Daily Clips

May 6, 2016

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016

OC REGISTER:

Thompson brothers thriving under bright spotlights for the Dodgers and Warriors- JP Hoornstra

On deck: Dodgers at Blue Jays, Friday, 4 p.m.- Bill Plunkett

DODGERS.COM: Dodgers' Seager still mom's 'baby'- Ken Gurnick

LA TIMES: Some metrics put Dodgers' Yasmani Grandal in MVP talk; he calls that absurd- Bill Shaikin

DODGER INSIDER: The long and the short of Dodger home runs- Cary Osborne

LGBT night set for June 3 at Dodger Stadium- Jon Weisman

Fishing with Gonzalez and Puig (Photos)- Matthew Mesa

Farm fresh: Conversion working for Jordan Schafer- Cary Osborne

TRUEBLUELA.COM: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays schedule, probable starting pitchers- Eric Stephen

Dodgers notes: Pin-Chieh Chen, Cody Buckel, LGBT night, Dodger Dogs- Eric Stephen

Chase De Jong throws seven inning one-hitter, Tulsa wins 7-1- Craig Minami

USA TODAY:

Dave Roberts sees progress, unfazed by Dodgers' rough start- Tom Krasovic

THE TORONTO STAR:

Blue Jays fans get first-hand look at Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Saturday- Mark Zwolinski

LA TIMES: Dodgers Dugout: Pitching help is just a phone call away- Houston Mitchell

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016

OC REGISTER

Thompson brothers thriving under bright spotlights for the Dodgers and Warriors By JP Hoornstra ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – One of the first things Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman remarked about Trayce Thompson was his “long” body type. That was months ago, when the Dodgers traded for a developing outfielder who’d played 44 major league games with the Chicago White Sox in 2015. A month into the new season, Thompson is not as raw, but his frame is still as long. You notice it when he roams the outfield like a gazelle, and you notice it even more at the plate. When Thompson stretches his Gumby arms at just the right moment, big things happen and people notice. “Did anybody see Trayce Thompson’s home run tonight?” his brother Klay asked Tuesday, exiting a podium after the Golden State Warriors’ latest playoff victory. “Man, he hit that thing like 550 feet. That was unbelievable.” Klay wasn’t kidding. In the Dodgers’ game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Thompson turned on a Matt Moore fastball and sent it catapulting onto a catwalk high above left-center field. It was his second home run this season. They’re still waiting for the ball to land in the Tropicana Field bleachers. Official distance? Use your imagination. Klay and Trayce, who both attended Santa Margarita High, inherited their length from their father, Mychal, who stood 6-foot-10 and backed up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the Showtime Lakers. Lately the gift has served them well, as the brothers are thriving under bright spotlights. Klay Thompson is leading the Warriors in scoring since star Steph Curry was sidelined with a knee sprain in their first-round series against Houston. The Warriors set an NBA record with 73 regular-season wins. Now they’re in the second round of the playoffs, and Klay is carrying the momentum for a team expected to reach the Finals. The Dodgers have leaned on Trayce Thompson a little more since Scott Van Slyke went on the disabled list less than a week into the season. When healthy, Van Slyke capably filled the role of a southpaw-crushing mercenary, floating between the three outfield positions and first base as matchups dictated his presence in the lineup. But Van Slyke’s lower back injury is not healing as quickly as expected. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that in the best-case scenario Van Slyke would not be back until early June. Van Slyke initially was not a candidate for the 60-day disabled list, but logically that would seem to be an option if the Dodgers need room on their 40-man roster sometime in the next month.

Thompson has 15 hits in his first 24 games of the season. Six of those went for extra bases, and his .446 slugging percentage ranks third on a team surprisingly short on pop. “He’s been huge for us,” Roberts said. “He’s learning, he’s getting better, the game’s slowing down every day for him.” Thompson started three consecutive games to begin the week. He has yet to start four in a row – more because of pitching matchups, and Roberts’ mandate to judiciously divide the available at-bats, than Thompson’s learning curve. In theory, Van Slyke and injured left fielder Andre Ethier are still ahead of Thompson on the Dodgers’ depth chart. Already, however, the 25-year-old understudy is more than a prospect. “There are numerous players that, with respect to numbers, you have to do things for roster construction,” Roberts said. “That doesn’t mean they’re not major league players. I’m not saying that something’s going to happen (with Thompson). My point is that I think he’s a major league player and there is something to performance. I’m sure that he wants to show that he belongs, because you have to kind of prove it to yourself too.” Maybe that’s why Trayce decided Wednesday to ascend Catwalk C to retrieve his home run ball. It’s not often a ballplayer can get one back. Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to try. Players are banned from perusing the Tropicana catwalks. If there’s a bittersweet aspect to the Thompson brothers’ moment, it’s the timing. The never-ending cycle of games and practices and travel limits Klay and Trayce from watching each other play in real time. It’ll probably stay that way until the Warriors’ season ends, whenever that is. Trayce hasn’t attended any of his brother’s games in person since the Dodgers played a series in San Francisco about a month ago. As he unwound in the visitors’ clubhouse at Tropicana on Tuesday, Trayce tuned in to watch Klay score 27 points in a Game 2 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Credit a big assist to the time zone differential there. The Dodgers recorded their final out in St. Petersburg only minutes before the Warriors tipped off in Oakland. That’s also why Klay was able to watch Trayce’s second-inning home run and quiz reporters after his game. But these moments are rare. The Warriors’ game Tuesday “was the first game I really watched” since Curry’s injury, Trayce said. “It’s been tough because we’ve been on the West Coast.” And perish the thought of Trayce attending a Warriors game now. Even on travel days, he said, “that’s not even realistic. I have a job to do. I have to get my rest and stuff.” At least one member of the Thompson clan is taking it all in. “I don’t miss a minute of the Warrior games,” Mychal said. “I don’t miss a minute of the Dodgers.”

The long-limbed patriarch has a morning sports-talk radio show on the local ESPN affiliate. You get the sense he could fill two hours talking about Klay and Trayce, save for the fact neither of them plays for the Lakers. “Obviously I’m very proud, as any parent would be, to see both accomplishing their dreams in their respective sports, playing for two of the best organizations in all of sports,” Mychal said. “I’m even more proud of the young men they’ve turned out to be.” On deck: Dodgers at Blue Jays, Friday, 4 p.m. By Bill Plunkett Where: Rogers Centre TV: SNLA, 4 p.m. Did you know? The Dodgers have lost nine of their past 12 games in American League parks. THE PITCHERS DODGERS RHP KENTA MAEDA (3-1, 1.41) Vs. Blue Jays: First game BLUE JAYS RHP MARCUS STROMAN (4-0, 3.77) Vs. Dodgers: First game At Rogers Centre: 10-2, 2.78 UPCOMING MATCHUPS Saturday: Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (3-1, 1.96) at Blue Jays RHP R.A. Dickey (1-3, 5.73), 10 a.m., SNLA Sunday: Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (0-2, 4.33 ERA) at Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrada (1-2, 2.64), 10 a.m., SNLA

DODGERS.COM

Dodgers' Seager still mom's 'baby' By Ken Gurnick

Corey Seager will spend Mother's Day out of the country as the Dodgers will be in Toronto, but the flowers and chocolate-covered strawberries will arrive at Jody Seager's house on Sunday as usual. "She hates that I buy them," said the 22-year-old, "but she eats them. She loves them." Corey might be baseball's top prospect, a National League Rookie of the Year Award candidate and the Dodgers' starting shortstop. But he has another title at home. "Corey's my baby," said mom, who also sent to professional baseball Kyle Seager -- the her eldest son and starting third baseman for the Mariners -- and middle son Justin, a first baseman in Seattle's farm system. Jody and Jeff Seager didn't just produce three ballplayers. They produced three gentlemen. Teammates, club officials and media alike have found Corey to be polite, professional and respectful, unspoiled by the attention and adulation he's received throughout his rapid climb to the Major Leagues. "You want them to be successful in their field, but as a mom, it's even more rewarding when a stranger says they love your son, that he's the nicest guy, signs autographs, is polite," said Jody. "That means more as a mom. I guess that means at some point, I did something right." An athlete in her own right, having competed in track and field, volleyball and softball in school, Jody has been a schoolteacher who taught physical education for 15 years. And in her rare spare time, she was the quintessential Little League mom, according to Corey. "A lot of miles driven to a lot of different fields, a lot of cheering, a lot, a lot of screaming," Corey recalled. "She's always been one of the moms that cheers and yells. You know the one you walk by and go, 'Who is that screaming?' That was my mom. But mostly it's been a lot of fun. "She did a lot of running after me and my middle brother, Justin, while Kyle was playing. Then a lot of me running around when Kyle and Justin were playing. Then all three of us playing. She's been to a lot of places and seen a lot of the world from us playing. She wasn't a baseball coach, but she always had a lot of advice. 'Yeah, yeah, thanks, mom.' That kind of stuff. All in a loving nature." Jody said one of the toughest moments for her was when Corey was taken by the Dodgers in the first round of the 2012 Draft, knowing that unlike his brothers, he wouldn't attend college but would become a teenage professional baseball player. "He's my baby, so from that respect, it made it a little more difficult," she said. "It's kind of strange sending your 18-year-old into that world that Kyle had already been living in. But Corey has always had to keep up with his older two brothers, and that probably made him a little more prepared. Kyle always gave him pointers, he'd been through it already. It helped him to have an older brother to turn to. But I always hated to send out my youngest." Coming in the middle of the baseball season, Jody said Mother's Day was always spent at some ballfield with one or more of her sons. Now she spends it in front of a television or computer, watching them play.

"I still feel a connection," she said. "And I still get flowers and chocolate strawberries. Who can complain about that?"

LA TIMES

Some metrics put Dodgers' Yasmani Grandal in MVP talk; he calls that absurd By Bill Shaikin Baseball Prospectus, one of the leading analytical outlets in sports, projected Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal to bat .243 this season, with 17 home runs. Grandal also was projected as a strong candidate for National League most valuable player. There might be no clearer illustration of the rise of alternative ways to measure player production, even if Grandal himself scoffed at the notion that he could find himself in the thick of an MVP race. "That's just absurd," he said. Catchers have won the MVP 16 times since 1931, when the Baseball Writers Assn. of America first voted on the award. The most recent winners, Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins and Buster Posey of the San Francisco Giants, batted .365 and .336, respectively, in their MVP seasons. In 1972, Hall of Famer Johnny Bench batted .270, the lowest for any catcher in an MVP season. He also hit 40 home runs that season and drove in 125 runs. To analysts — and to many of the front offices that employ them — batting average and RBI sare no longer in vogue. Of the 10 National League catchers with at least 400 plate appearances last year, Grandal ranked ninth in batting average and seventh in RBIs — but second in home runs and third in on-base percentage. That production makes him "a sneaky good hitter" at a position where offense is hard to come by, said Baseball Prospectus editor-in-chief Sam Miller. The most significant factor in Grandal's projection is his ability to frame pitches — that is, the subtle movement of a mitt that persuades an umpire to call a strike on what otherwise might be a ball — a skill that could come into play whenever a batter does not swing. Baseball Prospectus projected Grandal, 27, would save his team more runs on defense than any player at any position — about a run per week, Miller said, worth two to three victories to the Dodgers over the course of the season. That value, Miller said, comes almost exclusively from Grandal's framing ability. "It's by far the most important thing," Miller said. "He's not a great thrower. He's not a great blocker."

Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, traded outfielder Matt Kemp to get Grandal in a 2014 deal with the San Diego Padres. Kemp has hit 20 home runs six times, Grandal never. With the Padres, the majority of the starting rotation — Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner and Ian Kennedy — declined to pitch to him. With the Dodgers last year, Zack Greinke posted the lowest earned-run average in 30 years and swore by Grandal. Friedman said he believes there is much more to Grandal's game than pitch framing. "We think he's a good receiver, blocks well, controls the running game well enough," Friedman said. "The combination of all those factors behind the plate, coupled with in the batter's box — ability to look over a ball, the power production you get out of that position — make him a player we value a great deal. "There's a real scarcity of quality catching in the major leagues, which places an even greater premium on his skill set." Baseball Prospectus uses WARP (wins above replacement value) to determine player value. The 2016 NL projections had Grandal third in WARP, Posey first and Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt second. "I like Yasmani," said Miami Marlins Manager Don Mattingly, who managed Grandal last season with the Dodgers. "He's a beast back there. He's really physical. The catching metrics are good with him, the framing and all that. This guy can really hit, and you don't find switch-hitting catchers who can hit. "To me, he's a good player, and he has a chance to be really good. But you're talking about Goldschmidt and Posey, you're getting way up there." Goldschmidt had 567 at-bats last season, Posey 557. Grandal had 355 last season and the Dodgers are platooning him with A.J. Ellis this season. The player projected fourth in NL WARP, immediately below Grandal: Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton. If Mattingly had to pick Grandal or Stanton as more valuable, which one would he choose? "Come on, are you serious?" Mattingly said. "I don't want to bad-mouth Yasmani at all. But you have to prove that over time. I think, at this point, you can't put him in that category." The data needed to measure pitch framing did not exist a decade ago, Miller said. As a result, he said, Grandal has greater value to teams in today's sabermetric era than he would have had then, even without batting .300 or hitting 30 home runs. "It sounds dorky to say," Miller said, "but he's a guy you could call a saber superstar." Grandal was bemused to hear that he was included among the top six NL players in projected WARP, with Goldschmidt, Posey, Stanton, Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds and Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals.

"For somebody to say that I would be the sixth candidate of an MVP race?" Grandal said. "There are so many other players in this league that are so much better than me at a lot of things: hitting, defense, they're so versatile, they can run. "You can't really look at those numbers."

DODGER INSIDER

The long and the short of Dodger home runs By Cary Osborne Through 28 games last season, the Dodgers hit 47 home runs — the most in the Majors at the time. They also scored 143 runs, which was tied for third-best, with 51 percent of those runs scoring on home runs. Through the same amount of games this season, the Dodgers have hit 20 homers — 29th in the Majors — and have scored 121 runs, ninth in baseball. Thus far, the Dodgers are getting 24.8 percent of their runs from homers. The Dodgers have scored 91 runs this season by methods other than a home run. At this time last year, they scored 70 runs by methods other than a home run. So where did all the homers go? Here’s the breakdown:

Only four homers were hit by players no longer in the organization: Rollins and Uribe. Eleven of last year’s home runs are on this year’s disabled list — Alex Guerrero, Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke. The biggest differential comes at the top, from Adrian Gonzalez and Joc Pederson. LGBT night set for June 3 at Dodger Stadium By Jon Weisman Dodger Stadium’s fourth annual LGBT Night will take place June 3 when the Dodgers play Atlanta. A special event ticket package that includes a game ticket and exclusive Dodger LGBT Night tank top can be purchased only at dodgers.com/LGBT. Los Angeles Galaxy star Robbie Rogers will throw out the ceremonial first pitch and former NFL defensive taclke Esera Tuaolo will sing the National Anthem, on a night that will also welcome former NFL player Michael Sam, former NBA player Jason Collins, University of Laverne women’s basketball coach Julie Shaw, former Chapman University defensive end Mitch Eby, TV personality E.J. Johnson, “The Real O’Neals” star Noah Galvin and international recording artist Lance Bass. Tuaolo is the founder of the anti-bullying organization Hate in Any Form is Wrong, whose mission statement is to help address the issues and minimize the negative impact that hate has on our society, especially with bullying as it relates to today’s youth. “We are proud to work with so many incredible partners for our fourth annual LGBT Night at Dodger Stadium,” Dodger executive vice president and chief marketing officer Lon Rosen said. “We are committed to providing a friendly environment to all who reflect the great community of which we are a part. The Dodgers, with a proud history of diversity, recognize the value of an inclusive environment.” The Dodgers are also welcoming a new partner in the Sports Equality Foundation, focused on empowering LGBT athletes, coaches and sports leaders as they come out and work for inclusion and acceptance across sports at all levels. The Dodgers are proud to welcome back members of Varsity Gay League, California’s largest LGBTQ recreational sports league. A kickball game with select VGL members will take place prior to the baseball game. In addition, the Dodgers will welcome athletes from the Greater Los Angeles Softball Association, a gay and lesbian slow-pitch softball league committed to providing an opportunity for both gay and non-gay participants to compete in an environment conducive to the gay community. The Dodgers are also proud to partner with GYM Sportsbar, the first and only gay sports bar in Los Angeles, in promoting LGBT Night at Dodger Stadium and the Sin City Shootout Sports Festival, the largest annual LGBT sporting event in the world, with more than 8,500 participants and 23 different sports together for competitive fun on and off the field. June 3 also includes Friday Night Fireworks with music by George Figares and DJ Blacklow. Fans are invited on the field immediately following the game for the fireworks show.

Farm fresh: Conversion working for Jordan Schafer By Cary Osborne When the Dodgers signed 29-year-old Major League outfielder Jordan Schafer as a pitcher this offseason, it might have struck some people as little more than an amusing experiment. But after a month and change in Double-A Tulsa, it’s time to take this conversion seriously. Schafer, who logged 27 games for the Minnesota Twins last season as an outfielder in his sixth-big league season, didn’t surrender a run through his first eight outings with Tulsa. On Wednesday, the left-hander’s 11 2/3 scoreless innings to start the season was stopped by a solo home run off the bat of Angels farmhand Eric Aguilera. Despite that homer, Schafer has now pitched 13 1/3 innings, allowed just the one earned run, eight hits, one walk and he has struck out 13. “It’s a win-win situation for me,” Schafer told Tulsa World writer Barry Lewis recently. “Most guys fight all their life to make it to the big leagues. I’ve played six years in the big leagues as a position guy already, so if nothing comes from this, it’s not a big deal. “This is an itch I’ve always wanted to scratch. Hitting was always an anxiety thing for me. I didn’t enjoy hitting in high school. It always stressed me out. It’s enjoyable to come to the park every day. We’ll see where this takes me.” Schafer batted .228/.308/.307 in 463 big league games. He was a highly touted outfielder/pitcher at Winter Haven High in Florida and committed to Clemson University as a two-way player before being selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 2005 draft and signing with them as an outfielder. He hadn’t pitched to one batter in his professional career until April 9, when he induced a groundout off the bat of Corpus Christi’s Derek Fisher in the bottom of the fifth inning. Schafer, who is not on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, ranks second in the Dodger farm system in ERA among relievers with at least 10 innings pitched (0.68) behind Oklahoma City’s Matt West (0.00 ERA in 11 1/3 innings).

TRUEBLUELA.COM

Dodgers vs. Blue Jays schedule, probable starting pitchers By Eric Stephen

The Dodgers continue their interleague play week with a weekend series against the Blue Jays, their first visit to Toronto since 2013. Here is a look at the weekend schedule, including two morning games, and the probable pitching matchups in the three-game series at Rogers Centre. Friday, 4:07 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA, MLB Network) After acclimating quite nicely from pitching once a week to starting every five or six days, Kenta Maeda gets a full seven days rest before starting the series opener. He allowed more runs in his final inning on April 28 (three) than he did in his first 31 innings (two) this season. Marcus Stroman is one out off the American League innings lead, and one of just two AL pitchers averaging over seven innings per start this season. Three times in six outings in 2016, Stroman has lasted eight innings, and in his two starts under seven innings Toronto lost both games. Saturday, 10:07 a.m. (SportsNet LA) The top two finishers in 2012 National League Cy Young voting face off for the first time since 2011. R.A. Dickey at 41 years, 191 days old on Saturday is the third-oldest player in the majors behind only Bartolo Colon and Ichiro Suzuki. Clayton Kershaw, who has lasted at least seven innings in all six starts so far in 2016, has lasted at least seven innings in each of his last six starts in American League parks, dating back to 2012. Sunday, 10:07 a.m. (SportsNet LA) Ross Stripling gets a full seven days rest after averaging just 4.56 innings in his last three starts, with more than two base runners per inning during that span. Marco Estrada has allowed more than two runs just once in his last 10 starts at Rogers Centre, posting a 2.09 ERA during that span. Dodgers notes: Pin-Chieh Chen, Cody Buckel, LGBT night, Dodger Dogs By Eric Stephen Let's catch up on some Dodgers notes while the team in Toronto is checking out Game 2 of the Heat and Raptors in the NBA playoffs. The Dodgers acquired minor league outfielder Pin-Chieh Chen from the Reds on Thursday for cash. The 24-year-old from Taiwan was 6-for-33 (.182) with seven walks, after spending the last six years in the Cubs' system playing all three outfield positions. Chen was assigned to Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. Buckel on board

The Dodgers have also reportedly signed right-handed pitcher Cody Buckel to a minor league deal, though he hasn't yet been assigned to a team. Buckel announced the move himself on Twitter on Tuesday. The right-hander, who turns 24 in June, pitched 4⅔ scoreless innings in four appearances with Double-A Frisco and allowed just one hit, but also walked seven and struck out two, and was released by the Rangers on April 27. Buckel was a top-100 prospect per MLB.com heading into the 2013 season, but that year he developed the yips, and walked a staggering 35 of his 78 batters faced, in just 10⅔ innings. Since the start of the 2014 season, Buckel has 102 walks and 111 strikeouts in 115⅓ minor league innings, to go with a 5.63 ERA between Class-A and Double-A. He explained his control problems to Billy Casey of Shutdown Inning in April 2015: "It was, ya know having the Yips isn’t something that’s really explainable. I couldn’t really tell ya. Obviously it did become a mental thing but how it started I think it was just I put too much pressure on myself to be perfect, to try and be the best at everything and now I’m trying not to put nearly as much [pressure] on myself, I’m trying to let things go a little better. If I have a bad outing, I don’t let it carry with me the next few days. I have my night where I might be upset or whatever but the next day it’s gone. So the biggest thing for me now is being able to let go, even the good outings. I have that good outing that night, the next day, it’s in the past. I’m moving forward." LGBT Night The Dodgers announced Thursday they would hold their fourth annual LGBT Night at Dodger Stadium on Friday, June 3 against the Braves. LA Galaxy player Robbie Rogers will throw out the first pitch, and there will be a pregame ceremony involving former Rams linebacker Michael Sam, former NBA player Jason Collins and others. Former NFL defensive end Esera Tuaolo, how head of the anti-bullying organization Hate in Any Form is Wrong, will perform the national anthem. "We are committed to providing a friendly environment to all who reflect the great community of which we are a part," said team executive Lon Rosen. "The Dodgers, with a proud history of diversity, recognize the value of an inclusive environment." Dodger Dogs at am/pm The Dodgers announced early this week a partnership with am/pm, in which Dodger Dogs will now be sold in Los Angeles area am/pm stores, initially at a price of $3 for two. Chase De Jong throws seven inning one-hitter, Tulsa wins 7-1 By Craig Minami

Quakes lose by one but the other three affiliates win behind good pitching and some big hits. Player of the day Chase De Jong pitched his best game of the season as he and two relievers held Arkansas to a run and three hits on Thursday. De Jong pitched a season-high seven innings and he allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out eight. De Jong credited a recent Tulsa visit by Dodgers special assistant and Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux. From MiLB.com: "I was really getting to my back side, really tilting the ball to the bottom part of the zone and then working with Greg about pitch selection and execution and also reading swings," he said. "That was my homework for the week, and obviously, I was able to put in the time. "Anything that that guy says, you're obviously going to work just because of the body of work that he's put together. Being with the Dodgers, we have what seems like an endless amount of resources, the amazing pitching minds that we have on staff. They really set you up to succeed." Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers rolled an eight in the second inning and the Zephyrs (Marlins) were never in this game, losing 9-2 to the Dodgers. Zach Lee pitched six innings and allowed two runs (one earned), five hits and struck out seven. Ian Thomas pitched two scoreless innings and Jharel Cotton closed it out, striking out two in his inning of work. Rob Segedin went 3-for-4 with a triple and a home run (both of those in the same inning). Zach Walters also went 3-for-4 with a double. The eight-run second inning featured a home run, three triples, a double and four singles. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers scored early and kept scoring eventually on their way to a 7-1 win over the Travelers (Angels). Outfielder Andrew Toles hit a solo home run in his first career AA plate appearance. Chase De Jong just gave up one hit and one walk in seven innings. De Jong also struck out eight. Paul Hoenecke hit a two-run home run. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes fell behind the Blaze (Mariners) again and this time they lost to the Blase 6-5. Yaisel Sierra made his second start for the Quakes and he gave up six runs and eight hits in five innings of work. Kyle Garlick had a big game with a triple and a home run. Joey Curletta and Michael Ahmed each had two hits.

Class-A Great Lakes The Loons shutout Kernels (Twins) 3-0 behind four pitchers with Philip Pfeifer getting the win. Alexander Hermeling started and went four innings and struck out five. Pfeifer pitched two innings to get the win. Pfeifer and the other three Loons pitchers combine to strike out 12 while allowing just three hits and a walk. The Loons only had three hits, one was a run-scoring double by Omar Estevez. That was the only hit with a runner in scoring position for either team. They also got this ridiculous catch from center fielder Logan Landon: Transactions Double-A: Activated outfielder Yadir Drake from the 7-day disabled list. High-A: Jake Henson assigned to Dodgers Extended Spring Training from Rancho Cucamonga; Billings traded outfielder and second baseman Pin-Chieh Chen to Rancho Cucamonga. Class-A: Left-handed pitcher Wes Helsabeck assigned to Great Lakes Loons from Dodgers Extended Spring Training; placed right-handed pitcher Gavin Pittore on the 7-day disabled list. Thursday Scores Oklahoma City 9. New Orleans 2 Tulsa 7, Arkansas 1 Bakersfield 6, Rancho Cucamonga 5 Great Lakes 3, Cedar Rapids 0 Friday Schedule 4:05 p.m. - Cedar Rapids (Sam Clay) at Great Lakes (Michael Boyle) 5:10 p.m. - Tulsa (Brock Stewart) at Arkansas (Jordan Kipper) 5:35 p.m. - Oklahoma City (Jeremy Kehrt) at Colorado Springs (Brewers) (Tyler Cravy) 6:35 p.m. - Rancho Cucamonga (Tommy Bergjans) at High Desert (Rangers) (Cole Wiper) Video of Dodgers' Grant Holmes at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga By Ryan Walton

I took a trip out to see the Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes this past Friday to watch Grant Holmes with my own eyes for the first time. The Dodgers drafted Holmes in the first round (22nd overall) of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Conway High School in Conway, SC. Holmes is currently ranked by MLB.com as the 58th best prospect in baseball. Our own David Hood had Holmes ranked third in the Dodgers' organization prior to the 2016 season. The stocky right-hander shut down the first six batters he faced before giving up a solo homer leading off the third. Even with the success early on, Holmes looked like he was throwing harder later in the game. The 20-year-old was consistently sitting at 94 mph on his fastball and throws it 92-95, occasionally touching higher velocity. Holmes' "out pitch" is the curveball that he throws 78-81 mph with good command. A perfect example of this pitch is on the video at the 3:35 mark. Just for good measure while you're there, two pitches later (3:48 mark) Holmes gives up a one-hopper to the right field wall. Joey Curletta takes the bounce perfectly and nails Michael De Leon of the Mavericks (Rangers) at second base. The video doesn't go with the ball but you can see the play at second base. Holmes gave up a pair of home runs and four runs overall but showed that he wasn't shaken by any of it. The righty retired eight of the final 11, picking off one and striking out three of the final four batters to face him. This was also the only start this season that he issued no walks. It's easy to see why the Dodgers liked him so much and he will only get better as he works on commanding all his pitches.

USA TODAY

Dave Roberts sees progress, unfazed by Dodgers' rough start By Tom Krasovic Three consecutive National League West titles weren’t good enough, so it was time for Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly to move on. Parting ways with new bosses who hadn’t signed him beyond 2016, Mattingly put Los Angeles in his rearview mirror last offseason. Donnie Baseball didn’t stop until he got to the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll find him in South Florida, where he oversees the Miami Marlins. He looks less stressed, even after his second baseman, Dee Gordon, was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing substances. Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine never claimed three NL West crowns in a row, nor did L.A.’s famed Big Blue Wrecking Crew. Nor had anyone else in the West since its birth in 1969. Yes, divisions were larger in the 1970s. But no one in baseball would call the Mattingly Era a “turkey,” bowling’s term for three consecutive strikes.

“Back to back to back,” says Tony Gwynn Jr., a former Dodgers outfielder who works on the club’s broadcast team. The appreciation oozed from Gwynn, a baseball lifer. It wasn’t good enough. Flops in the playoffs weren’t what new Dodgers owners had in mind when they bankrolled industry-record payrolls. So after a tip of the cap to genial, steady Mattingly, we’ll find out if one of the nicest men in baseball — and one of the most popular men inside the industry — can survive the intense L.A. heat. It’s up to Dave Roberts to get it done. Can the rookie manager/cancer survivor/former 28th-round-draft pick-made-good end a World Series title drought? At 27 years and counting, it’s older than his shortstop (Corey Seager), right fielder (Yasiel Puig) and center fielder (Joc Pederson or Trayce Thompson)? Even as the front office’s hire, Roberts might need to do more than win the NL West to survive. The Dodgers have the sport’s largest local TV deal, worth $8 billion. “World Series or bust” might be too reductive for now, but at some point the phrase could apply to Roberts, just as it did to Mattingly. “In the back of your mind, you have to wonder about that yourself,” Gwynn says. “Are they saying you’re going to have to get to a World Series in order for it to be considered better? Who knows?” Hot start fizzles The bigger the market, the bigger the stakes. When the Dodgers won 12 of 19 games to start this season, friends of Roberts exhaled. “Dave can deal with difficult, too, and that’s why he’s the perfect person for that job,” says Roberts’ longtime agent, John Boggs. “But if you don’t get off to a good start and guys aren’t playing for you, guys will turn on you instantaneously.” The Dodgers lost their next six games, all at home, four to Mattingly’s Marlins. They tugged a 12-13 record into May, the skid ending with Clayton Kershaw’s 1-0 shutout of the San Diego Padres in which Kershaw drove in the team’s only run. Seven other NL teams had a better April. But Roberts got a mulligan from L.A.’s four West rivals, who also finished April under .500. Not surprisingly, the skid didn’t seem to dent Roberts, 43. On the final day of April, he flashed his ready smile while standing near the Dodger Stadium home dugout. Compared with having to steal a base when the entire baseball world is watching, as Roberts famously did in the 2004 playoffs for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees, a one-week slump is a blip. For that matter, so is a hectic first month on a round-the-clock job. “There’s been a lot this first month,” Roberts said. “There’s been a lot of ups, downs. But I think that it’s kind of what I expected, the workload. For me, I’m very process-driven, and I really don’t concern myself at this point with the win-loss.

“The way our guys go about playing the game every day, that’s what’s encouraging for me, and we’ve got good players.” Aside from a one-game stint with the Padres last June, when he moved up from bench coach after Bud Black was fired, Roberts had never managed before this season. He played professional baseball from 1994 to 2008, distinguishing himself as a leadoff man and basestealer. Broadcasting with the Red Sox and Padres provided him a different view, as did stints in San Diego’s front office and as Black’s sidekick. “Honestly, the game management, all that kind of stuff — I had a great mentor in Buddy Black. I’m prepared,” Roberts said. “So there’s really been no surprises.” “I’m having the time of my life,” he added. “Every day, it gets better than the next. Honestly, all the pressure, the win-loss, I just look to today. I’ve simplified it. It’s all I care about. That’s my only focus.” Understand that Dodgers executives speak well of Mattingly, but they laud how Roberts has performed in his new role. They praise his dealings with Puig, whose injury hiatuses last year and recurring mental errors seemed to wear on Mattingly. In addition, the front office likes the way Roberts has used a varied group of reserves while adapting to numerous injuries. “We have, we think, a one-to-13 position-player group,” Dodgers senior vice president of baseball operations Josh Byrnes says. “So how to mix and match with that every day, create matchups, use the versatile players, keep guys fresh, I think he’s done a good job with that.” Despite having the major league’s second-highest payroll (their $221 million opening-day mark was about $2 million less than that of the Yankees), the team’s architects see a roster that isn’t flawless. Getting back to the playoffs isn’t entirely on Roberts. “I think that’s on all of us,” Byrnes says. “Every season has a different story. Obviously, (co-ace) Zack Greinke left (to sign a $206.5 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks last offseason). We had a weird offseason with certain things that didn’t bounce our way. “So, no. He’s part of our success and our failure. If we don’t win the division, then we all came up short.” Gwynn noted that Roberts, like all managers, is to some extent at the mercy of his bullpen. As was the case amid vexing stretches last season and in recent postseasons, the Dodgers have drawn volatile relief in front of star closer Kenley Jansen. Things might have been different had the front office’s offseason pursuit of closer Aroldis Chapman panned out, but the left-hander ended up with the Yankees. “Our bullpen, we’re not scripted in the seventh or eighth inning, so it’s got to be a little bit of hot hand and matchups,” Byrnes says. “That’s tough on any manager to get the ball all the way to Jansen.

“Dave has done a good job. Your personnel is your personnel. We don’t have (a bullpen) like the Yankees right now. They get to the end of the game, it’s over. Not every team has that.” In tactics, Gwynn has seen the same chutzpah from Roberts that made him a great basestealer, such as when Dodgers No. 3 hitter Justin Turner bunted a teammate over in the season’s first series. Dodgers players, Gwynn says, have responded to the manager’s “humility that makes you want to get to know him,” while also respecting that Roberts, a broad-chested, former high school quarterback, isn’t someone you should cross. “There’s no pressure, there’s no getting ahead of myself, and our players feel the same way,” Roberts said. “I’m coaching, I’ve been coaching. I’m the same guy. It’s managing players and people, and that’s what we do.”

THE STAR

Blue Jays fans get first-hand look at Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw on Saturday By Mark Zwolinski Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin could step to the front of the line if you want a first-hand review of just how good Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw is. Martin broke into the major leagues at age 23 in 2006 as a member of the Dodgers, and became a battery mate of Kershaw as the left-handed phenom began establishing himself as MLB’s best pitcher in the past seven years. “What I noticed right away was that at a young age, just how mature he was, you just noticed it immediately,” Martin said of Kershaw, who will get the ball for the Dodgers on Saturday, the middle game of a three-game series in Toronto that opens Friday at the Rogers Centre. “He was (20 years old) and it was one of my first big-league camps, and I think it was Sean Casey (now a commentator with MLB Network) who sees a 96 m.p.h. fastball, then a breaking ball, and he’s like saying, ‘Who is this kid, Sandy Koufax?’ ” Since that scene in 2008, Kershaw has been what Koufax was to the Dodgers in his era, and more. Right now, the talk regarding the finest performances in pitching centre on Kershaw and Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, who has a current run of 26 regular-season starts, dating back to a shutout of the Twins last June, in which he has a 0.85 ERA. Arrieta certainly stands alone in the majors in most standard pitching stats. But as pointed out by Ryan Fagan in the Sporting News, Kershaw may even have out-performed Arietta in some instances over the same period of time. Specifically, the FIP (Fielder Independent Pitching) for both pitchers over that stretch favours Kershaw. The advanced metric was designed to zero in on a pitcher’s ERA independent to the defence behind him,

focusing strictly on what the pitcher can control; Kershaw leads the majors with a 1.76 FIP, Arietta is third at 2.20. Kershaw also has a superior strikeout-per-nine-innings mark (11.29) than Arrieta (8.72), which means Kershaw does a better job at keeping the ball out of play. Martin has seen first hand the strikeout majesty of Kershaw. It comes from what is now a mastery over six pitches: a four-seam fastball, the slider, the amazing curve — many believe Kershaw’s curve is baseball’s best pitch — the changeup, the sinker and an eephus type pitch, a floating curve, that Kershaw rarely uses. “When I caught him, his changeup was a work in progress,” Martin said. “Now, he’s in control of all his pitches.” Kershaw’s four-seamer is remarkable, moving almost an inch and a half horizontally, according to stats analysis, with 11.4 inches of vertical movement. While that fastball comes in at over 93 m.p.h. on average, the curve slows to about 75 m.p.h., a stunning differential. Kershaw is featuring the curve almost 19 per cent of the time this season, the most since his rookie season. Martin also notes the consistency and competitiveness that are Kershaw hallmarks. “There’s a fire in there . . . you get him outside the game, he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, but if you’re gonna beat him, it’s gonna take something special,” Martin said. Kershaw gets the ball Saturday against the Jays, and in terms of ERA-plus stats, he is on the verge of a rare and very special feat this season. His ERA-plus number is 188 over the last three seasons (and 199 over six starts this year), better than the best single-season mark of any pitcher who could be considered the best pitcher of his day since 2010, including Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez and Tim Lincecum. If Kershaw can complete this season at 188 or better, he would match Randy Johnson’s historic four year run from 1999-2002, in which the giant lefty went 81-27, won four consecutive Cy Young Awards, and posted a 187 ERA-plus.

LA TIMES

Dodgers Dugout: Pitching help is just a phone call away By Houston Mitchell Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and I have managed the Dodgers to a 20-8 record in my Strat-o-matic Baseball Daily league. Of course, I’ve been smart enough not to pitch Chris Hatcher. Help is a phone call away

So, I could spend another newsletter talking about the Dodgers’ pitching problems. I could go on about Scott Kazmir and Alex Wood and mention how Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda are a combined 6-2 with a 1.73 ERA while Kazmir, Wood and Ross Stripling are a combined 3-7 with a 5.11 ERA. Or I could mention how Pedro Baez continues to fall apart in key situations, just like he did last season. But I am not going to mention any of that. Instead, I am going to look at a couple of potential rotation solutions. In Oklahoma City, the Dodgers have two top prospects in Julio Urias and Jose De Leon. Urias pitched six perfect innings Monday night before being removed after throwing 77 pitches. For the season, all he has done is go 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 24 innings. His WHIP is 0.708 and his strikeout-to-walk ratio is almost 10-1. However, Urias has never thrown more than 88 innings in any season in his pro career, so it is unlikely the Dodgers will rush him up this month. It’s also unlikely that they will want him to pitch more than 130 innings or so this season in order to protect his arm (Urias is only 19). They certainly don’t want his major-league service time to start until absolutely necessary so they can keep him under control, contract-wise, for as long as possible. But could Urias be brought up now and pitch better than Wood or Stripling? Probably. So could the next guy. Jose De Leon’s season started a month late because the Dodgers also want to protect his arm. De Leon, 23, made his first start this week and pitched five scoreless innings, striking out nine and walking one while giving up two hits. He has never thrown more than 114 innings in a minor-league season, so they will be cautious with him. Of course, there’s also the guys on the disabled list: Hyun-jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson. Of those three, I’m most interested in Ryu, who was a solid No. 3 starter before going down with a torn labrum. He hopefully will be back around the All-Star break. Anderson and McCarthy will return after the All-Star break, giving the Dodgers a multitude of starters: Kershaw, Maeda, Kazmir, Wood, Stripling, Ryu, McCarthy, Anderson, Urias and De Leon. Which five of those guys would you pick? Kershaw and Maeda, obviously, but after that? Well, if he continues to pitch like he is now, I would give Urias a break during the season, conserving his innings so he could be brought up in August for the playoff push. If he pitches well, I’d consider going over 130 innings to keep him on the roster for the playoffs. Unless he dramatically starts pitching better, I’d put Wood in the bullpen as a situational left-hander. I’d also bring up De Leon in September. If you asked me right now what I would hope the Dodgers rotation is in September, I’d say Kershaw, Maeda, Ryu, Urias and De Leon. However, it is extremely unlikely that will happen. It is more likely the rotation will be: Kershaw, Maeda, Ryu, Kazmir and McCarthy or Anderson. Of course, the All-Star break is still two months away, so the rotation will really be determined by who is pitching well after that. By the way, Kazmir keeps complaining about a sore left thumb and wrist. Add to that the fact that he isn’t pitching so great and it leaves me wondering why the Dodgers don’t just put him on the disabled list and give Zach Lee another shot.

What Vin Scully means to me I asked you to tell me your best Vin Scully memories, and I got a lot of responses. I will publish selected ones in each newsletter. And keep emailing them to me. Rick Robb: I was 10 years old and lived in San Pedro when the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles following the 1957 season. I cannot tell you how many transistor radio batteries I used when listening to Mr. Scully. The Dodgers were the first professional team I followed and attribute that to Mr. Scully. He has had a knack for making me feel like at I am at the game wherever I have lived. He calls an unbiased game and gives you an accurate picture of what is happening on the field. Sometimes, his analysis is so spot on that I think he is a little harsh on the Dodgers . I love his background stories. I live in Northern Calif. (SF Giants country) and am always surprised when someone here comes up to me when I am wearing a Dodger cap and says that they are a Dodger fan. I think that Mr. Scully is responsible in part. Ask Ross Porter Former Dodgers announcer Ross Porter will be answering select reader questions for the rest of the season. Email me a question for Ross, and I will pass it on. His latest response: Arturo Montoya: When the November 1993 trade of Dodgers pitcher Pedro Martinez for Expos second baseman Delino DeShields was made, the Dodgers brass' initial defense was that the Dodgers "got an everyday player for a once-in-five-days pitcher." Ross, what did those within the Dodger inner family really think at the time of the trade? Ross: That trade would never have been made, Arturo, had it not been for Jody Reed. The Dodgers were confident that Reed, a 31-year-old second baseman, would return to the club after they offered him a three-year, $7.8-million contract after he hit .276 in 132 games. But Reed rejected the deal, became a free agent, and wound up with just one alternative. He had to settle for a one-year, $350,000-plus-incentives pact with the Brewers, one of the biggest mistakes in free agency history. Dodgers General Manager Fred Claire had to find a second baseman, and the 24-year-old DeShields was available. In four full seasons with Montreal, he had averaged .277 and 47 stolen bases a year and his salary was $1.54 million. Martinez, 22, had pitched in 65 games for the Dodgers that year, 63 as a reliever, won 10, lost 5, and had an earned-run average of 2.61. Pedro was making $119,000 at the time. Because of his size (5-11,170), previous shoulder problems and questionable stamina, Manager Tommy Lasorda and other Dodger officials, including the medical staff, didn't see Martinez as a successful starting pitcher. Baseball executives called it a trade good for both teams. Expos fans were more upset than Dodger boosters. DeShields got a one-year, $2.7-million contract and Martinez $200,000 for one season. Delino played three years in Los Angeles (.250, .256, .224 with 114 steals). Pedro won three Cy Young Awards, posted a 219-100 career record with a 2.95 era, and was inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The TV situation If you would like to complain about the Dodgers’ TV situation, here’s who to contact: For the Dodgers, click here or call (866) DODGERS ([866] 363-4377). (I hope you like form letters). For Time Warner, click here. For your local cable or satellite provider, consult your bill for the customer service number and for the website. And finally The Dodgers suspended Erisbel Arruebarrena for the rest of the season. Read all about it here.