Daily Clips

July 6, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2017

DODGERS.COM Tweet the vote! Balloting ends today at 4 ET- Mark Newman Wood you believe it? Another gem for L.A. lefty- Ken Gurnick Kershaw makes tough decision to miss ASG- Joshua Thornton A heady first half for surprising Wood- Barry M. Bloom Stellar southpaws Hill, Ray square off in finale- Joshua Thornton Wednesday's best: Peters homers twice off Bumgarner- Mike Rosenbaum Star power: Celebs back Turner in Final Vote- Joshua Thornton Dodgers sign 26 international players- Ken Gurnick LA TIMES Alex Wood remains spellbinding in Dodgers' 1-0 victory over Diamondbacks- Bill Shaikin Dodgers fans finally show up at the polls to push Justin Turner to lead in All-Star voting- Dylan Hernandez Are juiced baseballs to blame for Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill's blistering problem?- Bill Shaikin OC REGISTER Whicker: Strikeout power lifts Dodgers again- Mark Whicker Alex Wood pads All-Star résumé with another scoreless outing in Dodgers’ 1-0 win- Bill Plunkett Dodgers Notes: Logan Forsythe finally finding his footing at the plate- Bill Plunkett Diamondbacks at Dodgers: Thursday game time, TV channels and starting pitchers- Bill Plunkett ESPN Real or not? Best Dodgers team ever, Yankees in trouble- David Schoenfield The Padres All-Star you've never heard of is trade deadline's most important name- David Schoenfield Wood improves to 10-0 in Dodgers' 1-0 win over D-backs- The Associated Press Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw to start Sunday, ineligible for All-Star Game- ESPN.com News Services TRUE BLUE LA Peters, Quakes pummel Bumgarner- David Hood 3 Dodgers make Baseball Prospectus midseason top 50 prospects list- Eric Stephen Clayton Kershaw is baseball’s most marketable player- Grant Brisbee Alex Wood wins pitching duel with Diamondbacks- Eric Stephen Walker Buehler named Texas League Pitcher of the Week- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER Final day to vote for Final Vote- Rowan Kavner Wood delivers another All-Star caliber outing, moving into Newcombe territory- Rowan Kavner Path open for Wood to possibly add to list of Dodger All-Stars- Rowan Kavner NBC LA The Force Will Be Strong at Dodger Stadium Friday Night- City News Service Alex Wood Fires Seven Shutout Innings as Dodgers Hold off D-Backs, 1-0- Michael Duarte LA TIMES A look at Dodgers voted to start All-Star games since 1970- Houston Mitchell

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2017

DODGERS.COM

Tweet the vote! Balloting ends today at 4 ET By Mark Newman We are down to the final hours of the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote. That means a different wrinkle in the voting process: In addition to the standard Final Vote ballot, you can also use your Twitter account to send two players to the 88th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. Virtually anything can happen in fan balloting for these close races. Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas and Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner remain atop their respective league races for the third straight day, combining for more than 30 million votes. Moustakas would join Shane Victorino as the only two-time Final Vote winners. The 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote (#FinalVote), held exclusively online via MLB.com and the individual club sites, closes at 4 p.m. ET. The winners will be announced during MLB Tonight, live on MLB Network and MLB.com, at 6 p.m. Now in its 16th season, with more than 680 million votes cast, the Final Vote again includes social-media votes on the last day of balloting, as Twitter support for the 10 candidates over the final six hours of balloting will count toward vote totals. Until 4 p.m. ET today, any tweet that includes a designated player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners. The last day of voting in the Final Vote historically has seen impassioned activity and creative campaigning, leading to late-stage runs at the overall leaders. As of 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, the standings remained the same as they were on Wednesday, meaning that Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant and Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts were still in second place after starting in the infield at last year's Midsummer Classic in San Diego. Whatever happens in the final hours is up to you. Turner, whose .384 batting average continues to boggle the mind, is followed in order by Bryant, Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon, Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds and Marlins first baseman Justin Bour. In the American League, Moustakas, who added to his career-high total with his 25th homer on Wednesday, is followed in order by Bogaerts, Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus and Rays first baseman Logan Morrison. Andrus went on paternity leave Wednesday to be with his wife, Cori, as she was getting ready to deliver their first child. The paternity leave allows Andrus to be away from the team for a maximum of 72 hours. Last year's Final Vote winners were first baseman Brandon Belt (Giants) and left fielder Michael Saunders (Blue Jays). Here are the nominees with the hashtags to vote for them:

AMERICAN LEAGUE Elvis Andrus: #ElectElvis Xander Bogaerts: #VoteX Didi Gregorius: #sirdidi4sure Logan Morrison: #GoLoMo Mike Moustakas: #VoteMoose NATIONAL LEAGUE Justin Bour: #VoteBour Kris Bryant: #VoteKB Anthony Rendon: #VoteRendon Mark Reynolds: #BeLikeMark Justin Turner: #VoteJT On Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, tune in to the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 88th All-Star Game, in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com. Wood you believe it? Another gem for L.A. lefty By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Passed over on All-Star Selection Sunday, unbeaten Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood responded on Wednesday night by continuing his first half for the ages, striking out 10 in seven scoreless innings of a 1-0 win over the D-backs at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers - who have won 22 of their last 26 and are off to their best start since 1977 -- scored in the second inning off tough-luck loser Zack Godley (3-3) on a one-out single by Chris Taylor and an RBI double by Yasmani Grandal. "I don't know how often you get two 50-plus-win teams in the first half in the same division playing against each other, so it felt a little bigger tonight," said Wood, who allowed three hits. "Tensions were a little bit higher, especially in a 1-0 ballgame. You have to focus and bear down. They were close to kind of breaking through, but fortunately we were able to make some pitches and hold them where they were." Wood (1.67 ERA) is the first Dodgers pitcher to begin a season 10-0 since reliever Ed Roebuck in 1962 and the first starter since Don Newcombe in 1955 (both Wood and Newcombe had one win in relief). The Dodgers have a season-high 4 1/2-game lead over the D-backs in the National League West as Arizona tries to avoid a sweep Thursday.

"I think every game matters for us," D-backs outfielder Gregor Blanco said. "We're not seeing how far or close we are in the standings. We're not even worried about it. We're just trying to win series. I know now we lost this series, but we can come back tomorrow and hopefully take one win out of three here. Where we are in the standings doesn't really matter. We have a lot of season left and anything can happen." With his 13th start, Wood has the longest streak of starts to open a Dodgers season without a loss since Rick Rhoden (19) in 1976. The club hopes he is added to the All-Star team to replace Clayton Kershaw, who is starting for the Dodgers on Sunday and won't pitch in the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. "One day at a time," Wood said of a possible All-Star berth. "I would feel very honored if it happened, very humbled, something you dream of as a kid. Hard to even kind of fathom right now." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Back on track: Kenley Jansen, who allowed a three-run homer to Daniel Descalso Tuesday night to turn a two-out save into a nailbiter, came on to earn his 20th save, the sixth consecutive season he's done so. An inning earlier, Pedro Baez walked pinch-hitter A.J. Pollock leading off and after ball-one to Blanco, manager Dave Roberts went to the mound. Baez struck out two of the next three batters. "It was just more of, slowing it down," said Roberts. "I thought things were starting to speed up a little bit, I wanted to get ahead of it, and just wanted to reassure to have a little bit of clarity. He was receptive, he responded." K isn't always for Kershaw: Ketel Marte led off the top of the fourth inning with a walk and, after strikeouts by Paul Goldschmidt and Chris Owings, was doubled to third by Jake Lamb. But Wood escaped by getting Brandon Drury to swing through a curve for strike three. Drury has 13 strikeouts in his last 10 games. Two innings later, with two out and two on, Wood fanned Lamb to preserve his shutout. "I thought we did a pretty good job in that inning, but their defense took care of it, and even with the few mistakes he made in the game we weren't able to accomplish what we wanted," Blanco said. QUOTABLE "Even to be mentioned in the same breath as him is pretty cool." -- Wood, on being compared to Kershaw by Roberts SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Dodgers are 14-1 in their last 15 home games. FINAL VOTE UPDATE Justin Turner went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. His .384 average would be the fourth-highest at the All-Star Break since 1969 in the National League. He's currently in the lead for the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote in the National League. WHAT'S NEXT

D-backs: The D-backs close out the three-game series with the Dodgers on Thursday night at 7:10 p.m. MST with Robbie Ray on the mound. In five career starts at Dodger Stadium, Ray is 1-2 with a 2.32 ERA. Dodgers: Rich Hill gets the start in Thursday night's 7:10 p.m. PT series finale and he's coming off his best start this year, tossing seven scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts against San Diego. Hill came off the disabled list to face Arizona on April 16, lasted only three innings in a 3-1 loss. Kershaw makes tough decision to miss ASG By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said ace Clayton Kershaw will make his next start on Sunday, which would take him out of pitching in the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on July 11. Roberts met with Kershaw and discussed the possibility of changing the rotation around, but the two ultimately came to the decision that Kershaw would make his scheduled start against the Royals, Roberts said. "We talked to Clayton and he's made it very clear that his priority is the Dodgers," Roberts said. "And obviously it's something he's never done as far as start an All-Star Game. The way that the rotation was slotted, we don't see him pitching in that game." Kershaw, a seven-time All-Star, and three-time Cy Young Award winner has a Major League-leading 13 wins, sporting a 2.19 ERA, but with Kershaw out the game, Roberts has a possible replacement in mind: Alex Wood. Wood made a strong case in Wednesday's 1-0 victory over the D-backs, as he struck out 10 over seven scoreless innings. "He's very deserving," Roberts said about Wood. "I think with Alex, a lot of it is contingent on his health and obviously he's pitched well enough to pitch on that team ... As I understand there's still an opportunity for him to join that team." A heady first half for surprising Wood By Barry M. Bloom LOS ANGELES -- With Dodgers star left-hander Clayton Kershaw out of next Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Marlins Park, the obvious replacement should be his teammate, Alex Wood. As if he needed it, Wood made a final case for himself on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium in a 1-0 victory over the D-backs by pitching seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits, walking two and striking out 10.

He finished the first half with a gaudy 10-0 record and 1.67 ERA in 15 starts for by far the best run of his career, now in its fifth season. He's the first Dodgers pitcher to open 10-0 since Don Newcombe did it for the Brooklyn Dodgers to start the 1955 season. Wood obviously passed the audition. "He's passed [it] over the last couple of months, yes," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He's been like this since the first pitch he threw this season. I think right now he's looking at it like it's 'out of my hands.' Well done." Wood, another left-hander, came out of nowhere to have this fantastic first half of the season, but was passed over by the players and National League manager Joe Maddon in the All-Star selection process. Kershaw won't pitch for the NL because he's slated to start Sunday at Dodger Stadium against the Royals in the last game before the break. Based on the rules, he must be replaced on the roster by someone who can pitch in the All-Star Game. Kershaw has a 13-2 record, 2.19 ERA and 146 strikeouts and 22 walks in a league-leading 123 1/3 innings. Aside from Wood, there's nobody else even close in the NL that's worthy of replacing Kershaw. Nationals left-hander Gio Gonzalez, at 7-3 with a 2.77 ERA, is Wood's closest competition. And Washington already has Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg on the NL staff. Usually, those replacement announcements come after the games are played on Sunday and both Roberts and Wood said they didn't have a clue what might happen. "Let's take it one day at a time," Wood said. "I mean, I would feel very happy if that happens, very humbled. It's something that you dream of as a kid. It's hard to even fathom still right now. We'll see what happens." Considering Wood's recent injury-filled past, he really has come out of the woods to accomplish what he's doing. Wood missed almost four months of the 2016 season after surgery to correct an impingement in his left elbow finally returning at the end of September. He was 1-4 with a 3.73 ERA and pitched only 60 1/3 innings in 14 appearances, 10 starts. Even this year Wood had a stint on the disabled list with inflammation of the SC joint in his left shoulder and didn't make a start from May 26 to June 10. Prior to this season, he had a 6-10 record and 4.06 ERA to show for his 26 appearances (22 starts) since the 2015 Non-Waiver Trade Deadline three-way trade that brought him to Los Angeles from Atlanta. He also walked 43 batters in 130 2/3 innings. This year, Wood has walked 22 and struck out 97 in 80 2/3 innings.

"I think a lot of it is you see your teammate Clayton in the way he kind of goes at guys, prepares, pitches every game like it's conceivably his last," Roberts said. "I think that every time Alex takes the mound, he has that pitching with a purpose mentality, on every pitch. You feel really good when guys like that take the mound. When it does get a little hot, he makes pitches when he needs to." Wood, 26, seemed a bit bemused by all the comparisons. Newcombe, Kershaw, that's quite a bit for one night. An All-Star? That's pretty much taking it over the edge. But the D-backs had to face both Dodgers left-handers, who combined to allow no runs on just five hits, with four walks and 21 strikeouts. The Dodgers won both games by a single run. Kershaw had a no-hitter heading into the seventh and wound up allowing no runs on two hits with two walks and 11 whiffs. How's that for back-to-back dominance? The comparison to Kershaw made Wood giggle. "It's hard not to notice his work ethic and tenacity even if you're pretty blind to some things," Wood said. "He's special. To be mentioned in the same breath with him is pretty cool." About the 91-year-old Newcombe, whose 10-game winning streak in 1955 came to an end in his 12th start, Wood was equally as contrite. "I did not know that," Wood said. "I'm sure I'll see him before the break. It'll be cool to be mentioned with him, too." Stellar southpaws Hill, Ray square off in finale By Joshua Thornton The Dodgers' Rich Hill will look to put together another strong outing in the series finale against the D-backs on Thursday at Dodger Stadium at 7:10 p.m. PT. Hill allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings against the Padres on July 1, matching his career-high with 11 strikeouts, issuing one walk on 92 pitches. The southpaw went seven innings for the second straight start, after not reaching the mark in his previous nine starts. After dealing with blister issues and two disabled list stints, Hill has seen success with a more simplified delivery which has resulted in 18 strikeouts in 14 innings. Hill is 5-4 sporting a 4.00 ERA. Arizona will send out lefty Robbie Ray, who enters Thursday tied for third in the National League in strikeouts. Ray has been stellar for the D-backs in his last eight starts, going 6-1 and holding opponents to a .173 average owning a 1.81 ERA with 69 strikeouts. Ray is 8-4 on the year and has a 1-2 record road record against the Dodgers in five starts with a 2.32 ERA.

Three things to know about this game • In his last start, Hill threw 30.4 percent of his pitches for called strikes, which is the highest single-game rate by any pitcher this season (minimum 90 pitches). • Ray has a strike rate of 73 percent vs. left-handed batters over the last 30 days which ranks fifth out of 177 qualified starting pitchers. • Enrique Hernandez has had a lot of success against Ray in his career. Hernandez is 7-for-18 lifetime against Ray, including three home runs and five RBIs. Wednesday's best: Peters homers twice off Bumgarner By Mike Rosenbaum No matter what becomes of DJ Peters' career, he'll always be able to say that, if only for one game, he got the best of Madison Bumgarner. The Dodgers' No. 18 prospect became the first player ever to hit two home runs against Bumgarner in the same inning on Wednesday, when he connected on a pair of homers in the fourth inning to power Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga in a 14-1 rout over San Jose. It was Peters' third multihomer game this season and his second in his last four contests after he erupted for three home runs on Sunday. "First off, it's Madison Bumgarner and he's one of the best pitchers of the game," Peters told MiLB.com. "He's a three-time World Series champion and basically single-handedly won the Giants the World Series in 2014. Whenever you face a guy like that, you want to enjoy the moment and gauge the situation you're in and the atmosphere. My whole mind-set was to just have fun because I got to face one of the best pitchers in the game of baseball." Leading off the fourth inning, Peters got ahead in the count versus Bumgarner -- who was making his third start as part of an ongoing Minor League rehab assignment -- before depositing the left-hander's 2-0 offering over the left-field fence. The Quakes proceeded to bat around against the 2014 World Series MVP in the frame, setting the stage for Peters' second home run, a two-out, two-run shot to left field. He finished the game 2-for-5 at the plate. "It was kind of surreal," he added. "I knew that I hit it hard and it was on a line. I thought it was going to hit off the wall, but I must have had just enough backspin to get over the wall. When I was rounding third base, all my teammates were smiling at me and it was really cool." The home runs were Nos. 17 and 18 for Peters, who now sits atop the California League leaderboard in that department. What's more, the 2016 fourth-rounder has recorded a hit in 10 straight games for the Quakes, a stretch during which he's batting .436 (17-for-39) with 11 extra-base hits and 12 RBIs. Also taking Bumgarner deep in the fourth inning on Wednesday was Dodgers No. 17 prospect Drew Jackson, who connected on a three-run shot in the frame. He reached base four times in the contest, going 2-for-3 with two walks and four RBIs.

The rest of the best performances from top prospects Wednesday • No. 26 overall prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays' No. 1) went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, his sixth of the season, in Class A Lansing's loss against West Michigan. The 18-year-old third baseman also walked in the contest, which gives him 40 unintentional free passes compared to 34 strikeouts in 70 games this season, all while hitting .317/.411/.472. • No. 27 overall prospect Kyle Tucker (Astros' No. 2) stayed hot as he turned in his fourth multihit performance during his current six-game hitting streak for Double-A Corpus Christi. Both of the 20-year-old outfielder's hits went for extra bases, as he connected on his 17th home run in the fifth inning and added an RBI double in the eighth to finish 2-for-3 with two walks. The homer, a solo shot, was Tucker's eighth in 31 games since being promoted from Class A Advanced Buies Creek, where he'd gone deep nine times in 41 contests. • No. 29 overall prospect Tyler O'Neill (Mariners' No. 2) continued his recent power surge as he homered for the eighth time in his past 13 games for Triple-A Tacoma. With a .333 average during that stretch, the 22-year-old outfielder has seen his season average climb from .214 to .234. • A's No. 8 prospect Lazaro "Lazarito" Armenteros tallied his first professional home run, a two-run shot, as he hit safely for the sixth time in seven games since arriving in the Rookie Arizona League. Signed for $3 million nearly one year ago, the 18-year-old outfielder is hitting .370 (10-for-28) in his first taste of stateside action. • Blue Jays No. 9 prospect Jon Harris posted zeros in a start for the first time this season as he paced Double-A New Hampshire in a 2-0 shutout against Portland. He worked seven frames, allowing three hits while striking out four and throwing 64 of his 92 pitches for strikes. He's completed seven frames in back-to-back starts, both victories. "I was able to go back to what I feel comfortable doing and what got me back into the rhythm and in sync. The [comfort] and everything has shown the last few outings," Harris told MiLB.com. "I'm getting back to where I'm starting to cruise and get on a roll again so I can have fun pitching and the guys behind me can, too, because they know they're going to get a quality start." • Braves No. 22 prospect Rio Ruiz powered Triple-A Gwinnett past Norfolk with a 3-for-4 performance that included his seventh home run and a season-high five RBIs. The 23-year-old third baseman drove in a run with each of his three hits, as he produced an RBI single in his first at-bat and then pushed across two more runs with a fourth-inning knock before blasting a two-run homer in the eighth. • After posting a 4.46 ERA in six starts last month, Orioles No. 15 prospect Alex Wells began his July on a positive note by tossing seven scoreless frames to lead Class A Delmarva in a shutout of Lakewood. The 20-year-old southpaw yielded three hits and struck out five before departing after 86 pitches (56 strikes). He owns 2.90 ERA this season, with 70 strikeouts and 10 walks in 90 innings. "One thing you do notice about Alex is that he's mature for his age and takes the ball and pitches no matter the situation," Delmarva pitching coach Justin Lord told MiLB.com. "Whether he's up by five, up by one or down by six -- he's going to give you everything he's got. He doesn't let situations affect him, he gets the ball and he pitches."

• Royals No. 10 prospect A.J. Puckett struck out seven over a career-high eight innings in a dominant outing for Class A Advanced Wilmington. After he permitted one earned run on two hits in the first inning, the 22-year-old righty settled in to retire 20 straight batters before finishing with two earned runs on three hits. It also marked Puckett's first start in which he didn't issue a walk. • Yankees No. 15 prospect Estevan Florial and Donny Sands (No. 24) both hit home runs and combined to go 5-for-9 with four runs scored and six RBIs as Class A Charleston defeated Asheville in 10 innings, 10-9. Florial, who will suit up for the World Team in the SiriusXM All-Stars Futures Game on Sunday, started the scoring with a first-inning grand slam, his 11th home run of the season, while Sands connected on his second homer of the season two frames later before finishing 3-for-4. Star power: Celebs back Turner in Final Vote By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- Justin Turner's push to claim the final spot in the 2017 Esurance All-Star Game Final Vote is getting help from friends in Hollywood. In the second update of the National League Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote ballot released on Wednesday, Turner is still in first place with 12.9 million votes. He's ahead of Cubs third baseman and reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant, Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon, Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds and Marlins first baseman Justin Bour. The All-Star Game presented by Mastercard is set for Tuesday, July 11 at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX. In recent days, Turner has received support from former talk show host Larry King, television host and actor Mario Lopez and Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley. "I think it's one of the perks for playing for the Dodgers," manager Dave Roberts said. "You play in a great city, where there is a lot of celebrities, and for the players to get on board and the fans and for it to gain the momentum that it has, I think speaking for JT, it's pretty humbling and exciting for everyone." Turner went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs against the D-backs on Tuesday increasing his batting average to .384 with a .472 on-base percentage. Fans can cast ballots for the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote on MLB.com, Club sites and their mobile devices until 1 p.m. PT today. The winners, as chosen exclusively by online fan voting totals, will then be announced during "MLB Tonight" live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 3 p.m. PT. Extensive coverage throughout the Final Vote will be provided by MLB Network and MLB.com, including interviews with the candidates, frequent updates, heat maps indicating where votes are being cast for each candidate, news on player and club campaigns, and a running countdown clock leading up to the announcement. Now in its 16th season, with more than 680 million votes cast, the Final Vote again will include social votes on the last day of balloting, as Twitter support for the 10 candidates over the final six hours of balloting will count toward their vote totals. From 7 a.m.-1 p.m. PT on Thursday, any tweet that includes

a designated player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners. On Tuesday, July 11, at 4:30 p.m. PT, tune in to the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 88th All-Star Game, in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com. Dodgers sign 26 international players By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers inked 26 players during the recently completed international signing period. The Dodgers signed 11 pitchers, 10 of them from the Dominican Republic. They signed 15 position players, nine from the Dominican, one from Cuba and one from Curacao, homeland of Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. Because they exceeded the bonus limit during the 2015-16 period, the Dodgers were limited this time from exceeding a $300,000 bonus for any one player. As a result, the Dodgers did not sign any of the top 30 players as ranked by MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. The Dodgers will not be bound by such a limit next year. The Dodgers also signed Jorge Hernandez out of the Venezuelan baseball academy run by former Dodger Cesar Izturis.

LA TIMES

Alex Wood remains spellbinding in Dodgers' 1-0 victory over Diamondbacks By Bill Shaikin The Dodgers have scripted their Sunday afternoon. The clock will strike 1, and a few minutes later, the team will take the field at Dodger Stadium. At 1:10 p.m., Clayton Kershaw will throw the game’s first pitch. And, if the Dodgers have their way, a news release will be issued at about 1:11 p.m., with the announcement that Alex Wood has replaced Kershaw on the National League All-Star team.

Might happen. Might not. But, on Wednesday, Wood did his very best to reiterate he belongs on the team. Wood delivered seven shutout innings, carrying the Dodgers to a 1-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. He became the first Dodgers starter to open a season 10-0 since the team moved to Los Angeles. Don Newcombe last did it in 1955 — for the Brooklyn Dodgers, in their lone World Series championship season. “You’ve got to pinch yourself sometimes,” Wood said. Wood’s earned-run average is 1.67, the lowest of any major league pitcher with at least 80 innings. But, because the Dodgers stashed him in the bullpen at the start of the season, he does not yet have enough innings to qualify for the league lead. He ranks 42nd in the NL in innings pitched. The Dodgers, in third place on the first day of June, are threatening to run away with the NL West. The Colorado Rockies, mountain challengers to the throne, visited Dodger Stadium last month and got swept. The Diamondbacks, desert challengers to the throne, could get swept here Thursday. Are juiced baseballs to blame for Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill's blistering problem? The Dodgers have won 22 of their past 26 games. They lead Arizona by 41/2 games and Colorado by 71/2. The only teams with larger division leads are the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals, neither of which competes in its division with another team over .500. It is curious, and a bit ridiculous, that the best pitcher in baseball never has started an All-Star game. If Kershaw had started Wednesday, when his turn originally was scheduled, he would have been fully rested for the All-Star game. But, by using an off day to manipulate their rotation, the Dodgers figured out how to get an extra start out of Kershaw before the All-Star break. If they pushed him to Tuesday, he could pitch that day on regular rest, and again Sunday, in the first-half finale. Roberts said the team had discussed that arrangement with Kershaw. “He’s made it very clear his priority is the Dodgers,” Roberts said. A look at Dodgers voted to start All-Star games since 1970 The NL players voted for All-Star pitchers; Kershaw received the most votes. But, as soon as any pitcher starts on the Sunday before the All-Star game, he becomes ineligible — he wouldn’t be able to pitch in the game — and the league determines a replacement. The Dodgers appear confident Wood will be Kershaw’s replacement. “He’s very deserving,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Obviously, he’s pitched well enough to join that team. ... As I understand it, there still is an opportunity for him to play on that team.” The Dodgers got one hit after the second inning. They got a grand total of four. They won.

Maybe that is a sign that this is their year. Or maybe this is: Their Class-A California League team put up eight runs — including three home runs — in one inning against Madison Bumgarner during his rehabilitation start Wednesday. Whatever the case, let us detail the scoring here: With one out in the second inning, Chris Taylor singled, and Yasmani Grandal doubled him home. That was all. Kenley Jansen earned his 20th save, and the win went to Wood, the would-be — soon-to-be? — All-Star. “It’s something you dream of as a kid,” Wood said. “It’s hard to even fathom right now. We’ll see what happens.” Dodgers fans finally show up at the polls to push Justin Turner to lead in All-Star voting By Dylan Hernandez Who knew? The voters were here. They just had to be nudged — or, in this particular case, insulted by the team’s closer. Justin Turner is now on the verge of being on his first All-Star team. With a day remaining in the Final Vote, the ginger-bearded Dodgers third baseman was leading the online poll to determine the last spot on the National League roster. The competition ends Thursday at 1 p.m. Of course, it shouldn’t have come to this. In a market the size of Los Angeles, Turner should have been voted in as a starter. With the support of a passionate fan base, there’s no reason Turner should be waiting to finalize his plans for next week. Yes, this is another column about the Dodgers’ region-wide television blackout. The Dodgers would argue my colleagues and I are taking turns beating a dead horse in these pages, but the reality is inescapable. Turner’s potential election is only the latest example of the damage inflicted by the Dodgers’ lucrative but ultimately short-sighted television deal. If the fans’ spirited backing of Turner is evidence of Los Angeles’ potential as a baseball town — “Overwhelming,” was how Turner described the support — his place on the Final Vote ballot is a cruel reminder of how that promise remains an abstraction because a majority of the market can’t watch the Dodgers regularly. It’s true the Dodgers had trouble placing their players in All-Star starting lineups before they entered their current TV agreement. The Dodgers didn’t have a single elected starter from 1998 to 2004. Only six times since then have they had a player voted into the NL lineup — and twice it was Matt Kemp. Are juiced baseballs to blame for Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill's blistering problem? But the Lakers teams of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant fundamentally changed Los Angeles as a market. They were the right team at the right time, their triumphs coinciding with developments in technology and media that made them ubiquitous. People who previously had a casual interest in

basketball used to pack bars to watch regular-season games. Angelenos weren’t only watching sports, they were watching them intensely. The recent decline of the Lakers presented the Dodgers with an opportunity to expand their circle of diehard fans. Except it’s hard to strengthen bonds with your fans if your fans can’t watch you every night, as has been the case for the last 3½ seasons. So even as the Dodgers improved their on-field product under the ownership of Guggenheim Baseball Management, the voting patterns of their fans stagnated, if not worsened. Which brings us to the present, where an affable Dodger such as Turner can’t be voted into the starting lineup even with a batting average of close to .400. Ironically, it was a poorly thought-out sentiment by closer Kenley Jansen that energized Turner’s Final Vote campaign. Jansen blamed the fans for Turner and Corey Seager’s absence from the NL lineup, as if it’s the responsibility of fans to care about the Dodgers and not the responsibility of the Dodgers to make the fans care about them. But Dodgers fans can be curiously sensitive. Don’t believe me? Make a crack about Dodger Dogs or early-departing fans and see how they react. They will react with the same pride they did to the slight by Jansen, accounting for a significant share of the 12.9 million votes Turner has received in the Final Vote. By comparison, the top vote getter in the American League, Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals, has received 8.5 million votes. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who also experienced this market as a player, theorized Jansen was able to connect with the team’s fans. “When you get comments made to the fan, I think for a fan, there’s a connection that you feel, ‘I want to respond,’ ” Roberts said. It shouldn’t take a misguided statement from a well-intentioned player to build that bridge to an audience. Here’s something else that could: A three- or four-hour commercial on television every night. You know, the game. Are juiced baseballs to blame for Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill's blistering problem? By Bill Shaikin Could a covert push to generate more buzz in baseball have devalued the Dodgers’ $48-million investment in Rich Hill? The Dodgers made Hill the highest-paid starting pitcher in free agency during the offseason, expecting the blister trouble that plagued him last year would be a thing of the past. Instead, Hill already has served two stints on the disabled list because of recurrent blisters, and he ranks sixth on the Dodgers in innings pitched, with less than half as many as Clayton Kershaw.

“All I can say,” Hill said, “is that I didn’t have any blisters before 2016.” That timeline might not be coincidental. In testing conducted for The Ringer, a sample of baseballs used after the 2015 All-Star break had lower seams than ones used previously. The seams still were within major league specifications, the website reported, but the lower seams were one of several factors that could lead to balls flying farther — and to the current record home run rate. Hill is not alone in reporting blister issues. Johnny Cueto of the San Francisco Giants, David Price of the Boston Red Sox, and Aaron Sanchez and Marcus Stroman of the Toronto Blue Jays are among the pitchers that have experienced blister trouble this season. “With these seams different, you’re seeing guys getting more blisters,” New York Mets manager Terry Collins told USA Today. Stroman said he never had a blister until now. “I feel like it’s an epidemic,” Stroman told reporters covering the Blue Jays. He added: “For MLB to turn their back to it, I think that’s kind of crazy. I have no theory. But, obviously, it’s not a coincidence that it’s happening to so many guys all of a sudden.” Hill said other Dodgers pitchers have gotten blisters this season but been able to manage them without public disclosure of the condition. “There’s got to be something, right?” he said. “There’s more evidence this year than there ever has been of blisters in pitchers.” Hill said he has thrown enough with this year’s baseball that his previously blistered finger has become used to it. Still, he sees balls flying out of the park, and he couldn’t help thinking about the juiced-ball scandal that forced the resignation of the Japanese baseball commissioner in 2013. Major League Baseball has said its studies show the baseball has not been changed in any significant way. “I love home runs,” Hill said. “I like seeing ’em. It’s good for the game. Blisters aren’t. “The seams are a little bit flatter, which creates less drag and creates more ball flight. Whether or not that’s something that’s been altered, we don’t know. I would like to think it’s highly doubtful. But, when you take into consideration what happened in Japan, why couldn’t something like that happen here? I think that’s a very fair question, but I would hate to think that’s what was going on.” Derby day Cody Bellinger will face Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies in the first round of Monday’s home run derby, MLB announced. If Bellinger wins, he could face Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees in the second round. Bellinger is the National League leader in home runs, Judge the American League leader. The top seed in the derby is defending champion Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins,

OC REGISTER Whicker: Strikeout power lifts Dodgers again By Mark Whicker LOS ANGELES — This was back in 1980, when Chrysler and Plymouth were putting out ground-breaking economy vehicles, or were trying to. Willie Wilson of the Kansas City Royals hit .154 with 12 strikeouts, and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News said that if Mike Schmidt deserved the luxury car for World Series MVP, Wilson deserved the “K” car, one of those Reliants and Arises that were quickly swept off to the junkyards. But Wilson at least needed six games to pile up those 12 strikeouts. He would be known as a contact hitter today. The Dodgers stopped Arizona, 1-0, Wednesday night to take a 4½-game lead in the NL West. There was potential change in every pitch. It would have felt like Koufax vs. Marichal, except it was Wood and Baez and Jansen vs. Godley and Chafin and De La Rosa and Bradley. Modern ball, and nothing typified it more than the 14 times the Diamondbacks struck out. The Dodgers ended each of the final six innings with strikeouts. Alex Wood, now 10-0, blew away Brandon Drury with men on second and third base in the fourth. He did the same thing to Jake Lamb, on a 94 mph sinking fastball with Diamondbacks sitting hopefully on first and second. Kenley Jansen dealt the last morsel of K rations in the ninth when he set down Chris Herrmann, with Drury on first. “It’s offense against defense,” Jansen said. He’s referring to the Dodger pitchers as the offense. “We’re pitching aggressively,” he said. “ We’re not going to walk you, we’re going to put the pressure on. “You give them credit for being good hitters but people have to give us a little credit, too. We’re making pitches. It’s not just power against power, because you have to go to your location. Last night I didn’t (on a three-run home run by Daniel Descalso) and I paid for it. You’re still trying to hit some spots, but you’re mainly going after them.” Arizona has struck out 27 times in these two games. The Diamondbacks rank second in the NL in slugging percentage, with two 60-RBI men in Lamb and Paul Goldschmidt. Arizona ranks third in runs scored. But the once-rudimentary task of putting bat on ball with men on base has given way to the maximalist approach, and when it doesn’t work, it’s ugly. There are productive outs. There are no productive strikeouts. Wood has a 1.67 ERA and a .174 batting average-against, in case you think the Cy Young Award discussion was a binary choice between Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. When Wood got those rally-snuffing strikeouts, he pumped his fist and exulted.

“They’re an incredible ballclub,” Wood said. “Those are the innings where they’re capable of breaking open a ballgame. When you’re able to get out of those situations, your emotion kind of takes over a little bit. “I’ve been able to use different pitches to get out of those situations, but that all goes back to the preparation we do with Honey (pitching coach Rick Honeycutt) and Yas (catcher Yasmani Grandal) before I even go out there. I’ve already got a good idea of how to attack them, so at that point all you’re worried about is making a pitch.” Attack is the keyword. The Dodgers pitchers lead the NL in strikeouts and are also the best at avoiding walks, an equation that is difficult to beat. They also have a bullpen WHIP (walks and hits, per innings pitched) of 1.1. Baez walked pinch-hitter A.J. Pollock on four pitches to lead off the eighth, and Manager Dave Roberts hustled out to reset him. Then Baez blew away Gregor Blanco, got a forceout, and struck out Goldschmidt at 99 mph. But the Diamondbacks, obviously, pitched almost as well. They began with rookie Zack Godley, a right-hander from the University of Tennessee who stops the running game cold and impressed Roberts with his breaking ball command. Godley gave up a run on Grandal’s double in the second inning but was gathering steam as the game progressed. He struck out Justin Turner with one out and Chase Utley on second, in the sixth inning. No matter. Manager Torey Lovullo headed moundward, and Godley turned his back and stood well behind the mound. When Lovullo asked for the ball, Godley provided it and then did a near-sprint into the dugout. The move worked, but the reluctance of managers to let their starting pitchers handle deep water is reaching parody. If they’re really incapable of cruising through a lineup three times, why all the pregame preparation? The Dodgers hook their starters quickly, too. But somehow they’re managing this without dissolving their key relief pitchers. Even though they have won 57 games, they have only used Jansen 34 times. You attribute that to a lot of blowout wins in which his save isn’t necessary. This is why run-differential is important. “They know we’re not walking guys, we’re going to keep attacking the zone,” Jansen said. “Make them chase when we need to. That is what we did tonight.” The Diamondbacks might still be chasing, but they’re in the wrong car. Alex Wood pads All-Star résumé with another scoreless outing in Dodgers’ 1-0 win By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – Alex Wood sure looks like an All-Star.

Unlike Justin Turner, the Dodgers left-hander is not the subject of a campaign to rock the vote and erase the snub that left him out on Sunday. For now, Wood has to settle for the likelihood that performances like Wednesday’s will keep him first in line to replace any star (like teammate Clayton Kershaw) who won’t be able to pitch next Tuesday in Miami. Wood didn’t give up a hit until the fourth inning and struck out 10 in seven scoreless innings Wednesday night as the Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 1-0. “One day at a time,” Wood said, chuckling at questions about an All-Star invitation. “I would feel very honored if that happens, very humbled. It’s something you kind of dream about as a kid so it’s hard to even fathom right now. “I’m just trying to give us a chance to win. I would never look at it (Wednesday’s start) as an audition to get into the All-Star Game. Hopefully it happens. But if it doesn’t, it is what it is.” Wood has given the Dodgers “a chance to win” when he starts with historic success. Wednesday’s win moved Wood to 10-0 this season and dropped his ERA to 1.67 (lowest in baseball for anyone who has thrown at least 80 innings). He is the first Dodgers pitcher to start a season 10-0 since Ed Roebuck in 1962. Roebuck pitched in relief. Wood is the first Dodgers starter to go 10-0 since Don Newcombe in 1955 (both Wood and Newcombe did get one of their 10 wins in relief). According to Elias Sports, Wood is only the sixth pitcher since the All-Star Game was created in 1933 to reach the break with at least 10 victories and no losses. “I think a lot of it is you see your teammate in Clayton and how he goes at guys and prepares and pitches every game like it’s conceivably his last,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “I think every time Alex takes the mound he has that kind of pitching-with-a-purpose mentality in every pitch. “He’s been like this from the first pitch he threw this season.” Wood’s start Wednesday was the sixth time he has turned in a scoreless outing, the 10th time in 13 starts he has allowed one earned run or less. Held hitless into the seventh inning by Kershaw on Tuesday night, the Diamondbacks didn’t get their first hit off Wood until Jake Lamb looped a two-out double down the left-field line in the fourth inning. Wood promptly struck out the next batter, Brandon Drury, to strand runners at second and third. The Diamondbacks were 0 for 4 with two strikeouts when they did get a runner in scoring position against Wood on Wednesday. For the season, batters are hitting just .125 (6 for 48) against Wood in those hazardous situations. Wood did all of his work against the Diamondbacks with no margin for error. The Dodgers had just four hits in the game, went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position themselves and scored the game’s only run in the second inning. Chris Taylor singled and scored from first on a double by Yasmani Grandal. “I hadn’t seen a whole lot of (Diamondbacks starter Zack) Godley but he’s got a very good curveball. He sinks it down, keeps it down and really competes,” Roberts said. “We didn’t get a whole lot of good

swings off him. Fortunately, CT gets a hanging breaking ball and gets a base hit up the middle and Yasmani gets a first-pitch fastball and hits it to the gap.” Pedro Baez came in to protect the 1-0 lead in the eighth and threw five consecutive balls to start the inning, prompting a mound visit from Roberts. The manager did not berate Baez but chose to “reassure” him, asking for him to slow things down and “have a little more clarity.” “He just told me he trusted me,” Baez said through an interpreter. “We talked about two pitches that were barely outside. … He told me to just continue to do my job.” The attitude adjustment worked. Baez’s next six pitches were strikes – five of them at 98 or 99 mph. He worked out of the inning, striking out Dodgers tormentor Paul Goldschmidt. A night after giving up a three-run home run to Daniel Descalso, Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen closed it out with less drama for his 20th save. The second consecutive win over the second-place Diamondbacks (and the Dodgers’ 22nd win in their past 26 games overall) moved the Dodgers a season-high 4½ games in front in the National League West. Dodgers Notes: Logan Forsythe finally finding his footing at the plate By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – There’s a difference between an excuse and an explanation. Logan Forsythe won’t make any of the first. But he does acknowledge that the toe and hamstring injuries that hit him early in his first season with the Dodgers might explain why he was sporting a .190 average in mid-June. “I don’t like using that,” Forsythe said. “But I think it might have contributed a little bit. It got me a little mechanically out of sync and in the wrong spot. I think when I first came back, that kind of mechanical issue affected my timing and when I fixed that mechanical issue then the timing was off. It finally came together. I don’t want to go into it (the injury) too much. It’s part of the game.” Forsythe suffered a hairline fracture in the big toe on his right foot April 18. He missed 30 games after a hamstring injury he had been nursing flared up and a rehab assignment had to be aborted. Batting .286 when the injury occurred, Forsythe was just 7 for 61 (.115) in his first 20 games after returning from the DL. “You beat yourself up, yeah,” Forsythe said. “But I’ve been at it long enough and I’ve flirted with .200 a couple times before. Everybody does.” Forsythe attacked the slump in his usual fashion. He went to work. “When I got in a funk, we started grinding and found a couple things and once we found a couple things the work was there and the swing was there and it finally transitioned into the game,” he said. “I think

the timing was one thing that got better. The swing got better connected and synced up. The lower body and the hands started working together and it just transitioned into the game.” Between June 16 and Wednesday, Forsythe went 20 for 57 (.351) with a .924 OPS, including back-to-back four-hit games in San Diego last weekend. His season average gained 57 points in that time (from .190 to .247). “It’s more of a feel for me,” he said. “It’s nothing where I could say I put my hands up higher or I got into my legs more. Some hitters when you find the feel it’s your feel. It’s kind of hard to explain. I do think my hands are in a better position. They’re more direct to the ball right now and I think that has to do with me getting my legs the right way. That’s been a big key so far.” STAR BREAK Dodgers manager Dave Roberts reiterated that left-hander Clayton Kershaw will make his scheduled start Sunday against the Kansas City Royals. Pitchers who start the final game before the All-Star break are ineligible to pitch in the exhibition game two days later. “We talked to Clayton and he’s made it very clear that his priority is the Dodgers,” Roberts said. That is not necessarily a bad thing – on two fronts. Of the six starting pitchers named to the National League All-Star team, Kershaw is the only one scheduled to start on Sunday – and the only one likely to create an opening for Alex Wood to be named to the team as a replacement. And not pitching in the game would make the All-Star break an actual break for Kershaw. The left-hander figures to reach the break with about 130 innings pitched. That would be his highest total since 2013. “We all try to think about creating opportunities for rest and managing things which I think we, as an organization, are very good at,” Roberts said. “But we don’t take for granted those rare opportunities (like the All-Star Game) for players.” Roberts said Kershaw would “probably not” start the first game after the All-Star break, giving him extra rest before starting the second half. The Dodgers open the second half with a three-game series in Miami. ALSO The matchups for next week’s Home Run Derby were announced. Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger is the No. 3 seed behind Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Bellinger will be matched up against Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon in the first round Monday. … The Dodgers will give away Dave Roberts bobbleheads at Thursday’s game. Roberts said he was also scheduled to be the subject of a bobblehead night in August of 2004 – but he was traded by the Dodgers to the Boston Red Sox in July. “They all went to Goodwill,” Roberts joked. “Either that or they made

them into a Jayson Werth bobblehead … went a couple shades darker and had Milton Bradley Bobblehead Night. Diamondbacks at Dodgers: Thursday game time, TV channels and starting pitchers By Bill Plunkett DIAMONDBACKS at DODGERS When: 7:10 p.m. Where: Dodger Stadium TV: SportsNet LA (where available) THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP RICH HILL (5-4, 4.00 ERA) Vs. Diamondbacks: 1-3, 4.73 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 5-4, 2.42 ERA Hates to face: Paul Goldschmidt/Chris Owings, 2 for 5 (.400) Loves to face: Brandon Drury, 0 for 4, 2 strikeouts DIAMONDBACKS LHP ROBBIE RAY (8-4, 3.06 ERA) Vs. Dodgers: 4-3, 3.30 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 1-2, 2.32 ERA Hates to face: Kike’ Hernandez, 7 for 18 (.389), 1 double, 1 triple, 3 HRs Loves to face: Joc Pederson, 0 for 3, 3 strikeouts UPCOMING Friday: Royals (RHP Jason Hammel, 4-7, 5.08 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Kenta Maeda, 6-4, 4.76 ERA), 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA Saturday: Royals (RHP Ian Kennedy, 3-6, 4.44 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Brandon McCarthy, 6-3, 3.25 ERA), 4:15 p.m., FOX Sunday: Royals (LHP Danny Duffy, 5-4, 3.51 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 13-2, 2.19 ERA), 1:10 p.m. SportsNet LA

ESPN Real or not? Best Dodgers team ever, Yankees in trouble By David Schoenfield Think the Atlanta Braves would like Alex Wood back? Back at the trade deadline in 2015, the Braves, Dodgers and Marlins made a complicated three-team deal that included 13 players. The meat of that deal was Wood going to the Dodgers and Hector Olivera going to the Braves. Olivera was a Cuban free agent the Dodgers had signed for $62.5 million, including a $28 million signing bonus. Olivera played only 30 games for the Braves and was suspended after a domestic violence dispute. (The Braves later flipped him to the Padres for Matt Kemp when the Padres wanted to dump Kemp's contract). Wood, who had a 3.10 ERA in his three seasons with the Braves, battled a foot injury in 2015 and then elbow chips in 2016, when he made only 10 starts and won one game. He began the season in the bullpen, joined the rotation, missed a couple of weeks because of a sore shoulder and now looks like one of the best starters in baseball. After beating the Diamondbacks 1-0 on Wednesday, he's now 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA. He has struck out 97 in 80 2/3 innings and given up only two home runs. With Clayton Kershaw starting Sunday and thus ineligible to pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game, Wood is the best option to replace him on the roster. One key for Wood has been increased use of his changeup -- apparently on the advice of Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers' analytics department. From a Bill Plunkett piece in the Orange County Register in May: But Wood also credits a conversation with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman with turbo-charging his return to a prominent role. "When I really started to take off last year was after we had a conversation about pitch usage and that kind of thing," Wood said. "I won't go into too much detail but that along with my mechanics getting back to where they were most of my life has made everything work better." With the Braves in 2015, Wood threw his fastball 66 percent of the time. This season he's down to 52 percent, with his changeup percentage increasing from 15 to 25 percent. Opponents are hitting .127 against it. Of course, they're also hitting .190 against his fastball and .195 against his curveball. The Dodgers have now won 22 of their past 26 games, and Wood's emergence as a strong No. 2 behind Kershaw leads me to this question: Could this be the best team in Los Angeles Dodgers history? Their current run differential of plus-154 would be the second highest in National League history at the All-Star break, behind only the 1944 Cardinals, and they're on pace for 107 wins. For context, here are the best seasons since the franchise moved from Brooklyn in 1958: 2017 Dodgers: 57-29, .663

1974 Dodgers: 102-60, .630 1962 Dodgers: 102-63, .618 1963 Dodgers: 99-63, .611 1977 Dodgers: 98-64, .605 As much success as the Dodgers have had -- including the past four NL West titles -- it's surprising they haven't had more super teams. They haven't won more than 95 games since that '77 squad did it 40 years ago. I imagine most Dodgers experts would point to the 1963 team, led by Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, as the best because it swept the New York Yankees in the World Series. The 1974 team that had the highest winning percentage led the NL in both runs scored (798) and fewest runs allowed (561). That team featured Cy Young Award winner Mike Marshall, who pitched a remarkable 206 innings in relief, plus MVP Steve Garvey (although Jim Wynn easily led Garvey in WAR and 20-game winner Andy Messersmith topped Marshall). The Dodgers lost the World Series to the A's. This team has a chance to top those two, especially given the weak slate of opponents on its schedule the rest of the way. Of their 76 remaining games, 47 are against teams currently with losing records, just 29 against winning teams. Of their first 36 games after the break, 30 are against losing teams. The Dodgers have the best rotation ERA in the majors. They lead the NL in bullpen ERA. They're second only to the Nationals in the NL in runs. They have the best closer. They have Cody Freakin' Bellinger. It's not a question of winning 100 games, but how many wins above 100. Gray's anatomy. A reminder of why we need a pitchers' Home Run Derby: Rockies starter Jon Gray belted his first career home run, and this 467-foot blast that was not only the longest of the season for the Rockies but also longer than any hit by six of the eight Home Run Derby participants (only Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have gone deeper): I love the little Sammy Sosa-like hop there as well. The more important result for the Rockies was the 5-3 win over the Reds. The offense is still struggling -- Gray and backup infielder Pat Valaika both hit two-run homers -- but Nolan Arenado is still doing amazing things in the field: Aaron Judge update. He hit his 29th home run, tying Joe DiMaggio's Yankees rookie record. He leads the AL in home runs and RBIs, and is just a few points behind in the batting race. Oh, he also leads the majors in walks, and you know that makes my heart swoon. His OBP is .449; DiMaggio's career-high OBP was .448. The Yankees lost to the Blue Jays, however, as Dellin Betances came on with the score tied in the eighth inning and promptly walked four of the five batters he faced. Betances made the All-Star team but didn't deserve the nod, as he's in a massive mechanical slump. He has now walked 26 batters in 27 1/3 innings and given up nine runs over his past 4 2/3 innings. The eighth inning is suddenly a big problem for the Yankees, who haven't won two games in a row since June 12. The Yankees led the division by four games on that date. They've gone 6-16 since, and while

they still lead the wild-card race, there is now a pack of teams right behind them. Given the mediocre state of their rotation, they need a lockdown bullpen, and that hasn't been the case of late. Madison Bumgarner returns and it wasn't pretty. OK, it was only his first rehab start in the California League, but ... umm, wow: He ended up giving up nine runs and four home runs in four innings. And, no, he has never given up four home runs in a major league game. Baseball ... you can't predict it. The Padres All-Star you've never heard of is trade deadline's most important name By David Schoenfield The player who might be most in demand at the trade deadline is a 2017 All-Star, but he could be the most obscure one. San Diego Padres reliever Brad Hand is a 27-year-old left-hander with four career saves, but every playoff contender looking for a bullpen upgrade -- which is pretty much every playoff contender -- will be calling the Padres. Over the past two seasons, Hand is tied with Chris Devenski for most innings pitched among relievers. He’s third in strikeouts and eighth in WAR. Among relievers with at least 80 innings pitched, he ranks in the top 20 in strikeout rate, OPS allowed and weighted on-base average (wOBA) allowed. He has been effective against righties and lefties. Given his workload, he has been one of the top-10 relievers in the game -- sort of an Andrew Miller lite. Amazingly, the Padres claimed him off waivers in April 2016 from the Marlins, who grew frustrated with Hand’s inability to develop into a starter. Still, it’s hard to believe an organization as talent-starved as the Marlins would give up on a former top prospect without giving him a longer run as a reliever. The Padres immediately put Hand in the bullpen. Like Miller, he became primarily a fastball/slider pitcher. His fastball still sits around 92-94 mph, and the slider is his wipeout pitch, with batters hitting .114 against it with a 50 percent strikeout rate. As with Miller, it's Hand's abilities to retire batters from both sides of the plate and go more than three outs at a time that make him so desirable to playoff teams. He has gone four or more outs in 11 of his 39 appearances this year and is on pace to pitch in 78 games, the kind of durability managers will want in October. Remember how Joe Maddon and Terry Francona managed their pitching staffs in October: quick hooks on their starters and then riding Aroldis Chapman and Miller, respectively, for more than three outs. Cubs starters pitched seven innings just three times in 17 postseason games and went fewer than five innings five times even though the starters didn't give up more than three runs in those games. Indians starters went seven innings just one time and fewer than five eight times in 15 games. Given that offense is up across the majors this year, teams are likely to demand even more from their bullpens this postseason.

Why would the Padres trade Hand, who isn’t a free agent until after 2019? Simple: A rebuilding team should always cash in on a reliever when it can. The Padres might not be good until 2019, about when Hand will be ready to leave the team as a free agent. He could get hurt or lose effectiveness before then, too, and San Diego also has two other decent southpaws in Ryan Buchter and rookie Jose Torres. Here’s a quick look at the leading playoff contenders, ranked in order of most likely to acquire Hand: Washington Nationals: Of course. They have an MLB-worst 5.19 bullpen ERA, and Hand would immediately become their best reliever, whether as a potential closer or setup guy. Really, the Nationals should acquire at least two relievers. Hand and a closer such as David Robertson would certainly help Dusty Baker’s heart. While you’ll hear that teams will hold the Nationals hostage in trade talks, that’s not necessarily true: The Nationals just have to make a better offer than anybody else. Milwaukee Brewers: The Brewers absolutely should be buyers, and the biggest need they have is upgrading the bullpen. All-Star Corey Knebel has locked down the ninth inning since taking over as closer, but the pen still ranks 16th in ERA. The Brewers have a deep farm system to make a deal, and having team control over Hand for two more seasons means he still fits into their long-term plans. Plus, Hand has more value to a division winner than to a wild-card team that could be one-and-done. Los Angeles Dodgers: They have the second-best bullpen ERA behind the Indians, but the two lefties are Luis Avilan and Grant Dayton, and neither is extremely trustworthy. Pedro Baez has been the eighth-inning guy, and he has a 1.26 ERA but hasn’t really been as dominant as the ERA suggests, with 15 walks in 35⅔ innings -- including a 10/9 SO/BB ratio versus left-handed batters. You don’t really want him facing a string of lefties with the game on the line. Remember, Dave Roberts had problems last October bridging the gap from the starters to Kenley Jansen. Hand would give him much more versatility in that area. Boston Red Sox: As with the Dodgers, the bullpen has been solid, ranking third in the majors in ERA. Joe Kelly is currently riding a 23-game scoreless streak to emerge as a key weapon behind Craig Kimbrel. As with the Dodgers, however, there isn’t a dominant lefty in the pen, and you can never have too much depth. Plus, we know Dave Dombrowski has tried to upgrade his bullpen since taking over the front office, acquiring Kimbrel, Carson Smith and Tyler Thornburg. Smith and Thornburg immediately got injured, so Hand could fill the role they originally expected from Thornburg. New York Yankees: Chapman and Dellin Betances have had a couple of hiccups lately, but they should be fine. Chad Green has supplanted Tyler Clippard as the No. 3 guy, but given that Yankees starters don’t go very deep into games, adding Hand would allow Joe Girardi to have even quicker hooks with his starters. Arizona Diamondbacks/Colorado Rockies: The Arizona bullpen ranks a surprising fifth in ERA, and the Colorado pen has faded of late, other than closer Greg Holland. With the Dodgers a heavy favorite to win that division, however, it seems unlikely either would be the high bidder. If the Rockies do swing a major trade, it’s more likely to be for a starting pitcher (although it’s really the offense that needs some help). Houston Astros: They’re only 13th in bullpen ERA, and their top guys are all right-handed (Tony Sipp is the one lefty), but all indications are that they’d prefer to add a starter over a reliever.

Cleveland Indians: They still have Miller, closer Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw, and Zach McAllister is having a strong season. Given the steep price they paid to get Miller last season, though, and given their bullpen's MLB-best 2.80 ERA, they probably won’t be dealing prospects again for bullpen help. Wood improves to 10-0 in Dodgers' 1-0 win over D-backs By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- If Alex Wood's performance was an audition for a spot in the All-Star Game, and he insists it wasn't, go ahead and give him the call. Wood pitched three-hit ball over seven innings to start the season 10-0, and the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers beat the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks 1-0 on Wednesday night. "I don't know how often you get two teams that are 50-plus wins before the All-Star break playing against each other, especially in the same division," Wood said. "It felt a little bit bigger tonight. Tensions were a little bit higher, especially in a 1-0 ballgame." Wood became the first Dodgers starter to reach 10-0 since Don Newcombe in 1955, when the Brooklyn Dodgers won the first of the franchise's six World Series championships. Newcombe, who remains a mainstay with the team at 91, wasn't in attendance. "It'll be cool to even be mentioned with him, so it's pretty neat," Wood said. The 26-year-old left-hander hasn't lost since May 30, 2016 -- a span of 13 consecutive starts. Wood struck out 10 and walked two. "You've got to pinch yourself sometimes," Wood said, marveling at his stellar first half. "You have to slow it down and take it all in and try and remember what you're doing now, so when the hard times do come you can get back to where you had success." Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 20th save in as many chances. He put the potential tying run on with a two-out single by Brandon Drury before striking out Chris Herrmann to end the game. Yasmani Grandal's RBI double to deep center field in the second scored Chris Taylor from first base. The Dodgers got just one hit after the second inning, Corey Seager's double with two outs in the eighth. The Dodgers go for a three-game sweep Thursday, having won the opener 4-3 with Clayton Kershaw limiting the Diamondbacks to two hits over seven scoreless innings. "They certainly delivered a 1-2 punch on us," Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said. "That's why they're having a good year. We did our absolute best to make things happen, but you've got to give them some credit -- two lefties shut us down." Dodgers manager Dave Roberts compared Wood's mentality to that of Kershaw, whose locker is near Wood's. The left-handed ace has clearly impacted Wood beyond just their proximity.

"Just his tenacity and his work ethic," Wood said. "It's hard not to notice that even if you're pretty blind to a lot of things. He makes you want to work harder." Because he is scheduled to start Sunday, Kershaw won't pitch in Tuesday's All-Star Game in Miami, leaving the door open for Wood to be selected as a replacement. "I would feel very honored if that happens and very humbled about something you kind of dream of as a kid," Wood said. Arizona's Zack Godley (3-3) gave up one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out six and walked one. He has yet to allow more than three runs in a start this season. Wood bailed himself out of jams in the fourth and sixth. With two runners on, he induced swinging strikeouts from Drury and Jake Lamb to end both innings, pumping his fist both times. Wood was backed by solid defense, too. Center fielder Joc Pederson made a running catch to save a potential run in the sixth after Wood gave up a leadoff bunt to Gregor Blanco and a single to Paul Goldschmidt. "He has that pitching-with-purpose mentality with every pitch," Roberts said. WHAT A START Even with its third straight loss, Arizona's 52-33 mark is a franchise record after 85 games. Previously, the Diamondbacks went 51-34 in 2001 and 2002. TRAINER'S ROOM Diamondbacks: RHP J.J. Hoover, on the DL with right shoulder inflammation, was set to throw his final bullpen. Lovullo said Hoover's rehab is progressing as expected. ... OF A.J. Pollock was rested after coming off the DL a day earlier. He was sidelined with groin and quad injuries. Pollock went 1 for 4 in his first game since May 14, and whether he plays Thursday will depend on how he feels. UP NEXT Diamondbacks: LHP Robbie Ray (8-4, 3.06 ERA) is 1-2 with a 2.32 ERA in five career road starts against Los Angeles. Ray's 128 strikeouts are tied for third in the NL with Washington's Stephen Strasburg. Scherzer (163) of the Nationals is first, and Kershaw (146) ranks second. Dodgers: LHP Rich Hill (5-4, 4.00) is free of the blisters that have dogged him. He is 1/3 with a 4.73 ERA in six career starts against Arizona.

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw to start Sunday, ineligible for All-Star Game By ESPN.com News Services Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said again Wednesday that Clayton Kershaw will take his normal turn in the rotation and start Sunday against the Kansas City Royals, meaning Kershaw will be ineligible to pitch in next Tuesday's All-Star Game. Pitchers who start their team's final game before the break aren't eligible for the All-Star Game and are replaced on the roster. A replacement for Kershaw hasn't been named. Roberts said that Kershaw isn't likely to start on July 14, when the Dodgers resume play at Miami. Kershaw improved to 13-2 on the season on Tuesday, when he pitched seven shutout innings in a win against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He's the first Dodgers pitcher with 13 wins before the All-Star break since Orel Hershiser in 1988. Kershaw allowed two hits and lowered his ERA to 2.19 and his WHIP to 0.89 on Tuesday. Kershaw has worked 123⅓ innings thus far and will get at least one extra day between starts if he doesn't pitch on July 14. Meanwhile, in what could have been his audition for a spot in the All-Star Game, Dodgers starter Alex Wood pitched three-hit ball over seven innings to improve his record to 10-0 to start the season, as the NL West-leading Dodgers beat the second-place Diamondbacks 1-0 on Wednesday night. Wood became the first Dodgers starter to reach 10-0 since Don Newcombe in 1955, when the Brooklyn Dodgers won the first of the franchise's six World Series championships. The 26-year-old left-hander hasn't lost since May 30, 2016 -- a span of 13 consecutive starts. Wood struck out 10 and walked two. Roberts compared Wood's mentality to that of Kershaw, whose locker is near Wood's. The left-handed ace has clearly impacted Wood beyond just their proximity. "Just his tenacity and his work ethic," Wood said about Kershaw. "It's hard not to notice that even if you're pretty blind to a lot of things. He makes you want to work harder." Asked about the prospect of taking Kershaw's spot in the All-Star Game lineup, Wood replied, "I would feel very honored if that happens and very humbled about something you kind of dream of as a kid."

TRUE BLUE LA

Peters, Quakes pummel Bumgarner By David Hood A winning night on the farm was highlighted by a group of prospects pounding on an old Dodger foe in Rancho Cucamonga. Player of the day DJ Peters only had two hits on Wednesday night, and both came in the same inning. Those hits, however, left the yard against long time Dodger foe Madison Bumgarner, who was rehabbing with San Jose. Peters two home runs give him five over his last four games, and extended his hit streak to ten games, where he is hitting .436 over that span. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers held the Iowa Cubs to just three hits in an 8-0 win Wednesday. Justin Masterson struck out ten over seven scoreless innings, walking just two in earning his seventh victory of the year. He was followed by two scoreless innings from Justin Marks. Every Dodger starter got a hit for the offense, with O’Koyea Dickson leading the way with his 18th home run of the season, and Max Muncy, who had a pair of hits, including his eighth home run. Alex Verdugo (18th) and Willie Calhoun (17th) each doubled in the winning cause. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers scored ten runs in the later innings to push the passed the Frisco Rough Riders (Rangers) 12-3. Walker Buehler was less efficient in his start, going just four and a third innings but struck out five while allowing two runs. Karch Kowalczyk earned the win with a scoreless inning of relief, while Yaisel Sierra earned the hard save by pitching the final three innings while allowing just one earned run. Like Oklahoma City, every Driller starter had a hit in this game. Matt Beaty had three hits in five at bats, driving in two runs. Quincy Latimore went two for four with his first home run for Tulsa. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes obliterated Bumgarner and the San Jose Giants in a 14-1 victory. In addition to Peters’ two home runs, Bumgarner was also taken deep by Drew Jackson (two for three) and Ibandel Isabel (three for five) before exiting after four innings, having surrendered nine runs. Luke Raley also had three hits, including a triple, from the designated hitter slot. Caleb Ferguson outdueled the MLB star by going six innings and allowing just one run, striking out five. Ferguson was followed by scoreless relief outings by Dean Kremer and Daniel Corcino. Class-A Great Lakes A five run third inning was all the Loons would need to defeat the South Bend Cubs 5-2. Cody Thomas and Carlos Rincon each hit their fourteenth home runs of the year in the third, while Zach Reks led the Loons with a pair of hits out of the nine hole.

Dustin May won his fifth game of the season, allowing just one earned run over five innings, striking out two but walking just one. Angel German earned his fifth save with a scoreless inning in the ninth inning, striking out one. Rookie Ogden The Raptors had 19 hits in a 17-3 clubbing of the Idaho Falls Chukars (Royals). Luis Paz went four for four with a double and home run, driving in four runs. Nick Yarnall also had four hits in five at bats, with a pair of doubles. Rylan Bannon also had three hits and a double for the winning cause. Kam Uter took the win in following Osiris Ramirez in relief, going one and a third scoreless innings and striking out two. Zach Hartman allowed just one earned run in three innings, striking out four. Rookie Arizona League Dodgers The AZL Dodgers were off on Wednesday and resume Thursday against the AZL Giants. Dominican League DSL Dodgers The DSL Dodgers One lost to the DSL Royals 3-2. Sauryn Lao had three hits to raise his average to .315 on the year. The DSL Dodgers Two fell to the DSL Pirates 7-1. Frank Sanchez hit his first home run in going two for four. Transactions Triple-A: Oklahoma City placed RHP Trevor Oaks on the seven day disabled list, recalling RHP Colt Hynes from Double A Tulsa. Double-A: To take Colt Hynes spot on the roster, the Drillers recalled RHP Andrew Thurman from Rancho Cucamonga. Class-A: RHP Daniel Corcino was activated from the Rancho Cucamonga disabled list. Great Lakes made a pair of disabled list moves, activating RHP Vinny Santarsiero and disabling RHP Logan Crouse Short Season: OF Starling Heredia was promoted from the AZL Dodgers to Ogden. Wednesday scores Oklahoma City 8, Iowa 0 Tulsa 12, Frisco 3 Rancho Cucamonga 14, San Jose 1 Great Lakes 5, South Bend 2 Ogden 17, Idaho Falls 3 DSL Royals 3, DSL Dodgers One 2

DSL Pirates 7, DSL Dodgers Two 1 Thursday schedule 4:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Leonardo Crawford at South Bend (TBD) 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Chris Rearick) vs. Frisco (Ariel Jurado) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Scott Barlow) vs. Iowa (Williams Perez) 6:15 p.m.: Ogden (Adalberto Pena) at Idaho Falls (TBD) 7:00 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Dennis Santana) at San Jose (Jake McCasland) 3 Dodgers make Baseball Prospectus midseason top 50 prospects list By Eric Stephen The folks at Baseball Prospectus unveiled their midseason top 50 prospects on Thursday, and three Dodgers made the cut. Cody Bellinger almost certainly would have made it four, but he’s busy preparing for a trip to his first major league All-Star Game this weekend. The three Dodgers in the Baseball Prospectus top 50 are pitcher Walker Buehler (19th), outfielder Alex Verdugo (27th) and pitcher Yadier Alvarez (28th). Buehler is the big climber here, up from 94th on the preseason top 101 list. The Dodgers’ first-round pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt, Buehler missed nearly all of 2016 after Tommy John surgery, pitching only five innings at the end of the season. So far this season, the right-hander has a 2.48 ERA in 15 starts between Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa, with 83 strikeouts (34.4% strikeout rate) and 17 walks in 61⅔ innings. “You can make an argument Buehler has the best raw stuff in the minors right now,” wrote Jeffrey Paternostro and the Baseball Prospectus staff. “The fastball can touch 99, and he complements it with two advanced breaking pitches, both of which are potentially plus major league offerings.” Buehler made the Texas League All-Star Game with Tulsa, and Verdugo made the Triple-A All-Star Game after his stellar first half for Oklahoma City. Verdugo, another riser after he was ranked 66th, has excelled as one of the youngest players in the Pacific Coast League at age 21. The Dodgers’ second-round pick in 2014, Verdugo is hitting .347/.417/.467 with 18 doubles, four triples, three home runs, and more walks (35) than strikeouts (31) in 77 games for Oklahoma City this season. Verdugo had a 20-game hitting streak snapped last week, but has a current 30-game streak of reaching base, hitting .415/.473/.593 during that span. Alvarez, 21, is down five spots from his preseason ranking, after a so-so first half for Rancho Cucamonga. Alvarez has a 5.37 ERA in 55⅓ innings, with 56 strikeouts (23% K rate) and 21 walks.

Paternostro and staff love Alvarez’s raw stuff, but also noted, “The control and command are loose enough, and the changeup far away enough that he might not be a starter if it one or more of those aspects don’t take a significant step forward.” Clayton Kershaw is baseball’s most marketable player By Grant Brisbee On Tuesday night, while you were busy inhaling tubed meats and carbonated booze, Clayton Kershaw was excellent again. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, losing it on an infield hit. He finished with two hits allowed in seven innings, the third time he’s posted that line this season. And, more importantly to this baseball nerd, he pushed his career WHIP below 1.000. The full list of pitchers with a career WHIP under 1: Addie Joss Clayton Kershaw Three pitchers, Mariano Rivera, Ed Walsh, and Cy Young, have WHIPs right at 1. That’s it. That’s the full list of pitchers who averaged one or fewer baserunners per inning. Kershaw is roughly the equivalent of one of the greatest closers in baseball history, stretched out for seven or eight innings at a time, unless you get him for the full nine innings. My argument today isn’t that Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball, which he is. It isn’t that he’s one of the best pitchers of all-time, with a non-zero chance to be the best pitcher of all-time, which he could be. It’s that he’s the most watchable player in baseball. If you have someone who is showing the slightest interest in baseball, my advice to you is this: Skip Mike Trout. Forget Carlos Correa. Don’t even worry about Aaron Judge. Go straight to Clayton Kershaw. This isn’t a scorching hot take. This is an appeal to raw numbers. In the 2017 season, Kershaw has faced 473 batters. Of those batters ... 110 of them reached base 363 of them failed at their job Which is a ruder but more satisfying way of saying that 363 times, Kershaw succeeded at his job. Do a similar tally for Judge, who has a chance at the Triple Crown. He’s in the middle of an absolutely transcendent season that will be appreciated for a century. He’s come to the plate 347 times this season, and in those plate appearances ... he reached base 155 times he made an out 192 times With Kershaw, you’re getting more guaranteed success. It’s the way the game is designed — the pitchers have the control. And if you’re not satisfied with a binary safe/out measure of success, we can move to the signature play for each player. Judge hits long dingers. Kershaw makes opposing batters look like dummies who can’t hit a baseball.

In 8.1 percent of his plate appearances, Judge does what everyone is expecting him to do. In 30.9 percent of plate appearances against him, Kershaw does what everyone is expecting him to do. Now, long dingers and strikeouts aren’t perfectly comparable, specifically because of the relative rarity of home runs, so feel free to adjust those numbers accordingly. Even though Kershaw does his thing three times more often than Judge, if home runs are four times as exciting as strikeouts, the watchability scales tip toward him. Remember that Kershaw has more chances for these events, however, going head-to-head with an opponent over 100 times more than Judge this year, and that gap will eventually increase. Kershaw is the steadier bet for a positive outcome, and if you’re looking to sell someone on baseball’s beauty, this is the best way to go about it. Start with someone who is going to remind you of why he’s brilliant more often any of his peers. A player like Trout or Judge also suffers from the biggest marketability problem that baseball has. I wrote about it last year: Hitters go 0-for-4, and they do it often, even if it looks like a mismatch on paper. Several times this season, (Giancarlo) Stanton will roll into a city and leave without a home run. No one should be surprised. Imagine that in another sport. Imagine Steph Curry passing through town, taking one shot every 45 minutes for three hours, missing them all, and leaving for the night. It's not a zero-sum game, but that’s is baseball's competition, and the odds are overwhelming that if you carve out three hours for Curry, he's going to do something Curry-ish before the night is over, even if he has a dreadful night. In baseball, a player can just ... kind of ... you know ... disappear. With Kershaw, you’re guaranteed that kind of return. When he comes into town, he might have an off night, but the odds are that you won’t. And even if he does, he’ll probably do something that impresses the heck out of you. He’s the best in baseball at making you whistle like an old-timey radio guy and say, “Boy, this fella is simply the eel’s ankles, I’m telling you, just the leopard’s stripes, he is.” This leads us to one of baseball’s other marketing problems: There are 478 games every season, give or take. So many games. Look, there are games tonight! And tomorrow. And the next day. So, so many games. And Judge or Trout or Correa might get one or two singles in 15 hours worth of baseball stretched over five nights. That’s unavoidable. Getting a baseball-curious person into the Church of Kershaw requires one service every five days. There are no subscriptions, no commitments, no tithing, and less of a chance for disappointment. The ratios tip a little more in the favor of a tools monster like Trout, who can thrill in the field and on the bases and mess up that rough success/fail percentage that I entered into evidence up there, but it’s not enough. This is my marketing advice for baseball: Sell the pitchers. They succeed more. Every time I gurgle and coo about Clayton Kershaw for turning me into an easily amazed baby-man, there’s always someone ready to comment or email something like, “[clears breath] POSTSEASON CHOKER. PLAYOFF PERFORMANCE, NOT CLUTCH CAN’T HANDLE PRESSURE, NOT PROVEN ON THE BIGGEST STAGE, AND LET’S BE HONEST THAT ISN’T THE STRONGEST BEARD GAME, EITHER.” My

response usually has something to do with the unfair position he’s put in by the Dodgers, whose plan for the last several years has been to grind him on short rest instead of acquiring third and fourth starters they would also trust in the postseason. This time, though, I can use a different response: Yeah, the postseason will tear your innards out and wear them as an ascot, and any prospective baseball fans should learn that right up front. This makes Kershaw the perfect gateway drug for anyone who isn’t sure why people watch baseball on purpose. He’ll succeed more than everyone else. He’s more reliable than anyone else. He’s an absolute tornado of physical wonder, and everyone should appreciate that more than they already do. Watch more Clayton Kershaw. Tell your friends to do it, too. More than any other player in baseball, if not baseball history, you won’t regret it. Alex Wood wins pitching duel with Diamondbacks By Eric Stephen The Dodgers and Diamondbacks have been the two best teams this season at preventing runs, so it is only right that the two teams played a hard-fought, low-scoring affair on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. The home team came out on top in the 1-0 contest thanks to Alex Wood ending his unofficial first half with yet another gem. Wood struck out 10 in his seven scoreless innings, further strengthening his All-Star bid. We got to see fired-up Wood for a second straight start, though Wednesday wasn’t fueled by the anger of baseball’s unwritten rules. This time, Wood got himself in and out of jams — runners on second and third with two outs in the fourth inning, then runners on first and second with one out in the sixth. Both Arizona rallies ended with swinging strikeouts — Brandon Drury in the fourth inning, and Jake Lamb in the sixth — followed by Wood pumping his fist as he walked off the mound. Even with the high strikeout total, Wood was able to keep his pitch count low, which allowed him to reach the eighth inning for the second time in his last four starts. Wood lowered his ERA to 1.67, and with the win improved to 10-0, the first Dodgers pitcher to open a season with 10 straight wins since reliever Ed Roebuck in 1962. If we’re talking starters, Wood is the first since Don Newcombe back in 1955 for Brooklyn. In his last nine starts, Wood has allowed zero or one run eight times. Here’s your run After a one-out single by Chris Taylor in the second inning, Yasmani Grandal continued his hot hitting with a double to the left center field gap — his eighth extra-base hit in his last 10 games — for the game’s first run.

It was the 18th double of the season for Grandal, just one shy of his career high, set in 2014 with the Padres. That was it against Diamondbacks starter Zack Godley, who kept the Dodgers off balance in his 5⅔ innings. He struck out six and induced eight ground ball outs, limiting the Dodgers to one run. The mound visit Wood was pulled after just 85 pitches, which meant Pedro Baez in the eighth inning with a one-run lead, an advantage that looked quite precarious after a four-pitch walk then a ball on the first pitch to Baez’s second batter faced. That brought a sprinting Dave Roberts out to the mound, where he likely delivered some version of, “Hey, throw strikes” to his reliever. Whatever Roberts said, it worked, as Baez struck out two of his next three batters, including a four-pitch whiff of Paul Goldschmidt to end the inning. Did I mention fired up Alex Wood? Here was his reaction to Baez striking out Goldschmidt: Up next The Dodgers go for the series sweep on Thursday night, sending Rich Hill to the mound to face Diamondbacks All-Star lefty Robbie Ray in the series finale, a 7:10 p.m. PT start. Wednesday particulars Home runs: none WP - Alex Wood (10-0): 7 IP, 3 hits, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts LP - Zack Godley (3-3): 5⅔ IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts Sv - Kenley Jansen (20): 1 IP, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts Walker Buehler named Texas League Pitcher of the Week By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — Top Dodgers pitching prospect Walker Buehler made just one start last week for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, but he made enough of an impression to win Texas League Pitcher of the Month honors on Wednesday. Buehler struck out seven and allowed just two hits and a walk in 5⅔ scoreless innings on the road at Frisco. He is the fifth Tulsa player to capture weekly Texas League honors this season. Edwin Rios, Jose Miguel Fernandez, and Kyle Farmer won Player of the Week honors, and Scott Barlow captured Pitcher of the Week honors.

Buehler this season had a 2.85 ERA in nine starts for Tulsa this season, with 51 strikeouts and only 10 walks in 41 innings. Buehler also started for Tulsa on Wednesday night, also against Frisco though this time at home in Tulsa. Combined with his five starts earlier in the season with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, Buehler — the Dodgers’ first-round draft pick in 2015 -- has 78 strikeouts and 15 walks in 57⅓ innings, and a 2.35 ERA.

DODGERS INSIDER Final day to vote for Final Vote By Rowan Kavner Justin Turner’s quest to win the National League All-Star Final Vote now turns to Twitter on the final day of voting. Fans can vote for players using their specific hashtag on Twitter starting Thursday at 7 a.m. PT and lasting six hours until fan voting ends at 1 p.m. PT. To vote for Turner, fans can use #VoteJT in their tweet, and their votes will count toward the Final Vote tally during that six-hour period. Fans can still text “N5” to 89269 a total of 35 times or vote an unlimited number of times online at Dodgers.com/vote, as well, until voting closes at 1 p.m PT. Turner, who leads the Majors (min. 200 at-bats) in batting average (.384) and on-base percentage (.473), enters the final day of voting atop the NL for the third straight day with 17.8 million votes. During the final 24 hours of voting, the Dodgers and Pantone 294 joined forces to create a #VoteJT 24-hour voting headquarters, with many members pulling all-nighters to try to get Turner into the All-Star Game. Turner and his teammates stopped by at various times to show their appreciation. The winners will be announced at 3 p.m. PT on Thursday, at which point Turner will find out if he’s joining his four All-Star teammates. Turner continues to have the support of his fellow Dodger players, who’ve campaigned for him on social media and have worn different #VoteJT T-shirts during batting practice this week. Turner also has had the support of celebrities reaching out to fans to vote for the Dodger third baseman. “It’s one of the perks of playing for the Dodgers,” said manager Dave Roberts. “You play in a great city where there’s a lot of celebrity. For the players to kind of get on board and the fans to gain the momentum that it has, speaking for JT, I think it’s pretty humbling and exciting for everyone.”

Wood delivers another All-Star caliber outing, moving into Newcombe territory By Rowan Kavner Alex Wood only needs to take a glance to his left at his locker to see Clayton Kershaw, a perennial All-Star whose work ethic, tenacity and emotion Wood said are contagious and impossible not to notice. Manager Dave Roberts is seeing similar traits in Wood, who moved to 10–0 in a 1–0 win Wednesday against the Diamondbacks by delivering yet another All-Star worthy performance. “A lot of it is when you see your teammate in Clayton, the way he kind of goes at guys, prepares, pitches every game like it’s conceivably his last, I think that every time Alex takes the mound, he has that pitching with a purpose mentality in every pitch,” Roberts said. They could also share something else in common, given what Wood’s accomplished this season. He’s the first Dodger starter to go 10–0 since Don Newcombe in 1955. He hasn’t lost since May 30, 2016, leading the National League with a 1.67 ERA. Even Wood said he has to pinch himself sometimes, knowing the kind of run he’s on in the first half of the 2017 season, easily the best of his career. The numbers certainly look like an All-Star’s. And considering Kershaw is set to pitch Sunday and likely unavailable for the All-Star Game, Wood continues to give every reason to believe he’s a suitable replacement for the Dodgers’ ace, even if he knows that decision is out of his control. “One day at a time,” Wood said when asked about the All-Star Game being a possibility. “I would feel very honored if that happened, very humbled. It’s something you kind of dream of as a kid, so it’s hard to even kind of fathom still right now. We’ll see what happens.” Wood said he’s trying not to think about it much. All he can do is continue to pitch gems, and Wednesday was one of his finest. It only took Wood six pitches to get through the first inning . He didn’t allow his first hit until two outs in the fourth, then stranded runners at second and third after Arizona had its best chance to score. But Yasmani Grandal’s RBI double in the second inning was all the Dodgers would need to win. The Diamondbacks are in the top five in the NL in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging, but Wood held the №2 NL team in check with seven shutout innings. Wood struck out 10 batters Wednesday, and in his last nine starts, he’s struck out 70 while allowing just six runs in 56 innings. “Guys like that, you feel really good when they take the mound,” Roberts said. “When it does get a little hot, he makes pitches when he needs to.” Wood said the 1–0 game against a division foe made the game feel “a little bigger” and made the tensions “a little bit higher,” but he answered the call with no issue before Pedro Baez threw a scoreless eighth inning and Kenley Jansen picked up his 20th save of the year in 20 chances, closing out the win and delivering Wood his 10th win of the year.

Jansen is an All-Star. Kershaw is an All-Star. Wood’s pitching like one, but he’ll have to wait to find out if he is one. “I’m holding out hope,” Roberts said. Path open for Wood to possibly add to list of Dodger All-Stars By Rowan Kavner 07/05 Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 7:10 p.m. PT: Chase Utley 1B Corey Seager SS Justin Turner 3B Cody Bellinger RF Joc Pederson CF Chris Taylor LF Yasmani Grandal C Logan Forsythe 2B Alex Wood P Alex Wood could become the first Dodger starter to go 10–0 since Don Newcombe in 1955 with a win Wednesday. After that, it’s at least possible the next time he prepares to pitch is in an All-Star Game. The Dodgers have four All-Star players and could have a fifth in Justin Turner, who currently leads the National League in the All-Star Game Final Vote. It’s at least feasible the Dodgers end up with yet another All-Star in Wood, too. Rich Hill will follow Wood on Thursday in the rotation, finishing the series against the Diamondbacks. Then, it’s Kenta Maeda, Brandon McCarthy and Clayton Kershaw slated to start Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively, against the Royals. With that Sunday being the Dodgers’ final game before the All-Star break, that would make Kershaw unavailable to pitch in Miami. “We’ve talked to Clayton, and he’s made it very clear that his priority is the Dodgers,” manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday. “Obviously, it’s something he’s never done, as far as start an All-Star Game. But the way the rotation was slotted, we don’t see him pitching in that game.” Roberts said he doesn’t take the rare opportunity to participate in an All-Star Game or a Home Run Derby lightly, but the way the rotation is slotted, it seems Kershaw will need a replacement in Miami. Why not Wood, a Dodger teammate who hasn’t lost since May 30, 2016, and is in the top five in the NL (min. 70 innings pitched) in ERA (1.83–1st), FIP (2.12–1st), opposing batting average (.178–2nd), WHIP (0.91–3rd) and K/9 (10.63–5th), among other categories.

“He’s very deserving,” Roberts said of Wood. “With Alex, a lot of it is just contingent upon his health. Obviously, he’s pitched well enough to deserve to be on that team. We expect him to pitch well, get through tonight. The way I understand it, there still is an opportunity for him to get on that team.”

NBC LA The Force Will Be Strong at Dodger Stadium Friday Night By City News Service The Los Angeles Dodgers will conduct their ninth annual "Star Wars" Night at Friday's interleague game against the Kansas City Royals with both special pregame and postgame activities. "Star Wars" characters will be available throughout Dodger Stadium before the game to pose for pictures with fans. Rian Johnson, who directed "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," set for release Dec. 15, will throw the ceremonial first pitch. The customary Friday night postgame fireworks show will be "Star Wars" themed. Fans will be invited onto the field to watch the show, which will take place before 11 p.m. and is subject to cancellation if the game lasts too long. A "Star Wars" ticket package, including a T-shirt with the droid character BB-8, who was introduced in the 2015 film "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," is available at here. Last week, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved plans for the George Lucas Museum in Los Angeles. The museum will be located in Exposition Park, near the University of Southern California, where Lucas earned a degree in film in the 1960s. It will include "Star Wars" items, but also items that focus on the art of storytelling from the time of cave paintings to today's digital technology. Alex Wood Fires Seven Shutout Innings as Dodgers Hold off D-Backs, 1-0 By Michael Duarte He's a babe in the Woods. Alex Wood threw seven shutout innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers won a nail-biter, 1-0, over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. Wood's rapid ascension this season begs the question: When do isolated incidents stop being random events and start being a trend?

Wednesday marked Wood's 13th start of the season, and the North Carolina native remained perfect on the year, improving to 10-0, with a league-best 1.67 ERA. "You have to pinch yourself sometimes," said Wood of his remarkable start to the season. "I've had some pretty good runs in my career, so this is something where you have to try and slow it down and take it all in and remember what you're doing now so when the hard times come you get back to where you had success. It's been a lot of fun." Wood tied Dallas Keuchel for the longest active streak in the Majors without a loss, at 13 consecutive starts. Teammate, Clayton Kershaw is second with 12 straight starts without a loss. "You see your teammate in Clayton [Kershaw] the way he goes at guys, prepares, pitches every game like it's conceivably his last," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts, comparing Wood to Kershaw. "Every time Alex takes the mound he has that pitching with a purpose mentality. Guys like that you feel really good when they take the mound." Wood was humbled by his manager's analogy. "Even to be mentioned in the same breath as him is pretty cool," Wood said of the comparison to Kershaw. "I think he holds everyone accountable without actually holding you accountable. He puts in the work, and it makes you want to work hard too." Wood is easily one of the surprises of the first half of the MLB season as the left-hander didn't even make it out of Spring Training in the starting rotation. After struggling in his last two starts in the preseason, Wood was dealt to the bullpen to begin his 2017 campaign. On Wednesday, you could not see the Wood for the trees, as the Dodgers emerging ace became the first starter since Don Newcombe in 1955 to start the season 10-0. No starting pitcher in Los Angeles Dodgers history has accomplished the feat. "That's pretty cool," said Wood when told he was now in the record books with Newk. "I'm sure I'll see him sometime in the next couple days. It's pretty neat to be mentioned with him." This was Wood's final start before the All-Star Break and he leaves with the fourth lowest ERA in team history behind only Don Drysdale (1.37), Zack Greinke (1.39), and Sandy Koufax (1.60). "One day at a time. I would feel very honored if that happens," added Wood when asked if he should be in the Midsummer Classic. "It's something as a kid you dream of. I would feel very humbled." If you're superstitious for the second half of the season, it's time to knock on Wood, but in his final start of the first half, he was brilliant, throwing seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits, walking two, and striking out 10 in the win. "I don't know how often you get two teams with 50+ wins before the All-Star break playing against each other, especially in the same division," said Wood of his start on Wednesday. "It felt a little bit bigger tonight, tensions were a little bit higher, especially in a 1-0 ballgame."

Arizona starter Zack Godley was the hard-luck loser as he allowed just one run on three hits with one walk and six strikeouts in an otherwise strong start that lasted 5 and 2/3 innings. "He's got a very good curveball. He really competes," Roberts said of Godley. "We really didn't get a whole lot of good swings off him." One of those good swings came when Yasmani Grandal knocked in the game's only run with an RBI double that scored Chris Taylor in the second inning. "Fortunately CT [Chris Taylor] hanging breaking ball gets a base hit up the middle and Yasmani gets a first-pitch fastball and hits it to the opposite field gap," added Roberts. "That was all the offense we needed. It's not the formula we've used in recent weeks, but it was just enough." Despite his sensational start, the Dodgers were not out of the woods as Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen had to combine for two innings of tension-filled scoreless relief. "These guys got their job done," said Jansen of Wood and Baez before him. "To see how Alex [Wood] battled, it gives you that extra adrenaline to go out there and fight." Jansen allowed the tying run to reach base on a Brandon Drury single, but he struck out Chris Hermann to end the game as the All-Star earned his 20th save of the season, the sixth consecutive year he's tallied at least 20 saves. Despite the loss, the Diamondbacks are still off to their best start in franchise history at 52-33 overall. With back-to-back victories over the rival Diamondbacks, the Dodgers increased their lead in the National League west to a season-high 4.5 games. Up Next: Los Angeles looks for the sweep, and a stranglehold on the division over the D-backs as LHP Robbie Ray and Rich Hill tangle on Thursday at 7:10 PM PST.

LA TIMES

A look at Dodgers voted to start All-Star games since 1970 By Houston Mitchell When no Dodger was voted by fans into the starting lineup of this year's All-Star game, reliever Kenley Jansen blamed the fans. Some of those fans took to email and social media to say it wasn’t their fault that more than half of the Los Angeles area still can't watch the team on TV. But is that where the blame should rest? Here’s a look at Dodgers All-Star voting history since 1970 — when fan voting for the All-Star game starters resumed after 12 years in which the players voted — until the TV deal began before the 2014 season:

1970s Not every game was on TV in the 1970s, yet it was the most successful decade for Dodgers All-Star starters, with 13 overall, including a campaign by Dodgers fans to get Steve Garvey elected as a write-in candidate in 1974. A big factor: paper ballots were available in stadiums, and the Dodgers led the majors in attendance. 1970-73: None. 1974: Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Jimmy Wynn. 1975: Ron Cey, Steve Garvey, Jimmy Wynn. 1976: Steve Garvey. 1977: Ron Cey, Steve Garvey. 1978: Steve Garvey, Rick Monday. 1979: Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes. 1980s The 1980s started with a bang, with fans voting four Dodgers into the starting lineup in 1980, which is also the last time Dodger Stadium hosted the game. But only two other Dodgers were voted into the lineup in the ensuing years. 1980: Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Reggie Smith. 1981: Davey Lopes. 1982: None. 1983: Steve Sax. 1984-89: None. 1990s Only five times were Dodgers voted into the lineup in the 1990s, and Mike Piazza accounted for four of them. 1990: Mike Scioscia. 1991-93: None.

1994: Mike Piazza. 1995: Mike Piazza. 1996: Mike Piazza. 1997: Mike Piazza. 1998-99: None. 2000s Almost every game was available for the majority of fans to watch in the 2000s, but only two times were Dodgers elected. In 2009, Matt Kemp was part of the Final Vote, but lost to Shane Victorino of Philadelphia. 2000-04: None. 2005: Jeff Kent. 2006: None. 2007: Russell Martin. 2008-09: None. 2010s In 2011, Andre Ethier was part of the Final Vote, but lost to Victorino. In 2013, Adrian Gonzalez and Yasiel Puig were part of the Final Vote, but lost to Freddie Freeman of Atlanta. 2010: Andre Ethier. 2011: Matt Kemp. 2012: Matt Kemp. 2013: None. Before the 2014 season began, the Dodgers' new TV station began showing their games, with 70% of Dodgers fans not being able to watch them. Despite that, Dodgers fans have elected a player to the team in 2014. In 2015, Clayton Kershaw was part of the Final Vote, but lost to Carlos Martinez of St. Louis. 2014: Yasiel Puig. 2015-17: None.