Daily Clips

August 29, 2016

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

DODGERS.COM:

Seager's speed, D key as LA denies Cubs-Jack Baer and Carrie Muskat

LA leans on rising rookies in huge homestand-Jack Baer

Adrian snatches screaming liner to save run-Jack Baer

Puig reportedly placed on trade waivers-David Adler

Ruiz spending time in 'pen to learn pitchers-Jack Baer

Rookies face off as Rockies, Dodgers open series-Thomas Harding

OC REGISTER:

Cubs miscue turns into the Dodgers only run in 1-0 triumph-Bill Plunkett

Dodgers lineups: Julio Urias likely to get another start-Bill Plunkett

Whicker: Dodgers' magic could give Vin Scully quite a sendoff-Mark Whicker

On deck: Dodgers at Rockies, Monday, 5:40 p.m.-Bill Plunkett

LA TIMES: Dodgers manufacture one run, with some help, and it's enough to beat Cubs-Bill Shaikin

Dodgers' Brock Stewart stifles Cubs and gets his first major league hit-Bill Shaikin

Dodgers keep Carlos Ruiz on bench against Cubs left-hander Jon Lester-Bill Shaikin

DODGER INSIDER:

Farm Fresh: De Leon’s 13K carry OKC to playoffs-Jon Weisman

Slim Winmen: Dodgers win squeaker over Cubs-Jon Weisman

#VinTop20: No. 13, ‘The Squeeze!’-Jon Weisman

How much will Dodgers fatten roster in September?-Jon Weisman

TRUEBLUELA.COM: Dodgers take advantage of 2 bad throws to beat Cubs-Eric Stephen

Dodgers' young players coming up big in series finale-Craig Minami

Dodgers Week 21: Surviving the gauntlet-Eric Stephen

Dodgers send Shawn Zarraga outright to minors-Eric Stephen

Jose De Leon leads Oklahoma City to 2nd straight PCL division title-Eric Stephen and Craig Minami

ESPN LA:

Stewart, 4 relievers throw 4-hitter; Dodgers beat Cubs 1-0-Associated Press

NBC LA:

Dodgers Catch Break, Beat Cubs 1-0 in Rubber Match-Michael Duarte

Los Angeles Dodgers Place Yasiel Puig on Waivers-Michael Duarte

FANGRAPHS: Rich Hill Truly Curveballs Like No One Else-August Fagerstrom

NEW YORK TIMES: When the Playoff Chase Severs the Bond Between Pitcher and Catcher-Billy Witz

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 2016

DODGERS.COM Seager's speed, D key as LA denies Cubs By Jack Baer and Carrie Muskat LOS ANGELES -- A grounder from Adrian Gonzalez, a foot race won by Corey Seager and a run scored by Andrew Toles were the difference in a 1-0 victory for the Dodgers over the Cubs on Sunday at Dodger Stadium, a contest that legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully said "all boiled down to a whisper, a toenail, a 'toe dance' around second base." With the game in a scoreless tie going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Toles got aboard on a hit-by-pitch from Trevor Cahill, then advanced to third when Howie Kendrick reached base on Cahill's throwing error. After intentionally walking Seager, Cubs manager Joe Maddon pulled Cahill for Carl Edwards Jr. The right-hander did his job, striking out Justin Turner and inducing a grounder from Gonzalez to third baseman Javier Baez. However, Baez made an inadvisable throw to second, leading to a race to the bag between second baseman Ben Zobrist and Seager. Seager was called safe, Toles scored, and the tie was broken. Scully analyzed the play with his trademark grace and attention to detail. "Javier Baez handling the ground ball, but the problem was the second baseman, Zobrist, was five feet into right field. By the time Zobrist got to the bag, the throw was late. "That was the problem -- the fact that you can't have a second baseman playing so far away and then ask him to get to the bag. It was a foot race between Seager and Zobrist. They were really foot-to-foot. It was that close! ... For [second-base umpire] Alfonso Marquez, a tough call. They don't get much tougher than that. "After all this battling, it comes down to a 'toe dance' at second base." Maddon added: "The mental mistake at second base, that just something that needs to be communicated before the ball is hit. [Zobrist] is way over and he can't get there on time. Give Seager credit for a great hustle play on his part. Otherwise, man, what a game." Jon Lester and Brock Stewart spent the majority of the game locked in a scoreless pitchers' duel. Lester registered his sixth straight quality start with six shutout innings and now holds a 2.01 ERA in eight starts since the All Star Break. Stewart turned in the best start of his young career, allowing just two hits and struck out eight in five innings against one of baseball's most prolific offenses. The rookie entered the game with an 11.25 ERA and began the season with Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga.

"We believed in Brock," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Sometimes people have to look inside the numbers and understand what this kid's gone through this year. We felt he would go out there and compete and that's exactly what he did against a very good club. Fastball, slider, change, he was really throwing each of those pitches with conviction. A young kid like that to be on a stage like this, this is playoff baseball." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Shutting them out: With runners on the corners and Grant Dayton pitching to Jason Heyward in the sixth inning, Gonzalez saved a run when he reeled in a Statcast-measured 103-mph line drive from Heyward. Roberts said after the game he didn't even see the ball off the bat. "Just trying to go up on Heyward and I guess I didn't get it high enough," Dayton said. "Holy cow, I didn't even have time to think, I just looked over there and the ball was already there and the out was made. Fired me up, fired everybody up to get out of that situation." Seager also shined defensively in addition to his hustle play to make a run count, catching a ball with his bare hand after he and second baseman Charlie Culberson collided for a pop fly in the eighth. Then in the ninth, he denied Baez redemption when he made a back-handed play and long throw to first for the second out of the inning. No love lost: Stewart grew up in Normal, Ill., 130 miles south of Chicago, but the rookie grew up a White Sox fan. He swapped scoreless innings with Lester for more than half the game, but the tipping point for his outing might have been his first career hit, a line drive to left off the southpaw in the third inning. "It's kinda surreal to be honest. It's a lot of satisfaction. I just hope to be good as [Lester] some day," Stewart said. "Overall, it was basically just trusting the stuff, that it's good enough to get guys out at this level. Fastball was good, felt good coming out and I was able to command that pretty well. Threw some really good changeups and a few good sliders." Road warrior: Kris Bryant doubled to lead off the Chicago sixth, extending his hit streak to 10 games, but was left stranded. He then singled to open the eighth, and again, did not score. Bryant enjoyed the West Coast trip, going 15-for-36 with five home runs, two doubles and 11 RBIs in nine games. "The guy is definitely on fire," Maddon said of Bryant, who is batting .488 in his 10-game hit streak. Farewell tour: This is Cubs catcher David Ross' final season, and he started Sunday in what is most likely his last game at Dodger Stadium, facing the team that drafted him in 1988. Ross, who played for the Dodgers from 2002-04, won't want to remember the first inning. Kendrick walked, and Lester struck out the next two batters. But Ross threw to first, trying to pick off Kendrick, and his throw sailed into right field for his career-high ninth error. He then struck out to end the game. "It was a blast -- it was good to be back and great energy here," said Ross, who had dinner with Roberts on Saturday night. QUOTABLE "There's worse spots to be in -- 14 games up in almost September is not a bad spot to be. I thought we played good baseball today. We pitched really well, extremely well. Just a couple mistakes that we'll

learn from, which is good. That's all you can ask for. I thought we played really, really good baseball. We have to get a guy in from third the last two days -- that may have cost us a 'W' here or there but that's baseball." – Ross REPLAY REVIEW With the bases loaded and two outs in the Dodgers' eighth, Gonzalez hit a grounder to third baseman Baez, who threw to Zobrist at second for the force on Seager, who was called safe. The Cubs challenged the ruling, but after a review, the call stood. WHAT'S NEXT Cubs: Jake Arrieta will open the Cubs' homestand Monday night against the Pirates. Arrieta leads the National Leage in wins (16) and is 6-3 with a 2.18 ERA at home. He's 9-2 with a 1.99 ERA against the Pirates. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT from Wrigley Field. Dodgers: Many pitchers have struggled at Coors Field, but the Rockies' park hasn't been a problem yet for Kenta Maeda, who holds a 1.50 ERA in two starts there. The right-hander will take the mound Monday at 5:40 p.m. PT. LA leans on rising rookies in huge homestand By Jack Baer LOS ANGELES -- Dave Roberts had two words to describe a series that never saw a lead larger than two runs: playoff baseball. Given who his team beat this homestand, it's an atmosphere he certainly needs to start preparing for. The Dodgers eked out a 1-0 win over the Cubs on Sunday, ending a homestand in which they won a series against the Giants, the only team left between them and the division crown, and the Cubs, owners of the best record in baseball. "It means something," Roberts said. "I think that every game, every series is different, but a club like that, that's been by record the best team in baseball, for us to respond the way we did at home and win a series against those guys, it's a good thing." After the Cubs prevailed in extra innings Friday, the Dodgers needed career-best performances from a pair of rookie starters against one of the best lineups in baseball. Julio Urias and Brock Stewart delivered, combining for 11 innings with 16 strikeouts and just one run allowed. "The future is bright," Stewart said. "We're glad we have the young guys that can help this team down the stretch and the veteran guys too. They've taken us under their wings and had some really good advice, so it's been fun." Even with those performances, the Dodgers prevailed by just a run in both wins as runs were hard to come by against a pitching staff that leads the Majors in ERA. But Stewart and Urias were far from the only two rookies that supported the team during the homestand.

Corey Seager remains the Rookie of the Year favorite and is certain to get MVP votes. Andrew Toles scored the winning run Sunday and is now hitting .358 in his first 53 career at-bats. Rob Segedin homered Tuesday and could be one of the team's most important bench bats with Scott Van Slyke out for the year. Grant Dayton got a key out in the sixth inning Sunday. Ross Stripling threw five innings Thursday against the Giants. "They keep exceeding expectations and we've put them in some tough spots," Roberts said. "When you look at the young players we've got, Stripling, Julio, and Brock, who've come up in big spots for us, their pulse has been unwavered." Adrian snatches screaming liner to save run By Jack Baer LOS ANGELES -- Four-time Gold Glover Adrian Gonzalez flashed the leather yet again and preserved a shutout for the Dodgers in the sixth inning of Sunday's 1-0 win over the Cubs. The Cubs put runners on the corners with two outs against right-hander Jesse Chavez with Jason Heyward up to bat. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled Chavez for southpaw Grant Dayton to face the left-handed Heyward, who registered the only two hits the Cubs had against starter Brock Stewart. Heyward smacked a 103 mph line drive to Gonzalez's right, according to Statcast™, but the first baseman made an immediate lunge for the ball and hauled it in to preserve the tie. It was a play that astounded Vin Scully, who exclaimed, "It was like catching an echo! He didn't even see the ball!" "I didn't even see the ball off the bat," Roberts said. "At Dodger Stadium, it's tough in the day, but fortunately Adrian, not swift of foot, but he's got good hands." Gonzalez wasn't even the defensive star of the game though, as Corey Seager made a pair of excellent plays to keep the Cubs scoreless. After he and Charlie Culberson collided on an Addison Russell pop fly in the eighth inning, the shortstop managed to catch the ball with his free right hand and end the inning. "Pure reflexes," Seager said. "We kinda canceled each other out. We didn't really hear each other, we were both focused on the ball. You don't want to take your eye off it. Fortunately, we ended up catching that out." Seager had another great play in the ninth, making a backhanded pick at a Javier Baez grounder and throwing across the infield to get him out. Puig reportedly placed on trade waivers By David Adler Yasiel Puig has been placed on trade waivers by the Dodgers, MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal reported on Sunday. It is common for teams to place their players on revocable trade waivers during August. If Puig is claimed by another team, which according to Rosenthal is likely, the Dodgers could either work out a

deal with the claiming team, allow Puig to go to that team without a trade or pull Puig back from waivers. According to Rosenthal's report, Los Angeles trading Puig would be more likely in the coming offseason, when the Dodgers could negotiate a deal with any of the other Major League teams, rather than just one potential claiming team. Priority for revocable trade waiver claims are determined by reverse order of standings in the player's league, followed by reverse order of standings in the other league. That means all the National League teams have a chance to claim Puig before an American League team could do so. Puig has been at Triple-A Oklahoma City since the beginning of August, when he was sent down. The 25-year-old outfielder has hit .375 with four home runs in 17 games at Triple-A, and he was batting .260 with seven homers and 34 RBIs in 81 games for the big league club. Puig could be recalled to the Majors when rosters expand Sept. 1, although manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that the Dodgers haven't decided that yet. Ruiz spending time in 'pen to learn pitchers By Jack Baer LOS ANGELES -- Dodger relievers found themselves throwing to an unexpected bullpen catcher while warming up during Saturday's 3-2 win over the Cubs: Carlos Ruiz. It's a gesture from the veteran that has left the team impressed, to say the least. After spending his entire career in the Phillies' organization, Ruiz was acquired through a waiver trade Thursday and found himself having to learn the movement and velocities of an entire new pitching staff. To accelerate the learning process, he asked the coaching staff if he could catch every reliever in the bullpen before they entered Saturday's game. "That was a welcome question," manager Dave Roberts said. "For him to do that and want to learn the pitchers and humble himself and educate himself, that's something A.J. Ellis would do. To acquire a guy like that, who brings similar attributes, it's not surprising, but definitely pleasant." Ruiz said catching in the bullpen is something he plans to do for the rest of the season. The only Dodger he has prior experience catching is Joe Blanton. He has faced most of the staff before as a hitter. Concerns about bringing in a new catcher unfamiliar with the staff in the middle of the playoff hunt came to a head Friday night when two balls Ruiz couldn't get his glove on -- a dropped third strike in the dirt and another ruled a wild pitch -- allowed Jason Heyward to score and tie the game in the ninth against Kenley Jansen. The next day, Ruiz made his request. "It's just a learning experience. No one felt worse than him," J.P. Howell said. "Sometimes you have to pay the price. That's too bad, but at the same time, that was huge for him to just catch [Jansen]." Ruiz already entered the clubhouse with an excellent reputation as a teammate. Clayton Kershaw mentioned that Chase Utley, Ruiz's longtime teammate in Philadelphia, "loves him to death," and

president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the team wouldn't have traded Ellis if they weren't getting back a player of similar leadership qualities. Roy Halladay, who won a Cy Young Award with Ruiz behind the plate, gushed about the catcher to CSNPhilly.com when news of the trade hit, saying, "He was the best catcher I've ever thrown to and, in my opinion, the best catcher in baseball in the years I was with him." Even with that reputation preceding him, Ruiz is still showing how it was built. "It's unbelievable," Howell said. "That's something where you don't see anyone do that. What I think I would usually hear is 'I got 15 years, I got a World Series ring, whatever.' Not from him." Worth noting • Roberts said the Dodgers would bring back Casey Fien and Austin Barnes from Triple-A Oklahoma City and Louis Coleman (right shoulder fatigue) from the DL when rosters expand in September. Coleman, currently on a rehab assignment, has thrown three scoreless innings so far between OKC and the Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers. • Andre Ethier played a second straight rehab game for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of hit-by-pitches. It was the first time he had played in consecutive games in his rehab assignment. • It was draft day for the Dodgers' fantasy football league. Among the jerseys seen in the clubhouse were Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Ricky Williams, Dan Marino and Pat Tillman. Jansen entered the room decked out in an Aaron Rodgers jersey, Green Bay Packers-patterned sunglasses and a cheesehead. • The Dodgers outrighted catcher Shawn Zarraga from the 40-man roster on Sunday. His contract was selected Thursday when the team needed a backup catcher following the trade of Ellis for Ruiz. Rookies face off as Rockies, Dodgers open series By Thomas Harding The National League West-leading Dodgers will arrive at Coors Field on Monday to test the theory that the Rockies rise to the level of the better opponent. After winning two of three in Washington over the weekend, the Rockies -- with rookie right-hander Jon Gray (8-6, 4.61 ERA) starting after fanning 10 in six innings his last outing -- are a combined 13-11 against the Nationals, Cubs and Dodgers, the three division leaders. However, Colorado is 5-7 against Los Angeles, which will start righty Kenta Maeda (13-7, 3.37 ERA) on Monday. The teams' series at Dodger Stadium is tied three games apiece, but the Dodgers are 4-2 at Coors Field. Three things to know about this game

• Gray seems to have learned part of the secret of pitching at Coors. He has a 5.11 ERA in 61 2/3 innings, but he has managed a 5-1 record in 12 starts, meaning he can roll with the good outings and finds a way to be competitive when runs are plentiful. • Maeda, a rookie, has been a key to the Dodgers' surge to the top of the NL West. He is 5-0 with a 3.74 ERA in his past six starts. In two starts at Coors Field, he is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA, 13 strikeouts and one walk. "Kenta is good at Coors Field because he keeps the ball down, he executes his pitches, and regardless of what team or ballpark he plays in, Kenta doesn't concern himself with that," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I think that sometimes, pitchers worry about pitching in Coors Field, but I think Kenta is not worried about that. Mentally, he accepts that challenge." • Rockies rookie outfielder David Dahl homered against the Nats on Sunday in his second at-bat, and he has hit safely in 29 of his first 32 Major League games. Dahl homered off Maeda on Aug. 4, in a 4-2 Dodgers victory.

OC REGISTER Cubs miscue turns into the Dodgers only run in 1-0 triumph By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – You don’t spend most of a century as “lovable losers” and completely forget how that works. The Chicago Cubs cracked first in a scoreless game, bungling the day’s only run into the Dodgers’ laps in an eighth inning that featured no hits and only two balls put in play by Dodgers hitters. That run gave the Dodgers a 1-0 victory Sunday afternoon. The win, the team’s second 1-0 triumph in its past five games, gave the Dodgers two of three in the series against the team with the best record in baseball – and a sweep was only a wild pitch away. The Cubs won Friday night in extra innings after an errant cut fastball from Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen led to a blown save. “Couple miscues in that inning … fortunately we took advantage of them,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Sunday’s decisive eighth inning. “When you start playing very good teams, you have to take advantage of every opportunity. The other night, they took advantage of a miscue with us and they won that game. We knew we matched up well with that club and we played them toe-to-toe.” Believing they matched up well with the Cubs heading into this weekend must have been a theoretical exercise on the Dodgers’ part. They lost three of four to the Cubs in Wrigley Field at the end of May and beginning of June. Things have changed since then, seeds planted by the first-year manager and changes in the roster beginning to show fruit now in the type of plays that decided Sunday’s game.

“Completely different,” Roberts said, comparing the Dodgers of early June to the current group. “I don’t know who was on our roster then. It doesn’t really matter. But I know the way our guys have come together. It’s completely different. The focus, the attention to detail – completely different club.” Sunday's game was scoreless when Cubs reliever Trevor Cahill hit pinch-hitter Andrew Toles with a pitch in the eighth. That put the go-ahead run on base with one out. Cahill compounded his mistake with an even bigger one. Howie Kendrick chopped a ball into the grass to the left of the pitcher's mound. With Kendrick running hard down the first-base line, Cahill fielded it and rushed his throw to first, sending it into right field. That allowed Toles to go to third and Kendrick to second. After an intentional walk of Corey Seager loaded the bases, reliever Carl Edwards Jr. replaced Cahill and struck out Justin Turner. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Cubs were shifted to the right side for Adrian Gonzalez. He hit a ground ball to the shortstop spot where third baseman Javier Baez was playing. It should have ended the inning. But instead of throwing to first to get the slow-footed Gonzalez, Baez surprised second baseman Ben Zobrist by going to second for the force out. “I completely forgot about who was running down the line,” Baez said. Zobrist had been playing on the outfield grass against Gonzalez and was late getting to the base. Seager's foot beat him to the base by a hair. Seager was safe (a call confirmed by replay review), allowing Toles to score the only run in an inning that featured no hits and only two balls put in play. “It’s one of those plays where you see Chase (Utley) run hard every time so that’s what you do,” Seager said. “You see him do that over and over again – it rubs off.“ Jansen closed the combined four-hit shutout that began with rookie right-hander Brock Stewart pitching five scoreless innings. Stewart came into the game with an 0-2 record and 11.25 ERA after two previous starts (and a relief appearance) did not go very well. But he was terrific against the Cubs. He retired 12 of the first 14 batters, eight on strikeouts, including six consecutive batters at one point, and held the Cubs scoreless on two hits and two walks while striking out eight in his five innings. “I thought it was a playoff atmosphere,” rookie right-hander Brock Stewart said from the perspective of his four big-league appearances. “I don’t really know any better. But it felt like it.” Dodgers lineups: Julio Urias likely to get another start By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES -- The kid stays in the picture, at least once more.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said rookie left-hander Julio Urias will make another start thought he couched it by saying, "Things can change." "The No. 1 thing for us is his innings usage and we've been diligent about trying to stay right there," Roberts said of Urias who has thrown 108 innings this season (45 in Triple-A, 63 in the majors), 21 more than his previous high as a professional (at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga two years ago). "There is no hard number. We have an idea. But ... right now it's important for us to have him in the rotation. When we get Clayton (Kershaw) back and Rich (Hill) is fine and we get Kaz (Scott Kazmir) and all these guys back, it will change. We're trying to do what's in the best interest of our team and Julio." Roberts would not say when Urias might make his next start. The Dodgers will start Kenta Maeda and Hill in the first two games of the series in Colorado this week but have not announced a starting pitcher for Wednesday's game. They are off Thursday. Urias went six innings for his second consecutive start Saturday. Over his past six appearances (four starts and two relief appearances), Urias is 4-0 with a 2.03 ERA. Whicker: Dodgers' magic could give Vin Scully quite a sendoff By Mark Whicker LOS ANGELES – Vin Scully deserves games like this, weekends like this, late-inning stumbles in the dark like this. He’d much rather have Cubs-Dodgers for three delightfully uncomfortable days, because it overshadows what was going to be the real story of 2016: Him. Instead we were all together. Friday night was 6-4 , Cubs, in 10 innings, on two Kris Bryant homers and a high cutter by Kenley Jansen that bounced off the glove of Carlos Ruiz, catcher of 1,030 major league games. Saturday was 3-2, Dodgers, with 20-year-old Julio Urias sneaking out of a first-inning hole with just one Chicago run. Sunday went beyond all that. Aided by David Rackley’s area-code of a strike zone, the hitters were in retreat all day, until Jason Heyward of the Cubs hit a wicked liner off Grant Dayton that disappeared into the first baseman’s glove of Adrian Gonzalez. That prevented a Cubs’ run in the sixth, and in the eighth the Dodgers used Trevor Cahill’s throwing error to help load the bases, and Gonzalez, facing the hot sauce of spindly rookie Carl Edwards Jr., somehow guided a grounder to third baseman Javier Baez (with regular 3B Kris Bryant in left field). Second baseman Ben Zobrist was in the hole for Gonzalez and had to scramble to get to second. Baez threw it to him anyway and watched Corey Seager get there first by a shoelace. That allowed Andrew Toles to score the only run of the game, and the Cubs suffered their sixth loss of August on the 28th day.

More important, the Dodgers went pitch-for-pitch with the best team in baseball. This could be useful in a Division Series or a National League Championship Series. The Dodgers lead San Francisco by two games with 32 left. It was a bad two-out play by Baez because he had forever to throw out Gonzalez at first. “I completely forgot about who was running,” he said gamely. “Zobrist is way over, he can’t get that at all,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. “It’s just a mental mistake and it happens. Obviously the error by Cahill didn’t help us at all. Otherwise, man, what a game.” It wasn’t supposed to be. The deluxe Jon Lester was facing Dodgers’ rookie Brock Stewart, shelled in two previous starts. But Stewart used his mid-90s stuff aggressively and struck out eight in five innings. Then Dayton came in to clean up for Jesse Chavez. Heyward was up with Cubs on first and third. “I was trying to get the ball up on Heyward and didn’t get it up enough,” Dayton said. “Before I knew what happened the ball was in his (Gonzalez’s) glove. It fired me up, fired everybody up. I felt like I executed my pitch. He put a really good swing on it. And yet we won that. I tried to do my job and I ended up not doing my job and it still worked out. That’s baseball, right?” Sometimes we let Dodger melodrama ensnare us. When is Clayton Kershaw returning? What went wrong with Yasiel Puig? How on earth can you trade A.J. Ellis? Meanwhile, the Dodgers bounce off those events, realign and keep going. They are in first place with guys named Stewart, Dayton, Culberson, Segedin, Toles, Stripling. Guys named Seager and Gonzalez help, too. “A lot of new guys come through here, and we’re used to it,” said Dayton, who became one of the new guys on July 22. For seven years he had trudged through the minors, and L.A. traded Chris Reed, a lefty and former first-round pick, to Florida for Dayton 13 months ago. In his Alabama home, Dayton took one long, deep winter breath and put his chips on 2016. “I’m 28, I’m married, we’re ready to start a family,” he said. “I was either going to blow my arm out this year or I was going to make something happen. It was going to be a pivotal year, absolutely.” Dayton has an outstanding 0.769 WHIP in 13 innings, with just one home run. “I’m not going to beat my guys up,” Maddon said, knowing that the Cubs do plenty of that themselves, with a somewhat fanciful plus-216 run differential. Setup relievers Hector Rondon and Pedro Strop are getting healthy, too. But the playoffs will bring elite starting pitchers, the kind the Mets used to beat Chicago last year. Sunday’s game reduced the Cubs’ record in 1-run games to 16-19.

Nothing’s inevitable. That’s baseball, right? As Scully strode to the elevator, fans gathered behind ropes, and one yelled, “One more year!” No chance of that, but the 67th might be mountainous enough to match the man. On deck: Dodgers at Rockies, Monday, 5:40 p.m. By Bill Plunkett When: 5:40 p.m. TV: SNLA Where: Coors Field Did you know? Kenta Maeda has made two starts in Colorado, winning both and allowing just two runs over 12 innings. The rest of the Dodgers’ staff has allowed 37 runs in 39 innings at Coors Field this season. THE PITCHERS DODGERS RHP KENTA MAEDA (13-7, 3.37) Vs. Rockies: 2-1, 1.45 At Coors Field: 2-0, 1.50 Hates to face: David Dahl, 1 for 3 (.333), 1 home run Loves to face: Cristhian Adames, 0 for 4, 2 strikeouts ROCKIES RHP JON GRAY (8-6, 4.61) Vs. Dodgers: 1-2, 4.35 At Coors Field: 5-2, 5.90 Hates to face: Corey Seager, 5 for 8 (.625), 1 double, 1 HR Loves to face: Howie Kendrick, 0 for 6, 2 strikeouts UPCOMING MATCHUPS Tuesday: Dodgers LHP Rich Hill (10-3, 2.09) at Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (4-5, 3.69), 5:40 p.m. SNLA Wednesday: Dodgers TBD at Rockies RHP Jeff Hoffman (0-2, 8.10), 12:10 p.m. SNLA

LA TIMES Dodgers manufacture one run, with some help, and it's enough to beat Cubs

By Bill Shaikin In the wake of the Dodgers’ victory on Sunday, Brock Stewart smiled. In his third major league start, the Dodgers had beaten the best team in baseball, a taut 1-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. “I thought it was a playoff atmosphere,” Stewart said. “But I don’t really know any better.” He was right, and consider this: His team took two of three games from the Cubs, with the Dodgers starting rookie pitchers in the two victories. If the Dodgers face Chicago in the playoffs, they could start the best pitcher on the planet (Clayton Kershaw) and two pitchers who never have started against the Cubs (Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda). Advantage, Dodgers? It is too soon for the players to start talking about that — the Dodgers have a modest two-game lead in the National League West — but it is not too soon for closer Kenley Jansen to start talking about why he believes this year’s edition of the Dodgers is better positioned than the previous three, each of which won the division but fell short of the World Series. “We’re tougher,” Jansen said. “Mentally, we are stronger. The chemistry we have is better. The atmosphere is so much better here. “It’s going to be awesome to see how this is going to end up.” The new and improved Dodgers won with heart and hustle on Sunday, and with a nod to history. The “hitless wonders” nickname was bestowed upon the Dodgers half a century ago, when Maury Wills would spin baserunning magic into a run and Sandy Koufax or Don Drysdale would take it from there. On Sunday, the Dodgers won with a hitless rally, when Cubs third baseman Javier Baez threw to the wrong base. Jansen, the last of five Dodgers pitchers, completed a four-hitter by pitching a perfect ninth inning for his 39th save. With one out and none on in the eighth, and the game scoreless, Cubs reliever Trevor Cahill hit pinch-hitter Andrew Toles. Howie Kendrick followed with a dribbler in front of home plate, and Cahill heaved it over the head of first baseman Anthony Rizzo for an error. Toles sped to third, Kendrick took second, and the Cubs walked Corey Seager intentionally, loading the bases. Carl Edwards Jr. relieved Cahill and struck out Justin Turner. Edwards appeared to have gotten the Cubs out of the jam when Adrian Gonzalez grounded to Baez, the lone defender on the left side of the Cubs’ over-shifted infield. But Baez threw to second base, where Seager did his best Chase Utley imitation to hustle and beat the throw, rather than to first base, where the slow-footed Gonzalez would have easily been out. Toles scored the game’s lone run. "I completely forgot about who was running down the line,” Baez said.

And so the Dodgers emerged with a victory in their second series against the Cubs this season. Their celebration was tempered; by no means do 1-0 and 3-2 victories suggest domination. “Listen, man, they’ve been playing the whole year great,” Jansen said. “When we played them in Chicago, we were on our down side.” In the first series, three months ago, the Dodgers lost three of four games. “Completely different,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “I don’t know who was on the roster then.” In one game, the Dodgers started three players no longer with the club: outfielder Carl Crawford, catcher A.J. Ellis and pitcher Mike Bolsinger. But the biggest name no longer with the club is outfielder Yasiel Puig, in minor league purgatory while the Dodgers see if a team claims him on waivers — and, if so, while they decide whether to let him go. Jansen was reminded that, when he talks of a tougher and stronger team and a clubhouse with better chemistry and atmosphere, fans might wonder if the absence of Puig is the reason why. “Listen, man, we can’t worry about that,” Jansen said. “All we have to do is worry about winning ballgames.” Dodgers' Brock Stewart stifles Cubs and gets his first major league hit By Bill Shaikin Jon Lester has two World Series championship rings, and 141 major league victories. Brock Stewart has zero rings and zero victories. The Dodgers started Stewart against Lester and the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, and the Dodgers won. Stewart, making his third major league start, did not figure in the decision, but he pitched five shutout innings and struck out eight. On Saturday, fellow rookie Julio Urias gave up one run in six innings, becoming the only Dodgers starter to beat the Cubs in the seven games between the teams this season. “Each guy is really starting to blossom and grow,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s really no soft landing for these young players.” The Cubs have the best record in the major leagues. The starter that stifled them on Sunday jumped from Class-A Rancho Cucamonga to double-A Tulsa in April and to triple-A Oklahoma City in June, and since then he is on his third stint with the Dodgers, an organization that is not shy about shuttling players between the majors and minors, even for a day or two. “I’ve been all over the country, really,” Stewart said. “Those frequent flyer miles are piling up. It’s just part of it.” Stewart did not get his first major league victory Sunday, but he did get his first major league hit, a single off Lester.

“It’s kind of surreal, to be honest,” Stewart said. “I just hope to be as good as him one day.” The afternoon would have been more surreal had Stewart beaten his favorite team growing up. He grew up outside Chicago, but as a fan of the Chicago White Sox, so he was delighted to play a part in beating the Cubs. “It was a lot of fun,” he said. “I’ve never been a big fan of them. I respect the heck out of them. They’re a great team. But I certainly don’t mind seeing them lose.” Ruiz left out For the second time in the three days since Carlos Ruiz joined the Dodgers, the team faced a left-handed starter. This time, Ruiz was on the bench. When the Dodgers traded A.J. Ellis to the Philadelphia Phillies for Ruiz last week, they said that Ruiz could help win games against left-handers. Ruiz entered play Sunday with an .856 on-base-plus-slugging percentage off left-handers, as compared with .616 for Ellis and .803 for Yasmani Grandal, the Dodgers’ starting catcher. On Sunday, the Cubs started Lester, a left-hander against whom Ruiz is hitless in 14 career at-bats. Roberts said that track record was a secondary factor in the decision to start Grandal over Ruiz. “He’s a backup catcher,” Roberts said. Since the Dodgers played a day game Sunday after a day game Saturday, Roberts said there was no need to rest Grandal in favor of Ruiz. “No one said he’s going to play against every lefty,” Roberts said. The Dodgers lost on Friday, in Ruiz’s debut, after the Cubs scored the tying run when Ruiz could not handle a cut fastball from closer Kenley Jansen. Ruiz never had caught Jansen, an issue that former Dodgers pitcher Dan Haren referenced when he tweeted that the Ellis trade “makes zero sense.” Haren further tweeted: “Grandal catches everyday now. If something happened and he got hurt, the Dodgers would be much better off with AJ catching. Even with Grandal healthy, the upgrade is marginal at best. A catcher familiar with the pitching staff is vital.” On Saturday, as Grandal caught in the game, Ruiz volunteered to catch every Dodgers reliever in the bullpen, so he could become familiar with their pitches. Roberts saluted Ruiz, an 11-year veteran, for his willingness “to humble himself and to educate himself.” Said Roberts: “That’s something A.J. Ellis would do.” Short hops When rosters expand to 40 this week, Roberts said the Dodgers plan to activate relievers Louis Coleman and Casey Fien and call up Austin Barnes as a third catcher. Before anyone could ask about Yasiel Puig,

Roberts said whether Puig would be called up in September was “under discussion.” … The Dodgers held their fantasy football draft Sunday. Jansen arrived at Dodger Stadium wearing a Green Bay Packers jersey, and cheese on his head. Dodgers keep Carlos Ruiz on bench against Cubs left-hander Jon Lester By Bill Shaikin For the second time in the three days since Carlos Ruiz joined the Dodgers, the team faced a left-handed starter. This time, Ruiz was on the bench. When the Dodgers traded A.J. Ellis to the Philadelphia Phillies for Ruiz last week, they said Ruiz could help win games against left-handers. Ruiz has an .856 OPS off left-handers, as compared with .616 for Ellis and .803 for Yasmani Grandal, the Dodgers’ starting catcher. On Sunday, the Cubs started lefty Jon Lester, against whom Ruiz is hitless in 14 career at-bats. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said that track record was a secondary factor in the decision to start Grandal over Ruiz. “He’s a backup catcher,” Roberts said. Since the Dodgers played a day game Sunday after a day game Saturday, Roberts said there was no need to rest Grandal in favor of Ruiz. “No one said he’s going to play against every lefty,” Roberts said. The Dodgers lost on Friday, in Ruiz's debut, after the Cubs scored the tying run when Ruiz could not handle a cut fastball from closer Kenley Jansen. Ruiz had never caught Jansen, an issue that former Dodgers pitcher Dan Haren referenced when he tweeted that the Ellis trade “makes zero sense.” Haren further tweeted: “Grandal catches everyday now. If something happened and he got hurt, the Dodgers would be much better off with AJ catching. Even with Grandal healthy, the upgrade is marginal at best. A catcher familiar with the pitching staff is vital.” On Saturday, as Grandal caught in the game, Ruiz volunteered to catch every Dodgers reliever in the bullpen, so he could become familiar with their pitches. Roberts saluted Ruiz, an 11-year veteran, for his willingness “to humble himself and to educate himself.” Said Roberts: “That’s something A.J. Ellis would do.”

DODGER INSIDER Farm Fresh: De Leon’s 13K carry OKC to playoffs By Jon Weisman While Brock Stewart was having his career-best Major League game in Los Angeles, Jose De Leon was firing up some heroics of his own.

De Leon struck out 13 with no walks in 7 2/3 shutout innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, which clinched the Pacific Coast League American Northern Division title in a 6-1 victory over Colorado Springs. In 41 2/3 innings over his past six starts, De Leon has a 1.30 ERA with 46 strikeouts. Austin Barnes, expected to join the Dodgers later this week, homered to break a scoreless tie in the seventh. Another imminent Dodger returnee, Louis Coleman, allowed two hits and an unearned run with a strikeout in the ninth inning, his fourth rehab appearance on his way back from the disabled list. Oklahoma City will play American Southern Division champion Nashville in a best-of-five series beginning September 7 at home. In other highlights from the day: Andre Ethier doubled, singled and was hit by two pitches in five plate appearances as designated hitter in his third rehab game for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga, which defeated Inland Empire, 7-5. Cody Bellinger hit his 20th homer of the season for Double-A Tulsa, which lost to Springfield, 7-5. Walker Buehler made his Single-A Great Lakes debut, allowing three baserunners but no runs in a scoreless inning during the Loons’ 2-0 victory. Leonardo Crawford pitched four shutout innings in relief for the win. Willian Soto, a 6-foot-4, 20-year-old right-hander from Venezuela, allowed only one run in six innings while striking out seven for Rookie League Ogden, which lost to Idaho Falls, 2-1. Slim Winmen: Dodgers win squeaker over Cubs By Jon Weisman Three nailbiters later, the Dodgers are the team with their digits intact. While the Giants were taking two out of three games from the Braves, the National League’s worst team, the Dodgers held serve against the Cubs, the league’s best team. An eighth-inning run — scored without the aid of a hit — gave the Dodgers a 1-0 victory today over Chicago. Rookie pitcher Brock Stewart was far from the game at that point, but he deserved the most credit. In his first career start at Dodger Stadium, Stewart dazzled, striking out eight — including six batters in a row at one point — in five innings of shutout ball. Stewart also had his first Major League hit in the third inning, meaning that in this series against the Cubs, all three Dodger starting pitchers singled. After he had retired eight batters in a row, Stewart faced his biggest challenge of the day in the fifth, when a single, walk and sacrifice put runners on second and third with two out. Dexter Fowler, whom Stewart fanned two previous times, flied to center.

“We believed in Brock,” Dave Roberts said after the game. “I can’t say enough about him.” With a Dodger on first, Stewart at 80 pitches and Kris Bryant leading off the next inning, Roberts took the opportunity to pinch-hit for Stewart in the bottom of the fifth, but Josh Reddick also flied to center. The Cubs were thwarted again in the top of the sixth against Dodger relievers Jesse Chavez and Grant Dayton, when Adrián González snagged Jason Heyward’s two-on, two-out, 103 mph liner. In the bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers wrestled victory from the jaws of extra innings. With one out, Trevor Cahill’s second pitch to Andrew Toles bounced into the pinch-hitter’s leg. Howie Kendrick then hit a muffled grounder to Cahill’s right that the pitcher picked up — and threw away, allowing Toles and Kendrick to settle in at second and third. With Justin Turner on deck, Corey Seager was walked intentionally. Carl Edwards Jr. entered the game and struck out Turner. With two out, against a shifted Cubs infield with second baseman Ben Zobrist in right field, González hit a grounder to the left side. Third baseman Javier Baez was in position to field it, but instead of throwing the long way to first, Baez went for a force at second. Zobrist was racing from his shifted position to take the throw, but he stepped on the base a millisecond after Seager slid in, allowing Toles to score. Under review, the play — and the eventual victory, after Kenley Jansen’s perfect ninth — was upheld. “It all boiled down to a whisper, a toenail, a toedance around second base,” Vin Scully said. #VinTop20: No. 13, ‘The Squeeze!’ By Jon Weisman Between now and Vin Scully Appreciation Day on September 23, the Dodgers are revealing the results of the fan vote ranking Scully’s top 20 Dodger calls of all time, one at each home game. Here’s No. 13: “The Squeeze,” starring R.J. Reynolds. How much will Dodgers fatten roster in September? By Jon Weisman September 1, the date that active rosters can expand to as many as 40 players, has been in the Dodgers’ sightlines for some time — the seemingly perfect quirk in the schedule to serve a team that has depth in its pitching staff but not length. Today, Dave Roberts told reporters that the Dodgers plan to activate Louis Coleman from the disabled list before Friday’s game (Thursday is actually an off day for Los Angeles, except for the Dodgers All-Access event) and also bring back reliever Casey Fien from the minors. That would give the Dodgers a minimum of 14 pitchers, pending more possible additions as the month progresses. A recall of Luis Avilan and Josh Fields, who pitched recently for the Dodgers, would give

them 16 arms. Brett Anderson, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy and Josh Ravin are on the 15-day disabled list, and so with the flick of paperwork, the pitching staff could number as many as 20. Hopes remain for the return from the 60-day disabled list of Clayton Kershaw to the starting rotation and Alex Wood to the bullpen, and then you possibly have 22 pitchers. (That seems like a lot.) In those cases, however, someone currently on the 40-man roster would have to be displaced. That’s why, despite his strong finish at Triple-A Oklahoma City and highly regarded prospect status, Jose De Leon — who is not on the 40-man roster yet — might not see action for Los Angeles this year. It hasn’t been ruled out, but it’s predicated on the status of the aforementioned score of pitchers. Brock Stewart is one of those pitchers, and some have wondered why he is starting today and not De Leon. Stewart’s minor-league performance rivals De Leon’s this year, and although his 11.25 ERA as a big-leaguer doesn’t sell him well, Roberts he thinks the experience — however traumatic by baseball standards — will help him. Julio Urías, in a sense, exemplifies what the Dodgers’ hopes for Stewart are — suffer through setbacks early, and then begin to string together success. Urías remains in the starting rotation for the Dodgers, Roberts said today, although the exact date of his next start hasn’t been announced. Urías has thrown 108 innings this season across the minors and Majors, a 23 percent increase form his career high. On the position-player side, Roberts confirmed that Austin Barnes, who has been back in action after a pitch injured his hand, would come up in September as the Dodgers’ third catcher (and also backup in the infield). Andre Ethier, who went 0 for 3 in his second rehab game with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga but played four innings in right field for the first time, is also on track for his first 2016 action with the Dodgers sooner than later, even if his health limits him to a bench role. One thing to keep in mind is that the Dodgers still have three games with a designated hitter remaining, September 12-14 at Yankee Stadium. Scott Van Slyke, whose regular season ended Thursday when he was placed on the 60-day DL, is going to have right wrist surgery, as Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported. Trayce Thompson, who has been recovering from two stress fractures in his back, is still waiting to be cleared for baseball activities, according to Bill Plunkett of the Register. There is no word on what the fate of Yasiel Puig will be. The remaining minor-leaguers position players on the 40-man roster who are eligible for recall are Shawn Zarraga, Micah Johnson and Chris Taylor. Taylor has 59 MLB plate appearances this year, while Johnson and Zarraga have three combined.

TRUEBLUELA.COM Dodgers take advantage of 2 bad throws to beat Cubs By Eric Stephen

The Dodgers took advantage of two bad throws by the Cubs in the eighth inning, nipping Chicago 1-0 in the finale of a highly-exciting weekend series at Dodger Stadium. Andrew Toles was hit by a pitch as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning, then as he jogged to first Dodger Stadium organist seized the moment by playing ‘Hit Me With Your Best Shot’ by Pat Benatar. The Dodgers were truly able to take advantage when the Cubs decided to fire away. First, on a slow bouncer up the third base line by Howie Kendrick, pitcher Trevor Cahill uncorked an errant throw to first base that instead went down the right field line, putting two runners in scoring position. After Corey Seager walked and Justin Turner struck out for the second out, Adrian Gonzalez hit a ground ball to Javier Baez that could have ended the inning. Baez could have easily thrown to first to retire Gonzalez, but he instead opted for the shorter throw to second base. The caveat here was that second baseman Ben Zobrist was shifted into short right field for the left-handed Gonzalez, so by the time he got to second base, a sliding Seager beat him to the bag by a whisker, extending the inning and allowing Toles to score the game’s only run. Kenley Jansen, pitching for a third straight day and for the fifth time in the last six days, retired the Cubs in the ninth for his 39th save of the season. Stewart rebounds In each of his first two major league starts, Brock Stewart was done in by a five-run inning, once in Milwaukee and once in Colorado. On Sunday, it was a completely different story. Stewart still had a few big innings, but they involved the right-hander striking out six straight batters, including all three in a perfect third inning. Stewart struck out eight in his five innings on Sunday, allowing no runs on two hits with two walks. With his spot up in the fifth inning, Stewart was lifted for a pinch hitter despite having thrown only 80 pitches. He also singled in the third inning for his first major league hit. Don’t look now, but Dodgers starters have lasted five innings or longer in six straight starts. No more against Lester Stewart had to put up zeroes, if only to match Jon Lester, who struck out six of his own in six scoreless innings on Sunday. Lester struck out 10 Dodgers in a complete-game win at Wrigley Field on May 6, working around a first-inning run. Counting Sunday’s effort, Lester now has a 14-inning scoreless streak against the Dodgers. Up next The Dodgers move on to Denver for three games, calling up a rookie from the Arizona League in Kenta Maeda to start the series opener at Coors Field. The Rockies will start Jon Gray in Monday night’s 5:40 p.m. PT contest. Sunday particulars Home runs: none

WP - Joe Blanton (5-2): 1 IP, 1 hit LP - Trevor Cahill (3-4): ⅓ IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 walk, 1 strikeout Sv - Kenley Jansen (39): 1 IP, 1 strikeout Dodgers' young players coming up big in series finale By Craig Minami LOS ANGELES --- Manager Dave Roberts has said for a few days since right-handed pitcher Brock Stewart was recalled that the Dodgers believed Stewart gave the Dodgers the best chance to win on Sunday. That belief was justified after Stewart pitched five scoreless innings and had a career high eight strikeouts against the Cubs. The Dodgers would eventually score the game's only run as a result of big play made by Corey Seager in the eighth inning and Kenley Jansen got his 39th save to preserve the 1-0 win. Brock Stewart had been up and down with the Dodgers a few times this season as well as had pitched on three minor league teams and Roberts said all of that played into why he and the Dodgers made him the starter on Sunday. "I'm very excited for Brock, for us, we believed in Brock," Roberts said, "sometimes people have to look outside the numbers and understand that what this kid has gone through this year." "We felt he'd go out there and compete, and that's exactly what he did, against a very good club." Roberts praised his three rookie starters and how they each have grown this season to be important parts on this team. "When you look at the young players that we've got, Stripling, Julio, and Brock," Roberts said, "these guys have come up in big spots for us., executing pitches and Brock, I can't say enough about him, they were getting bad swings at points." It is the last weekend in August but Roberts was proud of what the Dodgers accomplished against the Giants and Cubs. "This homestand for us," Roberts said, "to win a couple of series against a couple of good ballclubs says a lot about our guys." Trusting his stuff was key for Brock Stewart Brock Stewart has traveled to a lot of places to pitch for the Dodger organization this year so he has gotten more comfortable after each time he's been called on to move this year. This time, the Dodgers gave Stewart a few days to get ready and be with the team before starting today against the Cubs and Stewart thought that made a difference.

"I really liked being around the guys," Stewart said, "going through the pre-game plan, getting here and settling in." Stewart credited believing in his stuff is a key to success at the major league level. "Overall I was basically just trusting the stuff," Stewart said, "fastball was good I was able to go out, I was able to go in, threw a few change ups, decent slider." Stewart said that he was happy about the success he and Julio Urias had this weekend and how they are making contributions to the big league team right now. "Yeah, the future is bright," Stewart said, "I'm glad that we have guys that can help this team down the stretch." Stewart also said that the success he has had thsi season was a product of all the hard work he put in this past off-season. "I credit a lot to the off-season preparation, I worked my butt off, really focused," Stewart said, "I haven't been pitching that long so I really honed in on what it takes to get guys at every level and at the highest level." Seager says Utley's style of play "rubbing off" on him Corey Seager has said that he has learned so much watching how Chase Utley plays baseball hard at every moment of the game. When it came to the key play of the eighth inning, Seager said his model is Utley. Seager saw that he could beat the throw to second and beat the force play which what he did and that provided the only run in the Dodgers' 1-0 win. "It was one of those plays, you watch Chase [Utley] run hard every time," Seager said, "than that's what are you doing, running hard." "It was one of those things that you've watched him do it over and over and over again," Seager said, "to where something rubbed off, and luckily it got us the win." "That is kind of difference between what [Utley] does for teams and what he can brings to our team and that won us the game today." Dodgers Week 21: Surviving the gauntlet By Eric Stephen The Dodgers got a little mix of everything last week, setting a season high for runs in a win in Cincinnati, then also won a pair of 1-0 games, too.

Rich Hill was finally activated, and the Dodgers got strong starts from rookie Julio Urias and Brock Stewart. The starting staff ended the week with six straight games of at least five innings, the first time in two months. The result was winning two out of three games against playoff-bound teams in the Giants and Cubs, and a division lead for the Dodgers that increased from a half-game to a two-game cushion over San Francisco. Batter of the week Corey Seager continued to rake, hitting .407 (11-for-27) with a .500 on-base percentage and five extra-base hits. He narrowly beat out Adrian Gonzalez, who had three home runs on Monday in Cincinnati and drove in 13 runs during the week. Pitcher of the week Rich Hill made his long-awaited Dodgers debut on Wednesday against the Giants, and out-dueled Johnny Cueto with six scoreless innings in a 1-0 win over the division rivals. He narrowly beat out Julio Urias, who continued to improve with six strong innings on Saturday, holding the mighty Cubs to one run. Week 21 summary of Record: 5-2 36 runs scored (5.14 per game) 26 runs allowed (3.71 per game) .645 pythagorean record 2016 to date Record: 73-57 585 runs scored (4.50 per game) 516 runs allowed (3.97 per game) .557 pythagorean record (72-58) Miscellany Back-to-back firsts ... and seconds: Andrew Toles hit his first major league home run on Monday in Cincinnati, and Rob Segedin with his first major league home run on the next pitch. Then on Tuesday at home, they each hit their second big league home runs in a win over the Giants, though this time not back-to-back. They set two records: Tuesday: Scott Kazmir and Brett Anderson were placed on the 15-day disabled list, and Josh Fields was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Ross Stripling, Luis Avilan and Charlie Culberson were all recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Wednesday: Rich Hill was activated from the DL, and Rob Segedin was placed on the paternity list. Thursday: The Dodgers acquired catcher Carlos Ruiz and $1 million from the Phillies in exchange for catcher A.J. Ellis, minor league pitcher Tommy Bergjans, and a player to be named later or cash.

Thursday: Segedin was activated from the paternity list, and Shawn Zarraga was recalled from Triple-A for a night. Reliever Luis Avilan was optioned to Triple-A, and Scott Van Slyke was transferred to the 60-day DL to make room on the 40-man for Zarraga. Friday: Ruiz was added to the active roster, and pitcher Brock Stewart was recalled from Triple-A. Zarraga was optioned to Oklahoma City, and in the most creative move of the year starting pitcher Kenta Maeda was optioned to Rookie-level Arizona League for three days before his start on Monday. Sunday: Zarraga cleared waivers and was sent outright to the minors, removing him from the 40-man roster. Game results Monday: Dodgers 18, Reds 9 Tuesday: Dodgers 9, Giants 5 Wednesday: Dodgers 1, Giants 0 Thursday: Giants 4, Dodgers 0 Friday: Cubs 6, Giants 4 (10) Saturday: Dodgers 3, Cubs 2 Sunday: Dodgers 1, Cubs 0 Upcoming week The Dodgers run the Jerald Clark gauntlet, heading to Denver for their second three-day Colorado road trip of August to play the Rockies, then return home to open another homestand, this one starting against the Padres. Dodgers send Shawn Zarraga outright to minors By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — Dodgers catcher Shawn Zarraga had a brief jaunt on the major league active roster, and his time on the 40-man roster was also fleeting. Zarraga cleared waivers and was sent outright to the minors on Sunday, removing him from the 40-man roster. Zarraga was added to the 40-man roster on Thursday and called up to the majors, as the Dodgers needed a fill-in backup catcher with A.J. Ellis traded and Carlos Ruiz not yet in Los Angeles from Philadelphia. The 27-year-old Zarraga arrived during the game on Thursday, and greeted teammates in the dugout in the fourth inning. He enjoyed every moment of his first major league experience. Zarraga did not get to play, however.

The catcher was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday, then sent to Double-A Tulsa on Saturday. The move doesn’t necessarily mean another Dodgers transaction is imminent. This was an expected move, as the Dodgers will need 40-man roster spots at some point in September potentially for Clayton Kershaw, Andre Ethier, Trayce Thompson and Alex Wood, plus anyone they might trade for before the Aug. 31 deadline to acquire players for postseason eligibility. The switch-hitting Zarraga hit .265/.348/.327 in 41 minor league games this season between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Jose De Leon leads Oklahoma City to 2nd straight PCL division title By Eric Stephen and Craig Minami Oklahoma City beat the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers) 6-1 on Sunday to clinch the American Northern Division title in the Pacific Coast League, their second division title in as many years since becoming the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate. OKC will play the American Southern Division champ Nashville Sounds (A’s) in the first round of the PCL playoffs, a best-of-five series that will begin with two games in Oklahoma City and end with up to three games in Nashville. Player of the day Jose De Leon continued his late-season romp through the PCL, striking out a season-high 13 with no walks and four hits allowed in his 7⅔ scoreless innings. It was his third consecutive double-digit strikeout game, and his fifth on the season, all since July 15. The Dodgers’ top pitching prospect has an active scoreless streak of 17⅔ straight innings, dating back to Aug. 17. De Leon walked Padres prospect Carlos Asuaje in the first inning of that Aug. 17 game, but since then has 40 strikeouts without a walk. De Leon was one strikeout shy of his career high of 14, set on Aug. 19, 2014 with Class-A Great Lakes. De Leon in his last six starts has a 1.30 ERA, with 46 strikeouts and four walks in 41⅔ innings. The Dodgers would need to make a corresponding move to add De Leon to the 40-man roster if they were to call him up in September. “There’s been discussions but also there has got to be a need and between now and when their season ends if it makes sense for him to come up here. If there is an opportunity for him to pitch, then it makes sense, but if there is no need, then it doesn’t make sense,” manager Dave Roberts said before Sunday’s game against the Cubs. “Jose has really pitched well, and so we’re excited about his development.” Triple-A Oklahoma City Austin Barnes broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the seventh inning with a solo home run, helping OKC to their second straight division crown. Yasiel Puig didn’t play, but found a way to contribute. Oklahoma City added five runs in the eighth inning to pull away for the win.

Louis Coleman, who will be activated by the Dodgers once roster expand next weekend, allowed a run in the ninth to close out the win, his third game on his rehab assignment, second with Oklahoma City. Double-A Tulsa Cody Bellinger, making his 11th start in center field this season, hit his 20th home run, but it wasn’t enough in the Drillers’ 7-5 loss at the Springfield Cardinals. Bellinger, who was robbed of a home run on Wednesday, also just missed a grand slam on a fly out on Sunday. He did double, walk and score twice on Sunday. Shawn Zarraga, sent outright off the 40-man roster on Sunday, was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI in defeat. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Andre Ethier played a second straight game for the Quakes, this time at DH at the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels). Ethier had an RBI single and was hit by a pitch twice in his first three plate appearances. Class-A Great Lakes Walker Buehler, the Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2015, started and pitched a scoreless inning for the Loons in a 2-0 win over the South Bend Cubs. Buehler, in his first game with Great Lakes and just his second game coming back from Tommy John surgery, walked a pair and hit a batter to load the bases in the first, but escaped the inning unscathed, including one strikeout. Center fielder Saige Jenco, the Dodgers’ 24th-round pick this year out of Virginia Tech, doubled, tripled and scored both runs on Sunday. Leo Crawford pitched four scoreless frames in relief to earn the win, striking out two. Rookie-level Ogden William Soto struck out seven in six innings, allowing just one run for the Raptors in a 2-1 loss to the Idaho Falls Chukars (Royals). Third baseman Brock Carpenter homered for Ogden. Rookie-level Arizona File this under “long shot” but Dodgers seem to be experimenting with outfielder turned pitcher Jordan Schafer. Double-A: Catcher Shawn Zarraga outrighted off the 40-man roster. Class-A: Mitchell White promoted to Rancho Cucamonga from Great Lakes. The Quakes placed pitcher Rob Rogers on the 7-day DL. Walker Buehler promoted from AZL Dodgers to Great Lakes. Sunday scores Oklahoma City 6, Colorado Springs 1 Springfield 7, Tulsa 5 Rancho Cucamonga 8, Inland Empire 3 Great Lakes 2, South Bend 0

Idaho Falls 2, Ogden 1 AZL Dodgers vs. AZL Giants Monday schedule 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Caleb Ferguson) at South Bend (Oscar De La Cruz) 4:30 p.m.: Tulsa (Chase De Jong) at Memphis (Johnny Walter) 5:05 p.m.: Memphis [Cardinals] (Deck McGuire) at Oklahoma City (Alfredo Figaro) 6:15 p.m.: Ogden (Roberth Fernandez) at Idaho Falls (TBD)

ESPN LA Stewart, 4 relievers throw 4-hitter; Dodgers beat Cubs 1-0 By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Corey Seager has become an NL MVP Award candidate as a rookie with timely homers and a big batting average. He made himself the difference in a game Sunday just by running hard to second base. Brock Stewart and four relievers combined on a four-hitter and Andrew Toles scored on a fielder's choice in the eighth inning thanks to Seager's hustle, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers over Jon Lester and the Chicago Cubs 1-0. With one out in the eighth, pinch-hitter Toles was hit by a pitch, and then Trevor Cahill (3-4) threw away Howie Kendrick's short roller, allowing Toles to reach third. After an intentional walk to Seager and a strikeout, Adrian Gonzalez hit a soft grounder to the left side, away from the shifted Cubs' defense. Javier Baez stumbled backward to field it and made a casual throw to late-arriving second baseman Ben Zobrist. Umpires ruled a sliding Seager beat Zobrist to the bag, allowing Toles to score, and a review upheld the call. "As soon as I saw him (Baez) throw to second I knew I had a chance of being safe," Seager said. "Fortunately, it worked out for us." Seager's right foot slid into the base with Zobrist's left foot barely inches from coming down on the bag. "I didn't expect to be late on the play, but we didn't communicate on the play," Baez said. "(Seager) beat the throw. Next time, I will be better and will be in my spot." "We made a mental mistake at second and it costs us," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "(Javier Baez is) a young player but he has as much instinct for this game as anyone I've ever seen. I'm not going to beat up my guys."

The Dodgers took two of three from the Cubs over the weekend and maintained a two-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West. Stewart struck out eight over five innings of two-hit ball, and then Jesse Chavez, Grant Dayton, Joe Blanton and Kenley Jansen closed up shop. Blanton (5-2) got the win and Jansen got three outs for his 39th save. "We're very excited for Brock," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We believe in Brock. He was throwing his fastball, slider and change pitches with conviction." Stewart began the season with Class A Rancho Cucamonga and was making just this third big league start. He struck out eight of the first 12 batters to set a career high and struck out six in a row during one stretch. He also got his first major league hit with a single in the third off Lester. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the fifth after throwing 80 pitches. "I could have thrown more, but it is not my decision," he said. "And we got the win and that is all that matters." Lester struck out six and pitched three-hit ball over six innings, and the Cubs also four-hit the Dodgers. "I felt efficient early in the game but in the fifth and sixth innings they ran deep counts and made me work," Lester. Kendrick walked to lead off the first and reached third on an errant pickoff attempt by catcher David Ross, but Lester struck out Seager, Justin Turner and Gonzalez successively to end the threat. DISASTER AVERTED Seager and second baseman Charlie Culberson bumped into each other and nearly dropped a pop-up by Addison Russell in the eighth inning. Both players called for the ball beyond second base, and Seager got his glove on it first but was brushed by Culberson. The ball popped out of Seager's glove and hit off Culberson's mitt before Seager barehanded it for the third out. TRAINER'S ROOM Cubs: RHP John Lackey (right shoulder strain) will throw a bullpen session Monday at home, and manager Joe Maddon said Lackey is scheduled to throw a second bullpen session during Chicago's homestand before a decision is made about when he will be activated. Dodgers: OF Andre Ethier (broken right tibia) went 0 for 3 and played four innings in right field for Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday night in his second rehab game. He's been out since spring training. ... Louis Coleman (right shoulder fatigue) is on rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City and has tossed scoreless innings in three rehab games there and with the rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers. ROAD WARRIORS

Entering this game, the Cubs (37-27) were one of two NL teams at least 10 games over .500 on the road. The St. Louis Cardinals were the other (38-24). UP NEXT Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (16-5, 2.62) will open a seven-game homestand Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last time out, Arrieta gave up two hits in eight scoreless innings to earn his league-leading 16th victory against the San Diego Padres. Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (13-7, 3.37) will start at Colorado on Monday. He has gone 5-0 in his last six starts and has limited opposing hitters to a .226 average.

NBC LA Dodgers Catch Break, Beat Cubs 1-0 in Rubber Match By Michael Duarte Who knew baseball was so much like soccer? For nearly three hours the Dodgers and Cubs were deadlocked in a scoreless tie before a routine ground ball could have altered the destiny of the National League West. Adrian Gonzalez broke the scoreless tie with an RBI fielder's choice that proved to be the difference in the game as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Chicago Cubs, 1-0, in the rubber match on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. Los Angeles secured their MLB-leading 13th shutout of the season and survived a six-game homestand against two of the top teams in baseball in the Cubs and Giants. "This was playoff baseball," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "When you play very good teams you have to take advantage of every opportunity. We knew we matched up well with this club and we played them toe-to-toe." After absolutely little offensive action for the first seven innings, the Dodgers loaded the bases for Gonzalez with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Gonzalez hit a grounder to Javier Baez in what appeared to be an inning-ending out, but Ben Zobrist was late to cover second base and Corey Seager won the foot race was on a bang-bang play for the Boys in Blue. "That was a misexecution," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts who was surprised that Baez threw to second with the slower Gonzalez at the plate. "Javier Baez is a very nice player, but with the shift, the play is at first." The play was reviewed for nearly two minutes, with replay showing Seager's foot touching the bag a fraction of a second before Zobrist's.

"It was one of those plays that you have to run hard," Seager said. "As soon as I saw he was throwing to second [not first] I knew I had a chance of being safe." Rookie right-hander Brock Stewart went pitch-for-pitch with four-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion Jon Lester in just his third career start. Stewart allowed no runs on two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts in five shutout innings while simultaneously recording the first hit of his MLB career. "Overall I had a good feel for my stuff and I trusted it," Stewart said of his start. "That's why we play the game to succeed at this level, I'm very blessed." Stewart sliced a single to left field off Lester in the third inning to give the Dodgers their first base hit of the game, but also another collector's item for the the 24-year-old's big league trophy case. "It was surreal," Stewart said of getting his first big league hit off Lester. "I was a position player in college. I just hope to be as good as him [Lester] one day." Lester was electrifying once again for the best team in baseball as the left-hander dominated the Dodgers allowing no runs on three hits with six strikeouts in six scoreless innings. In his last eight starts since the All-Star Break, Lester is a perfect 5-0 with a 2.01 ERA as he leads the Cubs rotation. Kenley Jansen made up for his blown save in the opening game on Friday night recording back-to-back saves on Saturday and Sunday as the All-Star collected his 39th save, securing the victory. "I hate the word 'what if,' we came back and beat them twice," Jansen said when asked about the blown save on Friday being the difference in a Dodgers sweep instead of a series win. "We battled against the best team in baseball and found a way to win ballgames." Andrew Toles was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth inning and advanced to third on an error by Trevor Cahill. Three batters later, he scored the game-winning run on the bizzare play that won it for the Dodgers. "There was a couple miscues that inning, especially with the Cahill error," Roberts said. "Fortunately, we were able to take advantage of it." Los Angeles remains two games ahead of the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West after their rivals beat the Braves in a blowout at AT&T Park. Players of the Game: Brock Stewart: Five shutout innings. Jon Lester: Six shutout innings. Corey Seager: Beat out the throw to second allowing game-winning run to score. Three Takeaways:

1. To Be The Best, Beat The Best: The Dodgers finish their six-game home stand with a record of 4-2 as they won both series against the Wild Card leading San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs who sport the best record in the Major Leagues. In fact, the Dodgers were arguably one wild pitch away from sweeping Chicago over the weekend. 2. Shut The Front Door: The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the Major Leagues with 13 shutouts, adding another one on Sunday thanks to five scoreless frames from rookie Brock Stewart. 3. Welcome to the Bigs: Brock Stewart made some memorable moments in just his third big league start on Sunday. Stewart matched future Hall of Famer, Jon Lester, pitch-for-pitch on the mound, and then recorded his first big league hit off him in the third inning. Up Next: Cubs (82-47): No rest for Chicago as they return home to the Windy city on Monday to host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dodgers (73-57): Los Angeles has an opportunity to get their offense back on track when they travel to Colorado for a three-game series with the Rockies. Kenta Maeda is expected to be recalled from Arizona and start at 5:40 PM PST. Los Angeles Dodgers Place Yasiel Puig on Waivers By Michael Duarte The inevitable occurred on Sunday when Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that the Los Angeles Dodgers had placed outfielder Yasiel Puig on waivers. The move has been a longtime coming as the Dodgers actively tried to trade Puig at the Aug. 1 trade deadline and after his recent success at Triple-A Oklahoma City, it's worth a flyer to see if his value has increased over the last four weeks. For fans wondering what this move means, MLB allows teams to place players on revocable trade waivers after the trade deadline (i.e. A.J. Ellis). Once the team places a player on waivers, any team can claim that person starting with the team. If more than one team claims them, the team with the worst record in the National League gets preference (the Atlanta Braves). Once a team claims a player on waivers, the Dodgers would be limited to negotiate with solely the team that claimed him. This allows the organization an opportunity to see what they could get in return for a player placed on waivers. Placing Puig on waivers does not mean that he will be traded. For now, it solely means the Dodgers are willing to see which team, if any, claims him and what they might be able to get for him in return in any deal. At any time, the Dodgers can pull Puig off of waivers and keep him for the remainder of the season where they will most likely try and trade him in the offseason when they are free to negotiate with any of the 29 other teams in the league.

Puig can stay on waivers for up to 47 hours or until he is claimed by a team. If no team claims him, then the Dodgers are free to negotiate with any team. However, there is a strong chance some team will show interest in the troubled star and put a cliam in. Since he was demoted to Triple-A OKC on August 2, Puig is batting .386 with seven extra-base hits, four home runs, 12 RBI and 10 runs scored. On Sunday, before the Dodgers played the rubber match with the Chicago Cubs, manager Dave Roberts did not mention Puig by name when asked who would be called up when rosters expand on Sept. 1. When asked if Puig should be called up considering how hot he's been in the minor leagues Roberts smiled and said, "That's a fair question," but he offered no further comment.

FANGRAPHS Rich Hill Truly Curveballs Like No One Else By August Fagerstrom As if Rich Hill needs another way to be unique. How many other pitchers experience their career breakout at 35 and become one of the best in the league? How many other pitchers throw their curveball half the time? How many other pitchers who typically throw overhand freeze batters by occasionally dropping to sidearm? How many other pitchers speak fluently about their pitch axis, perceptual velocity, vertical and horizontal planes, and name drop DRA in interviews? Hell, how many other pitchers develop blisters on their fingers which require more than a month to heal? Rich Hill doesn’t need another thing to make him unique, and yet here we are. By now, the greatness of Rich Hill’s curveball is well understood. Among starting pitchers with at least 100 innings thrown since the beginning of last year, Hill is baseball’s ERA leader, and he’s become so by throwing exactly one curveball for every fastball. By usage, Hill curveballs like no one else. On a per-inning basis, only Jose Fernandez‘s curve has been more valuable, according to our pitch-type linear weights. By dominance, Hill curveballs like nearly no one else. The spin rate ranks in the top five. Next to no one can spin it like Hill. But what if there’s another way in which Hill’s curve stands out from the rest, and it’s potentially the most remarkable of all? Think about some of baseball’s nastiest curves — perhaps the ones thrown by guys like Fernandez, Corey Kluber, or Clayton Kershaw — and a play a mental .gif of a strikeout curve in your head. After the batter swung, did the pitch kick up some dirt? If it didn’t, I’d bet it was close. Typically speaking, pitchers want the curve low. The ones left up are the ones that get referred to as “hangers.” When a pitcher’s preparing to throw a two-strike curve, it’s commonplace to see the catchers tap his glove into the dirt, as if to say “put it here.” Except for when that catcher is catching Rich Hill: For reference, the league-average curve lands in the bottom half of the zone or beyond 74% of the time. Kershaw clocks in just a tick above that. Fernandez and Kluber each bury 83% of their curves. Just half of Hill’s curves are low. Or, to put it another way: half of Hill’s curves are elevated. Only Anthony Ranaudo and Steven Wright leave the curve up in the zone more often than Rich Hill; Ranaudo’s allowed a .600 slugging percentage against the pitch this year, and Wright is a knuckleballer who doesn’t play by the same rules. Maybe it’s time to start thinking about Hill the same way.

For fun, I prepared an image showing the average location of Hill’s curveball this year, and the average location of everyone else’s curveball: One of those pitches looks a lot more hittable than the other, and that’s because, usually, it is. The numbers play out like this: when the curve’s been kept down this year, batters have whiffed on 16% of pitches, 35% of swings, and slugged just .323. When the curve’s been left up, batters have whiffed on just 3% of pitches, 11% of swings, and slugged .411. Those are just numbers to confirm what we already know: the low curve is better than the high curve. Except for when it comes out of Rich Hill’s hand. This is almost certainly a product of Hill’s fastball tendencies. Hill also generates extreme spin on his four-seam fastball, and he throws that pitch above the middle of the strike zone 70% of the time — well above the league average of 51%. When one thinks of a fastball setting up a curve, one likely thinks of a high heater coming before a curve that darts downward out of the zone. With Hill, most everything is high. The curveball just follows the fastball. This all got me thinking about something Hill told The Providence Journal‘s Tim Britton back in May: But overall with me, looking at your pitch axis and trying the mirroring effect of having your curveball on the same axis as your fastball is really what leads to the ultimate deception. If you can mirror each other with your spin axis of your curveball and your fastball, you’re on to something — for me, personally. “The ultimate deception.” That’s what Hill’s high curve appears to accomplish, by “mirroring” it off the fastball. Consider the following at-bat against Houston’s Carlos Correa in early May: And the consider Correa’s facial expressions while walking back to the dugout: Similar to how a pitcher who strives for his changeup to resemble a low fastball for as long as possible, Hill appears to attempt the same with his curve for high fastballs. One imagines that, after the elevated heater to begin the at-bat against Correa, the following two curveballs, out of the hand, looked like they were on their way to being fastballs way up and out of the zone, until they weren’t. It’s the ultimate deception. Most pitchers throw the curve in the area where it gets swings and misses. Hill, more than nearly any other pitcher, throws his curve in the area where it’s designed not to get a swing at all. And for what it’s worth, Hill knows when to bury the hook. Batters have been more than twice as likely to swing at the low curve (59%) than the high one (29%), and so when Hill’s looking for a whiff, he drops it down. In two-strike counts, Hill’s curve has been spotted below the midpoint of the strike zone 56% of the time; in non-two-strike counts, just 46%: Hill often talks about the importance of “creativity” when it comes to pitching. This manifests itself in Hill’s tendency to drop down sidearm to give batters a different look and create a different shape with his breaking ball. It manifests itself in the occasional 61-mph curve. And it manifests itself in Hill’s willingness to leave curveballs up in the zone, an area where the league’s slugged .411 against the pitch, but just .250 against his. As if Rich Hill needed another way to be unique.

NEW YORK TIMES When the Playoff Chase Severs the Bond Between Pitcher and Catcher

By Billy Witz LOS ANGELES — Among the first lessons a modern baseball player learns is that the game is a business. Long before that free-agent payday, there are arbitration hearings, or maneuvers like sticking a player in the minors for a few more days to delay his free agency another year, that are seen as part of the bargain. So it has been stunning to see the Los Angeles Dodgers’ clubhouse — one with few naïfs, as it carries the highest payroll in baseball — roiled in the last few days by the trading of a backup catcher, A. J. Ellis. Ellis was sent to the Philadelphia Phillies for Carlos Ruiz, another backup catcher, who was seen as providing many of the things Ellis was good at — leadership, experience, work ethic, solid defense — but also as slightly better able to hit left-handed pitching. These are the sorts of deals that are made in August, when players must clear waivers before they can be traded and when teams like the Dodgers, who are locked in a battle for first place in the National League West with their rival San Francisco Giants, are looking for ways to get better at the margins. The difference here is that Ellis is no ordinary backup catcher. He has been Clayton Kershaw’s personal catcher throughout most of their careers, and has also been his best friend. Not only did Ellis catch most of Kershaw’s starts, but the two players also vacation together with their wives. When Ellis learned of the trade on Thursday, he and Kershaw cried together. “It rips your heart out,” Ellis told reporters as he sat forlornly in the dugout. Kershaw, who is nearing a comeback from a disk injury in his back, gave his assessment on Friday. “It’s a tremendous subtraction from this team,” he said. “There’s no doubt about it.” The relationship between pitchers and catchers can be a deeply layered one. It is not just that it involves an understanding of what pitches work best and why; catchers take great pains to understand what makes each pitcher tick. So they spend time with pitchers not only in bullpens, but in the clubhouse, on plane rides and during nights out. Pitchers with gravitas are occasionally paired with catchers of their choice. Greg Maddux regularly had Eddie Perez as his catcher in Atlanta, and the pitcher the Dodgers faced on Sunday, Jon Lester, has regularly had David Ross as his catcher the last two seasons with the Chicago Cubs — and before that when they were paired during Boston’s World Series title run in 2013. “Honestly, he probably hates me catching him because we’re like brothers,” said Ross, 39, who is the Cubs’ third-string catcher and has announced plans to retire at the end of the season. “We yell and scream at each other. I expect a lot out of him, and I’ve seen him at his best, and so I expect that every time out. I’m only getting basically one start a week, so I want that to be a successful day for me. There’s a lot of pressure on me that I put on him to do well.”

Ross can also understand what the Dodgers are going through. He was with them in 2004 when another analytics-driven front office — run by Paul DePodesta — traded the popular catcher Paul Lo Duca at the nonwaiver trade deadline. “I got booed every time I stuck my head out of the dugout,” said Ross, who largely replaced Lo Duca in the lineup. “Anytime I hit and got out, I got booed. It stung. I wanted to tell the people, ‘I didn’t trade him.’ I loved him. Dookie was such a big part of the team that it was pretty overwhelming. I put way too much pressure on myself.” Ellis, who took 48 hours to get to the Phillies, seemed to get over his disappointment. In his first game with Philadelphia, he hit a go-ahead double in the Phillies’ 5-1 victory over the Mets on Sunday. The Dodgers’ transition was not so smooth. Whether it was malaise from the trade — or perhaps karma, as some Dodgers fans might have intimated — the Dodgers were nearly no-hit by the Giants’ Matt Moore on Thursday in the hours after the trade, spared by Corey Seager’s two-out single in the ninth inning. Then on Friday night, they lost in extra innings to the Cubs, who tied the score in the ninth when a pitch from closer Kenley Jansen ticked off the glove of Ruiz, who was catching him for the first time. Another pitch had bounced away on a third strike, allowing the runner to advance to third. Afterward, Ruiz spoke with pitcher Joe Blanton, his former teammate in Philadelphia, explaining how Jansen’s ball had sailed on him. On Saturday, Ruiz was in the bullpen, catching Jansen and other relievers — Adam Liberatore and Pedro Baez — as they warmed up to enter the game, a task typically handled by a bullpen catcher. “That’s what I try to do, get in real close to everybody, and I’m working on that right now,” Ruiz said. “That’s the key. We don’t have a lot of time right now, but I’m going to do the best I can — look at video, catch in the bullpen.” As Ruiz spoke at his locker, he was not surprised to learn that for years it had belonged to Ellis. That is because of the location — next to Kershaw’s locker. Such decisions are left open for interpretation. Perhaps it is so Ruiz can become more comfortable with Kershaw, or perhaps it is a message to the franchise pitcher and others — that servicing the pursuit of a World Series title, something the Dodgers have not won since 1988, supersedes all else. The way the Dodgers have been transformed in the two years since Andrew Friedman was hired as president for baseball operations, that hardly seemed like a message that needed reinforcing. Don Mattingly was replaced as manager despite having won three consecutive division titles; Carl Crawford was bought out with $35 million remaining on his contract; Yasiel Puig was sent to the minors; and only six players on the roster Sunday were there when Friedman took over. “They make the decisions and there’s nothing any of us can do about it,” third baseman Justin Turner said of the front office. “Obviously we know that’s how they operate. It’s not like you expect to see new faces every day, but when you do, you’re not surprised. At the end of the day, it’s a business.”