Daily Clips September 3, 2017

Transcription

1 Daily Clips September 3, 2017

2 LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 DODGERS.COM Wood, Chacin face off to wrap SoCal clash- Nathan Ruiz Bellinger's 35th ties Dodgers' rookie HR record- Ken Gurnick Padres ding Darvish, take twin bill vs. Dodgers- AJ Cassavell and Ken Gurnick Dodgers confident in Darvish despite struggles- Ken Gurnick Padres walk off vs. Dodgers behind Solarte's HR- Ken Gurnick Like Mike: Bellinger catches catcher on list Barry M. Bloom Dodgers to use six-man rotation for homestand- Ken Gurnick LA TIMES Yu Darvish struggles again and Dodgers get swept in doubleheader by Padres- Andy McCullough Dodgers manager not worried about pitching matchups in wake of Arizona's sweep- Andy McCullough OC REGISTER Yu Darvish roughed up as Padres complete doubleheader sweep of Dodgers- Bill Plunkett Dodgers notes: Cody Bellinger matches Mike Piazza s rookie home run record- Bill Plunkett ESPN Padres rough up Darvish, beat LA 7-2 to sweep doubleheader- Associated Press Solarte homers in 9th to give Padres 6-5 win over Dodgers- Associated Press TRUE BLUE LA Dodgers offense not firing on all cylinders - Eric Stephen Cody Bellinger ties Dodgers rookie home run record- Eric Stephen Drillers walk-off gives them the second half division title- Craig Minami Yu Darvish has shortest start of career in loss to Padres- Eric Stephen Dodgers counting on Yu Darvish to deliver- Eric Stephen Dodgers to start Rich Hill, Hyun-jin Ryu, Kenta Maeda again vs. Diamondbacks- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER Left-handed relievers provide Dodgers with a major positive on Saturday - Cary Osborne Cody Bellinger matches Mike Piazza for Dodger home run rookie record- Cary Osborne Seager not ready to start yet; Dodgers bring up K-king Font- Cary Osborne The long wait is over for O Koyea Dickson- Cary Osborne NBC LA Yu Darvish Continues to Struggle as Dodgers Are Swept by San Diego in Saturday Doubleheader- Michael Duarte

3 Wood, Chacin face off to wrap SoCal clash By Nathan Ruiz LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2017 DODGERS.COM When the Dodgers and Padres play their fourth game in three days Sunday, left-hander Alex Wood will take the mound at Petco Park, where he sparked a fracas in June. Believing San Diego's Jose Pirela was stealing his signs during a June 30 start, Wood threatened to hit the Padres' outfielder, eventually leading to a dustup that ended with Padres manager Andy Green and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ejected. Both managers have said their meetings since have been cordial. Opposing Wood will be right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, whose 1.85 home ERA is the best of any starter in baseball. It will be Chacin's fifth start against the Dodgers in After they roughed him up on Opening Day, Chacin has handled them since, with a 1.17 ERA in his previous three outings against Los Angeles. After the Padres swept a doubleheader on Saturday, Sunday will be the final time the teams play in San Diego in They'll face each other for three more at Dodger Stadium near the end of the month. Things to know for this game Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager is not expected to play the field in the series. He is available to pinchhit. In the June start, Wood struck out eight Padres across six one-run innings in a game the Dodgers won, Only twice in Wood's 20 starts this year have the Dodgers given him two or fewer runs of support. He's fifth in the National League in run support per start. Chacin hasn't pitched more than five innings since Aug. 7, yet he's pitched to a 3.20 ERA in that fourstart span. Since the All-Star break, he leads MLB starters in batting average against while behind in the count, limiting his opponents to.148 in those circumstances. Bellinger's 35th ties Dodgers' rookie HR record By Ken Gurnick SAN DIEGO -- Cody Bellinger moved into truly rarified air on Saturday, tying Mike Piazza for the Dodgers' rookie home run record with his 35th big fly in a 6-5 loss to the Padres in the first game of a doubleheader at Petco Park.

4 "I'd be lying if I said it wasn't in the back of my mind," Bellinger said about Piazza's rookie record. "Obviously, he was a great player who had a great career, so to be in the same sentence with him is pretty cool." Bellinger homered off left-hander Clayton Richard, Bellinger's 10th against a left-hander and the first homer Richard has allowed to a left-handed batter since Bellinger also moved into 8th on the alltime rookie home run list, breaking a tie with Ryan Braun ('07) and Walt Dropo (1950). He's now tied with Piazza, Ron Kittle (1983), Hal Trotsky (1934) and Rudy York (1937). Bellinger and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge are the only pair of rookies to have at least 35 home runs in the same season. "Didn't know that," Bellinger said, when told of the stat. Piazza's record was set in 1993, when he went on to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Bellinger is likely to repeat that win despite a stint on the 10-day disabled list for a sprained right ankle and opening the season in the Minor Leagues. Bellinger's 35th homer led off the fourth inning, and it gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. The towering shot was estimated by Statcast at 409 feet with a launch angle of 35 degrees. Padres ding Darvish, take twin bill vs. Dodgers By A.J. Cassavell and Ken Gurnick SAN DIEGO -- Doubleheaders at Petco Park don't come around often. The Padres made the most of their once-in-a-decade opportunity Saturday. After walking off in Game 1, the San Diego offense roughed up Yu Darvish in the nightcap, en route to a 5-2 victory and a sweep of the Dodgers, owners of baseball's best record. Carlos Asuaje homered and Erick Aybar had three hits, as the Padres chased Darvish after three-plus innings -- the shortest start of his career. "It just says a lot about the type of potential we have," Asuaje said. "... Maybe we haven't put everything together so far this season, as a whole. But we have some serious talent and serious ability. To me, [today] says a lot about us and the possibilities we have for the future." Eleven of 20 Padres batters reached base against Darvish, and he allowed five earned runs on eight hits before exiting with two men aboard in the fourth inning. Making his Padres debut, right-hander Jordan Lyles didn't last much longer. But, despite four walks and six hits allowed, Lyles escaped a couple jams and held the L.A. offense to two runs over 4 1/3 innings. The bullpen did the rest with 4 2/3 scoreless frames to close the second doubleheader in the history of the 13-year-old ballpark, and the first since July 1, The Padres hadn't swept Los Angeles in a twin bill since June 17, 1988, at Dodger Stadium. "Today, look at that team, two games, they outplayed us," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.

5 The Dodgers have lost seven of eight, their worst stretch of the season. Still, at 92-43, they're comfortably atop the race for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, with a 10-game lead over Houston. The Dodgers' nightcap lineup was not only missing shortstop Corey Seager, who hasn't started since last Sunday because of an elbow injury, but also first baseman Cody Bellinger, who in Game 1 hit his 35th homer to tie Mike Piazza for the rookie franchise record. Suddenly hot Justin Turner doubled in one run, and Adrian Gonzalez singled in the other. The Dodgers had only one base runner after the fifth inning. "You look at what Corey brings, arguably our best offensive player, and Cody is just getting his feet wet, trying to get untracked," said Roberts. "[Justin Turner] the last four games is swinging the way he has all year and we've got to get [Curtis Granderson] going. Right now we're not firing, but I see the compete." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Szcz the moment: Asuaje tied the game at 2 with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the third, and the Padres quickly pushed another run across before loading the bases for Matt Szczur. Making a rare start in center field in place of Manuel Margot, Szczur smacked a two-run double down the right-field line, giving the Padres a 5-2 lead. San Diego batted around in the frame, and Lyles made two of their three outs. Turning point: Half an inning later, the Dodgers also loaded the bases -- and they did so with a red-hot Justin Turner at the plate. But Lyles coolly got Turner to chop to third base, ending the threat. It was Darvish who began the attempted rally with his fourth career hit, and he spent much of the inning on the basepaths -- after enduring a 30-minute bottom half of the third. Sure enough, Darvish allowed a walk and a single to open the fourth, spelling the end of his night. QUOTABLE "I think that fun element carried the team. It sounds really elementary, but it's a big deal in a doubleheader when you're exhausted and you've been out there. Guys had a lot of fun." -- Padres manager Andy Green AYBAR RETURNS IN STYLE Making his first start in six weeks, Aybar made his presence felt at the top of the Padres' lineup. Aybar, who broke a bone in his left foot on a foul ball on July 21, went 3-for-3 against Darvish, improving to.406 in 32 career at-bats against him. Aybar would tack on a sixth-inning walk as well. "You come back and try to do the little things right," Aybar said. "You don't try to do anything crazy -- you just try to do the little things. Luckily, I was able to have a good game against a good team." UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Dodgers challenged a safe call at first base on a grounder hit by Cory Spangenberg to first baseman Gonzalez, who threw to Darvish, who didn't step on the bag. The call was confirmed and Spangenberg was safe at first with Aybar advancing from second to third base. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Alex Wood comes off the disabled list for a second time from a sternum irritation to start the Sunday series finale at 1:10 p.m. PT. Despite the discomfort, he's having a breakout, All-Star season and a strong finish will put him in the NL Cy Young Award discussion.

6 Padres: August was a bit of a grind for Padres right-hander Jhoulys Chacin, who starts Sunday's series finale against the Dodgers. He's coming off a stretch of four starts in which he didn't last more than five innings -- yet he allowed one run in three of those games. Dodgers confident in Darvish despite struggles By Ken Gurnick SAN DIEGO -- Remember back in the day, when the Sports Illustrated cover asked if the Dodgers were the: Best. Team. Ever? On Saturday, they weren't the best team in San Diego, getting swept by the Padres in a doubleheader for the first time since 1988 only days after getting swept in a series by the D-backs. Pedro Baez served up a walk-off homer in the 6-5 opening loss and Yu Darvish followed with the shortest start of his career in the 7-2 nightcap defeat. The Dodgers, their once 21 1/2-game division lead trimmed to 14 1/2 games, have lost seven of eight and are 3-8 since the Sports Illustrated cover jinx was activated. Darvish seemed healthy enough with a 97-mph fastball, but he's been throwing off a mound almost daily to work out mechanical flaws the club believes developed after his 2015 Tommy John surgery. Among the bad habits: a raised arm slot that dulled the late sideways break of his slider, and not striding directly toward home plate, cutting off the extension and finish to his pitches. "I looked at the video after the game and it was getting better," said Darvish. "My velocity was there, had good stuff going and ground balls found the holes. It wasn't my day." Darvish said muscle memory is the key to fixing both major flaws. "There's a gap between what I'm thinking in my mind and what I'm actually doing on the mound," he said. "If I fix that, I feel I can pitch much better. As an example, sometimes I crow step too much to the third-base side but in my mind I'm stepping toward first-base side. It's got me off course. Say you think you are walking straight, but you actually aren't and you're trying to fix it, that's frustrating, right? It's the same thing." Darvish gave up two leads to the Padres, who couldn't get a ball out of the infield off Clayton Kershaw Friday night, the only game the Dodgers have won this week. Darvish was lifted after allowing the first two batters of the fourth inning to reach base, charged with five runs on eight hits. He fired seven scoreless innings in his debut against the Mets, but has a 6.16 ERA in four starts since. Manager Dave Roberts agreed that Darvish was better mechanically but also unlucky, as many hard-hit ground balls skipped through for hits. While pitching coach Rick Honeycutt works out the mechanical kinks, Roberts works to keep Darvish's head straight. "I told Yu just to keep his confidence," Roberts said. "He's trending the right way. I know the linescore doesn't look that way. There's no wavering on our side as far as belief in him. There are no health

7 concerns. Sometimes things go sideways, but he's had a lot of success in this league and we know it's going to come." Padres walk off vs. Dodgers behind Solarte's HR By AJ Cassavell and Ken Gurnick SAN DIEGO -- Yangervis Solarte crushed a walk-off home run in the ninth inning Saturday afternoon, sending the Padres to a 6-5 victory in the opener of a rare doubleheader at Petco Park over the Dodgers in the opening game of Petco Park's first doubleheader in 11 years. Solarte turned around an 0-1 fastball from Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez, sending it onto the home-run deck in right field for his first career walk-off blast and the third by a Padre this season. It negated Justin Turner's two-run shot in the top half of the frame and Cody Bellinger's fourth-inning homer, his 35th of the season, which tied Mike Piazza's record for a Dodgers rookie. "Fastball that just didn't get there," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Baez's game-ending pitch. "He tried to come in on him, Solarte likes the ball close and if it leaks back, he can put a good swing on it. This wasn't as sharp [for Baez], but for what he's done, the confidence for him hasn't wavered." Turner had been given the first eight innings off, but he made his lone at-bat count, demolishing a hanging slider from Padres closer Brad Hand off the facing of the second deck in left field. It erased a two-run deficit, but it ultimately served to set the stage for Solarte's heroics a few moments later. "When Turner got the homer, I said, 'Stay focused, Maybe we'll get a walk-off,'" Solarte said. "Then that happened. Wow." With the loss, the Dodgers, now 92-42, cannot clinch a playoff berth until Monday at the earliest. Of course, their focus remains on securing home-field advantage throughout the postseason, and they have a comfortable 11-game lead over the Nationals and Astros entering the evening's set of games. The game was left in the hands of the Dodgers' bullpen after an erratic yet effective effort from Brock Stewart, who was called up to make the spot start and allowed one run over four innings but issued four of the staff's eight walks. "Brock was getting behind hitters," said Roberts. "Four walks in four innings, not being able to put them away. Some 0-2 pitches, he couldn't finish them." San Diego's Clayton Richard was a bit more efficient, tossing six innings of three-run ball before he was removed for a pinch-hitter after 78 pitches. "Really, one pitch to Bellinger wasn't competitive, and he took advantage," Richard said. "Other than that, I feel as if I threw the ball pretty well. Was able to keep us in there." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Record-setting rookie: Jose Pirela's third-inning sacrifice fly tied the game at 1, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. Bellinger led off the fourth with a 409-foot no-doubter to right field, the first home run by

8 a left-hander against Richard since April He and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge are the only pair of rookies to hit 35 homers in the same season. Getting even: The first three Padres reached base in the sixth, with Jabari Blash's single bringing the Padres within one. The Dodgers could've escaped the threat unscathed when pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez hit a one-out bouncer to short, but second baseman Logan Forsythe played too far from the bag to turn a double play. Shortstop Enrique Hernandez settled for the out at first, and Cory Spangenberg scored, tying the game at 3. Where there's a Wil: The Padres will fete Wil Myers for his April cycle on Saturday night with a bobblehead to commemorate the occasion. Myers got a jump-start on the festivities. With the score tied at 3 in the seventh, Myers launched a missile over the head of debuting left fielder O'Koyea Dickson, who misplayed the carom. Dickson stumbled as he turned to retrieve the ball, allowing Pirela to score and Myers to reach third. Spangenberg's single through a drawn-in infield plated Myers and gave San Diego a bit of insurance. "I haven't driven in too many runs lately, but to be able to drive that one in with the triple, it was nice just to be able to come through for the team finally," said Myers, who also doubled in the for his first game with multiple extra-base hits since Aug. 5. "Felt pretty good today, working on some things that hopefully will translate." QUOTABLE "He brings energy every day, and in baseball, that's a difficult thing to do, especially when you're a guy that plays every day. This game's tough, and when you're playing every day, it's even more difficult. To bring energy like he does consistently, that's huge." -- Richard, on Solarte SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Dodgers had five rookies in their starting lineup -- Bellinger, Rob Segedin, O'Koyea Dickson, Alex Verdugo and Stewart. Verdugo recorded his first big league hit in the second inning. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Yu Darvish pitches Saturday's nightcap at 7:10 p.m. PT. He's been working on mechanical flaws believed to be the remnants of 2015 Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers will load their lineup with lefthanded hitters, among them Chase Utley, (switch-hitter) Yasmani Grandal and possibly Verdugo, Andre Ethier and Curtis Granderson. Padres: Jordan Lyles signed a Minor League deal with the Padres last month. He'll make his first big league start for San Diego in Game 2 of the twin bill. Lyles posted a 4.50 ERA in five starts for Triple-A El Paso after spending the first four months as a long reliever in Colorado. Like Mike: Bellinger catches catcher on list By Barry M. Bloom SAN DIEGO -- By any extent of the imagination, this has been a dream season for left-handed powerhitting Cody Bellinger, who tied a 24-year-old Dodgers rookie record held by Hall of Famer Mike Piazza on Saturday with his 35th home run.

9 "Yeah, absolutely. I couldn't imagine doing this at all," Bellinger said between games of Saturday's makeup day-night doubleheader. "I just feel like things keep coming. For me, I'm just trying to keep going with it, enjoy it as much as I can, and at the end of the day, do what I can to help us win as well." The fourth-inning leadoff blast into the right-field seats at Petco Park came off left-hander Clayton Richard in a 6-5 loss to the Padres. Bellinger, 22 and the son of former big league utility player Clay Bellinger, wasn't even born in 1993, the year Piazza set the record for the Dodgers. Piazza was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame along with Ken Griffey Jr. in "Obviously, to be considered in the same sentence as [Piazza] is pretty cool," Bellinger said. "I'd be lying if I didn't say it was in the back of my mind." Bellinger and Yankees slugger Aaron Judge are the only pair of rookies to have ever hit at least 35 home runs in the same season. Judge has amassed 37 blasts for the Bombers. "I didn't know that," Bellinger said. "That's pretty cool, too. There's another one. That's crazy, huh?" Bellinger had been sitting on 34 homers since Aug. 12. A week later, he sprained his right ankle playing the outfield when Adrian Gonzalez returned from a back injury and displaced him at first base. Bellinger went on the disabled list for 10 days, and he was activated in his hometown of Phoenix on Wednesday night, with his father in attendance at Chase Field. Clay played parts of four seasons with the Yankees and Angels from , batting.193 in 183 games, and Cody calls his dad his greatest influence. The younger Bellinger grew up in Gilbert, Ariz., just south of downtown Phoenix, and he was selected by the Dodgers in the fourth round of the '14 Draft out of Hamilton High School. His father is a fireman in the Gilbert, Ariz., fire department -- a far cry from his MLB days. "He says it's a much smaller clubhouse," Bellinger said. "There's only six or seven guys, and they really have to be tight and have each other's backs. Every day could be a matter of life and death." For Cody, his biggest problem has been shaking off the dust from his injury layoff. He was 2-for-13 with six strikeouts when he came up to open the fourth against Richard, who hadn't allowed a homer to a lefty since That streak ended on the first pitch of the at-bat. Had Bellinger felt uncomfortable in his first three games after being activated? "Oh, a little bit," Bellinger said. "You take a couple of days off, and your swing is going to be off. I think it takes 15, 20 at-bats to really feel comfortable again." Bellinger has emerged as the biggest surprise on a Dodgers team that has won 92 games and is strolling away with its fifth consecutive National League West title. Los Angeles hasn't won or even been to the World Series since defeating the A's in five games in the 1988 Fall Classic.

10 When Spring Training ended, Bellinger didn't seem to be a factor in changing that. He hit.207 (12-for- 58) with two homers and 10 RBIs as he retooled his swing. When camp broke, Bellinger was sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City for 18 games, where he exploded with a slash line of.343/.429/.627, five homers, 15 RBIs and a OPS before the Dodgers called him up for good on April 25. The Dodgers opened the season 10-12, and an argument can be made that Bellinger has been the prime catalyst for the club turning the season into an epic one. Bellinger is fair-faced, unflappable and humble -- despite the fact that he made the NL All-Star team, participated in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby and is unquestionably the frontrunner for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. The Yankees' brass have said that Judge's performance came as a complete surprise, considering his injuries and his.179 batting average in the 27 games he played after being called up in August Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he isn't surprised about the way Bellinger has played. "We knew there was a big upside in the power," Roberts said. "It's just more of him now being able to take a walk when he needs to take a walk, using the opposite gap when he needs to when pitchers are pitching him away. And he's done that. You knew he was going to slug, but you didn't know he was going to turn into this good a hitter." The numbers don't lie. In 105 games for the Dodgers, Bellinger is slashing at.270/.351/.603. He has 81 RBIs, 48 walks -- and those 35 homers, of course. Bellinger is now 8th on the all-time rookie home run list, breaking a tie with Ryan Braun, who hit 34 in 2007 for the Brewers, and Walt Dropo, who did the same in 1950 for the Red Sox. One more, and Bellinger will no longer be like Mike. He'll be all alone at the top of the Dodgers' singleseason rookie list. Dodgers to use six-man rotation for homestand By Ken Gurnick SAN DIEGO -- With his club in a stretch of 17 games in 16 days, manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers will continue to use a six-man rotation when they return Monday for the start of a week-long homestand. That means Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda will start the three games against the D-backs, as they did in Arizona this week with unfortunate results (19 runs in 10 2/3 innings). "Doesn't matter," said Roberts. "They just didn't pitch well. We'll be at home, and they're going to pitch better. We're not concerned about the matchup. As we get to the middle of September, we'll get set with five guys." Roberts left no doubt that Yu Darvish, the starter of Saturday's doubleheader nightcap, will join Clayton Kershaw at the top of the rotation for the postseason, even though Darvish has spent the past two weeks working daily to iron out mechanical flaws.

11 "He's a guy that's a front-line starter in a postseason game," Roberts said of Darvish. "I'm very confident the best is yet to come." Darvish has been working with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt on what Roberts indicated were bad mechanical habits Darvish developed in the wake of 2015 Tommy John surgery. "After the surgery, certain things mechanically [happen] as you try to guard against the elbow," said Roberts. "The angle of his shoulders [dipping] and the lower half, things evolve and he's gotten away from what he normally does. It's something he feels he can handle. Each time he takes the mound, it's getting better. The goal is to get him right by the postseason." Worth noting Roberts said that when Corey Seager (sore elbow) is cleared to resume throwing on Monday, he will need a progression of four to seven days before he is ready to play in a game. Roberts said he does not expect the injury to further sideline Seager. "We're not too concerned about it," Roberts said. "We're being very cautious right now. Talking to Corey, to the medical staff, we're not concerned about it. Just being cautious. Just doing the right thing, keeping it at bay." Alex Wood told Roberts that he felt 100 percent after throwing a bullpen session on Friday in preparation for being activated to start Sunday's series finale. Wood has been on the disabled list for the second time this year with an inflamed sternum. The Dodgers officially promoted Brock Stewart to start Saturday's day game and also added Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year Wilmer Font to the bullpen. To make room on the 40-man roster, pitcher Jordan Jankowski was designated for assignment. LA TIMES Yu Darvish struggles again and Dodgers get swept in doubleheader by Padres By Andy McCullough Yu Darvish stared at his cleats as he finished the worst inning of his brief, confounding career as a Dodger. His team would play 18 innings of baseball and lose twice in Saturday s doubleheader, but no inning mattered more than the third frame of the nightcap. After surrendering four runs during a stretch when six consecutive Padres reached base, Darvish trudged into the dugout midway through a 7-2 loss. A month ago, when the Dodgers acquired Darvish from Texas minutes before the July 31 trade deadline, the trade elicited exhilaration among his new teammates. Now the group gave him space. Clayton Kershaw patted Darvish on the back as he disappeared into the clubhouse. The excitement about Darvish s arrival has been overtaken by confusion about his performance. He has thrown so many bullpen sessions that his manager cannot keep track of his schedule. The extra work is

12 not superfluous. Under pitching coach Rick Honeycutt s guidance, Darvish has been reshaping his mechanics to resemble the delivery he utilized before undergoing elbow reconstruction in The process has not been seamless as Darvish gave up five runs in three innings in the evening. Earlier in the day, the Dodgers were defeated 6-5 when Pedro Baez served up a walk-off homer to Padres shortstop Yangervis Solarte. Concern about Darvish, though, will linger beyond Saturday. His earned-run average after five starts as a Dodger rose to Yu will admit that he hasn t thrown the way he s going to throw for us, Roberts said before the game. Roberts rolled out a lineup for the first game that belonged in the Cactus League. O Koyea Dickson made his big-league debut. in left field. Alex Verdugo, a 21-year-old rookie, started in center for the second game in a row. Rob Segedin replaced Justin Turner at third base. Enrique Hernandez started at shortstop and batted third. The Dodgers still surged to an early lead. Cody Bellinger broke a tie in the fourth inning with a solo home run off Padres pitcher Clayton Richard. It was Bellinger s 35th homer of the season, which tied Mike Piazza for the franchise record for a rookie. Bellinger had not homered since Aug. 12, a drought extended by his recent stint on the 10-day disabled list because of a sprained ankle. I m just trying to keep going with it, enjoying it as much as I can, Bellinger said. And doing what I can help to win, as well. The expanded roster offered Roberts a slew of understudies to use. Brock Stewart started the game, ran up his pitch count with four walks and exited after four innings of one-run baseball. Wilmer Font, Stewart s replacement on the mound, gave up two runs in the sixth in his first big-league outings since Josh Ravin yielded two more in the seventh. Dodgers manager not worried about pitching matchups in wake of Arizona's sweep Turner came off the bench in the ninth to tie the score by crushing a hanging slider from Padres All-Star Brad Hand for a two-run homer. The deadlock only lasted two batters in the bottom of the ninth. Baez threw a belt-high 96-mph fastball to Solarte, who powered it over the right-field fence. Despite a 1.94 earned-run average, Baez s peripheral numbers are troubling, and the team will likely lean on Brandon Morrow as Kenley Jansen s primary set-up man. The confidence for him hasn t wavered, Roberts said. We ve just got to work through some things. The events of the nightcap carried more weight than the day game. For Darvish, the transition to Los Angeles has not been seamless. He struck out 10 Mets in his Dodgers debut, and struck out 10 more against Arizona in his next outing. On Aug. 16, though, in an odd outing against the White Sox, Darvish struck out a career-low two batters and felt his back tighten up during the game. The Dodgers placed him on the 10-day disabled list. During his time off, Darvish tinkered with his delivery. Honeycutt had studied video of Darvish s tenure with the Rangers. He noticed how Darvish s arm slot had become more elevated after he returned from Tommy John surgery in The alteration defanged his slider, which many scouts consider the most effective of his offspeed pitches.

13 It s not something that I came up with, changing mechanics, Darvish said. It came from the team. And I agreed with them, to work on it. If it came from me, that means I m probably over-thinking it. But it came from them, and I agree with them. It's ridiculous that Dodgers' historic run is not seen by majority of fans Honeycutt suggested Darvish lower his elbow, which would create a better angle on the slider. Darvish shifted closer to the third-base side of the rubber. In his first game back from the disabled list, Darvish struck out seven Brewers on Aug. 27. But he lasted only five innings and gave up three runs. He was inefficient and permitted six hits. Darvish described the process as a rebuilding of muscle memory. There is a gap between what I m thinking and what I m doing on the mound, he explained. Let me give you an example: Sometimes I step too much to the third-base side, but in my mind, I m stepping toward home, the first-base side, Darvish said. Those are the things I m talking about. He added, Say you think you re walking straight, but you actually aren t. When you re trying to fix it, that s frustrating, right? It s the same thing. If he made progress on Saturday, it was not reflected in his statistics. The game did not start well for Darvish. He hung a first-inning slider to shortstop Erick Aybar, who hit a double on a line drive that Verdugo dove for and missed. Aybar scored two batters later on a groundout. The third inning was a mess. A one-run lead evaporated when San Diego second baseman Carlos Asuaje hit a 96-mph fastball over the fence in right. Darvish surrendered three singles in a row, including an infield hit for Aybar when Darvish missed the bag while covering first base and an RBI knock for first baseman Hector Sanchez. After walking outfielder Jabari Blash, Darvish watched outfielder Matt Szczur stroke a two-run double down the first-base line. Darvish returned for the fourth but he did not stay long. He walked Asuaje. After a single by Aybar, Roberts ended Darvish s evening. Afterward, he managed to find a positive tone. I told Yu after to keep his confidence, Roberts said. He s working through some things. There were a lot of groundballs that found holes. The curveball was up a little bit. The fastball didn t get located some times. But we re trending the right way. I know the line score doesn t seem that way. But the most important thing for me is for him to go out there and continue to compete. Dodgers manager not worried about pitching matchups in wake of Arizona's sweep By Andy McCullough The trio of Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda took a hellacious pounding earlier this week in Arizona, giving up 19 runs in 10 2/3 innings as the Dodgers were swept for the first time this season. The Diamondbacks visit Dodger Stadium for a three-game series, which begins on Monday. The three pitchers for the Dodgers?

14 Hill. Ryu. Maeda. Manager Dave Roberts sounded unconcerned about the prospects of a rematch. It doesn t matter, Roberts said. They just didn t pitch well. We ll be at home. They re going to pitch better. As far as the matchups, we re not concerned about the matchups. The Dodgers will use six pitchers for one turn through the rotation next week. The team activated Clayton Kershaw from the disabled list on Friday. Alex Wood will be activated Saturday. After next week, Roberts said, the team will reshape its rotation into a five-man unit, likely shifting either Maeda or Ryu into the bullpen. Seager to throw Shut down with elbow inflammation since Tuesday, Corey Seager will begin a throwing program that is scheduled to last four to seven days, Roberts said. After that, the team will try to return him to the starting lineup at shortstop. Seager told The Times on Friday that an MRI of his elbow revealed problems, which are causing swelling and inflammation, but he downplayed the severity of his condition. He insisted he could play through any pain and would get re-evaluated after the playoffs. Roberts echoed that plan. We re not concerned about it, the manager said. Corey feels good about it. We re just being cautious. We re doing the right thing by trying to keep it at bay. Short hops The Dodgers added two more players to the roster on Saturday, promoting pitchers Brock Stewart, who started the first game of the doubleheader, and Wilmer Font, who was named Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year. Font posted a 3.42 earned-run average for triple-a Oklahoma City. To make room on the roster, the Dodgers designated pitcher Jordan Jankowski for assignment. OC REGISTER Yu Darvish roughed up as Padres complete doubleheader sweep of Dodgers By Bill Plunkett SAN DIEGO In the dugout before Saturday s doubleheader at Petco Park had started, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts assured reporters that they had not seen the best of Yu Darvish as a Dodger yet. A long day s journey into night followed and that still remained true. Darvish retired just nine of the 20 batters he faced in the shortest outing of his 127 big-league starts. The San Diego Padres batted around against him in the third inning and chased him in the fourth, completing a doubleheader sweep with a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers in the night game.

15 The Dodgers have now lost seven of their past eight games with the lone victory coming in Clayton Kershaw s return Friday night. Even with Kershaw s start included, Dodgers starting pitchers have a 7.96 ERA during this eight-game skid. Brock Stewart pitched well enough in the first game Saturday, allowing one run in four innings and leaving with a 3-1 lead thanks in part to Cody Bellinger s 35th home run (tying Mike Piazza for the Dodgers rookie record). But the Dodgers needed Justin Turner to hit a two-run pinch-hit home run in the ninth inning to tie the game temporarily. Yangervis Solarte hit a walkoff home run off Pedro Baez in the bottom of the ninth to give the Padres a 6-5 win in the opener. That was less troubling than the poor start Darvish offered up in the night game. It just wasn t my day, Darvish said through his interpreter. It hasn t been his day since his first start with the Dodgers. Darvish pitched seven scoreless innings and struck out 10 Mets that night, back when parade routes were still being discussed. In four starts since then, however, he has allowed 13 runs in 19 innings (a 6.16 ERA) with a 1.89 WHIP while allowing a.329 batting average and six home runs. During that time, Darvish has been working on adjustments in his mechanics. He seemed to pop up on the bullpen mound during pre-game workouts on a daily basis leading into this start, trying to rediscover the release point and arm slot he used before Tommy John surgery in That search left Darvish looking uncomfortable and ineffective against the Padres Saturday. He gave up eight hits, walked three and struggled through a 39-pitch, five-run third inning. So much so, Roberts said he talked to Darvish after the game about not getting too discouraged with the poor results. I want to make sure we stay ahead of it and keep his confidence, Roberts said. (Are we) concerned? No. But obviously there s some thought if I addressed it with him. Darvish acknowledged some frustration with the adjustment process. There s a gap between what I m thinking in my mind and what I m actually doing on the mound, he said. That s what I m trying to fix. If I can fix that I feel I can pitch way better than now. It s physical movement that I think I m doing but I m not doing. I ll give you an example. Sometimes I cross step. I step to the third-base side. But in my mind, I m stepping more to the first-base side. That s the gap I m talking about. Say, you think you re walking straight and you re actually not. That s frustrating, right? Contrary to all the statistical evidence, Roberts said Darvish is trending the right way and Saturday s mess looked worse than it was thanks to a lot of ground balls that found holes.

16 It hasn t been ground balls alone that have produced that.329 average against Darvish in his past four starts. None of the six home runs he has allowed in that time were ground balls. Even with their recent slump, however, the Dodgers have the luxury of letting Darvish take his lumps while making adjustments in September that they hope will pay off with dominant performances in October. There s no wavering on our side in our belief in him, Roberts said. He s had a lot of success in this league and we know it s going to come. Dodgers notes: Cody Bellinger matches Mike Piazza s rookie home run record By Bill Plunkett SAN DIEGO Jerry Seinfeld and Mike Piazza were both big in the 90s. Cody Bellinger has heard of one of them. I heard of Piazza. I know about him, laughed Bellinger who couldn t identify Seinfeld during a TV interview earlier this season. A great player, a great catcher. I ve only heard good things about him. Now, he has matched one piece of Piazza s Los Angeles legacy. Bellinger led off the fourth inning of Saturday s first game with a solo home run. It was his 35th of the season, matching Piazza s Dodgers rookie record from It was another milestone Bellinger said he couldn t imagine doing before making his major league debut on April 25 but one that occupied his thoughts once he realized how close he was. Obviously he was a great player, had a great career. So to be in the same sentence with him is pretty cool, Bellinger said. I d be lying if I said it wasn t in the back of my mind. Saturday s record-tying home run was Bellinger s first since Aug. 12, a stretch that included a 10-day timeout on the DL after spraining his right ankle on Aug. 19. Bellinger had just two hits in his first 13 atbats after returning on Wednesday and admitted he was still trying to get back in touch with his swing. A little bit. I think (when) you take a couple days off your swing is going to be off a little bit, he said. I think it takes 15, 20 at-bats to feel comfortable again. We ll see (if that adjustment period is over). You might feel good one at-bat and the next one you re not. That s just baseball. Bellinger has already defied a lot of baseball logic with his precocious power display this season. His 35th home run came in his 105th career game. Only Mark McGwire hit more home runs (39) in the first 105 games of his career. Bellinger has 28 games to match Wally Berger (1930) and Frank Robinson (1956) who share the National League record for home runs by a rookie, 38.

17 He was going through a little lull after being activated from the DL, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. There s no panic in him. He continues to compete, gather information. When he puts the barrel on it, he s going to slug. And he s only going to get better. SECOND VERSE The Dodgers will send Rich Hill, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Kenta Maeda to the mound for a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium beginning Monday. Those same three starters were lit up for 19 runs in 10 2/3 innings as the Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers at Chase Field earlier this week. It doesn t matter. They just didn t pitch well, Roberts said. We ll be at home. They re going to pitch better. As far as the matchup, we re not concerned about the matchup. Starting with the Diamondbacks series, the Dodgers will face potential playoff opponents (the Diamondbacks, Rockies and Nationals) in 13 of their final 26 games. Roberts acknowledged that it is an advantage to the offense any pitcher, any hitter will tell you that to face a pitcher you might see in the postseason. To get that visual so close to a potential playoff matchup is more helpful than video or scouting reports. But Roberts said the Dodgers do not plan to alter their rotation so that their likely playoff starters (Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Hill and Alex Wood) will avoid facing potential playoff opponents too often down the stretch. Obviously, there s a rotation, an order of pitchers we believe in, he said. Right now, we re going to run them out there. We play Arizona. We play Colorado. You can only manipulate so much. If they face Arizona or Colorado (in the playoffs), so be it. Roberts said the Dodgers will stick with a six-man rotation for the time being, meaning Ryu and Maeda who are not likely to start in the postseason could start some of those games against the Diamondbacks, Rockies and Nationals. ALSO In order to clear a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Wilmer Font who was called up Saturday, the Dodgers designated right-hander Jordan Jankowski for assignment. Jankowski was claimed on waivers from the Houston Astros last month. He allowed four runs in three innings over four relief appearances for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

18 ESPN Padres rough up Darvish, beat LA 7-2 to sweep doubleheader By Associated Press SAN DIEGO -- Carlos Asuaje homered and Erick Aybar had three singles off Yu Darvish, who failed to get an out in the fourth inning as the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 on Saturday night for a doubleheader sweep of the runaway NL West leaders. It was the shortest outing of the year for Darvish (2-2), who allowed five runs and eight hits, struck out five and walked three. His previous shortest outing was 3 2/3 innings in a loss to Miami on July 26, his final start with Texas before he was traded to the Dodgers at the July 31 deadline. The Dodgers have lost seven of their last eight. They still own MLB's best record at In the first game, Yangervis Solarte homered with one out in the ninth to lift the Padres to a 6-5 victory. Solarte's first career walkoff homer and his 15th shot this season came off Pedro Baez (3-3). In the top of the inning, Justin Turner's pinch-hit, two-run homer off All-Star closer Brad Hand (3-4). Solarte homers in 9th to give Padres 6-5 win over Dodgers By Associated Press SAN DIEGO -- Moments after Justin Turner hit a monster two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to pull the Los Angeles Dodgers into a tie, Yangervis Solarte came through with the biggest swing in his three-plus seasons with the San Diego Padres. Solarte homered with one out in the ninth to lift the Padres to a 6-5 victory against the Dodgers in the first game of a split doubleheader on Saturday, the sixth loss in seven games for the runaway NL West leaders. Solarte's first career walkoff homer and his 15th shot this season came off Pedro Baez (3-3). "That's really nice. Wow. That's good. No. 1," Solarte said in English before turning things over to a translator. As much of a gut punch as it was to watch Turner's no-doubt, pinch homer off All-Star closer Brad Hand fly into the second deck in left, Solarte knew he'd be coming up in the bottom of the ninth. "I said, `Stay focused; maybe we'll get a walkoff,' and that happened," Solarte said. "Wow. That's good." Solarte is easily the most energetic Padres player. "He brings energy every day," starter Clayton Richard said. "In baseball, it's a difficult thing to do, especially when you're a guy that plays every day. This game is tough. It's huge. He's able to do that, and it's clutch. He's a fun guy to have around."

19 It wasn't fun for the Dodgers. "Fastball just didn't get there," manager Dave Roberts said. "Tried to come in on him. With Solarte, he likes the ball close to him and if you get it over, and it leaks back, he can hurt you, and that's exactly what happened. He put a good swing on it." The Dodgers blew leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 3-1, and trailed 5-3 in the top of the ninth. Rob Segedin hit a leadoff double off Hand and Turner hit a one-out, no-doubter. It was his 18th of the season and the fifth pinch-hit homer of his career. Roberts said Hand wasn't as sharp with his breaking ball. "It was a mistake and J.T. put a good swing on it." The Dodgers were up 2-1 in the fourth after Cody Bellinger hit his 35th home run to tie Mike Piazza's franchise rookie record, and were up two runs after Austin Barnes' RBI single in the fifth. Bellinger hit a high, arcing shot deep into the seats in right field off left-hander Clayton Richard. It was the first homer since Aug. 12 for the phenom, who missed nine games with a sprained right ankle before being activated from the disabled list on Wednesday. Piazza, who finished his Hall of Fame career with 427 homers, hit 35 for the Dodgers in 1993, when he was voted NL Rookie of the Year. "I've been sitting on it for a while," Bellinger said. "It was in the back of my mind. Obviously he was a great player who had a great career, so to be in the same sentence as him is pretty cool." Bellinger also hit a sacrifice fly in the first. After trailing 3-1, the Padres scored two runs off Wilmer Font in the sixth to tie it and two off Josh Ravin in the seventh to take the lead, including a go-ahead triple by Wil Myers to left. Richard allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings, struck out four and walked three. Dodgers starter Brock Stewart, recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City before the game, allowed one run and two hits in four innings, struck out five and walked two. The first game was the makeup of a rainout on May 7. It was just the second doubleheader since Petco Park opened in L.A.'s Yu Darvish (8-10, 3.88) and San Diego's Jordan Lyles (0-2, 6.94) were scheduled to start the nightcap. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: SS Corey Seager missed his fifth straight start with a sore right elbow but pinch-hit in the ninth. UP NEXT

20 Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood (14-1, 2.41) is scheduled to come off the disabled list (shoulder inflammation) and make his first start since Aug. 21 in the series finale Sunday. Padres: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (11-10, 4.03) is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in three starts against L.A. this season. Dodgers offense not firing on all cylinders By Eric Stephen TRUE BLUE LA SAN DIEGO Much of the talk surrounding the Dodgers recent slump -- seven losses in their last eight games has been about starting pitching, and for good reason. But the offense hasn t exactly been firing on all cylinders either. The Dodgers have scored two or fewer runs in five of those last eight games, including three of the last four contests. That includes eight total runs in the first three games of this weekend series against the Padres. A big driver of the Dodgers offensive engine this season has been their usual top four hitters, with Chris Taylor, Corey Seager, Justin Turner, and Cody Bellinger all putting up seasons that should garner them all MVP votes. Seager is dealing with elbow soreness that limits him to just pinch-hitting duties for now. He hasn t started the last six games, and likely won t start again until next weekend s home series against the Rockies at the earliest. Seager will start a throwing program on Monday at Dodger Stadium, one that is expected to last four to seven days, with his return date depending on how he progresses. Bellinger missed nine games with a right ankle sprain, and though he homered on Saturday since returning from the disabled list is just 3-for-16 (.188). You look at what Corey brings to our lineup, he s arguably our best offensive player who s not in there. Cody s just getting his feet wet, still trying to get on track, manager Dave Roberts said. Right now we re not firing. Seager and Bellinger haven t been in the same lineup since Aug. 19 in Detroit. In the 14 games since, the Dodgers are averaging 3.14 runs per game while hitting just.226/.313/.358. The club is 5-9 in those games, after nine losses in their previous 61 games. The offense will try to turn things around on Sunday facing Jhoulys Chacin, who has pitched like a world beater at Petco Park this season. In 15 home starts, Chacin is 7-3 with a 1.85 ERA and 3.90 FIP, with opposing batters hitting a minuscule.180/.270/.285 against him.

21 In 13 road starts, Chacin is 4-7 with a 6.96 ERA and 5.36 FIP, with opposing batters tattooing him to the tune of.306/.388/.504. Essentially, in 2017 terms, batters on the road against Chacin are Corey Seager, while hitters in San Diego against Chacin are Alex Gordon. *Side note: Holy crap, what a bad season Gordon is having (.197/.281/.283 with five home runs in 450 plate appearances). I had no idea. Alex Wood will be activated from the 10-day disabled list to start the series finale for the Dodgers, making his first start since Aug. 21 in Pittsburgh. Game info Time: 1:40 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA Cody Bellinger ties Dodgers rookie home run record By Eric Stephen Miracle upon miracle, he s hit another one! Those were the words of Vin Scully on Oct. 3, 1993, when Mike Piazza capped his incredible rookie season with two home runs on the season s final day. Piazza set the Dodgers franchise record with 35 home runs by a rookie on that day, a mark that stood for 24 years, until Cody Bellinger tied it on Saturday afternoon against the Padres in San Diego. On his fourth day back from the disabled list after missing nine games with a right ankle sprain, Bellinger s 35th home run came against Clayton Richard in the fourth inning, a solo shot to right center field. Bellinger still has plenty of time left in the season to build on the record, with 31 games remaining in the season, and his current total is even more amazing given that he spent the first 20 games of the major league season in Triple-A Oklahoma City. Almost from the jump, Bellinger started hitting, and he hasn t really stopped, helping to fuel an absurd Dodgers surge from a 9-11 start to the season to their current record, on pace for 112 wins. Entering Saturday, the Dodgers were in games Bellinger has started, and when he has not. Bellinger hasn t let up since the Home Run Derby, either. After hitting 25 home runs in 70 games with a.619 slugging percentage before the All-Star break, he has 10 home runs and a.579 slugging percentage in 35 games since. In August, Bellinger has seven home runs in 20 games. Bellinger has hit his 35 home runs in just 105 games. The only player in major league history with more home runs in their first 100 career games is Mark McGwire, with 37 home runs in