Daily Clips

August 22, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2017 DODGERS.COM Dodgers looking for Stewart to pin down Bucs - Ken Gurnick Sternum injury might cost Wood next start - Ken Gurnick Kershaw to make rehab start on Saturday - Ken Gurnick Puig running wild during Players Weekend - Ken Gurnick Dodgers stop Bucs with Puig's homer in 12th - Adam Barry and Ken Gurnick New Dodger socks Grandy slam, honors hero - Ken Gurnick LA TIMES Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw bound for rehab start with triple-A Oklahoma City - Andy McCullough Dodgers beat Pirates with Yasiel Puig's solo homer in 12th inning - Andy McCullough OC REGISTER Dodgers at Pirates: Tuesday game time, TV channels and starting pitchers - Bill Plunkett Dodgers Notes: Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish each take steps toward rejoining rotation - Bill Plunkett Dodgers win on Yasiel Puig HR, but Alex Wood, Pedro Baez provide reason for concern - Bill Plunkett ESPN Clayton Kershaw scheduled to pitch rehab game Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City - ESPN.com news services Puig homers, Dodgers beat Pirates 6-5 in 12 innings – Associated Press Dodgers LHP Alex Wood facing another possible DL stint for shoulder - ESPN.com news services Real or not? Granderson shines as Dodgers keep finding ways to win - Bradford Doolittle TRUE BLUE LA Yasiel Puig home run lifts Dodgers over Pirates in extras - Eric Stephen Clayton Kershaw to make minor league rehab start Saturday - Eric Stephen Alex Wood dealing with SC joint again, likely to miss some time - Eric Stephen Bobby Wilson has first career 5-hit game in Oklahoma City rout - Eric Stephen Dodgers have shined away from home, too - Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER Cody Bellinger — The Arrival - Rowan Kavner Another step in right direction for recovering Dodger aces - Rowan Kavner A Grandy slam and more Puig power - Rowan Kavner USA TODAY SPORTS Dodgers' Chase Utley understands Justin Verlander's dilemma with Tigers - Anthony Fenech

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

TUESDAY, August 22, 2017

DODGERS.COM

Dodgers looking for Stewart to pin down Bucs

By Ken Gurnick

A week ago, Pirates fans might have thought they'd get a chance to see Cody Bellinger hit and Yu

Darvish pitch on Tuesday for the Dodgers. Instead, Bellinger is still nursing a sprained right ankle and

Darvish is on the disabled list.

Brock Stewart will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Darvish's start against the Pirates and

he'll be facing one of the best rookies in the league not named Bellinger, Josh Bell, who has gone 13-for-

33 with seven extra-base hits and 13 RBIs in his last 11 games.

Among National League rookies, Bell ranks first in hits (109), triples (six), walks (51) and games played

(122), while ranking second in home runs (21), RBIs (72), doubles (22), extra-base hits (49) and total

bases (206). The switch-hitting Bell has become manager Clint Hurdle's primary cleanup hitter against

right-handed starters, and he entered this series slashing .261/.340/.493 overall. Bell has also emerged

as a dependable defender at first base, recording four Defensive Runs Saved and only nine errors.

"His overall game has found a good, competitive place at this level," Hurdle said of Bell. "He's become a

very definite guy that can do some damage at the plate."

Opposing Stewart will be Jameson Taillon, who was scheduled to start on May 8 at Dodger Stadium, but

that wound up being the day he underwent surgery for testicular cancer. He returned a little more than

a month later, on June 12, and has a 5.40 ERA in 12 starts since. He has pitched better in his last three

starts, even if the numbers from his most recent outing don't back that up. Taillon feels that his

curveball has come back, and he's locating his fastball better. He allowed four runs on seven hits and

three walks, but he struck out seven in five innings last time out in a loss to the Cardinals on Thursday.

Three things to know about this game

• Of Taillon's 22 strikeouts over his past three starts, 14 have come on curveballs, including five in his

last outing. He has thrown the pitch about 44 percent of the time in two-strike counts during that

stretch, up from 34 percent previously.

• The Dodgers will need to make a corresponding roster move to clear room for Stewart. It could be one

of their four left-handed relievers, with Edward Parades the one with the least service time.

• Former Pirates reliever Tony Watson is 21-7 with 13 saves at PNC Park.

Sternum injury might cost Wood next start

By Ken Gurnick

PITTSBURGH -- After allowing three solo home runs in the Dodgers' 6-5 comeback win over the Pirates

on Monday night, pitcher Alex Wood said he will probably skip his next start because of a flareup of a

sternum injury.

Wood was on the disabled list May 29-June 10 with inflammation of the sternoclavicular joint, where

the clavicle meets the sternum. Although he has pitched reasonably well since returning, club officials

have limited him to no more than 100 pitches a start and his velocity has dropped roughly two miles an

hour.

"It's a little concerning given his history," said manager Dave Roberts, who will be looking for rotation

slots when Yu Darvish and Clayton Kershaw return from the disabled list in the next 10 days. "We've

really got to be cautious."

On Monday night, Wood's average fastball velocity was the lowest of the season, peaking at 91.9 mph,

according to Statcast™. Wood hinted that another trip to the disabled list could be imminent, as both he

and the club want the lefty to be sound and strong in October. He said the velocity is the result of

mechanics, but the mechanics could be thrown off by the inflammation hampering his between-starts

routine.

"Since the Arizona start Aug. 9, it flared up and we've been managing it. Nothing I can't pitch with," said

Wood. "Been taking a lot of modalities, a lot of treatment. We'll talk tomorrow and see where we go

from here."

Wood is 14-1 with a 2.41 ERA. He struck out five without a walk against the Pirates but allowed a home

run to Jose Osuna on a fastball and opposite-field solo shots to Sean Rodriguez and Josh Harrison on

change-ups.

Wood said that he worked extra on mechanics leading into that start, having allowed 11 earned runs in

11 2/3 innings over two starts at the end of July. He said the inflammation doesn't bother him as much

during starts as it does during his between-starts preparation, when it gets stiff. He skipped his normal

bullpen session over the weekend.

"It felt OK tonight," he said. "I'm more worried about it affecting things mechanically. I can do six

[innings] and three earnies [earned runs], but where we want to be for end of September and October,

we need to talk about the best course of action. I still felt I was fighting myself about the adjustments I

made."

Kershaw to make rehab start on Saturday

By Ken Gurnick

PITTSBURGH -- Clayton Kershaw will make a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday before

returning to the Dodgers' starting rotation, manager Dave Roberts said after Kershaw's successful four-

inning simulated game on Monday.

"He's getting close," Roberts said after Kershaw threw 55 pitches to test the strained lower back that put

him on the disabled list July 24. "There's zero chance [of Kershaw starting for the Dodgers on Saturday

instead]. There's a level of intensity that continues to heighten, from bullpen to simulated game to

Triple-A where you're competing. You continue to ramp up as far as intensity, and crossing that marker

makes everyone feel better."

An impatient Kershaw believes the rehab start is unnecessary.

"Health-wise, I could have pitched in the big leagues 10 days ago. But that's not the plan, obviously,"

Kershaw said. "I don't feel I missed much time. I kept throwing all the way through. I guess it's the luxury

we have as a team.

"You can't simulate a Major League game. You've just got to do it. Sim games are really hard. You try to

create intensity, but you can't and it's really not a good recipe, but I guess it's what you have to do."

Roberts said he understands Kershaw's desire for a fast return, but he's sticking with the original plan.

"For us, I think that's the way it should be as far as his potential to pitch for us," said Roberts, "but taking

all the information from the medical staff, that's the prudent decision and we think the right thing to

do."

Kershaw faced Enrique Hernandez, Chase Utley and batting coach Turner Ward in the sim game that was

observed by Roberts, in addition to pitching coach Rick Honeycutt and a handful of teammates, who

split time staring at the solar eclipse with protective glasses.

Austin Barnes caught the sim game, and he said Kershaw threw all of his pitches and there was "no tail-

off" as the session progressed. Kershaw appeared typically overpowering, although he seemed annoyed

with a lack of command at the end of the third inning.

"It's just Kershaw being the perfectionist he always is," said Barnes. "When the ball doesn't go exactly

where he wants it, that's what makes him so good. From the bullpen, looks like the same Kershaw to

me."

Honeycutt said Kershaw's Monday session was changed from three innings to four to work in an extra

up and down with rest in between innings, which Honeycutt believes is more critical to coming back

from an injury than merely a pitch count.

Puig running wild during Players Weekend

By Ken Gurnick

LOS ANGELES -- "The Wild Horse is loose." Short of a Cooperstown induction, there might be no higher

honor for a Dodger than to be nicknamed by iconic broadcaster Vin Scully, as outfielder Yasiel Puig was

during a memorable mad dash for a triple in 2014.

There was no language barrier for the Cuban-born Puig, who embraced the electrifying image of Scully's

words. Puig later named his charitable foundation "Wild Horse Children's Foundation" and, later this

month, he will wear the nickname "Wild Horse" on the back of his jersey as part of the Players Weekend

celebration.

"I liked that name he called me when I was running super crazy on the bases or try to make a catch,"

Puig said. "I used that name for my foundation because I like it, it's fun. And I put that with my number

for the foundation to help the kids in Los Angeles and Miami and the Dominican Republic.

"How do you call it, nickname? That's my baseball nickname, so I wanted to use that for the Players

Weekend. I could have used Puigyourfriend or Puigalways late, but I used Wild Horse for the back of my

jersey because it will help my foundation with that name on my back."

MLB and the MLB Players Association are introducing the inaugural Players Weekend on Aug. 25-27,

when all players will wear colorful, non-traditional uniforms featuring alternate designs. They will have

the opportunity to have a nickname placed on the back of the jerseys made by Majestic Athletic, as well

as to wear and use uniquely colored and designed spikes, batting gloves, wristbands, compression

sleeves, catcher's masks and bats.

Also, each player will wear a special patch on his sleeve showing the progression of a child evolving into

a Major Leaguer. Under that logo is white space, and every player will mark a name of a person who

they are grateful to for helping them advance their careers, such as family or a coach. Puig will salute

"Mon and Dad."

The 26-year-old Puig is having his best season since 2014, having already set a career-high in home runs

with 21. He's only 14 RBIs short of his career high of 69, and through better conditioning he has avoided

the disabled list for the first time in three years.

Puig's foundation strives to aid economically disadvantaged children and families by distributing food to

needy families, purchasing and distributing toys for kids, providing athletic equipment to schools and

youth leagues in need, donating supplies to community centers and providing school supplies to

underprivileged schools. Puig held a fundraising poker tournament at Dodger Stadium in May, with

proceeds benefiting the foundation.

On Players Weekend, game-worn, Players Weekend jerseys will be auctioned at MLB.com/auctions with

100 percent of net proceeds donated to the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, a joint effort

established in July 2015 by MLB and the MLBPA with an initial commitment of $30 million focused on

improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across

the United States and Canada.

The uniforms will first be worn by the Pirates and Cardinals during the MLB Little League Classic to be

played in Williamsport, Pa., on Sunday, Aug. 20 during the 2017 Little League World Series. That game

will take place at BB&T Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, home of the Williamsport Crosscutters, a

Phillies affiliate in the short-season Class A New York-Penn League.

Dodgers stop Bucs with Puig's homer in 12th

By Adam Barry and Ken Gurnick

PITTSBURGH -- After 11 back-and-forth innings, Yasiel Puig hammered the second pitch thrown in the

12th inning, watched it fly and flipped his bat into foul territory. Puig's shot -- projected to travel 412

feet by Statcast™ -- off reliever Dovydas Neverauskas landed in the bullpens beyond the center-field

fence and sent the Dodgers to a 6-5 win over the Pirates at PNC Park.

"I was just trying to put the ball in play," Puig said. "I was waiting on the fastball, that's his best pitch and

the one I struggle with. But I put a good swing on it."

The Dodgers had a chance to break the tie in the 10th against Pirates reliever Joaquin Benoit, who

walked the bases loaded. Benoit threw 25 pitches, only 11 for strikes, but he escaped without allowing a

run as Chris Taylor flied out to left. With the Bucs all but out of relief options, Benoit returned to pitch a

scoreless 11th. In all, the 40-year-old right-hander threw 38 pitches, his highest total since April 2012.

The Bucs then turned the game over to the rookie Neverauskas, who pitched on three consecutive days

for the first time in his professional career, and had right-hander Jameson Taillon, Tuesday's starter,

begin warming up in the bullpen.

"That was the second-to-last thing I wanted to try to put into play tonight," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle

said of using Neverauskas. "The next one would have been the guy you saw warming up in the 12th

inning."

Down by two runs after Curtis Granderson crushed a go-ahead grand slam off Gerrit Cole in the seventh,

the Pirates' tying rally began against former Bucs closer Tony Watson, who was dealt to the Dodgers on

July 31. Watson plunked Adam Frazier, then Josh Harrison slapped an RBI double to left field against

right-hander Pedro Baez. Andrew McCutchen and David Freese walked to load the bases, and pinch-

hitter Josh Bell tied the game with a run-scoring grounder to second base after a nine-pitch at-bat.

"It's an impressive at-bat. The battle, fouling pitches off, staying in the fight," Hurdle said of Bell. "To get

the run in and tie the game, yeah, he continues to show us a lot of good substance in the batter's box."

The Dodgers improved to 88-35, bumping their National League West lead to 20 1/2 games. The Pirates,

meanwhile, fell seven games behind the NL Central-leading Cubs.

The Pirates ran out of position players in the 10th inning, so starter Chad Kuhl had to pinch-hit for

Neverauskas to lead off the 12th. Right-hander Ross Stripling retired Kuhl and worked around an

Andrew McCutchen single to secure the victory.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Back to back: The Pirates entered the series opener with the Majors' second-lowest home run total.

Dodgers lefty Alex Wood took the mound as one of baseball's best when it comes to keeping the ball in

the park. So, naturally, the Bucs built a three-run lead by bashing a trio of homers in Wood's first three

innings. Jose Osuna and Sean Rodriguez went back-to-back in the second inning -- the fourth time the

Pirates have done so this season -- and Harrison blasted a solo shot to center in the third. After the

game, Wood said the sternum issue that put him on the disabled list earlier in the season flared up and

he probably will skip his next start.

"We've talked about things being contagious. Hopefully this is another thing that's become contagious

for us," Hurdle said. "Josh, he's [flexing his muscles] in the second half of the season. Osuna, that's his

first one off a left-hander. Rodriguez, we've seen him be able to do that before. They're welcome

sights."

Grandy slam: With one out and Cole's pitch count over 100 in the seventh inning, Granderson stepped

to the plate for the fourth time. Cole hung a 2-1 slider, and Granderson sent it a projected 404 feet to

center field, according to Statcast™, for his second grand slam in less than a week -- and the first one

Cole has allowed in his career. Granderson also hit one Thursday in his final game for the Mets. Acquired

Friday and playing only his third game for the Dodgers, Granderson ended Cole's night and gave the

Dodgers a short-lived two-run lead.

"We had success with him in the previous at-bat," Cole said. "In hindsight, probably should have

challenged him. I'm trying to create a ground ball there with the slider."

QUOTABLE

"It's tough, but we did a good job. I just got got in the seventh."-- Cole, on giving up five runs after

pitching six scoreless innings.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

The Dodgers' Magic Number to clinch the National League West is 19.

WHAT'S NEXT

Dodgers: Right-hander Brock Stewart will be promoted from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start at 4:05 p.m.

PT on Tuesday against the Pirates at PNC Park. Stewart, filling in for the injured Yu Darvish, has made

two starts for the Dodgers this season and lasted a combined 7 2/3 innings. Cody Bellinger (sprained

right ankle) is not expected to start.

Pirates: Taillon will start for the Pirates on Tuesday as they host the Dodgers at 7:05 p.m. ET. Taillon felt

his stuff was better than his results as he allowed four runs over five innings on Thursday against the

Cardinals, and that feeling is supported by Taillon's 22 strikeouts over his last three outings.

New Dodger socks Grandy slam, honors hero

By Ken Gurnick

PITTSBURGH -- From the socks worn high as a tribute to Jackie Robinson to the dramatic grand slam on

Monday night that helped make another comeback win possible, Curtis Granderson is a Dodgers natural.

The newest acquisition slugged his eighth career grand slam and second in a week for as many clubs to

turn a deficit into a lead against the Pirates as the Dodgers went on to a 6-5 win with Yasiel Puig's homer

in the 12th inning.

Being traded to the team with the best record in baseball came with the added benefit of wearing the

Dodger Blue that Robinson wore when he broke baseball's color barrier.

"That was the first thing I thought about when I had the opportunity to come over here," Granderson

told AM570 LA Sports radio. "Jackie did so many amazing things to get me this opportunity to be on the

field and play with so many diverse teammates and fans, and people watching from all around the world

because of Jackie Robinson. My dad, that was the first thing he said to me when I got traded, 'You get to

play for the team that Jackie Robinson played for.'"

Granderson, who hit a grand slam in his final at-bat with the Mets last week, gave the Dodgers their

eighth slam this year, tied with the 1952 Brooklyn club for third-most in a season on the all-time

franchise list. The club record is 10 in 2004.

The surprise pickup from the Mets for pitcher Jacob Rhame has moved into the Dodgers' starting

outfield, with Joc Pederson having been sent back to Triple-A Oklahoma City. It was Granderson's

second homer in as many games for the Dodgers, this time while batting cleanup in place of Cody

Bellinger, who is day to day with a right ankle sprain.

"That's what he does. He puts together big at-bats and gets big hits," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts

said of Granderson. "We've seen that from the other side from him. Back-to-back days, a couple of big

homers for us, and obviously for us, the grand slam was huge."

On Sunday, batting leadoff, Granderson homered off former Tigers teammate Justin Verlander for the

only Dodgers run in a 6-1 loss. In 17 August games, Granderson already has eight home runs.

Granderson has 21 home runs and 57 RBIs this year combined, and he delivered off Pirates starting

pitcher Gerrit Cole in a five-run seventh inning after the Dodgers squandered a pair of bases-loaded

threats in the second and sixth innings.

"The key is to just relax, not do too much, understand the pressure is on the pitcher," Granderson said

of his approach with the bases loaded. "Get your pitch and not chase out of the zone. Cole is one of the

top pitchers in the game and he was rolling early, but he made a few mistakes and we capitalized."

In the seventh inning, Chase Utley led off with a single, pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe walked, and after a

forceout grounder by Chris Taylor put runners on the corners, Corey Seager's RBI single cut the deficit to

3-1. Justin Turner singled to load the bases for Granderson, who launched a 2-1 slider into the right-

center seats. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle then removed Cole, who had thrown 112 pitches.

"Hung a bad slider to Granderson," said Cole, who allowed the first grand slam of his career. "We had

success with him in the previous at-bat. In hindsight, probably should have challenged him. I'm trying to

create a ground ball there with the slider. You know, whatever."

Granderson has talked about the pride he feels playing for Jackie Robinson's team and how he wears his

socks high as a tribute to the Hall of Famer. He said he finds the current Dodgers to be a quietly

confident ballclub.

"Any time you see a team from the outside and finally get over here, there's always going to be

something different that you didn't see," Granderson said. "I knew they were confident, but didn't know

if they were energetic or completely chill and they're somewhere in the middle. I remember yesterday

we got down and someone said, 'This is when we do our best.' They don't get panicky."

LA TIMES

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw bound for rehab start with triple-A Oklahoma City

By Andy McCullough

A crowd of Dodgers officials gathered outside the visitors’ dugout at PNC Park on Monday afternoon.

They wore protective glasses and wide grins, gazing skyward over the stands along the right-field line,

eyes peeled toward the day’s solar eclipse.

Behind them was another site worth seeing: Clayton Kershaw on a big league mound.

Just prior to 2:30 p.m. EDT, the group of players, coaches and staffers returned their vision to Earth and

sidled up behind the batting cage. They watched as Kershaw threw a 55-pitch, four-inning simulated

game, a final tuneup before he starts a rehabilitation assignment on Saturday with triple-A Oklahoma

City.

Kershaw, who has a record of 15-2 and earned-run average of 2.04, has not appeared in a game since

suffering a strain in his back on July 23. He probably will rejoin the Dodgers next week if he completes

his outing over the weekend without a setback. He would prefer to return before then, but he sounded

willing to heed the advice of his employers.

“Health-wise, I could have pitched in the big leagues 10 days ago,” Kershaw said. “But that’s not the

plan.”

Kershaw has not hidden his zeal to rejoin the Dodgers. Team officials have stressed to him the necessity

of caution. Given the team’s double-digit lead in the National League West, plus the fear of aggravating

the disk Kershaw herniated last summer, there is little reason to rush. The team misses its ace, but its

record has not suffered. Heading into Monday’s game against the Pirates, the Dodgers were 19-4 since

Kershaw landed on the disabled list.

Kershaw is scheduled to throw a four-inning, 60-pitch outing with Oklahoma City, pitching coach Rick

Honeycutt said. Kershaw has never before appeared in a triple-A game. He jumped from double-A to the

majors in 2008, and has only briefly returned to the minors for rehab games.

Manager Dave Roberts indicated the assignment to the minors came at the recommendation of the

medical staff. The team feels Kershaw should ease into the adrenalized atmosphere of a major league

game. There is a progression that must be heeded, he said. In Oklahoma City, Kershaw will follow that

path.

“The player obviously has a certain mind-set in what they can and can’t do,” Roberts said. “But

sometimes, there’s blurred vision from the player. That’s what makes these guys great. But you have to

defer to the experts, and that’s the medical staff.”

The prospect of Monday’s simulated outing did not thrill Kershaw. He prides himself on the precision of

his execution and feeds on the tension of competition. A lax setting like the one Monday is not

conducive to his approach.

“Sim games are really hard,” Kershaw said. “You try to create intensity, but you can’t. It’s really not a

good recipe. I guess that’s what you have to do.”

Complicating matters was a dearth of available hitters. The team wanted right-handed hitters to stand in

against Kershaw. The majority of those were unavailable, because they were in Monday’s lineup, and

Roberts did not want to subject them to the mental grind of facing Kershaw before facing an opponent.

Enrique Hernandez was available. Chase Utley, a left-handed hitter who was in the lineup, volunteered.

No one else could help.

To fill the void, hitting coach Turner Ward stepped into the box against Kershaw. Before the outing,

Roberts said, Ward wagered on whether he could put a ball in play. He was not permitted to bunt. Ward

amused observers by managing to squib a grounder that stayed fair.

“Fair was the key,” Roberts said. “And he ended up winning the bet.”

There was little other contact against Kershaw. Hitters often avoid swinging in these scenarios, but

Hernandez hit a ball foul in the second inning and Utley lifted a fly ball into left in the fourth. Kershaw

was able to throw all three of his pitches without difficultly, catcher Austin Barnes said.

“He looks like the same Kershaw to me,” Barnes said. “He was attacking, aggressive with his moves. The

ball was coming out really nice.”

Kershaw was less effusive. He described the outing as “pretty average.” After nearly a month on the DL,

his disinterest in remaining on the shelf was obvious.

“You can’t simulate a big league game,” Kershaw said. “You’ve got to go do it.”

Dodgers beat Pirates with Yasiel Puig's solo homer in 12th inning

By Andy McCullough

Over the weekend, as Alex Wood prepared to make his start in Monday’s 6-5 Dodgers victory over the

Pittsburgh Pirates, he skipped his bullpen session. For the last two weeks, he has been dealing with

inflammation in the SC joint in his left shoulder, which resurfaced during his outing Monday. The

condition could land him back on the disabled list.

Wood and manager Dave Roberts said that the left-hander would be evaluated Tuesday. In the

aftermath of a grueling, 12-inning game that lasted 4 hours 35 minutes, Wood’s condition was the most

pressing issue.

“We’ll have a conversation going forward to see what the best course of action is,” Wood said after

Yasiel Puig ended the scoring with a 12th-inning solo home run.

Wood gave up three runs, all on solo homers, in six innings. He struck out five, but his fastball velocity

sagged slightly. Wood suggested that the decreased life on his fastball resulted from misaligned

mechanics. He has not been able to complete his usual between-start work because of stiffness in the

joint, which connects the sternum and the clavicle.

Wood spent time on the disabled list in May and June because of the injury. He felt a recurrence after

his Aug. 9 outing at Arizona. He attributed it to a heavy load of mechanical tweaks he undertook leading

up to that game.

“We’ll make a decision once the medical staff puts an eye on him,” Roberts said.

Wood finished Monday with a quality start. The game was only halfway over. After being quieted by

Pirates starter Gerrit Cole for six innings, the Dodgers erupted in the seventh. A grand slam by Curtis

Granderson capped a five-run flurry.

An inning later, a rotten outing from Pedro Baez allowed the lead to fritter away. Baez, along with left-

handed reliever Tony Watson, combined to give it up. Watson plunked the first batter he faced. Baez

arrived one batter later, and allowed an RBI double, issued three walks and gave up a score-tying

groundout.

Four innings later, Puig crushed a hanging slider from Pirates reliever Dovydas Neverauskas. It was his

22nd home run, and one that prevented the game from extending any further.

“I keep doing my job, and keep getting ready every day,” Puig said. “And thank God, because of that

preparation, I’ve been able to do some good things.”

Bellinger continues to rest sprained ankle

Cody Bellinger’s sprained right ankle remained swollen Monday, two days after the Dodgers rookie

injured it while making a leaping catch at the outfield wall at Detroit.

Bellinger sat out Monday for the second game in a row, and manager Dave Roberts indicated that

Bellinger also would sit out Tuesday.

“That’s as far as I want to get ahead, right now,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers will continue to evaluate the severity of the injury as the week continues. Bellinger did not

require an MRI immediately after the injury, Roberts said. But the ankle is still not capable of supporting

Bellinger, given the violence of his approach at the plate.

“With the torque that he creates with his swing, and the instability [created] by swelling with a sprain, it

doesn’t make sense right now,” Roberts said.

The Dodgers have not publicly raised the possibility of placing Bellinger on the 10-day disabled list. But if

the swelling keeps Bellinger on the bench heading into the weekend, the team could reevaluate.

Darvish hopeful for Sunday

Yu Darvish, who has experienced tightness in his lower back, completed a 38-pitch bullpen session

before Monday’s game. The Dodgers plan to activate him from the 10-day disabled list for Sunday’s

game against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt monitored the session. Darvish will throw again Thursday.

“It was good to see him get through this,” Honeycutt said. “We’ll make sure there were no

repercussions after this afternoon and do another one with a few more pitches. There was good

intensity and good effort today, so that was a very positive sign.”

Darvish left his Dodger Stadium debut last week after reporting an issue with his back. He has said that

he feels sound enough to pitch, but the team wants to be careful. Brock Stewart is expected to start in

Darvish’s place Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

OC REGISTER

Dodgers at Pirates: Tuesday game time, TV channels and starting pitchers

By Bill Plunkett

DODGERS at PIRATES

When: 4 p.m.

Where: PNC Park

TV: KTLA; SportsNet LA (where available)

THE PITCHERS

DODGERS RHP BROCK STEWART (0-0, 1.64 ERA)

Vs. Pirates: 0-0, 3.00 ERA

At PNC Park: Has never pitched there before

Hates to face: Andrew McCutchen, 1 for 1

Loves to face: Jordy Mercer, 0 for 2, 1 strikeout

PIRATES RHP JAMESON TAILLON (7-5, 4.64 ERA)

Vs. Dodgers: 0-0, 9.00 ERA

At PNC Park: 5-5, 3.86 ERA

Hates to face: Justin Turner, 2 for 2, 1 double

Loves to face: Yasmani Grandal, 0 for 2

UPCOMING

Wednesday: Dodgers LHP Rich Hill (9-4, 3.54 ERA) at Pirates RHP Trevor Williams (5-6, 4.71 ERA), 4 p.m.,

SportsNet LA

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

Dodgers Notes: Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish each take steps toward rejoining rotation

By Bill Plunkett

PITTSBURGH — Clayton Kershaw should be happy.

His back injury was less serious than might have been feared when he left his July 23 start. He has

returned to health relatively quickly. And his team is so far out front that it can afford to take it slowly

with him, giving him a long runway to return to the rotation with bullets saved for October.

Oh, yeah – that last part doesn’t seem to sit well with the Dodgers ace.

“Health-wise, I could have pitched in the big leagues 10 days ago. But that’s not the plan obviously,”

Kershaw said Monday after throwing a four-inning simulated game at PNC Park.

His tone made it obvious that “the plan” was not his plan.

“I don’t feel like I missed much time,” he said of the need to build back up slowly. “I kept throwing all

the way through. I guess it’s a luxury we have as a team.”

Indeed it is. That’s why Kershaw’s simulated game was followed by a 32-pitch bullpen session by Yu

Darvish. The right-hander is taking a 10-day break on the DL because of back spasms that hampered him

in his most recent start – and because his starts in August are meaningless for a team with a 20-game

lead and big plans for October.

Darvish worked with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt on some mechanical adjustments in his delivery

during Monday’s throwing session and reported no further issues with his back. He will throw another

bullpen session on Thursday and is then penciled in to rejoin the Dodgers’ rotation on Sunday at home

against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Kershaw will take his restraints partially off on Saturday when he is scheduled to make a rehab start with

Triple-A Oklahoma City. But even the prospect of that final step before returning to the majors – most

likely during the Dodgers’ series in San Diego Sept. 1-3 – didn’t seem to excite him.

“You can’t simulate a big-league game. You’ve just got to go do it,” he said about testing his readiness to

return. “Even a rehab game. You’ve just got to go pitch in the big leagues.”

Kershaw threw 55 pitches Monday to hitters Chase Utley, Kiké Hernandez – and hitting coach Turner

Ward. He satisfied everyone but himself, calling his pitches and execution “all pretty average.”

“Sim games are really hard,” he said. “You try to create intensity but you can’t. It’s really not a good

recipe, but I guess that’s what you have to do.”

Honeycutt acknowledged that Kershaw was “not perfectly happy with every pitch – at the same time,

I’m not sure that’s ever the case” and said the left-hander’s recovery has gone more quickly than

anticipated.

“If anything, we could have bumped this (four-inning sim game) up even sooner because he hasn’t lost

much arm strength or endurance,” Honeycutt said.

Austin Barnes caught Kershaw during the sim game and said any dissatisfaction on the left-hander’s part

was “just Kershaw being the perfectionist he always is.”

“He looked really good,” Barnes said. “Catching his bullpen (Friday in Detroit) he looked like the same

Kersh as always.

“He threw all his pitches (Monday) and looked good. There was no tail-off in his pitches. That’s a good

sign.”

Kershaw is scheduled to throw four innings or approximately 60 pitches for the OKC Dodgers on

Saturday.

BELLINGER BREAK

Rookie Cody Bellinger was not in the starting lineup for the second consecutive day since suffering a

mild ankle sprain Saturday in Detroit. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Bellinger still has some slight

swelling in his right ankle and will be held out of the lineup again Tuesday.

“With the torque he creates with his swing and the instability created with a sprain, it just doesn’t make

sense right now,” Roberts said. “It’s sort of day by day. I don’t see him in the lineup tomorrow and that’s

as far as I want to go now.”

ALSO

The Dodgers will recall right-hander Brock Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start Tuesday in

Pittsburgh. Darvish was originally scheduled to start the game before going on the DL.

Dodgers win on Yasiel Puig HR, but Alex Wood, Pedro Baez provide reason for concern

By Bill Plunkett

PITTSBURGH — Like the reaction of ancient men to a solar eclipse, Monday’s events will be greeted with

fear and trepidation by many.

Yasiel Puig’s solo home run leading off the 12th inning reclaimed a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh

Pirates the Dodgers nearly let get away. But there were other signs and portents to frighten villagers.

Dodgers starter Alex Wood gave up three home runs and touched 92 mph just once in his 86 pitches,

another instance of his velocity drop in the second half of the season. After the game, Wood and

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed Wood has been dealing with inflammation in his

sternoclavicular joint again. Wood spent 12 days on the DL with the issue in early June and seems

headed back there this week.

“After my Arizona start (Aug. 9), it kind of creeped up,” Wood said. “I did a lot of dry work, off the

mound and threw a lot in between when we were in New York and Arizona trying to lock my mechanics

back in. It was fine throughout my start then the next day it kind of flared up. We’ve been trying to

manage it since then and we have. But I imagine we’ll have a talk tomorrow.”

Roberts said the Dodgers medical staff will “put eyes on him” Tuesday. Wood is likely to miss at least

one start and Roberts said the Dodgers will be “mindful” of his workload down the stretch.

“It’s a little concerning given his history,” Roberts said. “For us to get ahead of it, we’re going to have to

be cautious.”

Roberts said it wasn’t until the fourth or fifth inning that trainers let him know there was “some heat in

that area” of Wood’s left shoulder. By then, he had given up three solo home runs in a seven-batter

span of the second and third innings.

After giving up only two home runs in his first 16 games and 86-2/3 innings this season, Wood has now

given up eight in 36-2/3 innings over his past six starts. Coincidental or causal, Wood’s velocity remains

off from where it was earlier this season, settling at 90-91 mph. That is almost 2 mph down from where

he was topping out in the first half of the season.

“I couldn’t say,” Wood said of whether the SC joint issue was the causing the drop. “I’d say it’s probably

a little more mechanical than anything. But I don’t know how much this is affecting me mechanically

these past couple weeks. I think if we get this to settle down and iron out a few things I think we’ll be

good to go from there.”

Held to two hits over eight innings by Justin Verlander in Detroit on Sunday, the Dodgers managed only

four hits in the first six innings against Pirates starter Gerrit Cole on Monday, coming up scoreless

despite bases-loaded opportunities in the second and sixth.

That changed in the seventh when Pirates manager Clint Hurdle left the right-handed Cole in to face the

left-handed Granderson with the bases loaded.

Granderson crushed a fat 2-and-1 slider for his second home run in the past two games and second

grand slam in the past five days. His last home run for the New York Mets came Thursday against the

Yankees. According to Elias Sports, he is the first player in major-league history to hit two grand slams

for different teams in a four-game span.

But there was more darkness ahead for the Dodgers.

Tony Watson hit pinch-hitter Adam Frazier with a pitch to start the eighth inning then departed the

scene after striking out Starling Marte.

Pedro Baez came in and spent the next five batters searching for the strike zone. He didn’t find it often.

Only 13 of his 28 pitches were strikes as he walked three of the five batters and gave up an RBI double

to Harrison. The Dodgers couldn’t turn a double play on Josh Bell’s bases-loaded grounder to Utley and

the tying run scored.

“Petey is a guy who goes in there and doesn’t usually walk too many guys and finds a way to throw

strikes. Today, he just didn’t have it,” Roberts said. “With Petey, he’s been great with us all year. He’s

entitled to have one of those outings.”

The score remained tied until Puig led off the 12th inning with a home run off Pirates reliever Dovydas

Neverauskas.

“They were both exciting,” Puig said through his interpreter when asked if the homer or the eclipse was

the highlight of his day. “The eclipse only happens every 100 years. But my home runs are also 40 at-

bats in between. So they’re both exciting.”

ESPN

Clayton Kershaw scheduled to pitch rehab game Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City

By ESPN.com news services

Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw is scheduled to pitch a rehab game Saturday night for

Triple-A Oklahoma City, the team announced.

Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt told reporters that Kershaw would throw approximately 60 pitches

Saturday when the Triple-A Dodgers host the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Royals' Triple-A affiliate.

Kershaw pitched four innings in a simulated game in Pittsburgh on Monday.

The three-time Cy Young winner, rehabbing from a back issue, was scheduled to throw three innings,

but when that was done he came back for a fourth.

After the outing, Kershaw told Spectrum SportsNet LA that he could pitch in a major league game

tomorrow, but that the team knows the next step. He said he's healthy and ready.

The Dodgers' ace has been sidelined since July 24.

Right-hander Yu Darvish also threw a bullpen session Monday. He was recently placed on the disabled

list with back tightness after pitching through discomfort in two straight starts.

The week in Dodgers dominance: Are they not quite perfect enough to win 116?

By David Schoenfield

Heading into the week, I suggested the Los Angeles Dodgers needed to go 5-0 to improve their chances

of breaking the record of 116 wins. With five games against the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, it

was a golden opportunity to put together a perfect week against two struggling clubs. They came close,

winning their first four games before running into Justin Verlander on Sunday to end the week 4-1.

It was a pitchers' duel for five innings as Verlander and Kenta Maeda each took a no-hitter into the sixth,

but the Tigers scored four runs off Maeda while Verlander ended up giving up just two hits and one run

in eight innings as Detroit won 6-1. The Dodgers matched their season low with three hits; the last time

that happened was a 2-1 victory over the Washington Nationals on June 7, a victory that actually kicked

off this amazing run of baseball.

Record: 87-35 (.713 winning percentage)

Last week: 2-0 vs. White Sox; 2-1 vs. Tigers

Pace: 116-46 ... or, to be more exact, 115.5. Except we don't have half-wins, so your choice: round up or

round down

Record since June 7: 52-10 (.839)

Record needed to get to 117 wins: 30-10 (.750 winning percentage)

This week: at Pittsburgh Pirates (Monday-Thursday), vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Friday-Sunday)

The Dodgers, by the way, finished 16-3 in interleague play -- a key factor since the National League

actually has a slim chance of winning interleague play for the first time since 2003 (the American League

leads 134-127).

Game of the week. The Dodgers trailed the White Sox 4-2 on Wednesday entering the bottom of the

ninth, but Cody Bellinger singled with one out, Logan Forsythe doubled down the left-field line, Austin

Barnes singled and then Yasiel Puig stepped to the plate:

It was another good, patient at-bat from Puig -- he has had several of those lately -- as he fouled off two

pitches with two strikes before lining the double in the gap. He has spent much of the past two months

hitting eighth, but manager Dave Roberts moved him up in the lineup this week, slotting him sixth,

seventh, sixth and fifth in the games he started. One reason: Puig's swing rate in August is 38 percent,

below the 50 percent rate of the first four months. As he result, he posted just a 20 percent chase rate,

so even though he's hitting just .208 in August, he has a .387 OBP and Roberts is rewarding the better

approach.

Trade of the week. The Dodgers acquired Curtis Granderson from the New York Mets for minor league

pitcher Jacob Rhame, because the Dodgers need more depth. Always a class act, Granderson was

honored to put on the Dodger uniform on Saturday:

This is more than just a move for depth, however, and it will be interesting to see how Roberts fits

Granderson into the lineup. After a terrible April in which he hit .128, Granderson has been one of the

best hitters in the majors, ranking 18th in wOBA since May 1 -- although his .406 mark only ties him with

teammate Chris Taylor, who ranks behind Justin Turner and Bellinger. Against right-handers, Granderson

ranks 16th in the majors with a .420 wOBA since May 1.

With those numbers, this isn't a guy the front office acquired merely to come off the bench. On Saturday

against right-hander Michael Fulmer, he started in left field and hit fifth, with Taylor sliding over to

center in place of Joc Pederson, who was optioned to Triple-A. Against Verlander, Granderson led off

and again played left field, with Enrique Hernandez in center as Taylor got the day off. So the obvious

loser is Pederson, who had been mired in a 2-for-41 slump.

Pederson's slump made the move to acquire Granderson even more reasonable. The Dodgers might

have been more willing to let Pederson fight through this, but it doesn't help that his defensive metrics

have been below-average this season. Even though Taylor has little experience in center field -- just the

20 games he has started there this year -- his metrics there were solid (zero defensive runs saved, which

means league average). So the front office clearly has the belief that Taylor is capable of handling center

in the postseason. Of course, Granderson also can play center (he started 56 games there for the Mets),

but his range is best suited to a corner these days.

And to throw a wrinkle into all this: Adrian Gonzalez also was activated off the disabled list and played

first base in all three games against the Tigers, going 2-for-12. With the DH in those games, it was easier

to get everybody into the action, but as the Dodgers move back to NL games, Roberts will have to find

playing time for Gonzalez, Bellinger, Granderson, Taylor and Puig. With such a big lead, maybe it's not a

big deal, as Roberts can simply rotate everybody in and out of the lineup and give Gonzalez a chance to

see if he can actually help the team (he's hitting .249/.294/.333). Taylor could even see some time at

second base, or Bellinger in center field.

All these options are fun and great, but you'd also think Roberts will want to settle on some roles once

the postseason rolls around. The key guy is Gonzalez; if he hits, that moves Bellinger to a corner outfield

slot and then there's the ripple effect from there. Stay tuned.

Puig homers, Dodgers beat Pirates 6-5 in 12 innings

By Associated Press

PITTSBURGH -- Yasiel Puig spent Monday afternoon eagerly awaiting the solar eclipse at PNC Park, then

provided a moonshot of his own to wrap things up late into the night.

Puig homered in the 12th inning, sending the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the Pittsburgh

Pirates. Curtis Granderson added a grand slam for Los Angeles, which hasn't lost consecutive games

since July 20 and 21 against Atlanta.

Puig drove a 1-0 pitch from rookie Dovydas Neverauskas (1-1) over the wall in center for his 22nd of the

season. Following the game, Puig was asked how his home run compared to the eclipse.

"The eclipse only happens every 100 years," Puig said, "but my home runs are also 40 at-bats in

between. So, they're both exciting."

The Pirates threatened in the bottom half, putting runners on first and second with two out, but Ross

Stripling retired Max Moroff on a liner to right for his second save.

Granderson hit a grand slam off Gerrit Cole in Los Angeles' five-run seventh, and Luis Avilan (2-1) pitched

one inning for the win.

The Pirates have lost seven of their past nine games.

Granderson's second homer in three games since he was acquired in a trade with the Mets lifted the

Dodgers to a 5-3 lead. But the Pirates responded with two in the eighth on Josh Harrison's RBI double

and a run-scoring fielder's choice for pinch-hitter Josh Bell.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle's bullpen was limited to three relievers entering the game. He felt leaving

Cole in the game gave Pittsburgh the best chance to preserve its lead in the seventh.

"I still know he's got pitches and he's our ace," Hurdle said. "I still felt he was the best equipped to get

out of that situation."

Tony Watson came in to pitch the eighth for Los Angeles, but was pulled after recording just one out in

his return to Pittsburgh. The left-hander, who was traded to the Dodgers on July 31, was charged with

one run.

Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He gave up three home

runs for the second time in his 134 major league appearances.

"Alex was grinding out there," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Gave up some homers. A little bit, I

don't recall if it was the fourth or fifth inning, something about that AC joint that flared up out there."

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead when Jose Osuna and Sean Rodriguez hit back-to-back home runs in the

second inning. Harrison made it 3-0 when he connected in the third for his career-high 15th home run.

Cole allowed five runs and eight hits with seven strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

"Pretty undesirable," Cole said. "Think I have seven or eight (starts) left, so looking to continue just to

make good pitches, pound the zone and just get deep into ballgames."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw, who has been on the 10-day disabled list with a strained lower back

since July 24, will make a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. He threw 55 pitches during

a four-inning simulated game at PNC Park on Monday.

COMING UP

The Dodgers are expected to recall right-hander Brock Stewart from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start in

place of Yu Darvish on Tuesday. Darvish, who is on the 10-day disabled list with a back injury, is expected

to return against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: Stewart (0-0, 1.64 ERA) last appeared for Los Angeles on Aug. 10, when he allowed two runs in

1 1/3 innings of relief against Arizona.

Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (7-5, 4.64 ERA) will look to continue his recent string of solid starts when

he faces the Dodgers on Tuesday. He has allowed two runs in two of his past three starts and has

surrendered eight total runs across those three appearances.

Dodgers LHP Alex Wood facing another possible DL stint for shoulder

By ESPN.com news services

Left-hander Alex Wood, who has taken over as the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace in Clayton Kershaw's

absence, could be headed to the disabled list with shoulder inflammation.

Wood went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits, but did not factor into the decision in the

Dodgers' 6-5 victory over the Pirates in 12 innings Monday. He gave up three home runs for the second

time in his 134 major league appearances.

Manager Dave Roberts said Wood is experiencing inflammation in the sternoclavicular joint in the front

of his pitching shoulder, an issue that Wood has had in the past, including in May, when he was placed

on the 10-day disabled list for the injury.

"We'll make a decision once the medical staff puts an eye on him," Roberts said. "It's a little concerning

considering his history. ... We really have got to be cautious."

Wood is 14-1 with a 2.41 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 123 1/3 innings this season.

Kershaw, who leads the National League with 15 wins against just two losses, has been sidelined since

July 24 with a back issue. He threw four simulated innings on Monday, and is scheduled to make a rehab

start Saturday for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Real or not? Granderson shines as Dodgers keep finding ways to win

By Bradford Doolittle

With the Los Angeles Dodgers' season spiraling out of control -- they lost a game on Sunday! -- new

acquisition Curtis Granderson made his biggest impression yet wearing Dodger blue on Monday.

Granderson hit a grand slam last Thursday in his final plate appearance for the New York Mets.

According to Elias Sports Bureau research, he's the first player in major league history to his two grand

slams over a four-game span for two different teams.

His first L.A. grand slam was a huge one, as it turned a 3-1 deficit to Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh

Pirates into a 5-3 lead. The Dodgers now have eight grand slams this season, two more than any other

team. Also, Monday's win marked the fourth time this season they've won a game they trailed by three-

plus runs entering the seventh. They had one such win in the four-year period from 2013 to 2016.

At this point, they need only 14 wins to even make the playoffs:

A 12th-inning home run by Yasiel Puig propelled the Dodgers to another win over the Pirates on

Monday, further reducing their magic number. The Dodgers are on pace for 115 wins, one shy of the

record set by the 1906 Cubs and matched by the 2001 Mariners.

But Monday's win didn't come easy, as Pittsburgh tied the game off methodical Dodgers set-up man

Pedro Baez. The Dodgers won in extra innings, though, thanks to Yasiel Puig's 22nd homer in the 12th.

Puig also won the day with this eclipse spoof:

Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw's three-inning simulated game went so well that he tacked on a fourth

inning. Next up is a start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday against Omaha. It'll be only 60 pitches

or so, but if you happen to be driving down Mickey Mantle Drive toward Bricktown Ballpark on

Saturday, you might want to pop in. Kershaw against Triple-A hitters? That will be something to see.

Standing headline: "New York Mets pitcher injured." The Mets announced Monday that starter Steven

Matz is done for the season. He'll have surgery on the ulnar nerve is his left elbow, a procedure similar

to the one teammate Jacob deGrom went through in September.

Matz and deGrom were part of the Mets' rotation in the 2015 World Series, along with Noah

Syndergaard and Matt Harvey. Since that Fall Classic, it has been a never-ending string of calamities for

the foursome that was supposed to spearhead a new golden age for National League baseball in New

York.

This is Matz's third disabled list trip since the Series; his 2016 season was truncated by a shoulder

problem. Syndergaard has been on the DL since

May 1 because of a torn lat muscle, an injury with a complex backstory of its own. Harvey has been out

since June 15, his third DL trip since the 2015 Series.

Only deGrom has enjoyed a healthy season, as he's on pace to make a full contingent of 32 or 33 starts*.

Among the group last season, only Syndergaard made at least 30 starts. If none of the pitchers currently

on the shelf make it back before the end of the season, Matz (13), Harvey (13) and Syndergaard (5) will

have combined for 31 starts this season.

*Note: deGrom leads the NL with 165 innings pitched. He has thrown 17 innings more than last season.

So might the Mets want to tread carefully over these last few weeks?

Pitchers get hurt. Every team deals with it. The unlucky ones see injuries cluster together. It can

undermine entire seasons or spur franchises to pivot into a rebuild. We're probably not there yet with

the Mets, who can look to shuffle the position player lineup this winter and hope that the fragile

foursome can bounce back in 2018. It's the same script as this season.

But it's not great optics that Matz has apparently been pitching through pain for quite a while.

The Mets have been at least four games under .500 since the middle of May and have never been part

of any kind of playoff race this season. Given all the problems they've had keeping their young pitchers

healthy, it boggles the mind that Matz has been pitching hurt. It's not like he was pitching well: Matz's

ERA is 6.08. What could possibly have been the point?

Eventually, the Mets need to review their processes for keeping players upright. It has to be done; why

wouldn't it? Even if they are convinced they have been guilty of nothing but bad luck, why would you

not throw everything you have in investigating if there isn't a better way? Obstinance solves nothing.

As for Harvey: Harvey is gamely trying to work his way back and made a rehab start for Double-A

Binghamton on Monday. He went three innings, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out

three. Reports on Twitter from those who watched pegged his velocity as ranging from 89 to 92 mph. He

also allowed this homer to Anthony Alford, one of Toronto's top prospects.

Not a particularly encouraging outing, but again, Mets: There's no rush here.

Buxton rampage continues. The Minnesota Twins began a long day Monday by putting star third

baseman Miguel Sano on the DL because of a stress reaction in his left shin, a malady caused by fouling

a ball of his leg the other day. Still, Minnesota improbably hangs in the thick of the American League

wild-card race, and there seems to be enough offense even without Sano.

For one, Brian Dozier is again going off in the second half of a season. He homered in the second game

of the Twins' doubleheader split in Chicago and is now hitting .313/.392/.646 since the All-Star break

with 13 homers and 32 RBIs in 35 games. Dozier pulled this act last season, too, hitting 28 of his 42

homers during the season half.

More pertinent for the future of the young Twins has been the amazing offensive turnaround of Byron

Buxton. Buxton has been one of baseball's best defenders all season, but during the early part, you had

to wonder just how long Minnesota could carry such an offensive non-entity no matter how great his

glove might be.

Buxton was hitting .195 with a .552 OPS and had struck out 80 times (nearly a third of his plate

appearances) through the end of June. He also homered on Monday, and is now hitting .350/.395/.573

since July 1 with five homers -- four so far in August -- and 23 RBIs. Given his defense and 22 stolen

bases in 23 attempts, Buxton once again looks like a coming star.

All this has kept Minnesota afloat, along with Paul Molitor's amazing job of juggling his outmanned

pitching staff. To wit: In Monday's doubleheader, the Twins started Tim Melville and Dillon Gee. Neither

pitcher had started a game for the Twins all season. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, a

team hadn't debuted two starters on the same date this late in a season in 20 years.

TRUE BLUE LA

Yasiel Puig home run lifts Dodgers over Pirates in extras

By Eric Stephen

Yasiel Puig homered in the 12th inning to give the Dodgers a 6-5 win over the Pirates in a back-and-forth

battle in the opener of a four-game series at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Puig’s second game-winning hit in the last five games was a solo shot off reliever Dovydas Neverauskas

to lead off the 12th. It was the second hit of the night for Puig, who also doubled in a five-run seventh

inning.

Puig is enjoying a stellar season in right field for the Dodgers as well, rated as 11 runs above average by

Defensive Runs Saved, and +8 by Total Zone Rating. His latest highlight play came in the sixth inning on

Monday, with this catch against the right field wall to rob Andrew McCutchen of extra bases.

The Dodgers threatened throughout the extra frames.

They loaded the bases in the 10th inning thanks to three walks by Joaquin Benoit, but Chris Taylor flew

out to end the frame. The Dodgers loaded the bases in four different innings on Monday, but only

scored in one of them.

Benoit returned for a second inning of relief and walked another batter -- Curtis Granderson — then

threw a wild pitch to move him into scoring position with two outs. But Benoit recovered to strike out

Yasmani Grandal to escape the frame. Two innings marked the longest outing of the season for the 40-

year-old Benoit, who was used for more than three outs for just the third time all season.

With closer Kenley Jansen used in a tie game in the 10th inning against the heart of the Pittsburgh

batting order, the bottom of the 12th was left for Ross Stripling.

Stripling earned a three-inning save on May 27 against the Cubs, closing out a 5-0 win. On Monday, he

allowed a single to McCutchen and intentionally walked Josh Bell, but retired the side for his first

traditional save, closing out the Dodgers’ 40th comeback victory of the season.

Naturally, Puig caught the final out of the game.

The Dodger improved to 8-2 in extra-innings, including seven straight victories. At four hours, 35

minutes, Monday was the longest game of the season for the Dodgers by time.

Grand fashion

For a second straight day the Dodgers were getting stymied by an ace, but on Monday they found a way

to break through against Gerrit Cole.

Down 3-0 after six innings, the Dodgers rallied against Cole in the seventh, with singles by Chase Utley

and Corey Seager and walk by Logan Forsythe producing one run, followed by a Justin Turner single to

load the bases for a third time in the game.

The Dodgers also loaded the bases in the second and the sixth inning against Cole, but had nothing to

show for it. Adrian Gonzalez, who singled earlier in the game, hit a 100-mph fly ball to the deepest part

of the park in center field with the bases loaded in the sixth, but it fell a few feet shy of what would have

been both a go-ahead grand slam and Gonzalez’s 2,000th career hit.

Granderson, who also homered to break up Justin Verlander’s no-hitter in the seventh inning on Sunday

for the Dodgers’ only run, did not miss his chance against Cole, homering to right field for the Dodgers’

MLB-best eighth grand slam of the season, giving them a 5-3 advantage.

Granderson has eight home runs in eight August games. That total includes a grand slam in his last at-

bat with the Mets.

Rough night for Baez

Tony Watson hit a Adam Frazier to open the seventh, then Pedro Baez had one of his worst outings of

the season.

Working at a glacier’s pace, Baez allowed a run-scoring double to Josh Harrison, who homered and

singled earlier in the contest. That pulled the Pirates to within a run, then Baez walked three of his next

four hitters. A ground ball force out by Josh Bell -- hit too slowly to turn an inning-ending double play —

tied the game at 5-5, which was the score when Baez exited with game with two outs and the bases

loaded.

Baez threw 28 pitches, including just 13 for strikes, and recorded only one out. His 9.59-percent walk

rate this season is a career worst. His 21.9-percent strikeout rate is his worst since his rookie season, and

down from his 25.7-percent career mark.

Break for Wood?

Monday particulars

Home runs: Curtis Granderson (21), Yasiel Puig (22); Jose Osuna (7), Sean Rodriguez (5), Josh Harrison

(15)

WP - Luis Avilan (2-1): 1 IP, 1 hit

LP - Dovydas Neverauskas (1-1): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run

Sv - Ross Stripling (2): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 walk

Clayton Kershaw to make minor league rehab start Saturday

By Eric Stephen

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw moved another step closer to returning to the team on Monday, throwing

a four-inning simulated game before the club’s four-game series against the Pirates begins at PNC Park

in Pittsburgh.

Up next for Kershaw is a minor league rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday. From the

beat reporters in Pittsburgh.

A Saturday rehab start for Kershaw could line him up to return to the Dodgers on their next road trip,

either against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix or versus the Padres in San Diego. That would give him

ample time to make either five or six regular season starts if needed, to tune up for the postseason.

Kershaw last pitched on July 23.

Darvish back this weekend

Yu Darvish followed Kershaw with a bullpen session of his own, two days after he was placed on the 10-

day disabled list with back tightness.

Darvish last pitched on Wednesday against the White Sox. His first day eligible to return is Sunday,

which is when he is scheduled to start against the Brewers at Dodger Stadium.

Alex Wood dealing with SC joint again, likely to miss some time

By Eric Stephen

Dodgers starter Alex Wood is having more trouble with his sternum, manager Dave Roberts said after

Monday night’s 6-5 win over the Pirates in 12 innings at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Wood missed 11 games in May and June on the disabled list with SC joint inflammation, and there have

been some warning signs for the left-hander in the last month.

Wood allowed three solo home runs on Monday and when he left after six innings he was trailing 3-0,

before the Dodgers rallied to take the lead in the top of the seventh.

The home runs have been a trend for Wood since the All-Star break, allowing eight in his 176 batters

faced (one per 22 PA), compared to just two home runs allowed in 314 batters faced (one per 157 PA)

before the break.

Wood’s ground ball rate prior to Miami was 63.5 percent, but since the All-Star break it is 47.1 percent.

Wood’s two-seam fastball averaged 91.7 mph in his six starts since the All-Star break before Monday,

per Brooks Baseball (classified there as a sinker), and against the Pirates averaged 90.5 mph in his 48

fastballs thrown per Gameday, topping out at 91.9.

He averaged 92.95 mph on his fastball before the break.

The left-hander felt “a little fatigue” after his Aug. 3 start, but was able to make adjustments in a bullpen

session and allowed three runs in 13 innings in his two starts since. After getting limited by injuries to

just 60⅓ innings in 2016, Wood has more than doubled that total in 2017, now at 123⅓ on the season.

Fatigue is always concerning, as is the drop in velocity, and Wood might very well need a break,

especially on a team with two starters likely due back this weekend and next, and one that has liberally

used the 10-day disabled list this season to rest their arms.

But struggling is a relative term, and despite the three home runs Wood pitched his fourth consecutive

quality start, one in which he struck out five and walked none. The left-hander has a 2.52 ERA in August,

with three of his four starts coming after said fatigue. And with the 123⅓ innings in 123 team games,

Wood will show up on the ERA leaderboard -- for one day -- checking at fourth in the majors with his

2.41 ERA.

All nine starting pitchers used by the Dodgers this season have made at least one trip to the disabled list.

Up next

Brock Stewart is expected to be recalled from Triple-A to start the second game of the series, a 4:05

p.m. PT start, facing Jameson Taillon for the Pirates. Taillon was warming up in the bullpen in the 12th

inning, just in case Monday’s game was extended.

The SportsNet LA broadcast of Tuesday’s game will be simulcast on KTLA, and for those out of market

the game will be streamed online via Twitter.

Bobby Wilson has first career 5-hit game in Oklahoma City rout

By Eric Stephen

There were a few off days on the Dodgers farm on Monday, which was highlighted by a pair of standout

performances.

Players of the day

Veteran edition

Catcher Bobby Wilson is in his 15th professional season. The 34-year-old has played part of eight

seasons in the majors, but this season he has been in Triple-A all year. On Monday night, playing in his

1,200th career game, Wilson did something he never did before.

Wilson singled and scored in the third and fifth innings at Colorado Springs, then hit a solo home run in

the sixth. He doubled home two runs in the seventh inning, then in the ninth singled and scored again.

He scored four times and collected five hits in a game for his first time ever.

"I'm still enjoying this and having a great time. Just being around the guys gets me going," Wilson told

Michael Avallone of MiLB.com. "Once I stop enjoying the game, I'll hang 'em up, but I feel like I have a

few years left in me still. We'll see how the rest of this season plays out and then next year as well. Being

34, I still feel young and fresh, which is encouraging. I've stayed together pretty well this year."

Prospect edition

Dodgers 2016 third-round pick Dustin May pitched a career-best eight innings on Monday, allowing just

two runs for Class-A Great Lakes. The 19-year-old right-hander allowed solo home runs in the first and

sixth innings on the road at Fort Wayne, but that was the only damage against him.

May struck out six and walked one for his third straight win, and in his last 14 starts — dating back to

May 30 — has averaged 6.12 innings per start while going 8-4 with a 3.57 ERA. On the season, May has

113 strikeouts against only 26 walks in his 123 innings.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Wilson wasn’t the only offensive contributor on Monday for Oklahoma City, who had their biggest

offensive output since 2003, before they were affiliated with the Dodgers. OKC beat the Colorado

Springs SkySox (Brewers), 17-9.

O`Koyea Dickson homered and drove in five runs, one of six Dodgers with at least two hits. Kyle Farmer

had two singles and a double, driving in four, and Trayce Thompson was 2-for-5 with a triple and three

runs batted in.

Joc Pederson played left field for the second time in two games with Oklahoma City, going 1-for-5 with a

walk and two runs scored.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers were off Monday, and take their six-game winning streak on the road beginning Tuesday,

when they will face old friend Chase De Jong, starting for the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners).

Relief pitcher Corey Copping on Monday was named the Texas League Pitcher of the Week.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes were off on Monday as well, and open up a six-game homestand on Tuesday against the

Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres).

On Monday, outfielder Quincy Latimore was named Cal League Player of the Week after going 8-for-12

with six extra-base hits and six walks in his first week with Rancho Cucamonga.

Class-A Great Lakes

To back May’s strong mound performance, catcher Connor Wong continued his power surge in the

Loons’ 5-3 win over the Fort Wayne Tincaps (Padres). Wong, the Dodgers’ third-round pick this year,

homered for the third straight game but also added a pair of doubles.

Wong in his last four games is 11-for-18 (.611) with four doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI and seven

runs scored.

Great Lakes was running wild in Monday’s game, stealing four bases while getting caught three times.

Gavin Lux stole two bases in three tries while going 2-for-4, and the Dodgers’ 2016 first-round pick is

hitting .373/.427/.520 in 18 games in August.

2017 first-rounder Jeren Kendall batted third for the Loons on Monday, and was 1-for-3 with a walk. He

stole a base and was caught once.

Rookie-level Ogden

The Raptors fell to the Orem Owlz (Angels), 11-10, but outfielder Mitchell Hansen continued his hot

hitting. The Dodgers second-round pick from 2015 homered, doubled, and singled on Monday, and has

11 extra-base hits in his last 11 games, hitting .377/.393/.736 with 12 runs batted in and 14 runs scored.

Rookie-level Arizona

Ike Davis pitched a scoreless inning on Monday, continuing his pitching quest by allowing a single and a

walk. It was his first outing in a week. In four appearances in Arizona, the 30-year-old former first

baseman has pitched 3⅔ scoreless innings, with five strikeouts and four walks.

Transactions

Triple-A: Madison Younginer was acivated from the disabled list, and picked up the win in relief for OKC,

despite allowing two runs in 2⅔ innings.

Double-A: The Drillers swapped catchers, activating Shawn Zarraga from the temporary inactive list and

placing Sean O’Connell on the seven-day disabled list.

Class-A: Great Lakes sent pitcher Willian Soto to the Arizona rookie league on a rehab assignment.

Monday scores

Oklahoma City 17, Colorado Springs 9

Great Lakes 5, Fort Wayne 3

Orem 11, Ogden 10

AZL D-backs 5, AZL Dodgers 2

DSL Dodgers 6, DSL Rays 4

DSL Dodgers 10, DSL Rays 0

Tuesday schedule

4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Alfredo Tavarez) vs. Lansing [Blue Jays] (TBD)

5:10 p.m.: Tulsa (Josh Sborz) at Arkansas (Chase De Jong)

5:30 p.m.: Ogden (TBD) vs. Orem (TBD)

5:40 p.m.: Oklahoma City (David Hale) at Colorado Springs (Taylor Jungmann)

7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Michael Boyle) vs. Lake Elsinore (Emmanuel Ramirez)

Dodgers have shined away from home, too

By Eric Stephen

Much has been made of the Dodgers’ nearly unprecedented success at Dodger Stadium this season, but

their play away from home has helped fuel their historic run through the 2017 season.

The Dodgers have won 23 of their last 28 road games, winning seven straight series away from home

and they haven’t lost a road series since dropping two of three in San Francisco from May 15-17, going

10-0-2 in 12 road series since.

After starting the year dropping seven of their first 10 wearing the road grays, the Dodgers now have the

best road record in the National League (37-21), bettered only by the Astros (40-21) in MLB.

The Dodgers’ winning percentage on the road (.638) is better than the home record of 28 teams in

baseball. Only the Red Sox (40-22, .645 at Fenway Park) have a better home mark than the Dodgers on

the road in 2017.

At home, the Dodgers are 51-14 (.785), on pace to match the National League record of 64 home wins in

a season, set by the 1975 Reds.

If the Dodgers can win 13 of their final 23 away games, they would reach 50 wins at both home and on

the road for the second time in the 134-year history of the franchise. The 1974 team won 52 games at

Dodger Stadium and 50 on the road en route to a World Series trip.

That was also the last Dodgers team to win 100 games, a mark the 2017 squad can reach with 12 wins in

their final 39 games.

Pitching matchup

Brock Stewart will be recalled from Triple-A to make his third start of the season for the Dodgers on

Tuesday, filling in for Yu Darvish.

In one minor league start since he was optioned, Stewart pitched five scoreless innings for Oklahoma

City last Tuesday at Omaha, allowing two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.

Jameson Taillon gets the start for the Pirates, one day after he was warming up in the bullpen in the

12th inning just in case Monday’s series opener lasted longer.

Taillon his season has a 5.09 ERA at home, a full run higher than his road ERA (4.09), though his

peripherals are quite similar. The right-hander owns a 3.47 FIP at PNC Park and a 3.38 FIP on the road.

Among the 131 major league pitchers with at least 80 innings in 2017, Taillon ranks fifth unluckiest in

the difference between his ERA (4.64) and FIP (3.43).

Notes

Yasmani Grandal is 9-for-18 (.500) with three doubles, a home run, two walks and five RBI in four games

against the Pirates this season.

As a team, the Dodgers are hitting .270/.440/.429 in extra innings this season, third-best OPS in the

National League, behind Arizona and Pittsburgh. Third baseman Justin Turner is 3-for-4 with two walks

and a hit by pitch in extras for an .857 on-base percentage.

Game info

TIme: 4:05 p.m.

TV: SportsNet LA, KTLA

Online streaming: Twitter

DODGER INSIDER

Cody Bellinger — The Arrival

By Rowan Kavner

The 21-year-old slugger stood next to his locker, his soaked and freezing body juxtaposed with his

enthusiastic, cheerful smile. Everything leading up to the moment was a blur, and Cody Bellinger had

never experienced anything like it before.

It was well worth the ice cold Gatorade bath, which rained down on him just five games into his Major

League career.

Bellinger’s one of the rare Major Leaguers whose second home run was more memorable than his first.

That can happen when they both occur on the same night just two innings apart, with the latter dinger

part of the Dodgers’ back-to-back-to-back ninth inning home runs in a comeback 6–5 win April 29

against the Phillies.

In his next 52 games, Bellinger would go on to smash 22 more home runs, setting a record to start a

career.

“Every day, I’m trying to put my foot on the gas pedal and keep going,” Bellinger says.

The tank never hit empty.

A version of this story originally appeared in the eighth edition of the Dodger Insider magazine.

It became abundantly clear in the first few days and weeks of Bellinger’s call-up what was supposed to

be just a taste of the Majors for the power-hitting top Dodger prospect would end up much more than a

quick stint in the big leagues.

That multi-homer night against the Phillies, the first of a rookie franchise-record six for Bellinger in the

first half of 2017, prompted his manager, Dave Roberts, to say there are certain nights in a season a

team can look back to as a catalyst for a team. That was, after all, as dramatic as an April regular season

victory could get.

But as time went on, it seemed far more likely the catalyst was not the game itself as much as it was the

rookie who helped make that comeback possible — the one who has a team-leading 34 home runs

through his first 101 career games.

“There’s definitely a spark he’s contributed to with the club,” Roberts says. “It seems like every time he

takes the field, he does something to help you win.”

The Dodgers were 9–11 before bringing up Bellinger. They’d go 78–23 in their next 101 games in which

Bellinger played following his promotion. The two-time National League Rookie of the Month became

the first Dodger position player to make the All-Star team in his first season in the Majors in the process.

“For a young player to impact a championship caliber ball club like this, on the defensive side, obviously

in the batter’s box, I think obviously exceeded all of our expectations,” Roberts says. “It’s easy to say

he’ll keep getting better, and he keeps getting better.”

With each passing game to start his career, Bellinger demonstrated something to warrant a longer leash.

Need an outfielder? Bellinger’s made 38 starts and played in 40 games in the outfield this year, with the

majority coming in left field after Andrew Toles tore his ACL. Need a first baseman? Bellinger’s made 58

starts and played in 67 games at the position, the majority coming after Adrián González went to the

disabled list with a back injury.

PC:Jill Weisleder/Los Angeles Dodgers

No NL player had more home runs (24) or a higher sluging percentage (.620) than Bellinger through his

first 72 games. He only needed 57 games to become the fastest player in Major League history to reach

those 24 homers.

The excitement was palpable when the Dodgers called up Bellinger, but no one could’ve predicted what

would unfold in what’s been one of the greatest starts to a career ever.

Not even Bellinger.

“A month and a half ago, if you told me what I was going to do, I’d probably call you crazy,” Bellinger

said in June.

In some ways, it’s easy to guess Bellinger’s age. Catch him before the game, and there’s a good chance

he’s chowing down on ice cream or chips, not that it shows in his athletic 6-foot-5, 210-pound frame.

When he found out he won his first Player of the Week honor, he got the news the way a 21-year-old

might.

“On Twitter,” Bellinger says with a grin.

But don’t let his laid-back, chilled nature be misconstrued as a lack of care. To sustain success the way

he has, it takes work. And the countless honors he’s received haven’t gone to his head.

Often, the only way he finds out when he’s accomplished some sort of feat is when someone

approaches him about it.

“For me, I put it in the back of my mind, because I know the game is really hard and all of a sudden you

can start failing at a fast rate,” Bellinger says. “It’s coming in every day trying to stay consistent.”

Bellinger’s often the first to the field, according to Roberts. And he’s studious, making use of the

advanced technology available to him in the big leagues that he didn’t have at all of his Minor League

stops.

He’s meticulous about his swing, a majestic cut that looks as smooth as a professional golfer teeing off.

When he makes contact, the thump of the ball leaving the bat just sounds different.

Of his 34 home runs, 21 traveled more than 400 feet and all but five went more than 100 mph off the

bat. Among Dodger players, only fellow All-Star Corey Seager has hit the ball harder on average,

according to FanGraphs.

“For me, it’s more of a comfortability in my swing and my load and the technology that we have up

here,” Bellinger says. “You can kind of get more advanced in your swing, so when something’s off, you

can figure it out a little earlier. That’s been a big help.”

Bellinger hasn’t spent long in any one place since joining the Dodger organization as a fourth-round pick.

Since 2014, he’s only played a full season in one location, hitting 30 home runs with 103 RBI in 2015 at

Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Last year, he spent most of his time at Double-A Tulsa before belting three home runs in three games for

Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he also started his 2017 season. He used that time to work on his swing

with Oklahoma City hitting coach Shawn Wooten, who still sends Bellinger video of the swing, along with

any thoughts he may have.

Bellinger isn’t concerned about overanalyzing. Between every Major League at-bat, regardless of the

outcome, he makes use of the Dodgers’ in-game technology to examine how it looks. Mostly, he’s

keeping an eye on his hands to make sure they stay up and he’s loading the way he wants to.

Every time he plays, it’s often the first time he’s seeing any opposing pitcher, so he wants to understand

how that pitcher is choosing to attack him.

The more at-bats he logs, the more opposing pitchers and teams gather intel. But thus far, Bellinger

hasn’t seen any sort of universal trend in how he’s being approached. Roberts says he started to see

more elevated fastballs, but it still varies from team to team.

Sometimes, Bellinger says, he thinks a pitcher’s pounding him inside, only to find out the catcher’s

setting up away and that pitcher is missing.

“There’s so many variables that go in it,” Bellinger says. “I’m just trying to stay within my swing, and

knowing if that’s good, I can hit a lot of things.”

The results speak for themselves.

He’s already an All-Star. He already has a cycle to his name. Before the All-Star break, Bellinger already

logged the most home runs by a Dodger in a single season at age 21 or younger. But he provides

problems for opponents for reasons beyond his power.

The lefty doesn’t mind who’s throwing to him.

In addition to slugging .652 against righties, he’s also slugging .533 against lefties — a mark only five

other left-handed Major League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances against southpaws have

reached this year.

He’s also demonstrated patience by working the count full more than any player on the Dodgers, and a

strikeout percentage that was at 29.5 percent at the end of June has shrunk four percent since then.

Picking the right pitch to throw him is a task in itself. He’s above average against nearly every type of

pitch he’s seen this year.

Of his 34 homers, 19 have been thrown at 87 mph or harder, including 15 four-seam and two-seam

fastballs. But throwing him an off-speed pitch isn’t the answer to combatting his power. His 5.8 wCB

(runs above average against the curveball) and 7.7 wCH (runs above average against the changeup) both

lead the Dodgers, according to FanGraphs. No one on the team has been better than Bellinger against

the slider, either.

“He hasn’t looked back since (he came up),” says Justin Turner, the only qualified Dodger with a higher

OPS than Bellinger. “Obviously, a very talented player and one of those guys you don’t want to miss his

AB, because you don’t know what he’s going to do.”

Indians left-handed reliever Andrew Miller hadn’t given up a home run this season before the Dodgers

went to Cleveland on June 13. That night, Bellinger changed that with a go-ahead homer off Miller in the

eighth inning before adding another home run an inning later for good measure. In doing so, he became

the first player ever with four multi-home run performances in his first 45 Major League games.

“To handle the handedness, it doesn’t bother him,” Roberts says. “And the way he gathers information

even within at-bats, the confidence that’s there and obviously the production … I haven’t seen it, really,

this close. It’s special.”

That word, “special,” permeates the Dodger clubhouse. Clayton Kershaw used it to describe Bellinger.

So, too, did Corey Seager, the reigning National League Rookie of the Year.

There’s little doubt, at this point, who the next one will be. Bellinger’s taste of the big leagues has

become a full meal, and he’s not satiated yet.

“I’m living out my dream,” Bellinger says.

Another step in right direction for recovering Dodger aces

By Rowan Kavner

Clayton Kershaw and Yu Darvish haven’t returned to regular season action yet, but the Dodger aces both

took a step toward making that a reality.

Kershaw, who’s been out since July 23 with a strained back, threw four innings in a simulated game

Monday, while Darvish followed up by throwing a bullpen session and is still on track to only miss a

start.

After four up and downs Monday, the next step for Kershaw is likely a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A

Oklahoma City, manager Dave Roberts told reporters. Kershaw said to SportsNet LA’s Alanna Rizzo he

feels he’s healthy enough to pitch in a big-league game today.

“Now, it’s just building back up and getting ready to go,” Kershaw said.

Roberts already said the 10-day disabled list stint for Darvish was a precautionary one after Darvish’s

back tightened up in his Dodger home debut. After getting back on the mound Monday, Darvish is

currently penciled in to pitch the day he’s eligible to return from the DL Sunday against the Brewers.

Cody Bellinger will get another day out of the starting lineup Monday after turning his ankle. Roberts

said he’s showing signs of improvement and is still a possibility to pinch hit, but he also anticipates

Bellinger out of Tuesday’s starting lineup as he heals.

Other Notes:

· Alex Wood will make his 20th start of the year, coming off a seven-inning, one-run performance in his

last start. He’s made 12 starts allowing one or no runs this year. Wood struck out 11 in five scoreless

innings May 8 against the Pirates at Dodger Stadium.

· This will be Dodger reliever Tony Watson’s first game back at PNC Park since he was traded to the

Dodgers from the Pirates at the trade deadline. He’s made 236 relief appearances at PNC Park since

making his big league debut in Pittsburgh in 2011, the most of any reliever in the ballpark’s history.

The Dodgers enter this series after watching their six-game winning streak get snapped Sunday in

Detroit, but they’re still unbeaten in their last 21 series

A Grandy slam and more Puig power

By Rowan Kavner

As the Dodgers peered up toward the sky Monday night at PNC Park, they didn’t need the special solar

eclipse sunglasses they had used earlier in the day.

What they watched flying toward the clouds left them smiling similarly, though.

Curtis Granderson turned a two-run seventh inning deficit into a two-run lead with his second grand

slam in his last four games and first grand slam as a Dodger. When that wasn’t quite enough to finish the

Pirates off in nine innings, Yasiel Puig added another go-ahead homer on a solo shot in the 12th inning,

giving the Dodgers their 38th straight win when scoring at least four runs and starting the series against

the Pirates with a 6–5 win.

It didn’t seem initially Monday’s game would be the type to last four hours and 35 minutes.

Only three runs had scored for either team through six innings, all coming off solo homers from

Pittsburgh, which was uncharacteristic both for Dodger starter Alex Wood, who entered allowing the

fewest home runs per nine innings of any National League pitcher (min. 100 IP), and for the Pirates, who

entered 29th in the league in homers.

As it turned out, Wood was dealing with a recurrence of the SC joint inflammation he had earlier in the

year.

“I don’t recall if it was the fourth, fifth inning, there was something with that SC joint that flared up a

little bit,” manager Dave Roberts said to reporters afterward. “As the game started going on, there was

a little heat with that area. We’ll see where that leads us.”

Roberts said it’s a little concerning, given Wood’s history with the inflammation earlier this year which

had him on the disabled list for two weeks from May 27-June 10, but the team will be cautious.

It also made Wood’s outing more impressive, considering how he battled and bounced back after the

third inning, retiring nine of the 10 batters he saw in innings 4–6.

The Dodgers had plenty of chances throughout the night to put Wood, who delivered a quality start,

back in a winning position. They had 4 at-bats with runners in scoring position throughout, but they left

12 on base and were scoreless through six innings against Pittsburgh’s Gerrit Cole.

Then came the seventh inning and Granderson.

After Seager ran his hitting streak to 10 games with an RBI single to put the Dodgers on the board,

Granderson delivered his eighth career grand slam, which was also his eighth home run of the month

and the Dodgers’ Major League-leading eight grand slam of the year.

“Grandy, that’s what he does,” Roberts said. “He puts together good at-bats, gets good hits. We’ve seen

that from the other side from him. Back-to-back days, couple homers for us, and obviously the grand

slam was huge.”

The homer gave a late lead to a Dodger bullpen that leads the National League in both ERA and WHIP.

But it was also an uncharacteristic night for Pedro Baez, who walked three for the first time in his career

and allowed an RBI double and an RBI groundout that tied the game. Baez entered the appearance with

two walks the whole month.

The Pirates loaded the bases in the inning, when Brandon Morrow entered and got the final out on his

way to 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Neither team would score again until Puig’s home run four innings later.

As much as has been made about Puig’s patience — and deservedly so, adding another walk to add to his

team lead in the category this month (15 in August)— it’s his power that’s already set a career high. His

22nd homer of the year gave him three more than he’s had in any previous season.

With Kenley Jansen already used earlier in the night, it was up to Ross Stripling to preserve the win, and

the Dodger reliever earned his second save of the year to move the Dodgers to 8–2 in extra innings this

season.

And 1–0 on the night of a solar eclipse.

USA TODAY SPORTS

Dodgers' Chase Utley understands Justin Verlander's dilemma with Tigers

By Anthony Fenech

If there is anybody who knows what has gone through Justin Verlander’s mind for the past month – and

will certainly be on his mind until the waiver trade deadline passes on Aug. 31 – it was one of the nine

men who stood inside the batter’s box against him on Sunday.

There was a time two seasons ago when Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Chase Utley was in a similar

situation to Verlander. Utley, then 36, was a face of the franchise with the Philadelphia Phillies, who

were transitioning into rebuild mode after years of perennial contention in the National League.

“Obviously, being in Philadelphia for so long, it was the only organization that I knew,” Utley said inside

the visitor’s clubhouse at Comerica Park on Sunday morning. “And I felt, I felt …”

Even two years later, the topic hit home. He took a brief pause to collect his thoughts.

“It was definitely not an easy decision to leave,” Utley said. “But looking at the direction that the

organization was going and the fact that they were starting to rebuild, at that point in my career, I

wanted to win. From that aspect of it, it was something that needed to be done.”

Verlander has only played for the Tigers in his career, and he has spoken of his desire to finish his career

with the franchise. But times have changed in Detroit, and a rebuilding phase – however long it may be

– is around the corner.

It has been a tumultuous time for Verlander, dating back to his final start of the first half, when he

started hearing trade deadline questions. He wasn’t traded by the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline and

likely won’t be traded before the Aug. 31 waiver trade deadline, barring an unforeseen meeting

between the Tigers and, chiefly, the Houston Astros.

It remains possible that Verlander, who is 4-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his past five starts, could be on his way

out as soon as this winter, especially if the front office communicates that the rebuild process is real.

Talking with reporters last week in Texas, what stood out from his comments were the uncertainty in

which he toils these days. Verlander wants to win, first and foremost. He would prefer to win with the

Tigers. But the uncertainty of playing for a team other than the Tigers is real.

“Without a doubt,” Utley said. “When you’re in one place for so long, you feel comfortable. You have

friends in that city, clubhouse guys, even you guys, guys that essentially become part of your family. So

to leave that is a little bit uncomfortable.”

Utley was not vilified for waiving his no-trade clause to leave Philadelphia. After so many successful

seasons – including a World Series championship in 2008 – the fans knew it was time.

“I think they understood the situation,” Utley said. “I think they understood, just as I did, that if there

was a time to leave, then it was the time that I did.”

With the Dodgers, he has competed in the postseason the past two seasons, and will do so for a third

time this year, on a team that is considered the best in baseball. Still, it didn’t make leaving his home

easier.

“There was a lot of mixed emotions,” he said. “You can’t help but feel a little sadly leaving a place that

gave you an opportunity to play in the big leagues. On the other side of it, you’re going to a place that

has a chance to win the World Series and at the end of the day, that’s what we’re all here for.”