Daily Clips

September 1, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

DODGERS.COM LA drops 5th straight, takes first sweep of year—Steve Gilbert and Ken Gurnick Dodgers leave AZ sliding, but set to turn page—Ken Gurnick LA's callups include top OF prospect Verdugo—Ken Gurnick Seager not ready to resume throwing—Ken Gurnick Kershaw returns, hopes to play stopper in SD—Nathan Ruiz What to expect from Dodgers' Verdugo in big leagues—Jonathan Mayo LA TIMES How great are the 2017 Dodgers?—David Ulin Dodgers are swept for the first time this season in 8-1 loss to the Diamondbacks—Andy McCullough Dodgers to promote Alex Verdugo, leave Joc Pederson in the minors—Andy McCullough Ellen Kershaw, family life keep Dodgers' ace grounded during trials of season—Lindsey Thiry OC REGISTER Kenta Maeda roughed up as Dodgers are swept for first time this season, drop 5th straight—Bill Plunkett Dodgers Notes: Team will promote Alex Verdugo – but not Joc Pederson – this weekend—Bill Plunkett ESPN Dodgers fall to Diamondbacks, swept for first time this season—Associated Press Real or not? D-backs prove they can handle Dodgers —David Schonfield What does it mean to lead your division on Sept. 1?—Sarah Langs A guide to Clayton Kershaw's return to the Dodgers—David Schoenfield TRUE BLUE LA Clayton Kershaw could make history with another ERA title—Eric Stephen Dodgers swept for the first time all season—Eric Stephen Dodgers August review: Dog-day finish—Eric Stephen Scott Barlow pitches well but Drillers lose 6-2—Craig Minami Alex Verdugo will join Dodgers Friday in San Diego—Eric Stephen Wilmer Font named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year—Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER After sweeping 16 teams, Dodgers swept for first time this year—Rowan Kavner Farm Fresh: Verdugo to get the call, Font named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of Year—Rowan Kavner NBC LA Diamondbacks Deal Dodgers First Sweep of Season in 8-1 Blowout Loss—Michael Duarte

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

DODGERS.COM

LA drops 5th straight, takes first sweep of year

By Steve Gilbert and Ken Gurnick

PHOENIX -- It took a full five months before the Dodgers were swept in a three-game series as the D-

backs ended August with an 8-1 win on Thursday afternoon to complete the sweep of Los Angeles at

Chase Field.

The D-backs' offense continued its roll of late, collecting 10 hits and grabbing an early lead that they

would not relinquish in recording their seventh straight victory, which matches their longest streak of

the season. Arizona had not swept the Dodgers at Chase Field since 2008.

"I just think everything is contagious," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. "When a team is playing

well, when things are moving in a very positive direction, there's a ton of energy and pitchers take it

from there. I thought it was a really, really positive game for us in a lot of different areas, and we won a

series and we did a good job."

The support made a winner of Zack Greinke, who allowed one run on four hits over six innings while

becoming the first 16-game winner in the Majors. Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda (12-6) lasted just

three innings and allowed seven runs on eight hits, including homers by Chris Iannetta and A.J. Pollock.

"A lot of mislocated pitches and they took advantage of all of them," said Maeda. "My sliders didn't

break as much as I'd hoped. I was trying to stop the losing streak, but unfortunately it didn't work out

that way. I didn't execute and I didn't perform."

The win increased the D-backs' lead to 3 1/2 games over the Rockies in the race for the top National

League Wild Card spot. The two teams will meet in a crucial three-game series in Denver this weekend.

The Dodgers, who have now lost five straight games, still hold a commanding 16-game lead over the D-

backs in the NL West.

"It's time to feel this, enjoy it, embrace it, and once we get on the plane, let's lock it down and get ready

for a very tough Colorado series," Lovullo said. "That's going to be my message to the guys."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Goldy starts it: First baseman Paul Goldschmidt got the D-backs on the board in the first with a two-run

double down the left-field line that scored Gregor Blanco and Jake Lamb. Over the three-game series,

the D-backs outscored the Dodgers, 10-0, in the opening frame.

"With their team, I guess you never really feel too comfortable," Greinke said of the Dodgers. "They've

come from behind plenty of times."

Top two: Adrian Gonzalez's RBI double cut the Arizona lead to 2-1 in the top of the second, but the D-

backs quickly regained control in the bottom half with an RBI double by Blanco and a two-run homer by

Iannetta. Blanco and Iannetta combined to go 4-for-6 with two doubles, a homer, two walks, three RBIs

and three runs scored out of the top two spots in the lineup.

"He's just a tough hitter overall," Lovullo said of Iannetta. "He understands where he's at at the plate

and what his strengths are and he's always prepared."

IMPACT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL

Pollock went deep in the third, and he also contributed in the field with two outstanding catches. The

first came in the top of the inning, when he leaped and caught a ball against the wall in center to take a

run-scoring hit away from Cody Bellinger.

Pollock's second grab came when the game was already in hand, as he dove to rob Yasiel Puig of an

extra-base hit in the ninth.

"That's A.J., though," Lovullo said. "He's going to do that no matter what the score is, what the situation

is, what the inning is. He's a premier center fielder."

WHAT'S NEXT

Dodgers: Friday's series opener in San Diego is the long-awaited return of ace Clayton Kershaw, who

starts the 7:10 p.m. PT game at Petco Park. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he hopes to get five

innings or 75 pitches from Kershaw, who hasn't pitched since July 23 because of a lower back strain. The

lefty is 16-6 with a 2.00 ERA in his career against the Padres.

D-backs: Arizona opens a six-game road trip Friday at 5:40 p.m. MST in Colorado with Taijuan Walker on

the mound. Walker has been outstanding in his last two starts, going 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA. He has made

four career starts against the Rockies and is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA.

Dodgers leave AZ sliding, but set to turn page

By Ken Gurnick

PHOENIX -- Now the Dodgers are streaking in the other direction.

Clayton Kershaw returns from the disabled list on Friday, asked to stop a season-high losing streak that

reached five on Thursday with a flat 8-1 defeat to the D-backs. The Dodgers suffered their first series

sweep of the year against a team that dislikes them and hopes to face them in the postseason, as the D-

backs currently lead the National League Wild Card race.

"They're a good offensive club, they're playing at home, they're feeling good about themselves," said

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose club's last five-game losing streak was April 25-30, 2016, and

was last swept at Chase Field in 2008.

"It's baseball. We got Kersh going tomorrow. To get a good start out of him is something we expect to

get us back on track. With where we're at right now, not that he needs more motivation or incentive, I

know he wants to put a stop to this little downslide."

The Dodgers are still a staggering 50 games above .500, but the division lead of 21 games last week has

been trimmed to 16 games. They are winless since starting shortstop Corey Seager left the lineup with a

sore elbow, and he won't be back for at least a week. They are 2-6 since the Sports Illustrated cover jinx

was activated. Everybody now wants to beat the Dodgers, especially the D-backs.

"Teams are looking to go out and play their best baseball against us," said Roberts. "The clip we were on

for a few months, obviously, we were in rare company."

Again, starting pitching was the primary culprit. Kenta Maeda joined Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu for a rare

trifecta of inadequate starts. Maeda allowed two homers and seven runs (most as a Dodger) in three

innings, bringing the trio's series totals to 19 runs in 10 2/3 innings (16.03 ERA) that included six home

runs and 14 extra-base hits.

"Starting pitching this series wasn't there," said Roberts. "When you start behind the 8-ball, it's tough to

fight back. You're as good as your starting pitching. For three days, we didn't have it. We have to turn

the page."

The tone was set in the bottom of the first inning when right fielder Yasiel Puig casually turned Gregor

Blanco's single into a double, and it deteriorated quickly from there. The only Dodgers run off former

teammate Zack Greinke came in the second inning on Adrian Gonzalez's RBI double that scored Yasmani

Grandal.

Gonzalez has seen the up-and-down swings of pennant races for more than a decade. He was not

sounding any panic alarms.

"They definitely beat us, they outhit us. I think it was one of those times in the year that every team

goes through," said Gonzalez. "We've been fortunate and good enough that we haven't gone through it.

I think we'll recover tomorrow and get back on track. I think we're resilient, we know what we got to do.

I do think there's something to be said to just continue to win and go into the postseason without losing.

When we face them in L.A. [beginning Monday], we can turn that around."

LA's callups include top OF prospect Verdugo

By Ken Gurnick

PHOENIX -- Top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo will be among the Friday callups by the Dodgers when

rosters expand, manager Dave Roberts confirmed on Thursday.

Verdugo, a left-handed hitter, will vie for playing time with fellow left-handed-hitting outfielders Curtis

Granderson and Andre Ethier, the latter being activated on Friday after missing five months with a

herniated disc in his back.

"We're going to play him," Roberts said of Verdugo. "We have a lot of outfield options. But I do want to

see Alex take at-bats and get out there."

Left-handed-hitting Cody Bellinger also has played the outfield, but he is expected to play primarily at

first base with Adrian Gonzalez on the bench. Lefty Joc Pederson, demoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City to

work on a new batting stance, will be recalled later.

"Joc's going to stay, whether to finish the season or a day or two early," Roberts said. "It's more to give

him continuous at-bats. From the reports, the last couple of days have been better. To build on that

momentum, it's best for Joc."

Verdugo is hitting .314 with six home runs and 62 RBIs. He has played all three outfield positions this

year. He is ranked by MLBPipeline.com as the club's No. 2 prospect -- behind pitcher Walker Buehler --

and No. 28 in all of baseball. Verdugo was the target of several teams in trade talks last month.

Brock Stewart also will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start the day game of Saturday's

doubleheader in San Diego. Roberts said that Wilmer Font, named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the

Year, is "definitely in the conversation" for a September callup, and Font's agent tweeted that he was

getting recalled.

Follow

Font, 27, appeared in the Major Leagues with Texas in 2012 and '13, and like Verdugo, he would need to

be added to the 40-man roster.

Seager not ready to resume throwing

By Ken Gurnick

PHOENIX -- Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager won't resume throwing until Monday or return to the

starting lineup until late next week at the earliest because of a sore elbow that has already kept him out

of the lineup for the current series with the D-backs.

Seager began taking ground balls without throwing before Thursday's series finale here, and manager

Dave Roberts said "the acuteness of the injury" required a cautious initial approach, but

"symptomatically, it's getting better."

Seager remains available for pinch-hitting, which he did in the first two games of the series.

"I'd say for Corey, through San Diego to continue to take grounders and no throwing," Roberts said.

"Probably on Monday we'll start a little throwing program. Only seven days of not throwing; it won't

take long to build back up. Something like [the Colorado series that begins Thursday] is the way we're

mapping this out."

Roberts said the club shut down Seager because "any time you have acute pain, sometimes

subconsciously you try to manipulate the motion to not hurt it. We're trying to get ahead of it and not

compromise himself and and put himself in harm's way. That's what we're trying to do."

Although Seager has had the condition at least since the club was in Detroit two weeks ago, he said he

could play.

"That's his opinion," said Roberts. "I think the medical staff thinks differently."

While Seager is out, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez will share shortstop duties.

Kershaw returns, hopes to play stopper in SD

By Nathan Ruiz

Dealing with their first real rough patch this season, the Dodgers get their best arm back Friday, when

left-hander Clayton Kershaw comes off the disabled list to start the team's series opener against the

Padres at Petco Park. Los Angeles has lost five straight games.

Kershaw, on the DL since July 24 with a lower back strain, leads the Majors with a 2.04 ERA. He faces a

San Diego team he's seen twice this year, allowing two earned runs in 14 1/3 frames. Dodgers manager

Dave Roberts said he hopes to get five innings or 75 pitches from Kershaw.

"I'm excited. It's no fun to be hurt," said Kershaw. "I feel great. Not pitching this long, there's going to be

some rust and adjustment I have to make. I feel as prepared as I can be having not pitched in a Major

League game for a while."

The Padres were also the team to face Giants ace Madison Bumgarner in his first start off the DL when

the teams met after the All-Star break. San Diego is 3-9 against Los Angeles this season.

"It's an opportunity to test yourself," Padres manager Andy Green said. "If you want to beat them, if you

want to win a World Series someday ... you don't want to look at the schedule and say, 'Man, why did

we get those guys?' You want to say, 'Good.' This is how you find out what you're made of and how far

away you are from doing something special."

Rookie right-hander Dinelson Lamet will open the four-game series for the Padres. He has a 2.63 ERA in

his past seven starts, allowing four hits or fewer in each.

The teams play a doubleheader on Saturday.

Friday marks the first day of September roster expansion, meaning teams can have their entire 40-man

roster active. The Dodgers are expected to activate veteran outfielder Andre Ethier from the DL while

adding top outfield prospect Alex Verdugo and pitcher Brock Stewart, who will start the early game on

Saturday.

Things to know about this game

• Kershaw ranks sixth among starters this season (minimum 300 opponent at-bats) with a .200 expected

batting average, based on the quality of contact against him and his actual strikeout numbers. However,

Lamet (.192) ranks fourth in that group, trailing only Max Scherzer among NL starters.

• This will be Lamet's first start against the Dodgers. Given his team's depth, Roberts will likely be able to

deploy a lefty-heavy lineup against Lamet, who has fared much better against same-handed batters.

Righties have slashed .141/.230/.276 against him compared to .268/.365/.523 by left-handed hitters.

• Fresh off the DL himself, Dodgers rookie slugger Cody Bellinger is hitting .412/.474/.794 against the

Padres with four home runs. His 12 RBIs are his most against any opponent.

What to expect from Dodgers' Verdugo in big leagues

By Jonathan Mayo

The Dodgers struck gold earlier this season when they called up Cody Bellinger from the Minors. Aside

from an ankle injury the first baseman/outfielder just returned from, Bellinger has been a godsend for

the lineup and has to be a shoo-in for National League Rookie of the Year Award honors thanks to his 34

homers and 79 RBIs over his first 101 games.

Ever since he got called up, there's been the question of when the Dodgers' next best hitting prospect,

Alex Verdugo, would follow. Obviously, there had to a need or a spot, and that finally will happen when

rosters can expand on Friday and the outfielder, ranked No. 2 on the Dodgers' Top 30 Prospects list, is

summoned to the big leagues.

Currently the No. 28 prospect on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list, Verdugo won't be asked to do as much

heavy lifting as Bellinger, who was inserted into the lineup upon arrival because of holes in the outfield

and an anemic offense. But Verdugo's left-handed bat and his ability to play all three outfield spots with

one of the best throwing arms in the Minors can be assets for the team.

Verdugo carries a .314/.389/.436 line with him to the Dodgers, though he's slowed down in the second

half (.244/.329/.378) after a torrid first half in the Pacific Coast League (.346/.416/.463). One thing that

hasn't changed is his ability to get on base and draw walks.

The 2014 second-round pick has more free passes (52) than strikeouts (50) in 2017. He does have some

raw pop, but he's more of a contact-oriented and line-drive type of hitter, one who loves going the

other way. That said, there is some extra-base ability in there.

He's an average runner who will steal a base now and again, though it's unlikely to see him being a huge

baserunning weapon in September. He's played a lot of center field, where his instincts have helped him

maximize what speed he does have. But his 70-grade arm really looks good in a corner, especially in

right field. Verdugo had 24 outfield assists in 2015 and 13 more a year ago. This year he's picked up nine

as Triple-A runners have learned not to test him.

Should the need arise because of injury, the Dodgers should feel comfortable with giving Verdugo

extended playing time in any of the three spots in the outfield. But the Dodgers' outfield is pretty set

now, especially with the return of Bellinger to the lineup and the recent acquisition of veteran Curtis

Granderson.

As the Dodgers steamroll to the postseason, Verdugo can help the main outfield contributors rest up

with some spot starts as needed.

In general, though, Verdugo's appearances will be largely be of the pinch-hitting and defensive

replacement/double-switch variety. The good news is, with his advanced approach at the plate, he

should be able to contribute in those limited looks as he's not the kind of hitter with a lot of swing-and-

miss in his game who needs to play every day to be in a good rhythm.

LA TIMES

How great are the 2017 Dodgers?

By David Ulin

When Rich Hill lost his no-hitter, and the game, in the 10th inning last week against the Pittsburgh

Pirates, it was a rare setback for the 2017 Dodgers, who are having what could be a historic year. After

131 games, the team’s record stands at 91-40, for a winning percentage of .695. That projects to 113

wins over the course of a full 162-game campaign, and only four other teams (the 1910 Pirates, the 1927

and 1998 New York Yankees, and the 1954 Cleveland Indians) have ever won 110 or more games in a

year.

If the Dodgers can maintain such a pace, they will finish as one of the best regular season teams of all

time. The major league record for victories in a season is 116, shared by the 2001 Seattle Mariners and

the 1906 Chicago Cubs.

The catch is that phrase “regular season,” which suggests one of the challenges the Dodgers are up

against. According to ESPN, since 1995 only 3 of 11 teams with the best regular-season record have gone

on to win the World Series. Among the also-rans? Those 2001 Mariners, who didn’t even make it to the

fall classic, losing the American League Championship Series to the New York Yankees in five games.

The Mariners offer a cautionary lesson; the quest for a record-making season captivated their fans, but

it left the players exhausted and stretched thin. ESPN quotes third baseman Bret Boone: “The grind and

the scrutiny kind of beat us down.” The team is now something of a footnote, its achievement

diminished by the failure to win a championship.

This season marks the 60th since the Dodgers left New York.

The Dodgers’ situation is somewhat different because the team is chasing a trio of legacies, not just one.

Besides the major league mark, they are on track to surpass the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers (105-49) for

most wins in team history, and the 1974 squad (102-60) for the best record since moving to Los Angeles.

That both of those teams went on to lose the World Series is one more indication of how elusive the

standard of baseball greatness is.

Then there is the long — and distinct — history of California baseball, which extends back to the 19th

century. The Dodgers are part of this also, playing not just to be among the best ever teams in the

majors, but among the best ever in California as well.

Big league ball came to the West Coast, famously, when the Dodgers and the New York Giants deserted

Brooklyn and Manhattan after the 1957 season. But they didn’t step into a baseball void. Between 1903

and 1956, the original Los Angeles Angels won the Pacific Coast League pennant 14 times. The 1934

team went 137-50 — a winning percentage of .733 — and is widely regarded as the greatest minor

league team of all time.

How would the 2017 Dodgers stack up against the 1934 Angels? This is, of course, the sort of question

baseball fans love, although it represents a false equivalency.

In the first place, baseball has changed a lot since the Angels (also known as the Seraphs — how I wish

the current team would bring back that nickname) played at Wrigley Field, the 22,000-seat ballpark that

opened in 1925 near 41st and Avalon. There are no videos, no film clips; nothing except statistics to fuel

a comparison. The stars of that Angel team — including future Cubs all-star Frank Demaree, who hit 45

home runs and batted .383 — don’t linger in our memories.

And of course there’s the matter of major league versus minor league. The two can’t really be

compared, even when the minor league in question is the PCL, which counted among its players Ted

Williams and Joe DiMaggio. Before baseball’s westward expansion, the PCL sought to position itself as a

third major league, and in 1952, it was given its own classification, between the majors and the highest

minor league. Even at its peak, though, it was still a group of farm teams, which sent its best players on

to the major leagues.

All the same, I think, we gain something from considering the Dodgers in that context, as not only part

of their own history but also the state’s heritage

The Dodgers have played in California for a long time; this season marks the 60th since they left New

York. Dodger Stadium has been their home for 11 years longer than they occupied legendary Ebbets

Field. It’s irrelevant that the team took its name from the kids who ran in front of Brooklyn trolleys —

“trolley dodgers,” they were called — just as it no longer matters that the Lakers’ name was inspired by

the 10,000 lakes of Minnesota; these teams belong to Southern California now.

As for the 2017 Dodgers and the question of their achievement, let’s look again at Rich Hill. A

journeyman, playing for his eighth team in 13 seasons, he became, in that game in Pittsburgh, only the

12th pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter through nine innings and still lose. What this

suggests is that baseball greatness is fleeting and altogether unpredictable — and that will be true even

for a team playing at the very top of its game.

Here’s another way to think about it. Those 1934 Angels lost close to 27% of the time; the 2017

Dodgers, so far, have lost a little more often than that. Failure, in other words, touches the most

successful teams.

Meanwhile, there is always another game, another season, another layer added to the history of the

sport. How great are these Dodgers? Only time — and perhaps not even that — will tell.

Dodgers are swept for the first time this season in 8-1 loss to the Diamondbacks

By Andy McCullough

Clayton Kershaw leaned across the dugout railing as this three-game demolition came to an end. A

sparse crowd at Chase Field mustered the chant of “Beat L.A.” When the Arizona Diamondbacks secured

the final out in this 8-1 shellacking, Kershaw spun around and filtered into the loser’s clubhouse. He

trudged alongside a group of teammates who required his presence.

After missing five weeks with a strained back, Kershaw will start Friday night in San Diego. His activation

occurs at a fortuitous time. Who better to snap this five-game losing streak?

“That will be fun,” first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said about Kershaw’s return. “That will be good.”

Little else classified as either fun or good for the Dodgers (91-41) during this series against their

potential National League division series foes. The Diamondbacks crushed Kenta Maeda to complete a

27-inning battering of the Dodgers’ starters. The trio of Maeda, Rich Hill and Hyun-jin Ryu gave up19

runs in 10 2/3 innings.

Maeda managed to dip beneath the low bar set by his predecessors. He completed three innings and

surrendered seven runs. He struggled to locate the baseball in areas besides the middle of the plate. The

Dodgers do not intend to have Maeda start games in the playoffs, but if they needed reassurances why,

he provided a reminder Thursday.

“The starting pitching in this series wasn’t there,” manager Dave Roberts said. “When you start behind

the 8-ball, it’s tough to continue to fight back. We talk about how you’re as good as your starting

pitching. It was one of those series where for three days, we didn’t have it.”

Down six runs after the third, the Dodgers’ lineup could not replicate the comebacks of Tuesday and

Wednesday. In the first two games of this series, the hitters charged back from sizable deficits to, at the

very least, put pressure on Arizona’s bullpen. On Thursday, the group capitulated against Arizona ace

Zack Greinke (16-6), who limited his former club to one run and four hits.

On Wednesday night, as the Dodgers contemplated their first four-game losing streak of the season,

Roberts settled on a solution. Momentum in baseball, the cliche goes, lasts only as long as the next day’s

starting pitcher. Already Roberts had begun to think about how his team could hold off the

Diamondbacks. Maeda needed to “take command of the game,” he said.

Maeda got the stakes. He knows his place in the team’s playoff plans is tenuous. He understands each

outing of his occurs under heightened scrutiny. But he could not fulfill his manager’s wish.

“I was trying to stop the losing streak,” Maeda said. “But unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way.”

At the start, Maeda did not receive much help from his right fielder. The losing streak did not appear to

create urgency for Yasiel Puig in the first inning. Gregor Blanco, Arizona’s first batter, lined a 2-0 fastball

into right field. The pitch landed near Puig’s feet. He secured it in his glove and took his time throwing it

back to the infield. The nonchalance allowed Blanco to sprint into second base.

Maeda then walked catcher Chris Iannetta and floated an 0-1 changeup to All-Star first baseman Paul

Goldschmidt, who smashed it into left field for a two-run double.

By yielding only two runs, Maeda offered the best first inning of the three starters in this series. Hill gave

up five runs Tuesday. Ryu permitted three Wednesday.

The offense even offered Maeda some assistance. Gonzalez roped a two-out RBI double in the top of the

second. The Dodgers appeared set to break the cycle established in this series.

Then Maeda returned to the mound for the bottom of the second. It did not go well. Shortstop Ketel

Marte collected a one-out single. Two batters later, Blanco ripped a changeup into the right-field corner.

He did not require Puig’s help for a double this time, and Marte raced home.

Up next was Iannetta, who hit a hanging 1-2 slider for two-run homer to left.

“They were seeing him well today,” Roberts said. “They took some really good swings. When you’re

seeing a guy well and you’re behind in the count and you leave balls out over the plate — in this ballpark

— it’s tough to pitch.”

Once more, the Dodgers had fallen back into the familiar pattern of the previous two games. Maeda

only made it worse. The third inning presented more of the same. Goldschmidt led off with a double.

Maeda pumped a 91-mph fastball inside to outfielder A.J. Pollock, who launched a two-run shot that

gave Arizona a six-run lead.

“A lot of mis-located pitches,” Maeda said. “And they took advantage of all of them.”

During the past five months, the Dodgers breezed through each day without adversity. If they took a

lead, they usually held it. If they fell behind, they often came back. If a starting pitcher got leveled, the

offense picked him up. For three days in Arizona, the Dodgers could not compensate for their pitching.

Which made the return of Kershaw that much more of a relief.

“The clip that we were on, for a few months at least, we were in rare company,” Roberts said. “Did I

foresee us losing five in a row? No. But I know we’ll turn it around. We’ve got to find a way to win a

game.”

Dodgers to promote Alex Verdugo, leave Joc Pederson in the minors

By Andy McCullough

The expansion of rosters across the major leagues on Friday will afford the Dodgers an opportunity to

display the hierarchy of its young outfielders.

Alex Verdugo, the organization’s top position prospect, will be promoted. Joc Pederson, a former All-

Star trying to fix his swing in the minors, will not.

Pederson is expected to remain with triple-A Oklahoma City for the rest of the minor league season,

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Thursday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The team demoted Pederson, who had hit .191 in the second half, after acquiring Curtis Granderson on

Sept. 18. In his first nine games with Oklahoma City, Pederson hit .167.

The Dodgers placed a high value on Verdugo, a 21-year-old center fielder, during trade discussions in

July, as rival clubs pressed to acquire him. Verdugo has hit .314 with an .825 on-base-plus-slugging

percentage. He will contend for a spot on the postseason roster.

“We’re going to play him,” Roberts said.

Verdugo will join a group of September call-ups that includes Andre Ethier and Brock Stewart. Catcher

Kyle Farmer and utility man Rob Segedin also are likely to get promoted. The team may bring up former

first-round pick Walker Buehler to pitch as a reliever.

Verdugo, a left-handed batter, has an .810 on-base-plus-slugging percentage against left-handed hitters

this season, which could help him crack the lineup. He will join an outfield that already includes

Granderson, Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig, Enrique Hernandez and, on occasion, Cody Bellinger.

The Dodgers did not deem Pederson ready to rejoin that group. The Oklahoma City seasons ends Sept.

4.

Seager can hit, not field

Nursing an injured right elbow, Corey Seager took ground balls Thursday afternoon but did not throw

the baseball.

He is unlikely to play shortstop this weekend in San Diego or in next week’s series against Arizona,

Roberts said. The team hopes Seager can start a throwing program on Monday.

Asked about his injury earlier this week, Seager insisted he was “100% fine.” Roberts disputed that

assessment.

“That’s his opinion,” Roberts said. “I think the medical staff feels differently.”

The concern for the Dodgers, Roberts explained, is that Seager would aggravate his condition by altering

his throwing mechanics to compensate for his discomfort.

“That’s what we’re trying to guard against,” Roberts said. “Any time there’s acute pain, subconsciously

you try to manipulate your arm so you don’t hurt it more. To try to get ahead of it, that’s what we’re

trying to do. That’s the whole point of this.

“Could Corey play right now? Absolutely. But to not compromise it, put him in harm’s way, that’s what

we’re trying to do.”

Kershaw set for return

After missing five weeks with a back strain, Clayton Kershaw will return to the mound Friday against San

Diego.

Kershaw is slated to throw a five-inning, 75-pitch outing, Roberts said. Kershaw struck out eight and

allowed a solo homer in a five-inning rehab outing for triple-A Oklahoma City last week.

Even after his stint on the disabled list, Kershaw started Thursday leading major league starters in

earned-run average (2.04) and was tied for the lead in wins (15).

Ellen Kershaw, family life keep Dodgers' ace grounded during trials of season

By Lindsey Thiry

The phone couldn’t update her fast enough.

Ellen Kershaw, wife of pitching ace Clayton Kershaw — a.k.a. the most important person to the Dodgers’

most important person — was aboard a Los Angeles-bound flight from Florida in July when her husband

made his second post-All-Star-game start.

She was checking the game’s progress when she saw that Clayton had been pulled after the second

inning.

“To not know what was going on and not be able to get a hold of him to know if he was sick or hurt or

whatever was going on, there were definitely butterflies in my stomach,” she recalled a few weeks later.

Clayton had been removed because of what was later diagnosed as a lower-back strain. He was placed

on the disabled list the next day and hasn’t pitched in a big-league game since; he is scheduled to make

his return start Friday against the Padres in San Diego.

Before they had children, the injury might have devastated both Kershaws. Not anymore.

Not Ellen. Not even Clayton.

The couple has a 2-year-old daughter, Cali, and a 9-month-old son, Charley.

In an interview during spring training, Ellen said parenthood had “evened out” the couple.

“We can’t have the highs and lows,” she said.

That was evident after Clayton went on the disabled list.

Two days later, Cali threw out the first pitch — to her father — before a game at Dodger Stadium. The

next night, Clayton and Ellen hosted a stadium event for their charity, Kershaw’s Challenge.

“Ellen always had a bigger goal with baseball,” said Clayton, who signed a seven-year, $215-million

contract in 2014.

The couple’s priorities continue to evolve.

Four months a year, Clayton, 29, is a stay-at-home dad. “My time to catch up with the kiddos,” he said.

Ellen, for 12 months a year, is the glue that holds the family together.

“There’s so many different hats as a baseball wife,” said Ellen, 30, who described her role as the family’s

traveling secretary, real estate agent and accountant. “I feel like I had kind of gotten into the groove of

that, and then you start adding kids to it and it’s a whole other ballgame.”

The Kershaws move three times a year: from hometown Dallas to Phoenix for spring training and then

Los Angeles for the regular season.

Home is a loose term; it’s wherever Dad is at the time. Ellen takes pride that Cali learned to travel when

she was just a few weeks old, and that the two of them navigated two Dodgers road trips a month in

2016. This season, Charley is learning the road life.

“That’s something I really want to instill in our kids, is family comes first,” Ellen said. “So while they’re

not in school we are going to travel with Dad, and you are all going to learn how to be on plane flights

and in different stadiums and in different time zones.”

Before Cali’s birth, Ellen said Clayton woke up focused, quiet and pensive on the days he pitched.

“Man, that had to change,” she said. “He has to wake up and be Dad. The kids don’t care if it’s game day

or not, so they expect him to be all there and he’s really been great.”

Clayton will play dress up and tea party, and knows the names of all the Disney princesses. He can sing

along to the “Frozen” soundtrack, too, Ellen said.

That stoic game-day routine? “Not so intense,” Clayton said, smiling, “for sure.”

Ellen and Clayton began dating at Highland Park High in Dallas. Ellen went on to attend Texas A&M while

Clayton, the seventh overall pick in the 2006 draft, began ascending through the Dodgers’ farm system.

Clayton made his big league debut in 2008, and the couple married in 2010. Not long after, Clayton

joined Ellen on a trip to Zambia, in East Africa, where she had previously traveled to work with orphans.

“It was always on her heart,” Clayton said, adding, “It wasn’t on my radar and I knew when I married her

that it was going to involve me, so we went over there the first time three weeks after we got married.

And it does. It changes you.”

Charity work, Ellen said, is the foundation of their marriage. “I would say even though it began with my

passion, Clayton was the ringleader of putting something into action,” she said.

The couple founded Kershaw’s Challenge six years ago to improve the quality of life and provide

opportunities to vulnerable, underprivileged children. It has since expanded to the Dominican Republic,

Dallas and Los Angeles. The Kershaws donate money, and donors make pledges, for every batter Clayton

strikes out. They also hold fundraisers in Los Angeles and Texas.

The charity gave away $1.3 million in 2016, according to the Kershaw’s Challenge website.

The U.S and Dominican locations have made it easier for the Kershaws to maintain their hands-on

involvement, but it hasn’t fulfilled everything that Ellen hopes for.

“We are people that want to see the process, to know the people, to touch the kids, to hear their

stories,” Ellen said. “We do believe that everything we’ve been given is so undeserved and is a blessing.

… That is why we stay grounded.”

While the Kershaws make time for their family and charity, they also are gearing up for a Dodgers

playoff run.

During last season’s National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals, Ellen was at

home because she was nine months pregnant.

She watched on television as her husband dramatically emerged from the bullpen on one day of rest in

Game 5, saving the Dodgers’ season.

“I was like, ‘You can’t do that to me anymore!’” Ellen said she told Clayton afterward. “‘It is just too

nerve-racking.’”

This season, the Dodgers appear poised to make an even deeper run into the postseason. Ellen said the

entire Kershaw clan is ready.

“We’re traveling a ton with the team, and especially now that it’s about to get to the exciting time of

September and October,” she said. “We won’t miss a trip.”

OC REGISTER

Kenta Maeda roughed up as Dodgers are swept for first time this season, drop 5th straight

By Bill Plunkett

PHOENIX — For five weeks, the Dodgers could fool themselves into thinking they didn’t really need

Clayton Kershaw to keep winning.

They need him now.

The Arizona Diamondbacks battered the Dodgers’ starting pitchers for three consecutive days at Chase

Field, completing a sweep of the Dodgers with an 8-1 victory Thursday afternoon.

The sweep was the first of the Dodgers since they lost the last three games of the 2016 regular season

to the San Francisco Giants. The loss also extended the Dodgers’ losing streak to five games, their

longest since a six-game skid April 25-30, 2016.

“They definitely beat us in these three games. They outhit us,” veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez

said. “It’s just one of those times of year every team goes through. We’ve been fortunate and good

enough that we haven’t gone through it.”

That it has come against the Diamondbacks might make it a little more troubling. The Diamondbacks

have played the Dodgers as tough as anyone on their schedule, splitting 16 games overall and winning

six of nine at Chase Field.

It’s the kind of positive feeling that could come in handy for wild-card team facing a 100-win team in a

best-of-five NL Division Series matchup.

“With our situation, every game matters right now,” Diamondbacks outfielder A.J. Pollock said. “We

have a really good mindset. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. We feel like we have a good chance to

win every night.”

The Dodgers never had much of a chance in this series thanks to their starting pitching.

Right-hander Kenta Maeda lasted only three innings Thursday and gave up multiple runs in each. The

Diamondbacks roughed him up for seven runs on eight hits in that short time with six of the hits going

for extra bases – four doubles plus home runs by Chris Iannetta and Pollock.

One of those doubles illustrated the different energy between the wild-card chasing Diamondbacks and

the Dodgers, secure in their double-digit lead.

Gregor Blanco led off the bottom of the first with a sinking line drive to right field. Yasiel Puig started to

charge the ball but pulled up and wisely played it on a hop. But he played it nonchalantly and lazily held

the ball as Blanco charged around first base, beating Puig’s flat-footed throw to second for a double.

“A lot of mislocated pitches and they took advantage of all of them,” Maeda said through his

interpreter.

He wasn’t alone.

In the three-game sweep by the Diamondbacks, the Dodgers’ three starting pitchers – Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin

Ryu and Maeda – combined to allow 19 runs in 10-2/3 innings. The Diamondbacks hit .436 (24 for 55)

against the trio with 14 extra-base hits (seven doubles, a triple and six home runs).

“The starting pitching this series wasn’t there,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When you start

behind the 8-ball it’s tough to continue to fight back. We talk about – you’re as good as your starting

pitching. It was one of those series where for three days we didn’t have it.”

Any panic can be tempered by the knowledge that two of the starting pitchers in this series (Ryu and

Maeda) will probably not throw a pitch in the postseason. Kershaw and Alex Wood most likely will and

both of them return from the DL this weekend in San Diego with Kershaw scheduled to start Friday

against the Padres.

The Dodgers were 19-2 in Kershaw’s 21 starts before he went on the DL with a lower back strain in late

July. Over the past three seasons, they are 23-8 when Kershaw starts following a loss.

“The clip that we were on for three months, we were in rare company,” Roberts said. “Did I foresee us

losing five in a row? No. But I know we’ll turn it around and find a way to win a game.”

The Dodgers are still in rare company. According to Elias Sports, the Dodgers (91-40) are the first team

since the 1969 Baltimore Orioles to have a five-game losing streak and still be at least 50 games over

.500. The ’69 Orioles won 109 games.

Like Justin Turner after Wednesday’s loss, Gonzalez (who drove in the Dodgers’ only run with a second-

inning RBI double off Zack Greinke) said “there is something to be said” for having a little adversity on

the road to the postseason.

“You saw what teams that have won that many games in the past have done,” he said, referring to

historic regular-season win totals that didn’t lead to the ultimate postseason prize. “You go into that

postseason without that hunger because you don’t have any … road block or something to overcome.

“Having said that, it’s not like we want to lose. We’re out here playing hard and trying to win every

game. I think we’ll get back on track tomorrow and when we face them back in L.A. (next week) we’ll

turn that back around.”

Dodgers Notes: Team will promote Alex Verdugo – but not Joc Pederson – this weekend

By Bill Plunkett

PHOENIX – A center fielder from Triple-A Oklahoma City will be joining the Dodgers in San Diego when

rosters expand this weekend.

And it won’t be Joc Pederson.

Alex Verdugo, the Dodgers’ top-rated position player prospect and the 28th-rated prospect in the

minors overall, will be one of the team’s first September call-ups. Pederson, who has played as much left

field as center field since being demoted to Triple-A, will not. Pederson is likely to join the Dodgers after

the Triple-A season ends next week when another wave of call-ups is expected.

One of the youngest position players in Triple-A this year, Verdugo, 21, was also one of the Pacific Coast

League’s better hitters, batting .314 with a .389 on-base percentage.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Verdugo will join the team in San Diego but wouldn’t be

specific about his plans regarding playing time for the young outfielder.

“We’re going to play him,” Roberts said. “I do want to see Alex take at-bats and get out there.”

The Dodgers do not have the same curiosity level with Pederson, who has hit .167 (6 for 36) with one

extra-base hit (a double) in nine games for OKC since being demoted. Six of those games have been in

left field, not center field. All 322 of Pederson’s big-league starts with the Dodgers came in center field.

Like his offense, though, Pederson’s defense in center field (particularly his range) has regressed this

season. Chris Taylor never played center field before this spring but he and Kike’ Hernandez both rate

higher defensively in center field than Pederson.

“We want all of these guys to be able to play multiple positions,” Dodgers GM Farhan Zaidi of the move

for Pederson. “I can imagine certain configurations where it makes sense to have him playing there,

others where he’s playing center. We just want him to be at least comfortable playing both when he

comes back.

“We still see him as a center fielder. … I think generally when guys get optioned, they can sort of work

on different positions without the spotlight of being here.”

Zaidi indicated Pederson will indeed return to the Dodgers in September but a spot on the postseason

roster seems far from certain. Though Granderson had just five hits in his first 40 at-bats with the

Dodgers, four of those hits were home runs and he also has nine walks. Pederson, meanwhile, has made

some progress in the swing adjustments he started to make before being sent down.

“To kind of build on that momentum is best for Joc,” Roberts said.

The acquisition of Granderson allowed the Dodgers to send Pederson to Triple-A to work on those

adjustments away from the big-league spotlight, Zaidi said, and the Dodgers still believe in Pederson’s

ability to evolve as a hitter.

“We appreciate that because of the kind of hitter he is there are always going to be streaks. You don’t

want to change the longer-term plan as he goes through some of those,” Zaidi said.

“I hope and believe that some of these adjustments – I mean, he hit for average as he was coming up

through the minor leagues. I think there is more to the bat than we see right now. He can become a

more complete player. He sees himself that way. That’s something he’s said to us over the course of the

past couple months. ‘I’m not a .230 hitter.’ I think some of the adjustments he’s working on are geared

towards not being the ‘all-or-nothing’ type hitter.”

SEAGER PROGRESS

Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager went through a pregame workout, running and fielding ground balls but

not making any throws. Seager will continue with those workouts through the weekend and won’t start

a throwing program until Monday, Roberts said. It will probably be at least a few days after that before

Seager returns to the starting lineup.

Seager has been out of the lineup the past three games with a sore right elbow and has appeared only

as a pinch-hitter.

“We just wanted to get him out there, moving around,” Roberts said. “He’ll probably do the same the

next few days through San Diego.

“Getting that (elbow discomfort) to dissipate is the goal.”

Roberts said Clayton Kershaw will be on a loose pitch limit of five innings or 75 pitches Friday. Kershaw

has been on the DL since July 23 with a lower back strain. He threw 64 pitches in five innings in a rehab

start with Triple-A Oklahoma City last week. “Stressful innings, how the efficiency goes – we can adjust,”

Roberts said.

According to the Twitter account of the agents who represent him, Wilmer Font will be among the

Dodgers’ September call-ups this weekend. Font, 27, was named the PCL Pitcher of the Year Thursday.

He leads the PCL with a 3.42 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and .222 opponents’ batting average and leads all of Triple-

A with 178 strikeouts. Font made five appearances with the Texas Rangers in 2012 and 2013. Since then,

he has bounced through three organizations and an independent league.

ESPN

Dodgers fall to Diamondbacks, swept for first time this season

By Associated Press

PHOENIX -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have been swept in a series for the first time this season, and

former teammate Zack Greinke was a big reason why.

That and a parade of Arizona hits against another struggling Dodgers starter.

Greinke earned his major-league-best 16th victory with six strong innings as the Diamondbacks wrapped

up the three-game sweep with a dominant 8-1 victory on Thursday.

Chris Iannetta and A.J. Pollock homered for the D-backs, who matched their season-best seventh

straight victory and pulled 3½ games ahead of idle Colorado for the National League's top wild-card

spot.

The Dodgers, still possessing by far the best record in the majors (91-41), have lost a season-worst five

games in a row.

"Teams are going out and looking to play their best baseball against us, and the clip that we were on for

a few months, obviously we were in rare company," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Did I foresee

us losing five in a row? No. But I know we'll turn it around."

Greinke (16-6) allowed a run and four hits, striking out six and walking two, to improve to 13-1 in 16

home starts this season.

"It was just a great game," he said. "Got a lot of runs. Amazing plays defensively. Couldn't have got much

better than that in that regard. ... Played flawlessly this whole series."

The Dodgers' Kenta Maeda (12-6) had arguably his worst outing of the year. The right-hander went just

three innings and gave up seven runs and eight hits. It was his shortest start and the most runs he has

allowed this season.

"A lot of mislocated pitches," he said through an interpreter, "and they took advantage of all of them."

Paul Goldschmidt doubled twice and drove in two runs for the Diamondbacks. Gregor Blanco had three

hits, two of them doubles, drove in a run and scored twice.

Arizona scored 21 runs in the three-game sweep and has won nine of 10.

"It's just starting pitching this series wasn't there," Roberts said. " ... We talk about you're as good as

your starting pitching, so it was one of these series where for three days we didn't have it."

As has happened throughout the series, the Diamondbacks struck early.

Blanco, leading off, took advantage of a lackadaisical play by right fielder Yasiel Puig to stretch a single

into a double.

"The very first play really set an incredible tone," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "G.B. getting a

hustle double. It just pepped up the entire dugout and redirected our entire thoughts as a group. We

followed suit from there."

Iannetta followed with a walk, and Goldschmidt doubled down the left field line to bring both Iannetta

and Blanco home. That made it 10 first-inning runs for Arizona in the series.

Los Angeles cut it to 2-1 in the second when Yasmani Grandal singled, took second on a wild pitch and

scored on Adrian Gonzalez's double.

But the Diamondbacks added three in their half of the inning. With two outs, Blanco brought in a run

with his second double, and Iannetta followed with a soaring, two-run shot into the left-field seats to

put the Diamondbacks up 5-1.

Goldschmidt's double, followed by Pollock's line shot just over the left-field fence boosted the lead to 7-

1 in the third.

Pollock made two outstanding defensive plays in center, one a leaping grab at the wall and the other a

diving grab in the right-field gap to rob Puig in the ninth.

HELP ON THE WAY

Fortunately for the Dodgers, they have the right person to put a stop to this skid when Clayton Kershaw

returns to the rotation Friday night against San Diego.

"Obviously, with where we're at right now, I know that, not that he needs any more motivation or

incentive," Roberts said, "but I know that he's looking to put a stop to this little downslide."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: The Dodgers took a patient approach in bringing back Kershaw, who has been sidelined since

July 23 with a bad back. Roberts wants to keep Kershaw in the neighborhood of 75 pitches.

Diamondbacks: RHP Randall Delgado (elbow) plans to throw a simulated game Saturday with an eye on

returning to the bullpen next week.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP Kershaw (15-2, 2.04 ERA) makes his much-anticipated return from the DL to face the

Padres on Friday night in San Diego. RHP Dinelson Lamet (7-5, 4.60) starts for San Diego.

Diamondbacks: Arizona heads to Colorado for a critical three-game series. RHP Taijuan Walker (7-7, 3.55

ERA) starts for the Diamondbacks in Friday night's opener against Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland (11-8, 3.81).

Real or not? D-backs prove they can handle Dodgers

By David Schoenfield

When Aug. 31 feels like July 31 ...

Wow, what a crazy day. The Angels acquired Justin Upton and Brandon Phillips to boost their offense,

the Rangers acquired Miguel Gonzalez and the Cubs picked up Leonys Martin. But the blockbuster was

the deal that didn't happen ... and then did!

Initial reports late in the evening were that the Detroit Tigers had agreed to trade Justin Verlander to the

Houston Astros, only to have Verlander veto the trade. Then follow-up reports said it wasn't clear

whether the deal had simply fallen apart or Verlander had nixed it, per his rights as a 10-and-5 guy (10

years in the majors, the last five with the same team). Then, about 18 minutes after the midnight

deadline, Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reported there was a deal. And so there was.

The Astros needed Verlander. Lance McCullers Jr. is still on the disabled list with back soreness and

Dallas Keuchel has a 5.35 ERA in seven starts since returning from his own DL stint. The rotation also has

struggled in the second half with a 4.79 ERA. Compare the first half to the second half:

ERA: First in American League to eighth

Batting average: First to fifth

OPS allowed: First to fifth

As Justin Verlander waves goodbye to Detroit, the Houston Astros get an experienced postseason

pitcher. Paul Sancya/AP Photo

Verlander, meanwhile, after a sluggish start, has a 3.24 ERA since May 30 and a 2.41 ERA in the second

half. Since the All-Star break, he ranks third in the AL in ERA, second in WHIP, second in batting average,

fourth in OPS allowed and fifth in K's per nine. Maybe he's not vintage Cy Young Verlander, but he has

been pretty close to that of late. Given the status of Keuchel and McCullers, Verlander looks like the

likely No. 1 starter in the postseason. If there's a concern, it's that Verlander does have a large

home/road split, pitching much better in Detroit, and he has struggled against the four other teams

currently in a playoff position (1-4, 6.16 ERA in seven starts).

Still, the postseason keeps getting better and better. Given the unfathomable damage Hurricane Harvey

has caused in Houston, the Astros will become America's Team as they go for their first World Series

title, a rallying cry for the city and symbol of hope, much like the Yankees in 2001 after 9/11 and the Red

Sox in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombing. The Astros will be on a mission to win for the people of

Houston and adding a big star like Verlander just makes them that much more interesting. Given the

other stories we'll see -- the dominant Dodgers, the powerful Nationals, the Cubs trying to go back-to-

back (most likely, as the Brewers are hanging around), the Indians trying to win their first title since 1948

-- this could be one of the best postseasons ever.

As for the Tigers, they received a solid package: left-hander Franklin Perez (No. 43 on Keith Law's

midseason top 50 list), toolsy outfielder Daz Cameron (great the past two months in low-A) and catcher

Jake Rogers. Given Verlander's contract -- he's owed $56 million the next two seasons -- getting three

solid prospects is a nice return. Yes, prospect are prospects, but the Verlander-Miguel Cabrera era was

clearly over and the Tigers needed to begin the overhaul. This is a start, but it's going to be a long

process before the Tigers contend again.

Angels add offense: The other big winner of the day was the Angels and GM Billy Eppler in acquiring

Upton and Phillips. Angels left fielders ranked 28th in the majors in wOBA and their second basemen

ranked last. Assuming those two perform well in September, they could be worth a combined two or

three wins, and in the tight AL wild-card race, that could be the difference between making the playoffs

and not making it. Of course, you also can argue this: Why didn't the Angels make these deals a month

ago? They haven't had a second baseman all season.

Diamondbacks sweep the Dodgers: The Dodgers have lost five in a row, all but ending their chance to

break the single-season wins record, but I wouldn't read too much into that: Losing streaks happen,

even to great teams. Plus, Clayton Kershaw returns Friday.

What I would read into this series is that the Diamondbacks, if they end up facing the Dodgers in the

division series, can definitely pull off the upset. The two teams have split the season series so far at 8-

8 and the Diamondbacks have actually outscored the Dodgers 80-69. Zack Greinke became the first

pitcher to 16 wins in the 8-1 victory on Thursday and Paul Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with two doubles

and his 108th and 109th RBIs. They have the star power to make an impact in October. (They also

could lose the coin-flip game and be done after one game.)

Joey Votto is a national treasure: And since he's Canadian, he's a national treasure for two countries.

Votto hit his 34th home run in the Reds' 7-2 victory over the Mets, but it's what he did after the home

run that makes it a little dusty in the home office:

By the way, should Votto be part of the MVP discussion? Absolutely. Does he have a chance to win?

Nope. Players on teams as bad as the Reds don't win MVP awards. Heck, players on non-playoff teams

rarely win, which is why Giancarlo Stanton is hardly a lock even if he reaches 60 home runs.

Juan Nicasio update: So, I ripped the Pirates yesterday for placing Nicasio on irrevocable waivers. On the

surface, it appeared the team wanted to save $600,000 in remaining salary. General manager Neal

Huntington finally explained the club's rationale. Here's a tweet from Stephen Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh

Post-Gazette with Huntington's complete statement. An excerpt:

"Rather than help a direct competitor and recognizing the difference in claiming order between trade

and outright waivers, we chose to take the chance to see if by placing Juan on outright waivers he would

end up with a different playoff contender, preferably one in the American League," he said.

Basically, it sounds like a team -- I'm guessing the Cubs -- made a claim on Nicasio's original waivers, but

only to block him from going anywhere else. The Pirates didn't want to accept a low-ball trade offer and

let him go to a rival, so they just decided to instead let Nicasio go on outright waivers.

The weird thing: The Phillies claimed him on Thursday. What are the Phillies going to do with him, since

he's a free agent after the season? Unless they were hoping to immediately turn around and trade him.

Or maybe they want to try to sign him for 2018. Or something. Anyway, I guess I'll buy Huntington's

explanation, except ... if you didn't want him going to the Cubs and $600,000 doesn't really matter, why

not just keep him?

Because in the end the Pirates still saved $600,000.

Tweet of the day: Bartolo Colon is the best ever:

By the way, the Twins won the game, beating the White Sox 5-4 with two runs in the bottom of the

ninth as the winning run scored when Max Kepler was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and two outs.

Colon is 4-2 with a 4.09 ERA in nine starts with the Twins, although he really hasn't pitched that well: 71

hits and 11 home runs in 55 innings. He has avoided the three-run homer, however, and has now gone

at least six innings in six of his past seven outings. He has helped save the bullpen a little and, compared

to what the Twins had been getting from the back of the rotation, he has been an improvement.

What does it mean to lead your division on Sept. 1?

By Sarah Langs

As baseball enters its final full month, the Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros,

Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers lead their respective divisions.

Since 1996, the first full season with at least one wild card, 98 of 126 teams that ended up as division

champions (78 percent) held at least a share of that division lead entering September.

Historical trends

Since 1996, 13 of 21 eventual World Series winners led their divisions entering play on Sept. 1.

The last time in the American League that all three division leaders entering September went on to win

the division was 2008 (Rays, White Sox and Angels). Every season since, at least one Sept. 1 division

leader failed to hold on.

In the National League, all of the division leaders entering September won their divisions last season: the

Nationals, Cubs and Dodgers. That has happened 12 times in the NL since 1996, including in each of the

previous three seasons and five of the last six.

Hope for the Diamondbacks: Eight of the 21 World Series champions since 1996 weren't in first place

Sept. 1. Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

In every season since 1996, at least one of a league’s division leaders entering September went on to

win the division.

All six division winners have held a share of first place entering September three times since 1996: in

1999, 2001 and 2002.

Large leads

What about a large division lead? The Dodgers lead the NL West by 16 games, and the Nationals lead

the NL East by 15 games.

Elias Sports Bureau research shows that this is the first time in the divisional era (since 1969) that two

teams in the same league have led their divisions by 15 or more games entering September.

But what does that lead get you? Since 1996, two of the 10 teams that led their division by 15 games or

more entering September won the World Series (the 1998 New York Yankees and last year’s Cubs).

The San Francisco Giants enter September 40 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. In the 127

years the Dodgers and Giants have played in the same league, that’s the largest lead the Dodgers have

had over the rival Giants entering September. The Elias Sports Bureau notes that the previous largest

lead was 28 games, in 1953.

The Dodgers (16 games), Nationals (15), Astros (11½) and Indians (6½) lead their respective divisions by

seemingly comfortable margins. Elias research shows, however, that since 1996, four teams have had a

division lead at any point in September of five or more games and have not won the division: the 2009

Detroit Tigers (7 games), 2007 New York Mets (7), 2006 Tigers (5½) and 2012 Texas Rangers (5½).

What about the wild cards?

In the period with multiple wild-card teams (since 2012), there has not been a season when each team

in wild-card position entering September held on to make the playoffs.

A guide to Clayton Kershaw's return to the Dodgers

By David Schoenfield

The best September call-up of 2017 gets the start on Friday night for the Los Angeles Dodgers in San

Diego, and if you’re not happy to see Clayton Kershaw back in action you probably don’t like puppies

and ice cream either. It will have been 40 days since Kershaw left his July 23 start after two innings

because of back issues.

What should you expect in his return? Kershaw made one rehab start with Oklahoma City, throwing 64

pitches in five innings. Other than giving up a home run, he was solid, allowing just one other hit while

striking out eight with no walks. “Everything felt healthy and good to go, so I’m ready for the next one,”

Kershaw said after that game.

Manager Dave Roberts will understandably be a little cautious with Kershaw’s pitch count. When

Kershaw missed more than two months in 2016 with another back injury, he threw 66 pitches in his first

start back. The outing for Oklahoma City suggests he’s ahead of where he was a year ago, however,

when he also made one rehab start but threw just 34 pitches. Roberts told Dodgers beat writers on

Thursday that Kershaw would be on a loose five-inning, 75-pitch limit.

With Clayton Kershaw's return to the mound Friday, what should fans watch for from the Dodgers ace?

Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports

Kershaw, you may recall, was in the midst of one of the most dominating stretches of his career when

he went down -- a pretty remarkable run given he owns a 1.90 ERA over the past five seasons and could

join Sandy Koufax as the only starters in the live ball era with a sub-2.00 ERA over five seasons. In his

final six starts before landing on the disabled list, including the abbreviated outing against the Braves,

Kershaw had gone 5-0 with a 0.47 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 38 innings.

That stretch followed a four-homer outing against the Mets, a game that culminated a strange first 15

starts for Kershaw. He was 10-2 after winning that game and had a 2.61 ERA, but he had allowed 17

home runs in 103 ⅓ innings -- already a career-worst total. Some of that was bad luck, some was pitch

location, some was certainly related to the juiced baseball, but another factor was a slider that had been

a little less assertive than usual:

First nine starts: .273 average allowed, 36 percent miss rate

Next 12 starts: .105 average allowed, 49 percent miss rate

So watch the slider against the Padres. If that pitch is effective, that means Kershaw will likely be

Kershaw and the Dodgers have their ace back. If he can go at least five innings and get the win he also

would set a personal best with 12 consecutive winning decisions. Considering he has allowed one

earned or fewer in each of his past six starts against the Padres, there’s a pretty good chance of that

happening.

In fact, with a strong finish, don’t rule Kershaw out of the National League Cy Young race. He’s 15-2 with

a 2.04 ERA. Max Scherzer was the clear front-runner until he missed a few starts with a neck issue. He’s

13-5 with a 2.21 ERA and does have 26 more innings than Kershaw, but if Kershaw finishes 20-2 or 19-2

and if Scherzer has a bad start or two, it could be a close vote.

The bigger picture, of course, is how Roberts handles Kershaw and the rest of the rotation during the

season’s final month. In five starts after returning last season, Kershaw topped out at 91 pitches. He

then threw 101 pitches in his first playoff start and 110 in his second, when he pitched on three days’

rest. That game resulted in the old Kershaw playoff bugaboo: the seventh inning. The Dodgers led 5-2,

but Kershaw gave up two hits and a walk and left with the bases loaded and the bullpen allowed all

three runs to score. In his postseason career since 2013 (peak Kershaw years), he has a 2.78 ERA in

innings one through six, but a 25.20 ERA in the seventh inning (allowing 14 runs in five innings).

That gets us to how Roberts should handle his ace in September. It might be smart to run up a few pitch

counts past 100, in case you want him to go there in the postseason. On the other hand, given his

postseason history, maybe you’re going to consider him only a six-inning pitcher with a cap around 100

pitches anyway.

Given the depth of the Dodgers’ rotation, Roberts also could go to a six-man rotation in September to

save wear and tear on everyone. At the same time, you’re not going to use a six-man rotation in the

playoffs, so you may want to have the guys you do plan on using -- probably Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Rich

Hill and Alex Wood in some order -- making some starts on four days’ rest, just so they don’t get too

comfortable pitching with extended days off. Or maybe it doesn’t matter.

Regardless, it’s almost certain that the Dodgers won’t pitch Kershaw on short rest this postseason. As

tempting as that is in the division series, when you can use the Game 1 starter on short rest in Game 4

and then the Game 2 starter on regular rest in Game 5, it hasn’t really worked to Kershaw’s benefit in

the past. This is the best rotation the Dodgers have had in the Kershaw era, so they have to put trust in

it.

We’ll have plenty of time to discuss all that. For now, Kershaw is back and that’s awesome. And just in

time: The Dodgers are suddenly reeling with a five-game losing streak.

TRUE BLUE LA

Clayton Kershaw could make history with another ERA title

By Eric Stephen

With Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw returning from the disabled list on Friday night against the Padres,

he will have a month’s worth of starts to prepare for the postseason. Along the way, he could tie a major

league record.

Kershaw will take a 2.04 ERA into his start on Friday, which is the lowest mark of anyone in baseball.

Nationals ace Max Scherzer is next best at 2.21.

With 141⅓ innings, Kershaw still qualifies for the leaderboard, and needs just 20⅔ more innings to

ensure that he qualifies for the entire season. If Kershaw remains atop the heap at year’s end, he will

join Pedro Martinez as the only pitchers ever to lead the majors in ERA in five different seasons.

Kershaw was already the first pitcher to lead MLB in ERA for four consecutive seasons, pacing baseball

from 2011-2014. He had the best ERA in baseball last year too at 1.69, but thanks to missing 10 weeks

with a herniated disc in his back fell 13 innings shy of qualifying.

In 2015, Kershaw finished third in the majors with a 2.13 ERA. That’s his worst finish of the last seven

years.

Since the start of 2011, Kershaw has a 2.06 ERA, over eight-tenths of a run better than the next-best

pitcher — Cliff Lee at 2.89 — during that span (minimum 500 innings).

In his last 188 regular season starts, dating back to June 9, 2011, Kershaw’s ERA is 1.9989, in 1,332⅔

innings.

Dodgers swept for the first time all season

By Eric Stephen

Three games in Phoenix, three terrible starts by Dodgers pitchers.

Kenta Maeda was the latest to get run through the grinder, putting the Dodgers behind early in an 8-1

Diamondbacks win and a sweep for Arizona at Chase Field.

Maeda allowed two runs in the first inning, giving the Diamondbacks 10 runs in the opening frames in

his three-game series. Gregor Blanco laced a hit to right field to open the inning, and was gifted a double

by Yasiel Puig, who nonchalantly fielded the ball in right field.

Blanco doubled again in the second inning to add another run, then scored on a two-run home run by

Chris Iannetta, the sixth home run by Diamondbacks catchers against the Dodgers in 2017.

A.J. Pollock added a two-run home run in the third inning -- Maeda’s last -- to widen the lead.

That put the Dodgers down 7-1 after, rivaling their deficits of 5-0 and 6-0 in the first two games of the

series. Rich Hill, Hyun-jin Ryu and Maeda combined to allow 19 runs and 24 hits — including six home

runs and seven doubles — in 10⅔ innings in this series.

It was the first time Dodgers starting pitchers allowed six or more earned runs in three straight games

since Chad Billingsley, Derek Lowe and Odalis Perez did so from June 26-28, 2006.

20/20 club

Logan Forsythe walked in the second inning, giving him 20 walks in the month of August. He joins Puig,

who also walked 20 times in the month. They are the first pair of Dodgers teammates to walk 20 times

in the same month since Gary Sheffield and Chad Kreuter in June 2000.

The Dodgers on the season lead the majors with 536 walks, 35 more than any other team.

Pound of flesh

After watching Chase Utley and Cody Bellinger get hit by pitches on Wednesday night, manager Dave

Roberts wasn’t too pleased.

On Thursday, the Dodgers answered with Josh Ravin drilling Pollock with a pitch in the back in the fifth

inning. Is that the end of this back-and-forth? We’ll see next week when these two teams play three

games at Dodger Stadium.

Up next

The Dodgers move on to San Diego, for a four-game, three-day weekend series against the Padres.

Clayton Kershaw starts the opener on Friday night at Petco Park in his first game back off the disabled

list.

Thursday particulars

Home runs: Chris Iannetta (13), A.J. Pollock (9)

WP - Zack Greinke (16-6): 6 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts

LP - Kenta Maeda (12-6): 3 IP, 8 hits, 7 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts

Dodgers August review: Dog-day finish

By Eric Stephen

A funny thing happened on the way to the Dodgers’ all-time wins record. The Dodgers were cruising

along for nearly all of August, but then dropped their final five games of the month.

They dropped their first series — two of them even — in nearly 12 weeks, then suffered their first four-

game losing streak of the season. That streak reached five on Thursday when the Dodgers were swept

for the first time in 2017.

That ending left a bad aftertaste in what was otherwise a very solid month, with the Dodgers going 17-

10. The club did reach 90 wins, and matched their 2016 win total before August even ended.

Batter of August

Yasiel Puig set a new career high with 20 walks in a month, and he also slugged .537 with five home runs

and five doubles in the month. He delivered a pair of final-at-bat winners, with a walk-off double on Aug.

16 against the White Sox and a game-winning home run in the 12th inning on Aug. 21 in Pittsburgh.

Pitcher of August

None of the starting pitchers particularly stood out, so we’ll go with closer Kenley Jansen, who

continued his excellent campaign with eight saves in August, with 24 strikeouts in 12 innings, with just

one run allowed.

Game of the month

It is a little weird that the game of August was a loss, but Rich Hill was awesome on Aug. 23 in

Pittsburgh, flirting with perfection for a second year in a row. A ninth-inning error took away the perfect

game, and the Dodgers offense didn’t provide any support. Hill pitched into the 10th inning with a no-

hitter going, but his first hit allowed was a walk-off home run by Josh Harrison of the Pirates.

Situational stats

Pinch hitting: Dodgers pinch hitters were 11-for-45 with two doubles and five walks in August, hitting

.244/.333/.289.

Runners in scoring position: The Dodgers hit .267/.381/.386 with RISP in August, with five home runs

and nine doubles in 262 plate appearances.

Bases loaded: The team was 9-for-33 for the month, hitting .273/.316/.394 with the bases loaded in

August. Curtis Granderson hit a grand slam.

A look back

August weeks in review: July 31-Aug. 6 | Aug. 7-13 | Aug. 14-20 | Aug. 21-27

Previous months in review: April | May | June | July

The month ahead

There are 30 games left on the schedule, including series in the final month against NL playoff

contenders the Nationals, Rockies (twice) and Diamondbacks. The Dodgers play 13 more home games,

and 17 on the road, including a 10-game, 11-day road trip from Sept. 11-21 through San Francisco,

Washington, and Philadelphia.

Scott Barlow pitches well but Drillers lose 6-2

By Craig Minami

Some tough losses as the Dodger affiliates head towards the weekend.

One clarification, earlier this week I wrote that the Dominican Summer League Dodgers2 season had

ended, obviously that is not true, both Dodger teams in the Dominican Summer League are still playing

in their postseason. I apologize for any confusion.

Player of the day

Scott Barlow pitched well again for the Drillers, in five starts in August, Barlow pitched 31⅔ innings, gave

up 17 hits, eight walks and had 37 strikeouts.

I should also note here that Oklahoma City right-handed pitcher Wilmer Font was named the Pacific

Coast League Pitcher of the Year.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers gave up two runs in the ninth inning and lost 3-2 to the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins).

The loss ended their home season as the Dodgers hit the road for their final four games of the season.

Justin Masterson, in what could be his last start of the season, pitched six innings and gave up a run and

five hits. Masterson struck out eight and walked three. Yaisel Sierra continued his fine relief work with a

scoreless inning and two strikeouts.

However, after Jeremy Bleich gave up no runs in the eighth, he gave up a double, a single and stolen

base. With two runners in scoring position, Bleich struck out the next batter. But after giving an

intentional walk, Bleich walked in the tying run and then gave up a base hit to score the go-ahead run.

The Dodgers could not mount a late rally after that. The only scoring for the Dodgers was from a Henry

Ramos two-run homer.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers did something they had done in a while, they blew a lead in the late innings and lost 6-2 to

NW Arkansas Naturals (Royals). The loss ended the Drillers 15-game home winning streak. The Drillers

had not lost at home since July 19th.

Scott Barlow gave the Drillers seven strong innings. Barlow gave up a run and five hits, while striking out

six. But this night, the Drillers got no relief as the Naturals scored two in the eighth to take the lead and

then three more in the ninth to seal the win.

The Drillers missed a chance to add a game to their lead, their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is

four with four games left.

Kyle Garlick and Erick Mejia each hit solo home runs to account for all of the Drillers scoring.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes rallied to tie the score but then gave up a walk-off walk and a 7-6 win to the Lancaster

JetHawks (Rockies). The loss just about guaranteed a home field for a potential fifth game in the likely

playoff series between both those teams.

As it is, the Quakes are still looking for a win or Inland Empire 66er loss between Friday and next

Monday to clinch that series against the JetHawks.

The JetHawks scored four runs of Chris Mathewson to take the lead. But then back-to-back home runs

from Quincy Latimore and DJ Peters tied the game.

The JetHawks retook the lead when they scored two runs in the eighth. The Quakes rallied with the help

of a wild pitch and an error to score two runs in the ninth to tie. The Quakes missed some chances to

score the go-ahead run that inning.

Those misses turned out to big, in the tenth, Lancaster got two on with no outs. A groundout put both

runners in scoring position. An intentional walk and a strikeout made it bases-loaded but with two outs.

Tony Gonsolin came in and walked the first batter he faced to score the winning run.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons scored a run in the eighth to tie and two in tenth to beat the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Padres) 4-2

on Thursday. In the tenth, Cristian Santana singled home Saige Jenco with two out to score the first run.

After Connor Wong singled, Cody Thomas singled to score Santana with the second run.

Leo Crawford pitched seven innings for the Loons, he gave up two runs and seven hits. He had three

strikeouts and a walk. Jeremiah Muhammad, who got the win, pitched the final three innings, he gave

up a hit, walked four and had two strikeouts.

Starling Heredia and Jenco each had two hits.

Rookie-Pioneer Ogden

The Raptors lost 11-5 to the Orem Owlz (Angels). The big play was an error in the fifth inning with two

out and one on for the Owlz. After that, the Owlz got a walk and three singles that scored four runs off

Conor Costello, who took the loss.

Luis Paz, Rylan Bannon and Mitchell Hanson each homered in the loss.

The Raptors are still in first place with their regular season ending a week from Saturday.

Rookie-AZL Dodgers

The AZL Dodgers won AZL Royals 6-1 to maintain their tie with the White Sox for first place. They have

two scheduled games left in their regular season, their last game is against their complex sharing

partners, the White Sox.

In this game, five AZL Dodger pitchers combined to have nine strikeouts and no walks. The only run they

gave up was a solo home run from MJ Melendez.

Marcus Chiu and Jacob Amaya each had three hits, Wynston Sawyer and Shakir Albert each have two

hits.

Transactions

Class-A: Great Lakes activated right-handed pitcher Willian Soto from the 7-day disabled list; Great Lakes

placed right-handed Ryan Moseley on the 7-day disabled list.

Thursday’s scores

New Orleans 3, Oklahoma City 2

NW Arkansas 6, Tulsa 2

Lancaster 7, Rancho Cucamonga 6 (10)

Great Lakes 4, Fort Wayne 2 (10)

Orem 11, Ogden 5

AZL Dodgers 6, AZL Royals 1

DSL Mets2 6, DSL Dodgers1 1

DSL Dodgers2 7, DSL Twins 0

Friday’s schedule

4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) at Fort Wayne (TBD)

5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Eddie Gamboa) at Round Rock Express [Rangers] (James Dykstra)

5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Yadier Alvarez) vs. NW Arkansas (Zach Lovvorn)

5:30 p.m.: Ogden (Edwin Uceta) vs. Orem (Edrick Agosto)

7:00 p.m.: AZL Dodgers at AZL Royals

7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Caleb Ferguson) vs. Lake Elsinore Storm [Padres] (TBD)

Alex Verdugo will join Dodgers Friday in San Diego

By Eric Stephen

The Dodgers initial wave of September call-ups will include their top position player prospect. The club

will promote outfielder Alex Verdugo to the big leagues when roster limits expand on Friday, manager

Dave Roberts told reporters on Thursday in Phoenix.

The 21-year-old outfielder, drafted by the Dodgers in the second round in 2014, hit .314/.389/.436 with

27 doubles, six home runs and four triples in 117 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. The left-

hander had more walks (52) than strikeouts (50), and had a 41-game streak of reaching base via hit,

walk, or hit by pitch from June 4 to July 26, the second-longest streak in the minors in 2017.

Verdugo was ranked as the No. 27 prospect in baseball by Baseball Prospectus at midseason, and rated

No. 35 by Baseball America.

Our David Hood tabbed Verdugo as the fourth-ranked Dodgers prospect at midseason.

With Oklahoma City Verdugo played all three outfield spots, starting 55 games in center field, 45 games

in right field, and eight games in left field.

The Dodgers will need to make a corresponding move Friday to create room on the 40-man roster for

Verdugo, as well as for Andre Ethier, who is expected to be activated from the 60-day disabled list this

weekend in San Diego.

Wilmer Font named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year

LOS ANGELES — Dodgers minor league right-hander Wilmer Font was named Pacific Coast League

Pitcher of the Year, capping a fine season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Font, 27, was signed by the Dodgers to a minor league deal last offseason. The right-hander is 10-8 with

a 3.42 ERA in 25 starts in Triple-A, with 178 strikeouts and 35 walks in 134⅓ innings. He leads the PCL in

ERA, WHIP (1.109) and strikeouts.

The right-hander was named to the All-PCL team on Monday, as the right-handed starting pitcher.

Font is the third Dodgers minor leaguer to capture a player of the year honor this season. Double-A

Tulsa infielder Matt Beaty was named Texas League Player of the Year, and Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

outfielder DJ Peters won California League MVP honors.

Font’s season could earn him a call-up to the majors, his first major league stint since 2013, Dodgers

manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Thursday.

DODGER INSIDER

After sweeping 16 teams, Dodgers swept for first time this year

By Rowan Kavner

The Dodgers had recorded 16 sweeps this year as they marched into Arizona this week. For the first time

in 2017, an opponent returned the favor.

Even after the Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers with an 8–1 win Thursday, the loss dropped the

Dodgers to 50 games above .500.

And even after ending August on their first five-game losing skid since April 25–30, 2016, the Dodgers

still hold a 16-game lead in the National League West. They end the month with a 17–10 record in

August to move them to 91–41 for the season — 10 games better than the next-best Major League

team.

Though this type of skid hasn’t happened before this year for the Dodgers, it’s a normal occurrence

throughout the course of a 162-game season for any team, even for one of the best in baseball history.

The Dodgers’ pitching staff has been the best in baseball, from its rotation to its bullpen, amassing a

3.20 ERA and 1.12 WHIP overall this year. In Arizona, however, it was the former in an uncharacteristic

funk.

“The starting pitching this series wasn’t there,” said manager Dave Roberts. “When you start behind the

eight-ball, it’s tough to continue to fight back. You’re as good as your starting pitching is.”

The Dodgers found themselves down 2–0 after the first inning Thursday and were outscored 10–0 in the

first inning overall this series, forcing them to have to try to rally late all week at Chase Field.

Kenta Maeda, who entered with the National League’s best WHIP among qualified pitchers this month,

allowed a season-high seven runs in three innings Thursday. Maeda had allowed five hits or fewer in

each of his last eight starts entering the day, but the secondary pitches that had been so lethal in his mix

since the All-Star break didn’t work out like they have been recently, as the Diamondbacks scattered

eight hits in the first three innings.

“A lot of mislocated pitches,” Maeda said. “They took advantage of all of them.”

Adrián González put the Dodgers on the board in the second inning with a two-out run-scoring hit, but

after two days of late rallies, that would be the last time the Dodger offense scored Thursday afternoon.

“For three days, we didn’t have it,” Roberts said. “I thought offensively we competed and kept grinding

at-bats. It’s one of those things, we just have to turn the page.”

The Dodgers have just the guy to do that, with Clayton Kershaw pitching for the first time in more than a

month, returning from the disabled list to start the series Friday in San Diego.

Farm Fresh: Verdugo to get the call, Font named Pacific Coast League Pitcher of Year

By Rowan Kavner

Another top position player prospect will be joining the Dodgers later this week.

Alex Verdugo, who’s now ranked the Dodgers’ top position player prospect and №2 overall prospect

following Cody Bellinger’s promotion earlier this year, is expected to get the call up to the Major

Leagues from Triple-A Oklahoma City for this weekend’s series in San Diego.

“We’re going to play him,” manager Dave Roberts said Thursday. “Seen him a little bit in Spring Training,

obviously he’s had a great year.”

Verdugo has spent the entire 2017 season with Oklahoma City, moving up a level from playing at

Double-A Tulsa last year. The left-hander has hit .314/.389/.436 this year with six home runs and 27

doubles. He had a 20-game hitting streak earlier this year and has more walks (52) than strikeouts (50)

in 495 plate appearances.

He’s started at all three outfield spots this season for Oklahoma City, including 55 starts in center field

and 45 starts in right field.

Verdugo will likely be one of multiple call-ups Friday, when the active rosters expand Sept. 1 every year.

Roberts said earlier this week Andre Ethier will join the Dodgers in San Diego as well, after missing the

start to the 2017 season with a herniated disc in his back.

That will leave plenty of options for Roberts in his outfield, where Yasiel Puig, Chris Taylor, Curtis

Granderson and Kiké Hernández are already patrolling. Roberts said he anticipates Joc Pederson staying

at Triple-A Oklahoma City until the Triple-A season ends or a day or two before that point.

“It’s more of continuing to give him those continuous at-bats,” Roberts said. “From the reports, the last

couple days have been better. To kind of build on that momentum, it’s probably best for Joc.”

Font named PCL Pitcher of the Year

Triple-A Oklahoma City’s Wilmer Font has been named the 2017 Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the

Year.

Font, who leads all of Triple-A and ranks second overall in the Minor Leagues with 178 strikeouts, is just

the second Oklahoma City pitcher to receive the honor, joining Michael Kirkman (2010).

The 27-year-old right-hander has already set Oklahoma City’s single-season strikeout record since the

team rejoined the PCL in 1998. Font also set the team’s single-game strikeout record with 15 on May 15

against Sacramento and has five games with at least 10 strikeouts this year.

This is the first year in the Dodger organization for Font, who was named to the 2017 All-PCL Team

earlier this week and started the Triple-A All-Star Game. Font has been named PCL Pitcher of the Week

twice this season.

Wong strong

Catcher Connor Wong, the Dodgers’ third-round pick this year out of the University of Houston, is

mashing at the plate with Single-A Great Lakes, hitting .328/.369/.656 with five home runs in 16 August

games to get his slash line up to .282/.340/.529 in 24 Single-A games this year.

NBC LA

Diamondbacks Deal Dodgers First Sweep of Season in 8-1 Blowout Loss

By Michael Duarte

In the desert, the line between life and death is sharp and quick.

As record heat temperatures hit the Southland, the desert was not kind to the Los Angeles Dodgers as

they got burned by the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks this week, capped off by an 8-1 blowout loss

on Thursday afternoon at Chase Field.

The Snakes swept the Dodgers for the first time this season, winning all three games, and scoring six

runs or more in each contest.

For the third consecutive game, the Dodgers fell behind the eight ball in the first inning.

The Diamondbacks scored two runs in the first inning, giving them a total of 10 first inning runs in the

series compared to zero first inning runs for the Dodgers.

"The starting pitching wasn't there," Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts said of the series. "When you start

behind the eight ball it's tough to try and come back. You're only as good as your starting pitching and

three days we didn't have it."

Dodger killer, Paul Goldschmidt did most of the damage with a two-run double in the first to give

Arizona an early 2-0 lead.

Chris Iannetta hit a two-run home run in the second inning to stake a 5-1 lead for the Snakes.

Iannetta is also a thorn in the side of the Dodgers as four of the catcher's 13 home runs this season (31

percent) have come against the division rival Dodgers.

The Snakes weren't finished as A.J. Pollock added insult to injury with a two-run home run in the top of

the third to put Arizona up 7-1.

Starting pitching was a glaring problem for Los Angeles in the series as Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta

Maeda combined to allow 19 runs on 24 hits with six home runs, and seven doubles in just 10 and 2/3

innings.

"All three guys have been good for quite some time," Roberts told reporters of the starting pitching.

"They all coincided with one another and we got behind early by a big margin. We just have to turn the

page."

Entering the game, Maeda had been one of the best pitchers in the National League since the All-Star

Break with a 2.52 ERA and 0.86 WHIP.

Needless to say, Maeda was not in his post All-Star Game form on Thursday as he allowed seven runs on

eight hits with one walk and four strikeouts in just three innings of work.

"I threw a lot of mislocated pitches and they took advantage of all of them," Maeda told the media

through a translator following the loss. "I was trying to stop the losing streak, but unfortunately it didn't

work out that way."

Maeda (12-6) has struggled over the course of his career against the Diamondbacks, posting a record of

3-3 with a 5.21 ERA in 10 career starts.

The lone Dodgers run came on an RBI double by Adrian Gonzalez in the second inning that scored

Yasmani Grandal as old friend Zack Greinke shut down his former team.

Greinke (16-6) avenged his first loss at home against the Dodgers on Aug. 9 by holding his old team in

check, allowing just one run on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts in six strong innings.

The Dodgers are currently stuck in a season-high five-game losing streak and have lost two consecutive

series for only the second time this season.

L.A. dropped the first two series to start the season against the Colorado Rockies and Chicago Cubs April

7-13.

Additionally, the Dodgers have dropped back-to-back day games for the first time this season, but still

hold the best record in baseball during day games at 26-11.

The series with the Snakes is also a potential National League Division Series preview as both teams

would play each other based on current standings provided Arizona wins their one-game wild card

matchup.

If this is indeed the NLDS matchup, it should be a doozy as the Dodgers and Diamondbacks are even at

eight wins a piece with three left to play in the season series.

Up Next:

Streak stopper, Clayton Kershaw looks to stop the bleeding as he returns from the disabled list on Friday

against the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers will square off against RHP Dinelson Lanet as the team will

play a grueling five games in 72 hours.