Dodgers. Strap in The Dodgers and Giants haven’t played each other since way back on March 7 in spring training. But they will get familiar with one another pretty quick. Monday is the first of 10 games against these two teams — seven in San Francisco, three in Los Angeles — in the next 23 days. They say you can throw out the records when the Dodgers and Giants meets. At this moment, both teams would be glad to do just that. Will Smith hits two home runs in 11-5 win, Quakes sweep 66ers By Craig Minami RANCHO CUCAMONGA —- The Quakes remain undefeated at home, winning their sixth straight game. The Loons won on a walk-off home run, OKC loses another close one and the Drillers lose big on Sunday. Today’s report also features some comments from my coverage from the past weekend series between the Quakes and 66ers. Player of the day Will Smith was the second first-round pick the Dodgers made in 2016. He was a catcher for Louisville and that has been his primary position in his short minor league career. However, the recently turned 22-year old has also started at third base and in his last two games, he started at second base. “Being able to be flexible, bouncing around, playing third a little bit, playing second base, playing catcher,” said Quakes manager Drew Saylor, “I think that helps him.” Smith has hit in eight straight games, on Sunday he went 2-for-3 with his two home runs, four RBI and two walks. “I think he has just been doing a very, very good job, offensively, obviously putting up really good at bats,” said Saylor, “not only just hitting, he’s also taking his walks too, which is a very special thing to see.” Triple-A Oklahoma City Oklahoma City fell one run short and lost their second straight 4-3 to the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals). OKC had eight singles and six walks but left 12 runners on base on Sunday. Wilmer Font pitched 4⅓ innings and gave up four runs, seven hits, walked two and struck out five. Reliever Jacob Rhame struck out two in 1⅔ innings. Cody Bellinger had two singles, Alex Verdugo was 2-for-2 with three walks. Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers lost 10-3 to NW Arkansas Naturals (Royals). Starter Josh Sborz gave up nine runs in his 3⅔ innings pitched. Sborz gave up six runs in his first start, he also went 3⅔ innings in that game. The Drillers had their chances, they were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes swept their three-game series against the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) by a 11-5 score. The Quakes have won all six of their home games which has been a great start to their 25th season at Rancho Cucamonga. The Quakes hit five home runs, along with the two that Will Smith hit, also Drew Jackson, Garrett Hope and Brandon Montgomery hit home runs on Sunday. Mitch White had not given up any runs in his professional career until his last start at Lancaster this past Tuesday. In 1⅔ innings, he gave up six runs (three earned), four hits, hit two batters and walked two. Manager Drew Saylor spoke on Saturday about what White needed to do in his next start. “What we are really trying to get our guys to understand is that let’s learn from the past but let’s also prepare for what we are about to go through,” Saylor said. “You can’t dwell to much in the past because it clouds your future.” On Sunday, White went 4⅔ innings and gave up one run, three hits, two walks and struck out four. “He was able to maintain his composure, felt his fastball was obviously plus, he had a good finish to it,” Saylor said. “The offspeed was plus. It was a very, very good start for him.” White was in good spirits after the game and he also said his offspeed pitches were working well. “I felt pretty good going through early on, especially just being able to get ahead,” White said. “The slider was working pretty good. I was relying on that pretty heavily.” Pitching every fifth day is the new reality for White and this was the second time he made two starts within five days this season. “The five-day rotation is something to get used to for sure,” White said. “Being able to go deep into games and then come back four days later, five days later and being able to shove again is definitely something to get used to.” White was another Quake who played for the Dodgers in spring training and he smiled when asked about it. “I mean it was cool, it was a very cool experience,” White said, “I don’t remember the outing. I was just going and not really thinking about it.” Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons beat the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) 5-4 on Sunday. It was a back and forth game with both teams trading leads until the ninth when there was one out and Luis Paz came up. Leo Crawford started for the Loons and gave up four runs in 4⅔ innings pitched. Relievers Parker Curry and Sven Schuller kept the TinCaps off the scoreboard. Carlos Rincon hit his sixth home run of the season and walk-off hero Luis Paz went 3-for-4. Transactions Triple-A: Los Angeles recalled left-handed pitcher Adam Liberatore and optioned outfielder Brett Eibner to Oklahoma City; right-handed pitcher Fabio Castillo assigned to Oklahoma City from Tulsa. Double-A: Tulsa activated right-handed pitcher Tim Shibuya from the 7-day disabled list. Sunday scores Memphis 4, Oklahoma City 3 NW Arkansas 10, Tulsa 3 Rancho Cucamonga 11, Inland Empire 5 Great Lakes 5, Fort Wayne 4 Monday schedule 3:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Dustin May) vs. Lake County Captains [Indians] (Brady Aiken) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Justin Masterson) vs. Memphis (Chris Ellis) 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Scott Barlow) vs. Arkansas Travelers [Mariners] (Max Povse) 7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Caleb Ferguson) vs. San Jose Giants (Matt Krook) Joc Pederson exits with groin tightness By Eric Stephen The latest injury to hit the Dodgers is center fielder Joc Pederson, who left Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks with tightness in his groin. Pederson doubled and walked in Sunday’s series finale. But it was a ground out to shortstop in the sixth inning when Pederson felt something, and was removed from the game before the Dodgers took the field on defense. Manager Dave Roberts said after the game that Pederson was removed as a precaution, and that the center fielder would be reevaluated on Monday, when the Dodgers are in San Francisco to open a four-game series against the Giants.

Pederson is hitting .220/.340/.322 this season, and batted leadoff in the Dodgers’ last two games against right-handed pitching. With the disabled list stint now 10 days instead of 15, teams can be more aggressive with roster moves that will cause players to miss some time. Among the outfielders on the 40-man roster, both Trayce Thompson and Brett Eibner are within the 10-day period since they were optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City, but either one could return before the 10 days are up if replacing an injured player. Dodgers Week 3 results: Looking up at the division By Eric Stephen The Dodgers had a disappointing week, dropping four of six games within the division to the Diamondbacks and Rockies. The pitching was a problem most of the week, with starters going short again, and the bullpen imploding over the weekend in Phoenix. Allowing home runs sabotaged Kenta Maeda and Hyun-jin Ryu specifically, and the staff as a whole allowed 10 home runs during the week after giving up 13 total home runs in the first 13 games of the season. The Dodgers end the week four games back of the Rockies in the National League West, and in third place, dropping 2½ games in the standings during the week. Batter of the week Kiké Hernandez was an extra-base machine this week, with two home runs, a triple, and a double, hitting .333/.412/.933. Honorable mention goes to Chris Taylor, who carried over his hot spring by going 5-for-8 (.625) with a home run and two doubles after getting called up. Pitcher of the week Clayton Kershaw struck out 10 for the first time this season on Wednesday, but the award this week goes to Brandon McCarthy, who had two solid starts, including a seven-inning outing on Sunday, his longest in two years. Week 3 results Record: 2-4 25 runs scored (4.17 per game) 36 runs allowed (6.00 per game) .339 pythagorean record Year to date Record: 9-10 85 runs scored (4.47 per game) 73 runs allowed (3.84 per game) .569 pythagorean record (11-8)

Transactions Monday: For the second time this season, Rich Hill was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a blister on his left middle finger, and corner man Rob Segedin was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Tuesday: Relief pitcher Grant Dayton was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right intercostal strain, and Josh Fields was recalled from Triple-A to replace him in the bullpen. Wednesday: Logan Forsythe was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a broken right big toe, and infielder Chris Taylor was recalled from Oklahoma City. Wednesday: Rob Segedin was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained right toe, and outfielder Brett Eibner was recalled from Triple-A. Sunday: Relief pitcher Adam Liberatore was recalled from Triple-A, and Brett Eibner was optioned back to Oklahoma City. Game results Monday: Diamondbacks 4, Dodgers 2 Tuesday: Rockies 4, Dodgers 3 Wednesday: Dodgers 4, Rockies 2 Friday: Diamondbacks 13, Dodgers 5 Saturday: Diamondbacks 11, Dodgers 5 Sunday: Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 2 Upcoming week The Dodgers run the Charlie Hayes gauntlet, battling the rival Giants for four games in San Francisco, followed by three games at home against the Phillies. Dodgers game notes list Kenta Maeda as the starter on Thursday afternoon in San Francisco, but that seems more and more likely like the day Julio Urias will make his 2017 debut, especially given Dave Roberts’ comments on Sunday morning, so I speculated accordingly. Dodgers use their own big inning to escape Phoenix with a win By Eric Stephen The Dodgers were on the good side of a big inning on Sunday, striking for six runs in the fifth inning in a 6-2 win over the Diamondbacks to avoid a weekend sweep at Chase Field in Arizona. The game, and the inning, showed signs of life, and not just by the Dodgers, losers of five of their last six games before Sunday.

Adrian Gonzalez has not hit for power at all this season, with his last extra-base hit a double on April 5. The Dodgers first baseman technically snapped that extra-base drought with a bloop behind third base in the first inning, snapping a 58-plate-appearance skid without one. But it was Gonzalez’s second double of the game that provided hope, a drive to the wall in left field that scored a pair of runs to give the Dodgers their first lead. That was in the fifth inning, when Shelby Miller went from scoreless outing to can’t find the strike zone in a matter of seconds. He walked pitcher Brandon McCarthy to start the inning, prompting a visit from pitching coach Mike Butcher. Then he walked Joc Pederson, too, and Corey Seager made them pay with a double to deep center field that tied the game. Miller was lifted for Randall Delgado, who allowed a single to Justin Turner then the double by Gonzalez. But before Delgado could even settle in, Yasmani Grandal launched a ball into the right field seats for a two-run home run and, just like that, a six-run inning. McCarthy was more than up to the task of making that hold up. He allowed a two-run home run to Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning, part of three consecutive hits in the inning, but that was pretty much it. The rest of McCarthy’s day — outside of walking and scoring in the fifth — was filled with ground ball outs (seven of them) and strikeouts (six of those). He pitched seven innings, the only Dodgers starter not named Clayton Kershaw to do so this season, and has averaged six innings in his four starts in 2017. Sunday’s seven-inning start was the longest for McCarthy since April 13, 2015, before his Tommy John surgery. The rest Pederson, 1-for-3 with a double and a walk from the leadoff spot on Sunday, left the game in the sixth inning as a precaution after feeling tightness in his groin, per Alanna Rizzo on the SportsNet LA broadcast. Turner’s single in the fifth inning extended his hitting streak to nine games, the longest by a Dodger this season. Miller walked five batters in the game, the most by any pitcher against the Dodgers this season. Dodgers batters lead the National League with 78 walks this season. David Peralta was 2-for-4 on Sunday for Arizona, his fourth straight multi-hit game against the Dodgers. He is 12-for-26 (.462) against the Dodgers this season, even more remarkable considering he started 0-for-8 against them. Up next The Dodgers continue their road trip on Monday night in San Francisco, in a battle of underwhelming division rivals. Hyun-jin Ryu gets the start in the opener, a 7:15 p.m. PT game time, facing off against Matt Cain for the Giants. Sunday particulars Home runs: Yasmani Grandal (3); Paul Goldschmidt (3)

WP - Brandon McCarthy (3-0): 7 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts LP - Shelby Miller (2-2): 4+ IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 5 walks, 3 strikeouts

DODGER INSIDER McCarthy logs longest outing since 2015 By Rowan Kavner The Dodgers needed six innings from their starter, trying to avoid a series sweep after six relievers combined to throw 6 1/3 innings through the first two games of the series. They got more than that. As they’ve found out early in 2017, the Dodgers (9–10) can count on Brandon McCarthy (3–0, 2.25), who went seven innings for the first time since April 13, 2015, giving the Dodgers the starting pitching length they’ve craved in a 6–2 win Sunday against the Diamondbacks (12–8). “It starts with the starting pitcher,” said manager Dave Roberts. “Today, Mac came out aggressive…It’s exactly what we needed.” It was the longest outing McCarthy’s had since 2015 Tommy John surgery, but it wasn’t an anomaly, as McCarthy’s now gone at least six innings in three of his first four starts of the year. “He was great today,” said Yasmani Grandal. “Coming into today we felt like we had a really good game plan, especially since we had seen them in LA.” McCarthy was the last Dodger pitcher to earn a spot in the rotation, but he’s been the second most reliable starter through the first few weeks of the year. McCarthy and Clayton Kershaw now have seven of the Dodger starting pitchers’ eight six-plus inning outings of 2017. It’s possible McCarthy, who’s allowed two runs or fewer in each of his four starts this year, could’ve also gone at least six innings in each start as well. But because McCarthy was taken out after five innings and 86 pitches in his last start, Roberts felt comfortable extending McCarthy a little longer Sunday. McCarthy threw a season-high 99 pitches, and the only damage against him occurred in the first inning on a two-run home run from Paul Goldschmidt. “Location,” McCarthy said as the reason that pitch went into the stands. “Just one of those, ‘Don’t screw up to that guy,’ and I screwed up to that guy.” It didn’t faze him, though. McCarthy followed with six scoreless frames, and he also started the Dodgers’ offensive burst in the fifth inning, with the team doing all of its damage in the six-run inning, rivaling what Arizona did in its nine-run inning in the first game of the seasons.

Two of McCarthy’s eight career walks have occurred this year, including one to start the fifth. Joc Pederson followed with another walk before an RBI double to center field from Corey Seager, which ended in two runs coming across to tie the game as Pederson raced home when the ball trickled away from the cutoff man. The Dodgers were far from done, as each of the Dodgers’ first six batters of the inning reached base. Justin Turner followed with a single to stretch his hit streak to nine games, before Adrián González scored two with his second of two doubles of the day and Yasmani Grandal knocked in the final two runs of the inning on a two-run home run to right field. “Definitely needed it,” Grandal said. “But there’s no panic. For the most part, we feel really good.” McCarthy said the Dodgers needed to put the hammer down there, and they did that, with the six runs providing plenty of insurance for McCarthy, who struck out six while allowing five hits, two runs and a walk in seven innings. Pedro Báez and Sergio Romo then finished off the win, with the Dodgers now heading off to San Francisco, where Romo will be pitching as the opponent for the first time after nine seasons with the Giants. Other Notes: · Pederson, who finished 1-for-3 with a run, left the game with right groin tightness after trying to leg out a hit to second base. Roberts said it was tender after the game, and the Dodgers will be cautious as they see how he feels Monday in San Francisco. “With the groin area, unlike any other muscle region, it’s really a dynamic part of your body with your core, your moving laterally, your moving a lot of directions,” Roberts said. · Strangely, the first team to score lost each of the three games of the series. The Dodgers homered in the first inning in each of their losses Friday and Saturday, while Goldschmidt homered in the first inning in Sunday’s Dodger win. · Kiké Hernández entered for Pederson in center field and was involved in a minor sliding collision with Yasiel Puig in the ninth inning, but both players came out of it feeling fine. Up Next: Hyun-Jin Ryu starts the series Monday for the Dodgers against Matt Cain in San Francisco. Liberatore recalled, Eibner optioned By Rowan Kavner 04/23 Dodgers at Diamondbacks, 1:10 p.m. Joc Pederson CF Corey Seager SS Justin Turner 3B Adrián González 1B

Yasmani Grandal C Andrew Toles LF Yasiel Puig RF Chase Utley 2B Brandon McCarthy P The Dodgers brought another arm up before Sunday afternoon’s game against the Diamondbacks, recalling reliever Adam Liberatore and optioning outfielder Brett Eibner back to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Six different Dodger relievers have pitched in the first two games of the Dodgers’ series in Arizona, and manager Dave Roberts said bullpen usage factored into the roster move as the Dodgers try to avoid the series sweep Sunday with Brandon McCarthy on the mound. Liberatore held his opponents scoreless in five of his six games at Triple-A, owning a 1.59 ERA and 0.88 WHIP and holding opponents to a .238 batting average. Roberts said he liked the way Liberatore was throwing with Oklahoma City, and the Dodgers also wanted him up for their upcoming series against the Giants. Eibner, who was recalled on Wednesday, went 1-for-5 in a three-game stint with the Dodgers. Other Notes: · McCarthy has allowed just four earned runs while striking out 16 in 17 innings through his first three starts of 2017, going at least five innings and allowing two runs or fewer in each of those outings. The double play has helped his cause, ranking third in the National League (min. 15 IP) in opponents’ double plays per nine innings (1.59). · Dodger infielder Chris Taylor continued his scorching start to 2017 since getting recalled from Triple-A on Wednesday, finishing Saturday’s contest 2-for-4, now hitting safely in all three games since his call up. · Roberts said he tried to encourage Dodger starter Kenta Maeda on Sunday, after Maeda allowed three runs in five innings Saturday, marking his fourth straight start of 2017 allowing at least three runs and going no more than five innings. He said one positive is Maeda’s velocity has ticked up. Going forward the Dodgers want to make sure the ball stays down more in the strike zone, but he believes Maeda will be fine. · Franklin Gutierrez (10-day DL — hamstring) will have an abbreviated rehab at Camelback Ranch. He’s getting Sunday off before getting back on the field Monday. He’s expected to be back with the Dodgers by the end of the upcoming week. · Sergio Romo will make his return as an opposing pitcher to San Francisco, where he pitched his first nine Major League seasons, in the Dodgers’ next series. Roberts said he expects cheers for Romo, and he believes Romo will embrace it.

NBC LA Dodgers Salvage Series With D-Backs in 6-2 Victory on Sunday By Michael Duarte One inning was all they needed. The Dodgers scored six runs in the top of the fifth inning as they came back to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 6-2, on Sunday afternoon at Chase Field. The Dodgers managed to salvage a game in the three-game series in Phoenix, avoiding the sweep after allowing back-to-back double-digit runs to the D-Backs on Friday and Saturday. Brandon McCarthy, easily the Player of the Game for Los Angeles, started off the fifth inning with a leadoff walk, Joc Pederson also received a free pass, putting the go-ahead run at the plate in reigning NL Rookie of the Year, Corey Seager. Seager drove a double to the gap in left-center, scoring both McCarthy and Pederson on the play to tie the game. Two batters later, Adrian Gonzalez plated two on an RBI double off the wall that just missed getting out of the ballpark. One pitch later, the ball did leave the ballpark as Grandal crushed a changeup over the wall in right-center to give the Dodgers a 6-2 lead, capping off the comeback and the monster inning for the Boys in Blue. McCarthy (3-0), has been a savior for the Dodgers below average season so far. The lanky right-hander allowed just two runs, a first inning homer to Paul Goldschmidt, on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts in seven strong innings. Outside of Clayton Kershaw, McCarthy has been the best starting pitcher for the Dodgers. He has had three quality starts in his first four appearances and is undefeated with a 2.25 ERA on the young season. Sergio Romo bounced back from a rough outing in the first game of the series, by pitching a scoreless ninth, securing the victory for the Dodgers. Up Next: The Dodgers (9-10) renew their rivalry with the San Francisco Giants as they clash at AT&T Park on Monday night in their first series of the 2017 season. LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-3) will square off with RHP Matt Cain (1-0) at 7:15PM PST.

Discover Your Dodgers: Ross Stripling (Short) By Michael Duarte NBC LA Sports Reporter, Michael Duarte, asks Los Angeles Dodgers' reliever, Ross Stripling, some hard-hitting questions about Game of Thrones, Taylor Swift and the College World Series. Link to video: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/sports/Discover-Your-Dodgers_-Ross-Stripling-_Short.html Discover Your Dodgers: Ross Stripling By Michael Duarte NBCLA Sports Reporter, Michael J. Duarte, interviews Los Angeles Dodgers' relief pitcher Ross Stripling about sports, his relationship with Michael Wacha and stock tips. Link to video: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/sports/Discover-Your-Dodgers-Ross-Stripling.html

AMERICAS QUARTERLY

5 People Who Bring Mexico and the U.S. Closer Together By AQ Online Whether in sports, politics, food or the arts, the U.S. and Mexico have enriched one another in countless ways. That’s why AQ has selected its Top 5 Border Ambassadors to highlight those who excel in bringing the two countries closer together. Each honoree does this in their own way: U.S.-Mexico Foundation CEO Rebeca Vargas helps hundreds of DREAMers connect with their roots back in Mexico. Alfredo Corchado brings to life the reality of the border as a writer and reporter for the Dallas Morning News. Our list also includes chef and food writer Pati Jinich, El Paso congressman Beto O’Rourke, and Dodgers’ first-baseman Adrián González. The personal stories and professional achievements of this AQ Top 5 are a visible testament to the good things that happen when the U.S.-Mexico relationship is allowed to flourish. AQ Top 5 Border Ambassadors: Adrián González By Benjamin Russell For Adrián González, baseball began at the border. Born in San Diego, raised in Tijuana, and now the first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers, he grew up playing Little League in both countries, shuttling back and forth on weekends to get as much playing time under his belt as he could.

Needless to say, it paid off — González is today one of Major League Baseball’s best all-around players. But the 34-year-old’s upbringing — and his work off the field — has also made him a hometown hero on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Together with his wife, Betsy, González founded the Adrián and Betsy González Foundation in 2008, which promotes youth education, health and athletics throughout southern California and in Mexico. Along with a host of other activities, the foundation refurbishes and maintains youth baseball fields, including the one in Tijuana where González played as a kid. “The goal now is to put our financial situation to good use,” said González. “If Betsy and I can help just one kid reach their potential, well, we’re going to do it.” González has done that and more, and become a leading proponent of America’s favorite pastime south of the border in the process. For the past two years, that has included working with Fundación Telmex Telcel to sponsor Mexico’s largest youth baseball league, bringing the game to kids in underserved communities throughout the country. Each year, the league champion is rewarded with a trip to Dodger Stadium to attend a major league game. “It’s all about getting kids involved in something positive,” said González, who also runs a day-long baseball clinic for the runners-up in their hometown. Back in LA, González hosts an annual celebrity softball game to benefit Padres Contra el Cáncer, an NGO focused on fighting childhood cancer in the city’s sizable Latino community. Indeed, it’s fitting that the cross-border all-star has found his baseball home in a city that so reflects his own upbringing. “I don’t think there’s another team in sports that gets (the Latino community) like the Dodgers,” said González. “Playing in front of that crowd is special.”

THE DENVER POST

Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees cut projected luxury tax bills By Ronald Blum NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees are cutting payroll and their luxury tax bills — just as Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and perhaps Clayton Kershaw near the free-agent market after the 2018 season. The Dodgers are on track to slice their tax bill by about a quarter this year and the Yankees by two-thirds. The San Francisco Giants also are set to slice their payment in the first season of baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement, but the Detroit Tigers are slated to pay more despite saying they want to reduce payroll. If a team doesn’t pay tax in 2018, its tax rate would drop to 20 percent in 2019 — allowing perennially high-spending clubs to sign stars at a lower cost.

“What the market produces is what the market’s going to produce,” baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said. The Dodgers are forecast to pay a $25.1 million competitive balance tax this year, according to opening-day calculations by the commissioner’s office obtained by The Associated Press, down from $43.6 million in 2015 and $31.8 million last year. The Yankees’ bill is slated to be just under $9 million, their lowest since the tax began in 2003 and less than one-third of the $27.4 million they owed last season. “The new CBA has had no influence on my belief that you don’t need a 200-plus million dollar payroll to win championships,” Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner said in an email to the AP. The tax threshold increased from $189 million to $195 million under the new labor contract, and rates were simplified to three levels: 20 percent for first-time payers, 30 percent for those owing for a second straight season and 50 percent for clubs paying three times in a row or more. A pair of surtaxes were added to discourage high rollers: 12 percent on the amount from $215 million to $235 million this year and a 42.5 percent and 45 percent above that, depending on how many consecutive years a team is paying. Another change calls for a team more than $40 million above next year’s tax threshold of $197 million to have its top draft pick moved back 10 places — with an exception that if a club has a pick among the top six, that would be protected and its second pick would be moved back 10 slots. The Yankees appear to be trying to get below the threshold in 2018 to reset their tax rate in anticipation of that fall’s free-agent class. “I think it’s too early to make a judgment about the success of the new CBA,” Manfred said. “I also think that while there’s a lot of change in the CBT area in terms of the structure and rates and whatnot, there has been a certain cyclical nature to the CBA over time, irrespective of the change, right? Clubs get to a certain point, they step to go younger, they come down.” The Dodgers have a major league-high $238 million payroll for purposes of the tax, which uses the average annual values of contracts for players on 40-man rosters and includes $13.96 million per team in benefit costs. Actual tax is assessed on season-ending payrolls in December. Los Angeles is projected to pay both new surtaxes. Under transition rules for 2017, the Dodgers’ projected tax is at the midpoint of what they would pay under the new rules ($25.58 million) and old ($24.68 million). Dodgers president Stan Kasten declined comment on the team’s payroll and the tax. With a projected payroll of $216.9 million, Detroit has a tax projected to be $6.8 million, an increase from $4 million. The Tigers pay at a 30 percent rate as an offender for the second straight season while the other teams over the threshold pay at 50 percent because they have been above for three or more consecutive years.

Tigers general manager Al Avila declined comment through club spokesman Craig Hughner. The Yankees, at $212.9 million, are just under the surtax level. San Francisco is next at $199.6 million, leaving its tax set to decline to $2.3 million from $3.4 million. The Giants could have dropped below the tax threshold entirely, but decided to give reliever Mark Melancon a $62 million, four-year contract. “The costs add up, as does revenue sharing,” Giants general manager Bobby Evans. The Tigers, Yankees and Giants pay at the new calculation because they would have owed more under the old rules: $11.96 million for New York, $8.4 million for Detroit and $4.2 million for San Francisco. Washington ($188.6 million), St. Louis ($186.5 million) and Boston ($183 million) have room to increase payroll without incurring a tax. The Red Sox would pay at a 50 percent rate after owing $4.5 million last year and $1.8 million in 2015. The others would pay at 20 percent because they have not been over the threshold.

LA TIMES

Dodgers Dugout: Time for short-sighted fans to abandon ship By Houston Mitchell Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and see what happens when I go away for a week? The Dodgers just fall apart. Abandon ship The e-mails have been coming in really fast, and very furious. “This team will never win.” “Management obviously doesn't have winning as a priority." "The season is basically over at this point.” Those are actual quotes from actual e-mails I received Friday and Saturday after the Dodgers got blown out by Arizona twice. Now, most of you are still on board with the Dodgers, and realize that you can't really judge anything by an 18-game stretch. So, this next part is not for you. You can go ahead and skip to the next section of this newsletter. I will meet you there after I talk to the 20% or so of Dodgers Dugout subscribers who seem to think that 2017 is a disaster, OK, you 20%: Calm down. Relax. You can't judge a team by 18 games. I can pull an 18-game stretch from almost any team in history and make them look bad. But here's the real problem: If you are giving up already, then you might want to find a new hobby, because following baseball is not for you. You are the type of person who complains about the taxes after winning the lottery. And I'd hate to be one of your children. “Son, I was really proud of you the last three or four years. Really proud. Told everyone what a big fan of yours I am. But, that last report card had a ‘C’ on it, so your mom and I are going to have to let you go. You are obviously a total loser, and we want you to find someplace else to live. Don't worry though, we'll be back as soon as you get an ‘A’ and say we were behind you all the time.”

Don't get me wrong, because there are flaws on this team (Scott Van Slyke? Chris Hatcher?) and it is entirely possible that this team will be a disappointment. It is also entirely possible that they will right the ship and be in first place at the end of the season. It is far too early to tell. If you want to throw in the towel now, then the exit is over there. And there are no re-admit privileges. Maeda problems Since the 2016 All-Star break, Kenta Maeda is 9-7 with a 5.04 ERA in 91 innings. This season he is 1-2 with an 8.05 ERA. What's going on? Manager Dave Roberts has an idea: “His velocity has ticked up, which is a good thing, but I think there’s a little bit of a reliance on the four-seam fastball." Roberts would like to see Maeda use his off-speed pitches more. His next start is scheduled for Thursday against the Giants. Time for Julio Julio Urias has a 1.93 ERA in three starts with triple-A Oklahoma City this season, giving up eight hits and nine walks in 14 innings, with 15 strikeouts. Time to call him up to the big team. Odds are he will be up in time to pitch Thursday for the Dodgers, giving Maeda an extra day off. The obscure Dodger record of the week Which Dodger reliever has appeared in the most games without ever getting a save? Pedro Baez, who has appeared in 150 games without a save. Omar Daal is second with 115 games and Adam Liberatore is third with 97 games. Next series Monday, 7 p.m., Dodgers (Hyun-jin Ryu) at San Francisco (Matt Cain) Tuesday, 7 p.m., Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw) at San Francisco (Ty Blach) Wednesday, 7 p.m., Dodgers (Alex Wood) at San Francisco (Johnny Cueto) Thursday, 12:45 p.m., Dodgers (Kenta Maeda or Julio Urias) at San Francisco (Matt Moore) KTLA games There will be three more games on KTLA this season: April 30, 1 p.m., vs. Philadelphia May 3, 6 p.m., vs. San Francisco May 7, 1 p.m., at San Diego