Daily Clips July 23, 2015

Transcription

1 Daily Clips July 23, 2015

2 LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015 LA TIMES: Dodgers Dugout: What to do about Joc Pederson? Houston Mitchell Dodgers' Mike Bolsinger rattles Braves in 3-1 victory Dylan Hernandez Yasmani Grandal's return to Dodgers lineup is hardly fouled up Dylan Hernandez Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela becomes a U.S. citizen Steve Dilbeck Dodgers' Brett Anderson hopeful for quick return from injury Steve Dilbeck Mike Bolsinger gives Dodgers much needed strong start in 3-1 win Steve Dilbeck Dodgers recall Ian Thomas, option Adam Liberatore Dylan Hernandez Dodgers' Brett Anderson reports improvement in sore Achilles' tendon Dylan Hernandez OC REGISTER: Mike Bolsinger comes up big as Dodgers salvage finale with Braves Bill Plunkett MRI shows no tendon damage for Dodgers' Brett Anderson Bill Plunkett On deck: Dodgers at Mets, Thursday, 4 p.m. Bill Plunkett DODGERS.COM: Curveballs the key for fired up Bolsinger Carlos Collazo Bolsinger gets help in 5th, shuts down Braves Carlos Collazo MRI results show no Achilles tear for Anderson Carlos Collazo Dodgers bring up Thomas, send down Liberatore Carlos Collazo Kershaw rides scoreless streak into opener with Mets Anthony DiComo LA DAILY NEWS: Zack Greinke s scoreless streak is impressive, but the Dodgers really want him to throw more of them in the fall Mark Whicker Mike Bolsinger gives Dodgers a much-needed lift in 3-1 win over Braves JP Hoornstra Dodgers pitcher Brett Anderson hopeful he can avoid disabled list JP Hoornstra Dodgers great Fernando Valenzuela becomes U.S. citizen Jaime Cardenas ESPN LA: Trade talks swirling, Mike Bolsinger holds firm to his rotation spot Mark Saxon Brett Anderson has Achilles inflammation, hopes to avoid DL stint Mark Saxon Dodgers back Bolsinger with 3-run 5th in 3-1 win over Braves Associated Press Rapid Reaction: Dodgers 3, Braves 1 Mark Saxon Fernando Valenzuela becomes a U.S. citizen Mark Saxon TRUEBLUELA.COM: Edwin Rios a perfect 3-for-3 in professional debut David Hood Corey Seager expected to return to Oklahoma City lineup soon Eric Stephen Dodgers vs. Mets series snapshot: Citi Field edition Eric Stephen Dodgers trade rumors: The case for Cole Hamels Eric Stephen Dodgers vs. Mets schedule, probable starting pitchers Eric Stephen Brett Anderson is hopeful for quick return, will know more on Thursday Craig Minami Mike Bolsinger lasts long, Dodgers get last laugh in Atlanta Eric Stephen Dodgers option Adam Liberatore and recall Ian Thomas Craig Minami Yasmani Grandal and Carl Crawford return to lineup - Dodgers vs. Braves Craig Minami Dodgers look to Mike Bolsinger to reverse streak of short starts Craig Minami Ross Stripling goes 6 strong for Tulsa, O'Koyea Dickson homers twice for OKC Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER: The Hall, the Mets, the Dodgers and Gil Hodges Mark Langill

3 Dodger minor league report No. 14: What s the deal with Futures Game pitcher Juan Gonzalez? Cary Osborne Analysis: Going deep on Adrian Gonzalez going deep Robert Tagorda Sandlot days of competition and joy with RBI program Erin Edwards July 22, 2009: Relive Manny s Bobbleslam Jon Weisman With Dodger pitchers ailing, Mike Bolsinger brings the medicine Jon Weisman As American as Fernando: Valenzuela becomes U.S. citizen Yvonne Carrasco Dodgers option Liberatore, recall Thomas, ponder pitching Jon Weisman USA TODAY: Dodgers' odd couple: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke Michael McLaughlin THE NATIONAL: Zack Greinke the quiet and artful Dodger Paul Oberjuerge ORLANDO SENTINEL: Former coach, teammates at Apopka take pride in Greinke's streak Stephen Ruiz NEW YORK TIMES: Dodgers Joc Pederson Hits Homers That Travel, but He Has a Long Way to Go Tyler Kepner NBC LA: Bolsinger, Callapso Give The Dodgers Just What They Needed Michael Duarte Legendary Dodgers Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela Becomes US Citizen Willian Avila ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Bolsinger baffles Braves, Dodgers get 3 in 5th for 3-1 win George Henry

4 LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2015 LA TIMES Dodgers Dugout: What to do about Joc Pederson? By Houston Mitchell Hi, welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and it s tough to write this newsletter when I m up all night worrying about the Taylor Swift-Nicki Minaj feud. What s up, Joc? All season in this newsletter, I ve been saying Joc Pederson will win the Rookie of the Year award. I m not so sure now. In fact, I m not sure he should even be in the Dodgers lineup right now. Since June 23, Pederson is hitting.163 (15 for 92) with one home run and 33 strikeouts. Ouch. But what do you do about it? If you bench him, you risk killing his confidence. You risk the same thing if you send him down to the minors. Manager Don Mattingly still has him batting leadoff most games, which really doesn t make a lot of sense. Mattingly has traditionally been slow to react to things. After all, this is the guy who kept Brian Wilson in the setup role for most of last season when even people who knew nothing about the sport could tell he wasn t pitching well. Here s what I would do: Drop Pederson back to eighth in the lineup and take some pressure off him. He s hitting.308 this season when he bats in the eight spot. Howie is upset Howie Kendrick is tired of all the naysayers who have been criticizing the Dodgers this season. The second baseman posted the following on his Instagram account Tuesday: It s funny how people who have never played baseball at a professional level or maybe even high school have an opinion about baseball. Of course it s easy to sit on the couch and be a good coach or player. I guarantee you everyone that is talking would look like a complete fool in the batters box. There s a reason we are Major League Baseball players. So will all the coaches and critics go follow someone else. Our team is fine. Kendrick later removed the post, but it had already been captured in a screen grab by several people. I hope when Kendrick goes to a restaurant that he never complains about the food, or if he goes to a movie, he never says it is bad. After all, it s easy to sit and complain when you have never been a professional chef or a movie director. He would look like a complete fool in a pro kitchen or a movie set. As long as they are respectful, it is good when fans complain and worry. It shows they care about you and the team. What to do about Greinke

5 In my last newsletter, I asked if you would opt out of your contract after this season if you were Zack Greinke, and I asked what kind of deal you would offer him if you were the Dodgers. Some of your responses: Rich Jones of Rocklin, Calif.: If I'm Greinke I opt out. It's a no-brainer really. He is still young enough to get a very large deal. If I am the Dodgers I would get out front of it. Offer to bump the next two years to $30 million and leave 2018 as is with added incentives or bump 2018 to $30 million and make it a team option year. Stephen Rothman: If Greinke breaks Hershiser's record in the next two games I would immediately give him a bonus raise for the remainder of his contract of about $6.21 million a year. This would match Clayton Kershaw's salary of $30.71 million a year. My hope would be that this gesture would show Greinke respect and appreciation. Ben Curry: Well, as a 57-year fan I have seen a lot of Dodger pitchers over the years, Koufax, Drysdale, Osteen, Messersmith, Marshall, Valenzuela, Hershiser, etc., and I think Greinke, right now, is pretty close to being just as dominant as those guys were in their prime. So I would like to see them offer Zack five years at $31.5 million per year. They could also try getting a little innovative and offer him $180 million over six years with a mutual option for either side to opt out after 4 or 5 years. Crawford s good attitude Carl Crawford, who seemed to be on the DL since the Reagan administration, was activated on Tuesday, but he will be a bench player for the foreseeable future. And he s fine with that. "Donnie's going to do his best to mix me in when he can, but you can't argue with what's been going on. I'll just have to wait my turn." Remember that the next time you think pro athletes are more into themselves than the team. Mattingly s strange move of the week The Braves started Julio Teheran against the Dodgers on Wednesday, and Yasiel Puig started the game on the bench. In his career, Puig is hitting.625 against Teheran. That is his highest batting average against any pitcher he has faced at least 10 times. Wouldn t it have been a good idea to have him in the lineup? And finally Dodger legend Fernando Valenzuela became a U.S. citizen on Wednesday when he took the oath of allegiance with approximately 8,000 other people in a ceremony in downtown L.A. You have to wonder if Donald Trump sent him a gift basket. Dodgers' Mike Bolsinger rattles Braves in 3-1 victory

6 By Dylan Hernandez The noise from the opposing bench became louder and louder, enough for Mike Bolsinger to hear. The Atlanta Braves were mocking his reluctance to throw his mid-to-high-80s-mph fastball. "If you're showing me you're not hitting a pitch," Bolsinger said, "why would I go to something else?" So he didn't. And when another one of his off-speed pitches generated a groundout that ended the seventh inning, Bolsinger screamed and punched into the pit of his glove. By giving up only an unearned run over seven innings in a 3-1 victory Wednesday at Turner Field, Bolsinger not only silenced the Braves, he temporarily calmed fears about the Dodgers' pitching crisis. Bolsinger's performance wasn't the only positive development for the troubled rotation, as the team learned that Brett Anderson's Achilles' tendon injury was relatively minor. Anderson, who was forced to make a premature exit the previous night, said an MRI examination showed inflammation of the sheath covering the tendon. "Kind of the best-case scenario," Anderson said. Anderson had trouble walking after the game Tuesday night, but reported a marked improvement by Wednesday morning. He said he was wearing a walking boot only as a precaution. He will try to play catch Thursday, when the Dodgers open a four-game series against the New York Mets at Citi Field. If his body responds well, he will throw a bullpen session Friday, which would lead to him take his turn in the rotation Sunday. Anderson sounded relieved to know that even if can't pitch this weekend, he probably wouldn't be sidelined for an extended period. With Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy already lost to season-ending operations, a long-term injury to Anderson could have been devastating for the Dodgers, in part because the team remains uncertain of what they will get from Bolsinger. Bolsinger was winless in his previous seven starts. Over that stretch, he pitched fewer than six innings six times, burdening the team's relievers. The bullpen was on weary legs before Wednesday, as Anderson and Brandon Beachy pitched only a combined 6 2/3 innings in their starts the previous two days. Beachy was sent to triple-a Oklahoma City, which will require the Dodgers to find a spot starter for Saturday.

7 To safeguard against another short appearance from Bolsinger, the Dodgers recalled left-hander Ian Thomas from triple A. Adam Liberatore, who gave up five runs in his last three innings, was sent to Oklahoma City. Bolsinger responded by making his longest start since June 8, when he pitched seven innings in a victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. "That's what we needed," catcher Yasmani Grandal said. Bolsinger gave up only three hits and a walk. He struck out four batters. A third-inning error by Jimmy Rollins contributed to the Braves' run. Bolsinger credited the defense for his line in the box score. "I was just pitching to contact today and getting a lot of groundballs," he said. He was particularly complimentary of second baseman Howie Kendrick. "He saved about four base hits today," Bolsinger said. Based on how he felt warming up in the bullpen, Bolsinger said he knew his curveball and changeup would be sharp. In recent starts, Bolsinger's troubles often started in his third time through the opposing lineup. That didn't happen Wednesday. "I don't think it's teams recognizing what I'm doing," he said. "I think it's me losing focus. You look at some of the games, I'm leaving a lot of pitches up." Up next Clayton Kershaw (7-6, 2.68 ERA) will face the New York Mets and Bartolo Colon (9-8, 4.86) on Thursday at 4 p.m. PDT at Citi Field. TV: SportsNet LA; Radio: 570, Yasmani Grandal's return to Dodgers lineup is hardly fouled up By Dylan Hernandez Yasmani Grandal returned to the Dodgers lineup Wednesday, three days after his catcher's mask was violently struck by a foul ball.

8 He was a central figure in the team's 3-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, as he was two for three with a run and a walk. "It kind of got me back in the groove," Grandal said. The Dodgers trailed, 1-0, until the fifth inning, which Grandal led off with a double against starter Julio Teheran. Grandal advanced to third base on a groundout by Carl Crawford and scored on a single by Alberto Callaspo to tie the score, 1-1. Callaspo scored on a double by Jimmy Rollins, who scored on a hit by Joc Pederson. The Dodgers were ahead, 3-1. The Dodgers weren't as concerned about Grandal hitting he pinch-hit in each of the previous two games as they were about him catching and taking another foul ball off his mask. Although his jaw remained swollen, Grandal said he tried to not concern himself with the possibility of being hit again. "It's one of those things where you have to have the mindset that you're going to get hit again," Grandal said. Another milestone Fernando Valenzuela, one of the most beloved players in Dodgers history, is now an American citizen. Valenzuela, who was born in Mexico, was naturalized Wednesday in a ceremony in Los Angeles. He was offered the chance to take the oath of allegiance in a private ceremony but wanted to be part of the regular service that had about 8,000 people, the Dodgers said. Valenzuela was the National League rookie of the year and Cy Young Award winner in 1981, when he ignited a phenomenon that became known as Fernandomania. Now 54, Valenzuela works as a Spanishlanguage broadcaster for the Dodgers. Fund-raiser Clayton Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, will play host to their third annual celebrity ping-pong tournament at Dodger Stadium on July 30. The event will raise money for Kershaw's foundation, which makes contributions to charitable efforts in Los Angeles, Dallas, the Dominican Republic and Zambia. For more information, visit kershawschallenge.com/pp4p.

9 Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela becomes a U.S. citizen By Steve Dilbeck Fernando Valenzuela has accomplished plenty in his 54 years -- Rookie of the Year, Cy Young award, World Series champion, no-hitter. But now he's accomplished something never done before -- become a United States citizen. Valenzuela raised his right hand and took the oath of allegiance to the U.S. at the immigration naturalization ceremony Wednesday morning in downtown Los Angeles. Although he could have opted for a private ceremony, the Dodgers said he elected to join approximately 8,000 others at the ceremony. Valenzuela burst upon the baseball scene in 1981, a fresh-faced 20-year-old from the Mexican League who mystified hitters with his screwball and ignited Fernandomania across Los Angeles. He retired after 17 years in the major leagues. Valenzuela pitched for six different teams, spending his first 11 years with the Dodgers. He is now the Dodgers color broadcaster on their televised Spanishlanguage broadcasts. The Dodgers said his wife, Linda, a former schoolteacher from Mexico, became a U.S. citizen a few months ago. Dodgers' Brett Anderson hopeful for quick return from injury By Steve Dilbeck A sigh of relief? That MRI on Brett Anderson s sore Achilles' tendon Wednesday could have been extremely bad news. An all-clear sign? Not exactly, but for now, the Dodgers are more than happy to embrace simple encouragement. Anderson left Tuesday s game in the third inning with what was diagnosed by the training staff as irritation in his left Achilles tendon. No tear was suspected, but with Anderson in obvious pain, an MRI was scheduled to confirm the finding. As a precautionary measure, the left-hander was still using a walking boot Wednesday after the MRI results, but considering his extensive list of past injuries, he was feeling relatively upbeat and said it was a best-case scenario.

10 It s one of the few parts of my body that I haven t ever had an injury, so I didn t know what to expect, Anderson told reporters in Atlanta. That was a new one, so it was a little bit concerning.... I wouldn t say I m 100% in the clear, (but) somewhat in the clear is reassuring. The sheath around my tendon is a little inflamed, but it was intact. It s something I ll have to watch and monitor and add to that checklist of things I have to do on a day-to-day basis, but if one thing doesn t stand out from the rest, it s good to go. Anderson is taking anti-inflammatory medication and hopes to play catch Thursday and throw a bullpen session Friday. He would not eliminate himself from taking his next turn in the rotation Sunday, though that would seem unlikely. I ll have a better guess tomorrow after I play catch and see how I hold up after that, he said. If I feel good tomorrow, I ll throw my normal pen the next day and kind of go from there and take it day by day. The Dodgers have yet to announce their starter for Saturday Brandon Beachy was returned to the minors and will struggle to come up with a second-spot starter if Anderson is unable to pitch Sunday. Anderson said he felt exponentially better compared with how he felt Tuesday. Which is shocking to everyone, myself included, he said. I was having trouble walking, going down steps and stuff. Yesterday was pretty painful. I woke up this morning and was able to put weight on it and do some mobility stuff. Mike Bolsinger gives Dodgers much needed strong start in 3-1 win By Steve Dilbeck From the Dodgers and their beat-up and struggling bullpen, all roses to Mike Bolsinger. To shortstop Jimmy Rollins, a hopefully welcome back bouquet. The Dodgers had a rough start in a hot and muggy Atlanta, losing the first two games of the series and forced to use their bullpen for 9 1/3 innings. To the rescue Wednesday came right-hander Mike Bolsinger, who enjoyed his best start in over a month to lead the Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Braves at Turner Field. The Dodgers were doing even less with Atlanta right-hander Julio Teheran early on. Teheran struck out seven in the first three innings and had held the Dodgers scoreless on one infield hit heading into the fifth.

11 But catcher Yasmani Grandal, starting for the first time since taking that hard foul ball to the mask Sunday in Washington, opened the fifth with a double and Teheran was headed for trouble. Carl Crawford, in the lineup for the first time since tearing an oblique muscle April 27, grounded out to move Grandal to third, and Alberto Callaspo singled to score him and tie the game at 1-1. Rollins, who was hitless in 19 at-bats since the break and batting.204, doubled to score Callaspo with the go-ahead run. Joc Pederson singled in Rollins. The Dodgers managed only one more hit the rest of the day, but their one-inning outburst was enough for Bolsinger. Bolsinger (5-3) went seven innings, holding the Braves to the one run on three hits and a walk. His curve again sharp, he struck out four and lowered his ERA to The only run he allowed came in the third inning after Andrelton Simmons dropped a soft single and Rollins let a ball slip off his glove for an error. After a sacrifice bunt, Simmons scored when Cameron Maybin grounded out to short. Otherwise, Bolsinger was in total control. It was the first time he went seven innings in a start since June 8. In his seven starts since, he had gone 0-2 with a 4.28 ERA. Not terrible, certainly, but possibly enough to make the Dodgers nervous. With Brandon Beachy struggling in his comeback and sent back to the minors and Brett Anderson suffering an Achilles' injury Tuesday, a strong start by Bolsinger Wednesday was everything the Dodgers could have hoped for. Juan Nicasio added a perfect eighth and Kenley Jansen a scoreless ninth to earn his 17th save. Dodgers recall Ian Thomas, option Adam Liberatore By Dylan Hernandez Left-hander Ian Thomas was recalled from triple-a Oklahoma City to reinforce the depleted Dodgers bullpen for their series finale against the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday. Brandon Beachy lasted only four innings in his start Monday, and Brett Anderson pitched 2 2/3 innings the following day before he was left the game with an Achilles' tendon injury. That left the bullpen to cover 9 1/3 innings over the last two days. To clear a roster spot for Thomas, the Dodgers optioned left-hander Adam Liberatore to triple A.

12 This is Thomas fourth promotion to the Dodgers major league team. He has pitched five innings and allowed four earned runs. Thomas was acquired on May 27 as part of the trade that sent Juan Uribe to the Braves. Dodgers' Brett Anderson reports improvement in sore Achilles' tendon By Dylan Hernandez Brett Anderson reported significant improvement in his injured Achilles' tendon Wednesday morning, Manager Don Mattingly said. That s been a little encouraging, Mattingly said. Anderson hurt his left Achilles' the previous night in the third inning of a 4-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves. As Mattingly spoke to reporters at Turner Field, Anderson was undergoing an MRI examination. We re hoping for good results, Mattingly said. Mattingly said it was too early to say whether Anderson would be placed on the disabled list. The comments should be taken with a grain of salt, considering Mattingly is often inaccurate with his medical prognostications. Whatever the case, Mattingly said Anderson had only an outside shot of taking his next turn in the rotation Sunday. OC REGISTER Mike Bolsinger comes up big as Dodgers salvage finale with Braves By Bill Plunkett ATLANTA Mike Bolsinger can t give the Dodgers what they really need. That would involve sending a handful of minor-league prospects to the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds or some other mystery team. But for one day, the young right-hander avoided any bad oysters or faulty circuit breakers and gave the Dodgers a reasonable facsimile. Bolsinger went seven strong innings as the Dodgers avoided a sweep in Atlanta with a 3-1 victory over the Braves on Wednesday.

13 Bolsinger allowed just one unearned run and three hits in his longest outing since June 8. He had completed six innings just once in his previous seven starts and twice since the end of May. One start was cut short thanks to food poisoning and another was cut short by a malfunctioning bank of lights. Another short outing would have been as unwelcome as the thick heat and humidity that has become the Dodgers travel partner on this East Coast trip. In their previous two games, Dodgers relievers (91/3 innings) had pitched more than their starters (62/3). (Bolsinger was) good all day, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. He wasn t walking anybody, throwing strikes. Seemed like he could kind of do what he wanted with the breaking ball. Good for us. We needed it today. That was as understated as Bolsinger is affable. He seeks out conversations even before games he starts usually a time when pitchers walk around in an invisible and impenetrable bubble and was signing autographs for fans during the lighting delay in Washington during his previous start. The Dodgers starting rotation seemed to be thinning as fast as a middle-aged man s hair with Brandon Beachy returned to Triple-A to continue his comeback and Brett Anderson spending Wednesday morning in an MRI tube. GM Farhan Zaidi acknowledged just how intensely the front office is pursuing pitching help before next week s non-waiver deadline. Bolsinger was asked if he felt the weight of the Dodgers need and the potential impact it might have on his status in the rotation. You know, not really, he said. I m just having fun. I think I kind of lost that along the way back in July and I was thinking too much. I think that s what hurts me the most is when I m thinking too much. You can t worry about that kind of stuff. The Braves scratched out a run in the third inning against Bolsinger, but he and relievers Juan Nicasio and Kenley Jansen didn t give up another hit after Andrelton Simmons leadoff single that inning. Between them, the trio retired 21 of the final 23 Braves batters. They could thank Howie Kendrick for some of that. The Dodgers second baseman started a double play and handled seven other ground outs, diving on the outfield grass to make more than one of them. Mattingly called Kendrick incredible today.

14 I wasn t doing much at the plate today, said Kendrick who was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk. I played with Torii Hunter a lot and he always said if you aren t getting any (hits) at the plate, make sure they don t get any. I try to take that mentality and do anything I can to help the team win. By the seventh inning, the Braves were frustrated enough to ride Bolsinger from the dugout, trying to taunt him into challenging them with his fastball not a wise strategy, considering it tops out at 90 mph on a good day. I guess I was throwing too many curveballs, Bolsinger said of the bench jockeying. If you show me you re not hitting a pitch, why would I go to something else? That s baseball. If you show me you re not doing something, I m going to keep attacking weaknesses. I was spotting up the fastball well. But there s two ways to take it. I can control that pitch (his curveball) and throw it in any count I want. And take it as a sign of respect. If I respect a hitter, I m not going to give him too much to hit. I m going to go with my strengths and you re going to have to beat me with my strengths. Power pitching worked for Braves starter Julio Teheran early. He struck out the first four batters he faced and seven of the first 10. In the fifth, however, the Dodgers bunched four hits for a three-run burst that proved decisive. Yasmani Grandal led off with a double over Nick Markakis head when the right fielder s first move was in. A ground out moved Grandal to third base and Alberto Callaspo singled through the drawn-in infield to drive in the tying run. The next batter, Jimmy Rollins, ended an 0-for-19 slump that stretched back before the All-Star break with a go-ahead RBI double to right-center field. Rollins scored on Joc Pederson s two-out single. MRI shows no tendon damage for Dodgers' Brett Anderson By Bill Plunkett ATLANTA Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson is not the most graceful or nimble of athletes. But he managed to dodge a bullet this time. Anderson underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning after leaving his start Tuesday night because of an apparent Achilles tendon injury. But the MRI showed the tendon undamaged and only a little inflammation in the sheath around the tendon, according to Anderson.

15 As far as going forward, I ll take some meds and try playing catch tomorrow, he said. If that goes good then I ll try to throw my normal pen the next day and go from there. It s really kind of the best-case scenario. Anderson said he struggled to walk up or down stairs after the game Tuesday night and was expecting his ankle to stiffen overnight. He was pleasantly surprised Wednesday morning when he was able to put weight on his left foot and move more freely than he had after the game. It was exponentially better, which was shocking to everyone myself included, Anderson said. Earlier in the day, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly held out the possibility that Anderson might not have to go on the DL. Throwing a bullpen session Thursday will determine whether Anderson can take his regular turn on Sunday in New York a risk the Dodgers might not be willing to take with the oft-injured left-hander. With off days Monday and next Thursday, the Dodgers might have to replace Anderson in the rotation just once. I think when we left here last night that (a DL move) is what we all thought was going to happen, Mattingly said. Then this morning the s from Stan (Conte, vice president of medical services) were really encouraging. We have the off days coming so we have to figure something out. The Dodgers are already replacing Brandon Beachy in the rotation Saturday, most likely with Triple-A right-hander Zach Lee. Carlos Frias is on the DL and GM Farhan Zaidi acknowledged that the team is aggressively pursuing trades for starting pitching before the July 31 non-waiver deadline. In the meantime, you keep going, Mattingly said of moving forward with a depleted rotation. You don t sit here worrying about what you don t have. You just move forward from where you re at, Mattingly said. Expect your guys to pitch well. We know (Mike) Bolsinger s capable. Carlos is close to being back. He s capable. It looks like Brett s not a long-term thing. It looks like it could be a very shortterm thing. I just think you keep going and don t get too concerned about what you don t have. Because everybody s got holes and everybody s got issues whether it be position injuries or bullpen injuries or whatever it may be. I just think you continue to go from where you re at and don t complain. ROSTER MOVE After asking relievers to throw more innings (91/3) than their starters (62/3) the previous two days, the Dodgers promoted left-hander Ian Thomas from Triple-A Oklahoma City and sent left-hander Adam Liberatore to OKC.

16 Liberatore followed the same path as reliever Yimi Garcia, going from dominant piece of the Dodgers bullpen back to Oklahoma City. In his first 15 appearances with the Dodgers, Liberatore allowed just two runs while holding hitters to a.146 batting average. Since the start of June, however, he had allowed 10 runs on 15 hits and six walks in only 12 innings. Garcia s struggles have continued since his demotion to Oklahoma City, where he allowed four runs on five hits and three walks in his first 21/3 innings. Pedro Baez was on the DL for five weeks because of a pectoral strain and hasn t been as effective since returning (eight runs on 10 hits and four walks in 101/3 innings). Well, they re young, Mattingly said, dismissing overuse as the cause of the downturn in performance from all three rookie relievers. Part of growing up is having guys out there that haven t been around for 10, 12 years. At some point, they will be those guys. But they have to work on some stuff. I don t think it s wear and tear. WELCOME TO AMERICA Thirty-six years after he first came to the United States and 34 years after his rookie season touched off Fernando-mania, Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela took the oath of citizenship Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, becoming a U.S. citizen. A native of Sonora, Mexico, Valenzuela is in his 13th season as a member of the Dodgers broadcast crew On deck: Dodgers at Mets, Thursday, 4 p.m. By Bill Plunkett Where: Citi Field TV: SportsNet LA, 4 p.m. Did you know: Rookie Joc Pederson was named the Dodgers winner of the Heart and Hustle Award. The overall winner will be announced on Nov. 10. THE PITCHERS LHP CLAYTON KERSHAW (7-6, 2.68) Kershaw was as dominant as he has been all season in his most recent start. He struck out a season-high 14 without walking a batter in eight scoreless innings against the Washington Nationals. He is the first pitcher in 100 years to have 10 or more strikeouts, no walks and no runs allowed in consecutive starts.

17 He has not allowed a run over his past 20 innings and has a 1.36 ERA over his past 10 starts. He has never lost to the Mets in eight career starts. Vs. Mets: 5-0, 1.58 At Citi Field: 2-0, 1.53 Hates to face: Ruben Tejada, 5 for 10 (.500) Loves to face: Lucas Duda, 0 for 7, 5 Ks RHP BARTOLO COLON (9-8, 4.86) The former Cy Young Award winner with the Angels (2005) has enjoyed a late-career rebirth. Since missing the entire 2010 season, Colon has gone with a 3.72 ERA with the Yankees, A s and Mets. Things have not gone well lately, however. Colon, 42, has allowed seven runs in two of his past five starts and has a 6.18 ERA over those five starts. Opposing hitters are batting.325 against in him in that time. Vs. Dodgers: 2-4, 6.03 At Citi Field: 14-10, 3.75 Hates to face: Andre Ethier, 3 for 6 (.500), 2B, HR Loves to face: Justin Turner, 0 for 5, 3 stikeouts UPCOMING MATCHUPS Friday: Dodgers RHP Zack Greinke (9-2, 1.30) at Mets LHP Jonathon Niese (5-8, 3.36), 4:10 p.m. Saturday: Dodgers TBA at Mets RHP Matt Harvey (8-7, 3.19), 4:10 p.m. Sunday: Dodgers TBA at Mets RHP Jacob degrom (10-6, 2.18), 10:10 a.m. DODGERS.COM Curveballs the key for fired up Bolsinger By Carlos Collazo

18 ATLANTA -- After getting Eury Perez to ground out in the seventh inning of the Dodgers' 3-1 victory over the Braves, Los Angeles starter Mike Bolsinger showed a bit of emotion. Just a quick display of unusual fire coming off the mound. That's because the Braves, according to Bolsinger, were giving him some flak for throwing too many curveballs. But for Bolsinger -- who's averaging just above 87 mph on his cut-fastball this year and had just finished holding Atlanta hitters to one unearned run and three hits through seven innings -- there's no such thing as too many curveballs. "If you're showing me you're not hitting a pitch, why would I go to something else?" Bolsinger said. "That's baseball. If you show me you're not doing something, I'm going to keep attacking your weaknesses." And Bolsinger said that was definitely the case against the Braves, as the scouting reports have shown that the team struggles against offspeed offerings. That, combined with the fact that Bolsinger felt good with his curveball and slider as early as his pregame bullpen session, led to Atlanta seeing 61 offspeed pitches out of the 98 that he threw. "For Mike, it's a matter of being able to get the ball to both sides of the plate a little bit with his fastball," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "And then that sets up the breaking ball." But what apparently got under the skin of Braves batters was when Bolsinger would go to his curve in typical fastball counts. He threw catcher A.J. Pierzynski a curveball in a 2-0 count, and then again in a 3-0 count. "There's two ways to take it," Bolsinger said. "[One], I can throw that pitch in any count I want, and [two], take it as a sign of respect. "If I respect a hitter, I'm not going to give you too much to hit, I'm going to go with my strengths and you're going to have to beat me with my strengths." Bolsinger admitted that the chirping was what made him respond vocally after getting his final out in the seventh inning, but he laughed at the entire situation. "It's baseball, it's fun," Bolsinger said. "You just have to keep a smile on your face and that's what I did, just had a smile on my face, got the next out and got out of the inning. "I really don't do that too often, I don't lash out and stuff like that. But if the moment's right, I guess I kind of get after it."

19 Given his performance against Atlanta, during which he lowered his ERA from 3.04 to 2.79 while striking out four batters and walking just one (Pierzynski), Bolsinger is probably hoping that "moment" comes around more often than not the rest of the season. Bolsinger gets help in 5th, shuts down Braves By Carlos Collazo ATLANTA -- The Dodgers concluded their three-game series against the Braves at Turner Field on Wednesday afternoon with a 3-1 victory behind the arm of Mike Bolsinger, who gave Los Angeles seven strong innings. Though Bolsinger didn't have the eye-catching numbers that opposing starter Julio Teheran put up, he held Atlanta batters to just one unearned run and three hits while retiring 14 consecutive batters from the third inning into the seventh. Los Angeles only managed to score during a three-run fifth inning, but it was more than enough to back Bolsinger's 98-pitch effort. "Good all day," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of his starter. "[He] wasn't walking anybody, [he was] throwing strikes and it seemed like he was able to kind of do what he wanted with the breaking ball. So good for us, we needed it today." Teheran had arguably his best start of the season for the Braves, showing improved fastball command in the early innings and tying his career high with 11 strikeouts, including four straight strikeouts to start the game. "He pitched well enough to win the game today," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It might have been his best outing he's had all year." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED The great Grandal: After missing two starts thanks to a foul tip off his face mask, Yasmani Grandal announced his return to the Dodgers' starting lineup by going 2-for-3 with a walk, including the leadoff double that sparked a three-run fifth inning. Grandal raised his average to.287 and his OPS to.930. A stuttering step: The Dodgers' three-run fifth began with a misplay by Atlanta right fielder Nick Markakis. Grandal led off the inning by lining a 1-0 pitch to right. Markakis, a two-time American League Gold Glove Award winner, initially took two steps in before quickly retreating, but the ball carried over his head for a double. After Carl Crawford's groundout pushed Grandal to third with one out, Alberto Callaspo hit a sharp grounder past second baseman Jace Peterson to tie the score at 1. Jimmy Rollins followed with a run-scoring double and Joc Pederson added a run with a two-out single. Kendrick at the keystone: A day after the Dodgers' defense had a rough game, Howie Kendrick put on a leather show. He started the first by robbing Peterson of a single with a diving stop to his right, then helped end the inning by starting a double play. His defensive display continued in the sixth inning, when he essentially retired the side in order after three straight ground balls came his way.

20 "I thought Howie was incredible today," Mattingly said. "He made a bunch of good plays at second base. One time just getting the lead runner [at second base] in an area that a lot of guys won't make that throw, he's willing to do it. He had a couple of diving plays up the middle." QUOTABLE "I'm just having fun. I think I kind of lost that along the way back in July. I was thinking too much, and I think that's what hurts me the most is when I start thinking too much. And now I'm just kind of back to smiling, just having fun." -- Bolsinger "It has been a different year. I'm just trying to work it out and control what I can control." -- Teheran REPLAY REVIEW Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons snuck in behind Grandal at second base in the second inning and received a pickoff throw from Teheran. Grandal was initially called safe by second-base umpire John Hirschbeck, but Simmons immediately signaled the Atlanta dugout to challenge the play. After a quick 56-second review, the call was overturned and Grandal was called out to end the inning. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for Los Angeles in the opener of a four-game series at Citi Field against the Mets on Thursday, with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. PT. You have to go back 21 innings before you find the last time Kershaw has allowed a run, and the three-time National League Cy Young Award winner has posted a 0.58 ERA over his past four starts. Braves: Atlanta hits the road for a 10-game swing that begins Friday in St. Louis at 8:15 p.m. ET, with rookie left-hander Manny Banuelos (1-1, 1.08 ERA) matching up against another rookie lefty, the Cardinals' Tim Cooney (0-0, 3.33 ERA). It's the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The Braves will also play the Orioles and Phillies in the swing before they return home Aug. 3 against the Giants. MRI results show no Achilles tear for Anderson By Carlos Collazo ATLANTA -- Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson got the results of an MRI on his left Achilles tendon Wednesday, which showed inflammation in the sheath around his tendon but no tear. "I wouldn't say 100 percent in the clear, but somewhat in the clear going forward to be sure," said Anderson, still with a boot on his left foot for precautionary reasons. "The sheath around my tendon is a little inflamed, but it was intact. Just one of those things going forward to watch and monitor. "Add that to the checklist of the stuff I have to do on a day-to-day basis."

21 After exiting Tuesday's start in the third inning with discomfort, Anderson woke up Wednesday morning feeling better than he expected to, and he said he felt good putting weight on his left foot and doing mobility exercises after struggling to walk and feeling pain going up and down steps Tuesday night. Anderson was encouraged by how he's felt, as well as the MRI results, and he quipped that it was a good thing because his speed would be returning, "which is obviously a big part of my game -- Billy Hamilton and me." Anderson is planning on throwing Thursday, and if everything goes well after that, he would throw his usual bullpen session on Friday and potentially be able to start at some point this weekend. "Take it day by day," Anderson said. "But just the drastic difference between today and yesterday -- which was surprising, but is a positive. Hopefully I can continue on that path, and [hopefully] it was just kind of a fluke deal where it grabbed and bothered me and I'm able to go out for the next one." Dodgers bring up Thomas, send down Liberatore By Carlos Collazo ATLANTA -- The Dodgers optioned left-hander Adam Liberatore to Triple-A Oklahoma City and promoted fellow lefty Ian Thomas from Triple-A on Wednesday. The move comes after Brett Anderson left Tuesday's game in the third inning with a left Achilles injury. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that Anderson felt better than anticipated Wednesday morning, but the team is waiting on MRI results. Thomas spent the better part of the past three seasons with the Braves' organization before the Dodgers acquired him in a late-may trade that sent Juan Uribe to Atlanta. Thomas was being stretched out as a starter in June with Oklahoma City, but he has been used as a reliever at the Major League level this season. The 28-year-old has posted a 4.14 ERA in 45 2/3 innings in the Minors this season. Kershaw rides scoreless streak into opener with Mets By Anthony DiComo Two pitchers trending in opposite directions will clash on Thursday, when the Mets and Dodgers meet for the first of four games at Citi Field in an MLB Network Showcase using Statcast technology. With the obvious exception of teammate Zack Greinke and his 43 2/3-inning scoreless streak, no starter has been hotter than Clayton Kershaw, who carries his own 20-inning shutout streak into the opener.

22 That stretch began the last time Kershaw faced the Mets, on July 3, when he took a no-decision despite throwing seven innings of one-run ball. Since then, he has delivered nine- and eight-inning shutout efforts against the Phillies and Nationals, respectively, striking out 27 and walking none. Contrast that to Mets starter Bartolo Colon, whose 6.10 ERA since June 18 is sixth highest in the National League among pitchers with at least five starts over that stretch. Three things to know about this game Despite his success against just about everybody, Kershaw has not beaten the Mets since July 2012, taking no-decisions both times he's faced them. The Mets are the only NL team Kershaw has not beaten over the past three calendar years, though he is 5-0 with a 1.58 ERA against them for his career. No current Met has ever homered off Kershaw, though John Mayberry Jr. has two extra-base hits off him in 12 career at-bats. Expect him in the lineup on Friday, likely taking the spot of left fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who has five home runs in his last 10 games, is 9-for-21 with two homers and two doubles in his career against Colon. LA DAILY NEWS Zack Greinke s scoreless streak is impressive, but the Dodgers really want him to throw more of them in the fall By Mark Whicker The Dodgers know what happens when they don t get the ball to Zack Greinke. In 2013 they were down 3-2 to St. Louis in the National League Championship Series. It was Clayton Kershaw s turn. Greinke was ready for Game 7, ominous news to the Cardinals, whom he handled smoothly in Game 5. But, thanks to an unforeseen meltdown by Kershaw, Greinke s next game was in April In 2014 they were down 2-1 in a five-game Division Series to the Cardinals, and Kershaw threw Game 4 at Busch Stadium. Again, Greinke had the hammer in his hand for Game 5, which would be at Dodger Stadium. That scenario was golfed into the right-field seats by Matt Big City Adams, and again Greinke had to turn in a batter s chart with no more batters to face. Clearly Kershaw suffered two anomalies, if that s possible. But we also know that at this very moment, Greinke would be given full access to the postseason baseball.

23 On Friday, Greinke attempts to extend his 43 2/3 innings scoreless streak, which has become a Dodgers specialty. He has not given up a run since Justin Upton of the Padres hit an eighth-inning, game-winning home run on June 13. Ahead of him are Don Drysdale (58 in 1968) and Orel Hershiser (59 in 1988). It s fashionable to dismiss such streaks as laden with luck, which of course they are. You have to dodge broken-bat hits, errors, and all of baseball s weird geometry. Drysdale lost his streak when the Phillies Howie Bedell lofted a sacrifice fly. It was the third of Bedell s three career RBIs. But a long streak also means very few fastball mistakes, excellent command and uncanny performance with runners in scoring position Hershier faced 29 hitters in RISP situations in the streak and retired them all. Besides, let s quit outsmarting ourselves. There are no shortcuts that get you through a month without a run. Some will tarnish Greinke s streak, in comparison, because he hasn t gone nine innings yet. Drysdale and Hershiser pitched complete games throughout. But Greinke has been stringing zeroes all year. Drysdale s ERA plunged from 2.52 to 1.31 during his run. Greinke s high ERA this year is 1.97, and it was at 1.95 when his streak began. It is 1.30 now. If anything, this will enlighten people about Greinke s pitching, if not his well-guarded personality. Those who know him well swear by him. Don t ask him anything unless you really want the answer, said Art Stewart, the longtime Kansas City superscout. He s not going to tell you something just because you want to hear it, but I like that. The Royals took Greinke sixth in the 2002 draft, one pick ahead of Prince Fielder, their second choice. Three of the players ahead of Greinke were pitchers who never made the big leagues. The other two are the disappointing B.J. Upton, now with his third franchise, and pitcher Adam Loewen of the Orioles. Along the way, Greinke showed an amazing memory, an independent streak, and an affinity for player evaluation. He was not moonlighting, either. He s been in the draft rooms for Kansas City and the Dodgers, and he spends spring training nights at college and high school ballparks. I was scouting Kyle Gibson from Missouri (now with the Twins) at a tournament one day in Arizona and Zack shows up, Stewart said. I said, what are you doing here? He told me he might want to do this after he retires. I said, well, it ll be a pay cut. During the free agency process, the Dodgers front office prepared for its first meeting with Greinke. Normally there s a healthy squadron of agents, lawyers and assorted greenflies accompanying the player. This time it was Greinke and no one else. He chatted with the executives for three hours.

24 He sees the big picture, said Ned Colletti, the general manager at the time. He wants to know everything in the organization, what direction it s headed. On the mound he s a lot like Greg Maddux, which sounds crazy because nobody should be compared to him. But he pays the same kind of attention to everything the hitter does. He files it away and uses it the same way. In Greinke s 2 1/2 years with the Dodgers, he has an outstanding WHIP of He has an opt-out clause in his contract this winter, which might explain why the Dodgers are scrambling to add another frontline starter before July 31. One can assume that he will not leave Dodger Stadium with another useless baseball in his pocket. GREINKE S STREAK June 18: vs. Rangers, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 K, Dodgers won 1-0 June 23: at Cubs, 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K, Dodgers lost 1-0 June 28: at Marlins, 7 2/3 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K, Dodgers won 2-0 July 4: vs. Mets, 7 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K, Dodgers won 4-3 July 9: vs. Phillies, 8 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 8 K, Dodgers won 6-0 June 19: at Nationals, 8 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 11 K, Dodgers won 5-0 CONSECUTIVE SCORELESS INNINGS PITCHED Orel Hershiser 59 Don Drysdale 58 Walter Johnson 55 2/3 Jack Coombs 53 Bob Gibson 47 Carl Hubbell 45 1/3 Cy Young 45 Doc White 45 Sal Maglie 45 R.A. Dickey 44 2/3 Ed Reulbach 44 Zack Greinke 43 2/3 Rube Waddell 43 2/3 Rube Foster 42 Brandon Webb 42 Clayton Kershaw 41 2/3 THREE FACTS 1. Zack Greinke ranks 14th among active pitchers in winning percentage. Clayton Kershaw is first.

25 2. Greinke had a 39-inning scoreless streak that began late in the 2008 season and stretched into 2009, for Kansas City. 3. Opponents are hitting.131 off Greinke during his current streak. Mike Bolsinger gives Dodgers a much-needed lift in 3-1 win over Braves By JP Hoornstra ATLANTA >> For Dodgers pitcher Mike Bolsinger, it doesn t really matter who said it or even what they said. When someone in the Atlanta Braves dugout shouted something at him in the spirit of the moment Wednesday, Bolsinger had another ounce of motivation. What were they chirping about? I guess I was throwing too many curveballs, Bolsinger said after the Dodgers 3-1 win. If you re showing me you re not hitting a pitch, why would I go to something else? The shouting match took place in the seventh inning. It lasted long enough for a couple of umpires to get between the mound and the Atlanta dugout, but not long enough for Bolsinger to identify who was shouting. That s what he said, at least. Later on, recalling the trade that sent him from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Dodgers last November for cash, Bolsinger said he uses everything as motivation. To me it doesn t get in my head at all, he said. It more personally kind of bothers me when you read stuff, but it s never something I let affect me on the field. Egged on by the Braves, the usually mild-mannered pitcher was fired up when he left the mound in the seventh inning. He got the last word in, literally and figuratively, by allowing only one unearned run in seven innings. Bolsinger (5-3) had only pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run once before in 24 career starts. The Dodgers probably needed those seven innings more than Bolsinger needed the motivation. Short starts by Brett Anderson on Tuesday and Brandon Beachy on Monday forced the bullpen to throw 9 1/3 innings over two days. Now, with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke lined up to start the next two days against the Mets, the pen can look forward to enjoying the benefits of rest. The bottom of the Dodgers lineup stepped up to push across three runs in the fifth inning against Braves starter Julio Teheran (6-5). Light-hitting third baseman Alberto Callaspo, lighter-hitting shortstop