May 10, 2017

The Dodgers learned on Wednesday that outfielder Andrew Toles will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

Toles was injured in the 7th inning on Tuesday night after lunging for a ball hit by Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, which ended up breaking up Julio Urias’ no hit bid.

Toles slid on the warning track but jammed his right knee in the process.  He was removed from the game, yet managed to walk off the field.

“It’s disappointing,” Toles, on crutches, said outside the clubhouse. “I was swinging it pretty good, feeling good, playing pretty good defense, and it all kind of came to a halt.”

Toles was just getting hot too.  In the past 11 games he hit .375  with a 1.005 OPS, 2 homers, 3 doubles and 7 RBIs.  He was tied for second on the team with five home runs.

The Dodgers will now move Cody Bellinger to left field.  They recalled 1st baseman/outfielder Scott Van Slyke, along with outfielder Brett Eibner.  LA also placed reliever Adam Liberatore on the 10-day DL with a groin injury.

May 9, 2017

Austin Barnes drilled a walk-off RBI double in the 10th inning, and the Dodgers defeated the Pirates 4-3 in 10 innings on Tuesday night at Chavez Ravine.

Barnes was used as a pinch-hitter with 1 out in the 10th, and Ross Stripling was used as a pinch-runner as well, scoring on the play.

Kenley Jansen (2-0) got the win after pitching a scoreless 10th inning.  Julio Urias started for LA, taking a no-hitter into the 7th inning until Andrew McCutchen doubled to lead off the 7th inning.  The 6 1/3 innings were a career-high for Urias, who allowed a run on two hits, two walks, with five strikeouts.  He threw 95 pitches.

The Pirates took a 3-2 lead in the 8th inning when John Jaso connected on a pinch-hit home run off of reliever Pedro Baez.  However, the Dodgers would tie he game in the 9th inning when Cody Bellinger delivered a run-scoring single, which brought home Corey Seager.  LA nearly won the game at that point, but Jody Mercer turned a spectacular double play.  Mercer scooped up the ball while keeping his foot on the bag after pitcher Tony Watson bounced a ball wide of second base.

After breaking up the no-hitter, the Pirates scored two in the 7th inning to tie the game at 2-2.  Francisco Cervelli doubled in McCutchen, which put the Pirates on the board.  Max Moroff followed with an RBI single, which scored Cervelli.  That was Moroff’s first major league hit and first career RBI.

Yasmani Grandal gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the 4th inning with a 2-run blast to center field off of ivan Nova.  The ball landed int the center field bleachers, and was Grandal’s 4th homer of the season.

Nova pitched 6 1/3 innings, giving up only those 2 runs on 7 hits, striking out 2 and walking 2.  Daniel Hudson (0-2) took the loss for the Bucs, after giving up the game-winning hit to Barnes.

The Dodgers will go for the sweep on Wednesday night at the Ravine.  Kenta Maeda (2-2; 5.81 ERA) is on the mound for LA, while the Pirates give the ball to Chad Kuhl (1-2; 5.54 ERA).

May 8, 2017

Chris Taylor hit a a grand slam during a 6-run first inning, and the Dodgers crushed the Pirates 12-1 on Monday night at Chavez Ravine.

Yasiel Puig also homered in the 1st inning, and Alex Wood (3-0) pitched a 2-hit shutout in 5 innings of work.  Wood struck out 11 Pirates and walked only 1.

“I’ve got to continue to be consistent,” Wood said. “I’m just going to build off that, and get ready for the next one.”

The Dodgers jumped all over Pittsburgh starter Trevor Williams (1-2).  Williams lasted just 3 innings, giving up 8 runs (6 earned), on 7 hits.  He was filling in for Jameson Taillon, who had surgery on Monday for suspected testicular cancer.

It was Taylor’s first inning blast that put LA in the drivers seat.  “That really set the tone,” outfielder Joc Pederson said. “We built off that the rest of the game.”

Taylor and Pederson had three hits apiece.  Pederson, Yasmani Grandal, and Enrique Hernandez each drove in a pair of runs.

Ross Stripling pitched 3 innings of relief, giving up 1 run on 3 hits for LA.  Adam Liberatore pitched a scoreless 9th.

LA put Brandon McCarthy on the disabled list after he dislocated his nonthrowing shoulder in the weight room last week.  That resulted in Liberatore getting called up, and Wood getting the start, which the team announced early Monday afternoon.

The Dodgers will try to keep it rolling tomorrow night in game 2.  Julio Urias (0-0; 0.84 ERA) will get the start for the boys in blue, while the Bucs will give the ball to Ivan Nova (3-3, 2.14 ERA).

May 6, 2017

Cody Bellinger hit his 1st career grand slam, as the Dodgers routed the Padres 10-2 on Saturday night at Petco Park.

Bellinger was 2-4 on the evening, with 5 runs batted in.  Clayton Kershaw (5-2) pitched 7 1/3 innings, giving up just 1 earned run on 5 hits, striking out 9 Padres along the way.

The game was scoreless until the 4th when Bellinger got things started with an RBI single that scored Justin Turner.    The Dodgers would tack on two more in the inning on a pass ball from Padres’ catcher Austin Hedges, scoring Franklin Gutierrez, and then an RBI single from Yasiel Puig, which scored Bellinger.

Kike Hernandez made it 5-0 in the 5th inning with a 2-run double, scoring Justin Turner and Chris Taylor.

That was all for Padres’ starter Clayton Richard (2-4).  He allowed 5 runs on 7 hits on the night.

The Friars only offense of the night came on a solo homer by Ryan Schimpf, his 8th of the season, which came off of Kershaw in the 8th.  They would also add an unearned run in the 9th inning on a fielding error by Justin Turner.

Bellinger is now hitting .357 for the Dodgers.  In the first two games of this series, he’s 5-9 with 3 homers, 9 RBI, and 4 runs.

Chris Taylor walked three times and scored twice.  He is one of just five MLB players this season with at least 30 plate appearance whose OBP and OPS are greater than .470 and 1.07 respectively.

The only bad news for LA was the amount of exertion Kershaw and Kenley Jansen put forth for a 10-2 rout.  Kershaw threw 118 pitches, and Jansen threw 33.  Skipper Dave Roberts said that Kershaw would likely get an extra day of rest before pitching again, while Jansen indicated that he likely would not be available tomorrow.

The Dodgers improved to 17-14 on the season, and remain two games back of 1st place Colorado in the NL West.  The Dodgers are scheduled to go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park, but Roberts was told it is “unlikely” they’ll be able to get the game in based on the weather forecast. The scheduled starters are Brandon McCarthy (3-0; 3.10 ERA) for the Dodgers, and Trevor Cahill (2-2; 3.60 ERA).

May 5, 2017

Dodger rookie Cody Bellinger had his 2nd two-homer game in the last 7 days, and the Dodgers beat up the Padres 8-2 on Friday night at Petco Park.

Bellinger started at 1st base after the Dodgers put Adrian Gonzales on the disabled list for the first time in his 14-year career.  Bellinger delivered a solo homer in the 4th inning, and a 3-run homer in the 9th, which highlighted LA’s victory.

“I’ve said it before, him going on the DL, you never want to see it,” Bellinger said. “He’s been awesome to me. He’s been a guy that I looked up to growing up and he’s kind of taken me under his wing. A healthy Adrian is a scary Adrian for opposing pitchers.”

Kenta Maeda got the start for the Dodgers.  He went 5 innings, giving up 2 runs (1 earned) on 3 hits, while walking 3 and striking out 8.  Sergio Romo (1-1) got credit for the win after getting the final two outs of the 6th with the based loaded.  Josh Fields threw 1 1/3 innings for his first save of the season.  Maeda and 5 relievers combined on four-hitter.

After Bellinger put the Dodgers up 1-0 in the 4th, the Padres tied it in their half of the 4th after Cory Spangenberg came through with a leadoff double, which was the Friars first hit of the night off Maeda.  Yangervis Solarte walked and Ryan Schimpf delivered an RBI single, knotting the game at 1-1.  Solarte was thrown out by Yasiel Puig on the play.

San Diego actually took a 2-1 lead in the 5th inning after Manuel Margot had a sacrifice fly, which was an unearned run.  The Padres took advantage of a Bellinger throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by Jhoulys Chacin just before Margot’s sac fly.

Chacin allowed just one run on four hits in 5 1/3 innings.  Jose Torres (1-2) took the loss for San Diego after allowing a 2-run double by Andrew Toles in the 7th inning, which put the Dodgers back in front 3-2.

LA would add to the lead in the 8th inning on an infield single from Chris Taylor, which scored Puig.  Yasmani Grandal made it 4-2 in the 9th, which another infield single, scoring Corey Seager.  Then it was Bellinger delivering the big 3-run blow to make it 8-2.

Even after Gonzales is healthy enough to return, the veteran 1st baseman feels that there still could be a place for Bellinger.  “If he keeps playing well, obviously there should be a spot in the lineup for him,” Gonzalez said.

The Dodgers and Padres will be back at it on Saturday evening at Petco Park.  It will be a pair of Clayton’s going at it.  LA will give the ball to their ace, Clayton Kershaw (4-2; 2.61 ERA), while the Padres go with Clayton Richard (2-3; 4.29 ERA).

May 3, 2017

Brandon Belt and Gorkys Hernandez each had an RBI single in the 11th, and Hunter Pence added a sac fly, as the Giants defeated the Dodgers 4-1 on Wednesday night at Chavez Ravine.  San Francisco won two of the three games in the series.

The Giants got a very strong start from Jeff Samardzija, who pitched 8 strong innings, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits, while striking out 11.  He did not walk a batter.

Steven Okert (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 innings to get credit for the win.  Mark Melancon earned his 6th save of the season after pitching in the 11th.

Grant Dayton (1-1) took the loss for LA, after giving up the 3 runs to the Giants in the 11th inning.  Julio Urias started for the Dodgers and pitched well.  He went 5 innings, giving up only 4 hits, and shutting out the San Francisco.  Urias threw 88 pitches and did not factor in the decision.

The Dodgers only run of the game came on an RBI single from Chris Taylor in the bottom of the 6th inning, which scored Yasiel Puig.

However, the Giants tied the score in the 8th inning against Ross Stripling.  Buster Posey had an RBI groundout to 2nd base, which scored Hunter Pence.

Before the game, Los Angeles inducted longtime broadcaster Vin Scully into the team’s ring of honor. Rather than retire a number for Scully, the Dodgers hung a sign with a microphone and Scully’s name.

The Dodgers now head to San Diego for a weekend series with the Padres.  Kenta Maeda (2-2; 6.58 ERA) will get the start for LA on Friday.  Jhoulys Chacin (3-3; 5.82 ERA) will be on the mound for the Padres.

May 2, 2017

Yasiel Puig drove in four runs and Cody Bellinger delivered a 3-run triple as the Dodgers hammered the Giants 13-5 at the Ravine on Tuesday night.

Puig went 2-5 with 3 hits and scored 2 runs to go along with his 4 RBI.   Bellinger had 2 hits, 2 runs that went with his 3 RBI.  Franklin Gutierrez hit his 1st homer of the season, and the Dodgers rallied from a 4-run deficit to win for the 5th time in 6 tries.

Alex Wood (2-0) got the win for the Dodgers, pitching 5 innings, yielding 5 runs (4 of them earned) on 7 hits.  He struck out 8 and walked 1.  He threw 82 pitches in the first three innings, but fought through it to get the victory.

Matt Moore (1-4) took the loss for the Giants.  He only lasted 3 1/3 innings, giving up 9 runs on 6 hits.

The Dodgers fell behind 2-0 in the 1st inning after Moore hit a 2-run single to right center with the bases loaded.  Brandon Belt connected on a 2-run double to right in the 2nd, and it was 4-0.

Gutierrez got the Dodgers on the board with his solo blast in the 2nd, and Bellinger’s triple tied the game at 4-4.  Alex Wood helped his own cause with an RBI single, and then Justin Turner hit a sacrifice fly to right, which capped a 6-run rally for LA.

San Francisco got 1 back in the 3rd on an RBI single by Joe Panic.  However, the Dodgers would blitz the Giants for four more runs in the 4th, and another four in the 6th, capped off by an RBI single from Adrian Gonzales.

LA is now 15-13 on the season, and they are 2 games back of 1st place in the NL West.

The rubber game of the three game set will be on Wednesday night at the Ravine.  Julio Urias (0-0; 1.59 ERA) will be on the mound for LA, and Jeff Samardzija (0-4; 6.32 ERA)

May 1, 2017

The Dodgers usually don’t lose when Clayton Kershaw is on the mound, but the unusual happened on Monday at Chavez Ravine.  The Giants beat Kershaw and the Dodgers 4-3.

Hunter Pence and Buster Posey hit home runs off of Kershaw, and Johnny Cueto went 7 strong innings to improve his record to 4-2 on the season.

Kershaw did not look as invincible as he usually does on this night.  The Dodger ace pitched 6 innings, giving up four runs (three of them earned) on eight hits, striking out five, and yielding a pair of home runs.

The Giants didn’t waste much time getting on the board in this one.  With one out in the 1st inning, Christian Arroyo singled, then Hunter Pence hit a 2-run shot to left, and it was 2-0 San Francisco.

The Dodgers got one back in their half of the 1st inning on an RBI groundout from Yasmani Grandal. They had a chance for more, but Adrian Gonzales struck out, which stranded Corey Seager at 2nd base.

Kershaw would help his own cause in the bottom of the 2nd inning, delivering an RBI single that scored Cody Bellinger, which tied the game 2-2.  Bellinger led off the inning with a ground rule double.

In the 3rd, the Giants got to Kershaw again, with Buster Posey smacking a 2-run homer to left field, giving San Francisco a 3-2 lead.

Arroyo added to the lead in the 5th, delivering a run scoring single that scored Gorkys Hernandez.

Chris Taylor pinch-hit in the 7th inning, and got the Dodgers a little bit closer with an RBI single that scored Bellinger.  Taylor is now hitting .607 since he was recalled from the minor leagues.  However, the Dodgers would not get any closer than 4-3.

Over the course of Cueto’s 7 innings, he gave up 3 runs on 6 hits , striking out 6 and walking 1.  Derek law recorded the final out of the game, earning him his 1st save of the season.

Justin Turner went 0-4, which ended his 16-game hit streak.  He lined out twice.  The loss also snapped the Dodgers four game winning streak.

Pence came into the game batting just .100 in his career against Kershaw, without a home run.  The Giants also entered the game with a season-low 16 home runs, prior to hitting a pair against the Dodger ace.

The Dodgers will try to get back in the win column on Tuesday night at the Ravine.  Alex Wood (1-0; 2.29 ERA) gets the start for LA, while the Giants will send Matt More to the hill (1-3; 4.80 ERA).

April 30, 2017

Hyun-Jin Ryu picked up his first win of the season, and Andrew Toles hit a 3-run homer, as the Dodgers defeated the Phillies 5-3 on Sunday afternoon at the Ravine.  The win completed a 3-game sweep over Philadelphia.

Ryu (1-4) pitched 5 1/3rd innings, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits, while striking out 9 Phillies.  He walked 3, and lowered his ERA to 4.05, after a rough start to the season.  Ryu threw 93 pitches before being pulled with 1 out in the 6th.  Sergio Romo came in at that point, and he would strike out the next two batters to end the inning.

Luis Avilan and Pedro Baez each threw scoreless innings, and the Dodgers gave the ball to Grant Dayton in the 9th.  Dayton gave up a 2-out, 2-run homer to Odubel Herrera, but Kenley Jansen came in after that to earn his 7th save by striking out Cesar Hernandez.

The Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the 1st inning on an RBI single by Freddy Galvis, which scored  Hernandez.  Hernandez opened up the game with a triple, after Yasiel Puig had deep fly ball pop out of this glove.  After Galvis run-scoring single,  Daniel Nava walked to put two on with no outs, but Ryu struck out Maikel Franco, then got Aaron Altherr to fly out.  The final out of the inning came when Michael Saunders struck out.  Ryu cruised through the next four innings, needing only 56 pitches, after throwing 24 in the 1st.  He allowed just 1 hit over that stretch.

Justin Turner extended his hit streak to 16 games with an RBI single in the 1st inning, which tied the game 1-1.  One inning later, Chris Taylor hit a solo homer to left center giving the Dodgers the lead.  The Dodgers would maintain that lead until the 6th, when Toles extended the lead to 5-1 with his 3-run bomb.

Nick Pivetta (0-1) took the loss for the Phillies.  He allowed two runs and nine hits in five innings of work in his major league debut.

Turner and Yasmani Grandal had three hits apiece.  Turner raised his batting average to .404 on the season.

The Dodgers continue their homestand on Monday night, when they open a 3-game series with the San Francisco Giants.   The first game of the series will feature Clayton Kershaw (4-1; 2.29 ERA) on the mound for the Dodgers, while Johnny Cueto (3-1; 5.10 ERA) will get the ball for the Giants.

April 29, 2017

The Dodgers went wild in the 9th inning against the Phillies on Saturday night at Chavez Ravine.  LA hit back-to-back-to-back homers in a 4-run comeback to defeat Philadelphia 6-5 in walk-off fashion.

The Dodgers trailed 5-2 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning.  Yasiel Puig led off with a solo blast to left center field.  The next batter was Cody Bellinger, who crushed his 2nd homer of the game, this one off the right field foul pole, and suddenly it was 5-4.

That’s when skipper Dave Roberts sent Justin Turner to the plate as a pinch-hitter.  Two pitches later, Turner went deep to left field, tying the game at 5-5.  The homer also extended the Dodger 3rd baseman’s hit streak to 15 consecutive games.

“You always want to get the tying run to the plate, so that’s why I put Turner in and he responded,” Roberts said.

There was still nobody out in the inning after that.  After Chris Taylor struck out, Austin Barnes singled to center.  That promted the Nationals to replace Joely Rodriguez with reliever Hector Neris.  Neris got Andrew Toles to fly out to left, but Corey Seager singled to left after that, so the Dodgers had runners at 1st and 2nd with 2 outs.

Adrian Gonzales then came to the plate and drilled a ball that bounced off of 3rd baseman Maikel Franco’s glove, and rolled into left field.  That scored Barnes with the winning run from 2nd base.

“It had that topspin on the second hop and that makes it really tough for infielders,” Gonzales said.

The improbable victory moved the Dodgers one game over .500 at 13-12.  It was also the first time the Dodgers hit 3 straight home runs since August 18, 2012.

Grant Dayton (1-0) pitched a scoreless 9th inning for the win.  Brandon McCarthy got the start for LA.   He went 5 innings, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits, while striking out 3 an walking 1.  He threw 86 pitches, but did not factor in the decision thanks to the 9th inning rally.

Neris (0-1) took the loss.  Zach Eflin started for Philly and pitched well.  He went 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, and striking out 4.

The Dodgers will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon at the Ravine.  Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-4; 4.64 ERA) will be on the mound for LA, while the Phillies will start rookie Nick Pivetta, making his major-league debut.