Daily Clips

July 22, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2017

DODGERS.COM 'No panic' for LA after Wood's first setback- Ken Gurnick Garcia slams the brakes on Dodgers' Wood- Ken Gurnick and Joshua Thornton A-Gon, Ethier building up in pregame work- Ken Gurnick Hill looks to stay sharp in matchup with Braves- Joshua Thornton Jansen lifting Dodgers this season– Barry M. Bloom LA TIMES Grand spanking Blue: Jaime Garcia’s slam leads Braves’ rout of Dodgers- Bill Shaikin Mistakes led to Dodgers acquiring Alex Wood, the new 'bulldog'- Dylan Hernandez Cody Bellinger has become a favorite for Dodgers fans- Bill Shaikin OC REGISTER Dodgers, Alex Wood implode in 12-3 loss to Atlanta Braves- J.P. Hoornstra Dodgers notes: Coaches who catch comprise a secret society in baseball- J.P. Hoornstra Braves at Dodgers: Saturday game time, TV channel and starting pitchers- J.P. Hoornstra ESPN Braves beat Dodgers 12-3 after Wood unravels in 1st loss- Associated Press TRUE BLUE LA Oklahoma City wins 4-3, O’Koyea Dickson drives in 3- Craig Minami Jaime Garcia has his way with Dodgers- Eric Stephen Dodgers turn to Alex Wood to start new streak- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER Wood: “Just one of those nights”– Rowan Kavner Wood still unbeaten as he faces former team- Rowan Kavner DODGERS PHOTOG BLOG 7/20/17-Something Current-ATL-6, LAD-3 by Jon SooHoo and Jill Weisleder/©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2017 - Jon SooHoo CBS SPORTS MLB Trade Rumors: Dodgers, Cubs reportedly scouting Yu Darvish Friday- Dayn Perry NBC LA Here's Why The Dodgers Could Trade For Pirates' Closer Felipe Rivero- Michael Duarte Alex Wood Handed First Loss as Dodgers Beat up by Braves, 12-3- Michael Duarte

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2017

DODGERS.COM

'No panic' for LA after Wood's first setback By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- It seemed like only yesterday when his Dodgers had won 31 of 35, so Dave Roberts summed up Friday night with the insight of a manager of the year. "You're not going to win them all," he said after a 12-3 wipeout by the Braves that was the second loss in a row for the Dodgers, largest margin of defeat of the season and first loss of the year for Alex Wood. "No panic here." Wood (11-1) had an unlucky two-run first inning, was charged with a two-run error in the third and allowed a grand slam to opposing pitcher Jaime Garcia in his shortest start (4 2/3 innings) since April 10. Wood was handed his first loss since May 30, 2016, allowed a career-high nine runs (seven earned) and served up a season-high nine hits. "Didn't have command like normal, I didn't execute and they have a quality lineup," Wood said of the club that traded him to the Dodgers two summers ago. "They didn't help me out a whole lot. It was a tough one." Wood, who had elbow surgery last year and spent time on the disabled list this year with a sternum strain, said he felt "normal" warming up and throwing, although he walked a season-high four (one intentionally). In two starts against his former club, Wood and the Dodgers have been handed losses of 8-1 and 12-3. "Woody, it wasn't his best stuff," Roberts said. "You look back, a popup that wasn't caught, lost in the twilight (by first baseman Cody Bellinger). An 0-2 heater to the pitcher that you don't expect was the difference in the game. Woody hasn't had an outing like that all year." That's why Wood was a 2017 All-Star and had gone from a reliever at the start of the season to essentially the No. 2 starter behind Clayton Kershaw. "For me, getting behind and I didn't execute," Wood explained. "I didn't have that consistency I've had all year, didn't have it across the board and they did a good job battling. I felt normal, good, felt confident. Just one of those nights. "Stats wise, you wish it wasn't as big of a difference. But a loss is a loss. They kicked our butts the first two nights, so you hope [Rich Hill] and [Kershaw] can right the ship the next two days." Roberts said Wood, like his club, needs to turn the page and get back on track. The Dodgers' longest losing streak this year is three games.

"One of those games you just want to put it out of your mind as soon as possible," Roberts said. "We enjoyed that (31-4) ride. We look back at the last month, what we accomplished, it's pretty dang phenomenal, and when you lose two games and it doesn't look pretty -- but that's what happens across baseball. Teams that can turn the page, win a game and change that narrative." Garcia slams the brakes on Dodgers' Wood By Ken Gurnick Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- Rumored Atlanta trade chip Jaime Garcia pitched seven solid innings and slugged a grand slam Friday night as the Braves handed former teammate Alex Wood his first loss of the year and the Dodgers their second loss in a row, a 12-3 rout at Dodger Stadium. Garcia's third career homer, on an 0-2 pitch, was the first slam by an Atlanta pitcher since 1966. It capped a five-run fifth inning and ended the night for Wood (11-1), whose ERA jumped from 1.56 to 2.17. Tyler Flowers slugged a three-run homer off reliever Grant Dayton in the sixth inning, also on an 0-2 pitch. Estimated by Statcast™ at 447 feet, it tied Brandon Phillips for the longest Braves home run of the year. Atlanta has scored 18 runs in the two games against the Dodgers, and the 12 runs the Braves put up on Friday are the most they have scored at Dodger Stadium in franchise history. "It's baseball," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "You never know. We came off a really tough series at home, getting swept by the Cubs, and came out here and the guys kind of put that behind them, and we played two pretty good ballgames so far." On the mound, Garcia (4-7) allowed three runs on seven hits and struck out four with one walk. Wood allowed a pair of first-inning runs, dropped a Garcia popup in the fourth inning that allowed two unearned runs and served up Freddie Freeman's 18th home run before Garcia's slam. Wood walked four (one intentional) and struck out four in 4 2/3 innings, his shortest start since April 10. "I would guess it probably wasn't his best day," Flowers said of Wood. "My at-bats, at least, he fell behind, so that makes you a little more susceptible to finding some barrels. We had a good approach obviously and took advantage of the mistakes when we got them." The Dodgers, who had won 31 of 35, have lost back-to-back games for the first time since June 5-6 to Washington, also at home. "One of those days, and we haven't had many of those," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "Jaime was good and he made pitches and he was comfortable. We've got to flush this one out and get ready for tomorrow." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Pitchers don't catch: The Braves doubled their lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning on Wood's error. With two out and runners on second and third, Garcia popped up a 1-2 pitch near the foul line between home and first base. First baseman Cody Bellinger lost sight of the ball and Wood camped under it, then dropped it for a two-run error.

"Cody just lost it, I think," Wood said. "Dark sky and it can be tough at night, sometimes. I looked at the last second to see if anybody was coming, I heard [Yasmani Grandal] yelling my name. In retrospect, you won't see me trying to catch a fly ball anymore." Rough start to a rough start: Wood had an unlucky first inning. Ender Inciarte led off with an infield single that shortstop Corey Seager was unable to barehand. Johan Camargo's line drive cleared the head of a very shallow Enrique Hernandez in center field for a double, and when Inciarte tried to score on the play, he kicked the ball out of Grandal's glove, which also allowed Camargo to advance to third. Camargo scored on a Flowers single that shot past third baseman Justin Turner, who had cheated toward the foul line just before the pitch. SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Garcia's grand slam was the first by a Braves pitcher since Tony Cloninger hit two in the same game on July 3, 1966, at San Francisco. He is the third pitcher in MLB to hit a slam on an 0-2 pitch since at least 1930 (per Baseball-Reference.com). The previous pitcher with a grand slam against the Dodgers was Philadelphia's Jeff Juden in 1995 off John Cummings. WHAT'S NEXT Braves: On Saturday, the Braves will give the ball to Julio Teheran, who owns a 2.53 road ERA, good for fifth in the National League. But the righty has struggled against the Dodgers in his career and is 0-5 with a 5.50 ERA in six starts vs. Los Angeles. First pitch is slated for 9:10 p.m. ET. Dodgers: Rich Hill, who starts in Saturday's 6:10 p.m. PT game, is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA in three July starts with 29 strikeouts and one walk in 19 innings. Since June 15, his ERA is down from 5.14 to 3.55. Hill is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his career against the Braves but hasn't faced them since a 2013 relief appearance. A-Gon, Ethier building up in pregame work By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers sluggers Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier, sidelined by herniated disks in their backs, inched closer on Friday to returning to game action. Gonzalez, on the disabled list since June 12, resumed taking ground balls. Manager Dave Roberts reiterated that he expects Gonzalez back sometime in August, but a rehab assignment has not been scheduled. "He is trying to push the envelope, which is good," Roberts said of the 35-year-old Gonzalez. "When the training staff lets me know he's ready for some games, we'll slot him in. This is a good thing, it means Adrian is feeling pretty good." Ethier, who incurred his injury in Spring Training and hasn't played this season, has been cleared to resume some baseball activity. Ethier's injury is more serious than Gonzalez's, and Roberts said Ethier, 35, isn't expected back until rosters expand in September. Last year, Ethier missed the first five months of the season with a broken leg but played well enough in September to earn a postseason roster spot.

"He's running, throwing. I don't know if he's taken swings yet," Roberts said. "But to think he would be any day before Sept. 1 is probably unrealistic. Let's get to September first, there's a long way to go, but a guy you don't want to bet against is Andre Ethier. He earned that opportunity last year. I'm just looking forward to getting him back. He's been patient, playing cheerleader, but I know he's chomping at the bit to get back." Roberts said outfielder Andrew Toles, out for the rest of the season following surgery for a torn right knee anterior cruciate ligament, is recovering well from the operation and is still expected to be ready for the start of Spring Training. Roberts said he had no update on right-hander Brandon McCarthy, who was bothered by a finger blister during his four-inning start Thursday night. Roberts said it was possible McCarthy might be given extra rest before his next start. The Dodgers currently have a six-man rotation. And Roberts confirmed that Scott Kazmir, who has not pitched in the Major Leagues this year because of a lack of velocity, went home to Houston to work with body mechanics specialist Lee Fiocchi. Hill looks to stay sharp in matchup with Braves By Joshua Thornton After tinkering with his mechanics, Rich Hill has shown in his past five outings why the Dodgers invested $48 million in the 37-year-old lefty last offseason. Hill will aim to keep his recent string of impressive starts going on Saturday in a matchup with the Braves at Dodger Stadium. In his past five starts, Hill has been lights out, posting a 3-1 record, 1.74 ERA and 44 strikeouts against six walks while holding opponents to a .174 average. For the Braves, starter Julio Teheran is looking to bounce back from a loss against the Cubs on Monday, when he tossed six innings, giving up five hits and two runs. Teheran (7-7, 4.69 ERA) has been solid away from Atlanta, posting a 2.53 ERA on the road that ranked fifth in the National League entering Friday. "The velocity has kind of been back," Braves manager Brian Snitker said of Teheran. "He's been pitching pretty good. He's been really good on the road, and he was really good at home the other day. Hopefully everything is turning. He's been good, keeping the ball down, hitting his spots. He had a tough go the other day, it was like a game he really had to work, but he kept the game right there for us." After dropping the first two games of this series to Atlanta, including a 12-3 rout on Friday night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said his club needs to turn the page and get back on track. The Dodgers' longest losing streak this year is three games. Things to know about this game • In seven games (five starts) against Atlanta, Hill is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA and 31 strikeouts against 10 walks in 33 1/3 innings, limiting hitters to a slash line of .192/.252/.258.

• Teheran hasn't had much luck in six starts against the Dodgers. The righty is 0-5 with a 5.50 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 13 walks in 37 2/3 innings vs. the Dodgers. • Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is 2-for-6 against Teheran, with both hits being homers. Jansen lifting Dodgers this season By Barry M. Bloom CHICAGO -- Kenley Jansen has never met Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman, the top closers in Major League Baseball history, with a combined 1,253 saves in 37 seasons. It's tempting to say that as good as the Dodgers' closer is right now at age 29, he hasn't even begun to make the grade with 213 saves in his eighth season with Los Angeles. But the Dodgers are running away with their fifth consecutive National League West title, and Jansen's performance is certainly one of the big reasons for all that success. "When you're looking at those guys, you're looking at the test of time," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who played with or against both Mo and Hoffy in his 10-year career. "You're looking at Kenley in a small window. And then you look at those guys and double it. That makes it a different conversation." This is the conversation: Jansen is the best closer right now in the NL. Craig Kimbrel has the honor this year in the American League, with Aroldis Chapman a close second because of the left shoulder problems he's experienced, limiting his use this season. At a time when closers are often injured and disposable, those three finish games for their respective teams on a multiple-season basis. Hoffman and Rivera are on the verge of election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Rivera certainly the first time his name appears on the ballot in 2019, and Hoffman as early as next year. Hoffman missed by a mere six votes earlier this year. Right now, Hoyt Wilhelm, Rollie Fingers, Bruce Sutter and Goose Gossage are the only pure relievers in the Hall. Dennis Eckersley and John Smoltz had stellar careers, but they served as both starters and relievers. Hoffman and Rivera played in the same time period and will always be linked together, their names on the awards given to the top relievers each season in their respective leagues. Hoffman, who pitched for three teams (including 16 seasons for the Padres), has his name on the NL award and Rivera, who toiled all of his 19 seasons for the Yankees, has his name on the AL version. Jansen won the Hoffman Award last season when he had a career-high 47 saves, a 1.83 ERA and 0.670 WHIP. He walked only 11 batters while striking out 104 in 68 2/3 innings. This year, Jansen has been even stingier, whiffing 62 and walking just two in 41 innings coupled with an 0.88 ERA, a 0.59 WHIP and 24 saves.

Here's the reason for Jansen's stunning success: According to Statcast™, he utilizes the cutter for 91 percent of his pitches. A stunning 77 percent of those pitches result in strikes and 31 percent of his strikeouts are the result of swings and misses on that signature pitch. Rivera primarily used his cutter 99 percent of the time, resulting in 1,173 whiffs in 1,283 2/3 innings. His strikeout per nine-inning ratio was 8.2. Jansen, with 694 strikeouts in 449 2/3 innings, has an amazing 13.9 SO/9. "They're the same," Roberts said. "When I say it's the same, that's as a big a compliment as you can get. Kenley's cutter is 92-94 mph with about a six-inch break. Mo was very comparable with a three- to four-inch break, but it was very late. Very comparable." The late break makes it virtually impossible for hitters to adjust as that signature pitch moves in and around the strike zone. It's no wonder that Jansen has an affinity for both Rivera and Hoffman. Jansen lamented missing meeting the two top relievers last year when plane trouble forced him to skip the top reliever award presentation ceremony in Chicago during the World Series. Orioles closer Zach Britton won the 2016 Rivera Award. "My plane was delayed and it got cancelled," Jansen said. "I was really bummed out to not meet those two guys. I would love to meet Trevor Hoffman. I would love to meet Mariano Rivera. For me playing, those are the two guys who give me the most motivation. If I want to be among the best, you have to perform at that level a long time. I'm just a short way along that journey." In his eighth season, Kimbrel, now with Boston, has 280 saves, 186 of them for the Braves, a franchise record. He also pitched one season for the Padres. Chapman, the Cuban left-hander who throws 100 mph, has 192 in his second tour with the Yankees. He's in his eighth season, too, having won the World Series last year as a late season rental with Cubs. Chapman was signed by the Reds and played his first seven seasons in Cincinnati. Jansen is on track to pitch his entire career with the Dodgers, and he says he doesn't want to play anywhere else. When Jansen had a chance to be a free agent this past offseason, he turned down a lucrative offer from the Nationals. He remained loyal to the Dodgers, who signed him for five years at $80 million. "Washington made a great run at me," Jansen said. "I thought I was going to be there. Then the Dodgers came back and got the last offer. Though the Washington offer was great, in the end, you have to think about where you want to be in your heart and where your family wants to be. And we all agreed we want to be in L.A. That's the best decision I made in my life." At the same time, the Giants wound up signing free-agent right-hander Mark Melancon to a four-year, $62 million contract. Jansen said he was never in that mix. "I probably wouldn't have gone there anyway because of the rivalry," Jansen said. "I love the Dodgers, man. I could see me in a lot of different uniforms, not the Giants."

There's that loyalty, again. And because of it, Jansen and the Dodgers continue to have the perfect marriage and recipe for success.

LA TIMES

Grand spanking Blue: Jaime Garcia’s slam leads Braves’ rout of Dodgers By Bill Shaikin If the Dodgers had played reasonably well, they could have blamed this all on the Minnesota Twins. The Twins, you see, were close to acquiring pitcher Jaime Garcia from the Atlanta Braves. The trade was so close that the Braves flew a minor league pitcher to Los Angeles, to take Garcia’s scheduled start here Friday. The Dodgers even went to the trouble of making out a new lineup, to replace the one prepared for Garcia. The Twins couldn’t close the deal. Garcia trudged to the mound at Dodger Stadium. And he put on what might have been the showcase to end all showcase starts, cooling the bats of the hottest team in baseball and hitting a grand slam too, as the Braves pounded the Dodgers 12-3. “It’s one of those nights,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We haven’t had many of them.” It was a weird night all around. The Dodgers lost their second straight game — this one their most lopsided defeat this season — the first time they have lost consecutive games since June 5-6. They gave up a grand slam to the opposing pitcher at Dodger Stadium since 1984, when Hall of Famer Steve Carlton hit one off Fernando Valenzuela. And, by the eighth inning, ushers had dispersed among the aisles, trying to track down the mischief makers launching paper airplanes from the upper levels of Dodger Stadium, a welcome diversion for fans marking time until the fireworks show. Mistakes led to Dodgers acquiring Alex Wood, the new 'bulldog' Alex Wood lost his first game this season, the first time he has lost since May 30, 2016. The box score shows Wood (11-1) was battered for nine runs in 42/3 innings. In his previous 10 starts, he had given up six runs in 62 innings. This was the first start this season in which the Dodgers let Wood make 100 pitches. It also was the first start in three months in which he could not complete five innings — and, back then, he still was building arm strength after the Dodgers had stashed him in the bullpen to open the season. But, by the time the Braves finally started hitting rockets off Wood, the Dodgers’ defense had so betrayed their starting pitcher that the Braves already had all the runs they needed. The Braves scored two runs in the first inning, earned but not truly deserved.

Ender Inciarte opened the game with an infield single. Johan Camargo then hit a fly ball to deep center field. Enrique Hernandez, playing center because the Dodgers don’t use Joc Pederson against left-handers, took an erratic route to the ball and missed it. Inciarte headed home, but catcher Yasmani Grandal could not handle the relay throw. Later in the inning, after Wood should have had his three outs, Tyler Flowers singled home Camargo. In the fourth inning, the Braves had runners on second and third with two out, and Garcia popped up, high in the air and a little down the first base line. The ball should have been caught by first baseman Cody Bellinger, who Wood said lost the ball “in the dark sky.” Grandal hollered for Wood to make a run at the ball. Cody Bellinger has become a favorite for Dodgers fans Wood scrambled over to make the play — and dropped the ball for an error. That gave the Braves a 4-0 lead and, as Wood suggested, there is a last time for everything. “You probably won’t see me trying to catch a fly ball,” he said. The fifth inning, well, that was all on Wood. Freddie Freeman started the inning with a home run. Garcia capped the scoring with a grand slam — on an 0-2 pitch, no less — to give the Braves a 9-0 advantage. The Dodgers’ 31-4 run has been followed by an 0-2 run, and a sloppy one at that. Then again, 0-2 happens all the time, and Roberts did not want his players to forget that 31-4 happens about once a century. “What we did,” Roberts said, “was pretty dang phenomenal.” Mistakes led to Dodgers acquiring Alex Wood, the new 'bulldog' By Dylan Hernandez Alex Wood could be described by his college alma mater’s mascot, a former teammate of his said. “He’s a bulldog,” Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “He went to Georgia and that’s their mascot. He is 100% that.” Call a pitcher a bulldog and it’s a compliment. Call a pitcher a bulldog in Los Angeles and it’s something else entirely, of course. You’re comparing him to one of the city’s greatest sporting heroes, whether you intend to or not. Wood’s performance Friday night in the Dodgers’ 12-3 defeat to the Atlanta Braves didn’t elicit any memories of the original Bulldog, Orel Hershiser. The All-Star left-hander was taken apart by his former team, who saddled him with his first loss of the season by pounding him for nine runs (seven earned) over a labor-intensive 42/3 innings. None of that changed what Freeman said.

Wood was bound to have a night like this over a six-month regular season. He remains 11-1 with a 2.17 earned-run average, a capable No. 2 starter behind Clayton Kershaw. His fiery temperament offers the promise of the kind of October glory last delivered by you-know-who nearly three decades ago. On the visiting bench at Dodger Stadium before the game Friday, Braves manager Brian Snitker laughed as he recalled a scene from Wood’s rookie season in 2013. At the time, Snitker was the Braves third base coach. Grand spanking Blue: Jaime Garcia’s slam leads Braves’ rout of Dodgers The Braves were taking on the Washington Nationals in a critical mid-September game. Wood loaded the bases in the fifth inning and walked in a run on a disputed full-count pitch. After giving up another run on a sacrifice fly, Wood was removed from the game. But instead of retreating into the clubhouse, he pointed and cursed at the home plate umpire. “He got thrown out,” Snitker said. “We’re in a pennant race and everything. I was like, ‘Good for you. That’s pretty cool.’” Familiar with Wood’s competitive streak, Snitker and Freeman weren’t surprised to hear about how Wood vowed to pitch himself into the Dodgers rotation this year after breaking camp as a reliever. Or how Wood sounded offended by the widespread idea of how the Dodgers should acquire a No. 2 pitcher before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. “Go out and find somebody with better career numbers, who can be a No. 2,” Wood said earlier this month. “Then come talk to me.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts credited Wood’s improved ability to control that ferocity for the left-hander’s emergence as a legitimate frontline starter. “There’s a difference between being competitive and being over-amped,” Roberts said. “Last year, there were some times he was over-amped. This year, I think his composure is where it’s needed to be all year.” Wood wouldn’t be here if not for a series of mistakes. The first was by the Dodgers, who signed Cuban defector Hector Olivera to a six-year, $62.5-million contract in the spring of 2015. The second was by the Braves, who unburdened the Dodgers of their mistake by sending them Wood as part of a three-team trade to acquire Olivera. Cody Bellinger has become a favorite for Dodgers fans Olivera batted .245 in 30 games for the Braves. He was suspended early last year following a domestic dispute and never played again for the Braves, who traded him to the San Diego Padres for Matt Kemp. Olivera was immediately released by the Padres and is now playing for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League. Braves general manager John Coppolella was refreshingly candid when asked about the trade.

“We really like Alex Wood and thought he would be a good pitcher for a long time,” Coppolella wrote in an email. “It was … the price we had to pay to obtain the middle of the order hitter we thought we were getting in Hector Olivera. It was a terrible trade, but our biggest mistake was our evaluation of Olivera.” The deal was immediately unpopular in the Braves clubhouse. “He was well-liked on our team,” Freeman said of Wood. “When he got traded a couple of years ago, we were all pretty upset about it. Obviously, if we could go back in time, it would be a little different. The Dodgers got a good haul in that one.” They got a bulldog, perhaps another who will become a part of this city’s folklore. Cody Bellinger has become a favorite for Dodgers fans By Bill Shaikin Cody Bellinger turned 22 last week. He was in the minor leagues three months ago. Yet, on a team with some of baseball’s brightest stars, the rookie slugger rapidly has become one of the Dodgers’ most popular players. Take a walk around a Dodger Stadium concourse, and you’ll see plenty of fans dressed in Bellinger shirts. “It’s pretty crazy,” Bellinger said. The Dodgers declined to provide sales rankings for player shirts sold at the stadium, but store employees said the most popular shirts in recent weeks are the ones with the names of Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager. Bellinger said he did not collect or wear player shirts as a kid. But, he said, he was thrilled when his parents gave him a Manny Ramirez jersey for Christmas one year. “I just liked how he hit. It was sick,” Bellinger said. “I liked his dreads.” Could Bellinger foresee a day he might wear his own hair in dreadlocks? He shook his head no and laughed. “I can’t do anything with my hair,” he said. “White guy hair.” Puig paradox Yasiel Puig hits left-handers. Even after the Dodgers put him in their doghouse last season — trying to trade him, shipping him to the minor leagues, trading for Josh Reddick to replace him in right field — they still started Puig against left-handers in the playoffs. Dodgers organist pays tribute to Chester Bennington with pregame performance of Linkin Park's 'Numb'

Puig batted eighth Friday, against Atlanta Braves left-hander Jaime Garcia. Puig has not batted higher than seventh against a left-hander since May 19. He entered play Friday with a .501 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging percentage) against left-handers, the lowest of any National League hitter with at least 75 plate appearances. He is batting .171, with one home run in 76 at-bats. Puig remained in the lineup, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, because “the defense is still elite for me.” Roberts traced the offensive struggles to a “point of contact issue,” saying Puig is waiting too long before he swings. “I think the ball coming into him from a lefty is just beating him,” Roberts said. Puig is batting .274 with an .876 OPS off right-handers, so Roberts said he did not believe Puig had lost bat speed. That would make his problem a mechanical one, and Roberts saw no reason why a player who usually hits right-handers and left-handers similarly well would not be able to recover his ability to hit left-handers. “It’s kind of a funky season,” Roberts said. “To bet that continues, that he doesn’t hit lefties, I’d be shocked.” Short hops Roberts said he expected first baseman Adrian Gonzalez (herniated disk) to return sometime next month and outfielder Andre Ethier (herniated disk) to return when rosters expand in September. Ethier has not played this season. … Pitcher Scott Kazmir, who has not pitched this season as he deals with a decline in velocity and an injured hip that restrains his delivery, has returned to his Texas home to consult with a specialist in body mechanics. Kazmir has made three minor league rehabilitation starts, the last on July 8. He is in the second year of a three-year, $48-million contract.

OC REGISTER

Dodgers, Alex Wood implode in 12-3 loss to Atlanta Braves By J.P. Hoornstra LOS ANGELES — Jaime Garcia was so close to being traded, the Atlanta Braves flew in a pitcher from Triple-A to potentially take his start against the Dodgers on Friday night. Maybe in a parallel universe Garcia is pitching for the Minnesota Twins, Alex Wood is still undefeated, and the Dodgers are back to looking like the best team in baseball. That was a galaxy far, far away Friday night. Garcia pitched seven innings and hit a grand slam. He also hit a pop-up high above the first base line that clanged off Wood’s glove, allowing two runs to score. On the mound, Garcia was more conventionally impressive, allowing three runs. The Braves won in a laugher, 12-3.

Each implosion seemed a bit more stunning than the last. Wood was 11-0 and hadn’t lost in more than a year before Friday, and his 1.56 earned-run average would have ranked first in the National League with enough innings to qualify. After being charged with seven earned runs in 4 ⅔ innings, Wood’s ERA rose to 2.17 — second to Clayton Kershaw (2.07) on his own staff. The Dodgers had won 11 straight games, and 31 of 35, before Thursday. After being outscored 18-6 in consecutive losses to the rebuilding Braves, the Dodgers’ streak of dominance feels more distant than it is. “We enjoyed that ride,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “We planned on coming in and starting a new one today but they’re playing good baseball. That’s a good offensive club. … The focus on trying to prepare and win a game, that hasn’t wavered.” At 66-31, the Dodgers still have baseball’s best record. They can lose their next eight games and still be guaranteed to lead the NL West. They have Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw pitching the next two days. Neither man has lost a game this month. But few expected Wood and the Dodgers to fall to earth so quickly. Atlanta scored twice in the first inning, on an RBI double by Johan Camargo and an RBI single by Tyler Flowers. With runners on second and third base in the fourth inning, Wood got Garcia to hit a harmless pop fly with two outs, certain to end the inning. When neither catcher Yasmani Grandal nor first baseman Cody Bellinger raced up the first-base line to field the ball, Wood camped underneath it. The ball bounced off the pitcher’s glove and both runners scored, giving the Braves a 4-0 lead. It was Wood’s first error this season. Bellinger would later say he lost sight of the ball against the night sky. “I looked at the last second to see if anybody was coming,” Wood said. “I heard Yas yelling my name. Instinct takes over. You try to catch it. In retrospect, probably you won’t see me trying to catch a fly ball anymore.” Garcia’s grand slam with two outs in the fifth inning, on an 0-2 fastball from Wood, was the crippling blow. No Braves pitcher had hit a grand slam since 1966, and no pitcher had hit a grand slam against the Dodgers since 1995. At 9-0, the game was out of reach. Ross Stripling took over, spelling the shortest start by Wood since April 21. “Just one of those nights,” Wood said. Wood had allowed a total of eight runs in his previous 10 starts, a streak of dominance that began May 8. This was his second career start against the Braves, who traded him to the Dodgers at the 2015 deadline in a package headlined at the time by Hector Olivera. Both times, Wood has lost. Coincidence or not, Wood seemed to make more mistakes Friday than he had in weeks. “He’s been great for us,” Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes said. “Woody will be fine.” Freddie Freeman and Tyler Flowers also homered for Atlanta, which has won seven of its last nine away from SunTrust Park.

Dodgers center fielder Kiké Hernandez went 2 for 4 and scored twice. His seventh-inning triple to dead center field drove in Bellinger with the Dodgers’ second run. Garcia (4-7) was charged with seven hits and three runs, all earned, in seven innings. He walked one batter and struck out four. Wood’s error was one of two by the Dodgers; Trayce Thompson also allowed a routine fly ball to ricochet off his glove in left field. That miscue didn’t lead to a run, but the announced crowd of 46,083 might have checked the standings to make sure they were watching the best team in baseball. “I don’t know,” Roberts said of the mistakes. “We do pride ourselves on playing clean baseball. There was a spurt there, a couple games before the All-Star break, we got a little sloppy. This is one of those games. Yesterday there were a couple plays. Overall it just kind of blended in. We didn’t look great. “There were some good things but you look at the scoreboard, it was a tough one. It’s one of these you just want to put out of your mind as quick as possible.” Dodgers notes: Coaches who catch comprise a secret society in baseball By J.P. Hoornstra LOS ANGELES — It was a moment lost to the untrained eye. Even the trained eye could miss it on occasion. As Grant Dayton warmed up to pitch the sixth inning Friday, a masked man in a Dodger uniform crouched behind home plate. The catcher was not listed on the Dodgers’ 25-man roster, but his form was perfect. It was the bench coach, Bob Geren. Geren caught a few pitches from Dayton. Yasmani Grandal, who was on second base when the fifth inning ended, resumed his station behind home plate. Geren handed Grandal his mitt. The moment passed without consequence. All this would be more forgettable, except that so few players can remember a coach who regularly warmed up a pitcher between innings. At Dodger Stadium this weekend, there are two: Geren and Eddie Perez, the Atlanta Braves’ first base coach. “If you have an extra player who had a little experience (catching), they would just do it,” Geren said. “Sometimes you look on the bench, you don’t want to risk somebody who hasn’t done it. If you catch the ball wrong, it can hit your thumb. You don’t want somebody getting hurt.” Geren estimated he’s warmed up a pitcher between innings six times this season. The job only fell to him Friday because Grandal was strapping on his equipment while Austin Barnes, the Dodgers’ backup catcher, was playing second base. No one else on the bench had any catching experience. If the risk of injury is such a concern, why don’t more coaches warm up pitchers? For one thing, not all coaches have the experience. Geren caught for 15 seasons professionally; Perez, 20.

For another, catching is a young man’s pastime. Geren is in better shape than many 55-year-olds. He bikes to work. He jogs on and off the field. Perez, 49, looks closer to 40. “Some, I don’t think they’d be able to do it,” Perez said. “Catching all those years, my body still can do it. I only had one knee surgery. It wasn’t that hard, so my knees are still good, thank God. That’s probably why coaches are — we’re not in our 30s or 20s anymore.” What’s left is an exclusive group of coaches who catch, less conspicuous than a secret society and probably in better shape. Even players aren’t always in on the secret. “Grant Dayton came out,” Geren said, recalling an example prior to Friday. “He was coming from the ’pen so I was already out there. I had the mask on so I was already down. First (pitch) was like 95 — boom — it was really hard. I threw it back. The next day we were eating lunch and I said, when a coach goes out there and you’re throwing 95, most guys throw the first one 85, then maybe 90, but you just threw 95. “He said, ‘I didn’t even know it was you. I saw somebody with the mask and didn’t know who it was.’ I’ll take that as a compliment.” LINEUP SETTLES IN Dodgers manager Dave Roberts prepared two lineup cards Friday. One was in case the Braves traded pitcher Jaime Garcia to the Minnesota Twins, a transaction that was reported to be close Thursday night. Right-hander Aaron Blair flew to Los Angeles and was prepared to start if Garcia didn’t. When Garcia, a left-hander, wasn’t traded, Roberts turned to a familiar template. One facet of the Dodgers’ rise to the majors’ best record has been a mostly consistent batting order. Corey Seager, Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger batted second, third and fourth Friday. It’s been more than a month since any of the three occupied a different place in the lineup. Chris Taylor led off and Logan Forsythe batted fifth. For each player, that’s been his spot in the order in five of his last six starts. Yasiel Puig has settled in as the Dodgers’ number-8 hitter. The center fielder — Friday it was Kiké Hernandez against a left-handed starter, otherwise it would have been Joc Pederson — and Grandal batted sixth and seventh, respectively. Roberts tinkered with the Dodgers’ lineup for months to begin the season. He credited the players for the recent consistency. “The guys that have been given the opportunity have performed,” Roberts said. “Austin (Barnes) has gotten more at-bats than I projected because he’s performed. Kiké has had a lot of quality at-bats especially against left-handed pitching, so he’s going to get opportunities. Yasiel hasn’t hit left-handed pitching; has his entire career but this year specifically hasn’t. His defense is still elite for me. To help us win a game I like him in right field.

“Joc and Chase (Utley) — if you look at the whole body of work at each position there’s production at each position. That’s the most important thing for me.” INJURY UPDATES Adrian Gonzalez (back) took ground balls at first base prior to the game. There is no specific timetable for his return. Andre Ethier (back) has begun taking part in baseball activities, but still does not project to return before Sept. 1. Scott Kazmir (hip) returned home to meet with a mechanics specialist, Roberts said. On Tuesday, Kazmir will reach the 30-day maximum since his minor league rehabilitation assignment began. ALSO Dodgers minor league pitcher Ivan Vieitez was suspended 50 games following a positive test for Ritalinic acid, a stimulant. Vieitez had appeared in 15 games this season for Double-A Tulsa and Single-A Rancho Cucamonga. Braves at Dodgers: Saturday game time, TV channel and starting pitchers By J.P. Hoornstra BRAVES AT DODGERS Where: Dodger Stadium, 6:10 p.m. TV: SNLA (where available) THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP RICH HILL (6-4, 3.55) vs. Braves: 3-0, 1.89 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 5-4, 2.29 ERA Hates to face: Nick Markakis, 1 for 3, two walks Loves to face: Sean Rodriguez, 0 for 3, three strikeouts BRAVES RHP JULIO TEHERAN (7-7,4.69) vs. Dodgers: 0-5, 5.50 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 0-3, 6.50 ERA

Hates to face: Yasmani Grandal, 4 for 10 (.400), three doubles Loves to face: Justin Turner, 3 for 14 (.214)

ESPN Braves beat Dodgers 12-3 after Wood unravels in 1st loss By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Jaime Garcia maintains a poker face most of the time. But the Atlanta pitcher couldn't stop smiling after the biggest hit of his career. Garcia launched a grand slam off previously unbeaten Alex Wood to highlight the Braves' 12-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. "That was pretty unbelievable," Garcia said. "I've never hit a grand slam in my life, not even in Little League." The subject of trade speculation lately, Garcia limited Los Angeles to three runs over seven innings as the Braves won their second straight at Dodger Stadium. The NL West leaders hadn't lost two in a row since June 5-6 against Washington. They've been outscored 18-6 in the first two games of the series. It was the Dodgers' most lopsided defeat of the season. "No panic here," manager Dave Roberts said. "It's one loss and we still feel good about ourselves." Wood (11-1) got knocked around by his former team. The All-Star left-hander gave up nine runs -- seven earned -- and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, tying his shortest start since joining the rotation April 21. He struck out four and walked four. Wood allowed a career high in runs and a season high in hits while throwing a season-most 100 pitches. He hadn't lost at home since Sept. 22, 2015. "I didn't have my command like usual," Wood said. "It was tough. Just didn't get ahead and execute." In Wood's previous 12 starts, he notched 10 wins while allowing a total of 10 earned runs in 73 innings. Garcia (4-7) had been the center of trade talk ahead of this start that had the left-hander going to Minnesota for a minor leaguer. He shook off the chatter and allowed seven hits while striking out four and walking one. "I was aware stuff was going on because of family members and friends reaching out," Garcia said. "Last night when I went home, my focus was 100 percent getting ready for this start."

Tyler Flowers hit a three-run homer off Grant Dayton in the sixth for the Braves, who improved to 3-8 at Dodger Stadium since the start of the 2014 season. Flowers finished 2 for 4, driving in a season high-tying four runs and scoring twice. Garcia chased Wood with his two-out grand slam in the fifth that extended Atlanta's lead to 9-0. "He threw me a really good slider the pitch before," Garcia said. "I'm just thinking, just put it in play. He just made a mistake. I hit that ball hard." Standing at second, Flowers heard the loud crack of Garcia's bat on the 0-2 pitch. "He did a great job of battling that at-bat," Flowers said. "Other pitchers get in that spot, get down two, they just kind of wave at it and get it over with, but he was grinding and got rewarded." Wood's fielding was suspect, too. He couldn't handle a routine popup by Garcia near the first base line with two outs in the fourth, costing the Dodgers two more runs. With first baseman Cody Bellinger watching helplessly, the ball hit the heel of Wood's glove and caromed into foul territory. Expecting the inning to be over, Sean Rodriguez nearly ran up on Nick Markakis' heels at the plate as they both scored on the error to make it 4-0. "Cody just lost it; dark sky," Wood said. "In retrospect, you probably won't see me trying to catch a fly ball anymore." The Braves jumped all over Wood in the first inning. He gave up consecutive hits to open the game, with Johan Camargo's double driving in the first run. Flowers made it 2-0 on a two-out RBI single. Atlanta increased its lead to 5-0 on Freddie Freeman's team-high 18th homer leading off the fifth. The Dodgers scored their first run on Yasiel Puig's RBI groundout in the fifth. They added two more in the seventh on Kike Hernandez's RBI triple and Yasmani Grandal's RBI groundout. PILING ON The Braves' runs were their most since July 8, when they scored 13 at Washington. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: RHP Brandon McCarthy could be given extra rest before his next start after being bothered by a finger blister in his four-inning outing Thursday. ... 1B Adrian Gonzalez, on the DL since June 12 with a herniated disk in his back, took grounders before the game. He is expected back sometime in August. ... OF Andre Ethier, who hasn't played this season because of the same injury as Gonzalez, could return in September when rosters expand. ... LHP Scott Kazmir, who hasn't pitched in the majors this season while struggling with velocity issues, is in Houston to work with a specialist on his body mechanics. ... OF Andrew Toles, out for the rest of the season after surgery for a torn right ACL, is recovering well and expected to be ready for the start of spring training. BRAVES MOVES

Atlanta placed C Kurt Suzuki on the bereavement list to attend his grandfather's funeral in Hawaii. He's expected to rejoin the team Monday in Arizona. ... The Braves selected the contract of C Anthony Recker from Triple-A Gwinnett. To make room on the 40-man roster, LHP Eric O'Flaherty was released. UP NEXT Braves: RHP Julio Teheran (7-7, 4.69 ERA) is 0-5 with a 5.50 ERA against the Dodgers in his career. Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill (6-4, 3.55) goes against the Braves for the first time since August 2013 when he was with Cleveland. He is 3-0 in seven career games (five starts) against Atlanta with a 1.89 ERA.

TRUE BLUE LA Oklahoma City wins 4-3, O’Koyea Dickson drives in 3 By Craig Minami A mixed night for the Dodger affiliates, wins for Oklahoma City, Rancho Cucamonga and Ogden but Tulsa, Great Lakes and both Dominican Summer League went down to defeat. Player of the day Oklahoma City outfielder O’Koyea Dickson hit his 21st home run and drove in three of the four runs the Dodgers scored in their 4-3 win over Iowa. Dickson is tied for third place in Pacific Coast League with those 21 home runs. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers got a fine pitching performance from Wilmer Font and home runs from O’Koyea Dickson and Edwin Rios that was enough to edge the Iowa Cubs 4-3. Rios hit his in the ninth that broke a 3-3 tie and won it for the Dodgers. Wilmer Font pitched seven innings and gave up seven hits, two runs and a walk. He struck out 11. Jeremy Bleich, who had given up the tying run in the eighth, won the game by retiring the side in order in the ninth. Dickson hit a two-run homer in the first and singled in Todd Cunningham in the third. Cunningham, Dickson and Rios each had two hits. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers were beaten 2-1 by NW Arkansas Naturals (Royals). Eddie Gamboa took the tough loss even though he had a solid start. Gamboa gave up six hits, two runs, two walks and struck out six in seven innings pitched. Jose Miguel Fernandez was responsible for the lone run, he hit his 14th home run that had given the Drillers a brief lead. Brant Whiting also had two hits. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes offense was potent enough to defeat the San Jose Giants 6-1 on Friday. Johan Mieses had two doubles and three RBI, Keibert Ruiz had two hits, scored a run and had one RBI, and Omar Estevez had three hits. Four pitchers took the mound for the Quakes, Andrew Thurman, Zach Hartman and Nolan Long each had scoreless outings, Hartman pitched four innings to get the win. Isaac Anderson finished up allowing a run in his one inning pitched. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons could not complete the sweep and lost 7-4 to Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins). A.J. Alexy struck out nine in his 4⅔ innings pitched. He also gave up five runs, seven hits and one walk. Cristian Santana hit his third home run and was 2-for-4. Santana is hitting .403/.413/.629 in 63 plate appearances. The Loons were unable to take advantage of their opportunities going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Rookie-Pioneer Ogden The Raptors scored the last six runs of the game and beat the Missoula Osprey (Diamondbacks) 8-2 on Friday. Starling Heredia and Nick Yarnall each hit home runs. Devin Hemmerich won his first game, he pitched two innings and gave up a hit and struck out three. Moises Perez, Heredia, Yarnall and Gersel Pitre each had two hits. Jeren Kendall had one hit, one run scored and stole two bases. Rookie-AZL Dodgers The AZL Dodgers were off on Friday. Transactions Triple-A: Right-handed pitcher Parker Curry assigned to Oklahoma City from Rancho Cucamonga; Oklahoma City placed left-handed pitcher Justin Marks on the temporarily inactive list. Class-A: Rancho Cucamonga activated right-handed pitcher Isaac Anderson from the 7-day disabled list; the Office of the Commissioner announced that right-handed pitcher Ivan Vieitez tested positive for Ritalinic Acid and thus was banned for a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Vietez was suspended for 50 games. Friday’s Scores Oklahoma City 4, Iowa 3 NW Arkansas 2, Tulsa 1 Rancho Cucamonga 6, San Jose 1 Cedar Rapids 7, Great Lakes 4 Ogden 8, Missoula 2 DSL Royals 4, DSL Dodgers1 0

DSL Pirates 5, DSL Dodgers2 3 Saturday’s Schedule 4:05 p.m. PT: Tulsa (Tim Shibuya) at NW Arkansas (Foster Griffin) 4:35 p.m.: Great Lakes (Jordan Sheffield) at Quad Cities River Bandits [Astros] (TBD) 5:08 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Fabio Castillo) at Iowa (Jen-Ho Tseng) 6:00 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Caleb Ferguson) at San Jose (Conner Menez) 6:05 p.m.: Ogden (Osiris Ramirez) at Missoula (Franklyn Soriano) 7:00 p.m.: AZL Dodgers at AZL Rangers Jaime Garcia has his way with Dodgers By Eric Stephen So far this homestand hasn’t gone quite like the Dodgers planned. Jaime Garcia, who was rumored to be nearly traded on Thursday night, stayed with Atlanta at least as long enough to torment the Dodgers in a 12-3 Braves romp on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Garcia not only pitched well in his seven innings innings, allowing three run with four strikeouts. Two of those runs came in the seventh, when the Dodgers were behind by double digits. The Braves left-hander also hit an 0-2 pitch against Alex Wood over the right center field wall for a grand slam in the fifth inning, all but ending the competitive phase of Friday’s contest. It was the first grand slam hit by a pitcher against the Dodgers since Jeff Juden took John Cummings deep on Aug. 25, 1995. That was a road game, in Philadelphia, but the last pitcher to hit a grand slam at Dodger Stadium was Hall of Famer Steve Carlton, who took Fernando Valenzuela deep on May 16, 1984. The 0-2 count for Garcia’s slam made it even more rare: It is not out of the realm of possibility that, if the rumored Garcia trade to the Twins goes through soon, that Garcia could also make his next start at Dodger Stadium, too. Minnesota comes to town next Monday through Wednesday. Alex Wood was on the business end of a blowout for the first time all season. Garcia’s slam ended Wood’s night with two outs in the fifth inning, with nine runs (seven earned) against his ledger, handing Wood his first loss of the season. But that wasn’t the only first for Wood on Friday: He allowed a home run to Freddie Freeman earlier in the fifth inning, the first home run Wood allowed at home this season.

The Freeman home run was also the first Wood allowed this year to a lefty. Garcia’s was the second. Wood also dropped his first two-run pop up, a play that had the infielders baffled. Garcia was the batter for that, too. Friday marked the first time the Dodgers have lost consecutive games since June 4-6, which if anything should serve as a reminder of just how incredible those 35 games in between were. Up next Rich Hill starts Saturday for the Dodgers, an earlier start at 6:10 p.m. PT. Julio Teheran starts for Atlanta. Friday particulars Home runs: Freddie Freeman (18), Jaime Garcia (1), Tyler Flowers (8) WP - Jaime Garcia (4-7): 7 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts LP - Alex Wood (11-1): 4⅔ IP, 9 hits, 9 runs (7 earned), 4 walks, 4 strikeouts Dodgers turn to Alex Wood to start new streak By Eric Stephen The Dodgers try to start a new winning streak on Friday night against the Braves, and will send undefeated Alex Wood to the mound against his old team. Wood has been fantastic at Dodger Stadium this season, posting a 1.55 ERA in 46⅓ innings, with 59 strikeouts and 11 walks. Contrast that to the road, where Wood has suffered in his 40⅓ innings, to the tune of a 1.56 ERA. The Dodgers haven’t lost a Wood start since Apr. 26, winning his last 11 starts. Wood has picked up the victory in 10 of those starts with one no-decision, and enters Friday at 11-0 on the season. Wood has yet to allow a run in July, covering two starts and 13 innings. He brings in a 15-inning scoreless streak into Friday night’s contest. The Braves were reportedly close to trading Jaime Garcia to the Twins on Thursday night, but those talks have stalled and it appears Garcia will make his start on Friday night. Maybe. Game info Time: 7:10 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA

DODGER INSIDER

Wood: “Just one of those nights” By Rowan Kavner For more than a month, games such as Friday night’s never happened. The Dodgers hadn’t allowed double-digit runs since June 15, and their streak of 31 wins in 35 games had never been matched in franchise history. Alex Wood hadn’t allowed more than a run in a game in his last five starts and had only allowed more than one run in one of his previous 10 starts. More than anything, Friday’s 12–3 loss put into perspective just how difficult it is to do what the Dodgers have done for the last month and a half. “I think we enjoyed that ride,” said manager Dave Roberts. “We planned on coming in here and starting a new (winning streak) today, but they’re playing good baseball. That’s a good offensive club.” And that Braves team did something no other team has done all season against their former pitcher Wood, who suffered his first loss of the year as he watched his 11–0 start to the season finally suffer a blemish. Wood allowed a career-high nine runs in 4 2/3 innings. Entering the night, the Cy Young candidate had allowed a total of six runs in his last 10 starts combined. “Just one of those nights,” Wood said. “I would’ve liked to have had a better start, but just didn’t get ahead and didn’t execute when I needed to.” The peculiarities began from the start, as an infield single for the Braves was followed by a line drive that made it just over Kiké Hernández’s glove in center field. The relay home was crisp, but the ball popped out of Yasmani Grandal’s glove on the slide. Within two batters, Wood had already equaled the most amount of runs he’d allowed in any of his previous five starts. It got wackier three innings later, as Wood found himself trailing 4–0 when the infield lost a pop-up in the sky. Wood was the last line of defense to retrieve it, and the ball tipped off his glove as two more runs came home. Perhaps the strangest part of the night was an 0–2 grand slam Wood allowed to Braves starting pitcher Jaime Garcia, which was Atlanta’s second homer off Wood on the night. Wood had only allowed two homers all season entering Friday and hadn’t allowed any at home. He entered with the second-best ground-ball rate in the game, so Friday was just a strange one. But the Dodgers have no reason to believe it was any more than an anomaly. It’s just the first time since June 4–6 the Dodgers have lost consecutive games. “Woody hasn’t had an outing like that all year,” Roberts said. “We don’t like those days, but it’s still one loss and we still feel pretty good about ourselves.” And they should.

The Dodgers still own the best record in baseball at 66–31. And they’ve still won 11 of their last 13 games overall and 18 of their last 21 games at Dodger Stadium. As Roberts said before the series began, the Dodgers know they have a target on their back given what they’ve accomplished to start the year. On Thursday and Friday, they got the Braves’ best effort. And they have Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw on the mound Saturday and Sunday, respectively, to finish the series and try to get things back to normal. “We’ve got to flush this one out,” Roberts said. Wood still unbeaten as he faces former team By Rowan Kavner More than halfway through the season, the Dodgers have two legitimate Cy Young Award candidates. One of them is on the mound Friday. Alex Wood looks to get the Dodgers back to their winning ways, taking his 11–0 record into the start following the Dodgers’ first loss since July 2. The Dodgers haven’t lost consecutive games since June 4–6, and they haven’t lost with Wood or Clayton Kershaw on the mound since May 1, a span of 25 straight victories. “It’s a lot of confidence when you have guys like that who take the mound, just the feeling you know you’re going to win,” said manager Dave Roberts. “Our guys have done a good job despite who is pitching, but the confidence that Alex has and coming off a team loss, I know he’s intending to start us on another winning streak. It’s a good thing we have that one-two punch.” For Wood to keep both his perfect record and the streak of consecutive wins alongside Kershaw intact, he’ll have to beat his former team. Wood started his career with the Braves, playing with them from 2013–15 until the Dodgers traded for him in 2015. With a win Friday, he’d become the 11th Major League pitcher to start a season since 12–0 since 1913. He’s already the first Dodger pitcher since then to start the season 11–0. “He’s excited to face his old team,” Roberts said. “I don’t know how much familiarity he has with the staff over there, maybe some of the guys … but I think he’s kind of past that point.” Roberts said last year he might’ve gotten over-amped at times. This season, with Wood accumulating the best ERA in baseball among pitchers who’ve thrown at least 80 innings (1.56), that hasn’t nbeen an issue. “This year, I think his composure has been where it’s needed to be all year,” Roberts said. “Granted, he’s thrown pretty well.”

Injury Updates Both Andre Ethier (60-day DL) and Adrián González (10-day DL), who are out with herniated disks in their back, were on the field in some capacity before Thursday’s game, though both still have some time to go before a return. Ethier is running and throwing but isn’t expected to return before September, according to Roberts. The news is more optimistic for González, who was taking grounders Thursday. Roberts does anticipate a return from González before the start of September. “He wants it, and that’s no surprise as a competitor,” Roberts said. “When the training staff lets me know he can go out there and play some games, I’ll be more figuring out where to plug him in. But it’s a good thing when a player feels they can kind of push the envelope, that means they’re feeling pretty good.” Andrew Toles was also in the clubhouse Thursday. Roberts said it “put a huge smile” on his face to see him with the team Wednesday as he rehabs from a torn ACL. “From what I hear, the rehab is coming along well,” Roberts said. “It’s got to be tough for him. For him, he’d probably never allude to how much it affects him, but he’s supportive of his teammates.” In addition, Roberts said Scott Kazmir went home to Texas to see a body mechanics specialist.

DODGERS PHOTOG BLOG

7/21/17-Something Current-ATL-12, LAD-3 by Jon SooHoo and Juan Ocampo/©LosAngeles Dodgers LLC/2017 By Jon SooHoo https://dodgersphotog.mlblogs.com/7-21-17-something-current-atl-12-lad-3-by-jon-soohoo-and-juan-ocampo-losangeles-dodgers-llc-2017-16446c5e83fe

CBS SPORTS MLB Trade Rumors: Dodgers, Cubs reportedly scouting Yu Darvish Friday By Dayn Perry The Rangers nipped the Rays on Friday night (TEX 4, TB 3 in 10 innings), and in doing so moved to within four games of the second AL wild-card spot. That sounds doable enough, but six teams are ahead of Texas in the queue for that second spot. As such, Texas has long odds of making the postseason (needless to say, the AL West crown is all but out of reach). That's why it's possible that the Rangers will pivot at the deadline and trade away some of their near-term assets.

The greatest of these is ace Yu Darvish, who pitched well in the win over the Rays ... Darvish now has an ERA of 3.44 in 133 1/3 innings, and along the way he has struck out 26.4 percent of opposing batters. Also, the 30-year-old right-hander is in his walk year, which is why the Rangers are reportedly willing to move him. Speaking of which ... The Cubs have already landed Jose Quintana, and using their remaining stores of young position players to land Darvish would obviously improve their rotation even further. As for the Dodgers, adding an ace like Darvish might seem like piling on, but L.A. is in "World Series or bust" mode. Like the Cubs, they're capable of paying the prospect freight in a deal like this. Don't miss these important bipolar warning signs. Read more here about the most common signs and how to get a proper diagnosis. No doubt, other teams are eyeballing Darvish, and these situations are pretty much fluid right up until the moment that they're not. Stay tuned.

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Here's Why The Dodgers Could Trade For Pirates' Closer Felipe Rivero By Michael Duarte Earlier this week I tweeted out that the asking price for two of the best left-handed relief pitchers in the game had reached exorbitant levels, and that I wouldn't be surprised if the Los Angeles Dodgers turned their attention to Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Felipe Rivero. Naturally, this did surprise the fans in Pittsburgh who stubbornly believe that Rivero is the greatest closer in the game, and could fathom no possible future, in any universe, that he would play for anybody else. Sorry Bucs fans, you're wrong. Rivero was acquired from the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline last season in exchange for former Pirates closer Mark Melancon. In less than a year, Rivero has ascended from a lefty specialist, to one of the best relief pitchers in the game. But before we delve deep into Rivero, let's first rewind so that all fans of baseball can understand how we got here. The Dodgers have the best record in baseball and are the betting favorite to win the World Series this year.

With the trade deadline less than 10 days away, the Dodgers front office is searching for an elite left-handed relief pitcher that they can partner with closer Kenley Jansen to formulate an eighth and ninth inning one-two punch that hasn't been seen since the 2014 and 2015 Kansas City Royals. Mark Feinstand of MLB.com was one of the first to list the three top left-handed relievers that the Dodgers were "looking hard" at. According to my sources, and as already been reported by ESPN, and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports and other outlets, the Dodgers have inquired about Britton and Hand. Britton is one of the best closers in baseball over the past three seasons, and has 120 saves since 2014 with an ERA of 1.38 to go along with 215 strikeouts and 55 walks. The Orioles left-hander was 47-for-47 in save opportunities last year and finished with a 0.54 ERA. However, Britton has been on the disabled list with a forearm injury and has pitched in only 12 games. Britton is under contract for the 2018 season at a hefty price tag of $11.4 million. Reportedly, the Orioles are asking for at least three prospects from the Dodgers in return for Britton with Alex Verdugo, Yadier Alvarez, and/or Willie Calhoun among the names at the top of the list. The Dodgers are cautious to send three of their trop prospects to Baltimore for a pitcher who just cameoff the disabled list, and since his return has a 5.14 ERA with four runs allowed on 10 hits in just seven innings pitched. As they turn the tires on Britton, the Dodgers attention shifted to San Diego left-hander Brad Hand, who was named an All-Star this season and has an ERA of 2.30 with 60 strikeouts and a 1.00 WHIP in 47 innings with the Padres this season. Hand is just 27 years old, and finally seems to be coming into his own as a relief pitcher after he struggled in 2014 and 2015 with the Miami Marlins. Once again, sources confirmed that Padres' General Manager, A.J. Preller, told the Dodgers front office that the asking price for Hand starts with Alex Verdugo and would require more prospects on top of that. At one point, the price for Hand got so high, that an anonymous executive told Yahoo's Jeff Passan, that Preller wanted more for Hand than the Dodgers would ask an opposing team in a hypothetical trade for Clayton Kershaw. That brings us to my tweet, and the reason why I was trending in Pittsburgh for most of Friday. League executives, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, have told me that if it's going to cost Los Angeles Alex Verdugo and at least two more top prospects for an elite left-handed reliever, that they wouldn't be surprised if Dodgers' President of Baseball Operations, Andrew Friedman, goes after Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Felipe Rivero.

For those that aren't familiar with Friedman, he's a baseball analytics genius with tremendous foresight and creativity when it comes to transactions. Unlike most executives in baseball, Friedman is always thinking two, three, and four moves ahead. He's constantly thinking big. In 2015, Friedman famously traded for a left-handed starter on the Atlanta Braves by the name of Alex Wood, in addition to Luis Avilan, and closer Jim Johnson for Hector Olivera, Paco Rodriguez, a prospect, and a draft pick. At the time, the Dodgers needed a top of the rotation starter who could slot behind Kershaw and Zack Greinke in the playoffs. Wood was not that guy, but Friedman saw something in him that he liked, plus the fact that he was relatively cheap, and under team control until 2020. Flash forward to Friday, where before his first loss of the season to the Braves, Wood was a perfect 11-0 on the year with a 1.56 ERA and being named to his first ever All-Star Game last week. If that wasn't example enough, before the 2016 season, Friedman traded three prospects to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Todd Frazier, and then immediately sent Frazier to the White Sox for four prospects including Frankie Montas, and Trayce Thompson. When asked why he didn't simply keep Frazier, Friedman told reporters he already had an everyday third baseman in Justin Turner, a baseball journeyman who had been previously waived by the Orioles and released by the New York Mets. Turner was also named an All-Star for the first time and is leading the Majors with a .371 batting average. Thinking ahead, Friedman would later trade Montas and Jharel Cotton at the deadline to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick. The point of all this is that Friedman understands that prospects are extremely valuable and has the foresight to acquire them in exchange for players that could grow into stars (i.e. Chris Taylor, Wood, etc.) Rivero is one of those guys. If the asking price for an elite left-handed arm is at least Alex Verdugo (53), Yadier Alvarez (26), and Willie Calhoun (86), then why not make the same offer, or throw in a fourth Baseball America Top 100 prospect like Walker Buehler (77), and go big for Rivero who has a 0.70 ERA, a 0.697 WHIP and is under team control until 2022? Now here's where the fun begins. After my tweet stating as much, the backlash from Pirates' fans began as they foamed at the mouth like a rabid raccoon ready to bash me with cries of "blasphemy!' Here are some of my favorite responses: I mean the vitriol from these fans alone would lead you to believe I suggested they trade Roberto Clemente, Honus Wagner, and Barry Bonds for a Broadway musical. Now, I don't expect Pittsburgh sports fans to know anything about the Dodgers farm system, but trust me; it's good. If you've never heard the names of Verdugo, Calhoun, Alvarez, or Buehler, then I'm not

surprised if you think, as one Twitter troll wrote to me, that Pirates' General Manager, Neal Huntington, would "hang up immediately" if asked if Rivero was available. Unfortunately, that's not the case and as so many put it, Huntington would be "crazy" or "high" or "drunk," to not listen to an offer that would bring in a haul like that from the Dodgers. Earlier this year, Cody Bellinger was No. 3 on Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list and he's now a National League MVP candidate in his rookie season. Two years ago, Corey Seager and Julio Urias topped the list. To put those prospects in perspective, the Dodgers have five on the list, and each of them is expected to be a starter in the big leagues. The Pirates have three on the list. For those in the Steel City that believe I magically manifested this trade scenario out of thin air, think again. In addition to myself and NBC LA, the Dodgers interest in Rivero has been reported and corroborated by Bleacher Report, as well as USA Today's Bob Nightengale who predicted: Prediction: [Dodgers GM Andrew] Friedman goes massive, and acquires Pittsburgh Pirates left-handed stud Felipe Rivero for, yes, top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo, and perhaps expands the package by including Willie Calhoun and Yadier Alvarez, too. Verdugo could be a star, but Rivero is absolutely filthy, yielding a .088 batting average with only five hits in 17⅓ innings since his first save on June 10. He would provide the Dodgers with the nastiest right-left bullpen combination in baseball. Looking ahead, I realize that this, like most news during the trade deadline, is mostly speculation, and during this time there are literally thousands of calls made by GMs across the league to gauge interest in players and prospects. Does any of this mean with certainty that this or any other trade for that matter is going to happen? No, of course it doesn't. The purpose of the tweet and this article is mainly for discussion and speculation, and as I originally wrote, to "not be surprised," if it does happen. In fact, the Pirates find themselves riding a recent five-game winning streak and are just two games out of first place in the NL Central. This recent surge could possibly throw a monkey wrench in all this. After struggling in the first half, the Bucs are back to .500 and have Starling Marte back (although not for the postseason), and might end up being buyers at the deadline rather than sellers. With that said, Friedman does not like to pay high costs at the trade deadline, and I for one do not want to see any of the team's top 100 prospects sent elsewhere for a team that is on pace to win over 110 games and win the division regardless of who they acquire at the deadline. Friedman did most of his spending in the offseason, and if he is going to make a move, he would rather overpay for a guy like Rivero than for Britton or Hand. If the Dodgers and Friedman do end up doing something at the trade deadline, don't be surprised if it's something big.

Alex Wood Handed First Loss as Dodgers Beat up by Braves, 12-3 By Michael Duarte Perfection doesn't exist. Alex Wood was handed his first loss of the season by his former team as the Atlanta Braves beat down the Los Angeles Dodgers, 12-3, on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Wood was originally drafted by the Braves in the second round of the 2012 MLB Draft, and was traded to the Dodgers at the deadline in 2015 for Hector Olivera. Entering the game, Wood was a perfect 11-0 with a 1.56 ERA, but the Braves hit him early and often to the tune of a career-high nine runs, increasing his ERA to 2.17 by nights' end. "I didn't have my command like normal, and I didn't execute," Wood said of his start. "It's just one of those nights. They have a quality lineup and they didn't help me out a whole lot." Atlanta jumped on Wood with two runs in the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead. After two scoreless frames from Wood, opposing pitcher Jaime Garcia hit a routine pop fly that Wood dropped, allowing two more runs to score on the costly error. "Cody [Belinger] lost the ball in the dark sky. I looked at the last second to see if anyone was coming to catch it, and I heard Yaz [Yasmani Grandal] yelling my name," said Wood of the dropped fly ball. "Instinct takes over and I tried to catch it. In retrospect, you probably won't see me attempt to catch a fly ball anymore." Garcia ultimately was responsible for chasing Wood from the game when he became the first Braves pitcher since Tony Cloninger in 1966 to hit a grand slam. Garcia belted the first grand slam of his career, when he sent a 90MPH fastball from Wood over the fence in right-center to give Atlanta a 9-0 lead. "That was pretty unbelievable," Garcia said of his grand slam. "I've never hit a grand slam in my life. That was pretty cool." Wood (11-1), allowed nine runs (seven earned) on a season-high nine hits with four walks and four strikeouts in just 4 and 2/3 innings. It was Wood's first loss since May 30, 2016 and his first defeat at Dodger Stadium since Sept. 22, 2015. "They kicked our butts the first two nights," concluded Wood. "Hopefully, Rich [Hill] and Kershaw will get them back the next two days." Freddie Freeman and Tyler Flowers also homered in the game for Atlanta.

Garcia (4-7), picked up the win, allowing three runs on seven hits with one walk and four strikeouts in seven strong innings. "I was able to make some pitches early on and keep them off balance," said Garcia of his outing. "I knew it was going to be a tough challenge for me, but I was able to execute my pitches and I was able to stay locked in." The Atlanta left-hander has been mentioned in numerous trade rumors this week, and was expected to miss Friday's start following a trade to the Minnesota Twins. "I'm not going to lie, and say I didn't hear about it, because a lot of people reached out to me," Garcia said about the trade rumors after the game. "I was aware. I don't pay attention to anything going on that's out of my control. I'm an Atlanta Brave and I'm excited that I'm still here." Former Dodger Matt Kemp, went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. The Dodgers managed to scratch across just three runs in the game as they lost back-to-back games for the first time since June 5-6 against the Washington Nationals. "Woody hasn't had an outing like that all year. It's just one of those nights," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts. "We just have to flush this one out and get them tomorrow." The nine-run deficit was the Dodgers most lopsided loss of the season. The Braves have won seven of their last nine games on the road. Up Next: The Braves send their ace, Julio Teheran to the mound on Saturday opposite Rich Hill as first pitch is scheduled for 6:10PM PST.

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