Dodgers gather around the Jackie Robinson statue
Dodgers get the win, David Price gets the save
The Dodgers bused to San Diego late Thursday night for the first of what third baseman Justin Turner called “19 World Series games” against the Padres, the rivalry with their Southern California neighbors going from regional feud to a full-blown clash between two of the best teams in baseball.
The Dodgers will hit Petco Park for a stretch in which they’ll play the Padres seven times in 10 days with a full head of steam, having completed a three-game sweep of the woeful Colorado Rockies with a 7-5 come-from-behind victory before a reduced-capacity crowd of 15,129 in Chavez Ravine Thursday night.
Max Muncy keyed a four-run seventh inning with a clutch three-run homer, and starter-turned-reliever David Price survived a harrowing ninth, as the Dodgers extended their win streak to six games and their major league-best record to 11-2.
Muncy followed seventh-inning walks to Matt Beaty and Turner by blasting a 2-and-0 changeup from reliever Yency Almonte into the right-center field fence for at two-out homer, turning a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 Dodgers lead.
It’s 7-5 Dodgers as we go to the ninth
Rockies: Dennis Santana now pitching for the Dodgers. Corey Seager in the game at shortstop. Taylor moves to center. Pollock out of the game. Cron lined right to Turner at third. Fuentes hit a shot to first that Rios snared, then threw to Santana covering at first. Really nice play by Rios. Diaz grounded to short.
Dodgers: Raley flied deep to left. Seager grounded to second. Taylor struck out swinging.
Score after eight innings: Dodgers 7, Rockies 5
Max Muncy’s three-run homer helps Dodgers take a 7-5 lead
Rockies: Jimmy Nelson now pitching for the Dodgers. Hampson fouled to first. Tapia grounded to short. McMahon grounded into the shift.
Dodgers: Yency Almonte now pitching for the Rockies. Raley struck out swinging. Matt Beaty, batting for Nelson, walked on five pitches. Taylor grounded to third, forcing Beaty at second. Turner, who needs a triple for the cycle, walked on five pitches. After much discussion between the pitcher and catcher about signs, Muncy launched a home run to right. 6-5 Dodgers. Tyler Kinley now pitching for the Rockies. Smith hit a slow bouncer to third and beat it out for a hit. Pollock singled to left, Smith to second. Rios walked, loading the bases. Carlos Estevez now pitching for the Rockies. With McKinstry batting, Estevez uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Smith. Second and third, two out. McKinstry grounded to first.
Score after seven innings: Dodgers 7, Rockies 5
Jackie Robinson and Martin Luther King Jr. receive honorary degrees from Howard University
Rockies take 5-3 lead thanks to poor fielding by Dodgers
Rockies: Tapia grounded to second. McMahon doubled to left-center. He has two of the Rockies’ four hits. Urías struck Cron out looking on a pitch that caught a big part of the corner, only the umpire didn’t see it that way. So, of course, on the next pitch Cron singled to drive in the tying run. Fuentes hit a hard grounder that Taylor had to dive for. It bounced off his glove for a single. First and second, one out. Diaz struck out looking, which seemed like a makeup call by the ump.
Daza then singled to right. McKinstry, looking at the lead runner and hoping to throw him out at the plate, took his eye off the ball and bobbled it. The runner scored, but they caught Daza in a rundown between first and second. Taylor ran him back to first and Fuentes broke for home. Taylor wheeled and threw the ball over the catcher Smith’s head for an error, allowing Fuentes to score. Trejo was walked intentionally and Gomber struck out.
Dodgers: Pollock flied to shallow center. Nice sliding catch by Hampson. Rios flied to left. McKinstry grounded to second. Gomber closing in on 100 pitches, so that may be it for him.
Score after six innings: Rockies 5, Dodgers 3
Justin Turner just needs a triple to hit for the cycle (don’t hold your breath)
Rockies: Daza singled to short. Trejo lined to left. Gomber bunted Daza to second. Hampson flied to center.
Dodgers: Urías struck out looking. Taylor struck out looking on a ball that was high. Gomber has seven strikeouts tonight and has pitched well, but made a mistake to Turner and paid for it. Turner doubled off the short fence in left. He just needs a triple for the cycle. He has one triple in 1,513 career plate appearances at Dodger Stadium. Muncy walked. Smith lined to right.
Score after five innings: Dodgers 3, Rockies 2
Uneventful fourth inning means it is still 3-2 Dodgers
Rockies: This inning was so repetitive. Cron, Fuentes and Diaz all flied to center. Couldn’t they come up with something original?
Dodgers: Pollock singled to short. Trejo did all he could but Pollock was too fast. Rios flied to center. McKinstry struck out swinging. Raley flied to center.
Score after four innings: Dodgers 3, Rockies 2
Dodgers take 3-2 lead on Justin Turner’s home run (he destroyed no nachos)
Rockies: Austin Gomber struck out swinging. Hampson homered to left. I tell you, this Dodger team is just no good. Tapia grounded to second. The ball took a strange hop and bounced off the heel of Muncy’s glove, off his chest and into his hand. He threw to first and beat Tapia by a step. McMahon struck out swinging.
Dodgers: Luke Raley lined to right. Urías singled to shallow right. Taylor walked on five pitches. Justin Turner homered to center on the first pitch, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Best part, he destroyed no nachos. Muncy grounded to second. Smith struck out swinging.
Score after three innings: Dodgers 3, Rockies 2
It’s Rockies 1, Dodgers 0 after two innings
Rockies: Josh Fuentes (why does it seem when a player makes a great defensive play they lead off the next inning?) struck out swinging. Elias Diaz walked on six pitches. Yonathan Daza flied to right. Alan Trejo grounded to Urias.
Dodgers: AJ Pollock, after fouling off five pitches, struck out looking. Edwin Rios grounded to second. Zach McKinstry struck out swinging. The Rockies’ starting pitcher, Austin Gomber, gave up only two hits combined in his last two starts, but walked 11. He seems to have found his control tonight.
Score after two inning: Rockies 1, Dodgers 0
Rockies take 1-0 lead on Ryan McMahon’s homer
Rockies: Julio Urias pitching for the Dodgers. Garrett Hampson struck out swinging. Raimel Tapia flied to center. Ryan McMahon hit the ball a mile high and out. Zach McKinstry in right came within and inch of catching the ball. C.J. Cron grounded to second. Rockies 1, Dodgers 0.
Dodgers: Chris Taylor hit the first pitch for a ringing double down the left-field line. Justin Turner singled to right, Taylor stopping at third. It was a looper and Taylor had to make sure it wasn’t caught. Max Muncy struck out swinging. Will Smith a hit a shot to third base that Josh Fuentes (cousin of former Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado) made a nice play on, starting a 5-4-3 double play.
Score after first inning: Rockies 1, Dodgers 0
Jackie Robinson in his own words
Some of the best quotes from Jackie Robinson:
—“Plenty of times I wanted to haul off when somebody insulted me for the color of my skin, but I had to hold to myself. I knew I was kind of an experiment. The whole thing was bigger than me.”
—“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
—“I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me. All I ask is that you respect me as a human being.”
—“Life is not a spectator sport. If you’re going to spend your whole life in the grandstand just watching what goes on, in my opinion you’re wasting your life.”
—“There’s not an American in this country free until every one of us is free.”
—“During my life, I have had a few nightmares which happened to me while I was wide awake.”
—“I’m grateful for all the breaks and honors and opportunities I’ve had, but I always believe I won’t have it made until the humblest Black kid in the most remote backwoods of America has it made.”
—“Many people resented my impatience and honesty, but I never cared about acceptance as much as I cared about respect.”
—“Negroes aren’t seeking anything which is not good for the nation as well as ourselves. In order for America to be 100% strong — economically, defensively and morally — we cannot afford the waste of having second- and third-class citizens.”
—“Blacks have had to learn to protect themselves by being cynical but not cynical enough to slam the door on potential opportunities. We go through life walking a tightrope to prevent too much disillusionment.”
—“Above anything else, I hate to lose.”
Orel Hershiser’s snack of the day: Egg salad, carrots, thin mints
(Required)
Gavin Lux scratched from lineup because of right-wrist soreness
Shortstop Gavin Lux was scratched from the lineup for Thursday night’s game because of right-wrist soreness, forcing manager Dave Roberts to do some serious juggling for the series finale against the Colorado Rockies.
Edwin Rios replaced Lux in the lineup and will start at first base and bat sixth. That pushed Max Muncy from first base to second base. Chris Taylor, originally scheduled to start in center field, moved to shortstop.
Zach McKinstry moved from second base to right field, Luke Raley moved from right field to left field, and AJ Pollock moved from left field to center. Justin Turner will remain at third base and Will Smith at catcher.
The new lineup:
SS Chris Taylor
3B Justin Turner
2B Max Muncy
C Will Smith
CF AJ Pollock
1B Edwin Rios
RF Zach McKinstry
LF Luke Raley
LHP Julio Urias
Dodgers mark Jackie Robinson Day with tribute at statue of former infielder
Dave Roberts wore Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 jersey as a player with the San Francisco Giants in 2007-2008 and as a coach with the San Diego Padres from 2011-2015.
But it wasn’t until Roberts became the Dodgers’ manager in 2016 that he gained a full appreciation for the former infielder who broke baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.
“It’s a wow moment for me,” Roberts said of seeing Robinson’s No. 42 Dodgers jersey in his locker. “It’s a moment of humility. I’ve worn the 42 in other uniforms, and to wear it as a major league ballplayer is certainly special, but to wear it with the Dodgers across the front of your chest is more magnified.”
Roberts donned that jersey again Thursday night as baseball celebrated the 74th anniversary of Robinson’s major-league debut, with players, coaches and managers across the league wearing No. 42 for the 15th straight year.
Roberts, the son of a Black man and a Japanese mother, also marked the occasion with a salute to Robinson that he plans to make an annual tradition.
Several hours before Thursday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies, Roberts led a pilgrimage of about 75 players, coaches and front-office employees to the Jackie Robinson statue in Dodger Stadium’s center-field plaza, where the manager addressed the club.
“It was just kind of painting a picture,” Roberts said before the game. “I think we all know Jackie Robinson the name, the 42 in every ballpark. But [I was] trying to give people context to his life and his legacy and what he meant not only to people of color, in baseball and outside of baseball, but [the importance of] being treated fairly, being respected, being determined and doing, saying, and fighting for what is right.”
Roberts will donate his full-game salary from Thursday to The Players Alliance, a non-profit organization founded by a group of active and former major league players seeking to improve representation of Black Americans in the sport.
Pitcher David Price and right fielder Mookie Betts are also among the more than 230 players of all races and backgrounds who pledged to donate full or partial game-day salaries to the organization. That amounts to a combined $275,000 for Price and Betts.
Price said donning Robinson’s No. 42 jersey was something he has looked forward to since he and Betts were traded from Boston to Los Angeles in 2020. Price opted out of the 2020 season because of coronavirus concerns.
“He paved the way for myself to be out here with everybody else,” Price said. “I would love to be able to hit the baseball and run the bases like Jackie did, but that’s not going to happen. To be the man, the person, that Jackie was, that’s what it’s all about.”
Every day should be Jackie Robinson Day
On April 15, 1947, Robinson made his major-league debut at Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field before a crowd of 26,623. He walked and scored a run in the Dodgers’ 5–3 victory. Thus began one of the most amazing careers in sports history. Robinson broke the color barrier and faced challenges few major leaguers ever had to endure.
Some players on his own team didn’t want to play alongside him, starting a petition saying they would rather not be his teammate. Manager Leo Durocher’s response: “I don’t care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a ... zebra. I’m the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What’s more, I say he can make all of us rich. And if any of you can’t use the money, I will see that you are traded.”
Players on other teams called him every racial insult in the book. Some opposing managers were worse. Fans, some of them little kids parroting what their parents were saying, called him vile names. And Robinson could have only one response: No response. Give in and lose his temper, then the racists would say “See, his kind aren’t strong enough to play in the majors.” It would be used as leverage to kick him out and keep the majors “pure.”
So, Robinson took it. But he not only had to take it, he also had to play at a high level to prove Black people could play in the majors. He ran the bases with abandon. He excelled as a fielder no matter where they put him. He led the Dodgers to victory after victory, including their first World Series title in 1955.
Imagine trying to do your job every day with thousands of people surrounding you, hurling racist taunts. Imagine going on vacation and not being able to stay in the same place as your co-workers, but being forced to room with someone across town. Imagine having a wife and child who have to go through the same thing. Imagine a policeman coming into your workplace and threatening to arrest you and shut down your business unless you left, because they don’t appreciate “your kind” in their city. Imagine getting death threats every day in the mail.
It’s never too early to look ahead to a Padres series
Top of Dodgers lineup has a new look for series finale against Rockies
The top of the order will have a different look for the Dodgers’ series finale against the Colorado Rockies in Chavez Ravine Thursday night. Leadoff man Mookie Betts and No. 2 hitter Corey Seager will be given the night off, with Chris Taylor and Justin Turner replacing them in the top two spots.
The Dodgers, who have won five straight games, will send left-hander Julio Urías, who is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his first two starts of the season, to the mound against Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber.
The pitching matchups for this weekend’s National League West showdown-series between the Dodgers San Diego Padres in Petco Park have also been set.
Right-hander Walker Buehler (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will oppose Padres left-hander Ryan Weathers (1-0, 1.50) Friday night; left-hander Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 2.89) will oppose right-hander Yu Darvish (1-0, 3.06) Saturday night, and right-hander Trevor Bauer (2-0, 2.70) will oppose left-hander Blake Snell (0-1, 4.35) on Sunday.
The Dodgers lineup for Thursday night’s game against Colorado:
CF Chris Taylor
3B Justin Turner
1B Max Muncy
C Will Smith
LF AJ Pollock
SS Gavin Lux
2B Zach McKinstry
RF Luke Raley
LHP Julio Urias
Closer Kenley Jansen trying to ‘hold onto that feeling’
Something clicked on Kenley Jansen’s second pitch to Luis Garcia on Sunday, a 93-mph sinking fastball that the Washington Nationals infielder swung through, part of a dominant ninth inning in which the Dodgers closer struck out two of three batters, his trademark cut-fastball hitting 94-95 mph.
“When I have that feeling,” Jansen said, “I just want to hold onto it.”
Jansen, whose much-discussed struggles led to a demotion that forced him to watch from the bullpen as Julio Urías closed out the clinching games of the National League Championship Series and World Series last October, had that feeling again Wednesday night against the Colorado Rockies.
The right-hander walked Dom Nunez to open the ninth inning but struck out the next three batters — Alan Trejo, Garrett Hampson and Raimel Tapia — with a fastball that touched 94 mph again to close a 4-2 win.
“When you get in your rhythm, you have that feel pitch, and that cutter always seems to be a feel pitch,” Jansen said. “When my timing is not right, it’s gonna be 89 [mph]. When my timing is good, it’s gonna be 92-94 [mph]. I feel great.”
Jansen’s third saved capped a dominant tag-team relief effort in which Victor Gonzalez, Blake Treinen, Scott Alexander, Corey Knebel and Jansen combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings. They allowed two hits, struck out six and walked none.
As good as Jansen’s cut-fastball and two-seamer have looked in his last two outings, he actually shook to a slider for his final pitch Wednesday, an 84-mph breaking ball in the dirt that Tapia swung through.
“It’s all what the hitter tells me in that situation,” Jansen said. “I saw his swing, it was a little defensive, like he was just trying to put the ball in play. Sometimes instead of kind of repeating the same pitch, you want to change the eye level.”
Manager Dave Roberts believes that a willingness to shake to his third-best pitch in a crucial situation is a sign that Jansen’s confidence is growing.
“Yeah, I was waiting for the slider — it’s in his tool box,” Roberts said. “Austin [Barnes, Dodgers catcher] did a great job tonight with the fingers, so for him to shake and have some conviction with that pitch, to get the punch, I thought was great.”
Roberts also loved the fact that Jansen admitted after the game that he was pitching “angry.”
Said Roberts: “I like it. He should pitch angry. I like angry Kenley.”
Exactly who is Jansen mad at?
“It’s just kind of an inner fire,” Roberts said. “A guy who’s an elite closer, who’s meant so much to me personally and to the organization, I’m just happy that he’s throwing the baseball well and having success, because this guy works so hard, he cares so much, and to see him get big outs for us … I’m really proud of him.”
Kenley Jansen (with his news entrance music) saves Dodgers’ 4-2 victory
The sight was familiar, but the sound wasn’t as the game flipped to the ninth inning Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. Kenley Jansen jogged in from the Dodgers’ bullpen for a save situation as he has every year since 2012, but the ballpark DJ didn’t play “California Love.” Instead, Tupac’s “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted” thumped from the speakers towering over the center-field wall while Jansen prepared to protect a two-run lead against the Colorado Rockies.
“Just a new beginning, man,” Jansen said. “It’s time to start fresh.”
So, gone is the soundtrack of Jansen’s career, a song that became synonymous with his dominance at his peak. But Jansen no longer resides at his peak. Dominance hasn’t been as consistent for him anymore. His stuff has come and gone in recent years, seemingly at random from outing to outing.
It didn’t look like he had his good stuff Wednesday at the start when he walked the leadoff hitter, Dom Nuñez, on five pitches. The skeptical crowd reacted with loud boos. But he quickly recovered, striking out the next three batters to close out the Dodgers’ 4-2 win for his third save. It was the right-hander’s second straight dominant appearance, three days after his best performance of the season against the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
“I’m not perfect,” Jansen said. “I don’t want to come in walking guys. Not what I’m trying to do. We all want to win here. To me, that’s just nonsense. It’s noise. I’m gonna continue to work my ass off and help Dodgers win another championship. That’s what I’m here for.”
Dodgers take 4-2 lead on Zach McKinstry’s home run
Rockies: Corey Knebel now pitching for the Dodgers. McMahon grounded to second. Cron grounded to second. Hilliard struck out swinging. Knebel looks awesome this season.
Dodgers: Daniel Bard now pitching for the Rockies. McKinstry homered to left-center. Barnes grounded to short. Raley doubled down the left-field line for his first big league hit. Betts walked. Seager grounded to first, advancing the runners. Turner struck out swinging.
Score after eight innings: Dodgers 4, Rockies 2
It’s still 3-2 Dodgers after seven innings
Rockies: Raley moves to left. Chris Taylor in to the game in center. Betts moves to right. Beaty out of the game. Hampson strikes out on three pitches. Tapia singled to center. A leaping Seager just missed getting it. Story struck out swinging at a nasty slider. That’s it for Treinen, as the left-handed Scott Alexander comes in to face the left-handed Charlie Blackmon, who popped to short.
Dodgers: Mychal Givens now pitching for the Rockies. Seager hit a ground-rule double to left. Turner was hit by a pitch. Muncy struck out swinging, but the runners moved up to second and third on a passed ball. Edwin Rios, batting for Alexander, grounded to second. Turner anticipated Seager running on contact, but Seager held at third and Turner was caught in a rundown. He was in it long enough to allow Rios to reach second, so it’s second and third, two out. Chris Taylor struck out looking on a pitch that was six inches off the plate. Computerized strike calling can’t come soon enough, because plate umpiring this season has been horrible.
Score after seven innings: Dodgers 3, Rockies 2.
Dodgers maintain 3-2 lead after six
Rockies: C.J. Cron singled to center. Hilliard hit a grounder to first that Muncy grabbed, spun, threw to second for the force out. Seager’s throw to first was called an out by the ump, but it was overturned on replay. No double play, man on first, one out. Nunez grounded to short, Hilliard to second. Josh Fuentes was announced as the pinch-hitter for the pitcher. That brings Dave Roberts out of the dugout to make a pitching change. Blake Treinen in to pitch. Zach McKinstry moves from right to second. Luke Raley in the game in right. Gavin Lux out of the game. And on the first pitch, flied to center.
Dodgers: Tyler Kinley now pitching for the Rockies. Beaty grounded to first. McKinstry singled to right. Barnes flied to center. Raley walked. Betts grounded to short, forcing Raley at second.
Score after six innings: Dodgers 3, Rockies 2.
Rockies score two and chase May in top of fifth, trail 3-2
Rockies: Nunez struck out swinging. Yonathan Daza, batting for Gray, singled to first. Hampson laid down a perfect bunt down the third-base line and easily beat the throw to first. First and second, one out. Tapia walked, loading the bases. Story singled sharply to right, scoring Daza as the conga line moves up one base. It’s the Rockies’ first run in their last 26 innings. And that is it for May. With two left-handers coming up, Dave Roberts call on Victor Gonzalez. This also means that if the Dodgers maintain their lead that May will not get the win, since he didn’t pitch the required five innings. Blackmon hit a very slow roller to second. The Dodgers were able to force Story at second, but couldn’t turn the double play. First and third, two out. McMahon grounded to second.
Dodgers: Yency Almonte now pitching for the Rockies. Seager flied to left. Turner struck out swinging. Muncy walked on five pitches. Lux had a 3-0 count, but ended up striking out.
Score after five innings: Dodgers 3, Rockies 2.
Fan gets new nachos, hoodie; Dodgers lead 3-0
Rockies: The Dodgers gave the fan who was splattered with cheese some new nachos. Plus, he gets the Turner home run ball. Blackmon grounded to third. McMahon doubled to deep right. Cron struck out swinging. Hilliard flied to center.
Dodgers: The fan splattered by cheese was given a new Dodgers hoodie. They brought him out two and asked him to pick one. I mean, really, they couldn’t give him both? Just tease him with one? And Turner is the one who sent him the new nachos. So all is right with the world. Barnes flied to shallow center. May struck out looking. Betts struck out swinging.
Score after four innings: Dodgers 3, Rockies 0.
Justin Turner homers to give Dodgers 3-0 lead, ball drenches fan in nacho cheese sauce
Rockies: Dom Nunez struck out swinging. Jon Gray singled to right. Hampson struck out looking on three nasty pitches. One of which was outside the strike zone. Rockies manager Bud Black barked about it from the dugout and was tossed from the game. Tapia singled to left, Gray to second. Story grounded to short. Three innings, 38 pitches.
Dodgers: Justin Turner led off the bottom of the third with a home run to left-center. It landed right in the box of nachos of a fan trying to catch it, splattering him with nacho cheese sauce. Hilarious. Turner should buy the guy a new hoodie. Muncy grounded to the pitcher. Lux lined to deep right-center. Beaty hit a high bouncer to third and beat the throw to first. Infield single for his first hit of the season. McKinstry grounded to second. Three innings, 74 pitches.
Score after three innings: Dodgers 3, Rockies 0.
Dodgers making Jon Gray work through two innings
Rockies: Charlie Blackmon flied to left. Ryan McMahon grounded to third. With the infield swung around to the left for the shift, C.J. Cron grounded to the vacant hole at second for a single. Sam Hilliard, who has two homers in three at-bats against May, struck out swinging. Two innings, 18 pitches for May.
Dodgers: Zach McKinstry fouled to third. Austin Barnes singled to left-center. Dustin May laid down a nice bunt to move Barnes to second with two out. Betts walked on five pitches. First and second, two out. Seager grounded to the pitcher. Two innings, 55 pitches for May.
Score through two innings: Dodgers 2, Rockies 0.
David Price credits team executives with idea to auction World Series ring
David Price said the decision to auction off his World Series ring to benefit the Players Alliance came after he was approached by Stan Kasten, the team’s president and CEO, and Lon Rosen, the team’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
“It wasn’t my idea—it was theirs, and we ran with it,” Price, the veteran left-hander, said on the SportsNet LA pregame show Wednesday night. “We’re hoping we can make a good amount of money for the Players Alliance.”
Price, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox with Mookie Betts last year, opted out of the 2020 season because of coronavirus concerns before returning to the club—and accepting a relief role—this spring.
The Players Alliance is a non-profit organization founded by a group of active and former major league players seeking to improve representation of Black Americans in the sport. Much of the money the group raises is used to purchase equipment and fund scholarships for aspiring youth players.
“I grew up watching the [Atlanta] Braves play every night—that’s what my family did, we ate dinner, sat down and watched the Braves play,” Price said. “That’s why I fell in love with the game of baseball. I saw a lot of people out there who looked just like me.
“To get those numbers up where they were before, that’s what we’re going for, to be able to help that next generation of baseball players have all the equipment they need, because bats and balls and gloves are expensive.”
Dodgers take 2-0 lead after first inning
Colorado: Carrot Top is on the mound for the Dodgers. Sorry, I’m being told that’s Dustin May. Garrett Hampson struck out swinging. Raimel Tapia grounded to first. Trevor Story grounded to short. Thirteen consecutive scoreless innings for May. Orel Hershiser must be getting nervous. Six pitches, three outs.
Dodgers: Mookie Betts singled sharply to left. Corey Seager walked. Justin Turner hit a little looper to right-center, scoring Betts. 1-0 Dodgers, still no one out, runners at first and second. Max Muncy bounced slowly to first, runners advancing a base. Gavin Lux flied to deep left, scoring Seager. A 10-pitch at-bat for Lux, who fouled off several pitches. Matt Beaty, in his first start of the season, struck out looking. Gray made 36 pitches in that inning as the Dodgers do what they do best: make the pitcher work.
Score after first inning: Dodgers 2, Rockies 0
Matt Beaty talks about his first start of the season
Cody Bellinger, Brusdar Graterol could come off IL during upcoming trip
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he isn’t sure when Cody Bellinger will return from the injured list, but the center fielder will join the team on their upcoming five-game road trip to San Diego and Seattle.
Bellinger was placed on the 10-day injured list April 9, retroactive to April 6. He’s eligible for activation Friday.
“I think anything is possible,” Roberts said. “Hesitate to put a date on it. Just want him to get better each day and improve, and when staff feels he’s ready to go, we’ll activate him.”
Bellinger hasn’t played since April 5 when A’s reliever Reymin Guduan stepped on his calf in a race to first base in the ninth inning of a blowout win for the Dodgers. Roberts said Bellinger has swung a bat, but has yet to run at full speed.
“He’s doing a lot of work down below with the trainers and the strength guys,” Roberts said. “Did some running, swinging yesterday. There’s some swelling that’s healing as far as the discoloration of the leg, but, right now, he’s just not there where we feel he can go full bore.”
Right-hander Brusdar Graterol, who began the season on the injured list for COVID-related reasons, is scheduled to pitch Thursday at the Dodgers’ alternate training site in Arizona before joining the club in San Diego as a member of the five-man taxi squad.
“The hope is Graterol will be ready with one more game,” Roberts said.
Joe Kelly and Tony Gonsolin, both on the injured list with shoulder inflammation, are further behind. Kelly threw a bullpen session Tuesday but is at least two weeks away from a return.
Gonsolin hasn’t thrown a bullpen session since going on the 10-day injured list April 4. The right-hander began the season in the bullpen, but didn’t make an appearance before he was shelved.
Mookie Betts will start in center field tonight
Mookie Betts homered in his return to the Dodgers lineup Tuesday after a four-game absence because of a back injury. Most importantly, his back wasn’t an issue.
So on Wednesday, with Cody Bellinger still on the injured list, Betts will start in center field for the second time this season against the Rockies.
Zach McKinstry will start in right field and Matt Beaty will play left field.
“Just felt that with the real estate to cover, he’s played plenty of center field, to have Beaty and McKinstry flanked to either side, felt that’s the best defensive construction for tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Roberts on Tuesday said Betts will get the day off Thursday before this weekend’s three-game series against the Padres in San Diego.
Justin Turner returns to the lineup Wednesday after resting Tuesday. Dustin May will make his second start of the season opposite Rockies right-hander Jon Gray.
DODGERS (9-2)
Mookie Betts CF
Corey Seager SS
Justin Turner 3B
Max Muncy 1B
Gavin Lux 2B
Mat Beaty LF
Zach McKinstry RF
Austin Barnes C
Dustin May P
Dave Roberts makes a tumbling catch and reminisces
Dave Roberts started 459 games and logged 4,088 2/3 innings in center field over his 10-year major league career. He made 110 of those starts with the Dodgers between 2003 and 2004, and last appeared in game in center fielder in 2007 for the San Francisco Giants.
Fourteen years later, Roberts was back in center field at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday afternoon in front of his players during pregame workouts to see if he still had it. He did, even if not as cleanly as during his playing days.
With some of players looking on, including Justin Turner, who had a stopwatch out to measure the flyball’s hang time, Roberts caught both balls hit to him. On the second, he retreated and made a basket catch tumbling to the ground to cheers from his players.
“I didn’t get many style points,” Roberts said, “but I was two for two, so I feel good about that.”
Roberts is most remembered as a player for stealing second base for the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS against the New York Yankees. The Dodgers had traded Roberts to Boston that summer for minor league outfielder Henri Stanley.
He made probably his biggest play as a Dodger the previous season — on Aug. 28, 2003 — when he climbed Tal’s Hill in straightway centerfield at Minute Maid Park to rob Lance Berkman of a game-tying two-run home run off Eric Gagne in the eighth inning.
“I’ll tell you what, that seems like a lifetime ago,” Roberts said. “But, yeah, that quirkiness of Tal’s Hill was pretty tricky, because the night before, Lance Berkman burned me on a ball on that for a double, and my legs gave way, but the next night I robbed a HR.”
Gagne then retired the side in order in the ninth inning to extend his saves streak. The streak ended nearly a year later at 84.
“You need to tell Gagne,” Roberts said, “that I’m still waiting on my dinner to preserve his save streak.”
Happy 55th birthday to former Dodger Greg Maddux
Orel Hershiser’s snack of the day: Chili
David Price to donate game-day salary on Jackie Robinson Day to The Players Alliance
Dodgers left-hander David Price is one of over 100 major leaguers who have committed to donating their game-day salaries on Jackie Robinson Day to The Players Alliance, a group of current and former Black professional baseball players that promotes increased opportunities for the Black community in the sport and in society.
Price will also auction off his World Series ring and donate the proceeds to the organization. He opted out of the 2020 season, citing health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but was given a ring before Friday’s opener.
He looks like Billy Ashley out there
A closer look at tonight’s pitching matchup
Dustin May of the Dodgers takes on Jon Gray of the Rockies (May, Gray, that rhymes!) tonight at Dodger Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. PDT. A closer look at the two pitchers:
Dustin May
2021: 1-0, 0.00 ERA
Career: 6-4, 2.79 ERA
Career vs. Rockies: 0-0, 2.31 ERA in two starts
Career at Dodger Stadium: 2-2, 2.38 ERA in seven starts
Doesn’t want to face
Sam Hilliard: .667 (2 for 3, 2 HRs)
Doesn’t mind facing
Trevor Story: .000 (0 for 5)
Garrett Hampson: .000 (0 for 5)
Jon Gray
2021: 1-0, 1.54 ERA
Career: 46-37, 4.54 ERA
Career vs. Dodgers: 5-6, 4.45 ERA in 16 starts
Career at Dodger Stadium: 1-5, 6.84 ERA in six starts
Doesn’t want to face
Corey Seager: .375 (9 for 24, 3 doubles, 1 homer)
Chris Taylor: .333 (3 for 9)
AJ Pollock: .316 (6 for 19, 4 doubles)
Doesn’t mind facing
Gavin Lux: .000 (0 for 3, 2 strikeouts)
Clayton Kershaw talks Sandy Koufax with Ross Stripling
The statistical similarities between Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax, two generational Dodgers left-handed pitchers in their primes 50 years apart, entering last year were eerie.
Kershaw had 169 career wins to Koufax’s 165 through 12 seasons. Koufax posted a 2.76 ERA to Kershaw’s 2.44. They both hovered around 2,300 career innings, 2,400 strikeouts, and 1,700 hits allowed. They both won three National League Cy Young Awards and one National League MVP.
Ross Stripling ran through the numbers on his first episode of his new podcast GOATS: On the Bump with Kershaw -- his guest on the show and a former teammate.
“That’s weird,” Kershaw said.
It was one of several topics Stripling, now with the Toronto Blue Jays, and Kershaw discussed in the 32-minute episode examining Koufax’s career, legacy, and standing in major league history.
“I’ve met a lot of guys throughout my career guys that have had unbelievable careers of their own,” said Kershaw, who has developed a close friendship with Koufax over the years. “And not a lot, but there’s quite a few that love telling you how good they were, you know, they love talking about their careers, and they’re passionate about it. And rightfully so. And it’s not that I don’t want to listen to that or hear it, but I’m like, man, like, ‘This is this is our time to play.’ And Sandy is not like that at all. I just think that’s so cool.”
Koufax retired in his prime at 30 years old in 1966, citing arthritis in his left arm, after winning his third Cy Young award, finishing second in the MVP race for the second straight year, and claiming the pitching triple crown. Kershaw turned 33 in March and has overcome injuries, most notably back issues, to continue pitching at a high level.
“If he played during this time, I’m sure there was a procedure, whether it’s Tommy John, or like a scope or something where he could have just had that and kept going,” Kershaw said. “It would’ve been crazy to see what the rest of his career looked like because his peak is just unbelievable. Unbelievable.”
Kershaw and Stripling reviewed Koufax’s pitch mix, which centered on a dominant curveball that Koufax once tried to teach Kershaw not realizing Kershaw wasn’t as physically gifted.
“Have you ever seen Sandy’s hands wrap around a baseball?” Kershaw asked. “And he’s like, ‘Hey, well, you should like really try this with your curveball.’ And his middle finger and his thumb are literally like touching on the other side of the baseball. And I’m like, ‘Sandy, I can’t do that. My hands are normal size. I can’t do that.’
Both pitchers agreed that Koufax, whose fastball was estimated to have been around 93 mph, would’ve thrown harder pitching today. Stripling imagined that Koufax would’ve been a better version of left-hander Rich Hill, another former Dodger who relies heavily on a 12-6 curveball. Kershaw was more reluctant to compare across eras, but he doesn’t doubt Koufax would’ve succeeded.
“Everybody’s talking about Michael Jordan being the best ever. And I agree,” Kershaw said. “I think he is the best ever to play in the NBA. But living in LA I’m a LeBron fan. Tons of LeBron fans everywhere. What good does it do to compare MJ to LeBron? And that’s only like, that’s only like 10 years apart, if that, you know, so, who’s better? Who’d you rather want on your team? And like all this stuff?
“So, all to say, I think Sandy would have been great. I think he would have been, especially nowadays, the way people pitch, the way he pitched is how people are pitching now. Like the launch angle, the guy’s swinging up to the ball to hit the ball in the air -- the high fastball plays. The curveball plays. He would have been great.”
Dodgers’ hot start fueled by deep and dominant rotation
The innings jump for pitchers going from a pandemic-shortened 60-game season in 2020 to a regular 162-game season in 2021, which so concerned Trevor Bauer in early March that he said, “I think it’s gonna be a problem,” has not been a problem for the Dodgers so far.
Dodgers starters have pitched six innings or more in nine of 11 games entering Wednesday night, and the rotation of Clayton Kershaw, Bauer, Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and Dustin May have combined to go 8-1 with a 2.34 ERA, the second-best rotation ERA in baseball behind Milwaukee (1.94).
“It doesn’t surprise me,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The talent is there, the efficiency is there. All those guys have the ability, they’re showing it, and it makes my job that much easier.”
The Dodgers have a major league-best 9-2 record entering Wednesday night’s game against Colorado in Chavez Ravine, and three of their last four games—two against Washington, one against the Rockies—have been shutouts.
Starters have given up only 18 earned runs in 69 1/3 innings, with 70 strikeouts and nine walks, and they’ve held opponents to a .195 average (50 for 257).
“You win championships with starting pitching—I think that’s apparent every year,” Roberts said. “We have five good ones, and these guys are continuing to challenge themselves, challenge each other.
“Certainly, when you can get starters deep into games, and you can match up with your bullpen and manage usage of your of pen, it makes the club better.”
The Dodgers rotation is as deep as it is dominant, their embarrassment of pitching riches reflected in a pitching change Tuesday night, when Roberts replaced the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner (Bauer) with a former American League Cy Young Award winner in David Price. The Dodgers also have Jimmy Nelson and Tony Gonsolin in reserve.
“It’s huge,” first baseman Max Muncy said of the rotation. “To know we’re gonna have a guy to go out there and give us at least five innings and put us in a good position to win a game gives everybody a lot of confidence. They’ve done a great job so far, and I don’t expect anything different from them all year long.”
Dodgers defeat Colorado Rockies 7-0 to maintain best record in baseball
Highlights from the Dodgers’ 7-0 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.
A back injury cost Mookie Betts four games and delayed the franchise cornerstone’s debut in front of a home crowd at Dodger Stadium a little longer after a season of cardboard cutouts.
But, finally, at 7:17 p.m. Tuesday, 427 days after the Dodgers acquired him from the Boston Red Sox, Betts was introduced to cheers for his first plate appearance in front of fans in Los Angeles as a member of the home team.
Two innings later, he gave the 15,121 people in attendance more to cheer about in the Dodgers’ 7-0 win over the Colorado Rockies when he cracked a moon shot down the left-field line for his second home run of the season on a night of home debuts.
Dodgers head into ninth inning with commanding lead
David Price, taking over in relief for Trevor Bauer, strikes out Josh Fuentes and Yonathan Daza to end the top half of the inning in 11 pitches.
Rockies reliever Ben Bowden retires Mookie Betts, Zach McKinstry and Chris Taylor in order to bring on the ninth.
End of eighth: Dodgers 7, Rockies 0
Dodgers lead 7-0 heading into the eighth inning
Trevor Bauer’s night is over, but he had another memorable outing for the Dodgers. Bauer gave up one hit and struck out nine over seven shutout innings.
The only hit he gave up came on an infield single to Colorado’s Garrett Hampson. From there, he retired 14 consecutive Rockies batters.
David Price takes over in relief for the Dodgers, who went down in order in the bottom half of the seventh.
End of seventh: Dodgers 7, Rockies 0
Trevor Bauer breaks out his one-eyed-jack routine again
The one-eyed-jack attack is back. Before his final pitch of the sixth inning Tuesday night, Dodgers right-hander Trevor Bauer pointed to his right eye and seemed to wink to catcher Will Smith.
Bauer then closed his right eye as he delivered an 82-mph slider to Trevor Story, who grounded out to shortstop to end the inning for the Colorado Rockies.
Bauer, the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner who signed a three-year, $102-million deal with the Dodgers last winter, is known to push the boundaries of his mental and physical training techniques.
In his second spring-training start, against the San Diego Padres on March 6, Bauer said he threw most of a 27-pitch first inning with his right eye closed.
“I figured if they can’t score off of me with one eye open, it will be difficult to score off me with two eyes open,” Bauer said that day. “Just having a little bit of fun. There’s definitely a reason behind it.”
Did Bauer care to share that reason?
“If I wanted to share,” he said, “I would have already.”
Bauer said he’ll often close one eye in bullpen, long-toss and live batting-practice sessions. Some days he closes his left eye. Some days he closes his right eye.
The approach “definitely takes away depth perception,” he said. Many eye doctors believe covering one eye strengthens the other. Bauer does it to challenge himself.
“I like making myself uncomfortable and throwing different stuff my way and trying to find a solution for it,” he said. “That’s how you improve. Find a way to make yourself uncomfortable, then get comfortable with it and do it again.”
Max Muncy hits a solo home run to give Dodgers 7-0 lead
Max Muncy hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Dodgers a 7-0 lead. It’s the fourth solo home run of the game for the Dodgers — Corey Seager, Chris Taylor and Mookie Betts have also homered.
In the top half of the inning, Trevor Bauer broke out the one-eye closed windup he used to much fanfare during spring training.
TV cameras captured Bauer closing one of his eyes as he delivered against Rockies shortstop Trevor Story. Bauer got Story to ground out to short. He has retired 11 straight Rockies batters and has eight strikeouts on 86 pitches.
End of sixth: Dodgers 7, Rockies 0
Trevor Bauer continues to shut down Rockies
Trevor Bauer once again makes quick work of the Rockies, retiring them in order on eight pitches. He has retired eight consecutive batters.
In the bottom half of the inning, AJ Pollock and Edwin Rios reach base on infield singles, but Jhoulys Chacin strikes out Mookie Betts before getting Corey Seager to ground out to first to end the inning.
End of fifth: Dodgers 6, Rockies 0
Antonio Senzatela’s L.A. nightmare continues
Antonio Senzatela was chased after giving up five runs in 2 2/3 innings as his troubles at Dodger Stadium continued. The right-hander has surrendered 24 runs (23 earned) with 10 home runs in 26 2/3 innings across six career starts at Chavez Ravine. That’s good for a 7.90 ERA.
The Dodgers also pummeled Senzatela at Coors Field in the second game of the season, tallying seven runs in 3 1/3 innings on April 2.
In all, only one Rockies starter has pitched into the fifth inning in five games against the Dodgers this season. Jon Gray was pulled after not recording an out in the sixth inning April 3. Gray is scheduled to start opposite Dustin May on Wednesday.
Dodgers take 6-0 lead over Rockies on a Max Muncy double
Max Muncy drives in Corey Seager on a double to left-center off Rockies reliever Jhoulys Chacin to give the Dodgers a 6-0 lead in the fourth inning. The Dodgers have six runs on seven hits and four walks so far.
Chacin gets out of the inning after Will Smith pops out and Gavin Lux strikes out.
Trevor Bauer is up to six strikeouts after retiring the Rockies in order on nine pitches in the top half of the fourth.
End of fourth: Dodgers 6, Rockies 0
Dodgers slugging like the old days
The Dodgers took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back home runs from Corey Seager and Chris Taylor off Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela.
Seager clubbed the first pitch he saw — a 94-mph fastball — the other way for his first home run of the season. Two pitches later, Taylor smacked a slider the wall in right-center field. Mookie Betts added a third solo shot in the third inning as the Dodgers chased Senzatela after 2 2/3 frames.
The Dodgers slugged the most home runs in the majors last season and the most homers in the National League the two years before that. Their reliance on the home run was, at times, a problem. But they displayed an ability to win games without home runs in the playoffs last October and haven’t relied on the home run as much again this season.
The Dodgers entered Tuesday with the second-most runs scored in the National League but just 10 home runs, tied for 20th in the majors. Seager and Taylor gave them just their third multi-home run game of the season. And yet they entered Tuesday with the best record in the majors.
“We’re not just relying on the home run ball,” third baseman Justin Turner said earlier this season. “How many times have we heard that in the past? This is a well-rounded offense that can beat you in a lot of ways. It’s not just about sitting back and hitting homers.”
Mookie Betts hits solo home run as Dodgers take 5-0 lead over Rockies
Mookie Betts, in only his second at-bat in front of fans at Dodger Stadium, homered to kick off a three-run third inning of the Dodgers.
After Betts’ second home run of the season — a big blast to the left field corner — Gavin Lux drove in a run before a throwing error by shortstop Trevor Story on a grounder hit by AJ Pollock allowed Will Smith to score and make it 5-0 Dodgers.
The Rockies pulled starter Antonio Senzatela in favor of Jhoulys Chacin after Story’s error. Senzatela struggled with his command, throwing more than 40 pitches in the third before exiting.
Chris Taylor, Seager and Betts have each hit solo homers tonight. Seager followed Betts’ homer with a standup double into the right-center gap. The talented shortstop, who scored on Lux’s single to shallow center, has reached base in 14 of his 18 plate appearances against the Rockies this season.
While the Dodgers have been happy with the pitches they’ve seen tonight, Trevor Bauer isn’t pleased with some of the calls he’s gotten from home plate umpire Tom Hallion.
Bauer was a bit miffed by a call Hallion made on a pitch to C.J. Cron in the second and Bauer showed more annoyance with another ball call vs. Ryan McMahon. Hallion even took off his mask at one point, looking to address Bauer, but the pitcher defused the situation by looking away.
Bauer wasn’t alone — Senzatela exchanged words with Hallion on a called ball four to Smith shortly before being pulled.
After giving up a single to Garrett Hampson, Bauer got McMahon to ground out before striking out Story for his fifth punch-out of the game.
End of third: Dodgers 5, Rockies 0
Trevor Bauer gets out of jam after walking first two batters of second
Trevor Bauer wasn’t quite as efficient as he was in the first, walking Charlie Blackmon and C.J. Cron to start the inning. But despite needing 26 pitches to get through the inning, Bauer quickly flashed his Cy Young-winning form, striking out Raimel Tapia and Elias Diaz to keep Blackmon and Cron stranded.
Colorado pitcher Antonio Senzatela retired AJ Pollock, Edwin Ríos and Bauer in order to end the inning.
End of second inning: Dodgers 2, Rockies 0
Rookie outfielder Luke Raley part of an interesting family (Christmas) tree
Luke Raley was a guest on the SportsNet LA pregame show Tuesday night, and in his interview with Ned Colletti, Jerry Hairston Jr. and John Hartung, the rookie outfielder mentioned that he sells Christmas trees every winter with his father, Douglas, who owns Raley’s Tree Farms in Hinckley, Ohio.
As unique of an offseason job as that is, Raley, the 26-year-old who made his big-league debut in Friday’s home opener, is not the first major leaguer to sell Christmas trees over the winter.
John Ellis, a former catcher/first baseman who played 13 years in the big leagues for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers from 1969-81, sold Christmas trees out of his lot in my hometown of East Lyme, Conn., for several winters during the 1970s.
The lot was on Flanders Four Corners, and my family bought our trees there every winter until a McDonald’s was built on the site in the mid-1970s. Ellis usually wore a heavy flannel shirt and worn leather work gloves — he gave off a Carlton Fisk vibe — as he sawed fresh cuts for customers on their Noble or Douglas Firs.
Ellis, who is now 72, grew up in nearby New London, Conn., and was a career .262 hitter with 69 homers and 391 RBIs in the big leagues. He lived in Southeastern Connecticut in the offseason and often worked with youth teams and individuals.
I’ll never forget the time he came to my coach’s house one winter night and crouched down in front of the living-room fireplace giving 12-year-old me and a teammate catching tips. Then he broke out his bat and took a few full swings without breaking any lamp shades, which I thought was impressive.
I only caught one season of Babe Ruth League ball and wasn’t very good, but I was probably better than I would have been without those tips from Ellis. And whenever I hear of a ballplayer with an interesting offseason job, I always think of Ellis … and now Luke Raley.
Corey Seager and Chris Taylor hit back-to-back home runs to give Dodgers 2-0 lead
Corey Seager and Chris Taylor hit back-to-back home runs off Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela to give the Dodgers a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Seager hit a first-pitch blast to the bundled-up fans in left field and, two pitches later, Taylor hit his second homer of the season to right field.
Mookie Betts, in his first at-bat in front of fans at Dodger Stadium, led off the bottom of the inning by grounding out to short. After walking Max Muncy, Senzatela struck out Will Smith before getting Gavin Lux to pop out to deep left.
In the top half of the inning, Dodgers starter Trevor Bauer retired Rockies Garrett Hampson, Ryan McMahon and Trevor Story in order on nine pitches.
End of first inning: Dodgers 2, Rockies 0
Call from Cito Gaston a ‘huge honor’ for Dave Roberts, as is donning Jackie Robinson’s jersey
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has never met Cito Gaston, the former Toronto manager who guided the Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series championships in 1992-93.
But in an interview with the Rich Eisen Show last winter, Roberts said one of the “cooler” congratulatory phone calls he got after the Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series was from Gaston, the only other Black manager to win a World Series.
“It was a huge honor,” Roberts said Tuesday, when asked by a Toronto-based reporter why the call was so special to him. “We now text back and forth. To have a person I can bounce some things off or get encouragement from …
“He’s the last black manager to win a World Series, so for me, that’s a person I’ve always respected and admired. I never got to meet him personally, but with what Cito has meant to the game of baseball, to know that he’s kind of got eyes on me and is supporting me from the East Coast is really cool.”
Major League Baseball will celebrate Jackie Robinson Day on Thursday, which will mark the 74th anniversary of the day Robinson, the former UCLA star, broke baseball’s color barrier by making his big-league debut for the Dodgers.
While all teams will wear Robinson’s No. 42, donning Robinson’s No. 42 Dodgers jersey has special significance for Roberts, the son of an African-American father and a Japanese mother who also played baseball at UCLA.
“I think Jackie being a Dodger, being a black man, going to UCLA, winning a championship, it certainly brings his legacy to light even more,” Roberts said. “And now, as we look at Thursday, I think a goal for the Dodgers, for myself, the coaches and players if they choose, is to visit Jackie’s statue here at [the center field plaza in] Dodger Stadium.
“I think it would be pretty cool for us, every year on Jackie Robinson Day, to reflect on what he meant not only to the Dodgers, but to baseball and to civil rights. It’s a moment of reflection, gratitude … to take some time to look at his statue and celebrate him.”
Mookie Betts is back in the Dodgers’ lineup
Mookie Betts had never dealt with a back injury before his back recently started bothering him. He doesn’t know how the discomfort surfaced, but it bugged him enough for the Dodgers to play it safe and sit him for an indefinite amount of time starting last Wednesday in Oakland.
Betts missed the next four games, delaying his debut in front of a home crowd at Dodger Stadium, but he returns to the lineup Tuesday against the Rockies.
“I think it was more of a scare than anything structural,” Betts said. “Precautionary to make sure I didn’t make anything worse. Had a couple of tests done but everything came back really clean.”
Betts said he felt the back pain only when he ran. He swung a bat and played catch without pain. He said he “turned the corner” over the weekend, but he said he stayed off the field until he felt the issue was behind him. The Dodgers went 3-1 without him, including a weekend three-game sweep of the Nationals.
“Running is a super important thing for my game,” Betts said, “and so I didn’t want to limit myself too much when we have guys on the bench who can do plenty fine in this lineup.
“We won all but one game I didn’t play. So that just shows how deep we are and we don’t really need me.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team will be more careful with Betts moving forward, giving him more days off than initially planned. He said Betts will play Tuesday and Wednesday before getting Thursday off.
Betts was on the field at a cloudy Dodger Stadium on Tuesday afternoon running the bases in front of a trainer. He started in center field in place of Cody Bellinger in his last appearance last Tuesday but will play right field Tuesday. Roberts said he doesn’t expect Betts to be limited when he’s on the field.
“I think from the training staff, medical staff, he feels great,” Roberts said. “Great means to me that he’ll play without a governor and play the way he knows how to play the game.”
Chris Taylor will start in center field with Bellinger (calf) still on the injured list against Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela.
Justin Turner isn’t in the lineup; Roberts said he’s just getting the day off. Edwin Ríos will start at third base and bat eighth. Trevor Bauer will make his third start as a Dodger, and first at Dodger Stadium since signing with the club over the offseason.
DODGERS (8-2)
Mookie Betts RF
Corey Seager SS
Chris Taylor CF
Max Muncy 1B
Will Smith C
Gavin Lux 2B
AJ Pollock LF
Edwin Ríos 3B
Trevor Bauer P
California dreamin’: MLB October first for Dodgers, Angels and Padres?
In the 52 years that three major league teams have called Southern California home, how many times have all those teams made the playoffs in the same year?
Zero.
Let us dream, a SoCal dream.
On this Tuesday morning, two weeks into the season, the Dodgers have the best record in the National League. The Angels have the best record in the American League.
The Padres have the best record of any other team in the majors.
Dodgers head into Rockies series on a three-game winning streak
Highlights from the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
Looking back at the Dodgers’ last game, a 3-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
The marquee pitcher’s duel between three-time Cy Young Award winners and future Hall of Famers lived up to its billing on Sunday, with Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw and Washington Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer combining for 12 innings of one-run, eight-hit, 11-strikeout, one-walk ball.
But the pair of aces was nearly upstaged by one-of-a-kind, Dodgers rookie utility man Zach McKinstry — known as Z-Mac to his teammates — continuing his torrid start by driving in all three runs of a 3-0 victory before a reduced-capacity crowd of 15,049 in Chavez Ravine.
McKinstry lofted a two-out, run-scoring double to left-center field off Scherzer in the second inning and lined a two-out, two-run homer to right-center off reliever Tanner Rainey in the seventh to help the Dodgers complete a three-game sweep and improve to 8-2 on the season, a 129-win pace.
Dave Roberts lines up Dodgers’ top pitchers to take on Padres
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts set his rotation this week so that Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Trevor Bauer will start the first regular-season series against the National League West rival San Diego Padres in Petco Park next weekend.
A coincidence?
“I think you can read into it any way you want,” Roberts said, “but I think making sure guys are rested and feeling good going into a particular series is the ultimate goal.”
Bauer will start Tuesday against Colorado on five days rest, Dustin May will start Wednesday on eight days rest, and Julio Urías will start Thursday on regular rest.
Fernando Valenzuela’s lasting impact on baseball makes him worthy of Hall of Fame
Talk about a blown save.
Then again, the Dodgers are the same organization whose miscalculations resulted in a seven-year television blackout. Of course they dropped the ball when presented with a perfect opportunity to officially remove Fernando Valenzuela’s No. 34 from their jersey rotation.
But, hey, the 50-year anniversary of Fernandomania is only a decade away. Maybe the Dodgers will come to their senses by then.
Leading up to the celebration Sunday of Valenzuela’s landmark rookie season, there were renewed pleas for the franchise to make an exception to its arbitrary policy of retiring only the numbers of Hall of Famers. The widespread calls spoke to the enormity of Valenzuela’s legacy. They also obscured a more egregious omission.
Wall slamming and sliding catches: Zach McKinstry’s Dodgers career off to wild start
Life comes at you quickly when you’re an inexperienced rookie on the best team in baseball and you’re thrust into a starting role at a position you’ve rarely played because two star outfielders get hurt the first week of the season.
So does the low right-field wall in foul territory in Dodger Stadium, as Zach McKinstry learned the hard way in Friday’s home opener when he flipped over it after missing a second-inning fly ball and slammed into it while catching a fourth-inning foul ball in a 1-0 win over the Washington Nationals.
The following night, after he threw out a runner at third base to snuff out a rally and made a nice sliding catch of a flare near the line in a 9-5 win, McKinstry was asked how much his confidence is growing in right field, a position he made one start at in five professional seasons before last week.