Daily Clips May 11, 2018

Transcription

1 Daily Clips May 11, 2018

2 LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 MLB.COM 5 unsung heroes so far in the NL West Matthew Leach Injury updates: Kershaw, Turner, Forsythe Ken Gurnick Buehler derailed by late Reds rally, cold LA bats Ken Gurnick Here's why the Dodgers are going to be just fine Will Leitch LA TIMES Dodgers to face former phenom Matt Harvey on Friday Andy McCullough Buehler can only do so much as Dodgers' anemic offense fails to produce Andy McCullough OC REGISTER Six weeks into the season, Dodgers Kenley Jansen finds his Opening Day form J.P. Hoornstra Offense fails to support Walker Buehler in Dodgers 4-1 loss to Reds J.P. Hoornstra TRUE BLUE LA Justin Turner could be back next week, Clayton Kershaw plays catch again Ryan Walton Dodgers have trouble scoring runs, fall to the Reds in the opener Ryan Walton Dave Roberts is frustrated with the Dodgers lack of production Ryan Walton Ferguson keeps pushing his prospect ranking Craig Minami DODGER INSIDER Buehler provided no margin for error as he absorbs his first loss of year Rowan Kavner NBC LOS ANGELES Dodgers Are Red in the Face After 4-1 Loss to Cincinnati Michael Duarte THE ATHLETIC Dave Roberts is all out of answers after Reds hand Dodgers their latest bad loss Pedro Moura How a small pitch tip could explain why batters are feasting on Rich Hill s fastball Daniel Brim

3 LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS FRIDAY, MAY 11, 2018 MLB.COM 5 unsung heroes so far in the NL West By Matthew Leach There's an old baseball adage that it takes 25 players to win a pennant, but that's not really true. It nearly always takes a lot more than that. And frankly, it takes more than 25 just to get through a season. It's not only the winning teams that require contributions from all over the roster. Every team does. So this week we're tipping our caps to the unsung heroes of the National League West, the guys who have stepped up for their teams but haven't gotten the recognition of the stars or the regulars. D-backs OF David Peralta Why you should know about him: An on-base threat for most of his career, Peralta has added a power surge this year to make him one of the season's most effective leadoff hitters. He's drawing walks at a career-best rate, hitting for average and racking up extra-base hits. That has helped keep Arizona's offense afloat even as it has done without Jake Lamb and Steven Souza Jr. for most of the year and seen several other regulars slump. Why you might not: There are award candidates past and present abound on this roster. Paul Goldschmidt has been an NL Most Valuable Player Award contender in the past, while A.J. Pollock looks like one this year. Likewise for Zack Greinke and Patrick Corbin, respectively, when it comes to the NL Cy Young Award. This is a roster with quite a few stars. And it's not like the D-backs are winning because of their offense, but they are scoring enough runs to support that dominant pitching, and Peralta has been a key part of that. What they're saying: "I just think David is going to impact the baseball game from the first pitch to the last pitch that he sees and you can't make a mistake to him. I feel like he is going to set a tone for us. If you throw a ball down the middle of the plate, he's going to put some barrel on it and I want us to be known as that type of team." -- D-backs manager Torey Lovullo Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling Why you should know about him: Stripling has done a little of everything, and he's done it well. He's started two games. He's finished two games. Stripling has pitched in more than half of the Dodgers' games, posting a sub-2.00 ERA in the process. Baseball's most injury-ravaged team has plugged him in one spot after another, and he's delivered again and again. In addition to starting, Stripling has entered games in the third, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and 10th innings, and he's only been scored on twice.

4 Why you might not: Guys like Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Kenta Maeda, Alex Wood and even Walker Buehler tend to steal the ink (or electrons). It's safe to guess that if they had their druthers, the Dodgers wouldn't use Stripling to start or finish many games, but his workmanlike performances have been extremely valuable. What they're saying: "Ross, he's just got so many weapons. He uses the whole mix -- fastball, curve, cutter, change. He can throw a strike when he needs to. I trust him when he's on the mound. He serves a lot of roles for us. Out of the bullpen, he can give us two or three innings, he's effective against righthanded or left-handed [hitters]." -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts Giants LHP Andrew Suarez Why you should know about him: Because for a team that has taken body blow after body blow in its starting rotation, Suarez has been a revelation. The Giants' top three starters have all spent time on the disabled list, leaving them in dire need of contributions from the next man up, and the next, and the next. Enter Suarez, who had some rough moments in his debut but has been outstanding in his past two starts. Since returning to the rotation on May 1, he's struck out 11 against two walks in 12 1/3 innings. It's been desperately needed for the Giants. Why you might not: Ranked as San Francisco's No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Suarez is not necessarily the picture of the kind of pitcher who steps in and starts succeeding right away. He's a lefty, and sometimes they come along slowly. And Suarez is not a power guy. Instead, he's more the classic southpaw, a guy who throws multiple pitches for strikes at multiple speeds. Padres LHP Joey Lucchesi Why you should know about him: This may be a familiar story by now: A team in dire need of rotation help has gotten it from an unlikely source. Lucchesi was dominant in Spring Training, but it took an injury to Dinelson Lamet to get him into the mix in the Majors. It's worth noting he's not the Friars' only unsung hero. Christian Villanueva has started to be sung a little bit, though, and Statcast darling Franchy Cordero has his own cheering section, as well. Why you might not: Lucchesi came from out of nowhere. He turns 25 soon and spent most of last year with Class A Advanced Lake Elsinore. Lucchesi was drafted from a small college program (Southeast Missouri State). This is not the kind of guy who's ever made prospect hounds drool. But he's always gotten outs, lots of them, at every level. And he's still doing that in the big leagues. What they're saying: "Our Minor League [staff] knew he was going to come quick. They knew he was going to come probably quicker than the rest. He's proving why right now. He throws strikes. He's got offspeed when he needs it. He can punch guys out. That's a great recipe." -- Padres manager Andy Green said. Rockies RHP Adam Ottavino Why you should know about him: Because Ottavino is downright awesome. There may be no more dominant reliever in the NL. He has struck out more than half the batters he's faced and has not allowed a homer, offering brilliant relief thanks in large part to an unhittable, ungodly slider. Ottavino is overwhelming and enormously fun to watch, to boot.

5 Why you might not: Ottavino, a first-round Draft pick 12 years ago, has been through a lot. He didn't work out as a starter, emerged as a quality reliever in after being claimed off waivers and then needed elbow surgery. Ottavino was never right last season in his first full year back, and the uncertainty over him was one factor in the Rockies spending big on their bullpen this offseason. Yet none of those high-priced additions has outpitched the guy who was already around. What they're saying: "He's really good at holding a pretty good routine down there. If things go bad, he's pretty good at coming back the next day." -- Rockies closer Wade Davis Injury updates: Kershaw, Turner, Forsythe By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw played catch for the second consecutive day on Thursday, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects infielders Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe to begin Minor League rehabilitation assignments this weekend. Roberts said there still is no timetable for the return of Kershaw, who was placed on the 10-day disabled list on Sunday with left shoulder tendinitis. Kershaw again played catch from about 60 feet for about five minutes. Turner faced Minor League pitchers James Carter and Michael Boyle in a simulated game, leaving as a memento of the occasion a swollen right shin for Boyle from a line drive. Turner seems to be swinging the bat with no ill effects from the broken left wrist he suffered seven weeks ago. Forsythe (shoulder inflammation) was expected to return from the club's Arizona training complex on Thursday for an examination before he joins Turner on a rehab assignment. Roberts said he wasn't sure whether they would head to Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga or Triple-A Oklahoma City. Rancho Cucamonga is at home this weekend, and at Stockton early next week. OKC plays a four-game series at Colorado Springs, beginning Saturday. Roberts said both players could rejoin the Dodgers next weekend in Washington. Roberts also disclosed that outfielder Andrew Toles, whose season has been limited to nine games at OKC, suffered a setback in his recovery from a pulled hamstring and is not on the radar for a return anytime soon. This is Toles' second season with leg miseries, having had major knee surgery last year. Buehler derailed by late Reds rally, cold LA bats By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- From Koufax to Kershaw, poor run support has undermined too many great starts from Dodgers pitchers. But when it happened Thursday night to No. 1 prospect Walker Buehler, manager Dave Roberts showed the frustration borne of endless missed opportunities. "It's been a trend that we've seen all year -- with some positive signs -- but recently we've had a chance to break a game open, get breathing room for our pitchers, and we haven't been able to come through,"

6 Roberts said after a 4-1 loss to the Reds, who came into the game with the worst record in the National League. "Whether it's too big of a swing, bad approach, get out of the strike zone, lining out, whatever it might be -- we had this guy [Cincinnati starter Tyler Mahle] on the hook tonight early something pitches after two, 80-something pitches after three. He ends up going five innings. The last six innings, their pitching staff faced the minimum amount of batters. "Walker pitched his tail off, and he had no margin for error and he ends up wearing the loss. It's very frustrating, and I expect those guys in the clubhouse to be frustrated, as well as I am. For us to have a below-average record at home (8-10), unacceptable. We better be ready to come play tomorrow. That's it." Fresh from his starring role in the combined no-hitter of the Padres in Mexico, Buehler added five scoreless innings for a total of 15 straight until the sixth inning, when hitting clinician Joey Votto worked an eight-pitch at-bat for a two-out single to set up Scooter Gennett's two-run double on a hanging slider in a 35-pitch inning. Gennett later homered off Daniel Hudson. Buehler struck out eight without a walk while suffering his first Major League loss and has a 1.64 ERA. He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the sixth. "I've got to finish the guy off," Buehler said of Gennett, repeating the thought when discussing the Votto at-bat. "I came out of the game losing, and that's on me. I've got to pitch better. I can't give up two runs when we only have one." The Dodgers had plenty of chances against Mahle to provide Buehler with margin for error. They loaded the bases in the first inning, scoring only an unearned run on Chase Utley's RBI single. They loaded the bases in the second inning, and stranded everybody. They had runners on first and second in the third and still didn't score. It was a Vegas-worthy magic act by Mahle, like Buehler a 23-year-old rookie, who ran up an exhausting 85 pitches through three innings, but gutted it out through five innings and 109 pitches to keep his club in the game and improve to 3-4 on the season. Although the Dodgers are playing without injured infielders Justin Turner, Corey Seager and Logan Forsythe, Roberts said his active players are not making the necessary offensive adjustments, with one exception that accounted for the lone run. "Chase shortened his swing and put the barrel to it and got it moving forward," Roberts said. "If you can't make adjustments mechanically, there's going to be some empty at-bats, a lot of empty at-bats, and that's what's happening. We talk about it in the clubhouse. This isn't a try league. Everyone's trying. You've got to get production." But leadoff man Chris Taylor is hitting.229, Yasiel Puig is at.208 without a home run and Cody Bellinger has nine strikeouts in his last five games. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Leaving 'em loaded: Puig and Bellinger left the bases loaded in the first and second innings, respectively, so take your pick on which missed opportunity mattered the most.

7 HE SAID IT "That kid was something, and he was coming off a great performance last week, but we hung around." -- Reds manager Jim Riggleman, on Buehler SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Three of Buehler's four starts have come against last-place teams, and he's in line to make that four of five next week when he starts in Miami. UP NEXT The Dodgers draw Matt Harvey's first start for the Reds in Friday night's 7:10 p.m. PT game, with Kenta Maeda pitching for the Dodgers. That should mean a start at second base for Utley, who is 6-for-18 with a homer off Harvey. Matt Kemp has four hits off Harvey, three of them homers. Here's why the Dodgers are going to be just fine By Will Leitch Only four teams in the National League have a losing record -- an amazing factoid, as that's as many as the American League Central -- and, all told, three of those teams probably saw it coming. The Reds, the Marlins and the Padres all have hopes and dreams and plans, but it is unlikely any of their fans are truly, profoundly shocked by their team being under.500 at this point in the season. There's a bright future for those teams, but it is, alas, their future, not their present. But the other one, no one saw coming, not least of all its fans. The Dodgers -- the team that came within one win of a World Series title last year, the team that won 104 games in 2017, the team that Sports Illustrated was calling "the greatest team ever" just nine months ago -- are off to a worse start than even their most ardent doubters could have imagined. They entered Thursday 16-20, somehow eight games out of first place in the NL West; that's as many games as the White Sox are out of first in the AL Central, and the White Sox are Everything in Los Angeles is backwards and wrong. Clayton Kershaw is on the disabled list, Corey Seager is out for the year, Kenley Jansen somehow has an ERA over four and the team's best hitter might be Matt Kemp. Most disturbing, though, has been the play of the D-backs, who have the best record in the NL in large part because they have owned the Dodgers, winning eight of 12 already against them this season. While Los Angeles has been trying to figure out its issues, Arizona has given it no quarter. The D-backs have been relentless, and they have already taken full advantage of every Dodgers misstep. L.A. has no margin for error anymore. So the Dodgers are eight games out, Seager's done, the D-backs are hot, the Rockies are good again and even the Giants are hanging in there. Dodgers fans should panic, right? Fret not, True Blue loyalists: The Dodgers are going to be just fine. Here's why: 1. They're starting to get healthier

8 Seager isn't coming back, but the rest of your favorites are. Yasiel Puig returned from his left hip and left foot injuries, and he notched three hits in the Dodgers' 6-3 win over those D-backs. Justin Turner, the team's heart and soul who fractured his left wrist in Spring Training, said he hopes to return for the series in Washington from May Logan Forsythe should be back in a week. And Kershaw started throwing Wednesday, and he believes he can be back by the end of the month, if not before. When you take Puig, Forsythe, Turner and Kershaw away from a team, they're going to struggle. But they are on their way. Also, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Julio Urias will be back after the All-Star break, if you're counting. 2. They're hitting better than their production suggests The Dodgers have scored 162 runs, square in the middle of MLB, but it's more a matter of the timing, because individually, there aren't that many hitters struggling all that badly. Almost every regular has an OPS+ of 100 or higher represents average -- and Kemp and Yasmani Grandal, in particular, have been excellent. Kemp is actually off to the best start of his career. The Dodgers' worst two hitters have probably been Puig and Forsythe. As usual, the Dodgers have depth, with solid hitters everywhere. Guys such as Austin Barnes and Joc Pederson get on base constantly, but they still have a hard time getting in the lineup. Eventually, all that depth will pay off, and all those hits will finally happen in the right order. This is an above-average offense, even without Turner. It'll soon be playing like it. 3. The rotation is mercifully just as deep This is always Los Angeles' magic bullet, that cascading depth, and the rotation has all sorts of options, even with Kershaw and Ryu out. Rich Hill is back, Kenta Maeda and Alex Wood have been steady, Ross Stripling has filled in nicely and of course, Walker Buehler, the Dodgers' No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, was throwing a no-hitter in his second start when Dave Roberts pulled him. L.A. has had to count on some of these guys a little more than it would have liked thanks to those injuries, but these are better options than most teams have. 4. They're outscoring their opponents It's not often you see a team four games under.500 after only 36 games that has a positive run differential, but that's where the Dodgers are: They've scored 10 more runs than they've given up, and their Pythagorean record is actually Remember, that's without all the players they've been missing. If Los Angeles was 19-17, like it should be, there'd be a lot less freaking out. The Dodgers have had some rough luck in the early going. 5. Jansen is coming back around In his past seven appearances, Jansen has given up one earned run on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. He blew through the D-backs on Wednesday, earning the save on just nine pitches. The velocity is still down a little from last year, but it's up from what it was at the begining of the year. Jansen is going to be fine. He already is fine. 6. They're about to play seven games against the Reds and the Marlins That always helps. There is a non-zero possibility the Dodgers will be back at.500 in a week.

9 7. They still have the highest attendance in the sport Six years running. The rough start hasn't stopped the fans from believing. 8. The projection systems still love them Fangraphs Playoff Odds, despite the Dodgers being eight games out of first, still has them at 36.6 percent to win the NL West and 58.8 percent to make the postseason. That's better odds than, say, the Angels, the team with all the Southern California hype right now. For all the D-backs' excitement, they're only at 43.4 percent to win the division. The Dodgers are lurking, and the numbers show it. 9. They can go get help if they need it There's a school of thought that Los Angeles will be wary of bringing in, say, a Manny Machado, because the Dodgers want to stay under the luxury tax before next year's big free-agent class. Even if that's true - - and there are all sorts of ways to stay under that tax number -- this is still an active front office that showed at last year's non-waiver Trade Deadline -- when it dealt for Yu Darvish (not to mention Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani) -- that it knows how to bring in help in a pinch. The Dodgers are never sitting on their hands. 10. Seriously, Turner is almost back Turner has been the clear leader in Los Angeles' clubhouse since he got there, famously showing up at Jansen's wedding and talking him into returning to the team. (Though the money helped, too.) Jansen said: "He put this team on his back, and that shows me how special he is. He keeps reminding everybody, you think it's better somewhere else, he reminds you what we have here.... He came and reminded me that we have this special thing going here, and I needed to hear that. It meant a lot, coming from him, and it makes me a better person, a better player, a better leader." Turner is the beating heart of this Dodgers team, and he hasn't played a game this year. But he's almost back. L.A. has had as ugly a start as you can imagine. But the Dodgers are still going to be fine. They always are. LA TIMES Dodgers to face former phenom Matt Harvey on Friday By Andy McCullough On his first official day as a Cincinnati Red, former phenom Matt Harvey sought to place a lid over his tumultuous tenure with his previous employer. "After today, I'd like to not talk about my past experiences with the Mets," Harvey said inside the visitors dugout at Dodger Stadium. "I'd like to move forward with my new organization, and do everything I can to help them." His new chapter will begin Friday, when Harvey (0-2, 7.00 earned-run average) will start against the Dodgers. It will be his first appearance in a game since May 3, when he gave up five runs as a mop-up reliever. A day later, the New York Mets asked Harvey to accept an assignment to the minor leagues. Harvey refused, so the Mets designated him for assignment and eventually traded him to the Reds.

10 The Dodgers will be the first team to get a crack at Harvey as he attempts to resurrect his career. He started the All-Star game for the National League in 2013 and starred during the 2015 playoffs, but a combination of injuries, ineffectiveness and off-field concerns sideswiped his career. Harvey has undergone two major surgeries since the summer of He required elbow ligament reconstruction later that season. He had thoracic outlet surgery in the summer of He was still dealing with the effects of that procedure this season, according to his agent, Scott Boras. His average fastball velocity dropped from 95.9 mph in 2015 to 92.6 mph this season, according to FanGraphs. As his performance waned, Harvey's extracurricular exploits grew less tolerable for the Mets. Harvey did not spend long in the spotlight, but he made the most of it. In 2013, Sports Illustrated dubbed him "The Dark Knight of Gotham" and Harvey grew to live his gimmick. He became a character in the city's robust tabloid culture. He dated models and praised Derek Jeter for his romantic exploits. He sparred with Mets officials over the protocols for his rehab from surgery. He showed up late to a workout before the Mets faced the Dodgers in the 2015 playoffs. The Mets suspended him last season after Harvey went missing before a game. "I think the off-the-field stuff, I'm not going to discuss any of that stuff," Harvey said. "I think a lot of things get blown out of proportion." A few days before his end with the Mets, Harvey snapped at a group of reporters who asked to talk to him. He was far more cordial Thursday. "There's been a lot of rough times in the last couple weeks," Harvey said. "Actually, the last couple years. The injuries and not having success, and really working through a lot of adversity in that sense. It's easy to just give up, and not go out there and work at your craft. "Obviously, at times, there were some pretty negative thoughts going through my head about where my career was. But I think fighting through that and throwing the ball the way I have been in between outings, it's in there. It just needs to come out." KERSHAW PLAYS CATCH AGAIN Soon after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that he wasn't sure when Clayton Kershaw would pick up a baseball again, Kershaw played a light round of catch Thursday. Kershaw had completed a similar task Wednesday, throwing for the first time since landing on the disabled list Sunday because of biceps tendonitis. The Dodgers have yet to reveal a timetable for Kershaw's return. He can be activated off the disabled list May 16, when the Dodgers will be in Miami. Roberts did not hear many details about Kershaw regarding the first round of catch Wednesday. "He said it felt OK," Roberts said. "Didn't say it felt great, didn't say it felt bad. I think 'fine' might have been the word he used. So I didn't want to dig and try to get too much from him." SHORT HOP Justin Turner (fractured wrist) took part in a simulated game for the second day in a row. He and Logan Forsythe (shoulder fatigue) are expected to appear in rehab games this weekend, with the Dodgers

11 hoping to activate them next week. Roberts said he was unsure whether Turner and Forsythe would rehab in either class-a Rancho Cucamonga or triple-a Oklahoma City. Buehler can only do so much as Dodgers' anemic offense fails to produce By Andy McCullough On Thursday afternoon, before his offense spent another night in a stupor and his bullpen set another game ablaze, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts allowed himself to hope. He looked at the lineup of the Cincinnati Reds, who have fewer victories than any other team in the National League. The Reds arrived at Dodger Stadium for a four-game series, the optimal opponent for the listless Dodgers as they attempt to resurrect their season. "The No. 1 focus," Roberts said, "is playing better baseball." A few hours later, after a 4-1 loss, Roberts stalked to his seat for a news conference on the ground floor of the ballpark. His expression was grim. His pregame goal was not met. His players did not even come close. "It's very frustrating," Roberts said, "and I expect those guys in the clubhouse to be frustrated as well as I am." The Dodgers (16-21) have shown little emotion this season. They have shown little of anything, a trend that continued Thursday. The lineup neglected to provide plentiful support for rookie Walker Buehler. After five seamless innings, Buehler gave up a two-run double to Reds second baseman Scooter Gennett in the sixth. Relievers Pedro Baez and Daniel Hudson yielded two additional runs. As a group, the Dodgers hitters offered a shabby response. They went one for seven with runners in scoring position and stranded eight runners. In the final six innings, Reds pitchers faced the minimum number of batters. The Dodgers are 8-10 at Dodger Stadium. "To be under.500 at home, inexcusable," Roberts said. In Cincinnati, the Dodgers found a reasonable patsy. The Reds won 10 games in their first 12 series. Most of their roster is anonymous. They are not attempting to contend for the playoffs in Yet even tanking teams have succeeded against the Dodgers. The Miami Marlins won a series at Dodger Stadium in April. The San Diego Padres took two of three games from the Dodgers last weekend in Mexico. Facing Cincinnati starter Tyler Mahle, the Dodgers continued their infuriating habit of putting runners on base and leaving them there. They forced Mahle to throw 85 pitches in the first three innings. They loaded the bases twice. They benefited from two fielding mistakes by Reds first baseman Joey Votto.

12 And they scored precisely one run, on a first-inning single by veteran Chase Utley. Yasiel Puig flied out with the bases loaded in the first. Cody Bellinger did the same in the second. Buehler grounded out to leave two more runners aboard in the third. "You have to have different clubs in your bag," Roberts said. "And when you have one club, you get exposed. You look at our lineup, and there's a lot of guys with one club right now. It doesn't translate to production." One run was enough for Buehler for the time being. He faced a dilemma in the top of the first inning. After two quick outs, Votto lined a single into left and Gennett lined a single into right. The crowd held its breath as a flyball off the bat of third baseman Eugenio Suarez soared into right field. Puig settled beneath it for the third out. That started a string of 14 consecutive batters retired by Buehler. He operated in tidy fashion. His fastball hummed at 96 mph as he struck out outfielder Adam Duvall to end the third and Suarez to end the fourth. Mahle flailed at a curveball for the final out of the fifth. "Walker pitched his tail off tonight," Roberts said. "And he had no margin for error." Buehler needed only 58 pitches to complete five innings. To procure three outs in the sixth, he required 35. In the process, he surrendered the slim lead provided to him. A one-out single by outfielder Jesse Winker opened the door for the Reds. With two outs, Votto grinded out another single. He fouled off three pitches before delivering a hit into right. "He's one of the best players of the game," Buehler said. "And there's a reason." Up came Gennett. Buehler tried to disarm him with offspeed pitches. After two curveballs and a 1-1 fastball, Buehler attempted a backfoot slider. Gennett was not fooled. He whacked the pitch beyond the grasp of center fielder Joc Pederson. "Right now, I've got to pitch better," Buehler said. "I can't give up two runs when we only have one, you know?" An inning later, Pedro Baez yielded a leadoff double to catcher Tucker Barnhart. Baez could not escape the jam. He gave up a two-out run-scoring triple to speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton, who hooked a 96.5-mph fastball into the right-field corner. The crowd revved up, hoping for a throw from Puig. Hamilton was too swift to throw out. Gennett supplied a solo home run against Hudson in the eighth. As the pitchers stumbled, the hitters sputtered. The Dodgers did not put a runner on base from the fourth to the sixth. Enrique Hernandez came off the bench and ended that stretch with a single in the seventh. He was erased two pitches later, when Yasmani Grandal chased a shin-high changeup and rolled into a double play.

13 "We talk about it in the clubhouse: This isn't a 'try' league," Roberts said. "Everyone is trying. You've got to get production. When you can't get separation, it stresses everyone. We've got to be better at all facets of the game, to be honest." OC REGISTER Six weeks into the season, Dodgers Kenley Jansen finds his Opening Day form By J.P. Hoornstra LOS ANGELES Kenley Jansen isn t back. Not all the way. The Dodgers closer hasn t allowed a run in his last four innings, a season high. He needed only nine pitches to retire Chris Owings, Nick Ahmed and Paul Goldschmidt on Wednesday for his sixth save of the season. The brief, stress-free inning was classic Jansen a rare sight in Still, Jansen said, he hasn t returned to his peak. It s getting there, he said. I m not consistent enough. I m not seeing consistent movement yet, compared to the few years I ve had before. Sometimes it s backed up on me. Jansen s measuring stick is his cut fastball, the pitch he throws 93 percent of the time. It averaged 90 mph in his first regular-season appearance and by Wednesday it averaged 93. Commanding the cutter has been an adventure too. It s not quite there yet, Jansen confessed. Jansen threw 1,242 pitches in 2017, more than any year since So, before spring training, he and Manager Dave Roberts agreed to delay Jansen s debut by a few weeks. That debut was pushed back a few more days in early March by a hamstring injury. By the end of camp, Jansen had thrown a careerlow 4-2/3 spring training innings against major league competition. By Opening Day, Jansen s command and speed were suffering. The 0-1 record, two blown saves and 4.02 earned-run average next to his name today were all known risks. We could ve been just as aggressive as we were in years past, Roberts said. We could ve done that. There was an injury that took place with his hamstring. That kind of slowed things down. Once that happened, there s really not a whole lot we could do we re just trying to get him healthy, get him ready for the season. Initially, we should ve been more aggressive, but that could ve created more health problems. I don t know. Devising the ideal timetable for Jansen was a bit of a guessing game, and the Dodgers won t know for sure if they guessed right until the end of the season. For now, Jansen said, he s throwing the way he expects to by Opening Day in a typical year. The past two seasons, he s been able to add velocity into at least June. If Jansen s self-assessment is correct, his speed might still improve by another tick or two. He s confident his command will be better, too. Jansen would rather be optimistic than second-guess what might have been done differently.

14 I m not trying to call my organization out or anything because me and Doc had that conversation. We all agreed, he said. Maybe I wasn t ready. I m almost there, where I want it to be mechanic-wise and all that. It s not far. Just got to stay positive, keep competing and things are going to go well. INJURY UPDATES Third baseman Justin Turner faced live pitching at Dodger Stadium in a simulated game setting for the second consecutive day. He faced minor league pitchers James Carter, a right-hander, and Mike Boyle, a left-hander. He even hit Boyle in the leg with a line drive. More importantly, Turner said, he was able to dive to field ground balls to his right and left sides. The left wrist that he fractured in spring training came through unscathed. That was another box to check, he said. Roberts said Turner would get a day off Friday before beginning a minor league rehabilitation assignment Saturday. Turner anticipates he will be assigned to Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. He might be joined by infielder Logan Forsythe, who was expected to fly in from the Dodgers facility in Glendale, Ariz. Forsythe hasn t played in any competitive setting since April 14 because of inflammation in his right shoulder. Clayton Kershaw played catch on flat ground for the second consecutive day, extending his range a bit from the 60 feet he threw Wednesday. Roberts said there is no timetable for Kershaw to begin throwing off a mound, in part (at least) by Kershaw s choice. He wants little expectation, Roberts said. ALSO Right-hander Matt Harvey will start for the Reds on Friday opposite Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda. The Reds acquired Harvey in a trade with the New York Mets for catcher Devin Mesoraco on Tuesday. Harvey went 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in eight games between the Mets rotation and bullpen. The Reds optioned left-handed pitcher Brandon Finnegan, who was scheduled to start the game, to their Triple-A affiliate. Outfielder Andrew Toles had a setback in his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury, Roberts said. Toles hasn t played at Triple-A Oklahoma City since April 13 and his return is not on the immediate horizon. UP NEXT Dodgers (RHP Kenta Maeda, 2-2, 4.02 ERA) vs. Cincinnati Reds (RHP Matt Harvey, 0-2, 7.00 ERA), Friday, 7 p.m., SportsNet LA (where available) Offense fails to support Walker Buehler in Dodgers 4-1 loss to Reds By J.P. Hoornstra

15 LOS ANGELES Walker Buehler is learning the burden of being the Dodgers ace in Clayton Kershaw shouldered that load for five weeks until his biceps gave out; his 1-4 record and 2.86 ERA were a testament to the limits of pitching without much run support. Maybe, after the Dodgers began their latest homestand by collecting two hits with runners in scoring position in their first two games, Buehler got the hint: he might have to win a game by himself. So it was Thursday. Buehler looked unhittable for the better part of five innings but it wasn t enough. The Dodgers collected only four hits against the National League s worst pitching staff, and the Cincinnati Reds rode the hot bat of Scooter Gennett to a 4-1 win before the announced crowd of 47,383 at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers (16-21) loaded the bases in each of the first two innings and left a pair of runners on in the third. They finished 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. To Manager Dave Roberts, the outcome was all too familiar. His postgame comments, usually teeming with optimism, oozed frustration. Walker pitched his tail off tonight, Roberts said. He had no margin for error. He ends up wearing the loss, so it s very frustrating. I expect those guys in the clubhouse to be frustrated as well as I am. In his third start of the season, Buehler allowed five hits and two runs in six innings. The rookie righthander walked no one and struck out eight. He retired 14 batters in a row at one point. But the Reds rallied for two runs in the sixth inning, erasing a 1-0 deficit and leaving Buehler on the hook for a loss. Joey Votto s two-out single ended a seven-pitch at-bat. Buehler got ahead of the next batter, Gennett, then hung a 1-and-2 slider that the veteran didn t miss. Gennett s two-run double was the only extra-base hit against Buehler. He finished 3 for 4 with a double and a home run, driving in three of Cincinnati s four runs. Buehler threw 93 pitches, including 35 in the sixth inning. Roberts said a seventh inning was in his future until Votto s at-bat changed the tenor of the inning, and ultimately the game. He s one of the best players in the game. There s a reason, Buehler said of Votto. I felt like I made a lot of good pitches to him. He just fouls off the strikes and takes the balls. That s another guy that I ve got to finish or get the ball in play, get him out of the box. That 35 pitches in an inning can take a toll. I hung the one slider. I ve got to be better. Buehler, 23, might have a future as a United States diplomat. It seemed to matter little that the Reds have the National League s worst record and the Diamondbacks have the NL s best. The Dodgers offense had no trouble creating run-scoring opportunities against both teams, and all the trouble in the world scoring runs. With one out in the first inning, Cincinnati starter Tyler Mahle (3-4) walked Joc Pederson. Yasmani Grandal reached on an error by Votto, the Reds first baseman, which allowed Pederson to take second. Matt Kemp walked to load the bases, setting up Utley s RBI single. That was the Dodgers only run, and their only hit with a runner in scoring position.

16 A second-inning rally fell short when Cody Bellinger flew out with the bases loaded. Since his last hit Tuesday, Bellinger is 0 for 10 with five strikeouts. He s left 11 runners on base. The Dodgers had runners on first and second in the third inning, which ended when Buehler grounded out on the eighth pitch he saw from Mahle. There were no more rallies. You have to make an adjustment, Roberts said. I thought a prime example is Chase tonight: you see a guy who has a good arm in Mahle; Chase shortened his swing, put the barrel to it, and got it moving forward. But if you can t make adjustments mechanically, there s going to be a lot of empty at-bats. That s what s happening. Utley said he isn t the only one trying. Baseball can be a frustrating game at times but guys are in here; they re working hard, Utley said. We re all trying to find ways to improve. Utley said he would look on the bright side, that the lineup continues to create chances. Thursday, however, those chances dried up quickly. The Dodgers put only one runner on base over the game s final six innings a stunning performance against a Reds team that began the day with a 5.04 earned run average, the highest in the National League. After Mahle s five innings, former Dodger Dylan Floro, Wandy Peralta and Raisel Iglesias shut the door. Pedro Baez relieved Buehler in the seventh inning and allowed an RBI triple to Billy Hamilton. Daniel Hudson allowed Gennett s home run in the eighth. At 39, Utley remains a throwback. His partiality to contact over launch angle, to situational adjustments over boom-or-bust plate appearances, don t often stand out. Thursday they did for all the wrong reasons. I see guys making adjustments, Utley said. Baseball s a game of daily adjustments, pitch-by-pitch adjustments depending on how you feel. I do see guys making those adjustments. TRUE BLUE LA Justin Turner could be back next week, Clayton Kershaw plays catch again By Ryan Walton LOS ANGELES The Dodgers could get a pair of injured infielders back into the fold at some point next week. Justin Turner and Logan Forsythe could both be on a rehab assignment this weekend. It has yet to be determined where the two will be sent but it will be together. To see those guys return together wouldn t be the craziest thing, manager Dave Roberts said. Turner has yet to play this season after a pitch hit his wrist in spring training, causing a small nondisplaced fracture. There has been a big hole in the Dodgers lineup that Turner will fill whenever he comes back.

17 Forsythe has been on the shelf since April 14 with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. Daily Kershaw Update Clayton Kershaw played catch Wednesday and didn t sound excited about the results. He said it felt okay, Roberts said. He didn t say it felt great, didn t say it felt bad. I think fine might have been the word he used. Not exactly the most glowing of reports. Roberts added that he wasn t sure what the next step in the program was for Kershaw or when he would even pick up a ball again. But then Kershaw was on the field playing catch again not five minutes later. Setback for Tolesy For those who have been clamoring for Andrew Toles to make his return to the ball club, there is still not good news in that department. Toles had another setback last week trying to recover from a hamstring injury. Dodgers have trouble scoring runs, fall to the Reds in the opener By Ryan Walton LOS ANGELES It was the same story on a different day for the Dodgers on Thursday night. The offense lacked the big hit when it was needed and they let a close game slip away late to drop the opener to the Reds by the score of 4-1. The loss means the Dodgers have dropped 11 of the last 16 games. Walker Buehler has looked great in his limited time in the big leagues this season and was cruising for most of the night before running into trouble in the sixth inning. With two on and two out, Scooter Gennett laced an RBI-double off the wall in center to score a pair for Cincinnati. Up until the Reds offense came to life, Buehler had retired 14 in a row and had just 58 pitches through five scoreless innings. The 23-year-old would allow just the two runs on five hits while striking out eight with no walks. Walker pitched his tail off tonight, said manager Dave Roberts. He had no margin for error so he ends up wearing the loss. It s very frustrating. The Dodger offense once again had chances early and often, loading the bases in each of the first two innings. When all was said and done, they would have nine plate appearances with runners in scoring position through three innings. The only run they could muster came on a Chase Utley single in the first inning. Tyler Mahle was able to weave his way through the light hitting Dodgers, allowing three hits and the unearned run in his five innings of work. The right-hander looked like he wouldn t last long when he had

18 63 pitches through two innings but he would work around four walks to keep the Dodgers off the scoreboard. The Reds would go on to put up two more runs on the Dodger bullpen, including a Scooter Gennett solo shot to put the game out of reach. Up next The Dodgers will get the first look at the Reds new acquisition, Matt Harvey. They will sent Kenta Maeda to the mound to oppose him. Thursday particulars Home run: Scooter Gennett (5) WP - Tyler Mahle (3-4): 5 IP, 3 hits, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts LP - Walker Buehler (2-1): 6 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 8 strikeouts Sv - Raisel Iglesias (5): IP, 3 strikeouts Dave Roberts is frustrated with the Dodgers lack of production By Ryan Walton The Dodgers are bad on offense and that s a problem. They have no issue getting runners on base but can t drive in the actual runs necessary to win baseball games. Dave Roberts sounded as frustrated as he ever has in managing the Dodgers after Thursday night s loss to the Reds. If you can t make adjustments mechanically, there s going to be some empty at-bats and that s what s happening, said Roberts. This isn t a try league, everyone is trying. You ve got to get production. The Dodgers only scored one run despite loading the bases in each of the first two innings. Chase Utley s RBI-single in the first was only the sixth hit the Dodgers have produced with runners in scoring position in their last 47 at-bats. Going further, Utley s single is one of just five hits the Dodgers have in 35 plate appearances with the bases loaded this season. The bottom line is we had (Tyler Mahle) on the hook tonight, Roberts said. 60-something pitches after two, 80-something pitches after three, he ends up going five innings. The last six innings their pitching staff faced the minimum. It s not just that the hits aren t there when they need it. Roberts is also frustrated with the situational hitting from his team.

19 You ve got to make an adjustment and a prime example is Chase tonight, said Roberts. There are times to take a chance on getting a bigger swing and looking for more damage, and there are times to shorten up and get a run in. You have to have different clubs in your bag. When you have one club, you get exposed. When you look at our lineup, there are some guys with one club right now and it doesn t translate to production. While the offense is having a hard time keeping up, the bullpen has struggled to keep the Dodgers in games when they re behind. After Thursday s game, Dodger relievers have now given up 75 runs, second only to the Marlins (96) in the National League. When you can t get separation it stresses everyone, Roberts said. We ve got to be better in all facets of the game, to be quite honest. Even more maddening to Roberts is that his team is 8-10 at home which he said is unacceptable. Ferguson keeps pushing his prospect ranking By Craig Minami A good day for the minor league affiliates as Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Rancho Cucamonga each won their games. Great Lakes dropped a one-run game on the road. Player of the day If you were to look at a list of the Dodgers top prospects, you would have to read down the list to find Caleb Ferguson. Three different lists including the one that David Hood put together for True Blue LA named Ferguson the 20th best prospect in the system. The other two were the current MLB Pipeline list and Baseball America s 2018 Prospect Handbook. So all Ferguson has done is pitch his third consecutive six-inning start for the Drillers. In the past 18 innings, Ferguson has allowed three runs (one earned), 15 hits and two walks. Ferguson has struck out 16 in those 18 innings pitched. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers ended their three-game losing streak by hitting six home runs in their 8-4 win over the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals). Donovan Solano, Breyvic Valera, Danny Espinosa and Jacob Scavuzzo each had one home run while Kyle Garlick hit two home runs. Ariel Hernandez made his first appearance for Oklahoma City, the right-hander retired all six batters he faced. Josh Sborz, like Hernandez, made his first appearance for Oklahoma City and he pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out two. Rocky Gale, Henry Ramos, Valera, Espinosa and Garlick each had two hits. Scavuzzo was also playing his first game for Oklahoma City this season. Scavuzzo has spent most of his minor-league career at Rancho Cucamonga and Tulsa, this was his second stop at Oklahoma City. Double-A Tulsa

20 The Drillers defeated the NW Arkansas Naturals (Royals) 9-3 on Thursday behind a solid pitching performance from Caleb Ferguson and a 14-hit attack that included nine extra-base hits. As noted above, Ferguson had his third consecutive six-inning start. In this game, Ferguson gave up one run and five hits. He struck out eight with no walks. Ferguson has now pitched 33⅓ innings. He has given up seven runs (two earned), 26 hits and eight walks. Ferguson has struck out 36 so far in Drew Jackson hit two doubles and a two-run homer. Luke Raley was 4-for-4 with a triple and a solo home run. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes jumped out to an early lead and went on to beat the Storm (Padres) 6-2 at Lake Elsinore. In the third inning, the first three batters reached base and then, Jeren Kendall hit a grand slam. For Kendall, it was his first home run of the season. Later in the third inning, Omar Estevez doubled home Connor Wong to make it 5-0. Wong would later hit his ninth home run to close the scoring for the Quakes. Tony Gonsolin had pitched in the bullpen for the first two years in the organization. In 2018, Gonsolin has been starting, and he had his best game of the season on Thursday night. Gonsolin pitched five scoreless innings, he allowed four hits and one walk. Gonsolin struck out six. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons lost 4-3 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Brewers), the Timber Rattlers got a solid start from Nelson Fernandez and that was enough to hang on to the win. Fernandez pitched seven innings, gave up a run and three hits. Fernandez did not walk anyone and struck out eight times. Jesus Vargas took the loss. Starling Heredia went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts. Brayan Morales struck out three times in four plate appearances. Transactions Triple-A: Right-handed pitchers Ariel Hernandez and Josh Sborz and outfielder Jacob Scavuzzo were assigned to Oklahoma City from Tulsa. Class-AA: Left-handed pitcher Brian Moran was assigned to Tulsa from Oklahoma City. Outfielder Zach Reks was assigned to Tulsa from Rancho Cucamonga. Infielder Miguel Vargas, who was signed last September to a minor league contract, was assigned to Tulsa. Class-A: Outfielder Logan Landon was assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Oklahoma City. Infielder Nick Yarnall was assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Great Lakes. Infielder Eric Peterson was assigned to Great Lakes from Tulsa. Thursday s scores