Daily Clips June 10, 2017

Transcription

1 Daily Clips June 10, 2017

2 LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2017 DODGERS.COM Turner, Guti step up as LA handles Cincy- Ken Gurnick and Joshua Thornton Turner homers in first at-bat off disabled list- Ken Gurnick Maeda's relief debut is a 4-inning, 6-K save Ken Gurnick Wood to be tested by Reds in return from DL Joshua Thornton LA TIMES Turner homers in his return and Maeda gets the save in Dodgers' 7-2 win over the Reds Andy McCullough Justin Turner, Luis Avilan return to Dodgers lineup Andy McCullough Dodgers' hope for Cody Bellinger: No Maas Bill Shaikin The future of the Dodgers is bright just take a look at their local minor league team- Dylan Hernandez OC REGISTER Dodgers offense returns to form in 7-2 victory over Reds Bill Plunkett Dodgers Notes: Justin Turner returns from DL to boost sporadic offense- Bill Plunkett On deck: Reds at Dodgers, Saturday, 7:10 p.m.- Bill Plunkett TRUE BLUE LA Jordan Sheffield has solid start in 4-0 Loons win Craig Minami Justin Turner returns to spark Dodgers offense in win over Reds Eric Stephen MLB Draft 2017: The top 200 prospects David Hood Luis Avilan activated, Sergio Romo placed on disabled list- Eric Stephen Dodgers activate Justin Turner from DL- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER Maeda pulls a Ryu with four-inning save in first relief appearance Rowan Kavner Avilan reinstated after missing 14 games- Rowan Kavner Turner returns after 19-game absence- Rowan Kavner Dodgers, LADF celebrate third annual Blue Diamond Gala- Rowan Kavner ESPN Hill, Maeda combine to five-hit Reds in Dodgers' 7-2 win- The Associated Press NBC LA Justin Turner Homers in Return, Kenta Maeda Gets The Save as Dodgers Beat Reds 7-2 Michael Duarte The Dodgers Spent Their Off Day Rocking Out to Maroon 5- Michael Duarte GALATVIEW Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation had their 3rd annual Blue Diamond Gala Featured Concerts with Maroon 5 and Earth, Wind & Fire- GTVW Staff DODGER BLUE Dodgers Video: Maroon 5, Earth, Wind & Fire Perform At 3rd Annual Blue Diamond Gala- Matthew Moreno

3 Turner, Guti step up as LA handles Cincy By Ken Gurnick and Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS SATURDAY, JUNE 10, 2017 DODGERS.COM LOS ANGELES -- Justin Turner slugged a two-run home run in his first at-bat off the disabled list Friday night and Franklin Gutierrez also had two RBIs in his first multihit game of the season as the Dodgers beat the Reds, 7-2, at Dodger Stadium, snapping Cincinnati's four-game winning streak. Dodgers starter Rich Hill (3-2) overcame three walks in five innings to get the win, and Kenta Maeda followed with six strikeouts in four innings of relief, joining Hyun-Jin Ryu to give the Dodgers two fourinning saves in the same season for the first time since Hill endured a 35-pitch scoreless third inning, walking the pitcher leading off and having the Reds foul off pitches repeatedly. But he credited catcher Austin Barnes with a dugout chat that changed his approach and allowed him to retire eight of the last nine batters he faced. He was removed with a pitch count of 98. "We had a lull for me committing and having the aggressiveness," Hill said. "But in the fourth and fifth, [my pitches] were very good, you could see the contrast. I finished up strong, completely different. The aggression and conviction behind the pitches was there. You can see the difference, it was night and day." For Maeda, demoted to the bullpen on Wednesday, it was his first relief appearance since 2008 in Japan. He allowed a solo homer to Joey Votto in a three-hit ninth after cruising through three hitless innings. Votto's home run was his 17th of the season, tying his teammate and former Dodger Scott Schebler and the Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman for the most in the National League. "I think the thing that's great is last year he kind of got off to a slower start," Reds manager Price said of Votto. "This year, we're just over two months into it and he's one of the premier offensive performers so far, as far overall run production." Former Dodgers prospect Jose Peraza cashed in a walk and a Hill throwing error with an RBI single in the second inning for the first Cincinnati run. He had three of the Reds' five hits. Reds starter Amir Garrett left the game after being struck on the pitching hand by Austin Barnes' line drive leading off the second inning. X-rays were negative and Garrett is considered day to day with a left hand contusion. Amir Garrett takes a comeback liner off his hand and gets checked on by the trainers, but he would leave the game in the 2nd inning

4 MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Comebacker damage: Barnes' second-inning line drive (Statcast exit velocity mph) that ended Garrett's night wasn't the catcher's only impactful infield hit. Barnes also had a third-inning two-out chopper that reliever Jake Buchanan threw away, allowing two runs to score. Hill bailed out: Peraza's RBI single put runners at first and second with one out in the second inning, but Tucker Barnhart grounded sharply to second baseman Logan Forsythe to start a double play and short-circuit the threat. Earlier in the inning, Forsythe flagged down a mph line drive (as captured by Statcast ) off the bat of former Dodger Scott Schebler. QUOTABLE "I used [Cody] Bellinger's bat. There are home runs in it." -- Turner, on homering four pitches into his return from the DL "We weren't able to do anything until the ninth, when Joey hit the home run and we got the two other base hits." -- Price, on the Reds' lack of offensive production SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The last two Dodgers relievers with four-inning saves in the same season were Alan Mills and Matt Herges in WHAT'S NEXT Reds: Asher Wojciechowski makes his first career start against the Dodgers as the series continues Saturday at 10:10 p.m. ET. The rookie right-hander allowed eight hits over six innings against the Cardinals in his most recent start and is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA on the season. Dodgers: Alex Wood returns from the DL to make this 7:10 p.m. PT start. Wood went on the shelf with inflammation near his sternum after earning National League Pitcher of the Month for May. The lefty brings with him a streak of 25 1/3 scoreless innings,and he's 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in his career against Cincinnati. Turner homers in first at-bat off disabled list By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Justin Turner said it wasn't the three weeks on the disabled list that led to his homer in the Dodgers' 7-2 win over the Reds Friday night as much as the bat he used. "That's a good way to come back if I had to draw it up," said Turner. "That's the most ideal way to do it. It took me 100 at-bats to get one home run, I missed three weeks and get one in my first at-bat, that's a little weird. I give the credit to [Cody] Bellinger. I used his bat. His bat has homers in it, I guess." Turner's two-run homer came one inning after he was activated from the disabled list.

5 The Dodgers on Friday also activated left-handed reliever Luis Avilan from the DL and sent outfielder Joc Pederson to begin an injury rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Avilan had been on the DL since May 24 with a strained left triceps. Pederson has been on the DL since May 24 with a concussion and neck strain after colliding with teammate Yasiel Puig in the outfield. To make room for Turner and Avilan, struggling right-handed reliever Sergio Romo was placed on the 10-day DL with a left ankle sprain and outfielder Brett Eibner was optioned to OKC. Romo, who came into the season with a 2.58 career ERA, has a 6.41 ERA with five homers allowed in 19 2/3 innings. With Turner returning to third base, manager Dave Roberts returned slumping Logan Forsythe from third back to second base, where he will "get a fair share of the workload," but in part to keep Forsythe healthy Chase Utley will continue seeing significant playing time there as well. Turner said he has spoken with management about avoiding a recurrence of the injury, suffered trying to score from second base on a single. "It's not going to be going out there 17 games in a row and running me into the ground," he said. "We're trying to figure out ways to manage it and ease our way back into it and make sure we don't get too aggressive too fast." "You can't anticipate a homer his first at-bat, but this guy's got a good head, a great pulse," Roberts said of Turner, who is hitting.378. "To give us a two-run lead was huge. It seems J.T. is the glue to our offense and clubhouse." Roberts repeated that Pederson's stay at Triple-A will be as much to show his bat can be productive again as it is to show he's healthy. After hitting 25 home runs last year, Pederson has two home runs and a.200 average this season. "To put a date on his return is unfair, because it adds more pressure," Roberts said. "It's open-ended, and that allows for him, for us, to make a decision that makes sense when he's ready. I think a week and we'll evaluate at that time." Maeda's relief debut is a 4-inning, 6-K save By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Kenta Maeda, removed from the starting rotation on Wednesday, made his relief debut on Friday night with a four-inning save in the Dodgers' 7-2 win over the Reds, duplicating the four-inning save in the relief debut of Hyun-Jin Ryu on May 25. Like Ryu, Maeda wasn't thrilled with the demotion. Unlike Ryu -- whose bullpen role ended after that one appearance because he went back into the rotation to replace the injured Alex Wood -- Maeda might be a reliever for a while in what manager Dave Roberts calls a "tandem" situation, a hybrid role the Dodgers have defaulted to because of so many short starts.

6 "It was my first experience out of the bullpen, and I thought I was able to prepare well today," said Maeda, who followed Rich Hill's five-inning start. "As a starter, you have a set routine and an exact time to do things. As a reliever, you don't know if you'll pitch that day. It was a little more challenging. Today it was more about getting quick outs and making sure pitch count was low." Maeda was bumped from the rotation because Wood returns to start on Saturday. "I was a starter all my life," said Maeda, who won 16 games last year as an MLB rookie, "and it was disappointing. The best situation is that with good results, I'll be back in the rotation." Roberts didn't go quite that far. "Unless something unforeseen happens to a starter, he'll be in this role," Roberts said. "We'll try to keep as close to his turn and put him in situations where he can eat up four or five innings." That said, Roberts and Maeda agreed that the right-hander was more impressive Friday night and more aggressive than he'd been in his starts. "I thought he threw the baseball as well as he has this season," said Roberts. "The fastball got to 94, the slider was sharp, he was striking the breaking ball early and he was filling up the strike zone. A lot of good from Kenta." Roberts suggested that with only four innings left, Maeda attacked hitters and didn't try to pace himself, and Maeda, who struck out six and allowed one run on three hits (all in the ninth) seemed to agree. "I was aware [I'd pitch] at most four innings, so I put a little more effort into the first inning and went ahead and got things done," Maeda said. "As a starter, you think about pitching longer innings, so maybe I was a little hesitant pitching into the first inning [starting]. As a middle reliever, you don't think about that so maybe it was something I can take away from today." Roberts also offered that Maeda, like Ryu with his demotion, has something to prove. "Kenta's very competitive," he said. "When it happened to Ryu you saw him out of the 'pen and what he did in his start once Woody got hurt. Kenta wanted to show he's worthy of another opportunity in the rotation. Today in that small sample is more what we need to see from Kenta. It was really good." Wood to be tested by Reds in return from DL By Joshua Thornton Alex Wood will be activated off the disabled list on Saturday and the Dodgers' lefty will be welcomed back by facing the Reds, who boast one of the top offenses in the National League. First pitch is set for 7:10 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium. Wood was placed on the DL on May 29 because of inflammation in the area around his left shoulder and missed two turns in the rotation. The southpaw is 6-0 with a 1.69 ERA in eight starts this season, and he holds the longest active scoreless-innings streak in the Major Leagues at 25 1/3 frames.

7 During that streak, Wood has struck out 33 batters against six walks and was May's NL Pitcher of the Month. Cincinnati starter Asher Wojciechowski will oppose Wood in his first career appearance against Los Angeles. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in four starts this season. The Reds are 3-1 in those games. Reds manager Bryan Price has been encouraged by the club's starting pitching of late, and hopes it continues to improve during its six-game road trip, which began on Friday with a 7-2 Dodgers win. "We're relatively fresh with the bullpen, which is a good thing," he said. "And hopefully we can continue the theme of good quality pitching." Things to know about this game Wojciechowski has thrown his curveball or slider for a strike just 31.2 percent of the time over the last 30 days, which ranks last in the Majors among 155 qualified starting pitchers. As a starter, Wood struck out 39.5 percent of right-handed batters he faced over the last 30 days, which ranks fifth in the Majors among qualified starting pitchers. Joey Votto is 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs against Wood in his career. LA TIMES Turner homers in his return and Maeda gets the save in Dodgers' 7-2 win over the Reds By Andy McCullough A Dodgers season defined by adaptation and experimentation in which the starting pitchers reshuffle on a weekly basis, infielders learn the outfield and outfielders thrown bullpen sessions added another wrinkle in Friday s 7-2 victory over Cincinnati. Kenta Maeda plummeted out of the starting rotation last weekend. He had looked tentative and meek in his prior outings, unable to finish at-bats, unlikely to build more trust with manager Dave Roberts. Rather than option him to the minors, the Dodgers shipped him to their clearinghouse for wayward starters: The bullpen. In his first relief appearance since 2008, when he was a 20-year-old playing for the Hiroshima Carp, Maeda offered a reminder about the pitcher he was for much of He became the second Dodger to record a four-inning save this season, joining Hyun-Jin Ryu in that category. Ryu had teamed up with Maeda in a similar situation last month. Ryu won his spot back in the rotation. Maeda lost his to make room.

8 As a starter this season, Maeda has shown a propensity for sluggish beginnings. In his relief debut, he overwhelmed the Reds. Maeda struck out six and did not waver until former National League MVP Joey Votto launched a homer in the ninth. He offered a satisfying conclusion to a breezy victory. Roberts expects Maeda to remain a long reliever for the foreseeable future. But he still commended his pitcher for the performance. Kenta s very competitive, Roberts said. And wanted to show that he s worthy of another opportunity in the rotation. The Dodgers (37-25) never trailed. Justin Turner inaugurated his return from the disabled list by homering in his first at-bat. Chris Taylor reached base three times and scored twice. Enrique Hernandez supplied a home run. Rich Hill (3-2, 3.77 earned-run average) bulled through early-game shakiness to hold the Reds to two hits across five innings of one-run baseball. In Turner, the Dodgers welcomed back their most reliable hitter. He posted a.946 on-base-plus-slugging percentage before landing on the disabled list, despite having hit only one home run. He did not wait long to remind his teammates of what they had missed. A walk by Taylor set the stage for Turner s return. He forced a 2-1 count against Reds rookie Amir Garrett. When Garrett tried a 91-mph fastball, Turner bashed it into the Dodgers bullpen beyond the left-field fence. Hill suffered self-inflicted grief in the second and third innings. The Reds pushed his pitch count to 71 after nine outs. In the second, Hill permitted a leadoff walk after picking up two strikes on third baseman Eugenio Suarez. Hill made a wild throw on a swinging bunt by outfielder Patrick Kivlehan and allowed an RBI single to former Dodger Jose Peraza. The third inning involved no runs but perhaps more irritation. In the bottom of the second, Garrett had left the game after getting cracked in the hand by a line drive from catcher Austin Barnes. In Garrett s place came reliever Jake Buchanan. Hill walked Buchanan to start the third. Hill needed 35 pitches to finish the inning. Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart took another walk after an 11-pitch entanglement. Hill shook loose of the inning by getting Votto to fly out and Suarez to a ground out. After the third inning, there was a little bit of a lull for me, just in terms of committing and having that aggressiveness, Hill said. But we got back on track in the fourth and fifth inning. The Dodgers wrung two runs out of Buchanan in the bottom of the third. After singles by Taylor and Franklin Gutierrez, Logan Forsythe provided a productive plate appearance by walking to load the bases. Barnes bounced a fastball to the side of the mound, where Buchanan scooped it up and made a wild throw. One run scored on Barnes infield single. A second came home on Buchanan s error. The fourth offered an identical bounty. Taylor led off with a double. Corey Seager walked. Turner got clipped by an inside fastball. Two runs scored on a single by Gutierrez, who had not recorded a hit since May 16. Hill hung around to find a rhythm in his final two innings. He finished his evening by striking out Cozart with three fastballs in a row. Hill has yet to throw a pitch in the sixth inning of a game this season. Friday

9 could represent a building block unless he falls prey to the wildness that nearly undid him in the second and the third. Maeda showed no signs of unsteadiness. He got Votto to ground out on a second-pitch cutter. Maeda followed that by striking out four of the next five men he faced. Unwilling to attack hitters as a starter, he looked reborn as a reliever. He was on the attack all night long, Roberts said. When the Dodgers shifted Maeda into the bullpen this week, Roberts indicated the move was not permanent. But it required an outing as a reliever for Maeda to remind the Dodgers why he was once so valuable as a starter. The best situation is that with good results, Maeda said, I ll be back in the rotation. Justin Turner, Luis Avilan return to Dodgers lineup By Andy McCullough Inactive since suffering a strained hamstring on May 18, Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner rejoined the lineup on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds. The team has struggled offensively without Turner, who returned to the third spot in the batting order. I m just happy that I m feeling good, feeling 100%, Turner said. Turner went through an intense simulated game on Wednesday to test his hamstring. He felt less soreness than he expected on Thursday morning, which left him encouraged about his ability to avoid a recurrence of the injury. With Turner back, Logan Forsythe returned to second base. Manager Dave Roberts expects Forsythe to have the majority of the team s starts at that position. He will get occasional relief from Chase Utley and Chris Taylor. Taylor has established himself as the primary center fielder, though he will also play at second base and third base. Joc Pederson (concussion) is expected to require at least a week on his rehabilitation assignment, which began on Friday. Avilan up, Romo shut down Turner was not the only Dodger to return on Friday. The team activated left-handed reliever Luis Avilan, who had been absent since late May because of triceps soreness. Avilan took the place of right-handed reliever Sergio Romo. The Dodgers placed him on the 10-day disabled list because of a left-ankle sprain. Romo had not pitched since June 4. Romo has had trouble finding a consistent role in the bullpen and has remained prone to giving up home runs. His ERA is a career-worst 6.41.

10 Eibner might pitch The Dodgers optioned outfielder Brett Eibner to triple-a Oklahoma City to make room on the roster for Turner. Eibner threw several bullpen sessions while with the big league club, and Roberts indicated the team will create an opportunity to use him as a reliever in the minors. It would be nice to get him an inning there before here, Roberts said. That is the plan. I don t know when that will occur, but I know that is on the radar. Dodgers' hope for Cody Bellinger: No Maas By Bill Shaikin In his first week in the major leagues, the Dodgers Cody Bellinger was the National League player of the week. In his first month, he was the league s rookie of the month, and the announcement noted Bellinger had 11 home runs in his first 32 games. The record is 12, shared by four players. Jose Abreu is one; he s been the best hitter on the Chicago White Sox the past three years. There are Dave Hostetler and Mike Jacobs, who had short careers that did not include an All-Star appearance. And then there is Kevin Maas, whose name is still spoken in hushed tones by New York Yankees fans. Whenever a young player there starts pumping home runs Gary Sanchez last year, Aaron Judge this year the cautionary whispers circulate immediately among the Yankees faithful: remember Kevin Maas. For the Yankees, it was the worst of times. The New York Mets had won the World Series in 1986, and four years later their star-studded cast still included Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden and David Cone. The Yankees, ruined by impulsive signings and trades, lost to the Dodgers in the 1981 World Series and would not get back to the playoffs until In 1990, the Yankees finished in last place for the first time in 24 years and the second time in 78 years. Maas showed up at the end of June, and the home runs started flying. The next great star was on the scene, said Lyle Spencer, then the New York columnist for the National Sports Daily. Any time a guy explodes on the scene in New York, it s bigger than big. Maas dominated the back pages of the New York tabloids. GQ magazine invited him to pose for a feature with other sports celebrities. Ahmad Rashad and Dick Stockton were these uber-famous personalities, Maas recalled recently, and they knew all about who I was, and included me in their conversation like I was part of the club. If Clayton Kershaw gets mad when he gets taken out of a game, good. He should get mad.

11 Bob Geren, then the Yankees catcher and now the Dodgers bench coach, recalled the excitement that all those Maas home runs ignited beneath a struggling team. He was on fire right away, Geren said. If there was an ESPN game or something, he was the guy they wanted to talk to. And they should have. He was on a record pace for awhile. Said Maas: There was even talk that I would beat Babe Ruth s home-run records. Those prolonged, outsized expectations are very hard to live up to. Maas hit.252 with 21 home runs in half a season and finished second in the American League rookie-ofthe-year vote, behind Sandy Alomar Jr. and ahead of half a dozen guys who had pretty good careers: Kevin Appier, John Olerud, Kevin Tapani, Travis Fryman, Robin Ventura and Ben McDonald. In 1991, as the Yankees and their fans entertained visions of Mattingly and Maas as M&Ms to feed a new generation weaned on stories of Mantle and Maris, the sophomore slugger hit.220 with 23 home runs. That was his one and only full season as an everyday player. Maas was a left-handed hitter with a short swing, in a ballpark where the right-field foul pole stood a tantalizing 314 feet from home plate. Yankee Stadium was pretty much built for him, Geren said. I got too home run-happy, Maas said. Instead of sticking with the strengths that got me there, I started pulling the ball. I was no longer hitting from left-center to right-center. Pitchers naturally adjusted to this and sent more off-speed pitches instead of challenging me. I gradually lost my patience and started swinging at those pitcher s pitches, instead of waiting for the hitter s pitches. The Yankees let him go in The Minnesota Twins gave him 22 games in 1995, the year he turned 30. He played for minor league teams in Ohio, Indiana, Nevada, Kansas, Florida and Louisiana, and he even got another shot from the Yankees in the spring of He had a pelvic fracture, one among a mounting number of injuries, and the Yankees released him. You can t make the club in the tub, then-yankees manager Joe Torre told Maas. In the summer of 1996, Maas played 63 games in Japan. He had endured plantar fasciitis, a painful foot injury, followed by surgery in which he said he almost lost a leg. I had never been a steroid user or naturally fast healer, Maas said. My bat felt slower, and successes were fewer and farther in between. My lesson in Japan was to accept that the Lord was telling me it was OK to let go and move on, and that there would be a life after baseball.

12 Maas built a successful career in financial management. He took time out from a surfing sabbatical in Costa Rica to do an interview via . But we re talking about him because of Bellinger, who has cooled at bat. Bellinger entered the weekend batting.247, but.193 over his previous 28 days. In the nine games since he hit that 11th home run, he is batting.161, with one home run, five hits and 16 strikeouts in 32 atbats. Could this comparison hit a little too close to home for the Dodgers? Geren, who played with Maas and coaches Bellinger, scoffed at the notion. Maas, a 22nd-round draft pick, made his major league debut at 25. He never was ranked as a top prospect, was a streaky hitter with below-average speed and was limited to first base and designated hitter. Bellinger, a fourth-round pick, made his debut at 21. He can hit right-handers and left-handers, hit to all parts of the field, steal a base and play first base and all three outfield positions. Cody has been an elite hitting prospect his whole career, Geren said. Other than a big burst of homers in a short period of time, the comparisons pretty much stop there for me. Cody is going to be a great player for many, many years here. Maas had to break in as the star on a last-place team, with the bright lights all focused on him. Bellinger broke in on a team shooting for its fifth consecutive division championship, with Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager and Justin Turner as the headliners and Adrian Gonzalez, Kenley Jansen and Yasiel Puig in a distinguished supporting cast. Bellinger will have his growing pains, if they have not started already. Who better than Maas to share some advice? New York is a pressure cooker, and L.A. is a similar big market, Maas said. Cody should first recognize that he was an outstanding player before he went to L.A. He should also recognize that a torrid pace can t be maintained, and that s OK. It s easier said than done, but he should stick with what got him there, enjoy the moment, and remember that he s exceptional even after the torrid pace slows down. Maas really did draw breathless comparisons to Babe Ruth. In his first 32 games, Ruth hit four home runs. You don t need to keep up a torrid pace, Maas said, to have an exceptional career.

13 The future of the Dodgers is bright just take a look at their local minor league team By Dylan Hernandez There s more to the plan than transforming the disabled list into a taxi squad and searching operating rooms for starting pitchers. What best represents Andrew Friedman s long-term design for the Dodgers is a collection of young players, the majority of them in their early 20s and only a year or two into their professional careers. Quite possibly the most talented minor-league team I ve been associated with, they were called by Friedman, the Dodgers president of baseball operations. The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the organization s affiliate in the High-A California League, are the crown jewel of a farm system that was revamped in the post-mccourt era. The team s roster includes the most expensive group of international prospects in franchise history, as well as the first two draft classes of well-regarded scouting director Billy Gasparino. The Quakes have a pitcher who effortlessly throws 100 mph and a first baseman who hit a ball harder than anyone at any level of the game has this season. Opposing scouts aren t allowed to speak publicly about players from other organizations, but one from an American League team said there could be five or six future major league players on the current Quakes roster, and that didn t include Walker Buehler, a hard-throwing right-hander who was promoted last month to Double-A Tulsa. Hands down, the best team in the league, another scout said. Dodgers Dugout: A closer look at the puzzling decision-making by Dave Roberts about Clayton Kershaw However, there are no guarantees at this level, only players with chances. And the reality is, little is known about this particular front office s ability to produce young talent. The most promising Dodgers to break into the major leagues the last few years were inherited from the previous regime. Ned Colletti was general manager and Logan White the scouting director when the team signed Corey Seager, Julio Urias, Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson. Whether the Dodgers become the franchise they envision remember, Friedman came into town talking about multiple championships will be determined by how this management team identifies and develops amateur players. The Quakes offer a glimpse of how the project is going. There is Yadier Alvarez, a lanky 21-year-old with sleepy eyes and a whip of a right arm. A Cuban defector, Alvarez received a $16-million bonus when he signed with the Dodgers two years ago. He was the top prize of the international amateur class of that cost the franchise close to $100 million. If there s a future superstar on this team, it s him.

14 The quietness of his delivery and still being able to throw 100 mph, you don t find that every day, Quakes pitching coach Kip Wells said. Alvarez is still in the early stages of his education, both on the field and off. He never reached the top league in his home country and is still learning some of the more fundamental aspects of pitching. Earlier this season, he had to be taught how to properly grip a four-seam fastball. His numbers reflect his inexperience: He had a record of 1-2 with a 5.30 earned-run average through his first nine games, including eight starts. There has also been a cultural adjustment. Alvarez, who politely declined to be interviewed for this column, has developed a reputation for showing up late to the ballpark. He shares the clubhouse with two other high-priced Cuban prospects who signed around the same time he did, athletic outfielder Yusniel Diaz and slick-fielding infielder Omar Estevez. Diaz signed for $15.5 million, Estevez for $6 million. Diaz entered the week batting a modest.255 with four home runs, but the 20-year-old is one of the youngest players in the California League. The player who started the season as the league s youngest player was the 19-year-old Estevez, who was batting.233. It s very different, Diaz said in Spanish. In Cuba, you don t work the way you do here. Here, it s more disciplined. And more physically demanding. Diaz was once a 17-year-old rookie in Cuba s top league, which has 90- game seasons. He said he is also facing a different style of pitching. Over there, it s mostly fastballs, sliders, Diaz said. Here, they throw curveballs, sinkers, cutters, sliders. If the Cuban players represent high risk and high rewards, some of their teammates who were drafted out of college are viewed as safer bets. These players are ahead on the developmental curve, courtesy of the seasons they played in college, where the standard of baseball of comparable to the lower levels of the minor leagues. If Clayton Kershaw gets mad when he gets taken out of a game, good. He should get mad. Some scouts consider outfielder DJ Peters to be the team s best prospect. Peters, a fourth-round pick last year from Western Nevada Community College, has drawn comparisons to Jayson Werth. He was batting.254 with nine home runs through the end of last weekend. Others evaluators prefer catcher Will Smith, the second of the organization s two first-round picks last year. Smith was batting.235 but had seven home runs. His calling card is defense. Will Smith s catch-and-throw is elite, Quakes Manager Drew Saylor said. I ve never been around a guy who has that innate ability to get rid of the ball. He can throw from different angles. He can pick a backhand slider and throw it like he s turning a doubleplay.

15 Smith is also among several players working to expand his versatility. Chris Taylor reached the major leagues this year as an infielder but is now a center fielder. The current major league backup at catcher, Austin Barnes, is valued by the front office because he can play other positions. Smith occasionally plays second and third base, explaining, Maybe it will get me to the big leagues a little quicker. Other recent draft picks to emerge as top prospects include right-hander Mitchell White, left-hander Caleb Ferguson and shortstop Drew Jackson. And the team s most dependable starter this season has been Dennis Santana, a hard-throwing 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic. Dodgers' Sergio Romo remains optimistic despite bumpy homecoming But the most breathtaking performer is Ibandel Isabel, a 6-foot-4, 21-year-old first baseman from the Dominican Republic. Isabel has struck out in about 45% of his at-bats. However, when he makes contact the ball explodes off the bat. Isabel blasted his league-high 14th home run of the season Tuesday, and his teammates light up when they talk about him. Earlier this month, Isabel hit a ball that was clocked at 120 mph off his bat. The hardest ball hit in the major leagues this season was 119 mph, by Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, who leads both leagues in home runs. One of Isabel s home runs from the first month of the season has become legendary. You see the LoanMart? asked White, the right-hander, pointing to the lettering high on the scoreboard behind the wall in right-center field. He hit one on top of that and it bounced over, White said. It was like a straight line drive. White said that was the moment he realized there could be something special about this group of players. One rival scout, a longtime observer of the California League, said the last time he saw a High-A team this talented was the 2014 Lancaster JetHawks. Seven players from that team are now in the major leagues, including three on the parent club Houston Astros: Carlos Correa, Lance McCullers and Chris Devenski. The 2015 edition of the JetHawks contributed four more players to the Astros major league roster. Today, the Astros have the best record in the major leagues. They figure to be World Series contenders for years to come. The Dodgers could be there with them.

16 OC REGISTER Dodgers offense returns to form in 7-2 victory over Reds By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES After a belt-tightening eight-game stretch during which they were limited to 18 runs and a.166 batting average by three of the best starting rotations in baseball, the Dodgers can put on their fat pants this weekend. Justin Turner hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat after returning from the DL and the Dodgers pulled away early in a 7-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night. It took me over 100 at-bats to hit one home run, said Turner who had just one homer in 162 plate appearances before going on the DL with a hamstring injury. Then to come back from three weeks on the DL and hit one in my first at-bat is a little weird. Maybe but not entirely surprising. The Reds starting rotation came into this weekend series with the highest ERA in the majors (5.81) by a wide margin. Friday s starter, left-hander Amir Garrett, wasn t around for long. He gave up the first-inning home run to Turner, who said he was using one of Cody Bellinger s bats His bat has home runs in it, I guess, Turner joked. Garrett took a line drive off his pitching hand to start the second inning. The bullet came off Austin Barnes bat at 103 mph and left Garrett on the ground in pain. He left the game with a contusion. X-rays were negative. The Dodgers offense went on to do most of its damage against the Reds relievers who followed. Two runs scored in the third inning when right-hander Jake Buchanan tried to make a highlight-reel play on Barnes chopper to the left of the pitcher s mound with the bases loaded. His throw was wide of first, allowing the two runs to score. An inning later, Buchanan loaded the bases again on a double by Chris Taylor, a walk and a hit batter. Franklin Gutierrez s first hit since May 16 a ground ball single into left field drove in two more runs. Taking good at-bats is contagious throughout the lineup, Turner said. I thought a lot of guys had good at-bats today. When everyone is doing that, it makes you a little more anxious to grab a bat and do your part. Kike Hernandez did his part with a solo home run later, plenty of offense to support the new tag team duo Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda. Hill continued to struggle with his control, walking three in the second and third innings, and needed 98 pitches to get through five innings. He has now walked 16 batters in his past 18 innings but said he felt he turned the corner with scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth.

17 It s a process and it s something that understanding it from a player s perspective it takes time to get through it and get where you need to be, Hill said. The fourth and fifth innings were really good. You could see the contrast. For real contrast, however, there was the first relief appearance of Maeda s career since he made one as a rookie with the Hiroshima Carp in Bumped from the rotation to accommodate Alex Wood s return from the DL on Saturday, Maeda struck out four of the first six batters he faced and retired the first nine in order before Joey Votto led off the ninth with a home run. Maeda closed it out from there for a four-inning save the Dodgers second this season. Under similar circumstances, Hyun-Jin Ryu earned a save when he threw four scoreless innings in his only relief appearance. I was a starter all my life, it was disappointing, Maeda said of his demotion through his interpreter. The best situation is with good results I ll be back in the rotation. That won t be any time soon unless something happens to one of our starters, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. But Roberts praised the more aggressive approach Maeda took as a reliever. I thought Kenta threw the ball as well as he has this season, Roberts said. It might have been his mindset and he wanted to show he s worthy of another shot in the rotation. Dodgers Notes: Justin Turner returns from DL to boost sporadic offense By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES Justin Turner returned from the disabled list on Friday, aware that there are some limits on what he can do. Obviously, I have to be a little smarter than normal, the Dodgers third baseman joked after missing 19 games with a hamstring injury. Can t go out and run the bases like Puig, like his hair s on fire. The Dodgers offense has hardly been on fire without Turner. In the eight games before his return Friday, they scored a total of 18 runs (10 in one game) and batted.166 as a team (including.113 with runners in scoring position). Dodgers manager Dave Roberts happily wrote Turner s name in the lineup. You realize how valuable he is as a player, in the clubhouse and on the field, and to get him back is going to be a huge lift, Roberts said. It sort of will allow guys to hit in their place in the order and just add length to our lineup. We ve been sporadic (offensively) and really haven t hit. I think the intent has been good. But having JT that professional at-bat, driving in a run, maybe hit a double, hit a homer, just to grind at-bats is only going to make us better. Turner did hit a home run in his first at-bat Friday. But he didn t view himself as riding in to save the offense after the recent downturn against the Cardinals, Brewers and Nationals.

18 It was three of the best starting pitching groups in the National League the last three series, Turner said accurately. You know you re in for a grind. I thought we were taking tough at-bats against some pretty good pitchers. Our guys pitched pretty well too. They just caught a few more breaks than us and we lost a few of those games there that we really had a chance to win. ROSTER MOVES With Turner s return, outfielder Brett Eibner was optioned back to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Eibner has been throwing bullpen sessions in anticipation of potential dual duty as a pitcher, and Roberts said it is part of the plan with Eibner to get him into a game (or more) as a pitcher for the OKC Dodgers soon. I don t know when that will be, Roberts said. He s had six, seven pens to date. It would be nice to get him an inning there before here. I don t know when that will occur, but that is on the radar. The Dodgers also activated left-hander Luis Avilan from the DL and put right-hander Sergio Romo on the list with a left ankle sprain. Avilan has been out with left triceps injury. Romo (who has a 6.41 ERA in 38 appearances) becomes the 22nd player placed on the DL by the Dodgers this season. They set a modern record last season when 28 players spent time on the DL. PEDERSON PLAN Outfielder Joc Pederson started his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday night and hit the first pitch he saw for a home run. Pederson finished the night 1 for 3 and played five innings in center field. Before suffering a concussion and a neck injury in a collision with Yasiel Puig on May 23, Pederson was hitting.200 for the season low even for the career.222 hitter. More disappointing, he has just two home runs and a.314 slugging percentage. The Dodgers hope Pederson will use this rehab assignment to rediscover his offensive game. As a result, Roberts said the length of the rehab is open-ended. It s two-fold, Roberts said of the rehab assignment. It s about Joc s health and how he feels taking atbats, how his body feels playing defense and how he recovers. But also, it s about performing. Yes, it s a rehab assignment. But we still need Joc to be feeling good at the plate when he gets back. To put a date on a return, I think, is unfair to Joc. It adds a little bit more pressure. Just to keep it openended allows for him, for us, that makes sense when he s ready. Roberts said he expects Pederson to spend at least a week with the OKC Dodgers and then be reevaluated. WOOD RETURN Left-hander Alex Wood is scheduled to return from the DL and start against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday. Wood has a streak of 25-1/3 scoreless innings but Dodgers starters have not fared well in their returns from the DL.

19 Kenta Maeda, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brandon McCarthy and Rich Hill (twice) have all spent time on the DL this season. In the five games they started immediately after returning, they have a combined ERA of 6.75 with a 2.12 WHIP while averaging fewer than five innings. The Dodgers lost four of those five games. On deck: Reds at Dodgers, Saturday, 7:10 p.m. By Bill Plunkett REDS at DODGERS When: Saturday, 7:10 p.m. Where: Dodger Stadium TV: SportsNet LA (where available); MLB Network (out of market only) THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP ALEX WOOD (6-0, 1.69 ERA) Vs. Reds: 2-0, 2.30 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 10-2, 1.62 ERA Hates to face: Joey Votto, 2 for 5 (.400), 1 double, 1 home run Loves to face: Arismendy Alcantara, 0 for 2, 1 strikeout REDS RHP ASHER WOJCIECHOWSKI (1-0, 4.50 ERA) Vs. Dodgers: Has never faced them before UPCOMING Sunday Reds (RHP Tim Adleman, 4-2, 4.42 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, 2-6, 4.08 ERA), 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA

20 Jordan Sheffield has solid start in 4-0 Loons win By Craig Minami TRUE BLUE LA Another split day for the four full-season Dodger minor league affiliates. Oklahoma City and Great Lakes won nicely while Tulsa and Rancho Cucamonga went down. The two Dominican Summer League teams won their games on Friday. Player of the Day Right-handed pitcher Jordan Sheffield pitched 5⅓ innings of scoreless baseball in the 4-0 Loons win on Friday night. Sheffield, who picked up his first win of the season, gave up four hits and walked three, he struck out two. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers had back-to-back-to-back home runs in the first inning en route to a 12-6 win over the Round Rock Express (Rangers). After an Alex Verdugo fly out, Joc Pederson, Scott Van Slyke and Willie Calhoun homered. For Pederson and Van Slyke, it was their first home runs for Oklahoma City, for Calhoun, it was his 12th. Joc Pederson was in Oklahoma City to begin his rehab assignment. Justin Masterson pitched five innings, gave up eight hits, six runs, walked five and struck out five. Three relievers, Layne Somsen, Jacob Rhame and Joe Broussard combined to pitch the final four innings to finish the game. Every Dodger batter had at least one hit. Drew Maggi went 4-for-4 with two doubles and four RBI. Mike Freeman had three hits and scored four runs. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers fell short and lost 5-3 to Arkansas Travelers (Mariners). Michael Johnson entered the game in the fifth inning and gave up three runs and four hits while getting only two outs. That turned out to be the key inning for the Drillers. Matt Beatty and Jose Miguel Fernandez each had two hits, Beatty scored a run and had two doubles while Fernandez had two RBI. Isaac Anderson started and pitched four innings, gave up three hits, two runs, walked two and struck out five. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes did nothing at the plate as they were shutdown and shutout 4-0 by Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres). Dennis Santana gave up seven hits and four runs in his four innings of work. He did strike out eight and walk four. The Quakes had two hits and two walks, they had only one runner in scoring position all night and they did not get a hit in that chance.

21 Class-A Great Lakes The Loons had three pitchers combine to shutout the South Bend Cubs 4-0 on Friday night. Jordan Sheffield s game was described above, a name to watch is right-handed reliever, Angel German, who got his third save on Friday. German has pitched in 11 games and has struck out 27 and has yet to give up a run in 18⅔ innings. He has an issue with walks, he s walked eight thus far this season. Carlos Rincon hit his tenth home run of the season, Mitchell Hansen had a big three-run to give the Loons a nice cushion for the win. Transactions Triple-A: Los Angeles sent centerfielder Joc Pederson on a rehab assignment to Oklahoma City; Los Angeles optioned outfielder Brett Eibner to Oklahoma City. Double-A: Infielder Zach McKinstry assigned to Tulsa from Rancho Cucamonga; Tulsa placed first baseman Michael Ahmed on the 7-day disabled list. Class-A: Infielder Errol Robinson assigned to Rancho Cucamonga from Great Lakes. Friday Scores Oklahoma City 12, Round Rock 6 Arkansas 5, Tulsa 3 Lake Elsinore 4, Rancho Cucamonga 0 Great Lakes 4, South Bend 0 DSL Dodgers1 12, DSL Braves 4 DSL Dodgers2 3, DSL Astros Orange 1 Saturday Schedule 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) vs. South Bend (TBD) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Julio Urias) vs. Round Rock Express (TBD) 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (TBD) vs. Springfield Cardinals (Sandy Alcantara) 6:00 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Adam Bray) at Lake Elsinore (TBD)

22 Justin Turner returns to spark Dodgers offense in win over Reds By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES Justin Turner welcomed himself back into the middle of the lineup, hitting a home run in his return from the disabled list in leading the Dodgers to a 7-2 win over the Reds on Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Turner missed 19 games with a strained right hamstring before getting activated on Friday. While he was quite productive at the plate before hitting the disabled list hitting.379/.453/.493 Turner only had one home run to his ledger. That changed in his first at-bat, launching a ball into the Dodgers bullpen in left field, scoring Chris Taylor for a quick 2-0 lead. The Dodgers rallied for two runs in each of the third and fourth innings, with Franklin Gutierrez in the middle of things in both rallies. Getting the start against the left-hander, Gutierrez singled in both frames against right-handed reliever Jake Buchanan, the second of which drove home two runs. It was much-needed production from Gutierrez, who has played sparingly of late and was in an 0-for-12 slump before Friday, with his last hit on May 16. Logan Forsythe also got into the mix, reaching base twice with a walk and a hit. The single in the seventh inning snapped an 0-for-26 skid for Forsythe dating back to May 30. The runs were a welcome sight for a club that scored 18 runs in its previous eight games, including seven of those game held to two or fewer runs. They also supported Rich Hill, who continued to struggle with wildness but was able to last through five innings allowing just one run on two hits. He walked three and struck out five, and has 16 walks in 18 innings in his last four starts. What a relief Kenta Maeda, the odd man out in the starting rotation for now, made his first major league relief appearance on Friday and was highly effective. Maeda struck out six in four solid innings, allowing only a solo home run to Joey Votto, to earn his first major league save. Hyun-jin Ryu also had a four-inning save this season, on May 25, giving the Dodgers a pair of four-inning saves in the same season since Matt Herges and Alan Mills did so in Scary moment Dodger Stadium fell silent in the bottom of the second inning when Austin Barnes lined a ball 103 mph back to the mound, where pitcher Amir Garrett tried to stop the ball with his pitching hand. The good news is that Garrett wasn t hit in the head or face by the ball, but did lay on the ground for a few minutes.