Daily Clips August 23, 2017

Transcription

1 Daily Clips August 23, 2017

2 LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017 DODGERS.COM Taylor sets tone; Dodgers' bullpen outlasts Bucs- Adam Berry and Ken Gurnick A-Gon's double career hit No. 2,000- Ken Gurnick Dodgers place Wood, Bellinger on DL- Ken Gurnick Hill, Williams duel as Dodgers visit Pirates- Ken Gurnick LA TIMES Adrian Gonzalez collects 2,000th hit during Dodgers' 8-5 battering of Pirates- Andy McCullough Dodgers place Alex Wood on disabled list before victory over Pirates- Andy McCullough Dodgers put Cody Bellinger on disabled list, recall Josh Ravin- Andy McCullough OC REGISTER Dodgers Adrian Gonzalez reaches milestone pain-free on a night bullpen bails out Brock Stewart- Bill Plunkett Dodgers Notes: Alex Wood joins Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw on the DL- Bill Plunkett Dodgers play it safe with Cody Bellinger, place him on DL with sprained ankle- Bill Plunkett Dodgers at Pirates: Wednesday game time, TV channel and starting pitchers- Bill Plunkett ESPN World Series or bust! Here's what the Dodgers must do down the stretch Bradford Doolittle Dodgers' Chris Taylor won't stay anonymous for long- Jerry Crasnick Dodgers' offense leads the way in 8-5 win over Pirates- Associated Press Dodgers hopeful for speedy returns as Cody Bellinger, Alex Wood go on DL- Jerry Crasnick TRUE BLUE LA Josh Sborz pitches 6 solid innings in big Drillers win- Craig Minami Dodgers offense, bullpen prevails in Pittsburgh- Eric Stephen Adrian Gonzalez joins the 2,000-hit club- Eric Stephen 'Best team ever?' Dodgers make Sports Illustrated cover- Eric Stephen Cody Bellinger lands on DL with right ankle sprain- Eric Stephen Who fills in Saturday for Alex Wood?- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER AGon collects 2,000th hit, Dodger bullpen shuts down Pirates- Cary Osborne Bellinger, Wood to 10-day DL; Stewart, Ravin recalled- Rowan Kavner USA TODAY SPORTS Dodgers place Cody Bellinger on the disabled list with sprained ankle- USA TODAY SPORTS Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner delightfully reenacted the solar eclipse- Ted Berg NBC LA Adrian Gonzalez Records 2,000th Career Hit as Dodgers Defeat Pirates, 8-5- Michael Duarte SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Blue Blazes: Led by Justin Turner, the Dodgers Might Be the Greatest Team of All-Time- Stephanie Apstein

3 LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23, 2017 Taylor sets tone; Dodgers' bullpen outlasts Bucs By Adam Berry and Ken Gurnick DODGERS.COM PITTSBURGH -- After both starting pitchers allowed five early runs, the Dodgers' bullpen outlasted the Pirates' and led Los Angeles to an 8-5 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday night at PNC Park. The Dodgers improved to 89-35, lowering their magic number in the National League West to 17. The Pirates lost for the eighth time in their last 10 games, falling eight games behind the NL Central-leading Cubs. Dodgers starter Brock Stewart, called up before the game and battling a cold, gave up five runs and the lead without recording an out in the third inning. So one day after picking up six innings in a 6-5, 12- inning victory, Los Angeles' bullpen had to carry seven more. It was up to the task. Josh Ravin struck out three in two innings, Tony Watson pitched a clean fifth, Tony Cingrani worked two scoreless frames, Josh Fields cruised through a nine-pitch eighth and Kenley Jansen punctuated the bullpen's scoreless performance by striking out the side to pick up his 34th save. "The story of the night, obviously, was the bullpen," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose bullpen was credited with back-to-back wins (by Cingrani and Luis Avilan) and saves (by Jansen and Ross Stripling). "We had four guys down (Pedro Baez, Brandon Morrow, Stripling and Avilan), but we'll get them back. Kenley will be down tomorrow. With Rich [Hill, starting] tomorrow, we feel good about the coverage." Five Dodgers relievers combined to strike out nine batters while allowing just three hits and two walks over seven innings. "They are very effective at the top of the zone, and they have good breaking pitches to throw a pretty good combination punch at you," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The firepower's real. The velocity's real. It's a very unique, dynamic bullpen. That's one of the reasons they've got the record they've got right now." Jameson Taillon grinded through five innings for the Pirates, walking a career-high five batters and striking out only one. Chris Taylor was responsible for most of the damage, scoring after a leadoff double in the first, then driving in two more runs in the second. And Taylor beat out a double-play

4 grounder to extend the seventh inning, allowing Corey Seager to single in a tie-breaking run and extend his hitting streak to 11 games. "C.T. beating out that double play exemplifies our ballclub, extending that inning," Roberts said. Still, Taillon left with the game tied entering the sixth inning. "There's not many breaks, that's for sure. It's a good lineup," Taillon said. "They're built for a nice run. They obviously have the best record in the NL for a reason. They're good. It was a fun challenge. I'd like to have another crack at it." Adrian Gonzalez led off the sixth with a double to right, his 2,000th career hit and scored on Seager's two-out single. Facing Pirates rookie Edgar Santana in the seventh, Yasmani Grandal crushed a two-run shot a Statcast-projected 425 feet into the Dodgers' bullpen to push the lead to three. "That was huge," Roberts said. "Yasmani has been swinging the bat well with not a lot to show for it lately. It was big for him." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Taylor made: Taylor was in the middle of the action as the Dodgers built up an early four-run lead. He set the tone against Taillon in the first at-bat of the game, lining the eighth pitch he saw to left field for a leadoff double, then scored after two groundouts. With the bases loaded and one out in the second, Taylor pulled a 97.6-mph fastball into left field for a two-run single. Taylor finished 3-for-5, his 12th game of the season with at least three hits. Star power: More than a month after returning from his 80-game suspension, Starling Marte has found his form. The leadoff-hitting left fielder entered the night batting.300 in August, and he has added power to his swing over the past few days. Marte bashed his first post-suspension homer on Saturday, then clubbed a two-run shot to left field off Stewart in the third inning, the biggest blow in the Bucs' five-run frame. "I think he's worked in a very professional manner since he's been back. Nobody knows better than the hitter that's in the box where his timing is," Hurdle said. "He didn't get outside himself. He didn't try to overcompensate in any certain area. He didn't try to create bat speed. He just stayed in the box, kept seeing pitches, fighting pitches off, trying to get his timing down, working the ball back to the big part of the field. He's gotten to a much better spot. He's been much more competitive." QUOTABLE "I don't think he was being cautious. I don't think he's got a cautious bone or mentality on the mound. I think he was being aggressive. His 'towards' button was off. What he was aiming toward seemed to be low. The consistent command wasn't there, which provided a challenge, obviously."-- Hurdle, on Taillon's command SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

5 With his first stolen base as a Dodger, Curtis Granderson became the 36th player in MLB history with 300 home runs (314) and 150 steals. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Rich Hill starts Wednesday's 4:05 p.m. PT game at PNC Park, seeking to reach double figures in wins for the second consecutive season. Hill is 3-1 in his career against the Pirates and is coming off a five-inning win in Detroit, where he allowed three runs. Pirates: Right-hander Trevor Williams will start for the Pirates on Wednesday as they continue their four-game series against the Dodgers at 7:05 p.m. ET at PNC Park. Williams' first start of the season came at Dodger Stadium on May 8, when he allowed eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in three innings. It was his worst start until his most recent outing, when he gave up eight runs on seven hits, including three homers, in three-plus innings against the Cardinals. A-Gon's double career hit No. 2,000 By Ken Gurnick PITTSBURGH -- The standing ovation from teammates in the dugout wasn't the highest compliment paid to Adrian Gonzalez on Tuesday night, when he reached the 2,000-hit milestone with a sixth-inning double in the Dodgers' 8-5 win over the Pirates at PNC Park. That came after the game, when Gonzalez finished his on-field interview and entered the clubhouse, where he was again greeted by loud applause from teammates that appreciate the entire body of the 35-year-old's work. "It's cool, one of those milestones that just means I have a lot to be grateful for and thankful for," Gonzalez said. "That was really cool, special, seeing the guys in the dugout, the Dodgers fans in the stands. I know there's a lot of people back home smiling as well, especially my wife and my kids and my parents and my brother. It's a cool feeling." Gonzalez doesn't think he's finished, and the Dodgers don't either, even though more than two months on the disabled list with a herniated disc left his future in doubt. He returned only last week and is 4-for- 21 with a pair of doubles in five games, adding a walk and two runs on Tuesday night. "I feel good," Gonzalez said. "I feel like I've had some hard outs, squared up some balls. I don't think the results are all the way there, but the process is there. The body feels good. When I hit the ball, it's coming out with authority. I'm happy so far. [Not having pain] is the biggest thing in the world. I think everything I did to stay away from my back and let it heal and let it rest, up until now, it's been successful." Gonzalez's return to first base prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to move Cody Bellinger to the outfield, and while playing right field on Saturday in Detroit, Bellinger sprained his right ankle to wind up

6 on the DL. But with Gonzalez back at first base and Curtis Granderson's acquisition, the Dodgers haven't run out of quality players. "When you can have Adrian Gonzalez hit seventh in your lineup, it pretty much sums it up for me after what I've seen over the last seven years," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "The guy got his 2,000th career hit tonight. He's hitting seventh." Gonzalez's double off reliever Johnny Barbato marked his 742nd hit as a Dodger in a career that includes stops with Texas, San Diego and Boston. He was the first player taken in the 2000 Draft by the Marlins and was traded to the Rangers in '03. Earlier this season, he went on the DL for the first time in a 14- year career with right elbow soreness. Since joining the Dodgers in 2012, Gonzalez leads the club in home runs, RBIs, runs scored, doubles and walks. "It was only fitting for him to hit a double for 2,000, he's had a lot of doubles in his career," Roberts said. "The longevity for 2,000 hits, I can't fathom. It's quite a milestone. We have guys that can hit balls out of the ballpark, but to have that professional at-bat like Granderson also gives us, to run up pitch counts, take the walk, it's invaluable. The consistent quality of at-bat Adrian gives us when he's right is taxing on a starter." Dodgers place Wood, Bellinger on DL By Ken Gurnick PITTSBURGH -- The Dodgers placed starting pitcher Alex Wood on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation of the sternoclavicular joint (where the collarbone meets the sternum) and rookie sensation Cody Bellinger with a mild right ankle sprain on Tuesday. Los Angeles recalled Tuesday night's starting pitcher Brock Stewart and reliever Josh Ravin from Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding moves. Wood said he's optimistic he will be back in 11 days when the Dodgers are in San Diego. He missed 11 games from May 29-June 10 with the same injury. "It's milder compared to when I originally did it," Wood said. "If we were three games up, you might try to fight through it. But we want to get it to calm down so I'm good for the last three weeks and into October. I just feel it's affecting me mechanically, whether it's consciously or subconsciously and my body is trying to adjust." Wood (14-1 with a 2.41 ERA) allowed three solo home runs over six innings in a no-decision Monday night against the Pirates.

7 "Alex came to us and said it was the prudent thing to do," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "When he comes back, I don't know. He'll probably get a cortisone shot in there to nip the pain and get on a throwing program again and calm it down and get back." Bellinger sustained the injury while making a running catch in right field in Detroit on Saturday. "It's the luxury of having a 19-game lead," Bellinger said. "I could play right now, I told them that, but with the depth of this lineup, 50 percent of me isn't as good as 100 percent of somebody else. We've won two in a row and I haven't been in the lineup. And I still haven't run yet." Roberts added that Brandon McCarthy (finger blister) is close to beginning a rehab assignment, but Scott Kazmir (lack of velocity) is still throwing simulated games in Arizona with no rehab assignment planned. Fantasy spin Fred Zinkie Wood (2.41 ERA, 1.01 WHIP) and Bellinger (34 homers, 79 RBIs) have been top-flight fantasy assets to this point in the season, so both will be sorely missed while they are out. But with neither player expected to miss a substantial amount of time, they should be stashed in all leagues. Wood owners can check waivers for a replacement such as Luis Castillo, Luke Weaver or Patrick Corbin, while Bellinger owners can take a look at Byron Buxton, Rhys Hoskins and Keon Broxton. Hill, Williams duel as Dodgers visit Pirates By Ken Gurnick Pittsburgh right-hander Trevor Williams will start for the Pirates against Dodgers lefty Rich Hill in Wednesday's third game of the four-game series. After beginning the season in the bullpen, Williams entered the rotation on May 8 to fill in for Jameson Taillon, who underwent surgery for testicular cancer that day. Williams' first start came against the Dodgers, who put up eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in three innings against the rookie righthander. In 17 starts between that ugly outing and his most recent start, Williams has posted a 3.62 ERA and may have pitched even better than that number indicates, holding opposing hitters to a.243/.305/.354 slash line and allowing only five homers in 97 innings. But his last start was his worst since that one at Dodger Stadium, as he surrendered eight runs (all earned) on seven hits, including three homers, over threeplus innings against the Cardinals at PNC Park. Hill is 3-1 with a 3.69 ERA in eight career starts against the Pirates, and he's coming off a five-inning win over the Tigers on Friday in Detroit, when he allowed three runs -- two in the first. Three things to know about this game

8 Although Cody Bellinger is now on the 10-day disabled list with a sprained right ankle, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has no shortage of players to call on. Adrian Gonzalez will continue to get playing time at first base, while Curtis Granderson will see extended action in left field, Bellinger's other position. Chris Taylor has become the every day center fielder, with Yasiel Puig in left. The Dodgers' roster merry-go-round brought Josh Ravin back to the bullpen one day after Roberts used seven relievers in Monday night's 12-inning win. Ravin will get first call as the long man, while Ross Stripling will likely be held back to start Saturday in place of Alex Wood, who went on the DL. Hill has allowed all 13 of his home runs with the bases empty this season, but he performs significantly better with runners in scoring position. Among pitchers who have faced 75 batters in those situations, his.172 expected average allowed -- based on the quality of contact against him, plus his actual strikeouts -- ranks third lowest. LA TIMES Adrian Gonzalez collects 2,000th hit during Dodgers' 8-5 battering of Pirates By Andy McCullough Standing at second base, 2,400 miles away from the ballpark he calls home, Adrian Gonzalez doffed his batting helmet. A modest crowd at PNC Park rose to salute his achievement, the 2,000th hit of his career, a double down the first base line in the sixth inning of an 8-5 Dodgers victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. It s one of those milestones that means a lot, Gonzalez said. A lot to be grateful for, a lot to be thankful for. I m just going to continue to try and do it, keep going. Gonzalez would come around to score the go-ahead run on a single by Corey Seager as the Dodgers conducted a night-long battering of Pirates pitchers. Gonzalez has made hard contact since returning from the disabled list Friday. He walked in the second inning and scored on a two-run single by Chris Taylor, who had three hits and three RBIs. Yasmani Grandal added some insurance with a two-run homer in the seventh. The Dodgers overcame a third-inning combustion by spot starter Brock Stewart. Handed a four-run lead by his teammates, who bullied starter Jameson Taillon, Stewart capsized. A well-place groundball from Taillon led to a leadoff single. Starling Marte hammered a 91-mph fastball into the left-field seats to cut the deficit in half. From there, Stewart s command disappeared, as he walked two batters, gave up a single and left with the bases loaded. Stewart dealt with sinus issues over the weekend. Neither he nor manager Dave Roberts would use the illness to explain his performance.

9 The bottom line is he wasn t executing like he knows he s capable of doing, Roberts said. Dodgers place Alex Wood on disabled list before victory over Pirates Into the breach stepped Josh Ravin, who had been called up before the game. His fourth pitch was smacked by third baseman Josh Harrison for a two-run, score-tying single. A groundout by John Jaso drove in Josh Bell to put the Pirates ahead 5-4. The Dodgers did not trail for long. With runners at second and third in the fourth inning, Taylor ripped a grounder down the third base line. Harrison could not handle it and Taylor received credit for a runscoring single. Seager drove Gonzalez home two innings later. The bullpen made the lead hold up. Ravin finished with two scoreless innings. Tony Watson (7-4) secured three outs. Tony Cingrani got six outs. After Josh Fields pitched the eighth inning, Kenley Jansen recorded his 34th save. They did a great job, Roberts said. Dodgers place Alex Wood on disabled list before victory over Pirates By Andy McCullough Alex Wood placed his hand across his chest. His fingers pointed to his SC joint, which connects the clavicle to the sternum, the area that has been beset by inflammation for the past two weeks. On Tuesday, he landed on the 10-day disabled list for the second time this season because of the condition. If we were three games up in the division, it s something where you might try to fight through it a little bit more, Wood said. But it has been an issue for me since my Arizona start [on Aug. 9]. We just want to get it to calm down so I can be good for the last three weeks heading into October. The Dodgers activated Brock Stewart to take Wood s roster spot Tuesday, before Stewart gave up five runs in an 8-5 victory over Pittsburgh. Wood approached team officials in the afternoon and suggested he would benefit from time off, manager Dave Roberts said. Wood is likely to receive a cortisone shot to combat the inflammation. Wood was hopeful he could return by the first weekend of September, when the Dodgers travel to San Diego. The Dodgers can afford to be careful with Wood. These are the perks of leading the National League West by 21 games. Can he make his next start? Sure, Roberts said. But with where we re at, it s with that theme of being overly cautious, because we ve been afforded that luxury.

10 The inflammation prevented Wood from throwing a bullpen session before his start Monday, when he gave up three home runs. Wood is not worried about risking a more serious injury, but he was concerned about his inability to sharpen his mechanics as he compensated for the discomfort. Whether it s consciously or subconsciously, because of this, my body has tried to adjust to keep it healthy and feeling good, Wood said. Having a little bit of time to clean up what I need to clean up, and make a small adjustment mechanically, I think will be perfect timing right now. Wood joined a star-studded group of pitchers on the disabled list. Yu Darvish (back tightness) is expected to be activated for Sunday against Milwaukee. Clayton Kershaw (back strain) is scheduled to throw a four-inning, 60-pitch rehabiliation outing for triple-a Oklahoma City on Saturday. The Dodgers have not determined who will start in Wood s place Saturday, but Roberts scratched one candidate off the list. I m certain it will not be Clayton, Roberts said. Roberts mentioned Ross Stripling as an option. He indicated Stripling could possibly throw 60 pitches although Stripling has not thrown more than 55 in a game this season, and has not thrown more than 40 since June 25. Roberts ruled out top pitching prospect Walker Buehler, who has been working in relief for Oklahoma City, for Saturday. The team is weighing whether to call up Buehler, a first-round pick in 2015, to aid the bullpen in September. The transition from starting has not been kind thus far. Buehler had a 5.87 ERA after his first five relief appearances. Neither Brandon McCarthy nor Scott Kazmir will be considered for Saturday, Roberts said. After three effective months to start the season, McCarthy became beset by mechanical glitches and has not pitched since July 20. He is on the disabled list with a blister on his pitching hand. Roberts indicated McCarthy will begin a rehab assignment soon, but he was unsure where. Roberts offered an even vaguer explanation of Kazmir s readiness. Beset by hip issues during the spring, Kazmir has not pitched for the Dodgers this season. He made a trio of rehab appearances for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, but his fastball velocity hovered in the mid-80s and his ERA was Kaz is in Arizona, Roberts said. He s still pitching. I don t know. I really don t know. I haven t heard when we re getting him out there on assignment. Obviously, the clock s ticking. He s pitching, has been doing simulated games. But as far as getting him in a game situation, I don t know when that s taking place. Kazmir will earn $16 million in 2018, in the final season of a three-year deal that backfired as Kazmir s body broke down in The Dodgers do not harbor similar fears about Wood, despite his history. He underwent elbow ligament replacement while in college. He missed most of last season after elbow surgery during the summer.

11 Wood described his discomfort as mild compared to how he felt in late May, when he was first shut down with SC joint issues. He hopes once the inflammation disperses, he can recapture the sharpness he felt in the first half, when he went 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA and earned his first All-Star selection. When you throw pitches, you don t want there to be many outliers, Wood said. You want it to be consistent in the shape, and your command of it. And my command of all three hasn t been exactly what I ve wanted. Instead of throwing four out of four the way you want, you re throwing two out of four or three out of four. I want it to go back to four out of four, and that s a big part of getting this SC to calm back down and get back where I need it to be. Dodgers put Cody Bellinger on disabled list, recall Josh Ravin By Andy McCullough After keeping rookie star Cody Bellinger out of the lineup the last three games, the Dodgers put him on the disabled list Tuesday because of a sprained right ankle he suffered Saturday. The cost of trying to get him through it versus the upside, I just think it s smart to be on the cautious side, manager Dave Roberts said. In Bellinger s spot, the Dodgers recalled reliever Josh Ravin from triple-a Oklahoma City. Ravin has been up twice this season, recording one save and posting a 3.38 earned-run average in 5 1/3 innings over four appearances. Hitters have only two hits in 18 at-bats against the right-hander. Bellinger injured the ankle while jumping to catch a ball near the warning track at Comerica Park in Detroit. The team initially described the injury as mild, but Bellinger s ankle remained swollen through the weekend. His gait has improved in recent days. The limp he had Sunday morning was replaced by a steadier stride Tuesday as he walked through the clubhouse at PNC Park to take swings indoors. That s still a controlled setting, and there s still swelling, Roberts said. With him, being such a dynamic player, violent with the swing and then the lateral [movement], haven t tested that. With Bellinger out, Adrian Gonzalez remains in the lineup at first base. Bellinger had shifted to the outfield to make room for Gonzalez s return Friday from the DL. He appeared in right field on only four occasions before the injury.

12 OC REGISTER Dodgers Adrian Gonzalez reaches milestone pain-free on a night bullpen bails out Brock Stewart By Bill Plunkett PITTSBURGH The first one came on April 20, 2004 at Angel Stadium. Still almost three weeks shy of his 22nd birthday, Adrian Gonzalez was wearing a Texas Rangers uniform then but not for long when he stroked a clean single to center field off Angels right-hander Ramon Ortiz. For 11 seasons from 2006 through 16, the hits came in a steady stream from coast to coast and back, with the San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox and Dodgers. The stream finally stopped 1,995 hits later as a troublesome back sent the 35-year-old Gonzalez to the DL for two months. Back in the lineup for five games now, No. 2,000 came in the sixth inning Tuesday night, a hard-hit ground ball down the first-base line that went through Pirates first baseman Josh Bell and into right field for a double. Gonzalez scored the go-ahead run later in the inning as the Dodgers beat the Pirates, 8-5. I don t think you think that far ahead, Gonzalez said of the road between his first hit and his 2,000th. You re focused on the at-bat of the moment. It s cool looking back and thinking about the first one and thinking about today. With the double (his 428th tied with Ruben Sierra for 139th all-time), Gonzalez became the 285th player in baseball history to record 2,000 base hits and the seventh to do it in a Dodgers uniform. It s one of those milestones that means a lot a lot to be grateful for, a lot to be thankful for, said Gonzalez, who received a standing ovation from his teammates in the visitors dugout and from a large contingent of Dodgers fans among a sparse crowd at PNC Park on a rainy day. That was really cool, really special seeing the guys in the dugout, seeing the Dodger fans in the stands. And I know there s a lot of people back home smiling as well especially my wife and kids, my parents and brother. It s a special feeling. Gonzalez is enjoying another feeling. The pain in his back has subsided. The 35-year-old Gonzalez is just 4 for 21 since returning to the lineup but the outs have been hard. I feel good, he said, having unexpectedly played five consecutive games since returning because of the ankle injury that sent Cody Bellinger to the DL. Overall, I don t think the results are all the way there but I feel the process is there. The body feels good. When I hit the ball, it s coming out with authority. Brock Stewart is at the other end of his career, trying to establish himself in the big leagues. This season has been difficult. He started the season on the DL with shoulder inflammation (and a desire by the Dodgers management to limit his innings). He has pitched as a starter and out of the bullpen. He has gone weeks without pitching at all. He has lived out of a suitcase, traveling between the majors and minors.

13 It s gotta be difficult, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Any player would like routine, consistency. But I think that a lot of (young) guys through that. And when you play for our ballclub and we have so much quality pitching and you have options that s kind of where he s at right now in his career. He s continuing to grow. Never makes excuses. And he s going to be a good one. Summoned from Triple-A to fill in for Yu Darvish on Tuesday, Stewart arrived having pitched just 10 1/3 innings in the past month none in a week and fighting a head cold. He couldn t get through three innings. The Pirates batted around in the third, scoring all five of their runs on four hits including a two-run home run by Starling Marte and a two-run double by Josh Harrison off reliever Josh Ravin. Definitely wasn t my night, Stewart said. I think I just missed barely but a few too many times. Tried to be too fine and when you do that you usually don t hit your spot. It s definitely a learning experience. That s how baseball goes. You re not always going to have good days. It doesn t seem to matter to the Dodgers who have won 10 games this season in which their starting pitcher failed to get through five innings. They forged on Tuesday, scoring in five of the first seven innings. Chris Taylor had three hits and drove in three runs. Yasmani Grandal had a two-run home run. While the Dodgers just kept scoring, the Pirates stopped completely after their gluttony in the third inning. They didn t get another runner past first base in the final six innings against five Dodgers relievers. They did a great job, Roberts said. The story of the night was obviously the bullpen. That group has thrown 13 innings over the past two nights Stewart s short start and Monday s 12- inning game. Reinforcements are likely to be recalled Wednesday. Dodgers Notes: Alex Wood joins Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw on the DL By Bill Plunkett PITTSBURGH As the Dodgers roll along with the best record in baseball and a shot at the best record in major-league history, they will do so without their three best starting pitchers. One night after revealing he has been dealing with the same sternoclavicular joint inflammation that landed him on the DL earlier this season, left-hander Alex Wood went back to the 10-day DL. Like Yu Darvish (back spasms) before him, Wood is expected to miss just one start.

14 If we were three games up in the division, it s something you d fight through and that s what I ve been doing, said Wood who admitted he has been trying to manage the SC joint issue through his past two starts. But I think we re just going to try to get it calmed down so I m good for the last three weeks and into the playoffs. I ve still been OK. But I haven t been as good as I want to be heading into the playoffs. Wood, a first-time All-Star, has continued to pitch well but not as well as he did in the first half. Before the All-Star break, he was 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. In seven starts since the break, he is 4-1 with a 3.80 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. The OPS of opposing batters has jumped from.476 to.764. After giving up only two home runs in his first 16 games and 86-2/3 innings this season, Wood has given up eight in 36 2/3 innings over his past six starts, including three Monday. Along the way, the left-hander has lost some velocity from his fastball, a drop he blames indirectly on the SC joint issue. I feel it s just affecting me more mechanically, whether it s consciously or subconsciously, he said. If my stuff was still playing consistently the way it has been for the whole year, I wouldn t care about the velo, especially if it s just a mile or two. But the consistency of my stuff hasn t been quite as sharp. Instead of throwing four out of four the way I want, it s two out of four or three out of four. Manager Dave Roberts said he expects Wood to receive a cortisone shot to relieve some of the inflammation and then begin a throwing program. Wood said he expects to rejoin the rotation during the Dodgers series in San Diego Sept. 1-3 (also the most likely return date for Clayton Kershaw). The Dodgers big lead in the NL West (and for the best record in the National League) affords them the luxury, as Roberts acknowledged, of giving Wood and Darvish 10-day breaks to treat injuries that are relatively minor and slow-playing Kershaw s return from a more serious back injury. Darvish is eligible to make his return from the DL on Sunday. But the Dodgers will need another starter to stand in for Wood on Saturday. Roberts did a better job of eliminating options than naming any Tuesday. He said it definitely won t be Kershaw who is scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. Roberts also took top prospect Walker Buehler out of consideration. I don t know if he is ultimately going to come with us in September. We haven t made that final decision, Roberts said of Buehler, who has been pitching in relief for the OKC Dodgers over the past three weeks. But if he does come (as a September call-up), it ll be out of the pen and we ll see how it looks.

15 Right-hander Brandon McCarthy is not an option. He has been on the DL for a month with persistent blister issues on his pitching hand and perhaps more importantly some of the same issues he had last year with his control. Roberts said McCarthy will begin a rehab assignment this week either with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga or Double-A Tulsa. He is slated for a return when rosters expand in September. The Dodgers could add someone like former big leaguer Justin Masterson (10-6 with a 4.36 ERA for the OKC Dodgers) or Wilmer Font (who leads the PCL with 170 strikeouts). But neither (like Buehler) are on the Dodgers 40-man roster and a move would have to be made to add them. Perhaps the likeliest option is a bullpen game started by long reliever Ross Stripling. Stripling made 14 starts for the Dodgers last season but has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen this season, going as long as three innings on three occasions. Stripling pitched the final inning in Monday s 12-inning game, earning a save, and Roberts said he could be extended to as much as 60 pitches in a spot start. Potentially, Ross could be an option, depending on the workload, he said. As we get to Saturday, how the usage plays out will give us some more clarity. ALSO Class-A Rancho Cucamonga outfielder D.J. Peters was named the Cal League MVP and Rookie of the Year for the 2017 season. Peters, 21, was the Dodgers fourth-round pick in the 2016 draft. In his first full season as a professional, he leads the Cal League in slugging percentage (.521), extra-base hits (55), walks (60) and total bases (237) while ranking second in home runs (24), fourth in RBI (74), seventh in hits (129) and fourth in on-base percentage (.382). Dodgers play it safe with Cody Bellinger, place him on DL with sprained ankle By Bill Plunkett PITTSBURGH The Dodgers held rookie Cody Bellinger out of the starting lineup for two days after he suffered a mild ankle sprain Saturday. They decide to err entirely on the side of caution Tuesday and put him on the DL. The first baseman/outfielder will be eligible to return next Wednesday. There s improvement. But that s a controlled environment, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Tuesday s game. I m sure in the next day or two we ll have to make that decision. I see more leaning towards the DL because of the cost of trying to get him through it versus the upside. I just think it s probably smart to be on the cautious side.

16 The closest Bellinger had come to playing since rolling his ankle in right field Saturday was the 12th inning of Monday s game when he briefly went out to the on-deck circle as a potential pinch-hitter. He was called back and replaced by pitcher Kenta Maeda who batted instead. In Bellinger s place, right-hander Josh Ravin was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Ravin has made four appearances with the Dodgers this season, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in 5-1/3 innings. The overwhelming favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year, Bellinger leads the Dodgers with 34 homers, 79 RBI and a.612 slugging percentage. Despite being called up on April 25, he currently ranks among the best in the National League in home runs (2nd), slugging percentage (4th), RBI (14th) and OPS (.968, 7th). Bellinger is the 26th player placed on the DL by the Dodgers this season. Dodgers at Pirates: Wednesday game time, TV channel and starting pitchers By Bill Plunkett DODGERS at PIRATES When: 4 p.m. Where: PNC Park TV: SportsNet LA (where available) THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP RICH HILL (9-4, 3.54 ERA) Vs. Pirates: 3-1, 3.69 ERA At PNC Park: 0-1, 6.19 ERA Hates to face: Josh Harrison, 1 for 2 (.500), 1 double Loves to face: David Freese, 0 for 3, 1 strikeout PIRATES RHP TREVOR WILLIAMS (5-6, 4.71 ERA) Vs. Dodgers: 0-1, ERA

17 At PNC Park: 2-3, 4.81 ERA Hates to face: Chris Taylor, 2 for 2, 1 home run Loves to face: Justin Turner, 0 for 2, 1 strikeout UPCOMING Thursday: Dodgers LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-6, 3.45 ERA) at Pirates RHP Chad Kuhl (6-8, 4.52 ERA), 1 p.m., SportsNet LA ESPN World Series or bust! Here's what the Dodgers must do down the stretch By Bradford Doolittle Perhaps the most stark expression of pure joy I've witnessed during this long baseball season came last weekend in Detroit. Before Saturday's game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles outfielder Yasiel Puig sat at a table in the visitors clubhouse of Comerica Park, with closer Kenley Jansen sitting across from him. Puig was watching the 1977 version of "The Bad News Bears," the one where for some reason they end up playing in the Houston Astrodome. Puig watched this for about five minutes, laughing and giggling the entire time as if it were the most uproariously hilarious piece of cinema ever created. "Kenley! Kenley!" Puig said, pointing at the screen. Jansen maybe looked up once, but if so, that was it. It's a good time to be a Los Angeles Dodger. The mood should be good for a club that, with an 11-1 run over their next 12 games, would hit 100 wins by Labor Day. The Dodgers have a 21-game bulge in the National League West, having already eliminated rival San Francisco from the division race. They are 13½ games up on Washington in the race for the NL's top playoff seed, and 13½ games better than Houston for the best record in baseball. Folks, we've still got 46 days until the Dodgers will play in Game 1 of the National League Division Series, the first step in a journey the club hopes will end L.A.'s 29-year championship drought. The Dodgers' highest-stakes games lie weeks away, but that doesn't mean there is nothing to do for manager Dave Roberts and his history-making crew over the next few weeks.

18 "There is that keeping-sharp component," Roberts said. "There is the rest component. And there is also seeing how the lineup looks and seeing how guys play in the field, seeing what each player is suited for." With that in mind, here's a checklist of things for Roberts to do between now and the postseason as he attempts to put his club in the best possible position for baseball's annual October crapshoot: 1. Clinch all the things The leads are enormous, so unless the roster is replaced by those Bad News Bears that Puig was laughing at, this is a foregone conclusion. But you've still got to do it. 2. Get healthy This is the big-ticket item. At this writing, the Dodgers' top three starters (Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish and Alex Wood) are all on the disabled list. Eventual NL Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger was limping around Detroit with a swollen right ankle suffered on Saturday. Managing these injuries is something the Dodgers do very well. Still, for all the high-quality redundancy L.A.'s front office has built into its 40-man roster, Kershaw, Darvish, the first-half version of Wood and Bellinger aren't interchangeable pieces. Those are core guys you want operating at an optimum level when the games matter most. 3. Make calls on rehabbing guys Meanwhile, the Dodgers have a long list of players at various phases of the injury rehab process. Outfielders Franklin Gutierrez and Andre Ethier, who hasn't played all season, have both seen recent minor league action. "Andre, he's on his way back," Roberts said. "Seeing him as a bat off the bench is something we envision for him throughout September and potentially the postseason. I don't think the addition of Curtis [Granderson] changes that." Lefty relievers Grant Dayton, a standout last season, and Adam Liberatore have been in the same rehab boat but have battled setbacks. And Scott Kazmir is still lurking somewhere, as the plug has not yet been pulled on his season. Roberts needs to see all of these postseason roster possibilities before he has to make decisions on his 25-man October group. Either he can count on them or he can't, and the luxury of the Dodgers' huge lead is that you can throw them out there in big league situations and see if they are ready to help. 4. Figure out corner outfield/first base rotation

19 The recent additions of Adrian Gonzalez (back from the DL) and Granderson (acquired via trade from the New York Mets) give Roberts even more firepower, but he's got to figure out the best way to deploy some of these players. It's a complicated puzzle. Gonzalez looked good in Detroit, both in the field and at the plate. If he can stave off the back trouble that knocked him out for about four months, he seems to be a good fit to play first against righties. Bellinger will be in the lineup every day, but because he can swing to the outfield corners, he can play first against lefties and move to left field or right field against righties. Granderson figures to play left against righties, and you'd think Puig would be a no-brainer in right against lefties. However, the righty-hitting Puig actually has reverse-platoon splits over the past three years and he is having a Gold Glove season in right field. And you've got super utility player Enrique Hernandez, who murders lefties. Roberts seems to like Chris Taylor and Hernandez in center field, but both can move around to several positions as well, including shortstop. And don't forget about Joc Pederson, who is trying to master swing tweaks and a new stance in Triple-A in hopes of a return to his former production. "[Granderson] can handle center field, but I see him more on the corners," Roberts said. "With C.T. and Kike [Hernandez] getting more of the time in center field. When you're looking at foot speed and where they are at in their careers, I think that having Curtis be on the corners makes the most sense." More complications: Roberts likes a healthy Ethier as a pinch-hit option, and for good reason: Over the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Ethier has a.966 OPS in 38 pinch-hit plate appearances. But if Gutierrez returns, he is a plus defender and proven lefty masher. Sorting this out isn't just a game-to-game dilemma for Roberts when it comes to filling out his lineup cards. It also affects who makes the postseason roster in the first place. Right now, assuming the Dodgers go with 13 position players because of the number of health issues the pitchers have dealt with, one or two of Gutierrez, Ethier and Pederson won't have a spot. "One part of [tinkering] is the lineup," Roberts said. "To see where Taylor and Granderson fit, to really figure out how the dynamic with Adrian and Cody. We have a lot of good players." Poor Roberts. It must be rough to have so many good players. 5. Identify postseason rotation Wood's troubled SC joint is the big wild card here. In his outing Monday at Pittsburgh, his velocity was down to about 90 mph, and he's dealt with this issue before. The Dodgers put him on the DL on Tuesday with no reason at all to risk it.

20 If Wood looks right by the start of October, then he seems like a good bet to slot behind Kershaw and Darvish in the playoff rotation. But the call on No. 4 will be difficult, as there are good arguments for both Rich Hill and Kenta Maeda. And we can't forget about the presence of Brandon McCarthy, who has been dealing with a blister problem, and Hyun-Jin Ryu. It may all come down to who might be the best candidate to help in a longrelief role, which itself might lead to some September experimentation. 6. Set up postseason bullpen Beyond Jansen, the Dodgers' bullpen is something like a baseball version of the Faceless Men of Braavos from "Game of Thrones." "The bullpen is pretty much intact in that there are no roles," Roberts said. "Guys pitch according to matchups, and that's worked out really well for us." It's not going to be about putting relievers into designated innings. It's going to be about setting up his bullpen to maximize the matchup advantages from either side of the plate. The right-hand side of the equation is easier to envision. Pedro Baez, Ross Stripling, Brandon Morrow and Josh Fields all look like fixtures. As an added bonus, Jansen and Morrow both have very good numbers against lefties, not that the others have been hammered. With Dayton's health a question mark, Luis Avilan having pedestrian metrics, and trade deadline acquisitions Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani both looking less than dependable, the picture is murkier when it comes to the bullpen lefties. Could Hill, Ryu or even Kazmir or Liberatore figure in here? Or could Hill and Ruy figure into an amped-up long super-relief role? For that matter, is there going to be a spot like that for prospect Walker Buehler, who recently moved into a relief role at Triple-A? So far the returns have been up and down, though he did have one outing in which he earned a save by throwing two perfect innings with five strikeouts. Expect to see some of these scenarios played out during September. 7. Set the win record? I put a question mark on this one because the Dodgers don't seem too concerned with the fact they are on pace to win 115 or 116 games, depending on the day. It's easy to understand why. The teams that share the mark for regular-season wins (1906 Cubs and 2001 Mariners) are remembered as much for not winning the World Series as they are for the record. "Outside of the [tinkering], it's just trying to keep guys fresh and sharp, but not overworked," Roberts said. "Make sure that once we finish the season, guys are at their peak."

21 Still, if the Dodgers were to break that record and take the Series? Then you're in the conversation of the best single-season teams ever assembled. So why not go for broke? Why take the foot off the gas? "I think [the risk of letting up] is real," Roberts said. "But for us as a staff, it's more about keeping our focus. Guys are still playing for their team, but guys in the clubhouse are professionals, and they're still trying to put together nice seasons. We understand that this is kind of a build-up towards the postseason." This is quite a long laundry list for Mr. Roberts, and by the time you get to the bottom of it, you might think there are reasons to worry about the Dodgers. But there aren't. "It's a high-class problem," Roberts said. "I appreciate it every single day. Our guys do. Just to look at our guys' playing time, in terms of at-bats and innings pitched, it's going to be pretty similar across the board with a few outliers. I think that's a good thing for morale. "We talked about playing for October, I think we're doing a very good job of managing all this and keeping everyone relevant and mentally on board. It's all white collar. The whole irony is we try to classify ourselves as blue collar, but these are all white-collar problems." Indeed. These days, it's good to be a Dodger. Dodgers' Chris Taylor won't stay anonymous for long By Jerry Crasnick PITTSBURGH -- Chris Taylor, the biggest surprise (non-cody Bellinger division) in this wondrous Los Angeles Dodgers season, entered Tuesday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a major league high.394 batting average on balls in play. That lofty BABIP suggests he has been adept at finding holes, and the baseball gods are about to exact revenge with a barrage of line-drive outs to even the score. If Taylor is going to morph into a glorified utility player, he'd better hurry, because he has a lot of regression to cram into the final six weeks of the season. The Dodgers beat the Pirates 8-5 on Tuesday to raise their record to 89-35, and an array of contributors got in on the fun. Adrian Gonzalez joined the 2,000-hit club with a double off reliever Johnny Barbato, and Corey Seager extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a pair of singles. Yasmani Grandal launched a two-run homer in the seventh, and the bullpen threw six scoreless innings after Pittsburgh chased starter Brock Stewart with five runs in the third. Closer Kenley Jansen struck out the side on 14 pitches for his 34th save.

22 But it all began with Taylor, who set the tone early out of the leadoff spot. Four innings into the game, he had already contributed two singles, a double and driven in three runs on his way to a 3-for-5 evening. A lot of baseball fans are having a hard time knowing what to make of Taylor these days. He's a Virginia native and a product of the University of Virginia baseball program. He looks unassuming behind a closecropped beard, and he wears his stirrup socks just below the knees in the old-fashioned style. He's sincere, polite and tries to blend in with the scenery, but it's becoming increasingly more challenging to stay anonymous as a big part of baseball's resident juggernaut. "We've been asked that question a lot -- who is Chris Taylor?" Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We don't know yet. There's really no floor, and no ceiling. All I know is, he does a great job of living in the moment and trying to help us win baseball games. It seems like each night he does something, whether it's with his arm, his legs, taking a walk or getting a big hit. For me, that's the mark of a championship player." The numbers are certainly impressive. In 41 games as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter, Taylor has a.355/.434/.657 slash line. He has made 46 starts in left field, 22 in center, 19 at second base, three at third base and three at shortstop. And his 4.2 wins above replacement ties him for 12th in the National League with two All-Stars -- Miami outfielder Marcell Ozuna and Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart. Taylor has been especially productive with the bases loaded. He's 5-for-8 with three grand slams, 19 RBIs and four walks. His bases-loaded single off Jameson Taillon in the second gave the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead. "I just try to keep it as simple as I can and get the barrel on the ball," Taylor said. "That's about as simple as I can put it. You have to realize there's more pressure on the pitcher than yourself. I just try to be aggressive in the heart of the plate and not chase pitches out of the zone." Taylor had to overcome a lot of skeptics to establish himself at age 26. The Seattle Mariners chose him in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB first-year player draft, and he was a consistent.300 hitter in his first three minor league stops. But he slashed a feeble.240/.296/.296 in 86 games over parts of three seasons with the Mariners, and not a lot of people were paying attention when the Dodgers acquired him in a trade for pitcher Zach Lee in June Not long after Taylor's arrival in Los Angeles, the Dodgers sent him to Arizona to work on some swing changes with organizational hitting consultant Robert Van Scoyoc. Taylor added a leg kick to help sync his upper and lower halves and made some changes with his hand positioning to eliminate what Roberts calls the "loopiness" in his swing. After failing to break camp despite a strong showing in spring training, Taylor got the call in April when second baseman Logan Forsythe went on the DL because of a broken toe. The Dodgers quickly saw a new-and-improved version of Taylor.