Daily Clips

April 22, 2016

LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

DODGERS.COM: Grand finale: Yasmani plates game-winner in 10th-Mark Bowman and Jon Cooper Pipeline preview: A's Chapman, top pitchers among those to watch-Mike Rosenbaum Pitching 'two games' in one, Kershaw K's 10-Jon Cooper Coleman on leave, while Baez cleared to play-Jon Cooper OC REGISTER: Tenacity carries Clayton Kershaw on a day when the Dodgers ace doesn't have his best stuff-JP Hoornstra Reliever Luis Avilan returns to Dodgers; Louis Coleman goes onto bereavement list-JP Hoornstra On deck: Dodgers at Rockies, Friday, 5:30 p.m.-Bill Plunkett LA TIMES: Yasmani Grandal delivers in Dodgers' 2-1, 10-inning win over Braves-Andy McCullough DODGER INSIDER: Steals aren’t really the deal for Dodgers-Cary Osborne After Kershaw’s double-double, Grandal doubles in game-winner-Jon Weisman Baez recovering, but Coleman bereaving-Jon Weisman Justin Turner wants the Justin Turner Chia Pet (Video) TRUEBLUELA.COM: Yusniel Diaz extends hitting streak for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga-Eric Stephen Josh Sborz and Yusniel Diaz have good games in 7-6 win-Craig Minami Dodgers vs. Rockies schedule & probable starting pitchers-Eric Stephen Podcast episode 1616: Goodbye, Turner Field-Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch Clayton Kershaw, Yasmani Grandal help Dodgers leave Atlanta on winning note-Eric Stephen ESPN LA: Clayton Kershaw and a brief history of the blooper pitch-David Schoenfield Not quite a perfect 10, as Clayton Kershaw grinds one out-Doug Padilla Clayton Kershaw slows down Braves in series finale-Doug Padilla Grandal's double in 10th gives Dodgers 2-1 win over Braves-AP Changes for Dodgers' bullpen as Luis Avilan is added-Doug Padilla USA TODAY: Dodgers Twitter invites Reds to ‘Jake Arrieta no-hitter support group’-Alysha Tsuji @Reds, @Dodgers win Twitter after Arrieta's no-hitter-Dave Clark FOX SPORTS: Reds manage to get the last laugh on social media after Jake Arrieta's no-hitter-Chris Bahr Dodgers and Reds jokingly start a Jake Arrieta 'no-hitter support group'-Brett Smiley NBC LA: Dodgers Defeat Braves in 2-1 in Extra Innings on Day Prince Dies-Michael Duarte ESPN DEPORTES: Kike Hernández es el "Bugs Bunny" de los Dodgers esta temporada-Enrique Rojas Puig: "Para mejorar tuve que escuchar consejos" (Video)-ESPN LA TIMES: Rep. Hahn prods DirecTV, Time Warner Cable to restart Dodger channel talks-Meg James Dodgers Dugout: Are 100 wins in the Dodgers' future?-Houston Mitchell

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016

DODGERS.COM

Grand finale: Yasmani plates game-winner in 10th By Mark Bowman and Jon Cooper ATLANTA -- Clayton Kershaw persevered while surrendering a season-high 10 hits and ultimately provided Yasmani Grandal the chance to deliver a decisive 10th-inning double in the Dodgers' 2-1, 10-inning win over the Braves at Turner Field on Wednesday afternoon. Grandal's one-out double off Alexi Ogando scored Enrique Hernandez from first base and enabled the Dodgers to end this three-game set with consecutive 10-inning victories over the Braves, who had entered Wednesday having won four straight games since beginning the season with nine straight losses. The Braves recorded five hits before Kershaw notched his fourth out, but the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner used 10 strikeouts and a couple of timely groundouts to limit the damage over eight innings. The Braves' lone run came courtesy of consecutive doubles from Erick Aybar and Daniel Castro to begin the bottom of the first. Unfazed by the lingering effects of Sunday's six-pitch emergency relief appearance or his matchup against Kershaw, Matt Wisler limited the Dodgers to one unearned run as he threw a career-high 115 pitches over 6 2/3 innings. The first of Adonis Garcia's two errors -- an errant throw to first base -- extended the first inning long enough for Joc Pederson to record an RBI single on a lazy fly ball that was briefly in Drew Stubbs' glove as he dove through the shallow left-field grass. "I think our record this year is not a great indication of how we've competed and how we've played most of the year," Stubbs said. "I think we could very easily have a winning record right now. We've been in most every game. We just have to keep moving forward." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Roll with the punchouts: Kershaw worked plenty out of the stretch, but he made pitches when he needed to. He allowed 10 hits -- equal to the combined total of his previous three starts -- but he escaped three threats with strikeouts. Braves rookie center fielder Mallex Smith accounted for three of those strikeouts, with the most costly occurring in the bottom of the second inning, which began with three straight singles and ended with Wisler grounding into a bases-loaded double play. "I really look at it as two games, almost," said Kershaw. "The defense bailed me out; Chase [Utley] made an awesome play in the second inning. Really from there, I kind of refocused a little bit. The last six innings were better."

"The play by Chase, the double-play ball off the bat of Wisler was a game-changer," agreed Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "We made some plays out there defensively for Clayton, but every time he takes the mound, we feel good." Up to the challenge: Wisler produced one of the best starts of his young career and could have easily completed seven scoreless innings. After he erased Garcia's second error with a double play in the seventh, Atlanta's young right-hander saw Kershaw reach first base on a two-out fly ball that hit the grass after Smith and Jeff Francoeur collided in right-center field. Francoeur negated the potential damage of Smith's overaggressive pursuit by making a strong throw that denied Kershaw's attempt to score on Corey Seager's single off Eric O'Flaherty. Running away from prosperity: Though Kershaw surrendered a double-digit hit total for just the fourth time in 246 career starts, the Braves had some baserunning blunders and weren't able to take advantage. Castro quieted the first-inning threat when he attempted to extend his double into a triple. Freddie Freeman delivered a leadoff single in the sixth inning, but was called out when second-base umpire Ted Barrett ruled he came off the bag attempting to advance to second base on a passed ball. Replays indicated Freeman never lost contact, but the Braves did not have an available challenge. This proved costly when Garcia followed with what could have been a go-ahead single. Off-the-benchmark: Grandal was supposed to be getting a day off. Instead he came off the bench and gave the Dodgers a huge lift, driving in the go-ahead and what proved to be the winning run in the 10th inning with a double to left-center field. Grandal went 3-for-4 with two RBIs over the final two games of the series and is now hitting a robust .438 for the season (7-for-16). "It's always good to come off the bench and be able to help your team," Grandal said. QUOTABLE "I'm really proud of our club. They stuck their nose in there and got 10 hits off Kershaw. We just couldn't get that one to cross the plate. You can see why [Kershaw] is what he is. He elevates his game when he gets men on base and people in scoring position. His [velocity] goes up and his breaking ball gets better. That's why he is a true ace." -- Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. REPLAY REVIEWS The first of this game's two influential replay reviews occurred in the first inning when the Braves' Castro tried to extend his RBI double into a triple, and he was tagged for the first out of the inning. After a Braves challenge, the call was confirmed. In the top of the seventh with the score tied at 1, Kershaw was tagged out attempting to score on Seager's single, after a strong throw to the plate from Francouer. The Dodgers challenged, but the call stood. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: After getting a one-series respite, the Dodgers resume divisional play, getting their first look at the Colorado Rockies this weekend to conclude their six-game road trip. L.A. was 4-5 in Denver last season, but dropped the final four games and five of the last six. Scott Kazmir (1-1, 6.43) will try to get back on track, with first pitch scheduled for 5:40 p.m. PT at Coors Field.

Braves: Bud Norris will take the mound when the Braves open a three-game series against the reigning National League champion Mets on Friday at 7:35 p.m. ET. New York will counter with Matt Harvey, who has allowed opponents a .365 on-base percentage during his first three starts. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. Pipeline preview: A's Chapman, top pitchers among those to watch By Mike Rosenbaum Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action: Hitter to watch: Matt Chapman (A's No. 6) Chapman opened eyes this spring in big league camp with the A's by hitting six home runs in 44 at-bats -- this after he hit 23 homers in 80 games in 2015. The 22-year-old third baseman has continued his slugging ways at Double-A Midland, for which he's hit four homers in 13 games -- three in his past four contests -- while batting .279/.436/.628. On Friday, Chapman will face rehabbing big leaguer Brandon Morrow as the RockHounds take on San Antonio in a game that can be seen on MiLB.TV at 8:05 p.m. ET. Pitcher(s) to watch: Lucas Giolito (Nationals' No. 1) and Julio Urias (Dodgers' No. 1) Though there are plenty of Top 100 pitchers scheduled for Friday, all eyes will be on Giolito and Urias, MLBPipeline.com's Nos. 1 and 2 overall prospects, as each makes his third start of the season. Giolito (1-0, 1.17 ERA), coming off an outing in which he allowed three hits over just 3 2/3 innings for Double-A Harrisburg, will look to get his season rolling when he pitches against Bowie at 7:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV. An hour later, Urias (1-1, 3.60 ERA) will take the hill for Triple-A Oklahoma City against Memphis at 8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV. The 19-year-old left-hander was dominant against the Redbirds in his season debut, when he allowed four hits and struck out nine in five scoreless innings. Duel of the day: Sean Manaea (A's No. 2) vs. Jorge Lopez (Brewers' No. 3) A pair of Top 100 prospects will square off Friday night on MiLB.TV in Lopez (No. 55) and Manaea (No. 66), who are scheduled to start for Triple-A Colorado Springs and Nashville, respectively, at 8:35 p.m. ET. A winner in both of his starts for the Sounds, Manaea enters the day with a stellar 1.50 ERA and a 17/2 K/BB ratio through his first 12 innings. Lopez (0-0, 6.48 ERA), meanwhile, has allowed three earned runs in both of his starts for the Sky Sox, neither of which has seen the 23-year-old righty complete five innings. Friday's Top 100 prospect probables No. 1 Giolito, Harrisburg at Bowie (MiLB.TV at 7:05 p.m. ET) No. 2 Urias, Oklahoma City vs. Memphis (MiLB.TV at 8:05 p.m. ET) No. 12 Blake Snell (Rays' No. 1), Durham at Norfolk (MiLB.TV at 7:05 p.m. ET) No. 39 Francis Martes (Astros' No. 3); Frisco at Corpus Christi (MiLB.TV at 8:05 p.m. ET) No. 41 Brent Honeywell (Rays' No. 3), Charlotte at Fort Myers No. 51 Michael Fulmer (Tigers' No. 1), Toledo at Columbus (MiLB.TV at 7:15 p.m. ET) No. 55 Lopez, Colorado Springs vs. Nashville (MiLB.TV at 8:35 p.m. ET)

No. 66 Manaea, Nashville at Colorado Springs (MiLB.TV at 8:35 p.m. ET) More top prospect probables Conner Greene (Blue Jays' No. 2), Dunedin at Lakeland (A Adv) Nate Smith (Angels' No. 3), Salt Lake at Fresno (AAA) Sean Reid-Foley (Blue Jays' No. 3), Lansing vs. Lake County (A) Spencer Adams (White Sox's No. 3), Winston-Salem at Salem (A Adv) Miguel Almonte (Royals' No. 4), Omaha at Round Rock (AAA) Justus Sheffield (Indians' No. 5), Lynchburg vs. Frederick (A Adv) Touki Toussaint (Braves' No. 6), Rome vs. Asheville (A) Sam Coonrod (Giants' No. 6), San Jose vs. Modesto (A Adv) Scott Blewett (Royals' No. 6), Lexington vs. West Virginia (A) Domingo Acevedo (Yankees' No. 7), Charleston vs. Augusta (A) Jake Jewell (Angels' No. 8), Zack Erwin (A's No. 23); Inland Empire at Stockton (A Adv) Jake Esch (Marlins' No. 9), Chih-Wei Hu (Rays' No. 13); Jacksonville at Montgomery (AA) Andrew Moore (Mariners' No. 10), Bakersfield vs. Lake Elsinore (A Adv) Clayton Blackburn (Giants' No. 11), Sacramento vs. Las Vegas (AAA) Tyler Danish (White Sox's No. 11), Birmingham at Chattanooga (AA) Lucas Sims (Braves' No. 12), Adrian Houser (Brewers' No. 17); Mississippi vs. Biloxi (AA) Zach Eflin (Phillies' No. 13), Lehigh Valley at Pawtucket (AAA) Mitch Keller (Pirates' No. 14), West Virginia at Lexington (A) Steven Brault (Pirates' No. 17), John Lamb (Reds' No. 20); Indianapolis at Louisville (AAA) Austin Kubitza (Tigers' No. 17), Erie at Binghamton (AA) Ofelky Peralta (Orioles' No. 17), Luis Martinez (White Sox's No. 29); Delmarva at Kannapolis (A) Parker Bridwell (Orioles' No. 19), Harrisburg at Bowie (AA) Joan Gregorio (Giants' No. 21), Richmond at Altoona (AA) John Gant (Braves' No. 22), Gwinnett at Charlotte (AAA) Justin Jacome (Marlins' No. 22), Greensboro vs. Lakewood (A) Elniery Garcia (Phillies' No. 22), Clearwater vs. Brevard County (A Adv) Marc Brakeman (Red Sox's No. 24), Greenville vs. Columbia (A) Sam Wolff (Rangers' No. 26), Frisco at Corpus Christi (AA) Ty Buttrey (Red Sox's No. 26), Harrison Musgrave (Rockies' No. 30); Portland at Hartford (AA) Zack Godley (D-backs' No. 27), Mobile vs. Tennessee (AA) Jeff Brigham (Marlins' No. 28), Jupiter vs. Palm Beach (A Adv) Andrew Morales (Cardinals' No. 30), Springfield at Arkansas (AA) Pitching 'two games' in one, Kershaw K's 10 By Jon Cooper ATLANTA -- You can learn a lot about a player by the way he handles adversity. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw put on a clinic in that regard on Thursday afternoon, pitching eight innings of one-run ball and striking out 10 in L.A.'s 2-1, 10-inning win over the Atlanta Braves.

But it wasn't as easy as it sounds. Consider that he gave up 10 hits -- as many as he'd given up in his three previous starts combined. "It was a weird day. You give up a bunch of runs and give up 10 hits -- they say you got shelled. If you don't give up a bunch of runs and give up 10 hits, you scattered it," said Kershaw of his 43rd double-digit strikeout game and first career win at Turner Field in his final try. "It's just a weird deal. You know, five hits in two innings -- I just kind of turned the page after that. I really look at it as two games, almost." Kershaw allowed the first two hitters to reach in each of the first two innings, but he had help from the defense in getting out of jams both times. In the first, the Dodgers nabbed Braves second baseman Daniel Castro trying to stretch his RBI double into a triple. In the second, Chase Utley made a tremendous stab to start a 4-6-3 double play off the bat of Matt Wisler -- a game-changing play according to manager Dave Roberts. After that, only one leadoff hitter reached base again. Kershaw's biggest enemy was his struggle with his breaking ball. "It wasn't good early. It got better," he said. "It was just kind of in and out today. I think I know it's in there, because I threw some good ones every now and then -- both of them, slider and curveball, but it was inconsistent." But even Kershaw's inconsistent stuff is the envy of most pitchers, and he summoned his good stuff whenever the Braves threatened, limiting Atlanta to 2-for-10 in at-bats with runners in scoring position, recording three of his strikeouts in RISP at-bats, and stranding runners at third to end the fourth and sixth. "He was Kershaw," said catcher Yasmani Grandal, who came off the bench to deliver the game-winning RBI. "They were aggressive early on him. They were able to get something going, but he's that good. He was able to kind of minimize the damage and throw as many innings as he threw." Catcher A.J. Ellis, who caught the first seven innings, wasn't surprised by Kershaw's grit, nor does he harbor any doubt that Kershaw will do whatever it takes to find that consistency. "It's games like this where we all kind of see how special he truly is," said Ellis. "On a day when the wheels would come off the truck for a lot of different guys, he's able to right the ship and keep us in the ballgame and keep putting up zeroes and give us a chance to win." Kershaw is scary without his consistent breaking ball; imagine what will happen when he finds it. Ellis is sure the ace won't rest until he does. "As hard as [Kershaw] works, I think what's more important is how consistent he works," Ellis said. "He never cuts corners. He never takes days off. He's got a plan every day he comes to the ballpark." "It's incredible," said manager Dave Roberts. "Every day I get to learn him a little bit more and kind of see how he goes about his business. No one is more critical of himself than [Kershaw] is. He just kind of finds a way. He's as competitive a person as I've ever seen, and he just kind of sometimes wills himself and wills the team to victories."

Coleman on leave, while Baez cleared to play By Jon Cooper Atlanta -- The Dodgers' deep bullpen has been a big reason for their first-place standing in the National League West. But as play began Thursday afternoon, that depth was in jeopardy of taking a temporary hit, with righty reliever Pedro Baez dealing with a possible concussion and right-hander Louis Coleman placed on the bereavement list. As a precaution, and with a weekend trip to Colorado on the horizon, the team called up former Braves reliever Luis Avilan from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Avilan, 26, was available but didn't pitch in the series finale in Atlanta, which the Dodgers won, 2-1. Fortunately, Baez was cleared after going through MLB's concussion protocol. He was hit in the back of the head by an errant Adam Liberatore throw while sitting in the bullpen on Wednesday. He was examined by doctors prior to the game. "Pedro has been cleared," confirmed Dodgers manager Dave Roberts following Thursday afternoon's 10-inning win. "At game time, he was available today, so I got wind of that. Going forward, he'll be fine." The 28-year-old Baez, who was 4-2 with a 3.35 ERA in 52 games last season, had posted a 3.38 ERA in six games in 2016, striking out nine while walking two and limiting hitters to a .158 average and a .238 on-base percentage in six innings of work. Coleman was placed on the bereavement list prior to the game. "It's kind of a family thing that he's dealing with," said Roberts. "So we're trying to work on some logistics where he might have to join his family." Coleman, 30, was signed as a free agent during the offseason after parts of five seasons in Kansas City, where he was 6-4 with a 3.20 ERA. In 2016, he has posted an 0-1 record with a 7.20 ERA in five appearances, covering five innings. Had Baez gone on the concussion list, he would have been out of action for a minimum of a week. Bereavement leave is a minimum of three days and a maximum of seven. With the possibility of losing both Baez and Coleman, the Dodgers called up Avilan. The 26-year-old Caracas, Venezuela, native played his first three-plus Major League seasons in Atlanta, going 12-5 with a 2.77 ERA in 218 games, primarily as a setup man. He was acquired on July 30 as part of the three-team deal with Atlanta and Miami that also netted L.A. pitchers Alex Wood, Jim Johnson and Bronson Arroyo and infielder Jose Peraza. Avilan's best season was 2013, when he went 5-0 with a 1.52 ERA in 75 games for the Braves, limiting lefties to a .144 batting average.

"[Avilan's] last few outings, he's had a really good fastball, his velocity is where it's supposed to be, arm side, glove side, his command's been good, his change has been good," said Roberts. "So just the reports I've gotten the last three [games] have been good." Avilan pitched in five games at Oklahoma City this year, allowing only three hits, striking out nine and walking three in six scoreless innings of work.

OC REGISTER

Tenacity carries Clayton Kershaw on a day when the Dodgers ace doesn't have his best stuff By JP Hoornstra ATLANTA – Clayton Kershaw’s mastery of pitching to major league hitters tends to obscure his other outstanding qualities as an athlete. When he can combine a mid-90s fastball with a sharp-breaking curveball, a deceptive slider and an overlooked but nasty changeup, it’s easy to forget that Kershaw can be as stubborn as he is dominant. The stubbornness was on full display Thursday in the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the Atlanta Braves. On a day when Manager Dave Roberts wanted to spare his overworked bullpen, the Dodgers played 10 innings for the second day in a row. Ordinarily, that might have crippled a pitching staff on the verge of a three-game series in the thin air of Denver’s Coors Field. Kershaw saved the day, as he often does, by throwing 116 pitches and allowing only one run in eight innings. No Dodgers pitcher had thrown as many pitches in a game this season. Yasmani Grandal’s RBI double against Alexi Ogando drove in Kiké Hernandez with the winning run in the 10th inning. For the first time in his career, Kershaw struck out 10 batters and allowed 10 hits. He walked one. Though his fastball was typically steady, Kershaw said he could not rely on his secondary pitches as much as he wanted. Of the Braves’ 10 hits against Kershaw, eight were singles. Six came on fastballs, two on sliders, and one each on a curveball and changeup. “I know it’s in there because I threw some good ones every now and then, slider and curveball,” he said. “But just inconsistent. I’ll throw a good one, get a swing and miss or a groundout, then hang one. Leave one up. It’s just in between right now. I know I can still do it, it’s just a matter of doing it every time.” For Kershaw, in-between is better than nothing. He’d rather have a pitch half the time than never at all.

“I don’t have that many pitches where, if one’s not working I can throw other ones and hope for the best,” he said. “I need it to work. You’ve kind of got to be stubborn there a little bit and eventually figure it out.” Kershaw was stubborn running the bases, too. Batting with two outs in the seventh inning, Kershaw sent a line drive into Turner Field’s spacious right-field gap. Atlanta center fielder Mallex Smith and right fielder Jeff Francoeur collided in pursuit of the ball, which fell to the ground for a two-base error. Rookie Corey Seager then lined a single to right field, and Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward sent Kershaw home. The play at the plate was close because of Francoeur’s strong right arm. Kershaw insisted he was safe. Umpire Angel Hernandez called him out. The Dodgers quickly challenged and lost after a lengthy review, and the game remained tied 1-1. Several replay angles appeared to show Kershaw was safe. So did the pitcher’s reaction; he immediately nodded to Roberts to challenge the call. But there was no “clear and convincing evidence to confirm or overturn” the call – the league’s verbiage – and the out stood. It was only the second challenge the Dodgers have lost in six tries this season. “We thought he was in there,” Roberts said. “That’s why we challenged it. Those guys in New York do the best they can.” The Dodgers struggled to score all series. They still won two out of the three games in their final visit to Turner Field. Chris Hatcher pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning in relief of Kershaw, and Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless 10th for the second time in as many days. Jansen is 7-for-7 in save opportunities this season. The Dodgers bullpen has allowed one run in its last 261/3 innings, good for a 0.34 ERA. Kershaw lowered his own ERA to 1.50 and got his uniform dirty on a slide at the plate, an all-around good day for the three-time Cy Young Award winner. A lesser manager’s heart might have stopped seeing his ace slide foot-first into potential danger. “It’s funny,” Roberts said. “When you get into the season and you start going through spring training, you worry about things like that. But as the game goes on, that was a potential winning run. I was trying to just think about scoring. I was looking at him as a baseball player.” A stubborn one, at that. Reliever Luis Avilan returns to Dodgers; Louis Coleman goes onto bereavement list By JP Hoornstra

ATLANTA – Luis Avilan returned to the Dodgers on Thursday in the city where his career began. The left-handed pitcher was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City and joined the bullpen for the final game of the Dodgers’ three-game series against the Atlanta Braves. Avilan gives the Dodgers three lefties, along with Adam Liberatore and J.P. Howell, to go with five right-handers. Avilan took the roster spot of Louis Coleman, whose grandfather, Harold Louis Coleman I, passed away. Coleman can remain on the bereavement list for 3-7 days. In five innings this season across five appearances, Coleman allowed four runs. Pedro Baez was a candidate to go on the seven-day concussion disabled list after he was hit in the back of a head by an errant warm-up throw in the fourth inning of Wednesday night’s win. But a player needs to be diagnosed with a concussion in order to make the list, and Baez passed memory tests after the game and again Thursday morning. “When I got hit, I felt a little dizzy,” Baez said through a translator. By the time he arrived at Turner Field on Thursday morning, Baez said he felt well enough to pitch. Avilan and Coleman were vying for the Dodgers’ final bullpen spot into the final weekend of spring training. After struggling in camp, Avilan notched five scoreless appearances across six innings at Oklahoma City to begin the season. Avilan made 23 relief appearances last season for the Dodgers after they acquired him from the Braves in advance of last year’s trade deadline. He allowed nine runs in 15 2/3 innings, posting a 5.17 ERA. CRAWFORD UPDATE Carl Crawford’s travel issue Wednesday will cost him an extra day of minor-league rehab. The veteran left fielder was initially expected to rejoin the Dodgers as soon as he was eligible to return from the 15-day disabled list Sunday in Denver. Now he’ll join the team Monday at home. Crawford was out because of soreness in his lower back April 9. He joined Triple-A Oklahoma City for their game last night but did not play. The Oklahoma City Dodgers play at home the next two days, then play Saturday in Iowa. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Crawford will play in all three games, then play for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday. Crawford has three hits in 11 at-bats this season. The team hasn’t specified what travel issue delayed his arrival in Oklahoma City. Thursday, he batted second and played left field in his Triple-A debut. On deck: Dodgers at Rockies, Friday, 5:30 p.m.

By Bill Plunkett Where: Coors Field TV: SNLA, 5:30 p.m. Did you know? The Dodgers have a losing record at Coors Field (93-95) since it opened in 1995. THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP SCOTT KAZMIR (1-1, 6.43) Vs. Rockies: 1-0, 4.50 At Coors Field: 1-0, 4.50 Hates to face: Brandon Barnes, 1 for 4 (.250), HR Loves to face: Carlos Gonzalez, 0 for 5, 3 Ks ROCKIES RHP JON GRAY (2016 debut) Vs. Dodgers: 0-1, 3.86 At Coors Field: 0-1, 8.27 Hates to face: Corey Seager, 1 for 1, 2B Loves to face: Chase Utley, 0 for 2, K UPCOMING MATCHUPS Saturday: Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (2-0, 0.47) at Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (2-1, 2.79), 5:10 p.m. SNLA Sunday: Dodgers LHP Alex Wood (1-2, 5.06) at Rockies RHP Jordan Lyles (1-1, 6.00), 1:10 p.m. SNLA

LA TIMES

Yasmani Grandal delivers in Dodgers' 2-1, 10-inning win over Braves By Andy McCullough A pack of ice covered the right forearm of Yasmani Grandal as he stood inside the visitors' clubhouse at Turner Field. It was his final bit of maintenance on the muscle — a program that includes exercises to

activate his triceps, strengthen his scapula and protect the forearm — that he has maintained since he began the season marooned in extended spring training. "I'm not going to just stop," Grandal said. "I don't want anything to change." Why would he? In seven games since rejoining the Dodgers from the disabled list, Grandal has batted .438, including the go-ahead hit in the 10th inning of Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves. He came off the bench to record his fourth double, tied for the team lead, and end an ungainly series here. "Ever since he came back, he's just putting consistent at-bats together, and he's very good behind the plate," Manager Dave Roberts said. "Calm under pressure." The atmosphere at Turner Field, which the Braves will vacate after this season for nouveau digs in nearby Cobb County, did not appear to induce anxiety. Empty seats outnumbered the fans, and a sizable contingent of the crowd rooted for the Dodgers. After getting routed on Tuesday, the team rallied for a pair of extra-innings victories and captured its third consecutive series. The Dodgers (10-6) did not earn points for artistry. Roberts stacked the bottom of his lineup with reserves in deference to the 12:10 p.m. start time, and watched the group strand 13 runners. There were 10 strikeouts and only two extra-base hits. Clayton Kershaw sullied his uniform getting thrown out at home plate in the seventh inning. He gave up 10 hits, the most he has given up in a game since the Colorado Rockies dinged him for 11 on Sept. 2, 2013. It was the first time in Kershaw's career that he gave up double digits in hits while also recording double digits in strikeouts (10). "Weird day," Kershaw said. "You give up a bunch of runs and you give up 10 hits, they say 'You got shelled.' If you don't give a bunch of runs but you give up 10 hits, they say 'You scattered them.' Just a weird deal." Kershaw maintained his ongoing displeasure with his curveball and slider. Through four starts, he has experienced intermittent success with his two primary breaking balls. At times, he can command them. At times, they skid into the dirt, refusing to behave. Yet through four outings, Kershaw has logged 30 innings with a 1.50 earned-run average. He lasted at least seven innings in each start. "He finds a way to gut it out," Roberts said. "You look at the line score: That was dominance." Kershaw did not experience an auspicious opening. Spotted a run after a run-scoring single by Joc Pederson in the first, Kershaw gave up doubles to the first two Atlanta batters. The Braves rapped five hits in their first seven at-bats, and loaded the bases with no outs in the second. Kershaw pushed aside rookie outfielder Mallex Smith with three fastballs. Then came Matt Wisler, Atlanta's starting pitcher. He chopped a grounder up the middle. Second baseman Chase Utley dived to his right. He tossed the ball over his shoulder to shortstop Corey Seager to start an inning-ending double play.

Roberts called that "a game-changer." Kershaw gushed about Utley, the 37-year-old, six-time former All-Star. "If I ever have a son," Kershaw said, "I'm going to tell him, 'Watch the way that Chase plays the game. That's the way you want to play the game.'" Kershaw came up to hit with two outs in the seventh. He barreled into second base after Smith collided with Jeff Francouer in the outfield. When Seager singled two batters later, third base coach Chris Woodward sent Kershaw home. Francouer threw to the plate and Kershaw slid as catcher Tyler Flowers reached for him. Kershaw's left leg appeared to reach the plate before Flowers applied the tag. But umpire Angel Hernandez called Kershaw out, and a replay review confirmed the decision. "I felt safe, obviously," Kershaw said. "Even looking at the replay, I don't know if it was 100%, but I feel like if someone was looking at that blind, without knowing the outcome, they would probably say 'Safe.'" Roberts called Grandal off the bench to hit in the eighth. He walked, and needed to wait two more innings for a chance to swing the bat. After a one-out single by Enrique Hernandez, Grandal hoped for an elevated fastball from reliever Alexi Ogando. Ogando made his day: A 93-mph fastball that bisected the plate. Grandal drilled his double off the wall in center. He pumped his fist and faced his teammates in the dugout, his dwelling for the first seven innings of the game. His late arrival aided another successful series. "Winning a series is always big," Grandal said. "It's basically what we want to do. We just want to win every series we can get."

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Steals aren’t really the deal for Dodgers By Cary Osborne Forgive me Maury Wills for what I’m about to write. Through the first 16 games of the year, the Dodgers are 6 of 10 in stolen base attempts, and there are only seven Major League teams with fewer stolen bases. It’s pretty clear with the unit they have, they aren’t going to be near the top of baseball, or the National League for that matter, in stolen bases. Would it matter if they stole a lot of bases?

It was a factor in the success last year of the World Series champion Kansas City Royals. Of the 104 bases stolen, 37 of those stolen bases eventually became runs — or 35.6 percent of the time. That number was at 41.4 percent before a September slowdown. Meanwhile, the 2015 Dodgers scored 15 runs off their 59 stolen bases — or 25.4 percent. Certainly, there are factors such as hitting with runners in scoring position, along with the speed and baserunning ability of the runners, that contribute to runners scoring after a stolen base. But the Dodgers won a division title last year minus that element. And they’re winning without it early. Corey Seager stole second in the first inning Thursday and scored. Chase Utley did the same in the 10th inning Wednesday and scored. Yasiel Puig scored after stealing a base on Sunday. That’s it. The Dodgers have scored 73 runs thus far — tied for eighth in baseball. Three of 73 is pretty minuscule. This isn’t to say the stolen base isn’t a weapon. It just might not be the Dodgers’ weapon, not their biggest, anyway. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. After Kershaw’s double-double, Grandal doubles in game-winner By Jon Weisman Like cleaning an old outdoor barbecue on a warm Sunday afternoon, the Dodgers had to cut and scrape more than they would have liked in with Clayton Kershaw on the mound in Atlanta. But in the end, they got the savory meal they came for. After Kershaw allowed 10 hits with 10 strikeouts in the same game for the first time in his career, the Dodgers scored in the 10th inning for the second time in 18 hours, eking out a 2-1 victory over Atlanta. The red-hot Yasmani Grandal hit an RBI double to drive home Kiké Hernandez with the winning run. Grandal, who walked as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning, is 7 for 12 with four doubles and six walks in his past five games — a .722 on-base percentage. Kershaw got a no-decision, which belied what a day of action it was for the lefty ace. “Weird day,” Kershaw told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo after the game. He allowed back-to-back doubles to the first two batters he faced, tying the score 1-1 after Joc Pederson’s bloop single drove in Corey Seager. After the Braves loaded the bases with none out in the second on three straight singles, Kershaw escaped on a strikeout and this double play started by Chase Utley. In a fourth inning that featured the slowest pitch of Kershaw’s career, a 46 mph lob, Kershaw struck out Mallex Smith to avoid letting runners on second and third score with two away. He also stranded a runner on third base in the sixth.

“A lot going on in the old skull on that one,” Kershaw said of the pseudo-eephus pitch. “Tyler (Flowers) was taking a little bit of time, so I was going to quick-pitch him. I got what I wanted, he wasn’t ready and Angel (Hernandez) didn’t call time. I was gonna throw it, but then he got ready really quickly, and then A.J. (Ellis) called a different pitch. I was just gonna throw a fastball, and I didn’t want to cross A.J. up if he took it, and then I didn’t want to throw a fastball down the middle, so I was just like, ‘All right, he won,’ and just kind of lobbed it up there.” The seventh inning threatened to be a make-or-break affair. Kershaw reached second base with two out when Smith and Jeff Francoeur slammed into each other in pursuit of his drive to right center. After Utley walked, Seager ripped a single to right. There was no doubt Kershaw would be coming home, even with Francoeur boasting a strong arm in right. The play at the plate was a nail-biter — not the least because it was Kershaw barreling home — but Kershaw was out on a call that was upheld after a replay review of more than four minutes. If Kershaw was affected by the time on the bases, he didn’t show it in the bottom of the seventh, which he completed on nine pitches. That paved the way for him to pitch the eighth, which began with his ninth and 10th strikeouts. But then Kershaw issued his first walk in his past 21 innings, then allowed his 10th hit to put runners on first and second, before Tyler Flowers grounded into a force play to end the inning on Kershaw’s 116th pitch. When the Dodgers left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, the game was left in the hands of the Dodger bullpen. Chris Hatcher (win) and Kenley Jansen (save) each pitched a shutout inning, extending the dominant run by Dodger relievers to one earned run over their past 26 1/3 innings (0.34 ERA). Kershaw was the first Dodger pitcher with a 10-hit, 10-strikeout game since Hideo Nomo in 1997. On May 2, 1923, Dazzy Vance set the standard with a 15-hit, 15-whiff outing. Baez recovering, but Coleman bereaving By Jon Weisman “Right” said Pedro Baez, or something to that effect, the morning after an Adam Liberatore midgame warmup pitch Wednesday accidentally struck the right-handed reliever in the head. Baez played catch in the outfield today and told reporters today that he feels fine, though Dave Roberts said in his pregame chat that the team hadn’t determined if Better Off Ped is available to pitch today. However, the Dodgers have called up southpaw Luis Avilan from Triple-A Oklahoma City, because Louis Coleman has been placed on the bereavement list following the passing of his grandfather. Avilan, who had a rough Spring Training, has thrown six shutout innings so far this season in the minors, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out nine. Left-handed batters are 1 for 9 against him with two walks and three strikeouts.

He’ll boost a Dodger bullpen that has been taxed over the past two nights and that will be hoping for a reprieve today with Clayton Kershaw on the mound. Number of pitches Dodger relievers have thrown since Monday’s off day: 33 J.P. Howell (10 Tuesday, 23 Wednesday) 31 Joe Blanton (12 Tuesday, 19 Wednesday) 24 Yimi Garcia (six Tuesday, 18 Wednesday 16 Chris Hatcher (16 Wednesday) 13 Adam Liberatore (nine Tuesday, four Wednesday) 13 Louis Coleman (13 Tuesday) 13 Kenley Jansen (13 Wednesday)

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Yusniel Diaz extends hitting streak for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga By Eric Stephen Thursday in the Dodgers' minor leagues included one rehab assignment starting, one veteran pitcher making his organizational debut, and a 19-year-old outfielder staying hot with his bat. Player of the day Yusniel Diaz had three more hits for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, driving in two while scoring once. He was also caught trying to steal second base. The 19-year-old Cuban outfielder has a five-game hitting streak, and in his last seven games is 11-for-28 (.393) with six extra-base hits. Diaz began his professional career in a 1-for-17 (.059) slump, but is now (through 12 games) already up to .267/.314/.600. Triple-A Oklahoma City OKC dropped a home game to the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals), 6-5. Corey Brown went 4-for-5 with a double and drove home two runs. Carl Crawford went 0-for-4 in his first rehab game, and played seven innings in left field. Joe Thatcher joined the roster on Thursday and pitched a scoreless sixth inning, allowing one single. The one runner who did reach base was promptly picked off trying to steal second base by Thatcher. Double-A Tulsa A five-run third inning did in Felipe Gonzalez and the Drillers in a 5-2 loss to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals). The good news for Tulsa is that the bullpen — Rob Rogers, Ralston Cash and Dale Thayer — combined for 5⅔ scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Rogers retired all eight batters he faced.

First baseman Lars Anderson homered in the loss, and third baseman Drew Maggi was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes beat the Visalia Oaks (Diamondbacks) 7-6 behind Diaz and another seven-inning outing from Josh Sborz. Read more from Craig Minami's full recap. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons got three home runs in a 7-5 win over the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays). All three home runs were solo shots, by shortstop Brendon Davis (at designated hitter Thursday), catcher Garrett Kennedy and left fielder Jordan Paroubeck. Kennedy added a single, a walk, and scored three runs in the win. Transactions Triple-A: With lefty Luis Avilan joining the Dodgers in Atlanta, Oklahoma City added the new free agent addition Thatcher to the roster. Thursday scores Memphis 6, Oklahoma City 5 Northwest Arkansas 5, Tulsa 2 Rancho Cucamonga 7, Visalia 6 Great Lakes 7, Bowling Green 5 Friday schedule 3:05 p.m. - Bowling Green (TBD) at Great Lakes (Dennis Santana) 5:05 p.m. - Memphis (Arturo Reyes) at Oklahoma City (Julio Urias) 5:05 p.m. - Tulsa (Scott Barlow) at Northwest Arkansas (Jake Junis) 7:05 p.m. - Visalia (Ethan Elias) at Rancho Cucamonga (Trevor Oaks) Josh Sborz and Yusniel Diaz have good games in 7-6 win By Craig Minami

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- The Quakes buoyed by a five-run third inning, held on to defeat the Rawhide (Diamondbacks) 7-6 on Thursday night at LoanMart Field. Trailing 3-1 in the third, with a runner on third and two out, Kyle Garlick singled in the run, Matt Beaty hit slow roller that the pitcher misplayed into a hit and error, putting runners on first and third. Beaty then stole second. Yusniel Diaz punched a two-run single to right and on the throw to the plate, Diaz took second. Joey Curletta singled in Diaz and Paul Hoenecke doubled home Curletta to finish the scoring in the third. Jordan Tarsovich tripled in the sixth and scored on a sacrifice fly to make in 7-3. After allowing three runs in the first two innings, Josh Sborz would then retire 14 batters in a row until with one out in the 7th, he gave up a home run, a walk and then a two-run home run. Sborz would hang on to finish the inning. Sborz's final pitching line was seven innings pitched, five hits, six runs (four earned), one walk and eight strikeouts. Sborz's fastball sat about 91-92 mph, his last pitch of the night was a 93 mph fastball that was swung on a missed for the strikeout. Joe Broussard pitched a scoreless eighth and Karch Kowalcyzk would get the save. The Quakes are now 9-2 in their last 11 games. Dodgers vs. Rockies schedule & probable starting pitchers By Eric Stephen The Dodgers face a tough task ahead this weekend at Coors Field, in that their two most struggling starting pitchers will look to get back on track in the thin air in Denver. Here is a look at the schedule for the three games against the Rockies this weekend. Friday, 5:40 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA) Scott Kazmir looks to rebound after a pair of four-inning starts against the Giants, allowing 10 runs in total to San Francisco. Kazmir has started just once at Coors Field, way back in 2007 when he put up a quality start — three runs in six innings — in a win for the Rays. Rockies top pitching prospect Jon Gray is expected back for the series opener after spending the first part of the season on the disabled list with an abdominal strain. The 24-year-old right-hander, set for his 10th major league start, struck out 11 but allowed five runs (two earned) in 8⅔ innings on a rehab assignment with Class-A Modesto. Saturday, 5:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Kenta Maeda has excelled in each of his first three starts, one each against three different National League West foes. After allowing one run in 19 innings to open his big league career, Maeda rounds out the division with his first trip to Denver. Tyler Chatwood is back from Tommy John surgery and has lasted at least six innings in each of his three starts of the season. All he did in his last start was pitch seven scoreless innings against the mighty Cubs on Sunday. Sunday, 1:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA) Alex Wood tries to get back on track but to do so must deliver his first good start in Denver. In two real career starts at Coors Field, all coming in 2015 — one with the Dodgers — Wood has allowed 15 runs on 21 hits in 11 innings, though just one home run. Jordan Lyles' 2016 season can be broken down into two parts — one seven-inning start on the road with one unearned run allowed, and two home starts that saw him allow 10 runs on 13 hits in eight innings, with equal parts walks (five) and strikeouts (five) at Coors. Podcast episode 1616: Goodbye, Turner Field By Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch On this week's edition of the podcast, we recapped a winning week at home, then talked about various subjects from food options to add to Dodger Stadium and must-watch television. Eric introduced a new segment, which is essentially a blatant ripoff of the wonderful Effectively Wild podcast at Baseball Prospectus, with Sam Miller and Ben Lindbergh. Each week, I will conduct a Baseball-Reference.com Play Index search, and discuss it on the podcast. This week, with the Dodgers making their final visit to Turner Field, I looked up Dodgers leaders on offense and pitching at Turner Field (1997-2015) in various categories: Highest OPS (min. 10 PA) Home runs Hits Runs Batted In Runs scored Stolen bases Most HR vs. Braves (more than Turner Field; all games 1913-2015)

Wins Strikeouts ERA (min. 10 IP) Feel free to send us suggestions for future Play Index searches. Keep those Dodgers related, but any other questions can delve into any topics. Send all to tblapodcast@gmail.com, or contact us on Twitter at @truebluela or @jacobburch. Clayton Kershaw, Yasmani Grandal help Dodgers leave Atlanta on winning note By Eric Stephen I was dreaming when I wrote this recap, forgive me if it goes astray. On a day dominated by starting pitchers and missed opportunities on offense, red hot Yasmani Grandal doubled off the wall against Alexi Ogando in the 10th inning to score Kike Hernandez, giving the Dodgers a second straight extra-inning win over the Braves, this one 2-1 on getaway day on Thursday afternoon at Turner Field. Nothing has compared to Grandal since coming back from offseason shoulder surgery. He didn't even start behind the plate on Thursday, but still managed to walk and double in his only two plate appearances. Grandal has reached base in each of his last six games, with at least one walk in each of those contests. In just 23 plate appearances this season, Grandal is tied for the team lead in both doubles (four) and walks (seven). His on-base percentage is .609. It was amazing that the game even got to 10 innings, given how it started and given that the Dodgers left 13 runners on base during the game. The first two batters of the game against Clayton Kershaw doubled for a run, and the first seven hitters were 5-for-7, but somehow the Dodgers ace managed to last eight innings, the first time in his career Kershaw has lasted at least seven innings in each of his first four starts of the season. Maybe Kershaw is just too demanding. After the Braves loaded the bases with nobody out in the second inning, Kershaw became Dr. Everything'll Be Alright. He prevented Atlanta from adding a run by first striking out Mallex Smith, then getting pitcher Matt Wisler to hit into a double play, which began with a tremendous stop at second base by Chase Utley.

In his 14th year in the majors, Utley has been rejuvenated this season, even at age 37 looking so educated he'll never grow old. Kershaw righted the ship relying mostly on his fastball, though before anyone could ask, "Baby have you got enough gas?" he did try to mix in the slowest of slow curveballs, to Tyler Flowers in the fourth inning. With 10 strikeouts, Kershaw fanned double digits for the 43rd time in his career, and first of 2016. He also allowed 10 hits, one shy of his career high, becoming the first Dodgers pitcher to allow 10 or more hits and strike out 10 or more batters since Hideo Nomo on Aug. 1, 1997. But Wisler kept the Braves in it by matching Kershaw or the most part, pitching into the seventh inning. Just 10 months removed from his major league debut, the 23-year-old right-hander proved that you don't need experience to turn one out, striking out six while allowing just one unearned run. In the bottom of the sixth, a potential Braves rally was snuffed out thanks to Freddie Freeman's slide into second base blocked by Utley, an out call Atlanta couldn't review having already used their challenge. A misplay in right field gave the Braves another runner in scoring position, but Kershaw struck out Jeff Francoeur to end the threat. The Dodgers got a gift of their own in the top of the seventh, beginning with a two-out drive by Kershaw that was dropped by Smith in center field as he collided with the right fielder Francoeur. Two batters later, Corey Seager singled to right field but Kershaw was called out at home. Despite replays that seemed to show Kershaw touch home plate before getting tagged by the catcher Flowers, replay officials determined there was nothing conclusive to overturn the call. The Dodgers were probably wondering, "You've got the horn so why don't you blow it?" but for the time they couldn't get on top. The Dodgers threatened again in the ninth inning with a one-out double by Utley, but he was stranded. Notes Adrian Gonzalez had three hits and a walk, reaching base four times for the second time this season and the 94th time in his career. Joc Pederson, who struck out to end the ninth-inning rally after Gonzalez was intentionally walked, had two hits on his 24th birthday, and the first start batting cleanup in his career. Chris Hatcher pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the win, and since returning from the paternity list has retired all 13 batters he's faced. After nine straight games wearing "Dodgers" road jerseys to open the 2016 season, the Dodgers wore gray "Los Angeles" uniforms on Thursday. Up next

The Dodgers move on to Denver for a weekend series against the Rockies, hoping to avoid a purple reign with Scott Kazmir starting the opener on Friday night at Coors Field. After opening the year on the disabled list, Jon Gray will start for Colorado. Thursday particulars Home runs: none WP - Chris Hatcher (2-1): 3 up, 3 down LP - Alexi Ogando (1-1): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 strikeouts Sv - Kenley Jansen (7): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout

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Clayton Kershaw and a brief history of the blooper pitch By David Schoenfield So Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw did this in the middle of a rather mediocre start for him (he gave up 10 hits for only the fifth time in his career, although still gave up only one run in eight innings): He explained what happened with the pitch to Tyler Flowers after the game: "A lot going on in the old skull on that one. Tyler was taking a little bit of time so I was going to quick pitch him. I got what I wanted. He wasn't ready and [umpire] Angel [Hernandez] didn't call time. But then he got ready really quickly. Then [catcher] A.J. [Ellis] called a different pitch. I was just going to throw a fastball, but I didn't want to cross up A.J. if [Flowers] took it. And I didn't want to throw a fastball so I was like, 'OK, he won,' so I just lobbed it up there." Kershaw ended up striking out Flowers but didn't bring back the blooper pitch. OK, let's have some fun here. To my knowledge, the only pitcher to throw the blooper as a regular part of his arsenal was Rip Sewell, a three-time All-Star for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1940s. Sewell came up in 1932 as a conventional sinker/slider guy but apparently got hurt in a 1941 hunting accident, which forced him to throw straight overhand. That's when he developed the "eephus" pitch. (Later in life, he would have both legs amputated as a result of circulation problems from the hunting accident.) The invaluable "Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers" cites an article from Baseball Magazine in 1943 that describes the pitch like this: "It is a tantalizing slow ball that describes an arc on the way to the plate. It may rise twenty feet in the air and descends over the pan on a slant. The catcher will grab it only a foot or so off the ground. Rip has no name for this delivery of his, but his teammates have dubbed it 'Skyscraper,' 'Dodo' and 'Dewdrop.'"

It's too bad "Dewdrop" didn't win out. Clayton Kershaw surprised everyone when he threw a Dewdrop today to Tyler Flowers. Anyway, teammate Maurice Van Robays eventually gave it the eephus moniker that stuck. Neyer and James speculated that as Sewell mastered the pitch, he probably threw it even higher than 20 feet. But it was definitely a pitch he used on a regular basis. When he died in 1989, the New York Times obituary headlined, "Rip Sewell, 'Eephus Ball' Pitcher For Pittsburgh Pirates, Dies at 82." In the 1946 All-Star Game at Fenway Park, Ted Williams allegedly challenged Sewell before the game. "Hey, Rip" Williams yelled. "You wouldn't throw that damn crazy pitch in a game like this, would you?" "Sure, I'm gonna throw it to you," Rip replied, according to Ben Bradlee Jr.'s "The Kid." He did. The count was 2-1 after two bloopers and a fastball. Williams then did this: Sewell would claim it was the only home run hit off the eephus pitch in 10 years. In the late 1970s, reliever Dave LaRoche -- father of Adam, grandfather of Drake -- started throwing a pitch he called LaLob. Here is striking out Gorman Thomas in 1981: When he was with the Yankees, Orlando Hernandez also started throwing a very slow changeup. His blooper wasn't as high as Sewell's or LaRoche's and he didn't fool Alex Rodriguez on this one: Every now and then you'll see a slow changeup, like the one below from Henderson Alvarez, but I wouldn't call that a true eephus pitch: The most ill-advised blooper pitch? In Game 7 of the 1975 World Series, the Red Sox led the Reds 3-0 in the sixth inning. Bill Lee threw a blooper and Tony Perez hit a two-run homer, turning the game's momentum as the Reds rallied to win 4-3: For more on the blooper/eephus pitch, Paul Jackson wrote a history of it for Page 2 back in 2008. Not quite a perfect 10, as Clayton Kershaw grinds one out By Doug Padilla ATLANTA -- Clayton Kershaw hardly had his best stuff Thursday and yet he still managed to give the Dodgers exactly what they needed. Such is the life of what is probably the best pitcher in baseball right now. The Dodgers’ ace went eight innings, giving up just one run while throwing 116 pitches, in a 2-1, 10-inning win over the Braves. A deeper look into his pitching line reveals that he gave up 10 hits while striking out 10, the first time he was in double digits in both categories in a single start.

“Weird day,” Kershaw said. “You give up a bunch of runs and give up 10 hits, you say you got shelled. You don’t give up a bunch of runs and you give up 10 hits, you scattered it, as they say. It was just a weird deal. Five hits in the first two innings, you just turn the page after that. You really look at it as two games almost.” His two-games-in-one adventure was helped by a dazzling double play in the second inning started by second baseman Chase Utley. Kershaw loaded the bases with nobody out but struck out Mallex Smith. Pitcher Matt Wisler then hit a shot up the middle, but Utley made a sliding grab to his right and started the double play that ended the threat. Clayton Kershaw had 10 strikeouts and 10 hits allowed, but his most important stat was his eight innings pitched, saving the Dodgers' bullpen. Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports “The play by Chase, that double-play ball was a game-changer,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We made some plays defensively out there for Clayton, but every time he takes the mound we feel good.” It was just the second time in his career Kershaw had loaded the bases with nobody out and not given up a run. He has allowed at least a run on 11 other occasions. The Dodgers’ entire road-trip strategy was teetering on the brink at that moment. The bullpen had to absorb more than 10 innings in the first two games of the Braves series, with a trip to Colorado looming. Bullpens typically are on high alert in the Rockies’ home park. Kershaw was supposed to be the bridge from the recent heavy bullpen use in Atlanta to the start of the series at Colorado by giving the relievers a breather Thursday. It was shaky at first, but ultimately that rest did come as only Chris Hatcher and Kenley Jansen were needed for one inning apiece in the series finale against the Braves. Jansen finished off the 10th inning for his seventh save in seven chances. How unusual was Kershaw’s 10-10 starter vision on Thursday? He became the first Dodgers pitcher to give up at least 10 hits while striking out at least 10 since Hideo Nomo in 1997. And the outing even included what appeared to be an eephus pitch to the Braves’ Tyler Flowers in the fourth inning. Kershaw later conceded it was not a slow trick pitch in order to get the red-hot Flowers off-balance. “A lot going on in the old skull on that one,” Kershaw said. “Tyler was taking a little bit of time so I was going to quick pitch him. I got what I wanted. He wasn’t ready and [umpire] Angel [Hernandez] didn’t call time. But then he got ready really quickly. Then [catcher] A.J. [Ellis] called a different pitch. I was just going to throw a fastball, but I didn’t want to cross up A.J. if [Flowers] took it. And I didn’t want to throw a fastball so I was like, ‘OK, he won,’ so I just lobbed it up there.” The pitch was a ball. The at-bat ended with a Kershaw strikeout. It was that kind of day. Kershaw’s workmanlike day ultimately gave his own struggling offense time to cobble together a run. Yasmani Grandal, who entered the game in the eighth inning, delivered a 10th-inning double to give the Dodgers the lead for good. In both of the Dodgers’ victories in the series, they didn’t get their first lead until the 10th inning.

“I wasn’t behind home plate for the whole game, but he was Kershaw,” Grandal said. “They were aggressive early on him and were able to get things going, but he’s that good that he was able to minimize the damage.” Kershaw even reached base on an error and nearly scored, but replay did not overturn a close call at the plate in the seventh. “It was a grind for sure,” Kershaw said. “They had a good game plan. They swung at the first heater they saw, and they got hits in the first few innings. They came out ready to go and I had to adjust from there. I made some better pitches the last few innings there. It wasn’t easy today, but I’m glad I got to make it through eight the way the bullpen had been used.” Clayton Kershaw slows down Braves in series finale By Doug Padilla ATLANTA -- The last thing the rest of the National League wants to see is Clayton Kershaw developing yet another pitch, but possible evidence of that very thing surfaced on Thursday. In the fourth inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace threw what appeared to be an eephus pitch to the Atlanta Braves' Tyler Flowers, a slow deliberate lob to the plate, though it was likely just a really slow curveball. The pitch was called a ball, but Kershaw ended the at-bat with a strikeout. “I don’t know what that was,” Dodgers color commentator Orel Hershiser said on the broadcast as catcher A.J. Ellis threw the scuffed ball out of play and asked for a new one from plate umpire Angel Hernandez. Kershaw was solid Thursday, giving up just one run over eight innings, giving the Dodgers enough time to ultimately scratch out a 2-1 victory in 10 innings. Kenley Jansen recorded his seventh save in seven tries. The pitch could not have been more unexpected. It was clocked at 46 mph, 25 mph slower than any other pitch Kershaw has thrown in the young 2016 season. Kershaw’s light toss could have been a nod to the red-hot-hitting Braves catchers in the series. At that point, Braves catchers Flowers and A.J. Pierzynski already had seven hits in the series, with Flowers collecting five singles in his first five at-bats. Kershaw started slow Thursday, giving up a run on five hits over the first two innings, but he rebounded to pitch eight innings. It is the first time in Kershaw’s career he has gone at least seven innings in his first four starts of a season. He finished the day pitching eight innings and allowing 10 hits with 10 strikeouts, the first time he has been in double-digits in hits and strikeouts in a start. He was also the first Dodgers starter to reach at least 10 hits allowed and 10 strikeouts since Hideo Nomo in 1997.

Grandal's double in 10th gives Dodgers 2-1 win over Braves By AP ATLANTA -- Clayton Kershaw didn't have his best stuff. Even tried a blooper pitch. Not that it made much difference. Kershaw limited the Atlanta Braves to one run over eight innings despite giving up 10 hits, and the Los Angeles Dodgers pulled out a 2-1 victory Thursday on Yasmani Grandal's RBI double in the 10th. "Weird day," Kershaw said. "It was a grind, for sure." Enrique Hernandez singled with one out against Alexi Ogando (1-1) and came around to score on Grandal's shot off the center-field wall. Chris Hatcher (2-1) worked a scoreless ninth before Kenley Jansen earned his seventh save. Coming off his first career save, Matt Wisler allowed just four hits in 6 2/3 innings for the Braves, actually outpitching the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner. "He went pitch for pitch with one of the premier pitchers of our era," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. Both teams scored in the first. Then, it was nothing but a string of zeroes until Grandal gave the Dodgers their second straight extra-inning win over the Braves. Kershaw came in with a 1.64 ERA, signaling the start of another overpowering season. This was a bit of a hiccup, marking only the fourth time in 246 career starts that he's given up double-figure hits, though he did strike out 10. He let loose something new to Tyler Flowers in the fourth, the looping pitch clocked at a mere 46 mph and bouncing in for a ball. Kershaw came back to strike him out. Kershaw said he noticed Flowers taking his time in the batter's box and wanted to quick pitch him with a fastball down the middle. But then he saw Flowers get ready in a hurry and wanted to avoid grooving the first pitch. So he improvised. "Kind of lobbed it up there," Kershaw said. Over his first three starts of the season, the left-hander surrendered a total of 10 hits in 22 innings. "It's just a little in-between right now," Kershaw said. "But at least I know I can still do it. It's in there." The lowly Braves had plenty of chances, most notably squandering a base-loaded opportunity in the second when Mallex Smith struck out and Wisler grounded into an inning-ending double play.

"You can see why he is what he is," Gonzalez said, referring to Kershaw. "When guys get on base, he elevates his game. The miles per hour on his fastball goes up. His breaking ball gets better." Kershaw was thrown out at the plate to end the seventh, denying the Dodgers a chance to pull ahead. The Dodgers challenged the call, which was upheld after a 4 1-2-minute video review. "It's my first time to be thrown out at the plate, I think," Kershaw said. The Dodgers jumped ahead in the first off a throwing error by third baseman Adonis Garcia, who sailed it high and wide of first after fielding Corey Seager's grounder. Seager stole second and came home on Joc Pederson's two-out single. Atlanta quickly tied it up in the bottom half. Erick Aybar led off with a double down the left-field line, and Daniel Castro followed with another double to center field, the ball just out of reach of a lunging Pederson. Castro tried to stretch it into a triple, but he was thrown out at third. The Braves challenged, believing Castro got a foot on the bag ahead of the tag. That call also was upheld on review. FIELD OF ERRORS The Braves and their opponents have combined for 22 errors in the first eight games of Turner Field's farewell season. Privately, there has been some grumbling about the quality of the infield, with one Los Angeles player overheard before the game wondering if the ground crew "is mailing it in" since the Braves are moving to a new suburban stadium in 2017. Of course, the field wasn't to blame for Garcia's wild throw and an outfield collision between Smith and Jeff Francoeur. AVILAN COMES UP Former Atlanta reliever Luis Avilan was called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game after Dodgers pitcher Chad Coleman went on the bereavement list because of his grandfather's death. TRAINING ROOM Dodgers: RHP Pedro Baez underwent the concussion protocol after being struck in the back of the head by a ball while teammate Adam Liberatore was warming up in the bullpen during Wednesday night's game. "He feels much better today," manager Dave Roberts said. ... OF Carl Crawford (lower back irritation) will be rejoining the team Monday after an injury rehab stint in the minors. UP NEXT Dodgers: LHP Scott Kazmir (1-1, 6.43 ERA) will face Colorado on Friday to start a three-game series. His won his only career start against the Rockies in 2007.

Braves: RHP Bud Norris (1-1, 6.23) will make his fourth start in the opener of a weekend series against the Mets. He hasn't beaten New York since Aug. 9, 2010, while with the Astros. Changes for Dodgers' bullpen as Luis Avilan is added By Doug Padilla ATLANTA -- A day after the Los Angeles Dodgers used six relievers to get through the final 6 1/3 innings, some tweaks to the bullpen were made. Louis Coleman, one of two Dodgers relievers who did not pitch in the Dodgers’ 5-3 victory in 10 innings Tuesday, was placed on the bereavement list after his grandfather passed away. Left-hander Luis Avilan was added to the roster. Players are eligible to be on the bereavement list for 3-7 days. The Dodgers also are expected to play it safe with Pedro Baez, the only other reliever who did not pitch Tuesday. Baez was hit in the back of the head with a ball as Adam Liberatore started to warm up in the fourth inning of Tuesday night’s game. The Dodgers contemplated putting Baez on the seven-day concussion list, but the right-hander passed all concussion tests and even went through a light throwing session Thursday morning to ease the Dodgers’ concerns. “It was kind of messed up,” Liberatore said. “I was warming up, sometimes you’re not ready to get on it and the ball just comes out of your hand before you wanted it to. It happened to me yesterday on the first couple of throws and unfortunately the second one met Peety in the back of the head.” Relievers not warming up can watch the action at Turner Filed from a bench atop the outfield wall. They are protected by a fence from pitchers warming up behind them. Baez’s head was just above the top of the fence when he was hit. Liberatore estimated the early warm-up pitch at 70 mph. “I was froze for about six or seven seconds just looking,” Liberatore said, who received a pep talk from bullpen coach Josh Bard after the incident and was able to record a big strikeout on Freddie Freeman when he entered the game. He immediately checked on Baez in the clubhouse after the strikeout. The Dodgers intend to carry eight relievers through the upcoming three-game series at Colorado. After the series against the Rockies, the Dodgers are expected to reinstate outfielder Carl Crawford from the disabled list and reduce the bullpen to seven pitchers.

USA TODAY

Dodgers Twitter invites Reds to ‘Jake Arrieta no-hitter support group’ By Alysha Tsuji Last August, Jake Arrieta threw a no-hitter vs. the Dodgers. The Dodgers didn’t agree with it, but it happened. On Thursday, Arrieta threw another no-hitter — this time vs. the Reds. The good people behind the Dodgers’ Twitter account decided to be funny, and they reached out to the Reds. Cincinnati sent back a friendly reply, and their social team even got a brand name in there. Great job all around — beers for everyone. Now that the Dodgers and Reds are together forever on Arrieta’s career no-hitter list, it’s nice to see they’ve become friends. @Reds, @Dodgers win Twitter after Arrieta's no-hitter By Dave Clark The Reds' and Dodgers' official Twitter accounts got creative and got plenty of RTs following Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta's no-hitter in Chicago's 16-0 win against Cincinnati at GABP. From @Reds: (tweet) Yes, that is very much a glass-half-full way of looking at it. From @Dodgers: (tweet) The Dodgers were no-hit by Arrieta on Aug. 30, 2015. Arrieta made just nine regular-season starts - six last September/October and three this month - between his no-hitters against the Dodgers and Reds.

FOX SPORTS

Reds manage to get the last laugh on social media after Jake Arrieta's no-hitter By Chris Bahr The Cincinnati Reds had an absolutely miserable night Thursday. Not only did they lose 16-0 to the Chicago Cubs, they were no-hit by ace Jake Arrieta.

But in the end, it counts as only one loss and there's another game Friday. That's the kind of positive thinking the Reds' social media staff displayed following the no-hitter: And even the Los Angeles Dodgers joined the fun. They were the victims of Arrieta's previous no-hitter last August: The Milwaukee Brewers, whom Arrieta will face next week, could be the next members of that support group. Dodgers and Reds jokingly start a Jake Arrieta 'no-hitter support group' By Brett Smiley Only 10 regular season starts after Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta no-hit the Los Angeles Dodgers (August 30, 2015), the bearded righty silenced the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday night for his second career no-hitter. Fortuantely for both teams, they have some company: The Reds got waxed in much more humiliating a fashion -- a 16-0 thrashing -- but at least they were able to laugh about it by celebrating the four walks they drew against Arrieta. To grow their membership a bit, the Monday support group administrators may want to send an invitation to the Mets, who got no-hit twice in 2015, first by Giants rookie Chris Heston in June and then on the final game of the regular season by the Nationals' Max Scherzer.

NBC LA

Dodgers Defeat Braves in 2-1 in Extra Innings on Day Prince Dies By Michael Duarte ATLANTA – On the day the world woke up to the heartbreaking news that pop icon and music legend, Prince, had died, the Los Angeles Dodgers said, 'Let's Go Crazy,' as they defeated the Atlanta Braves, 2-1, in extra innings for the second consecutive game. Yasmani Grandal made it Purple Rain in the top of the 10th inning when he knocked in the go-ahead run on a scorching double off the centerfield wall. Like a Little Red Corvette, Kiké Hernandez, who had singled a batter earlier, scored from first on the play for the go-ahead run. "Today I stayed with the game plan, put a good swing on the ball, hit it in the gap and won the game," Grandal told SportsNetLA. "I'm thankful I was able to do that."

Birthday Boy, Joc Pederson, did the Batdance in the first inning when he singled home Corey Seager to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. Atlanta tied the game in the bottom of the first off Clayton Kershaw after back-to-back doubles to start the game for Erick Aybar and Daniel Castro. Kershaw escaped many jams throughout the game, including a bases loaded and no outs situation in the second inning, but like Pink Cashmere, he seemed to only get better as the game went on, and the three-time Cy Young Award winner finished the game allowing one run on 10 hits with 10 strikeouts in eight innings. He threw a season-high 116 pitches. "It was a weird day," Kershaw told the media after the game. "If you give up a bunch of runs and give up 10 hits, they say 'you got shelled.' But, if you don't give up a bunch of runs and give up 10 hits they say, 'you scattered them.' So it was a weird day overall." Kershaw's curveball was as cool as Cream as it dropped out of the sky like a cloud on Braves hitters throughout the game. The 2014 MVP told rookie Mallex Smith to 'Gett Off,' in the bottom of the fourth inning when he struck him out to end the inning with runners at second and third. "Inconsistent," Kershaw said of his curveball. "I would throw a good one, and then hang one and leave one up. At least I know I can still do it, it's just a matter of doing it every time." Atlanta threatened in the bottom of the 10th inning off Dodgers' closer Kenley Jansen but Pop Life got the best of the Braves as Daniel Castro and Freddie Freeman popped out on back-to-back at bats to end the game. The Dodgers win the rubber match for the third consecutive series and win their final game playing in Turner Field. Meanwhile, the Braves learned what it sounds like When Doves Cry as they drop to 4-11, worst record in the National League. Players of the Game: Clayton Kershaw: 1 run, 10 hits, 10 strikeouts in 8 IP. Yasmani Grandal: Game-winning RBI double in the top of the 10th inning. Three Takeaways: 1. U Got The Look: Forthefirst time in Clayton Kershaw's career he' allowed 10 hits and struck out 10 batters in the same game. 2. Soft and Wet: Clayton Kershaw threw an eephus pitch against Braves' catcher Tyler Flowers as the curveball registered on the radar gun at 46 miles per hour. According to ESPN Stats and Info, the pitch was 25 miles per hour slower than any other pitch he threw all of last season.

3. Hot Thing: For the second consecutive game, Dodgers' catcher Yasmani Grandal knocked in the game-winning run in the top of the 10th inning. Grandal has been hot at the plate as of late and didn't even start the game on Thursday. Up Next: Dodgers (10-6): Scott Kazmir will have the tall order of pitching at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on Friday after back-to-back bad outings when the Dodgers take on the Rockies at 5:40 PM PST. Braves (4-11): Bud Norris is back on the mound as Atlanta opens up a three-game series with the New York Mets at Turner Field.

ESPN DEPORTES

Kike Hernández es el "Bugs Bunny" de los Dodgers esta temporada By Enrique Rojas ATLANTA -- Enrique "Kike" Hernández puede jugar bien casi todas las posiciones del béisbol, al tiempo que es un arma peligrosa en la caja de bateo, especialmente contra lanzadores zurdos. En cierta forma, el puertorriqueño de los Dodgers de Los Angeles ejecuta un papel parecido al que hizo “Bugs Bunny” en la tira cómica “Baseball Bugs” de Warner Brothers de 1946. En el corto animado, el legendario conejo de la serie “Loonie Tunes” se ve forzado a jugar todas las bases y batear solo para remontar un marcador adverso contra un poderoso equipo en el Polo Grounds de Nueva York. El boricua Enrique "Kike" Hernández ha utilizado su versatilidad para ganarse un puesto con los Dodgers de Los Angeles. AP En la vida real, Hernández es un “súper utility” que batea .400 (30-12) con dos jonrones, tres dobles y ocho carreras impulsadas esta temporada para los Dodgers y .285 en su corta carrera. Pese a batear imparables en cuatro juegos consecutivos-- tres de hits múltiples-- Hernández no estuvo en la alineación abridora el domingo, cuando los Dodgers jugaron el último de una serie en casa contra su odiado rival Gigantes de San Francisco, ni tampoco el martes en el primero de tres encuentros contra Bravos de Atlanta en Turner Field. A diferencia de “Bugs Bunny”, Hernández no decide cuando y donde jugar. “Depende de como lo tome”, dijo Hernández a ESPNdeportes.com sobre lo incierto del rol de un jugador sustituto. “El año pasado, al principio, fue un poco difícil. Yo entendía que si me iba bien tenía que jugar al otro día, pero poco a poco uno va aprendiendo. Ahora sé claro cuál es mi rol y cada vez que me ponen a jugar trato de hacer el trabajo, tomando un día a la vez”, dijo el sanjuanero de 24 años. Hernández, quien

durante su carrera ha jugado en seis posiciones (2B, SS, 3B, LF, CF y RF) y puede jugar una séptima (1B), apenas ha cometido cuatro errores en 827 entradas a la defensa en las ligas mayores. Para alguien que carga tantos guantes durante las prácticas, un porcentaje de fildeo de .983 es impresionante. En el plato, Hernández es un asesino con licencia contra pitchers zurdos. Este año batea .667 (12-6) con dos jonrones, dos dobles y cuatro carreras impulsadas y de por vida lo hace para .392 (120-47) con 13 dobles, seis jonrones y 20 carreras impulsadas. Al estelar abridor de San Francisco, Madison Bumgarner, le pegó dos jonrones y un doble en sus primeros tres turnos del juego el pasado viernes. Pareciera que los Dodgers guardan a Hernández para ponerlo en el terreno cuando enfrentan a los mejores pitchers rivales, sobretodo los que lanzan a la zurda. “Es parte del trabajo. Los días libres que le dan a los regulares, mayormente, son contra los mejores pitchers y uno tiene que tratar de salir a resolver”, dijo Hernández, quien ha jugado 2B, 3B, LF y CF y ha salido a batear de emergente en cinco partidos este año. Cuando ha accionado en el jardín izquierdo, donde tiene cinco encuentros, batea .471. “Cuando Kike consigue turnos, es agresivo en el plato. No desperdicia oportunidades”, dijo el manager Dave Roberts, quien trata de repartir equitativamente los turnos disponibles del 2B y el LF entre Hernández, Chase Utley y Howie Kendrick. “Gracias a Dios tengo la habilidad de jugar seis o siete posiciones diferentes, así que no me preocupo solamente por una base o una situación. Mi misión es darle descanso a los regulares, jugar contra los zurdos, y en sentido general, mostrar que merezco que den la oportunidad de salir al campo”, dijo Hernández, el “Bugs Bunny” de los Dodgers.

LA TIMES

Rep. Hahn prods DirecTV, Time Warner Cable to restart Dodger channel talks By Meg James Rep. Janice Hahn (D-San Pedro) has made a strong pitch to pay-TV operators in Los Angeles to try to end the two-year standoff over distribution of SportsNet LA, the cable TV channel owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Like tens of thousands of Dodgers fans, Hahn can't watch Dodgers baseball games at home. She subscribes to Cox Communications, which does not carry SportsNet LA. On Thursday, Hahn sent letters to Time Warner Cable and AT&T, which owns DirecTV, to coax the two companies back to the negotiation table. She suggested a summit in her San Pedro office in early May.

“This blackout has gone on far too long,” Hahn said in a statement. “Fans are frustrated and they want to know that both sides are working toward a resolution.” Hahn, who is running for a seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, has not been outspoken on the topic until this month. In the last 10 days, she has held meetings with executives at all of the pay-TV companies that provide service in Southern California. She was motivated to get involved in the dispute after reading a Los Angeles Times article about how Time Warner Cable had abandoned efforts to win wider distribution for the Dodgers channel, according to her spokeswoman. Time Warner Cable, which distributes the channel, acknowledged this month that it had failed to engage other providers — even after offering a price cut. “We appreciate the congresswoman’s interest in the matter, and we remain ready and willing to meet with any of the operators who do not carry SportsNet LA,” a Time Warner Cable spokeswoman said. Time Warner Cable is in the process of being sold to Charter Communications. Some have blamed DirecTV, and now AT&T, for contributing to the stalemate. The satellite-TV giant, which has 1.2 million customer homes in the Los Angeles area, has been unwilling to add the channel to its lineup, citing the high price. “We have always been and remain willing to meet with Time Warner in a confidential setting that keeps the business discussions between the parties,” an AT&T spokesman said Thursday. A Cox representative said: “We remain open to carrying SportsNet LA at a reasonable price and flexible terms that don't overburden the entire video customer base.” Hahn is not the first politician to lobby for a resolution. Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Porter Ranch) and others, including L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, have also pushed for action. Dodgers Dugout: Are 100 wins in the Dodgers' future? By Houston Mitchell Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and Adrian Gonzalez and the rest of the Dodgers paid tribute to Prince on the team bus Thursday. Will the Dodgers win 100 games? I continue to get emails from Dodgers fans convinced this team is doomed to finish last. That is ridiculous. I still think they will end up in second place behind the Giants, but they have looked really good so far this season and I would be pleased to be wrong and watch them win the division. They defeated the Braves two out of three, and won twice in extra innings. As much as I rip the bullpen, they have been pretty good the last few games, and Kenley Jansen continues to be lights-out as closer. Dodger relievers have allowed one earned run over their last 26 1/3 innings (0.34 ERA).

The Dodgers are 10-6 now, which doesn’t seem that impressive until you realize that pace means they would win 101 games. Of course, there are still 146 games left, so don’t start camping out for playoff tickets yet. The bullpen is sixth in the NL with a 3.19 ERA, second with four victories and tied for first with seven saves. The bullpen is also one of only two NL bullpens with a WHIP below 1.0, the other team being the Cubs. So, what is the point of all of this? The point is to enjoy it. We get so caught up in “haven’t won a World Series since 1988” that we forget to enjoy the games. The disappointing endings to the last three seasons have made a lot of fans jittery. Don’t get too high or too low based on any one game. Look at the big picture. The Dodgers are in first place. They are getting key hits late in games. They are doing a lot of things they weren’t doing last season. They aren’t perfect. No team is. Now if only Alex Wood and Scott Kazmir could start getting some guys out. Another good sign Remember how people complained the last few seasons that the Dodgers didn't really seem to have a lot of team chemistry? Well, after Thursday's early victory over Atlanta, they had a team dinner to celebrate Joc Pederson's 24th birthday. Justin credible Since Justin Turner Chia Pet night is just around the corner, I wanted to take a closer look at the Dodgers third baseman, another member of the team who is woefully underrated by most. Turner has been with the Dodgers since 2014. Let’s see where he ranks among the 31 who have played at least 150 games at third base since the start of the 2014 season. Batting average: 1st (.309) On-base percentage: 1st (.380) Slugging: 4th (.483, Nolan Arenado leads at .548) WAR: 7th (8.3, Josh Donaldson leads at 17.3) So, he has been pretty good. He also comes up with a key hit when needed, like he did in Wednesday’s extra-inning victory. The problem: His contract expires after this season. He is making $5.1 million and is in line for a hefty raise. We’ll talk more about that as the season progresses. Too soon? Just wanted to point out that Pederson is hitting .277 and slugging .468 while Corey Seager is hitting .226 and slugging .339. Of course, I can also point out that Adrian Gonzalez is hitting .355, Kiké Hernandez is hitting .361 and Yasmani Grandal is hitting .438. The joy of early-season stats. Ask Ross Porter

Former Dodgers announcer Ross Porter will be answering select reader questions for the rest of the season. Email me a question for Ross, and I will pass it on. His latest response: Jack Evans asks: Ross, what kind of pitch counts did Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale have back in the 60s? Koufax, with all his complete games and strikeouts, must have had pitch counts higher than what is allowed today. Pitchers back then worked every four days and threw complete games. How would the present-day pitchers hold up? Ross: In his final two seasons, 1965 and 1966, Sandy averaged 149 and 151 pitches per nine innings. He threw 27 complete games both years. In 1961, Koufax used 205 pitches in a 13-inning CG against the Cubs and won. The year before, he tossed 198 pitches in 13-plus innings, again versus Chicago, and lost. In the 1962, 1963, and 1964 campaigns, Don averaged 152, 151, and 147 pitches per nine innings. He recorded 21 and 20 complete games in 1964 and 1965. Drysdale once told me, “Today’s starting pitchers are wimps. They’re looking over their shoulder to see if a reliever is getting ready. And, they are afraid to jam hitters because they don’t feel the inside of the plate belongs to them. If an opposing pitcher hit one of my teammates, I would hit two of theirs.” A third Dodger Hall of Fame pitcher, Don Sutton, once said to me, “Pitch counts are overrated. I’ve had games where I had to work harder throwing 80 pitches than games when I needed 110.” The most complete games in the majors last season was four, done by six pitchers. What Vin Scully means to me I asked you to tell me your best Vin Scully memory, and I got a lot of responses. I will respond to selected ones in each newsletter. And keep emailing them to me. Paul Goodwin: “I am one of those baby boomers who grew up with the transistor radio under my covers, listening to Vin call games when my parents thought I was asleep. I remember sitting in the floor in my parents’ bedroom in front of their nightstand, listing to the Koufax perfect game on the plastic clock radio. Like most of us of a certain age I remember where I was (in Somerville, Mass.) listening to his call of the Gibson home run. “But for me, Vin is so much more than a baseball announcer. My dad got sick and then passed away when I was in my early teens. After that, Vin became my most important teacher. I learned a lot of baseball from him, and also a lot about life. About what is and is not important. About character and values. About respect and effort. Also a lot about history, D-Day, musicals, and Toulouse-Lautrec, if you recall that phrase he used to use. It is hard to explain to people who did not grow up with this experience, but he means a lot more to this city than just being an announcer. He is not just the voice of the Dodgers. There will be a huge hole in my heart and in the heart of the city when he retires. “As an example of things I have learned from Vin recently, on opening day I brought my radio to the game (like in the old days) so I could listen to him call innings 1-3. He spent most of the top of the first talking not about the just-completed ceremony honoring him. No, he talked about Socrates. Yes a bit about Socrates Brito the player, but mostly about Socrates the philosopher. And about hemlock. I mean, no one will ever do that again.

And finally Some people say Scully could make the reading of a grocery list interesting. They are right. Click here to listen.