Daily Clips

August 23, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017 DODGERS.COM Taylor sets tone; Dodgers' bullpen outlasts Bucs- Adam Berry and Ken Gurnick A-Gon's double career hit No. 2,000- Ken Gurnick Dodgers place Wood, Bellinger on DL- Ken Gurnick Hill, Williams duel as Dodgers visit Pirates- Ken Gurnick LA TIMES Adrian Gonzalez collects 2,000th hit during Dodgers' 8-5 battering of Pirates- Andy McCullough Dodgers place Alex Wood on disabled list before victory over Pirates- Andy McCullough Dodgers put Cody Bellinger on disabled list, recall Josh Ravin- Andy McCullough OC REGISTER Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez reaches milestone pain-free on a night bullpen bails out Brock Stewart- Bill Plunkett Dodgers Notes: Alex Wood joins Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw on the DL- Bill Plunkett Dodgers play it safe with Cody Bellinger, place him on DL with sprained ankle- Bill Plunkett Dodgers at Pirates: Wednesday game time, TV channel and starting pitchers- Bill Plunkett ESPN World Series or bust! Here's what the Dodgers must do down the stretch– Bradford Doolittle Dodgers' Chris Taylor won't stay anonymous for long- Jerry Crasnick Dodgers' offense leads the way in 8-5 win over Pirates- Associated Press Dodgers hopeful for speedy returns as Cody Bellinger, Alex Wood go on DL- Jerry Crasnick TRUE BLUE LA Josh Sborz pitches 6 solid innings in big Drillers win- Craig Minami Dodgers offense, bullpen prevails in Pittsburgh- Eric Stephen Adrian Gonzalez joins the 2,000-hit club- Eric Stephen 'Best team ever?' Dodgers make Sports Illustrated cover- Eric Stephen Cody Bellinger lands on DL with right ankle sprain- Eric Stephen Who fills in Saturday for Alex Wood?- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER AGon collects 2,000th hit, Dodger bullpen shuts down Pirates- Cary Osborne Bellinger, Wood to 10-day DL; Stewart, Ravin recalled- Rowan Kavner USA TODAY SPORTS Dodgers place Cody Bellinger on the disabled list with sprained ankle- USA TODAY SPORTS Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner delightfully reenacted the solar eclipse- Ted Berg NBC LA Adrian Gonzalez Records 2,000th Career Hit as Dodgers Defeat Pirates, 8-5- Michael Duarte SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Blue Blazes: Led by Justin Turner, the Dodgers Might Be the Greatest Team of All-Time- Stephanie Apstein

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017

DODGERS.COM

Taylor sets tone; Dodgers' bullpen outlasts Bucs

By Adam Berry and Ken Gurnick

PITTSBURGH -- After both starting pitchers allowed five early runs, the Dodgers' bullpen outlasted the

Pirates' and led Los Angeles to an 8-5 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday night at PNC Park.

The Dodgers improved to 89-35, lowering their magic number in the National League West to 17. The

Pirates lost for the eighth time in their last 10 games, falling eight games behind the NL Central-leading

Cubs.

Dodgers starter Brock Stewart, called up before the game and battling a cold, gave up five runs and the

lead without recording an out in the third inning. So one day after picking up six innings in a 6-5, 12-

inning victory, Los Angeles' bullpen had to carry seven more.

It was up to the task. Josh Ravin struck out three in two innings, Tony Watson pitched a clean fifth, Tony

Cingrani worked two scoreless frames, Josh Fields cruised through a nine-pitch eighth and Kenley Jansen

punctuated the bullpen's scoreless performance by striking out the side to pick up his 34th save.

"The story of the night, obviously, was the bullpen," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose bullpen

was credited with back-to-back wins (by Cingrani and Luis Avilan) and saves (by Jansen and Ross

Stripling). "We had four guys down (Pedro Baez, Brandon Morrow, Stripling and Avilan), but we'll get

them back. Kenley will be down tomorrow. With Rich [Hill, starting] tomorrow, we feel good about the

coverage."

Five Dodgers relievers combined to strike out nine batters while allowing just three hits and two walks

over seven innings.

"They are very effective at the top of the zone, and they have good breaking pitches to throw a pretty

good combination punch at you," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The firepower's real. The velocity's

real. It's a very unique, dynamic bullpen. That's one of the reasons they've got the record they've got

right now."

Jameson Taillon grinded through five innings for the Pirates, walking a career-high five batters and

striking out only one. Chris Taylor was responsible for most of the damage, scoring after a leadoff

double in the first, then driving in two more runs in the second. And Taylor beat out a double-play

grounder to extend the seventh inning, allowing Corey Seager to single in a tie-breaking run and extend

his hitting streak to 11 games.

"C.T. beating out that double play exemplifies our ballclub, extending that inning," Roberts said.

Still, Taillon left with the game tied entering the sixth inning.

"There's not many breaks, that's for sure. It's a good lineup," Taillon said. "They're built for a nice run.

They obviously have the best record in the NL for a reason. They're good. It was a fun challenge. I'd like

to have another crack at it."

Adrian Gonzalez led off the sixth with a double to right, his 2,000th career hit and scored on Seager's

two-out single. Facing Pirates rookie Edgar Santana in the seventh, Yasmani Grandal crushed a two-run

shot a Statcast-projected 425 feet into the Dodgers' bullpen to push the lead to three.

"That was huge," Roberts said. "Yasmani has been swinging the bat well with not a lot to show for it

lately. It was big for him."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Taylor made: Taylor was in the middle of the action as the Dodgers built up an early four-run lead. He

set the tone against Taillon in the first at-bat of the game, lining the eighth pitch he saw to left field for a

leadoff double, then scored after two groundouts. With the bases loaded and one out in the second,

Taylor pulled a 97.6-mph fastball into left field for a two-run single. Taylor finished 3-for-5, his 12th

game of the season with at least three hits.

Star power: More than a month after returning from his 80-game suspension, Starling Marte has found

his form. The leadoff-hitting left fielder entered the night batting .300 in August, and he has added

power to his swing over the past few days. Marte bashed his first post-suspension homer on Saturday,

then clubbed a two-run shot to left field off Stewart in the third inning, the biggest blow in the Bucs'

five-run frame.

"I think he's worked in a very professional manner since he's been back. Nobody knows better than the

hitter that's in the box where his timing is," Hurdle said. "He didn't get outside himself. He didn't try to

overcompensate in any certain area. He didn't try to create bat speed. He just stayed in the box, kept

seeing pitches, fighting pitches off, trying to get his timing down, working the ball back to the big part of

the field. … He's gotten to a much better spot. He's been much more competitive."

QUOTABLE

"I don't think he was being cautious. I don't think he's got a cautious bone or mentality on the mound. I

think he was being aggressive. His 'towards' button was off. What he was aiming toward seemed to be

low. The consistent command wasn't there, which provided a challenge, obviously."-- Hurdle, on

Taillon's command

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

With his first stolen base as a Dodger, Curtis Granderson became the 36th player in MLB history with

300 home runs (314) and 150 steals.

WHAT'S NEXT

Dodgers: Rich Hill starts Wednesday's 4:05 p.m. PT game at PNC Park, seeking to reach double figures in

wins for the second consecutive season. Hill is 3-1 in his career against the Pirates and is coming off a

five-inning win in Detroit, where he allowed three runs.

Pirates: Right-hander Trevor Williams will start for the Pirates on Wednesday as they continue their

four-game series against the Dodgers at 7:05 p.m. ET at PNC Park. Williams' first start of the season

came at Dodger Stadium on May 8, when he allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in three

innings. It was his worst start until his most recent outing, when he gave up eight runs on seven hits,

including three homers, in three-plus innings against the Cardinals.

A-Gon's double career hit No. 2,000

By Ken Gurnick

PITTSBURGH -- The standing ovation from teammates in the dugout wasn't the highest compliment paid

to Adrian Gonzalez on Tuesday night, when he reached the 2,000-hit milestone with a sixth-inning

double in the Dodgers' 8-5 win over the Pirates at PNC Park.

That came after the game, when Gonzalez finished his on-field interview and entered the clubhouse,

where he was again greeted by loud applause from teammates that appreciate the entire body of the

35-year-old's work.

"It's cool, one of those milestones that just means I have a lot to be grateful for and thankful for,"

Gonzalez said. "That was really cool, special, seeing the guys in the dugout, the Dodgers fans in the

stands. I know there's a lot of people back home smiling as well, especially my wife and my kids and my

parents and my brother. It's a cool feeling."

Gonzalez doesn't think he's finished, and the Dodgers don't either, even though more than two months

on the disabled list with a herniated disc left his future in doubt. He returned only last week and is 4-for-

21 with a pair of doubles in five games, adding a walk and two runs on Tuesday night.

"I feel good," Gonzalez said. "I feel like I've had some hard outs, squared up some balls. I don't think the

results are all the way there, but the process is there. The body feels good. When I hit the ball, it's

coming out with authority. I'm happy so far. [Not having pain] is the biggest thing in the world. I think

everything I did to stay away from my back and let it heal and let it rest, up until now, it's been

successful."

Gonzalez's return to first base prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to move Cody Bellinger to the

outfield, and while playing right field on Saturday in Detroit, Bellinger sprained his right ankle to wind up

on the DL. But with Gonzalez back at first base and Curtis Granderson's acquisition, the Dodgers haven't

run out of quality players.

"When you can have Adrian Gonzalez hit seventh in your lineup, it pretty much sums it up for me after

what I've seen over the last seven years," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The guy got his 2,000th

career hit tonight. He's hitting seventh."

Gonzalez's double off reliever Johnny Barbato marked his 742nd hit as a Dodger in a career that includes

stops with Texas, San Diego and Boston. He was the first player taken in the 2000 Draft by the Marlins

and was traded to the Rangers in '03. Earlier this season, he went on the DL for the first time in a 14-

year career with right elbow soreness.

Since joining the Dodgers in 2012, Gonzalez leads the club in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, doubles and

walks.

"It was only fitting for him to hit a double for 2,000, he's had a lot of doubles in his career," Roberts said.

"The longevity for 2,000 hits, I can't fathom. It's quite a milestone. We have guys that can hit balls out of

the ballpark, but to have that professional at-bat like Granderson also gives us, to run up pitch counts,

take the walk, it's invaluable. The consistent quality of at-bat Adrian gives us when he's right is taxing on

a starter."

Dodgers place Wood, Bellinger on DL

By Ken Gurnick

PITTSBURGH -- The Dodgers placed starting pitcher Alex Wood on the 10-day disabled list with

inflammation of the sternoclavicular joint (where the collarbone meets the sternum) and rookie

sensation Cody Bellinger with a mild right ankle sprain on Tuesday.

Los Angeles recalled Tuesday night's starting pitcher Brock Stewart and reliever Josh Ravin from Triple-A

Oklahoma City as the corresponding moves.

Wood said he's optimistic he will be back in 11 days when the Dodgers are in San Diego. He missed 11

games from May 29-June 10 with the same injury.

"It's milder compared to when I originally did it," Wood said. "If we were three games up, you might try

to fight through it. But we want to get it to calm down so I'm good for the last three weeks and into

October. I just feel it's affecting me mechanically, whether it's consciously or subconsciously and my

body is trying to adjust."

Wood (14-1 with a 2.41 ERA) allowed three solo home runs over six innings in a no-decision Monday

night against the Pirates.

"Alex came to us and said it was the prudent thing to do," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "When

he comes back, I don't know. He'll probably get a cortisone shot in there to nip the pain and get on a

throwing program again and calm it down and get back."

Bellinger sustained the injury while making a running catch in right field in Detroit on Saturday.

"It's the luxury of having a 19-game lead," Bellinger said. "I could play right now, I told them that, but

with the depth of this lineup, 50 percent of me isn't as good as 100 percent of somebody else. We've

won two in a row and I haven't been in the lineup. And I still haven't run yet."

Roberts added that Brandon McCarthy (finger blister) is close to beginning a rehab assignment, but Scott

Kazmir (lack of velocity) is still throwing simulated games in Arizona with no rehab assignment planned.

Fantasy spin | Fred Zinkie

Wood (2.41 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) and Bellinger (34 homers, 79 RBIs) have been top-flight fantasy assets to

this point in the season, so both will be sorely missed while they are out. But with neither player

expected to miss a substantial amount of time, they should be stashed in all leagues. Wood owners can

check waivers for a replacement such as Luis Castillo, Luke Weaver or Patrick Corbin, while Bellinger

owners can take a look at Byron Buxton, Rhys Hoskins and Keon Broxton.

Hill, Williams duel as Dodgers visit Pirates

By Ken Gurnick

Pittsburgh right-hander Trevor Williams will start for the Pirates against Dodgers lefty Rich Hill in

Wednesday's third game of the four-game series.

After beginning the season in the bullpen, Williams entered the rotation on May 8 to fill in for Jameson

Taillon, who underwent surgery for testicular cancer that day. Williams' first start came against the

Dodgers, who put up eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in three innings against the rookie right-

hander.

In 17 starts between that ugly outing and his most recent start, Williams has posted a 3.62 ERA and may

have pitched even better than that number indicates, holding opposing hitters to a .243/.305/.354 slash

line and allowing only five homers in 97 innings. But his last start was his worst since that one at Dodger

Stadium, as he surrendered eight runs (all earned) on seven hits, including three homers, over three-

plus innings against the Cardinals at PNC Park.

Hill is 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA in eight career starts against the Pirates, and he's coming off a five-inning win

over the Tigers on Friday in Detroit, when he allowed three runs -- two in the first.

Three things to know about this game

• Although Cody Bellinger is now on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle, Dodgers

manager Dave Roberts has no shortage of players to call on. Adrian Gonzalez will continue to get playing

time at first base, while Curtis Granderson will see extended action in left field, Bellinger's other

position. Chris Taylor has become the every day center fielder, with Yasiel Puig in left.

• The Dodgers' roster merry-go-round brought Josh Ravin back to the bullpen one day after Roberts

used seven relievers in Monday night's 12-inning win. Ravin will get first call as the long man, while Ross

Stripling will likely be held back to start Saturday in place of Alex Wood, who went on the DL.

• Hill has allowed all 13 of his home runs with the bases empty this season, but he performs significantly

better with runners in scoring position. Among pitchers who have faced 75 batters in those situations,

his .172 expected average allowed -- based on the quality of contact against him, plus his actual

strikeouts -- ranks third lowest.

LA TIMES

Adrian Gonzalez collects 2,000th hit during Dodgers' 8-5 battering of Pirates

By Andy McCullough

Standing at second base, 2,400 miles away from the ballpark he calls home, Adrian Gonzalez doffed his

batting helmet. A modest crowd at PNC Park rose to salute his achievement, the 2,000th hit of his

career, a double down the first base line in the sixth inning of an 8-5 Dodgers victory over the Pittsburgh

Pirates.

“It’s one of those milestones that means a lot,” Gonzalez said. “A lot to be grateful for, a lot to be

thankful for. I’m just going to continue to try and do it, keep going.”

Gonzalez would come around to score the go-ahead run on a single by Corey Seager as the Dodgers

conducted a night-long battering of Pirates pitchers. Gonzalez has made hard contact since returning

from the disabled list Friday. He walked in the second inning and scored on a two-run single by Chris

Taylor, who had three hits and three RBIs. Yasmani Grandal added some insurance with a two-run

homer in the seventh.

The Dodgers overcame a third-inning combustion by spot starter Brock Stewart. Handed a four-run lead

by his teammates, who bullied starter Jameson Taillon, Stewart capsized. A well-place groundball from

Taillon led to a leadoff single. Starling Marte hammered a 91-mph fastball into the left-field seats to cut

the deficit in half. From there, Stewart’s command disappeared, as he walked two batters, gave up a

single and left with the bases loaded.

Stewart dealt with sinus issues over the weekend. Neither he nor manager Dave Roberts would use the

illness to explain his performance.

“The bottom line is he wasn’t executing like he knows he’s capable of doing,” Roberts said.

Dodgers place Alex Wood on disabled list before victory over Pirates

Into the breach stepped Josh Ravin, who had been called up before the game. His fourth pitch was

smacked by third baseman Josh Harrison for a two-run, score-tying single. A groundout by John Jaso

drove in Josh Bell to put the Pirates ahead 5-4.

The Dodgers did not trail for long. With runners at second and third in the fourth inning, Taylor ripped a

grounder down the third base line. Harrison could not handle it and Taylor received credit for a run-

scoring single. Seager drove Gonzalez home two innings later.

The bullpen made the lead hold up. Ravin finished with two scoreless innings. Tony Watson (7-4)

secured three outs. Tony Cingrani got six outs. After Josh Fields pitched the eighth inning, Kenley Jansen

recorded his 34th save.

“They did a great job,” Roberts said.

Dodgers place Alex Wood on disabled list before victory over Pirates

By Andy McCullough

Alex Wood placed his hand across his chest. His fingers pointed to his SC joint, which connects the

clavicle to the sternum, the area that has been beset by inflammation for the past two weeks. On

Tuesday, he landed on the 10-day disabled list for the second time this season because of the condition.

“If we were three games up in the division, it’s something where you might try to fight through it a little

bit more,” Wood said. “But it has been an issue for me since my Arizona start [on Aug. 9]. We just want

to get it to calm down so I can be good for the last three weeks heading into October.”

The Dodgers activated Brock Stewart to take Wood’s roster spot Tuesday, before Stewart gave up five

runs in an 8-5 victory over Pittsburgh. Wood approached team officials in the afternoon and suggested

he would benefit from time off, manager Dave Roberts said.

Wood is likely to receive a cortisone shot to combat the inflammation. Wood was hopeful he could

return by the first weekend of September, when the Dodgers travel to San Diego.

The Dodgers can afford to be careful with Wood. These are the perks of leading the National League

West by 21 games.

“Can he make his next start? Sure,” Roberts said. “But with where we’re at, it’s with that theme of being

overly cautious, because we’ve been afforded that luxury.”

The inflammation prevented Wood from throwing a bullpen session before his start Monday, when he

gave up three home runs. Wood is not worried about risking a more serious injury, but he was

concerned about his inability to sharpen his mechanics as he compensated for the discomfort.

“Whether it’s consciously or subconsciously, because of this, my body has tried to adjust to keep it

healthy and feeling good,” Wood said. “Having a little bit of time to clean up what I need to clean up,

and make a small adjustment mechanically, I think will be perfect timing right now.”

Wood joined a star-studded group of pitchers on the disabled list. Yu Darvish (back tightness) is

expected to be activated for Sunday against Milwaukee. Clayton Kershaw (back strain) is scheduled to

throw a four-inning, 60-pitch rehabiliation outing for triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. The Dodgers

have not determined who will start in Wood’s place Saturday, but Roberts scratched one candidate off

the list.

“I’m certain it will not be Clayton,” Roberts said.

Roberts mentioned Ross Stripling as an option. He indicated Stripling could possibly throw 60 pitches —

although Stripling has not thrown more than 55 in a game this season, and has not thrown more than 40

since June 25.

Roberts ruled out top pitching prospect Walker Buehler, who has been working in relief for Oklahoma

City, for Saturday. The team is weighing whether to call up Buehler, a first-round pick in 2015, to aid the

bullpen in September. The transition from starting has not been kind thus far. Buehler had a 5.87 ERA

after his first five relief appearances.

Neither Brandon McCarthy nor Scott Kazmir will be considered for Saturday, Roberts said. After three

effective months to start the season, McCarthy became beset by mechanical glitches and has not

pitched since July 20. He is on the disabled list with a blister on his pitching hand. Roberts indicated

McCarthy will begin a rehab assignment soon, but he was unsure where.

Roberts offered an even vaguer explanation of Kazmir’s readiness. Beset by hip issues during the spring,

Kazmir has not pitched for the Dodgers this season. He made a trio of rehab appearances for Class-A

Rancho Cucamonga, but his fastball velocity hovered in the mid-80s and his ERA was 6.00.

“Kaz is in Arizona,” Roberts said. “He’s still pitching. I don’t know. I really don’t know. I haven’t heard

when we’re getting him out there on assignment. Obviously, the clock’s ticking. He’s pitching, has been

doing simulated games. But as far as getting him in a game situation, I don’t know when that’s taking

place.”

Kazmir will earn $16 million in 2018, in the final season of a three-year deal that backfired as Kazmir’s

body broke down in 2016.

The Dodgers do not harbor similar fears about Wood, despite his history. He underwent elbow ligament

replacement while in college. He missed most of last season after elbow surgery during the summer.

Wood described his discomfort as “mild” compared to how he felt in late May, when he was first shut

down with SC joint issues. He hopes once the inflammation disperses, he can recapture the sharpness

he felt in the first half, when he went 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA and earned his first All-Star selection.

“When you throw pitches, you don’t want there to be many outliers,” Wood said. “You want it to be

consistent in the shape, and your command of it. And my command of all three hasn’t been exactly what

I’ve wanted.

“Instead of throwing four out of four the way you want, you’re throwing two out of four or three out of

four. I want it to go back to four out of four, and that’s a big part of getting this SC to calm back down

and get back where I need it to be.”

Dodgers put Cody Bellinger on disabled list, recall Josh Ravin

By Andy McCullough

After keeping rookie star Cody Bellinger out of the lineup the last three games, the Dodgers put him on

the disabled list Tuesday because of a sprained right ankle he suffered Saturday.

“The cost of trying to get him through it versus the upside, I just think it’s smart to be on the cautious

side,” manager Dave Roberts said.

In Bellinger’s spot, the Dodgers recalled reliever Josh Ravin from triple-A Oklahoma City. Ravin has been

up twice this season, recording one save and posting a 3.38 earned-run average in 5 1/3 innings over

four appearances. Hitters have only two hits in 18 at-bats against the right-hander.

Bellinger injured the ankle while jumping to catch a ball near the warning track at Comerica Park in

Detroit. The team initially described the injury as “mild,” but Bellinger’s ankle remained swollen through

the weekend.

His gait has improved in recent days. The limp he had Sunday morning was replaced by a steadier stride

Tuesday as he walked through the clubhouse at PNC Park to take swings indoors.

“That’s still a controlled setting, and there’s still swelling,” Roberts said. “With him, being such a

dynamic player, violent with the swing — and then the lateral [movement], haven’t tested that.”

With Bellinger out, Adrian Gonzalez remains in the lineup at first base. Bellinger had shifted to the

outfield to make room for Gonzalez’s return Friday from the DL. He appeared in right field on only four

occasions before the injury.

OC REGISTER

Dodgers’ Adrian Gonzalez reaches milestone pain-free on a night bullpen bails out Brock Stewart

By Bill Plunkett

PITTSBURGH — The first one came on April 20, 2004 at Angel Stadium. Still almost three weeks shy of

his 22nd birthday, Adrian Gonzalez was wearing a Texas Rangers uniform then – but not for long – when

he stroked a clean single to center field off Angels right-hander Ramon Ortiz.

For 11 seasons from 2006 through ’16, the hits came in a steady stream from coast to coast and back,

with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Dodgers. The stream finally stopped 1,995 hits later as a

troublesome back sent the 35-year-old Gonzalez to the DL for two months.

Back in the lineup for five games now, No. 2,000 came in the sixth inning Tuesday night, a hard-hit

ground ball down the first-base line that went through Pirates first baseman Josh Bell and into right field

for a double. Gonzalez scored the go-ahead run later in the inning as the Dodgers beat the Pirates, 8-5.

“I don’t think you think that far ahead,” Gonzalez said of the road between his first hit and his 2,000th.

“You’re focused on the at-bat of the moment. It’s cool looking back and thinking about the first one and

thinking about today.”

With the double (his 428th – tied with Ruben Sierra for 139th all-time), Gonzalez became the 285th

player in baseball history to record 2,000 base hits and the seventh to do it in a Dodgers uniform.

“It’s one of those milestones that means a lot – a lot to be grateful for, a lot to be thankful for,” said

Gonzalez, who received a standing ovation from his teammates in the visitors’ dugout – and from a large

contingent of Dodgers fans among a sparse crowd at PNC Park on a rainy day. “That was really cool,

really special – seeing the guys in the dugout, seeing the Dodger fans in the stands. … And I know there’s

a lot of people back home smiling as well especially my wife and kids, my parents and brother. It’s a

special feeling.”

Gonzalez is enjoying another feeling. The pain in his back has subsided. The 35-year-old Gonzalez is just

4 for 21 since returning to the lineup but the outs have been hard.

“I feel good,” he said, having unexpectedly played five consecutive games since returning because of the

ankle injury that sent Cody Bellinger to the DL. “Overall, I don’t think the results are all the way there

but I feel the process is there. The body feels good. When I hit the ball, it’s coming out with authority.”

Brock Stewart is at the other end of his career, trying to establish himself in the big leagues. This season

has been difficult. He started the season on the DL with shoulder inflammation (and a desire by the

Dodgers’ management to limit his innings). He has pitched as a starter and out of the bullpen. He has

gone weeks without pitching at all. He has lived out of a suitcase, traveling between the majors and

minors.

“It’s gotta be difficult,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Any player would like routine, consistency.

But I think that a lot of (young) guys through that. And when you play for our ballclub and we have so

much quality pitching and you have options … that’s kind of where he’s at right now in his career.

“He’s continuing to grow. Never makes excuses. And he’s going to be a good one.”

Summoned from Triple-A to fill in for Yu Darvish on Tuesday, Stewart arrived having pitched just 10 1/3

innings in the past month – none in a week – and fighting a head cold.

He couldn’t get through three innings. The Pirates batted around in the third, scoring all five of their

runs on four hits including a two-run home run by Starling Marte and a two-run double by Josh Harrison

off reliever Josh Ravin.

“Definitely wasn’t my night,” Stewart said. “I think I just missed barely but a few too many times. Tried

to be too fine and when you do that you usually don’t hit your spot.

“It’s definitely a learning experience. That’s how baseball goes. You’re not always going to have good

days.”

It doesn’t seem to matter to the Dodgers who have won 10 games this season in which their starting

pitcher failed to get through five innings. They forged on Tuesday, scoring in five of the first seven

innings. Chris Taylor had three hits and drove in three runs. Yasmani Grandal had a two-run home run.

While the Dodgers just kept scoring, the Pirates stopped completely after their gluttony in the third

inning. They didn’t get another runner past first base in the final six innings against five Dodgers

relievers.

“They did a great job,” Roberts said. “The story of the night was obviously the bullpen.”

That group has thrown 13 innings over the past two nights – Stewart’s short start and Monday’s 12-

inning game. Reinforcements are likely to be recalled Wednesday.

Dodgers Notes: Alex Wood joins Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw on the DL

By Bill Plunkett

PITTSBURGH – As the Dodgers roll along with the best record in baseball and a shot at the best record in

major-league history, they will do so without their three best starting pitchers.

One night after revealing he has been dealing with the same sternoclavicular joint inflammation that

landed him on the DL earlier this season, left-hander Alex Wood went back to the 10-day DL. Like Yu

Darvish (back spasms) before him, Wood is expected to miss just one start.

“If we were three games up in the division, it’s something you’d fight through and that’s what I’ve been

doing,” said Wood who admitted he has been trying to “manage” the SC joint issue through his past two

starts. “But I think we’re just going to try to get it calmed down so I’m good for the last three weeks and

into the playoffs.

“I’ve still been OK. But I haven’t been as good as I want to be heading into the playoffs.”

Wood, a first-time All-Star, has continued to pitch well – but not as well as he did in the first half.

Before the All-Star break, he was 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. In seven starts since the break, he

is 4-1 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. The OPS of opposing batters has jumped from .476 to .764. After

giving up only two home runs in his first 16 games and 86-2/3 innings this season, Wood has given up

eight in 36 2/3 innings over his past six starts, including three Monday.

Along the way, the left-hander has lost some velocity from his fastball, a drop he blames indirectly on

the SC joint issue.

“I feel it’s just affecting me more mechanically, whether it’s consciously or subconsciously,” he said. “If

my stuff was still playing consistently the way it has been for the whole year, I wouldn’t care about the

velo, especially if it’s just a mile or two.

“But the consistency of my stuff hasn’t been quite as sharp. Instead of throwing four out of four the way

I want, it’s two out of four or three out of four.”

Manager Dave Roberts said he expects Wood to receive a cortisone shot to relieve some of the

inflammation and then begin a throwing program. Wood said he expects to rejoin the rotation during

the Dodgers’ series in San Diego Sept. 1-3 (also the most likely return date for Clayton Kershaw).

The Dodgers’ big lead in the NL West (and for the best record in the National League) affords them “the

luxury,” as Roberts acknowledged, of giving Wood and Darvish 10-day breaks to treat injuries that are

relatively minor and slow-playing Kershaw’s return from a more serious back injury.

Darvish is eligible to make his return from the DL on Sunday. But the Dodgers will need another starter

to stand in for Wood on Saturday.

Roberts did a better job of eliminating options than naming any Tuesday. He said it definitely won’t be

Kershaw who is scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. Roberts also

took top prospect Walker Buehler out of consideration.

“I don’t know if he is ultimately going to come with us in September. We haven’t made that final

decision,” Roberts said of Buehler, who has been pitching in relief for the OKC Dodgers over the past

three weeks. “But if he does come (as a September call-up), it’ll be out of the ’pen and we’ll see how it

looks.”

Right-hander Brandon McCarthy is not an option. He has been on the DL for a month with persistent

blister issues on his pitching hand and perhaps more importantly some of the same issues he had last

year with his control. Roberts said McCarthy will begin a rehab assignment this week either with Class-A

Rancho Cucamonga or Double-A Tulsa. He is slated for a return when rosters expand in September.

The Dodgers could add someone like former big leaguer Justin Masterson (10-6 with a 4.36 ERA for the

OKC Dodgers) or Wilmer Font (who leads the PCL with 170 strikeouts). But neither (like Buehler) are on

the Dodgers’ 40-man roster and a move would have to be made to add them.

Perhaps the likeliest option is a “bullpen game” started by long reliever Ross Stripling. Stripling made 14

starts for the Dodgers last season but has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen this season, going as

long as three innings on three occasions.

Stripling pitched the final inning in Monday’s 12-inning game, earning a save, and Roberts said he could

be extended to as much as 60 pitches in a spot start.

“Potentially, Ross could be an option, depending on the workload,” he said. “As we get to Saturday, how

the usage plays out will give us some more clarity.”

ALSO

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga outfielder D.J. Peters was named the Cal League MVP and Rookie of the Year

for the 2017 season. Peters, 21, was the Dodgers’ fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft. In his first full

season as a professional, he leads the Cal League in slugging percentage (.521), extra-base hits (55),

walks (60) and total bases (237) while ranking second in home runs (24), fourth in RBI (74), seventh in

hits (129) and fourth in on-base percentage (.382).

Dodgers play it safe with Cody Bellinger, place him on DL with sprained ankle

By Bill Plunkett

PITTSBURGH — The Dodgers held rookie Cody Bellinger out of the starting lineup for two days after he

suffered a mild ankle sprain Saturday. They decide to err entirely on the side of caution Tuesday and put

him on the DL.

The first baseman/outfielder will be eligible to return next Wednesday.

“There’s improvement. But that’s a controlled environment,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said

before Tuesday’s game. “I’m sure in the next day or two we’ll have to make that decision.

“I see more leaning towards the DL because of the cost of trying to get him through it versus the upside.

I just think it’s probably smart to be on the cautious side.”

The closest Bellinger had come to playing since rolling his ankle in right field Saturday was the 12th

inning of Monday’s game when he briefly went out to the on-deck circle as a potential pinch-hitter. He

was called back and replaced by pitcher Kenta Maeda who batted instead.

In Bellinger’s place, right-hander Josh Ravin was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Ravin has made

four appearances with the Dodgers this season, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in 5-1/3

innings.

The overwhelming favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year, Bellinger leads the Dodgers with 34

homers, 79 RBI and a .612 slugging percentage. Despite being called up on April 25, he currently ranks

among the best in the National League in home runs (2nd), slugging percentage (4th), RBI (14th) and

OPS (.968, 7th).

Bellinger is the 26th player placed on the DL by the Dodgers this season.

Dodgers at Pirates: Wednesday game time, TV channel and starting pitchers

By Bill Plunkett

DODGERS at PIRATES

When: 4 p.m.

Where: PNC Park

TV: SportsNet LA (where available)

THE PITCHERS

DODGERS LHP RICH HILL (9-4, 3.54 ERA)

Vs. Pirates: 3-1, 3.69 ERA

At PNC Park: 0-1, 6.19 ERA

Hates to face: Josh Harrison, 1 for 2 (.500), 1 double

Loves to face: David Freese, 0 for 3, 1 strikeout

PIRATES RHP TREVOR WILLIAMS (5-6, 4.71 ERA)

Vs. Dodgers: 0-1, 18.00 ERA

At PNC Park: 2-3, 4.81 ERA

Hates to face: Chris Taylor, 2 for 2, 1 home run

Loves to face: Justin Turner, 0 for 2, 1 strikeout

UPCOMING

Thursday: Dodgers LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-6, 3.45 ERA) at Pirates RHP Chad Kuhl (6-8, 4.52 ERA), 1 p.m.,

SportsNet LA

ESPN

World Series or bust! Here's what the Dodgers must do down the stretch

By Bradford Doolittle

Perhaps the most stark expression of pure joy I've witnessed during this long baseball season came last

weekend in Detroit.

Before Saturday's game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles outfielder

Yasiel Puig sat at a table in the visitors clubhouse of Comerica Park, with closer Kenley Jansen sitting

across from him. Puig was watching the 1977 version of "The Bad News Bears," the one where for some

reason they end up playing in the Houston Astrodome. Puig watched this for about five minutes,

laughing and giggling the entire time as if it were the most uproariously hilarious piece of cinema ever

created.

"Kenley! Kenley!" Puig said, pointing at the screen.

Jansen maybe looked up once, but if so, that was it.

It's a good time to be a Los Angeles Dodger. The mood should be good for a club that, with an 11-1 run

over their next 12 games, would hit 100 wins by Labor Day. The Dodgers have a 21-game bulge in the

National League West, having already eliminated rival San Francisco from the division race. They are

13½ games up on Washington in the race for the NL's top playoff seed, and 13½ games better than

Houston for the best record in baseball.

Folks, we've still got 46 days until the Dodgers will play in Game 1 of the National League Division Series,

the first step in a journey the club hopes will end L.A.'s 29-year championship drought. The Dodgers'

highest-stakes games lie weeks away, but that doesn't mean there is nothing to do for manager Dave

Roberts and his history-making crew over the next few weeks.

"There is that keeping-sharp component," Roberts said. "There is the rest component. And there is also

seeing how the lineup looks and seeing how guys play in the field, seeing what each player is suited for."

With that in mind, here's a checklist of things for Roberts to do between now and the postseason as he

attempts to put his club in the best possible position for baseball's annual October crapshoot:

1. Clinch all the things

The leads are enormous, so unless the roster is replaced by those Bad News Bears that Puig was

laughing at, this is a foregone conclusion. But you've still got to do it.

2. Get healthy

This is the big-ticket item. At this writing, the Dodgers' top three starters (Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish

and Alex Wood) are all on the disabled list. Eventual NL Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger was limping

around Detroit with a swollen right ankle suffered on Saturday.

Managing these injuries is something the Dodgers do very well. Still, for all the high-quality redundancy

L.A.'s front office has built into its 40-man roster, Kershaw, Darvish, the first-half version of Wood and

Bellinger aren't interchangeable pieces. Those are core guys you want operating at an optimum level

when the games matter most.

3. Make calls on rehabbing guys

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have a long list of players at various phases of the injury rehab process.

Outfielders Franklin Gutierrez and Andre Ethier, who hasn't played all season, have both seen recent

minor league action.

"Andre, he's on his way back," Roberts said. "Seeing him as a bat off the bench is something we envision

for him throughout September and potentially the postseason. I don't think the addition of Curtis

[Granderson] changes that."

Lefty relievers Grant Dayton, a standout last season, and Adam Liberatore have been in the same rehab

boat but have battled setbacks. And Scott Kazmir is still lurking somewhere, as the plug has not yet been

pulled on his season.

Roberts needs to see all of these postseason roster possibilities before he has to make decisions on his

25-man October group. Either he can count on them or he can't, and the luxury of the Dodgers' huge

lead is that you can throw them out there in big league situations and see if they are ready to help.

4. Figure out corner outfield/first base rotation

The recent additions of Adrian Gonzalez (back from the DL) and Granderson (acquired via trade from the

New York Mets) give Roberts even more firepower, but he's got to figure out the best way to deploy

some of these players. It's a complicated puzzle.

Gonzalez looked good in Detroit, both in the field and at the plate. If he can stave off the back trouble

that knocked him out for about four months, he seems to be a good fit to play first against righties.

Bellinger will be in the lineup every day, but because he can swing to the outfield corners, he can play

first against lefties and move to left field or right field against righties.

Granderson figures to play left against righties, and you'd think Puig would be a no-brainer in right

against lefties. However, the righty-hitting Puig actually has reverse-platoon splits over the past three

years and he is having a Gold Glove season in right field. And you've got super utility player Enrique

Hernandez, who murders lefties.

Roberts seems to like Chris Taylor and Hernandez in center field, but both can move around to several

positions as well, including shortstop. And don't forget about Joc Pederson, who is trying to master

swing tweaks and a new stance in Triple-A in hopes of a return to his former production.

"[Granderson] can handle center field, but I see him more on the corners," Roberts said. "With C.T. and

Kike [Hernandez] getting more of the time in center field. When you're looking at foot speed and where

they are at in their careers, I think that having Curtis be on the corners makes the most sense."

More complications: Roberts likes a healthy Ethier as a pinch-hit option, and for good reason: Over the

2015 and 2016 seasons, Ethier has a .966 OPS in 38 pinch-hit plate appearances. But if Gutierrez returns,

he is a plus defender and proven lefty masher.

Sorting this out isn't just a game-to-game dilemma for Roberts when it comes to filling out his lineup

cards. It also affects who makes the postseason roster in the first place. Right now, assuming the

Dodgers go with 13 position players because of the number of health issues the pitchers have dealt

with, one or two of Gutierrez, Ethier and Pederson won't have a spot.

"One part of [tinkering] is the lineup," Roberts said. "To see where Taylor and Granderson fit, to really

figure out how the dynamic with Adrian and Cody. We have a lot of good players."

Poor Roberts. It must be rough to have so many good players.

5. Identify postseason rotation

Wood's troubled SC joint is the big wild card here. In his outing Monday at Pittsburgh, his velocity was

down to about 90 mph, and he's dealt with this issue before. The Dodgers put him on the DL on Tuesday

with no reason at all to risk it.

If Wood looks right by the start of October, then he seems like a good bet to slot behind Kershaw and

Darvish in the playoff rotation. But the call on No. 4 will be difficult, as there are good arguments for

both Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda.

And we can't forget about the presence of Brandon McCarthy, who has been dealing with a blister

problem, and Hyun-Jin Ryu. It may all come down to who might be the best candidate to help in a long-

relief role, which itself might lead to some September experimentation.

6. Set up postseason bullpen

Beyond Jansen, the Dodgers' bullpen is something like a baseball version of the Faceless Men of Braavos

from "Game of Thrones."

"The bullpen is pretty much intact in that there are no roles," Roberts said. "Guys pitch according to

matchups, and that's worked out really well for us."

It's not going to be about putting relievers into designated innings. It's going to be about setting up his

bullpen to maximize the matchup advantages from either side of the plate.

The right-hand side of the equation is easier to envision. Pedro Baez, Ross Stripling, Brandon Morrow

and Josh Fields all look like fixtures. As an added bonus, Jansen and Morrow both have very good

numbers against lefties, not that the others have been hammered.

With Dayton's health a question mark, Luis Avilan having pedestrian metrics, and trade deadline

acquisitions Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani both looking less than dependable, the picture is murkier

when it comes to the bullpen lefties. Could Hill, Ryu or even Kazmir or Liberatore figure in here?

Or could Hill and Ruy figure into an amped-up long super-relief role?

For that matter, is there going to be a spot like that for prospect Walker Buehler, who recently moved

into a relief role at Triple-A? So far the returns have been up and down, though he did have one outing

in which he earned a save by throwing two perfect innings with five strikeouts.

Expect to see some of these scenarios played out during September.

7. Set the win record?

I put a question mark on this one because the Dodgers don't seem too concerned with the fact they are

on pace to win 115 or 116 games, depending on the day. It's easy to understand why. The teams that

share the mark for regular-season wins (1906 Cubs and 2001 Mariners) are remembered as much for

not winning the World Series as they are for the record.

"Outside of the [tinkering], it's just trying to keep guys fresh and sharp, but not overworked," Roberts

said. "Make sure that once we finish the season, guys are at their peak."

Still, if the Dodgers were to break that record and take the Series? Then you're in the conversation of

the best single-season teams ever assembled. So why not go for broke? Why take the foot off the gas?

"I think [the risk of letting up] is real," Roberts said. "But for us as a staff, it's more about keeping our

focus. Guys are still playing for their team, but guys in the clubhouse are professionals, and they're still

trying to put together nice seasons. We understand that this is kind of a build-up towards the

postseason."

This is quite a long laundry list for Mr. Roberts, and by the time you get to the bottom of it, you might

think there are reasons to worry about the Dodgers. But there aren't.

"It's a high-class problem," Roberts said. "I appreciate it every single day. Our guys do. Just to look at our

guys' playing time, in terms of at-bats and innings pitched, it's going to be pretty similar across the board

with a few outliers. I think that's a good thing for morale.

"We talked about playing for October, I think we're doing a very good job of managing all this and

keeping everyone relevant and mentally on board. It's all white collar. The whole irony is we try to

classify ourselves as blue collar, but these are all white-collar problems."

Indeed. These days, it's good to be a Dodger.

Dodgers' Chris Taylor won't stay anonymous for long

By Jerry Crasnick

PITTSBURGH -- Chris Taylor, the biggest surprise (non-Cody Bellinger division) in this wondrous Los

Angeles Dodgers season, entered Tuesday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a major

league high .394 batting average on balls in play. That lofty BABIP suggests he has been adept at finding

holes, and the baseball gods are about to exact revenge with a barrage of line-drive outs to even the

score.

If Taylor is going to morph into a glorified utility player, he'd better hurry, because he has a lot of

regression to cram into the final six weeks of the season.

The Dodgers beat the Pirates 8-5 on Tuesday to raise their record to 89-35, and an array of contributors

got in on the fun.

Adrian Gonzalez joined the 2,000-hit club with a double off reliever Johnny Barbato, and Corey Seager

extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a pair of singles. Yasmani Grandal launched a two-run

homer in the seventh, and the bullpen threw six scoreless innings after Pittsburgh chased starter Brock

Stewart with five runs in the third. Closer Kenley Jansen struck out the side on 14 pitches for his 34th

save.

But it all began with Taylor, who set the tone early out of the leadoff spot. Four innings into the game,

he had already contributed two singles, a double and driven in three runs on his way to a 3-for-5

evening.

A lot of baseball fans are having a hard time knowing what to make of Taylor these days. He's a Virginia

native and a product of the University of Virginia baseball program. He looks unassuming behind a close-

cropped beard, and he wears his stirrup socks just below the knees in the old-fashioned style. He's

sincere, polite and tries to blend in with the scenery, but it's becoming increasingly more challenging to

stay anonymous as a big part of baseball's resident juggernaut.

"We've been asked that question a lot -- who is Chris Taylor?" Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We

don't know yet. There's really no floor, and no ceiling. All I know is, he does a great job of living in the

moment and trying to help us win baseball games. It seems like each night he does something, whether

it's with his arm, his legs, taking a walk or getting a big hit. For me, that's the mark of a championship

player."

The numbers are certainly impressive. In 41 games as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter, Taylor has a

.355/.434/.657 slash line. He has made 46 starts in left field, 22 in center, 19 at second base, three at

third base and three at shortstop. And his 4.2 wins above replacement ties him for 12th in the National

League with two All-Stars -- Miami outfielder Marcell Ozuna and Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart.

Taylor has been especially productive with the bases loaded. He's 5-for-8 with three grand slams, 19

RBIs and four walks. His bases-loaded single off Jameson Taillon in the second gave the Dodgers an early

4-0 lead.

"I just try to keep it as simple as I can and get the barrel on the ball," Taylor said. "That's about as simple

as I can put it. You have to realize there's more pressure on the pitcher than yourself. I just try to be

aggressive in the heart of the plate and not chase pitches out of the zone."

Taylor had to overcome a lot of skeptics to establish himself at age 26. The Seattle Mariners chose him

in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB first-year player draft, and he was a consistent .300 hitter in his first

three minor league stops. But he slashed a feeble .240/.296/.296 in 86 games over parts of three

seasons with the Mariners, and not a lot of people were paying attention when the Dodgers acquired

him in a trade for pitcher Zach Lee in June 2016.

Not long after Taylor's arrival in Los Angeles, the Dodgers sent him to Arizona to work on some swing

changes with organizational hitting consultant Robert Van Scoyoc. Taylor added a leg kick to help sync

his upper and lower halves and made some changes with his hand positioning to eliminate what Roberts

calls the "loopiness" in his swing.

After failing to break camp despite a strong showing in spring training, Taylor got the call in April when

second baseman Logan Forsythe went on the DL because of a broken toe. The Dodgers quickly saw a

new-and-improved version of Taylor.

"He's always had the makeup of a baseball player, the unselfishness and the athleticism," Roberts said.

"Now the mechanics are where they need to be, and you get the good pulse. He's not scared of the big

moment. That's all translated into production."

Taylor's fourth plate appearance Tuesday, while unproductive in the box score, showed that his heart

and mind are in the right place. With runners on first and second and one out, he hit what looked like a

double-play grounder to Josh Harrison at third base. But Taylor busted it down the line and beat the

throw to first to extend the inning. Seager followed with an RBI single, and the Dodgers went up 6-5.

"That play exemplifies our ball club -- finding a way to extend innings," Roberts said.

Even if the numbers dip down the stretch, Taylor can take pride in knowing he has seized his

opportunity and shown that he belongs.

"There are a lot of really good players who are up and down from Triple-A to the big leagues," Taylor

said. "There's a very short leash up here. There are so many good players ready to take your job. A lot of

times, it's just [a matter of] good timing and finding the right place."

For Taylor, the right place is Dodger Stadium, where he has emerged as a central figure on a team with a

.718 winning percentage and legitimate world championship aspirations. The questions keep on coming.

But he's letting his play provide the answers.

Dodgers' offense leads the way in 8-5 win over Pirates

By Associated Press

PITTSBURGH -- The Los Angeles Dodgers added two more players to the disabled list Tuesday: 14-game

winner Alex Wood and rookie of the year candidate Cody Bellinger.

It didn't seem to slow them down at all.

Neither could a short outing from starting pitcher Brock Stewart, as the Dodgers' offense and bullpen

more than picked up the slack in an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

Chris Taylor had three of the Dodgers' 10 hits and he drove in three runs and Yasmani Grandal hit a two-

run home run.

Corey Seager drove in the winning run in the sixth, knocking in Adrian Gonzalez, who had led off the

inning with a double off Johnny Barbato (0-1). The hit was Gonzalez's 2,000th of his career.

The Dodgers also took advantage of a career-high five walks from Pirates starter Jameson Taillon. Taillon

gave up five hits and five runs in his five innings of work.

"Those guys are just good hitters," Taillon said. "I felt like I made some good pitches. Anything close to

the zone, if it wasn't their pitch, they were spitting on it. I was a couple balls off, but they were close

pitches and they just took them."

Stewart started for the Dodgers but lasted just two-plus innings. He allowed five runs, including a two-

run home run by Starling Marte and a bases-loaded double by Josh Harrison.

After Stewart, the Los Angeles bullpen combined for seven scoreless innings. Former Pirates reliever

Tony Watson (7-4) picked up the win with a 1-2-3 fifth inning. Watson is 2-0 since joining the Dodgers.

Josh Ravin and Tony Cingrani each pitched two innings. Josh Fields pitched the eighth to get to Kenley

Jansen, who struck out the side in the ninth for his 34th save.

"They did a great job," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Watson, I think that was the best inning

he's thrown with us. Obviously, you get Ravin just getting here, pitched a day ago and what he did was

getting out of that and giving us an inning-plus was huge. Fields and Kenley. The story of the night,

obviously, was the bullpen."

The win over the Pirates secured the Dodgers at least a split of the four-game series, their 22nd

consecutive series without suffering a loss. They have won 23 of their last 27 games and that's with

Bellinger and Wood joining the likes of Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw among the 12 players on the

disabled list. They have also won all five matchups against the Pirates so far this season.

"When you win as many games as they have, you look a little taller. You walk a little taller," Pirates

manager Clint Hurdle said. "When you can have Adrian Gonzalez at seventh in your lineup, it pretty

much sums it up for me."

MAKING MOVES

Both teams reshuffled their pitching staffs after a 12-inning game on Monday. The Dodgers recalled

Ravin and Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Pirates brought up Barbato, Edgar Santana and

Steven Brault from Triple-A Indianapolis.

TRAINING ROOM

Dodgers: Bellinger (right ankle sprain) was hurt in a play at the outfield wall in Detroit on Saturday. He

took swings Tuesday, but did not improve quickly enough. .Wood (left sternoclavicular joint

inflammation) complained of discomfort after throwing six innings against Pittsburgh on Monday. . RHP

Brandon McCarthy (finger blister) is close to making a rehab appearance. He hasn't pitched since July 20.

Pirates: RHP George Kontos (right groin strain) and RHP Joaquin Benoit (left knee inflammation) were

both placed on the 10-day disabled list. Kontos' move is retroactive to Sunday.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: Rich Hill (9-4, 3.54 ERA) will pitch Wednesday. He's coming off a short outing, when he allowed

three runs in five innings against Detroit on Friday.

Pirates: Trevor Williams (5-6, 4.71 ERA) will face the Dodgers for the second time in his career. He gave

up six runs and lasted just three innings against them on May 5.

Dodgers hopeful for speedy returns as Cody Bellinger, Alex Wood go on DL

By Jerry Crasnick

PITTSBURGH -- The Los Angeles Dodgers placed outfielder Cody Bellinger and starting pitcher Alex Wood

on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday and recalled pitchers Brock Stewart and Josh Ravin from Triple-A

Oklahoma City.

Bellinger, who is one home run shy of Mike Piazza's franchise rookie record of 35, suffered a mild right

ankle sprain while playing right field Saturday against the Detroit Tigers. Wood, who is 14-1 with a 2.41

ERA, is out with inflammation in the sternoclavicular joint in front of his left shoulder.

Bellinger showed signs of progress when he tested the ankle before Tuesday's game against the

Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. But with the Dodgers sporting an 88-35 record and leading second-place

Colorado by 20½ games in the National League West, manager Dave Roberts said the team has the

luxury of being cautious.

"There's still swelling,'' Roberts said. "With him being such a dynamic player and [so] violent with his

swing, we haven't really tested the lateral movement yet. When you look at the cost of trying to get him

through it versus the upside, it's probably smart to be on the cautious side.''

Wood went on the disabled list from May 29 through June 9 with the same injury. When he began to

experience discomfort in his SC joint during Monday's start against the Pirates, he brought it to the

attention of Roberts and the Dodgers' coaching staff.

"It's mild in comparison to when I originally did it,'' Wood said. "If we were three games up in the

division, it's something where you might try and fight through it a little more. But it has been an issue

for me since my Arizona start [on Aug. 9]. We just want it to calm down so I can be good for the last

three weeks heading into October.

"It's just kind of a weird thing. This is the first year I've ever had it. It's in the middle of my chest, and it's

a really tiny joint, so it's not hard for it to become inflamed. If we were in different circumstances, it's

something I would pitch through. That's what I've done the last two weeks.''

Roberts said Wood will probably receive a cortisone shot and go on a throwing program before

returning to action. Wood said he is targeting the first weekend of September against San Diego for his

return.

The Dodgers are scrambling to fill rotation spots with Clayton Kershaw and Yu Darvish also on the DL.

Kershaw, who has been out since July 24 with a back issue, threw four simulated innings on Monday and

is scheduled to make a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Roberts said Ross Stripling is a candidate to fill Wood's spot in the rotation Saturday against the

Milwaukee Brewers.

TRUE BLUE LA

Josh Sborz pitches 6 solid innings in big Drillers win

By Craig Minami

Oklahoma City and Great Lakes dropped their games, Tulsa and Rancho Cucamonga won to continue

their quest for the playoffs. As for the Rookie League teams, all four are contending for the postseason,

three won and one lost.

Player of the day

Given the situation, Josh Sborz gets today’s Player of the day for pitching six solid innings and getting the

win for the Drillers.

It is hard to say what Sborz’s best role is in the organization, the college reliever has been a starter for

his first two full seasons and this season has seen him pitch 108 innings in 22 starts. Sborz has a 3.52 ERA

with a 72 to 52 strikeout to walk ratio.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers could not come up with a key hit and they saw the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Brewers)

score single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to beat the Dodgers 3-1. With two out in the seventh,

Kirk Nieuwenhuis doubled home to go-ahead run for the Sky Sox and then in the eighth, Chris Colabello

singled home the final run of the game.

David Hale pitched seven solid innings for the Dodgers, he gave up two runs and seven hits. Hale struck

out eight.

Alex Verdugo had two hits, Bobby Wilson scored the lone run and walked four times.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers won their seventh straight beating Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) 7-1 to take the first game

of their series. Josh Sborz pitched six strong innings, giving up a run and four hits.

The Drillers remain a game back of Springfield in the race for the second half playoff spot.

Errol Robinson, Matt Beaty and Yusniel Diaz each had two hits. Andre Ethier continued his rehab

assignment and delivered a two-run single in the seventh to put the game away for the Drillers.

Johan Mieses hit his 13th home run for Tulsa.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes had a pair of sixes plus one in their 13-2 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres). The win

kept the Quakes in first place by a game.

The Quakes scored six runs in the first and fourth innings. In the first, the first five Quakes reached safely

and then with one out, Ibandel Isabel hit his 27th home run to make it 6-0.

In the fourth inning, Brant Whiting hit a three-run double to key that six-run inning.

Six Quakes had two hits each, Zach McKinstry, DJ Peters, Quincy Latimore, Zach Reks, Whiting and

Brandon Montgomery.

Michael Boyle started and pitched five innings, giving up a run and two hits. Dean Kremer and Andrew

Thurman finished up for the Quakes.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons lost 7-4 to Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays) on Tuesday. Alfredo Tavarez gave up four runs in his 4⅓

innings pitched. Tavarez also gave up four hits and two walks.

Jeren Kendall had two hits including his fifth triple, he scored a run and drove in two runs.

Rookie-Pioneer Ogden

The Raptors outlasted the Orem Owlz (Angels) with a 12-9 win, the win kept those two teams in a first

place tie. Patrick Duester pitched two scoreless innings in relief to get the win.

Luis Paz and Gersel Pitre each had three hits, Garrett Hope and Samuel Ortiz each had two hits.

Award worthy: Dodgers 2017 22nd-round pick Justin Hoyt, a left-handed pitcher out of Jacksonville

State, was named Pioneer League Pitcher of the Week after striking our nine in five innings in a pair of

relief appearances for Ogden last week, allowing only one hit and one walk.

Rookie-AZL Dodgers

The Dodgers defeated the AZL Reds 12-1 and that win meant they were still in a first place tie with the

White Sox. Jose Chacin pitched four innings and gave up a run and two hits but that was enough for him

to get the win in relief.

Eric Meza and Jacob Roberts each had three hits, Jeremy Arocho, Erisbel Arruebarrena and Marcus Chiu

had two hits apiece.

Transactions

Triple-A: Los Angeles recalled right-handed pitchers Brock Stewart and Josh Ravin from Oklahoma City;

Los Angeles sent right-handed pitcher Dylan Floro outright to Oklahoma City.

Rookie: Right-handed pitcher Saul Castellanos assigned to AZL Dodgers from DSL Dodgers1.

Tuesday’s scores

Colorado Springs 3, Oklahoma City 1

Tulsa 7, Arkansas 1

Rancho Cucamonga 13, Lake Elsinore 2

Lansing 7, Great Lakes 4

Ogden 12, Orem 9

AZL Dodgers 12, AZL Reds 1

DSL Dodgers1 1, DSL Rays1 0

DSL Rays2 3, DSL DodgersTwo 2

Wednesday’s schedule

4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Riley Ottesen) vs. Lansing (Dalton Rodriguez)

5:10 p.m.: Tulsa (Andrew Sopko) at Arkansas (Aaron West)

6:15 p.m.: Ogden (Adalberto Pena) at Idaho Falls Chukars [Royals] (Dillon Drabble)

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

7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Adam Bray) vs. Lake Elsinore (Jesse Scholtens)

Dodgers offense, bullpen prevails in Pittsburgh

By Eric Stephen

Tuesday saw another back-and-forth game at PNC Park, and for the second straight game the Dodgers

prevailed, this time with an 8-5 win over the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

Both starters were wild, with Brock Stewart and Jameson Taillon combining for nine walks in seven

innings. This game was left to the bullpens, where the Dodgers feasted.

Adrian Gonzalez collected his 2,000th career hit on Tuesday, a leadoff double in the sixth inning in a 5-5

tie. Two outs later, the game was untied when Corey Seager singled him home, extending his own

hitting streak to 11 games in the process.

Yasmani Grandal widened the Dodgers’ advantage with a two-run home run in the seventh inning, his

17th of the season. He has a six-game hitting streak, with three home runs and two doubles during that

span.

The Dodgers have six players with 17 home runs — Cody Bellinger, Yasiel Puig, Seager, Taylor, Justin

Turner and Grandal -- for the first time ever.

With the win, the Dodgers assured themselves of at least a split of the four-game set in Pittsburgh,

extending their streak of unbeaten series to 22.

The 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers were 90-40 at the end of August, on their way to a franchise-record 105

wins. This year’s team is 89-35, with eight more games left in the month to become the second Dodgers

team to win 90 games before September.

Mr. Bases Loaded

Chris Taylor recorded his team-leading 12th three-hit game of the season on Tuesday, and as usual was

in the middle of things for the Dodgers offense. He doubled in the first inning — his 30th of the season,

tying Seager for the team lead — and scored on a pair of ground balls.

He singled in two runs in the Dodgers’ three-run second inning, continuing his amazing run this season

with the bases loaded. Taylor already tied the franchise record with three grand slams in a season, and

with the bases juiced in 2017 is 5-for-8 with four walks, hitting a robust .625/.750/1.750.

In just 12 plate appearances, Taylor’s 19 RBI are tied with Tigers outfielder Justin Upton (in 13 PA) for

second most in the majors this season, behind only Manny Machado’s 21 RBI in 14 such PA.

Milestone for Granderson

Dodgers outfielder Curtis Granderson walked and stole second base in the fifth inning, his fifth steal of

the season and first since joining the Dodgers. It was the 150th steal of Granderson’s career, which with

his 314 home runs put him in select company.

Granderson is the 36th player in MLB history with at least 300 home runs and 150 steals.

Short start

Stewart walked a pair in his first two innings but worked around them, keeping the Pirates off the board.

He even helped himself at the plate with a bases-loaded single in the second inning, his first major

league RBI and his second major league hit.

The single snapped an 0-for-54 skid by Dodgers pitchers at the plate, a drought that included 32

strikeouts. Stewart notched the first hit by a Dodgers pitcher since Kenta Maeda singled against the

Royals on July 7.

Staked to a 4-0 lead, Stewart unraveled in the third inning, facing five batters and not retiring a single

one. He returned the favor, allowing a single to his opposite number, Pirates starter Jameson Taillon,

then Starling Marte homered to cut the Dodgers’ lead in half.

Stewart then allowed two walks and a single to loaded the bases with nobody out, ending his night after

just six outs.

Josh Ravin, recalled before the game — giving the Dodgers nine relievers -- for just this situation, was

greeted by a three-run double by Josh Harrison, who has three extra-base hits and four RBI in the first

two games of this series. Ravin pitched two innings of his own, allowing nothing else, with three

strikeouts.

In three starts this season, Stewart has eight walks and five strikeouts in 9⅔ innings. As a relief pitcher,

he has three walks and 12 strikeouts in 14⅓ innings.

The Dodgers bullpen -- Ravin, Tony Watson, Tony Cingrani, Josh Fields and Kenley Jansen -- combined to

allow three hits and two walks in seven innings on Tuesday, with nine strikeouts.

Up next

Rich Hill takes the mound in the third game of the series, another 4:05 p.m. PT start on Wednesday

night. The Pirates will turn to Trevor Williams.

Tuesday particulars

Home runs: Yasmani Grandal (17); Starling Marte (4)

WP - Tony Watson (7-4): 1 IP, zeroes

LP - Johnny Barbato (0-1): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Sv - Kenley Jansen (34): 1 IP, 3 strikeouts

Adrian Gonzalez joins the 2,000-hit club

By Eric Stephen

It has been a long and trying season for Adrian Gonzalez, but the Dodgers first baseman had a moment

to remember on Tuesday night, recording his 2,000th career hit against the Pirates at PNC Park in

Pittsburgh.

The milestone hit for Gonzalez came against Pirates relief pitcher Johnny Barbato, a double to open the

sixth inning.

Gonzalez, 35, is the 285th player in major league history to reach 2,000 hits, and the fifth to join the two

grand club in 2017, joining Matt Holliday, Jose Reyes, Victor Martinez, and Nick Markakis.

Reaching 2,000 hits in 2017

Player Team Date Opponent

Matt Holliday Yankees April 8 Orioles

Jose Reyes Mets May 20 Angels

Victor Martinez Tigers July 7 Indians

Nick Markakis Braves August 3 Dodgers

Adrian Gonzalez Dodgers August 22 Pirates

Markakis recorded his 2,000th hit against the Dodgers on Aug. 3 in Atlanta.

Gonzalez is 4-for-19 (.211) with two doubles and two RBI since returning from the disabled list, his

second stint of the season, with lumbar disc herniation in his back bothering him all year. He has 46 hits

this season in 54 games.

This is the first season of Gonzalez’s career that he was placed on the disabled list, after being one of

baseball’s iron men for over a decade. From 2006-16, Gonzalez averaged 159 games played per season,

and 174 hits.

No. 1 draft picks with 2,000 hits

Player Year Hits

Harold Baines 1977 2,866

B.J. Surhoff 1985 2,326

Ken Griffey Jr. 1987 2,781

Chipper Jones 1990 2,726

Alex Rodriguez 1993 3,115

Adrian Gonzalez 2000 2,000

Gonzalez in his career has 949 hits in 937 games at home, and 1,051 hits in 921 games on the road. He

has recorded 742 hits with the Dodgers, 856 with the Padres, 358 with the Red Sox — including leading

the American League with 213 hits in 2011 -- and 44 hits with the Rangers.

The Marlins drafted Gonzalez first overall in the 2000 draft, though he was traded to Texas before ever

reaching the majors. Gonzalez is the sixth No. 1 overall pick to reach 2,000 hits.

The Dodgers have had a pair of 2,000 milestones this season, with Clayton Kershaw striking out his

2,000th career batter on June 2 against the Brewers in Milwaukee.

Gonzalez is the first player to record his 2,000th career hit while with the Dodgers since Jeff Kent on July

8, 2005.

Gonzalez enjoyed his souvenir after the win.

'Best team ever?' Dodgers make Sports Illustrated cover

By Eric Stephen

The Dodgers are on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, with the gaudy caption of "Best. Team.

Ever?" Dodgers photographer Jon SooHoo took the photo that appeared on the cover. (h/t

@alannarizzo)

Cody Bellinger lands on DL with right ankle sprain

By Eric Stephen

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers before Tuesday’s game against the Pirates placed first baseman and

outfielder Cody Bellinger on the 10-day disabled list with a mild right ankle sprain, suffered while making

a catch in right field on Saturday in Detroit.

The move was retroactive to Sunday, meaning the earliest Bellinger can return from the DL is

Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Bellinger landed awkwardly on his right foot while catching a drive from Nicholas Castellanos in the sixth

inning against the Tigers on Saturday, rolling his ankle. He remained in the game to finish the top of the

frame, but was pulled for a pinch hitter in the next half-inning.

He has not played since.

This was before the game:

Bellinger is the 26th different Dodgers player to be placed on the DL in 2017, three shy of the major

league record they set last season. Nine players have made multiple trips to the disabled list, giving the

club 37 different DL stints on the season.

The Dodgers recalled relief pitcher Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma City for Tuesday’s game, giving

them an extra arm on a night when Brock Stewart gets the spot start, having not surpassed five innings

in any outing this season to date. This is also following a 12-inning game on Monday that saw the

Dodgers use seven relievers to pitch the final six innings.

For one night at least, the club will play with a short, three-man bench. Kiké Hernandez, Austin Barnes,

and Chase Utley are available in reserve tonight.

Ravin has allowed two runs in 5⅓ innings in his four major league appearances this season, with three

strikeouts and two walks. This is the fourth time the right-hander has been recalled to the majors in

2017.

Who fills in Saturday for Alex Wood?

By Eric Stephen

With pitcher Alex Wood landing on the 10-day disabled list for a second time this season on Tuesday,

after a flare up of the SC joint inflammation that sidelined him earlier in the year, the Dodgers have a

decision to make with Saturday’s game against the Brewers at Dodger Stadium.

Saturday was Wood’s next scheduled start, so the Dodgers will need to fill in for him at least once

through the rotation. Yu Darvish isn’t eligible to return from his DL stint until Sunday, so he is out.

Brock Stewart is up from Triple-A to start Tuesday night, filling in for Darvish. He can’t realistically start

again on Saturday since that would only be three days rest.

Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to pitch four innings in likely his only minor league rehab game for

Oklahoma City on Saturday, but said Monday that he felt healthy enough to pitch in the majors over a

week ago.

The Dodgers have a huge divisional lead so it is unlikely they would push their ace. Manager Dave

Roberts said as much on Monday, but then again...

Roberts reiterated on Tuesday that Kershaw would not be starting in the majors on Saturday.

With Darvish returning to the rotation Sunday, and Kershaw likely back after his one rehab start, the

need for a starter this Saturday is likely for a one-time spot start.

If the Dodgers don’t turn to Kershaw, at the major league level they could turn to Ross Stripling and

essentially make Saturday a bullpen game. Stripling, who pitched the bottom of the 12th Monday night

to earn his second major league save, has been a starter throughout his career before 2017.

The right-hander has worked solely in relief in 2017, but earlier in the season he said he could ramp up

to be ready to pitch five innings with a few days notice.

On the minor league side, there are a few other options.

Fabio Castillo is on the 40-man roster, which makes him the easiest choice to recall from Triple-A. He is

currently on the disabled list with Oklahoma City, but is eligible to be activated as early as Thursday.

The 28-year-old right-hander has started 16 games for OKC this season, and has a 4.20 ERA in 20 games

in Triple-A, with 81 strikeouts and 30 walks in 79⅓ innings.

The best option might be Wilmer Font, who leads the Pacific Coast League with 170 strikeouts in 128⅓

innings, to go with his 3.58 ERA in 24 starts. His addition would acquire a corresponding move since he is

not on the 40-man roster.

But given how well the 27-year-old has pitched this season, coupled with the fact that he’ll be a minor

league free agent at season’s end, he was a potential September addition to the Dodgers roster anyway.

If the Dodgers were planning to add Font in September, bringing him up a week early doesn’t present

too much more of an obstacle, other than that Font can’t be optioned back to the minors, having used

his four option seasons in 2011-14.

Font last pitched on Sunday for Oklahoma City, which would line him up to pitch Saturday on five days

rest. He pitched in the majors with the Rangers in parts of 2012-13, totaling 3⅓ innings in five relief

appearances.

Another minor league option ruled out by Roberts was Walker Buehler, the Dodgers’ first-round pick in

2015 out of Vanderbilt. The club’s top prospect, Buehler is a starting pitcher long term, but has been

pitching out of the bullpen in August, readying for a possible bullpen role down the stretch and, if

everything breaks right, for the postseason.

Buehler, who missed nearly all of 2016 after Tommy John surgery, has a 3.47 ERA across three minor

league levels this season, with 117 strikeouts and 29 walks in 83 innings. He has allowed five runs on

nine hits in his five relief appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma City, with 11 strikeouts and three walks in

7⅔ innings.

DODGER INSIDER

AGon collects 2,000th hit, Dodger bullpen shuts down Pirates

By Cary Osborne

The pitch was letter high — right where the familiar Dodgers script is stitched on the gray road uniform.

And in a familiar sight, Adrián González got on top of the ball and chopped it down the left field line for a

double.

It was the 2,000th hit of González’s storied career. Four batters later, Corey Seager singled González in in

the sixth inning to give the Dodgers the go-ahead run in an 8–5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on

Tuesday at PNC Park.

“The accomplishment and everything is cool,” González told SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo. “You get to

enjoy them. It’s a good thing we ended up winning the game and we’re still playing good baseball.”

The Dodgers are now 89–35. They are 11–3 on the road this month.

As for González, among Major Leaguers who have played at least 75 percent of their games at first base,

he is the 35th player to reach 2,000 hits. He is just one of 14 with at least 2,000 hits and 300 home runs

with the same minimum of games played at the position.

Of those 2,000 hits, 742 have come in a Dodger uniform. Among Los Angeles Dodger first basemen with

the same minimum, he ranks fifth in hits. Steve Garvey had the most at 1,968. The double was his 160th

as a Dodger, third by an LA Dodger first baseman behind Steve Garvey (333) and Wes Parker (194).

González also has the sixth most hits by an LA Dodger in his 30s. Maury Wills tops that list at 1,136.

The bullpen comes through

Brock Stewart, recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday, got the start but was pulled after the

first five Pirates reached in the third inning.

With two on, Josh Ravin — also recalled on Tuesday — allowed a two run double. That gave the Pirates a

5–4 lead at the time.

It’s the last offense Pittsburgh would get off the Dodger bullpen.

Ravin, Tony Watson, Tony Cingrani, Josh Fields and Kenley Jansen combined for seven innings, three hits

and two walks allowed, with nine strikeouts and no runs allowed.

Watson retired the Pirates in order in the fifth and Cingrani allowed two hits over two innings with two

strikeouts. Both players were acquired at the trade deadline on July 31.

“You see the work Cingrani has been doing with (Dodger pitching coach) Rick (Honeycutt) and he’s been

very consistent,” said Dodger manager Dave Roberts. “Threw the ball as well as I’ve seen him — fastball,

slider was good. Watson, I think that’s the best inning he’s thrown with us.”

Jansen struck out the side in the ninth inning — the 11th time he has struck out the side this season — to

earn his 34th save in 35 opportunities. Jansen also lowered his season ERA to 1.28 and lifted his K/BB

ratio to 17.8.

Taylor being Taylor

Chris Taylor went 3-for-5 in the game with three RBI. He led off the game with his 30th double and came

around to score on a Justin Turner groundout to put the Dodgers up 1–0 in the first inning.

With the based loaded in the second, he singled in two runners to put the Dodgers up 4–0.

Taylor is 5-for-8 with three grand slams, four walks and 19 RBI this season.

The rest of the scoring

Seager extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a 2-for-5 night, including his sixth-inning single that

drove in González.

Yasmani Grandal hit his 17th homer of the year — a two run shot in the seventh that gave the Dodgers

the 8–5 lead.

The Dodgers are one of four teams with six players who have at least 17 homers this season (Cody

Bellinger, Yasiel Puig, Seager, Taylor, Turner and Grandal). The others are Baltimore, the Chicago Cubs

and Cincinnati.

Bellinger, Wood to 10-day DL; Stewart, Ravin recalled

By Rowan Kavner

08/22 Dodgers at Pirates, 4:05 p.m. PT:

Chris Taylor CF

Corey Seager SS

Justin Turner 3B

Curtis Granderson LF

Yasmani Grandal C

Yasiel Puig RF

Adrián González 1B

Logan Forsythe 2B

Brock Stewart P

The Dodgers made two moves before Tuesday’s game against the Pirates, with Alex Wood (SC joint

inflammation) and Cody Bellinger (sprained right ankle) both going on the 10-day disabled list.

The Wood move opened room for pitcher Brock Stewart to be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City in

time to make the spot start Tuesday. This will be his fourth stint of the year with the Dodgers, set to

make his 10th appearance of the year and third start of the season.

Bellinger’s move opened space for the Dodgers to recall pitcher Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

This is Ravin’s third stint with the Dodgers, and he has one save and allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings

over four relief appearances this year.

The DL move for Bellinger is retroactive to Aug. 20 after he turned his ankle Aug. 19 making a play in

right field. Manager Dave Roberts said Bellinger, who’s missed the past two games, is showing

improvement. Bellinger, who’s at 34 home runs, remains one home run shy of tying Mike Piazza for the

most in a single season by a Dodger rookie.

In his start Monday, Wood had a flare up of the SC joint inflammation that sent him to the DL earlier this

year from May 29-June 9. Roberts said the flare up got worse as the adrenaline wore off, and Wood will

receive a cortisone shot.

Roberts added that the team is being cautious with Wood. The Dodgers haven’t figured out yet who will

take Wood’s spot in the rotation Saturday, but reliever Ross Stripling could be an option.

USA TODAY SPORTS

Dodgers place Cody Bellinger on the disabled list with sprained ankle

By USA TODAY SPORTS

A sprained ankle appears to be the only thing that can slow Cody Bellinger this year.

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Bellinger, whose 34 home runs rank second in the National League, on

the disabled list Tuesday with what they termed a mild right ankle sprain.

The DL stint almost certainly means Bellinger won't equal Mark McGwire's rookie home run record of

49. His next home run will tie Mike Piazza for the Dodgers rookie record, despite not making his major

league debut until April 25.

The Dodgers are running away with the NL West, with an 88-35 record, and can certainly exercise

caution with their 22-year-old first baseman/outfielder.

Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner delightfully reenacted the solar eclipse

By Ted Berg

After the solar eclipse captured the nation’s attention and imagination on Monday, Dodgers teammates

Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner reenacted the celestial event. And shortly after Puig powered the Dodgers

to victory over the Pirates with a 12th-inning homer, he shared the video to Twitter. In an ironic twist,

Puig plays the part of the cutoff man, so to speak:

The clip is silly and fun, but Puig’s caption is what really stands out. The Inspirational Poetry of Yasiel

Puig:

Beautiful. Puig now has a career high 22 homers on the season and, presumably, an offer on the table

from Hallmark. The win improved the Dodgers to an astonishing 88-35 on the season, putting the club

on pace to tie the all-time MLB record for regular season wins with 116. And Puig remains your friend.

NBC LA

Adrian Gonzalez Records 2,000th Career Hit as Dodgers Defeat Pirates, 8-5

By Michael Duarte

Mr. 2000.

Adrian Gonzalez recorded his 2,000th career hit and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Pittsburgh

Pirates, 8-5, on Tuesday night at PNC Park.

Gonzalez became just the seventh Dodgers in Los Angeles franchise history to record his 2,000th career

hit in a Dodger uniform, joining greats like Maury Wils, Willie Davis, Gary Carter, Brett Butler, Tim

Wallach and Jeff Kent.

"It's pretty cool," Gonzalez told Alanna Rizzo of SportsNetLA of the milestone. "There's so many great

Dodgers throughout history. To be one of seven is pretty cool and I'll definitely cherish that. I'll enjoy the

moment and celebrate with my family in a couple days when we come home."

The milestone came in the top of the sixth inning when Gonzalez led off with a double down the right

field line and scored the go-ahead run four batters later.

The Dodgers jumped out to an early lead to start the game as Chris Taylor continued his recent hitting

tear with a leadoff double.

Two batters later, Taylor scored the first run of the game on an RBI groundout off the bat of Justin

Turner.

Los Angeles extended the lead in the top of the second as Pirates starter, Jameson Taillon loaded the

bases for his counterpart, Dodgers' starter Brock Stewart, who promptly hit an RBI bloop single into

shallow left field.

Taylor followed with a two-run single and the Dodgers led 4-0. The Dodgers breakout star this season

finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBI and a run scored and is leading the National League in batting

average (.346) since the All-Star Break.

All of the Pirates runs came in a five-run third inning for Pittsburgh that saw the end of the game for

Stewart.

"It definitely wasn't my night," Stewart told the media. "It was definitely a learning experience. That's

how baseball goes. Sometimes things don't always go your way. I'm looking forward to the next

opportunity."

Taillon got a tiny bit of revenge off Stewart with a leadoff single, and Starling Marte followed with his

fourth home run of the game, a deep fly ball into the left field seats that put the Pirates on the board.

After the home run, Stewart allowed the next three batters to reach base, including two walks as the

bases were loaded for Josh Harrison.

Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts quickly gave Stewart the hook before recording an out in the inning.

Relief pitcher, Josh Ravin, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City earlier in the day, entered the

game and immediately gave up a two-run double to Harrison that tied the game.

One batter later, John Jaso grounded into a fielder's choice that brought home the go-ahead run and the

Bucs took a 5-4 lead.

As they've done time and time again, the Dodgers would rally for their 41st comeback victory of the

season as Taylor knocked in the tying run in the top of the fourth and Seager brought in the go-ahead

run in the top of the sixth.

The RBI single extended Seager's hitting streak to 11 games and the reigning NL Rookie of the Year

winner is batting .358 with three doubles, a home run and 11 RBI since Aug. 3.

Yasmani Grandal added some extra insurance runs via the discount double-check as he blasted a two-

run home run in the top of the seventh to give the Dodgers an 8-5 lead.

"For Yasmani to hit the ball out of the ballpark, that was a big homer for him," said Roberts. "He's been

hitting the ball well of late but has had nothing to show for it, so it was nice to see him hit one out of the

ballpark."

Dodgers reliever, Tony Watson, recorded the win with a scoreless fifth inning in his return to PNC Park.

"I got ahead of hitters and mixed different pitches," Watson said of his scoreless fifth inning. "I executed

my pitches and got weak contact."

Watson made his big league debut with the Pirates in 2011 and has the most relief appearances than

any other pitcher in PNC park history.

In total, the Dodgers' bullpen combined to pitch seven innings of scoreless relief and did not allow a

Pirates' runner past first base following the third inning.

"They did a great job," Roberts told reporters of his bullpen. "Seven innings. They threw the ball as best

as I've seen them. That was the best inning Watson has thrown with us. The story of the night was the

bullpen."

Kenley Jansen entered the game in the bottom of the ninth and struck out the side for his 34th save of

the season.

Los Angeles is a perfect 5-0 against the Pirates this season and the win guarantees that the Dodgers will

remain unbeaten in their last 22 series overall.

The victory also extended the Dodgers streak to 39 consecutive wins when scoring four or more runs,

now the third best streak in MLB history of its kind.

Up Next:

The Dodgers will look to win the series on Wednesday when left-hander Rich Hill heads to the mound

for the Dodgers against RHP Trevor Williams. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM PST.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

Blue Blazes: Led by Justin Turner, the Dodgers Might Be the Greatest Team of All-Time

By Stephanie Apstein

Election Day was exhausting. At campaign headquarters in Los Angeles, two dozen volunteers rubbed

their eyes as they collected votes right up to the deadline. Hourly dance breaks had kept them

energized, as had a steady stream of celebrities stopping by to thank them. Fried chicken from Howlin’

Ray’s helped, too. Between the star-spangled bunting and blue T-shirts and posters, as the clock ticked

down, their candidate entered the room: Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner.

“Wow, guys,” he said.

Despite a white-hot first half, Turner had finished third in the All-Star voting due to a three-week stint on

the disabled list, a glut of excellent National League third basemen and a cable dispute—now in its

fourth year—that means fewer than 2.5 million Angelenos can watch the Dodgers on TV. The league had

not selected him as a reserve, either. The news, which manager Dave Roberts broke gently the morning

that lineups were announced, was “devastating,” Turner admits. He and his major-league-leading .388

batting average were headed to the Final Vote, a five-man fan ballot for the last man on each roster.

Back at Dodger Stadium on July 6, a dozen cameramen packed into the #VoteJT nerve center, lenses

fixed on the hirsute Turner; his fiancée, Kourtney Pogue; and Moonshine, their miniature pinscher.

Volunteers from fan group Pantone 294 (named for the official shade of Dodger Blue), who had voted

nearly nonstop for four days, sat in the background. “One minute,” the broadcast crew announced.

Turner laughed. “What’s one minute?” he said. Then, a few beats later, “This is a long minute.”

Fourteen minutes and three seconds later, MLB Network was able to project that with a record 20.8

million ballots, Turner had won. He was headed to Miami. After the team had presented him with a

Marlins Park–themed cake, after the fans had finished chanting his name and after Moonshine had

stopped barking, Pogue turned to her fiancé. “You wouldn’t want this any other way,” she said. “This is

the story of your career.”

Turner is not the prankster; that’s super utilityman Enrique Hernández, who recently set up a hidden

camera to film himself jumping out of a laundry hamper at unsuspecting teammates. Turner’s not the

adult in the room; that’s silver-haired second baseman Chase Utley, who strength coach Brandon

McDaniel jokes has “never made a mistake in his life.” Turner doesn’t host team dinners (that’s Adrián

González) or have T-shirts made (Yasiel Puig). But the Dodgers—with an 87–35 record at week’s end

that led the majors by 12 games and had them on pace for a record-tying 116 wins—are Justin Turner’s

team.

In at least one case that’s almost literally true: Last December he flew to Curaçao for the wedding of

fellow L.A. free agent Kenley Jansen. After three days without baseball talk, Turner made his case in the

quiet hours before the ceremony. “This is the only team you’ve ever known,” he said. “This is my fourth

organization, and it’s by far the best one. The money’s going to be there wherever you go, but you don’t

know how it’s going to be in the clubhouse.” Their conversation affected Turner too; when his agent

called during cocktail hour, Turner told him to get a deal with the Dodgers done.

Then he sidled up to Jansen on the dance floor. “Hey, man, I just want to let you know I’m coming back,”

he shouted over the band. The All-Star closer’s eyes lit up. The next day he called his own agent and told

him to work out the details. The bullpen anchored by Jansen—who has 84 strikeouts and just five walks

in 54 1⁄3 innings—now leads the league in ERA (3.02) and K’s per nine innings (10.06).

The Dodgers also follow Turner stylistically. After a revamped swing galvanized his career three years

ago, he became an uppercut evangelist. “I changed the way I think about hitting,” he says. “I talk about

it all the time. ‘Get the ball in the air, get the ball in the air.’ I say it almost every day.”

He persuaded a fringe major leaguer with a career .598 OPS to spend last offseason overhauling his

mechanics; Chris Taylor, now a starting outfielder, has been L.A.’s best second-half hitter, with an OPS of

1.105. Since Turner assigned rightfielder Puig five pushups for every grounder he hit in spring training,

Puig has pounded the ball harder than in any season since his first. Turner cues up the curveball machine

and challenges 22-year-old rookie first baseman Cody Bellinger to fly ball competitions, with the winner

taking home $10 per session. “I’m down a little bit,” Bellinger admits. It’s worth the lighter wallet,

though: His .800 slugging percentage on curves is second in baseball. The team as a whole has cut its

ground ball rate by 8%, the biggest drop in the league.

Expectations were high for the Dodgers from the beginning, but no one could have foreseen the

juggernaut they’ve become. They opened the season with, according to Baseball Prospectus, a 90.6%

chance of making the playoffs. They haven’t dipped below 100% since June 26. They have allowed the

fewest runs in baseball and scored the sixth most. They went on a 51–9 tear through last Friday, the

best 60-game stretch in 105 years. They haven’t lost a series since the first week of June. If they don’t

rest their starters in September they have a real chance to break the record of 116 wins.

In fact, they may have a chance even if they do rest their starters. Clayton Kershaw, the finest pitcher of

his generation and a three-time Cy Young winner, hit the disabled list with a back strain in late July. L.A.

has gone 19–4 without him. The ownership’s seemingly endless wealth has given the front office the

game’s greatest margin for error; there was a point this month when the 12 players on the disabled list

had a combined salary of $110 million. (Not to mention former outfielder Carl Crawford, released last

June with $35 million left on his deal.)

Barring catastrophe, this will be L.A.’s fifth straight NL West title, but none of the previous winners

reached the World Series. The roster includes 21 of the 25 players who fell in six games to the Cubs in

last year’s NLCS, yet something feels different. A deep rotation and dominant bullpen allow them to rely

less on Kershaw, and one of the game’s best defenses picks up any pitcher who falters. The offense

punishes opposing hurlers whether they throw strikes or not, ranking second in the league in on-base

percentage (.341) and slugging (.452).

The players contend that it’s continuity: This is the second year for Roberts and his staff, and everyone is

fully committed to their approach. “We’re more comfortable taking information,” Turner says. “A lot of

guys last year were a little hesitant to get overloaded—you’re trying to play, and you’re trying to think—

and I think we’ve become a smarter baseball team as well as a good baseball team.”

The organization would be almost unrecognizable to a fan who stopped watching a decade ago. Back

then owner Frank McCourt, who had turned a parking lot in Boston into the second-most-valuable

franchise in the game, was alleged by MLB to be using the team as a checking account. By the time he

sold the Dodgers for $2.15 billion to Guggenheim Partners in 2012—having put the team into

bankruptcy a year earlier—L.A. ranked 12th in payroll, below the likes of the Brewers. The Guggenheim

group, led by Mark Walter and fronted by Magic Johnson, set out to prove that it took the success of the

franchise seriously, throwing money at international free agents like Puig and trading for expensive

players like first baseman González. As Johnson told the fans, “We want to win now.”

The Dodgers stocked their front office with six former GMs and empowered it to make the blockbuster

deal of this season’s deadline, swapping prospects for Rangers ace Yu Darvish. But they’ve also hit on

small moves: Hernández and slugging backup catcher Austin Barnes from the Marlins for Dee Gordon in

2014, No. 3 starter Alex Wood in a three-team deal in ’15 and Taylor from the Mariners for a

righthanded swingman last year.

And then there’s Turner, whose trajectory has been the most surprising of all. He leads the majors in

succeeding in difficult situations: He’s hitting .358 on pitches 95 mph and above, and .375 on 0-and-2

counts, the only player in the top 12 in both categories. He’s always had good hands and footwork at

third, and his positioning helps him compensate for his middling speed. By wins above replacement, he’s

the ninth-best player in the NL. The Dodgers just gave him $64 million over four years. At 32, Turner

seems to be hitting his peak.

So what took so long?

****

You can get mad, Turner likes to say, or you can get to work. This was a useful attitude for a child who

originally, his father says affectionately, “didn’t have any of the five tools.” However, John Turner adds,

“He had the heart.” Justin learned dedication early.

At age three Justin would stand 10 feet from his grandfather and eagerly catch 50 balls in a row before

he was released for dinner. John would return home from his work as a machinist in Long Beach, Calif.,

before dinner to coach Justin’s youth teams—then head back to the office until 10 or 11. Justin’s

mother, Betsy, has worked at Boeing for 37 years, starting in human resources before working her way

up to engineer.

Turner grew up 20 miles south of Chavez Ravine, but he never dreamed of becoming a Dodger. That

seemed unattainable. He just wanted to play at Cal State–Fullerton, where he’d once been a batboy. He

sought every advantage. He narrated televised games for his younger sister, Jillian, trying to predict a

hit-and-run or a squeeze play. (“It didn’t matter who was on,” she says. “He was always right.”) He beat

out the competition for Fullerton’s second base job not just on the field but also in the weight room and

on the track. He studied opponents’ batting practice tendencies to give himself an extra step on

defense.

When the Reds, who had drafted Turner in the seventh round in 2006, traded him to the Orioles two

seasons later, he was upset. When Baltimore waived him two years after that, he was frustrated. After

the Mets nontendered him in December ’13, he headed to the gym.

He had spent all season listening to teammate Marlon Byrd crow about the uppercut swing that was

going to revolutionize baseball. So during a West Coast trip that August, he met with Byrd’s L.A.‑based

hitting coach, Doug Latta, and began learning to get the ball in the air, taking a step forward and

lowering his hands when he swung to help create loft. Turner hit .357 in September—but it came too

late to save his roster spot.

He was a 29-year-old backup infielder with a .684 OPS in 318 career games and no major league offers.

In 2013 he had pinch-hit as many times as he’d started. After New York announced his release, the

action at The Ball Yard’s batting cages in Northridge, Calif., stopped as coaches and hitters rushed to

comfort him. “Thanks, guys,” Turner said, “but what are we working on today?”

Two months later he was back in uniform for Fullerton’s alumni game when fellow former Titan—and

then Dodgers bench coach—Tim Wallach chatted him up in the dugout.

“What do you have going on these days?” Wallach asked. Turner shrugged.

Wallach called Ned Colletti, then L.A.’s GM, and that February, Turner reported to Glendale, Ariz., on a

minor league deal. He made the roster and hit .340 in a part-time role in 2014, and forced his way into

the starting lineup the next year.

In those days he saw himself more as a good clubhouse guy than a leader. He would let young players

know if he saw a flaw in their swings, and he tried to model a strong work ethic. A baseball rat who

thinks a romantic date night includes an iPhone propped on the salt shaker to keep an eye on the

competition, he never struggled to maintain his love for the game, and he had long had a talent for

infecting a group with his energy: As a high school senior he begged for a key to the cage and hit there

almost daily; coach Frank Ravelo would hear the pinging of bat on ball when he arrived at the field an

hour and a half before game time. Turner never actively recruited anyone, but midway through the

season half the team was in there with him.

A preseason favorite last year, the Dodgers trudged to a 21–23 start. After L.A. used 22 players to beat

the Padres in extra innings in late May, Roberts strode into a relieved clubhouse and told everyone to sit

down. He launched into an emotional paean to the unselfishness the team had displayed, the resilience

they’d shown. He was just getting fired up to make his next point when he turned to his right, stopped

mid-sentence and burst out laughing.

“Man, I can’t focus with you like that!” he told Turner, who had found his own way to cut the tension:

He was calmly taking in the monologue completely nude.

Turner knew how to keep things light, but he preferred to let others make the speeches. Then, last July,

the Dodgers traded backup catcher and unquestioned authority A.J. Ellis to the Phillies. “This is J.T.’s

clubhouse now,” Ellis announced before he left. Turner’s first thought was, Oh, s---.

****

As the Challenger 350 jet ferrying the Dodgers’ six All-Stars to Miami hit cruising altitude, Turner stood

up and produced a bottle of Dom Pérignon. He took in Kershaw and Jansen, Wood and Bellinger and 23-

year-old shortstop Corey Seager, and told them how honored he was to be in such impressive company,

and how surreal the whole experience was. He was grateful and thrilled to be able to share it with them,

he said.

A week that had begun so frustratingly had become one of the best of his life. In the end the support

Turner received from fans and teammates moved him profoundly. Instead of getting mad, he had gotten

to work. Now being an All-Star was almost an afterthought.

While the others wonder at how the Dodgers can play .700 baseball, Turner says his biggest shock of the

season has been how well he has taken to life as the unofficial captain. “I actually. . . .” he pauses, then

sounds surprised as he picks up his thread, “I actually enjoy it.”

Run into an out on the bases, turning a teammate’s single into a fielder’s choice? Turner might grab you

coming into the dugout and, grinning, ask, “What, you don’t want him to get a hit?” Dog it to first base

on a pop up? He’ll pull you aside later and remind you that you’re better than that. When reliever Grant

Dayton was optioned to Triple A in May, Turner visited Dayton’s locker.

“Hey,” Turner said. “You’re important to this team. Go work on some stuff and then come help us win

the World Series.”

It might have been fun for Turner to have figured his swing out a decade earlier, to have had a career

like Bellinger’s or Seager’s. But to be the leader he has become—and to help get these Dodgers where

they are—he needed the failures. He can celebrate with the cleanup hitter and commiserate with the

25th man on the roster.

“I understand how hard it is,” Turner says. “You spend an hour in the cage getting loose and getting

ready, and then you go up for your AB and after one pitch or two pitches it’s over and then your game’s

over for that night, and it’s like, I just did all that for this? Corey and Cody are never going to understand

it. That time with the Mets helped me have a better grasp of what guys are going through. I’ve been

there. . . .  Probably zero kids would ever draw it up the way I did, but if I didn’t do it this way, I wouldn’t

be here.”

In his Mets days, he often went out in New York with teammates. “Would you take our picture?” fans

would ask, handing their phones to Turner as they posed with the stars. Now Pogue asks him to stay

home while she runs errands near their Studio City home because his presence turns a trip to pick up

milk into an hourlong journey. Fans are captivated by this team. Road games sound like home games.

And the Dodgers’ late-innings heroics—they’ve won 17 games in their last at bat—have rewritten the

most sacred rule of L.A. baseball: Fans no longer leave in the seventh to beat traffic.

Of course, none of this will matter if the Dodgers fall short—for the 29th straight year—of the ultimate

prize. The Dodgers only know how historic their pace is because reporters insist on updating them on it

every day. In early August someone in the dining room yelled, “How many wins is that now?” Turner

laughed. “Who cares?” he replied. The man who can’t stop emphasizing the importance of the journey

now thinks only of the destination.

In the meantime, he scarcely goes a day without a request for a picture—of him, not by him—or to

touch his unruly beard. He has toyed with shaving, or at least trimming, his trademark red whiskers if

the Dodgers win the World Series. His parents want them gone. Pogue isn’t so sure. She has wedding

photos to consider, but she’s begun to believe in the beard’s Samson-like qualities. “There might be

some weight to it!” she says. “It might throw off his mechanics!”

Regardless, he can’t touch it before October. The official name of the color that best matches Turner’s

resplendent beard is Pantone 15-1263, also known as Autumn Glory.