Daily Clips

September 30, 2017

LOSANGELESDODGERSDAILYCLIPS

SATURDAY,SEPTEMBER30,2017

DODGERS.COM Kershaw looks to pad Cy resume vs. Rox - Ken Gurnick Speedster Locastro may make NLDS roster - Ken Gurnick No-brainer: Kershaw gets Game 1 nod - Ken Gurnick Dodgers stumble in opener vs. Rockies - Ken Gurnick and Thomas Harding Ryu's rough night could alter postseason plan - Ken Gurnick LA TIMES Dodgers promote speedy Tim Locastro for last-minute playoff audition - Andy McCullough Hyun-Jin Ryu hurts his chances of making Dodgers' postseason rotation in loss to Rockies - Andy McCullough OC REGISTER Dodgers at Rockies: Saturday game time, TV channel and starting pitchers - Bill Plunkett Dodgers audition a ‘potential burner’ for postseason but get routed by Rockies - Bill Plunkett ESPN What's at stake for the final weekend of the MLB season - David Schoenfield Playoff-chasing Rockies homer 4 times to beat Dodgers 9-1 - Associated Press TRUE BLUE LA Dodgers magic number to clinch best record in MLB is 1 - Eric Stephen Dodgers call up Tim Locastro from Triple-A - Eric Stephen Rockies jump on Hyun-jin Ryu in blowout of Dodgers - Eric Stephen 3 MLB teams have 100 wins for the first time in 14 years - Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER 60 years ago: End of Brooklyn’s ballgame - Mark Langill Dodgers enter final regular season series one win away from LA wins record - Rowan Kavner One last series for final impressions - Rowan Kavner CBS SPORTS Dodgers announce Clayton Kershaw will start Game 1 of NLDS, but not Game 4 - Mike Axisa

LOSANGELESDODGERSDAILYCLIPS

SATURDAY,SEPTEMBER30,2017

DODGERS.COM

KershawlookstopadCyresumevs.RoxByKenGurnickColorado isonewinoraMilwaukee lossfromclinchingthesecondNationalLeagueWildCardberthandClaytonKershawhasanNLCyYoungAwardonthe lineastheRockiesandDodgerspreparetomeetSaturdaynightatCoorsFieldinthepenultimategameoftheregularseason.TheRockiescouldverywellhaveapostseasonspotlockedupbeforefirstpitch,astheBrewersandCardinalswillgetunderwayfourhoursbeforethisonebeginsinDenver.Regardless,ColoradowillsendGermanMarquezagainstKershaw,whoisseekinghis19thwin.Kershaw is 21-7 in his career against the Rockies, but he lasted only 3 2/3 innings and waschargedwithfourrunsina9-1lossatDodgerStadiumthelasttimehefacedthem.Thatwasthelefty'ssecondstartafterreturningfromalowerbackinjury.Marquezallowedfourruns infour innings inano-decisionagainsttheDodgersonSept.8.HeleadsMLBrookieswith145strikeouts.Thingstoknowaboutthisgame•DodgersoutfielderChrisTaylor,wholeftWednesdaynight'sgamewithahyperextendedkneesufferedwhen he slipped on the first-base bag, is expected to return to the lineup Saturdaynight.CurtisGrandersonstartedincenterfieldforTaylorFridaynight.•AsRockiesoutfielderCharlieBlackmon(.329)makesapushfortheNLbattingtitle,hisclosestcompetitorisDodgersthirdbasemanJustinTurner(.322).•AsCarlosGonzalezstruggledthroughthefirstfivemonthsoftheseason,witha.665OPS,just33.6percentofhisbattedballsreachedStatcast'shard-hitbaselineof95mph.Buthehasbeencrushing the ball of late. His hard-hit rate of 56.3 percent ranks third in September amonghitterswithatleast40battedballs.SpeedsterLocastromaymakeNLDSrosterByKenGurnickDENVER--ManagerDaveRoberts,whosegreatestmomentinthegamecameasapinch-runnerfor theBostonRedSox,saidonFridaythat theDodgerspromotedTimLocastroonFridayandmightputhimonthepostseasonrosterforpinch-running.

TomakeroomforLocastro,theclubplacedoutfielderO'KoyeaDicksononthe60-daydisabledlistwitharepeatedsubluxedleftshoulderthatwillrequiresurgery.The 25-year-old Locastro, a 13th-round pick by Toronto in 2013,was 34 of 41 in stolen-baseattempts this yearbetweenDouble-ATulsa andTriple-AOklahomaCity. In fiveMinor Leagueseasons,hehas143steals.Healsohitacombined.308withan.837OPS.TheDodgersacquiredLocastroandpitcherChaseDeJongin2015forthreeinternationalbonuspoolslots."Tohavehimactivegivesusthepotentialtohaveaburneroffthebenchinthepostseason.He'san option," said Roberts, who helped get the Red Sox to the World Series in 2004 with adramaticstolenbaseinGame4oftheAmericanLeagueChampionshipSeries."Hecanartificiallycreatesituationstogetonbase,tostealabase,adefensivereplacement.Aswetalkedthroughthepostseasonandthe25thguy,justthatoptionmakessense."Locastro,whoseMinorLeagueseasonendedSept.4,hasbeenhomeinAuburn,N.Y.,workingoutoccasionallywithnocluethathemightbeplayinginOctoberuntilhereceivedaphonecallon Thursday from Dodgers director of player development Gabe Kapler asking if he had anyplansthisweekend."It's the lastthing I thought,"saidLocastro."Iwasgivenno indicationatthetime[theseasonended], so yesterday it was a shock, but I couldn't be happier. I'm playing with the house'smoneyrightnow,soI'mgoingtogooutthereandstealsomebases.Igotthisopportunity,soI'vegottotakeadvantageofit."Robertssaidclubofficialsbeganthinkingofapinch-runneroverthelastweek,"sowejustfinallydecided topull the trigger.Nowyougetdownto thewireand lookatpotentialholesyoudohave.Wejustfeltnow'sthetime."No-brainer:KershawgetsGame1nodByKenGurnickDENVER--ClaytonKershawwill startGame1of theNationalLeagueDivisionSeriespresentedbyT-MobilenextFriday,Oct.6,atDodgerStadium,DodgersmanagerDaveRobertsannouncedbeforetheclubopeneditsfinalseriesoftheseasonatCoorsFieldonFriday.TheDodgers'opponentwillbethewinneroftheNLWildCardGame,withtheD-backshostingeithertheRockiesorBrewers.Kershaw'srecordthisyearagainstthepotentialopponents:2-0with an 0.59 ERA vs. Arizona; 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA vs. Colorado; 0-0 with a 1.29 ERA vs.Milwaukee.Robertswasnotreadytoannouncetherestofhisrotationforthebest-of-fiveNLDS,althoughitis expected to include right-handerYu Darvishand left-handerRich Hill. The Dodgers areconsidering puttingAlex Woodin the bullpen and having fellow leftyHyun-Jin Ryuas thepotentialfourthstarter.

Kershawwillbelookingtoimproveona4-7postseasonrecordand4.55ERAinanelusivequesttoreachtheWorldSeries.Theleftyaceis3-3witha4.01ERAinnineNLDSstartsandonereliefappearance--asaveinlastyear'sGame5clincheragainstWashington.Dodgersstumbleinopenervs.RockiesByKenGurnickandThomasHardingDENVER--TheRockiesdidtheirpart--emphatically--FridaynightatCoorsField.TrevorStoryhomeredandtripledonathree-hitnight,CharlieBlackmonhomeredanddroveinthree runs towork hisway into theMajor League record books andNolanArenadoandMarkReynoldsalso went deep as the Rockies clobbered the Dodgers, 9-1, to reduce their magicnumbertoclinchthesecondNationalLeagueWildCardspottoone."We'vehadourupsanddowns,butwe'vestayedthecourseandwe'veput ina lotofwork,"saidStory,whohadashotatacyclebeforeBrockStewartwalkedhimintheeighth."We'renotthereyet,westillhavealittlebusinesstotakecareof,butit'sexcitingforsure."TheRockies,whoalsosawrightyChadBettis(2-4)holdtheDodgerstoonerunonfourhitsoverseveninnings,didn'tquitepunchtheirpostseasonticket,astheBrewersstayedalivewitha5-3win over the Cards Friday night. Colorado is one more win or a Milwaukee loss away fromsewingupaWednesdaymatchupagainsttheD-backsatChaseFieldintheNLWildCardGame,thewinnerofwhichwillopenanNLDivisionSeriesagainsttheDodgersatDodgerStadiumnextFriday.ARockiesclubthatalittlemorethanaweekagowasshutoutinthreeoffivegameshasfounditsbats.They'vewonthreestraight,withsixormoreruns ineachgame,andfinishedaroughroadtriponSundaywithaneight-runperformance."Guys sense that now is the time to put it together, andwe've done it," Blackmon said. "If Iknewexactlywhywewerethatgood,wewouldbethatgoodallthetime."

LosAngeles,whichhasalreadyclinchedhome-fieldadvantagethroughouttheNLplayoffs,sawitsleadovertheIndiansforthebestrecordinbaseballshrinktoonegame.TheDodgerscannolongertiethefranchiserecordof105wins,setbythe1953BrooklynDodgers,buttheyhavetwogamesleftbreaktheLosAngeles-erarecordof102theycurrentlysharewiththe1974club."Thoseguysarefightingfortheirlives,"DodgersmanagerDaveRobertssaidoftheRockies."Theygotonusearlyandstayedonus.They'replayingwithsomeurgency."TheRockies'13thsold-outcrowdoftheseason(48,495),attractedbyfireworksandthepotentialtowatchaclinchingcelebration,reacheddeliriumimmediately.Arenadocrushedhis37thhomer,reaching130RBIsforthethirdstraightseasonashebeganathree-hitnight.Reynoldsfollowedtwobatterslaterwithatwo-runshotforhis30thhomer--bothoffHyun-JinRyu(5-9),whocoughedupfiverunsandthreehomers.Blackmon's37thhomer--atwo-runshotinthesecond--establishedtherout.

MOMENTSTHATMATTEREDOverthefence,intotherecordbook:Blackmon'shomerwasa454-footerhighintotheseconddeck in right. It drove his RBI total to 102.More importantly, it was his 101st RBI from theleadoff spot,which broke theMLB record of the Angels' Darin Erstad in 2000 (when RockiesmanagerBudBlackwaspitchingcoach).BlackmonaddedanRBIsingle in thefifthtopushtherecordto102."Twooutstandingplayers,twooutstandingguyswhodoittherightway,"Blacksaid."Youcanmake some comparisons about how these two players go about it -- the intensity, thepreparation,whattheydopriortoagametogetreadyforagame."ErstadinhiscareerandwhatI'veseenfromCharliealmostmirroreachother."ChadleavesLAhanging:BettisreturnedfromtesticularcancerinAugustwithtwosolid,seven-inningefforts,buttherightyhadn'tgonemorethan51/3inningssince.Butthiswouldnotbeashort one. Bettis, who finished with four strikeouts against one walk, retired the final 14Dodgershefaced.HeendedwithaLoganForsythegrounder--his12thoutontheground."Bettisputtheballontheground,"saidRoberts."Forus,inthisballpark,yougettheballintheairandbetterthingscanhappen.Wereallydidn'tgetawholelotofgoodthingsoffhim.Hewasincontrol."QUOTABLE"Wewanttocomeoutandwinaballgame,andthat'swhatwedid.Tomorrow,wewanttowinanother ballgame. It's going to be toughwith [Clayton] Kershaw on the bump.We've got tobattle. Ifwewanttowin,we'vegottobeatthebest."--Arenado,whoseteamhasbeatentheDodgersfivestraighttimestoclinchtheseasonseries(10-7withtwogamesleft)UPONFURTHERREVIEWAchallengefromtheRockiesledtoanoutbeingoverturnedandhelpedfashionatwo-runfifth.Withtwoon,BettisbuntedwithCarlosGonzalezatsecond,courtesyofhisowndouble.DodgersthirdbasemanJustinTurnerattemptedathird-to-firstdoubleplay.Gonzalezwascalledout,butBettisbeatthethrowatfirst.However,replayshowedthatTurner'srightfootleftthebagearly.Gonzalezwouldscoreonapassedball,andBlackmonwouldsingleinanotherrunfora9-1lead.WHAT’SNEXTDodgers:Kershaw(18-4,2.21ERA)getshisfinalstarttopolishupcredentialsforafourthNLCyYoungAward inSaturdaynight's5:10p.m.PTstartagainsttheRockies.He is21-7witha3.16ERAin37careerstartsagainstColorado.Rockies:RightyGermanMarquez(11-7,4.38ERA)hasseenagradualreturnofhisreleasepoint,whichhashelpedhisfastballandcurve,andiscomingoffawininhislaststart.Hewillbringa6-3recordand4.60ERAatCoorsField(12starts)intoSaturday'sgameagainsttheDodgers.Firstpitchissetfor6:10p.m.MT.

Ryu'sroughnightcouldalterpostseasonplanByKenGurnickDENVER--Hyun-JinRyuprobablypitchedhimselfoutofapotentialGame4startintheNationalLeagueDivisionSeries,andClaytonKershawintoitonshortrest,duringtheDodgers'9-1losstotheRockiesFridaynight.RyusaidthelinedrivehetookoffhispitchingarminhispreviousstarthadnothingtodowiththethreehomersandfiverunsheallowedintwoinningsatCoorsField."You neverwant to think that it's one start that determines a player's postseason fate," saidDodgersmanagerDaveRoberts.Butashe thoughtabout it,Roberts recalled thatRyu's three startsagainstColorado thisyearhaveamountedtothreelosses.HisERAthisyearagainsttheRockiesis10.50,whiletheDodgersare7-10againstapotentialpostseasonopponent,includingfiveconsecutivelosses."Wedon'tknowtheopponent,"saidRoberts,"butthereissomethingtobesaidfor[Colorado]maybehavinghisnumberthisseason."Friday'swin reducedColorado'smagicnumber toclinch thesecondNLWildCardspot tooneoverMilwaukee,whichstayedalive in the racewithawinonFriday.Readbetweenthe lines,and it figures that if the Dodgers face the Rockies, Ryu will be watching, not pitching. Andbecausemanagement is considering bolstering the bullpen by utilizing leftyAlexWoodas anAndrew Miller-ish utility reliever, it figures that a first-round rotation of Kershaw,RichHillandYuDarvishwillseeKershawcomebackaroundinGame4onshortrest,asheseemstodoeachyear.Ryu'sworkagainstthehostoftheNLWildCardGame,Arizona,isonlysomewhatbetter.HehasstartedtwiceagainsttheD-backsinthepastmonth,allowingsixrunsinfourinnings(aswellasthreehomers)inalossinPhoenix,thengettingano-decisionvs.ArizonainLosAngeleswhenheallowedoneruninsixinningsdespitefivewalks.Nolan Arenado,Mark ReynoldsandCharlie Blackmontook Ryu deep in this game. DodgersrookieWalkerBuehler,alsopitchingforapostseasonspot,servedupatwo-runblasttoTrevorStory. An unluckyTony Cingraniwas charged with two unearned runs because of thirdbasemanJustinTurner'serrorandcatcherYasmaniGrandal's16thpassedball.PedroBaez,RossStriplingandBrockStewart--alsoonthe fringesofOctoberroles --held theRockiesscorelessduringtheirappearances.RobertssaidRyu'sstuffwassolidFridaynight,withafastballtouching94mph,buthislocationwasoff.RyualsowalkedIanDesmondleadingoffthesecondinning,andRobertsreiteratedhowdangerousitistoissuewalksandcommiterrorsatCoorsField."It'sonestart,andHyun-Jinhadatremendousyear,"saidRoberts."We'regoingtolookattherecency, alsowhathe'sdoneandwhatmakes sense forall ofus.He'shadagreat yearand Idon'tthinkthisoutingtakesanythingawayfromit."

Ryuwouldn'tspeculateontheeffectFridaynight'sstartwouldhaveonhisOctoberrole."IknowagainsttheRockiesIdon'thaveaveryfavorablerecord,"saidRyu."Ijusthavetothinkoptimistically. I don't knowwhat the next outingwill be. I just have to focus one game at atime."

LATIMES

DodgerspromotespeedyTimLocastroforlast-minuteplayoffauditionByAndyMcCulloughWhen the season ended for triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers four weeks ago, Tim LocastroreturnedtohishomeinAuburn,N.Y.,andstartedaprojectforthewinter:paintinghisparents’basement.Locastro,a25-year-oldutilityplayer,hadhit .388forOklahomaCityandstolen34bases in41tries between triple-A anddouble-A Tulsa, but he figuredhis yearwas over.He received “noindication” from Dodgers management that he might receive a call-up, he said. Even so, hetraveledtohisalmamater,IthacaCollege,tohitandliftonceortwiceaweek,whenhewasn’tbusypainting.On Thursday afternoon, Locastro received a call from Gabe Kapler, the Dodgers’ director ofplayerdevelopment.Kaplerquizzedhimonhisoffseasonroutineandhisnutrition.Afewhourslater, Kapler called back and asked if Locastro had plans for this weekend. Locastro went tobreakthenewstohisparents.“I’vegotgoodnewsandbadnews,”Locastrotoldthem.“Thebadnewsisthebasementwon’tbefinishedforalittlewhile.ThegoodnewsisI’mgoingtothebigleagues.”AndthatishowtheDodgers,ateamwhohasspentthepastmonthpuzzlingovertheirbest25-manunitforOctober,stagedalast-minuteauditionforLocastrotomakethepostseasonroster.Theteamdoesnotintendtousehimasahitter.Heishereforhisspeed,managerDaveRobertssaid,andhehasaviablechancetoaidtheDodgersintheplayoffs.Fewmen understand the value of a pinch-runner inOctober better than Roberts,who racedintoBostonRedSoxlorebystealingaseason-savingbaseoffNewYorkYankeescloserMarianoRivera in the 2004 playoffs. Roberts described Locastro as a “burner.” He has three days toprovehebelongs.“I’mplayingwiththehouse’smoneyrightnow,”Locastrosaid.“I’mgoingtogooutthereandtrytostealsomebases.”Locastromadehisbig-leaguedebutFridayina9-1losstotheRockies,enteringthegameintheeighthinningasapinch-runnerforCoreySeager.TheDodgerstrailedbyeightrunsatthetime,

andtheprospectofstealingabasemayhavelookedgauche.Locastrodidnotrunonhisown.Robertsmerelywantedtogivehimachancetotouchhisfeetonamajor-leaguediamond.The timing of Locastro’s promotionwas curious. The team invited a raft of call-ups once therostersexpandedinSeptember.Thecongestionintheclubhousecoincidedwiththeteam’s1-17skid.Yetat thestartof themonth,generalmanagerFarhanZaidiexplained,LocastrowasnotconsideredanoptionforOctober.Aseriesofdominosfellthesepastfewweeks.ThemostexpensivedominowasAdrianGonzalez,whowas shut down for the seasononWednesday after he reinjuredhis back. By that point,Gonzalezhadnotproducedenoughtomeritaspotonthebenchinthepostseason.Hewillnottravelwiththeteamfortherestoftheyear.“Atonepoint,Adrianwasalock,andnowhe’sout,”Zaidisaid.Hyun-JinRyuhurtshischancesofmakingDodgers'postseasonrotationinlosstoRockiesByAndyMcCulloughThe prospect of handing the baseball toHyun-Jin Ryuin a road playoff game may havedisappeared inthethinmountainair ina9-1 losstotheColoradoRockiesonFriday in frontof48,395fansatCoorsField.AstheDodgerscontinuetoponderwhowillbethefourthmemberoftheirpostseasonrotation,RyumadeasparklingcaseforAlexWoodashesurrenderedfiverunsonatrioofhomerunsintwo innings.Wood could aid the team as a reliever, which is one reason the Dodgers wereconsideringRyuashisreplacement.But the Dodgers saw the downside risk with Ryu on Friday. The Dodgers will face eithertheArizona Diamondbacks, Rockies orMilwaukee Brewersin theNational Leaguedivisionseries,withtheBrewershangingontoathreadofhopeafterColorado’svictoryonFriday.TheRockiescanclinchaspot inthewild-cardgamewitheitheravictory inthetwogamesagainsttheDodgersoralossbyMilwaukeeintheirfinaltwogames.Ryu (5-9, 3.77 earned-run average) stumbled in the first inning. Rockies third basemanNolanArenadogreetedRyubybatteringachangeupforasoloshotintheRockies’thirdat-bat.Afterasingle by shortstopTrevor Story, first basemanMark Reynoldsboomed a belt-high, 91-mphfastballovertheright-fieldfence.“Itwasastruggleforhimtonavigatethroughthelineup,”managerDaveRobertssaid.Ryu experiencedmore of the same in the second. He issued a leadoff walk to outfielderIanDesmond. Three batters later, Ryu gave up another changeup to hover high in the zone.Colorado outfielderCharlie Blackmonsmashed a two-run shot into the second deck of rightfield.“Mycommandwasn’tassharpasI’dlikeittobe,”Ryusaid.

AfterRyudeparted,theDodgersrelieversmadethesituationworse.WalkerBuehlergaveupatwo-runhomertoStoryinthefourth.TonyCingranigaveuptwomorerunsinthefifth.ChrisTaylorransprintsintheoutfieldonFridayafternoonandreportednolingeringsorenessinbruisedleftknee.TheDodgersgavehimthedayoffFriday,butTaylorexpectstoreturntothelineupSaturday.

OCREGISTERDodgersatRockies:Saturdaygametime,TVchannelandstartingpitchersByBillPlunkettDODGERSatROCKIESWhen:5:10p.m.Where:CoorsFieldTV:SportsNetLA(whereavailable)THEPITCHERSDODGERSLHPCLAYTONKERSHAW(18-4,2.21ERA)Vs.Rockies:21-7,3.16ERAAtCoorsField:9-4,4.58ERAHatestoface:GerardoParra,13for38(.342),3doubles,1triple,1HRLovestoface:JonathanLucroy,0for18,4strikeoutsROCKIESRHPGERMANMARQUEZ(11-7,4.38ERA)Vs.Dodgers:0-0,4.50ERAAtCoorsField:7-3,4.27ERAHatestoface:JustinTurner,2for3(.667),1HRLovestoface:CodyBellinger,0for3UPCOMING

Sunday:DodgersTBAatRockiesTBA,12:10p.m.,SportsNetLA,TBSDodgersauditiona‘potentialburner’forpostseasonbutgetroutedbyRockiesByBillPlunkettDENVER—WhenDaveRobertscamethroughwithoneofthemost importantstolenbases inpostseasonhistoryfortheBostonRedSoxinthe2004ALCS,healreadyhad135stealsoversixmajor-leagueseasons.TimLocastrowaspaintinghisparents’basementthisweek.ButtheDodgers’frontofficeapparentlyhadalast-minutebrainstormanddecidedthe25-year-old minor-league utilityman might be valuable as “a potential burner off the bench in thepostseason,”asRobertsputitbeforeFriday’s9-1losstotheColoradoRockies.With the loss (and wins by the Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros), the Dodgers’ magicnumber to clinchhome-fieldadvantage through theWorld Series remainedone. TheRockies’winmovedtheirmagicnumbertoclinchtheNationalLeague’ssecondwild-cardspotto1.Locastrohadnotplayedsince theTriple-AseasonendedonSept.4buthegot twocalls fromGabe Kapler, the Dodgers’ director of player development, Thursday at Locastro’s home inupstateNewYork.“We talked earlier in theday just about how theoffseasonwas going, how liftingwas going,whatbaseball activity Iwasdoing.We talkedaboutnutrition,” Locastro said. “Wegotoff thephonewitheachotherandaboutfourhourslaterhegavemeacallback.“Itwasabout11:15.HeaskedmeifIhadanyplansthisweekend.Isaid,‘No,why?’Hesaid,‘Doyouthinkyou’llbeavailabletogotoColoradotomorrow?’‘Absolutely.’”Locastrosaidthenewswas“ashock”buthearrivedatCoorsField intimeforbattingpracticebeforeFriday’sgame–thelastplaceheexpectedtospendalateSeptemberevening.“Absolutelynot.It’sthelastthingIthought,”hesaid.AcquiredfromtheTorontoBlueJays in2015,Locastrohit .308thisseasonwhilesplittingtimebetweenDouble-ATulsaandTriple-AOklahomaCity.Hefinishedstrongwitha.388averagein31gamesfortheOKCDodgers.ButRoberts saidhedoesn’tanticipategivingLocastroanyat-bats thisweekend.Hehas threegamestoshowhispotentialvalueasabaserunningspecialist.“I’mplayingwiththehouse’smoneyrightnowsoI’mgoingtogooutthereandtrytostealsomebases,”saidLocastrowhostole34basesthisseasonand41twoyearsago inClass-A.“Icouldnotbehere.I’vegotthisopportunity.I’vegottotakeadvantageofit.I’mexcited.I’mgoingtotakeadvantageofit.”

Twoyearsago,theDodgerssentahandfuloftheirfastestminor-leaguerstoa“speedcamp”inArizona during the second half of the seasonwith an eye toward adding thatweapon to therosterinSeptemberorOctober.Noneofthoseplayersgotabig-leagueaudition.This time, the ideaof settingaside the25thspoton thepostseason roster forapinch-runnerwasn’t considered seriously until recently, GM Farhan Zaidi said, because it didn’t seem“plausible”earlierinSeptember.Recentdevelopments–likeAdrianGonzalezbeingshutdownfor theyear–openedapotentialdebateabout thevalueofhavinganeighth reliever,a thirdcatcher…orapinch-runner.LocastrogotintoFriday’sgameasapinch-runnerintheeighthinning.WiththeDodgerstrailingbyeightruns,however,therewasnoopportunityforhimtoflashhisbase-stealingskills.ROUGHRYUIf the front office is still debatingwhether to keep Hyun-Jin Ryu on the playoff roster – andbumpAlexWoodtothebullpen–hedidnotmakeagoodclosingargumentinfavor.RyulastedonlytwoinningsagainsttheRockiesonFriday,allowingthreehomerunstothefirst10battershefacedandfiverunsinall.ItwasRyu’sfirststartsincehewashitintheforearmbyalinedriveaweekagobuthesaidthatwasnotafactor,“missingmylocation”was.“It’sonestartandHyun-Jin’shadaterrificyearuptothispoint,”Robertssaid.“Youdon’teverwanttothinkonestartdeterminesaplayer’sfate(regardingthepostseasonroster).Youlookat(alotoffactors).“He’shadagreatyear.Idon’tthinkthistakesanythingawayfromthat.”ALSOChrisTaylorwentthroughagilitydrillsandtheDodgers’pre-gameworkoutFridayafternoonandsaid his left knee checked out fine. Taylor hyper-extended the knee in the first inningWednesdayandleftthegame.HedidnotplayFridaybutshouldbebackinthelineupSaturday,Roberts said. … In order to add Locastro to their 40-man roster, the Dodgers put outfielderO’KoyeaDicksonontheDLwithaleftshoulderinjury.Dicksonsaidhehasbeenplayingthroughitforthreeseasonsnowbutcouldundergosurgerytoaddresstheprobleminthecomingweeks

ESPNWhat'satstakeforthefinalweekendoftheMLBseasonByDavidSchoenfieldWehaveoneplayoff spot tobedecided,onedivision titlestill toclinch,andaverybig roundnumbertoreach.Here'swhattowatchthisfinalweekendoftheregularseason.NationalLeaguewild-cardraceIt'sdowntotheColoradoRockiesandMilwaukeeBrewers,withtheRockiestwogamesupandhostingtheDodgersandtheBrewersontheroadinSt.Louis.TheRockiesclinchwithtwowins.TheRockiesarehalfwaythereafterbeatingtheDodgers9-1onFriday.TheBrewersstayedalivewitha5-3wininSt.Louis.WegetatieiftheBrewerssweepandtheRockieswinonce.Theremainingpitchingmatchups:

DodgersatRockies:ClaytonKershaw-GermanMarquez;RossStripling-TylerChatwoodBrewersatCardinals:AaronWilkerson-LukeWeaver;ZachDavies-CarlosMartinezWorldSerieshome-fieldadvantage

Remember,theteamwiththebestrecordgetshome-fieldadvantageintheWorldSeries,replacingtheteamwhoseleaguewontheAll-StarGame,whichhadbeeninplacesince2003.Here'showwestandheadingintotheweekend:

Dodgers:102

Indians:101

Astros:100

Nationals:97

RedSox:92

Diamondbacks:92

Cubs:91

Yankees:90

Whathappensiftwoteamswiththesamerecordmeet?Basedonthetiebreakerformula,thisiswhogetshome-fieldadvantage:

• DodgersoverIndians(wonseasonseries2-1)

• NationalsoverAstros(wonseasonseries2-1)

• DiamondbacksoverRedSox(betterintradivisionrecord)

• RedSoxoverCubs(wonseasonseries2-1)

• YankeesoverCubs(wonseasonseries3-0)

ALEaststilltobedecided

ThebesttheYankeescanhopeforisatie,astheyneedtowinallthreefromtheBlueJayswhilehopingtheAstroswinallthreefromtheRedSox.

SofarsogoodfortheYankees,whoshutouttheBlueJays4-0Fridayafternoon,whiletheRedSoxlosttotheAstros3-2atFenwayParkonFridaynight.

TheYankeeswontheseasonseries,soatiebreakergamewouldbeMondayatYankeeStadium.

GiancarloStantononeawayfrom60homerunsWithtwohomerunsonThursday,thebigguyisnowsittingat59.WithtwohomerunshetiesRogerMarisforthemosthomerunsbysomebodyotherthanBarryBonds,MarkMcGwireorSammySosa.TheMarlinsarehostingtheBraves,whowillthrowtworookiestartersonSaturdayandSunday:LucasSimsandMaxFried.Stantonwent2-for-4onFridaywithasingleandadouble.

NLMVPrace

DoesStantonbecomethefavoriteifhegetsto60?IfNolanArenadoorCharlieBlackmonhaveamonstergameastheRockiesclinch,doesoneofthembecomethefavorite?IsPaulGoldschmidtthefavorite?Ithinkit'sprobablydowntothosefour,withJoeyVottohavingastrongstatisticalargument,butplayingforalast-placeteam.Ofcourse,Stantonalsoplaysonalosingteam.Since2000,onlyAlexRodriguezhaswonanMVPawardplayingforasub-.500team.

Astrosgofor--andget--100wins

WiththeirwinovertheRedSox,theAstrosreachedthecenturymark.Thisseasonmarksthefirstseasonsince2003withthree100-winteamsandjustthesixthinhistory(also2002,1998,1977and1942).

TheAstrosarestillonegamebehindtheIndiansforbestrecordintheAmericanLeague,buttheIndiansholdthetiebreaker,soClevelandeffectivelyholdsatwo-gamelead.TheIndiansfinishupathomeagainsttheWhiteSox.

WillMiguelSanoplay?

TheTwinssluggerhasbeenoutsinceAug.19withastressreactioninhisleftshin.Sanotook60swingsindoorsonThursdayandthereisstillthepossibilityhecouldbeincludedonthewild-cardroster.Obviously,they'dliketogethiminagamebeforethen,butconsideringyouneedtocarryonlynineormaybe10pitchersforthewild-cardgame,whynottakeagambleonSano?Hedoesn'thavetostart,butcouldatleastbeapinch-hittingoptionifyouneedathree-runhomerorsomethinglateinthegame.

JonLester'sandJakeArrieta'sstartsTheCubs'postseasonrotationorderremainsinquestion.LesterandArrietawerethe1-2guyslastyearandLesterhasthatsterlingpostseasonhistory,buthealsohasbeentheteam'sworststarterinSeptember,thoughhehadagoodoutinginhislastgame.ArrietawasdominatinguntilinjuringhishamstringonLaborDayandgaveupfiverunsandtwohomerunsinthreeinningsinhislastouting.TheystartSaturdayandSunday.Iftheyscuffleagain--oreveniftheypitchwell--don'tbesurprisedifKyleHendricksgetstheballforGame1ofthedivisionseries.Hehasa2.34ERAinthesecondhalf.Goodbye,MattCainCainmakesthefinalstartofhiscareerfortheGiantsonSaturdayatAT&TPark.HewasaWorldSeriesheroin2010and2012,postinga2.10ERAineightpostseasonstarts.Inthreestartsinthe2010playoffs,heallowedjustoneunearnedrun.Hehasbattledinjuriesinrecentyearsandhasn'treallybeeneffectivesince2012,buthe'llgodownasoneofthekeymemberswhofinallybroughtaWorldSeriestitle--andthentwomore--toSanFrancisco.

No-hitterwatch

hefinalweekendisalwaysagoodtimeforano-hitter,whenplayersarereadytoheadhometotheirlocalgolfcourseorhuntinglodge.Therewereno-hittersonthefinaldayoftheseasonin2013and2014withHendersonAlvarezandJordanZimmermann,whileMaxScherzerthrewhis17-strikeoutno-hitteronthefinalSaturdayin2015.Backin1984,MikeWittthrewaperfectgameinacontestthattook1hour,49minutes.Bestbets:ChrisArcherversustheOriolesonSaturday,JacobdeGromversusthePhilliesonSaturday,CoreyKluberversustheWhiteSoxonSaturday(althoughhe'llprobablyhaveaquickhookinpreparationoftheplayoffs),LuisPerdomoversusJohnnyCuetoonSunday(doubleno-hitter!).

WillMattOlsonhitadouble?

Inaseasonofamazingaccomplishmentsandunbelievableplotsthatdidn'tmakesense,thisismynewfavoritefreakstatoftheseason:A'sfirstbasemanMattOlsonhas24homeruns...andtwodoubles.Two!HisteammateJedLowriehashadtwodoublesinagameeighttimesthisseason.It'salmostimpossibletohaveasmuchpowerasOlsonandnothitanydoubles.FromSarahLangsof

ESPNStats&Information:Thefewestdoublesina20-homerseasonisfour,byMarkMcGwirein2001(29homeruns)andWesCovingtonin1957(21homeruns).EddieRobinson,afirstbasemanforvariousteamsinthe1950s,had16homerunsandonedoublein1955withtheYankees.Olsondoeshavealowline-driverateof16percent.He'snotqualifiedfortheleaderboards,butthatwouldbethesecond-lowestrate,withonlyHunterPencebelowhim.Anincredible39percentofhisflyballshavegoneforhomeruns.Nobodyelseisclose--J.D.Martinezisnextat33percent.Playoff-chasingRockieshomer4timestobeatDodgers9-1ByAssociatedPress

DENVER--TheColoradoRockiesshowedpatienceattheplatebyhittingfourtwo-out,full-counthomers.Now,alittlemorepatiencemaybeallthat'snecessaryforsomethingspecial.

NolanArenadohitthefirstofColorado'shomers,ChadBettispickeduphissecondwinsincehisreturnfromtesticularcancerandtheRockiesbeattheLosAngelesDodgers9-1onFridaynighttoremainonthevergeofclinchingtheirfirstpostseasonspotsince2009.TheRockieshavetwogamesremainingandholdatwo-gameleadoverMilwaukeeforthesecondNLwild-cardspot.TheBrewersbeatSt.Louis5-3tostayinthepicture.WiththeBrewersplayinganafternoongameSaturday,theRockiespotentiallycouldclinchbeforetheytakethefieldlaterthatnight.

"Theballisinyourcourtandyoudon'twanttodropit,"Bettissaid."Thathasalottosayabouthowwe'replayingrightnow.We'reonaroll."

Acapacitycrowdturnedouthopingtoseeaclinch.Instead,fansgotfireworks--duringthegameandafter.

Arenadohitasolohomer,whileMarkReynolds,CharlieBlackmonandTrevorStoryaddedtwo-runshots.Bettis(2-4)allowedonerunoverseveninnings,retiringthefinal14battershefaced.

ThiswasthelatestchapterofBettis'feel-goodstorybacktothemajors.HeunderwentsurgerylastNovember,wentthroughtreatmentsduringthespringandintotheseasonbeforereturningtotherotationinAugust.

"Thatwasgreatforallofus,Ithinkforeverybody--organizationallyandevenfansoftheRockieswhohavefollowedChad'syear,"RockiesmanagerBudBlacksaid."Toseethis,inprobablyoneofthebiggestgameshe'severpitched?Torespondlikethis?"

Bettishadsomeofhisbeststuff,too.

"Itwasalotoffun.Itriedsoakingitin,"Bettissaid.

BlackmonsetamajorleaguerecordformostRBIinaseasonbyaleadoffmanwithhishomerinthesecond.TheoutfielderwiththemulletandbushybeardalsoaddedanRBIsingleandhas102RBIfromthetopspotinthelineup.BlackmontoppedDarinErstadforthemark.Erstadhad100RBIfromtheleadoffspotin2000fortheAngels.

"ForCharlietosurpassDarinisquiteanachievement,"saidBlack,whowasthepitchingcoachfortheAngelsbackthen."Twooutstandingplayers."

LosAngelesleftyHyun-JinRyu(5-9)allowedfiverunsovertwoinnings.Itwashisshortestoutingthisseason.AskedifthishurtRyu'schancesofbeinginthepostseasonrotation,managerDaveRobertsresponded:"It'soneofthosethingsthatwe'vegotsometoughdecisionstomake.Youneverwanttothinkthatit'sonestartthatkindofdeterminesaplayer'spostseasonfate."

THIS&THAT

TheDodgersselectedthecontractofINF/OFTimLocastrofromTriple-AOklahomaCity.Hemadehismajorleaguedebutasapinchrunnerintheeighth....3BJustinTurnerandsomeofhisteammatesworeaT-shirttoraisemoneyfortheHurricaneMariarelieffund....Storyfinishedadoubleshyofthecycle....Coloradohasscoredsixormorerunsinthreestraightgamesforthefirsttimesincemid-July....ColoradohaswonfivestraightoverL.A.

HOLDOVER

OFCarlosGonzalezremainstheonlyplayerfromthe`09squadthatlosttoPhiladelphiaduringtheNLDS."It'ssomethingwhenwefirstdiditin`09youthink,`Oh,thisisgoingtohappeneveryyear,"Gonzalezsaid."It'sfrustrating,becauseyearafteryear,I'mgoinghomeandwatchingthepostseasononTV.You'relike,`Man,Iwanttobethere."

BLACKMON'SNUMBERS

Blackmon's37homersrankthirdbyaleadoffhitter,behindAlfonsoSoriano's38in2002fortheNewYorkYankeesand39whilewiththeWashingtonNationalsin2006.QUOTABLE"Tobeinthispositionandplayforsomethingthislateintheyear,it'swhatyouplayfor.Togetthatsweatshirtthatsays,whateverit'sgoingtosaythisyearwithOctoberonit--that'swhatyouplayfor.Justgetinthattournamentandanythingcanhappen."--Reynoldssaid.UPNEXT

Dodgers:LHPClaytonKershaw(18-4,2.21ERA)takesthemoundSaturdayasatuneupforhisGame1startoftheNLDSnextFridayatDodgerStadium.Rockies:RHPGermanMarquez(11-7,4.38ERA)leadsallmajorleaguerookieswith145strikeoutsandistiedwithteammateKyleFreelandforwins.

TRUEBLUELA

DodgersmagicnumbertoclinchbestrecordinMLBis1ByEricStephenTheDodgersarehaveclinchedtheirfifthconsecutiveNationalLeagueWestdivisiontitle,andwiththebestrecordinbaseballhaveachancetosecurehomefieldadvantageallthewaythroughtheplayoffsandWorldSeriesaswell.ThedivisionwaswrappeduponFridaynight,withtheDodgers’winovertheGiantsathome.TheDodgersthenclinchedthebestrecordintheNationalLeagueonTuesday,earningadivisionseriesmatchupagainstthewinneroftheNLwildcardgame,aswellashomefieldadvantagethroughtheNLCS.BestrecordinbaseballTheIndiansandAstrosbothwononFriday,andtheDodgerslost.Dodgers102-58(.638)—Indians101-59(.631)1GBAstros100-60(.625)2GBTheDodgersbeattheIndianstwooutofthreegamesinJune,sotheyownthetiebreakeragainstCleveland.TheDodgershaven’tplayedtheAstros,andwouldloseouttoHoustononthedivisionalrecordtiebreaker.LA’smagicnumberoverbothClevelandandHoustonisone.TheDodgerscanclinchhomefieldadvantagethroughtheWorldSeriesasearlyasSaturday.FridayscoresRockies9,Dodgers1Astros3,RedSox2Indians10,WhiteSox1Saturdayschedule5:10p.m.:Dodgers(ClaytonKershaw)atRockies(GermanMarquez)10:05a.m.:Astros(LanceMcCullersJr.)atRedSox(DrewPomeranz)4:10p.m.:Indians(CoreyKluber)vs.WhiteSox(CarsonFulmer)

DodgerscallupTimLocastrofromTriple-AByEricStephenLOSANGELES—Withthreedaysleftintheregularseason,theDodgershaveaddedanotherplayertotheiractiveroster,callinguputilitymanTimLocastrofromTriple-AOklahomaCitybeforetheirweekendseriesagainsttheRockiesatCoorsField.Locastrohit.308/.383/.454with31doubles,10homerunsand34stolenbasesin41attemptsbetweenDouble-ATulsaandTriple-AOklahomaCityin2017,including.388/.443/.544in31gamesafterhispromotiontoTriple-A.ThosestealscouldpotentiallyearnLocastromorethanjustaweekendstayinthemajors.Theright-handerhasprimarilybeenamiddleinfielderinhiscareer,thoughin2017healsoplayed47minorleaguegamesincenterfieldinadditiontohis46gamesatsecondbaseand31gamesatshortstop.Locastro,whoturned25inJuly,wasacquiredfromtheBlueJaysalongwithChaseDeJonginJuly2015inexchangeforinternationalbonusslotspace.DraftedbyTorontointhe13throundin2013,Locastrowasapotentialadditiontothe40-manrosterinNovember,toprotectfromlosinghimintheRule5Draft.Locastrowashitby31pitchesin2017,andhasbeenhit120timesinthelastfouryears,contributingtohis.372on-basepercentageinfiveminorleagueseasons.IfheplaysthisweekendinColorado,Locastrowillbethe52ndplayerusedbytheDodgersin2017.That’sthreeshyoftheclubrecord,setin2015andmatchedin2016.LocastrowillwearNo.70withtheDodgers.Tomakeroomonthe40-manrosterforLocastro,outfielderO`KoyeaDicksonwasplacedonthe60-daydisabledlistwithasubluxedleftshoulder.Dickson,27,madehismajorleaguedebutonSept.2,andwas1-for-7withtwowalksinninegameswiththeDodgers.RockiesjumponHyun-jinRyuinblowoutofDodgersByEricStephenHyun-jinRyu’sfinalauditionforapotentialpostseasonrosterspotdidnotgowellatall,allowingthreehomerunsintwoinningsinhisfinalstartoftheseasonintheDodgers’9-1losstotheRockiesonFridaynightatCoorsField.Ryurecordedallofsixoutsintheseriesopenerandalsoallowedsixhits,withthreeleavingthepark.NolanArenadohitasoloshot,whileMarkReynoldsandCharlieBlackmonfollowedwithtwo-rundingers,matchingRyu’stotalhomerunsallowedinhisprevioussixstarts.

InfourstartsagainsttheRockiesin2017,Ryuhasallowed21runs(16earnedruns)on27hitsin16innings,foracool8.64ERAandan0-4record.AgainsttheDiamondbacks—theotherpotentialDodgersopponentintheNLDS,withapologiestotheBrewers,stilltechnicallyalive—Ryuhasa6.30ERAintwostartsoverseveninnings.Notthebestresume.Meanwhile,theDodgersoffensedidverylittleagainstChadBettis,whobeatthemforasecondtimethismonth.Theystrungtogetherthreesinglesinthethirdinningtopullwithin5-1,butthenBettisretiredhisfinal14battersfaced.Meanwhile,theIndiansandAstroswononFriday,keepingtheDodgers’magicnumbertoclinchhomefieldadvantagethroughtheWorldSeriesatone.UpnextClaytonKershawmakeshisfinaltuneupforthepostseasonwithanabbreviatedstartonSaturdaynight,another5:10p.m.PTstart.Rookieright-handerGermanMarquezgetsthestartfortheRockies.FridayparticularsHomeruns:NolanArenado(37),MarkReynolds(30),CharlieBlackmon(37),TrevorStory(24)WP-ChadBettis(2-4):7IP,4hits,1run,1walk,4strikeoutsLP-Hyun-jinRyu(5-9):2IP,6hits,5runs,1walk,1strikeout3MLBteamshave100winsforthefirsttimein14yearsByEricStephenForthesixthtimeinMLBhistory,andthefirsttimesince2003,therearethree100-winteams.TheDodgersstillleadthepackwithtwogameslefttoplay,andamagicnumberofonetoclinchpotentialhomefieldadvantageintheWorldSeries.TheAstrospickeduptheir100thwinonFridaynight,puttingthemtwogamesbehindtheDodgerswithtwodaysremaining.TheIndians,whoalsowononFriday,areinbetween.TheDodgerswerealsoapartofthefirst100-wintrioseason,backin1942whenBrooklynwon104gamesbutwerehomewatchingtheWorldSeriesbetweenthe106-winCardinalsand103-winYankees.Thelastseasonwiththree100-winteamswas2003,whentheYankees,BravesandGiantsallturningthetrick.Theotheryearswiththreeteamsintripledigitswere1977(Royals,Phillies,Yankees),1998(Yankees,Braves,Astros)and2002(A’s,Yankees,Braves)Backin2017,theDodgersbeattheIndiansintwoofthreegamesinJuneandownthetiebreakerwithCleveland.HoustonhasthetiebreakerwiththeDodgersbyvirtueofabetterrecordwithintheirowndivision(yes,MLBisweirdforusingthis).

HereistheSaturdayschedule,includingtheAstrosgameagainsttheRedSoxonFoxintheLosAngelesmarket:10:05a.m.PT:Astros(LanceMcCullersJr.)atRedSox(DrewPomeranz),Fox4:10p.m.:Indians(CoreyKluber)vs.WhiteSox(CarsonFulmer)5:10p.m.:Dodgers(ClaytonKershaw)atRockies(GermanMarquez),SportsNetLA,MLBNetwork

DODGERINSIDER60yearsago:EndofBrooklyn’sballgameByMarkLangillExactly60yearsago,baseballinBrooklyncametoanend.ThePhilliesdefeatedtheDodgers2–1onSept.29,1957,atConnieMackStadium.TriviaexpertsnotejourneymanoutfielderBobKennedywasthegame’sfinalbatter — aflyouttocenterfield — andfuturestarSandyKoufaxpitchedthefinalinningbyaBrooklynDodgerafterstarterRogerCraigwentthefirstseveninnings.The1957Dodgers(84–70)finishedinthirdplaceafterwinningthefranchise’sfirstchampionshipin1955andreturningtotheWorldSeriesin1956,losinginsevengamesinaFallClassicrematchagainsttheNewYorkYankees.AlthoughtheofficialannouncementoftheDodgers’intentiontomovetotheWestCoastdidn’toccuruntilninedayslater — andonedayaftertheLosAngelesCityCouncilapprovedamotiontoenterintoacontractwiththebaseballteam — thosewhowerepresentforthefinalweekofthe1957seasonfelttheteamwasasgoodasgone.TeampresidentWalterO’Malleywasunsuccessfulinhis10-yearquesttoacquirelandfromNewYorkCityofficialstobuildanewballparktoreplaceanagingEbbetsField.Can’timaginewhatyourlifeandSouthernCaliforniawouldbewithouttheDodgersforthepast60years?ConsidertheheartbreakcarriedforgenerationsbytheNewYork-basedfanswhoalsowatchedtheNationalLeague’sGiantsrelocatefromthePoloGroundstoSanFrancisco.TheNationalLeagueaddedtheexpansionMetsin1962,blendingthecolorsofthedepartedDodgers(blue)andGiants(orange).“ThereasontheDodgersarestillpopularinBrooklynisthefansneverhadachancetoseeusgrowold,”says90-year-oldCarlErskine,aDodgerpitcherinBrooklynandLosAngelesfrom1948to1959.“Intheireyes,we’realwaysgoingtobethe‘BoysofSummer.’”WhatiftheDodgersandGiantshadstayedinNewYork?ChancesaretheAmericanLeague’sWashingtonSenatorswould’veeventuallycometoLosAngelesattheinvitationofthelocalciviccheerleaders:CityCouncilwomanRosalindWyman,CountySupervisorKennethHahn;sportswritersVincentX.FlahertyandBobHunteroftheLosAngelesExaminer.

IftheGiantsmovedtoMinneapolisafterthe1957seasonasoriginallyplanned,theNationalLeaguemight’vewaiteduntiltwoWestCoastteamswereavailable.IftheSenatorsmovedtoLosAngeles,anexpansionteamwould’velikelybeenaddedinSanFranciscotogiveCaliforniatwoteamsneededforscheduleandtravelpurposes.TheSt.LouisBrownspreviouslyweretheclosestteamtomovetoLosAngeles.TheBrowns,tiredofsharingthesamemarketwiththeNationalLeague’sCardinals,weregoingtoseekpermissiontomoveafterthe1941season.ButpriortotheWinterMeetings,thebombingofPearlHarboronDec.7andtheoutbreakofWorldWarIIcurtailedtravelintheUnitedStates.TheBrownseventuallyrelocatedtoBaltimoreafterthe1953seasonandbecametheOrioles.DodgersenterfinalregularseasonseriesonewinawayfromLAwinsrecordByRowanKavnerTheDodgersareonewinawayfromsettingtherecordformostwinsinaseasoninLosAngeleshistory.WiththeirmagicnumberoverClevelandandHoustonalsoatone,awinFridayinthefirstgameoftheirfinalregularseasonseriesoftheyearinColoradowouldalsowrapuphomefieldadvantagethroughouttheplayoffs.TheDodgers,whoentertheweekend102–57,havealreadytiedthe1974and1962squadsforthemostwinsinLosAngeleshistory.Themostwinsinfranchisehistorybelongtothe1953BrooklynDodgers,whowon105games.The2017DodgerswouldhavetosweeptheRockiesthisweekendinColoradototiethefranchiserecordforwins.Theyentertheseriesplayingtheirbestbaseballofthemonth.TheDodgershavewonfourstraightgamesandsixoftheirlastsevengamesoverall,comingoffasweepofSanDiegoduringwhichtheyscorednineormorerunsinthreeconsecutivegamesforthefirsttimethisseason.TheDodgersalsoreceivedtremendouspitchingperformancesintheirlastseries,holdingthePadrestofivecombinedrunsinthethreegames.They’llturntoHyun-JinRyuonthemoundFridayforhisfinalstartoftheregularseason.ItshouldbeanimportantoneforRyu,withDodgerplayersstillcompetingforaspotontheOctoberroster.RyulastpitchedSept.23againsttheGiants,allowingonerunin21/3inningsbeforetakingalinedriveoffhisleftforearmthatforcedhimoutofthegame.ManagerDaveRobertssaidRyu’sfeelingfineandhe’snotonapitchcountFriday.DodgersaddLocastroTheDodgersselectedthecontractofinfielder/outfielderTimLocastrofromTriple-AOklahomaCity.

It’sthefirstappearanceonaMajorLeaguerosterforthe25-year-oldspeedster,whohit.308/.383/.454with34stealsin127combinedgamesbetweenTriple-AOKCandDouble-ATulsathisyear.RobertssaidwithLocastro’sspeed,he’sanoptionforthepostseasonoffthebench,particularlyasapinch-runner.LocastrowasacquiredtheDodgersonJuly2,2015,fromToronto,wherehewasoriginallyselectedbytheBlueJaysinthe13throundofthe2013First-YearPlayerDraft.Tocreateroomonthe40-manroster,theDodgersplacedoutfielderO’KoyeaDicksononthe60-daydisabledlistwithasubluxedleftshoulder.RobertssaidDicksonwillgetsurgeryontheshoulder,whichdidn’trespondtoaninjection.OtherNotes:·ChrisTaylor,wholeftWednesday’sgamewithakneecontusionafterlandingawkwardlyonfirstbase,isnotinthelineupFridaybutcouldreturntothelineupSaturday.·RobertssaidYuDarvishwillthrowabullpensessionSaturdayandapotentialsimulatedgameWednesday.·ThetwoleadersfortheNationalLeaguebattingtitlearefacingoffinthismatchup,asColorado’sCharlieBlackmonenterstheweekendhitting.328whileJustinTurnerissecondintheNLat.321.OnelastseriesforfinalimpressionsByRowanKavnerTheDodgersknowthey’reintheplayoffs.Theyknowthey’vewonthedivision,andtheyknowthey’vefinishedthe2017seasonwithatleastthebestrecordintheNationalLeague.Butfromateamperspective,theDodgersstillhavesomethingtoplayfor,astheirmagicnumberremainsatonetoclinchhomefieldadvantagethroughouttheplayoffsaftera9–1lossFridaytoColoradotostarttheirfinalregularseasonseriesoftheyear.Andfromahistoricalperspective,theDodgersstillhavesomethingtoplayfor,astheyremainonewinawayfromsettingtheLosAngelesrecordformostwinsinaseason.And — perhapsmostimportantly — thehandfulofplayerswhocouldpotentiallybeonthefringeofapostseasonrosterspotdefinitelyhavesomethingtoplayfor,astheymaketheirfinalimpressionsbeforethenumbersgettrimmed.Hyun-JinRyuenteredFriday’sstarthavingallowedjusttworunsin13inningsoverthreestartsthismonth,includinganabbreviatedoutinginhismostrecentappearance,whenhetookalinedriveoffhisthrowingarm.Hehadn’tallowedahomerunallmonth,butColoradotookhim

deepthreetimesintwoinningsFriday,atwhichpointhe’dalreadythrown68pitchesandhisnightwasover.Ryusaidtheforearmwasn’ttoblame.“Ifeelfine,healthy,butitwasreallyaboutthelocationandmycommand,”Ryusaidthroughaninterpreter.Hesaidhenowjustneedstothinkoptimistically,butmanagerDaveRobertssaidoneperformanceshouldn’tbethelonedeterminantwhenhe’sconsideringrosterspots.“It’sonestart,andHyun-Jin’shadatremendousyearupuntilthispoint,”Robertssaid.“Youneverwanttothinkit’sjustonestartthatdeterminesaplayer’spostseasonfate.”Still,Robertsacknowledgedtoughdecisionsareahead.PedroBaezistryingtomakehiscase.Ryuallowedfiverunsintwoinnings,WalkerBuehlerallowedtworunsintwoinningsandTonyCingrani — whoenteredhavingallowedjustonerunallmonth — alsosurrenderedtworunsaftersometoughluckinaninningthatincludedanerror,apassedballandagrounderthattookahighhopoverfirstbase.Baezcalmedthingsdown.Heenteredwitha14.21ERAthismonth,buthefinishedoffthefinaltwooutsofthefifthinningthenpitchedascorelesssixth,strandingarunneratthirdafteraleadofftriple.The12/3scorelessinningsmarkedhislongestoutingofthemonth.RossStriplingandBrockStewartthenfollowedBaezwithascorelessinningapiece.CoorsFieldisastreacherousaplacetopitchasthereisinbaseball — rankedthemosthitter-friendlyparkbyESPN’sParkFactors.ButColoradostarterChadBettisfaredbetterFridaythanhedidatDodgerStadiumearlierthismonth — evenagainstaDodgerteamthatenteredhavingscorednineormorerunsinthreeconsecutivegamesforthefirsttimesinceJuly2013.Bettishadn’tgonemorethan51/3inmorethanamonth,andtheDodgersscoredfourrunsoffhiminfiveinningsearlierthismonthinLosAngeles,butBettisscatteredjustfourhitsandaruninseveninningsFriday.TheloneruncameonanRBIsinglefromJustinTurner,asColorado’smagicnumbertoclinchaplayoffspotshrunktoone,makingapotentialmatchupbetweenLosAngelesandColoradointheNLDSevenmorepossible.Atthesametime,theDodgerlossmeanttyingthefranchiserecordforwins(105in1953)isnowoutofreach.TheDodgerscan,however,stillrecordthemostwinsinLAhistorywithawinineitherofthefinaltwogamesoftheseries.Iftheycandothat,they’llguaranteehomefieldthroughthepostseason.Andthey’llhaveClaytonKershawonthemoundSaturdaytotrytomakethathappen.

CBSSPORTS

DodgersannounceClaytonKershawwillstartGame1ofNLDS,butnotGame4ByMikeAxisaOneoftheworstkeptsecretsinbaseballisnowofficial:ClaytonKershawwillstartGame1oftheNLDSfortheDodgersnextFriday.ManagerDaveRobertsmadetheannouncementFridayafternoon,andheaddedKershawwillnotstartGame4onshortrest.Ofcourse,RobertshassaidKershawwouldnotpitchonshortrestinthepast,onlytousehimonshortrest.IftheDodgersarefacingeliminationinGame4,Ihaveahardtimethinkingtheywouldhandtheballtosomeoneotherthanthebestpitcherontheplanet.Game1oftheNLDSwillbeKershaw's15thcareerpostseasonstartand19thcareerpostseasonappearance.Hispostseasonstrugglesarewell-documented--hehasa4.55ERAin89careerpostseasoninnings--thoughhe'salsothrownsomegemsaswell,includingsevenshutoutinningsina1-0winovertheCubsinGame2oftheNLCSlastyear.RobertswouldnotnamehisNLDSrotationbehindKershaw,thoughthesmartmoneyisonYuDarvishandRichHillstartingGames2and3ineitherorder.AlexWoodistheleadingcandidatetobethefourthstarter,assumingKershawdoesnotactuallypitchonshortrest.TheDodgershaveclinchedthebestrecordintheNLandwillfacetheNLWildCardGamewinnerintheNLDS.TheDiamondbackshaveclinchedthetopwild-cardspotandwillfaceeithertheRockiesorBrewersintheWildCardGame.