Daily Clips

April 7, 2016

LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

LA TIMES: Kenta Maeda hits a home run, pitches Dodgers to 7-0 victory over Padres-Andy McCullough Los Angeles Dodgers' Carl Crawford, Justin Turner could be rested Thursday-Andy McCullough Ken Burns' documentary on Jackie Robinson is full of surprise and fresh insight-Chris Erksine OC REGISTER: Kenta Maeda homers in debut as Dodgers earn historic third straight shutout of Padres, 7-0-Joey Kaufman Dodgers trying to use deeper roster to keep Carl Crawford fresh, limit time on DL-Joey Kaufman On deck: Dodgers at Giants, Thursday, 1:30 p.m. -Joey Kaufman DODGERS.COM: A legend is Maeda: LA starter homers in debut-Ken Gurnick Maeda leads Dodgers to historic beginning-Ken Gurnick and AJ Cassavell LA 2nd team ever to open with 3 shutouts-Ken Gurnick Short turnaround means lineup changes for LA-Ken Gurnick DODGER INSIDER: Yasiel Puig off to spectacular start, while Dodgers tie shutout record-Jon Weisman Kenta Maeda steals his own spotlight-Jon Weisman Maeda, Stripling to join rare group of 26-and-older starting pitchers to debut with Dodgers-Jon Weisman TRUEBLUELA.COM: Kenta Maeda is the star of his major league debut-Eric Stephen Dodgers notes: Howie Kendrick, Carl Crawford, Justin Turner-Eric Stephen Kenta Maeda hits home run in major league debut-Eric Stephen Cody Bellinger, Willie Calhoun, Alex Verdugo bring offense to Double-A Tulsa roster-Eric Stephen Player/coach A.J. Ellis back at catcher for series finale with Padres-Eric Stephen ESPN LA: Dodgers' Puig doing his best to evolve and improve; Pads still scoreless-Buster Olney Kenta Maeda puts on a show in Dodgers debut-Doug Padilla Dodgers hand Padres futility mark with 27 straight shutout innings-ESPN.com Dodgers shut out Padres in incredibly hot start-ESPN Stats and Information Streaking Dodgers sweep Padres with three consecutive shutouts-Doug Padilla Padres scoreless for record 27th straight inning to open season-AP As Dodgers' offense flows, Dave Roberts planning some changes-Doug Padilla Maeda happy with HR, pitching six scoreless innings (Video)-ESPN LA DAILY NEWS: Kenta Maeda is a hit as LA Dodgers sweep San Diego Padres-JP Hoornstra Chase Utley’s latest controversial tactic is what Dodgers are teaching-JP Hoornstra USA TODAY SPORTS: Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda homers in first MLB game, singlehandedly outscoring Padres-Alysha Tsuji NBC LA: Kenta Maeda Pitches and Powers Dodgers Past Padres 7-0-Michael Duarte YAHOO! SPORTS: Maeda homers in Dodgers' win; Padres set mark for futility-Bernie Wilson WASHINGTON POST: Dodgers 25 R, 34 H, 1 E; Padres 0 R, 11 H, 3 E. Whoo, boy.-Barry Svrluga

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016

LA TIMES

Kenta Maeda hits a home run, pitches Dodgers to 7-0 victory over Padres

By Andy McCullough

The baseball drifted and drifted toward the left-field corner, its flight awakening the Dodgers dugout. Kenta Maeda sprinted out of the batter's box but slowed as he approached second base. With one swing, he launched his team's first home run of the season and created the year's first moment of unbridled joy. The rest of the team erupted after the ball landed in the seats in the fourth inning of a 7-0 sweep-clinching victory over the San Diego Padres. Clayton Kershaw thrust his arms skyward and howled. Carl Crawford cracked up. Yasiel Puig applauded from the top step. The group steadied itself as Maeda trotted the bases. His teammates hung back on the bench, feigning ignorance, preparing Maeda for a rookie's rite of passage. He did not play along. He spread his arms wide and waited for their embrace. The wait was brief, and the admiration ran deep. "I've been playing for eight years, and I have one homer," Kershaw said. "It was pretty impressive." The Dodgers had reason to celebrate. The first three days of 2016 were blissful. The team set a franchise record with 27 scoreless innings to start a season. In his big league debut, Maeda scattered five hits and struck out four over six innings. Puig hit the season's second home run, in the eighth inning. Hours before the game, Maeda sat with catcher A.J. Ellis by a bank of laptops. Will Ireton, Maeda's interpreter, crouched behind them. Ireton scribbled notes in a palm-sized, black-and-white composition book. Their scouting finished, Maeda retired to the trainers' room. While Maeda warmed up, Ellis said "you could tell he was anxious, excited." The atmosphere at Petco Park was hardly raucous. Entire sections of the upper deck were populated in the single digits. Maeda inherited a four-run lead after a leadoff triple by Chase Utley, a run-scoring single by Justin Turner, a run-scoring double by Crawford and a two-run single by Joc Pederson. The flurry stunned Padres starter Andrew Cashner and calmed Maeda. "I was a little nervous at first," Maeda said. "But my teammates scored four runs for me. That really relaxed me a lot." His first pitch as a Dodger, a 90-mph fastball down the middle but below the shins, crossed the plate at 6:36 p.m. PDT, 10:36 a.m. Osaka time. The game was broadcast live in Japan.

Maeda became a star in Nippon Professional Baseball during eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp. But he arrived in the U.S. with medical concerns. His physical showed an irregularity, which he asked the team not to discuss publicly, that limited his guaranteed money on an eight-year contract to $25 million. A 2.35 earned-run average in the Cactus League allayed some concern. Maeda impressed Dodgers officials and rival evaluators with his ability to utilize his changeup and curveball. His slider earned raves in Japan, but he will require more than one off-speed offering to thrive in the majors. Maeda showed some early jitters, but the Padres could not capitalize. He hung a first-inning curveball to former Dodger Matt Kemp. Crawford caught the ball on the warning track. An inning later, third baseman Yangervis Solarte dribbled a bunt toward the right of the mound. Maeda pounced on it with his bare hand. His throw skipped into the stands. But Maeda stranded Solarte after two groundouts. "They didn't really stress him at all," Manager Dave Roberts said. During the spring, Maeda often mentioned his excitement about getting the chance to hit. He had two home runs in Japan, and he won a steak dinner from Roberts with a home run during batting practice. Cashner does not throw batting practice for a living. But he did flip a slider over the plate. Maeda possessed enough power to deposit it over the fence. He clapped his hands after he passed second and slowed to a near-crawl around third. "It was disbelief," Ellis said. "It's entertaining. And not only were we enjoying Kenta, but we were ragging on each other. JT's line was 'Whoever in Vegas had Maeda with the first Dodger home of the year is never working again.' " After he finished receiving praise from his teammates, he returned to the task of silencing the Padres. The streak lasted as Maeda faded in the sixth. Two singles put runners at the corners. First baseman Wil Myers chopped a groundball to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who threw to the plate. The tag by Ellis appeared to reach Cory Spangenberg a moment after Spangenberg touched the plate. But umpire Jim Wolf declared the runner out. A replay review did not overturn the call and the crowd jeered. Maeda struck out Solarte and jogged into the dugout. Los Angeles Dodgers' Carl Crawford, Justin Turner could be rested Thursday

By Andy McCullough

Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts will begin parceling days off to his veteran position players Thursday in San Francisco. He expects to sit left fielder Carl Crawford and may also rest third baseman Justin Turner. Roberts has not decided between Scott Van Slyke or Trayce Thompson as Crawford's replacement. Thompson replaced Crawford in the field in the sixth inning of the first two games of the season, part of the team's plan to keep Crawford's legs fresh.

"He's on board," Roberts said. If Turner does not play, Roberts would use Enrique Hernandez or Charlie Culberson at third base. The Dodgers do not want to exhaust Turner in April after off-season microfracture surgery. "With J.T., it's easy to run him out there every day," Roberts said. "But I've already made a point that I'm going to be mindful of that." Simulated games Yasmani Grandal, Howie Kendrick and Hyun-Jin Ryu will all appear in simulated games Thursday at Camelback Ranch. Grandal (forearm strain) and Kendrick (calf tightness) are expected to return before Tuesday's home opener. Kendrick will play one game at third base and two at second, Roberts said. Ryu (shoulder surgery) will throw two innings. If his shoulder responds well, he will operate on a normal five-day schedule as he builds arm strength for the season. Wood heads north Alex Wood packed a bag for the airport several hours before Wednesday's first pitch. The team put him on an early flight to San Francisco in advance of his start Thursday at 1:35 p.m. Ken Burns' documentary on Jackie Robinson is full of surprise and fresh insight By Chris Erksine Every few years, Ken Burns releases another epic — buttery and well-seasoned, the outside a little crisp. That the topic again is baseball is further reason to rejoice that spring is once again in the air. Burns' baseball work is as fluid as the game itself. Rarely rushed, slow by the standards of today's jaggy sensibilities. Your kid's soccer videos probably have more special effects. That contrarian bent continues in his latest documentary, which Burns made with his daughter, Sarah Burns, and her husband, documentarian David McMahon. As always, there's an insistence on substance over style. This time, Burns and associates take on the life of Jackie Robinson, the grandson of slaves and one of western Pasadena's finest works. Where does this four-hour PBS documentary, which runs Monday and Tuesday from 9-11 p.m., rank among Burns' best performances? To my mind, right up there, full of surprise and fresh insight. Like baseball, it is long, occasionally gritty and as rhythmic as a summer rain. "I think the thing I miss the most is having a trusted friend," Robinson's widow, Rachel, says. "The second thing I miss the most is having his arms around me."

In person, Burns, 62, is energized, boyish, still boasting that Beatles haircut. Able to talk about any topic with verve and humor, he's sort of an emotional archaeologist, the Indiana Jones of American milestones. He also might be our nation's most valuable historian. "More Americans get their history from Ken Burns than any other source," Stephen Ambrose once said. Still, any subject matter can reach a fatigue point, even Robinson. Books, feature films, symposiums, tributes, statues, salutes. What more can you say about an icon who has been studied and revered about as thoroughly as most presidents? Well, among the show's most interesting disclosures: • Though he was the target of death threats, many fans quickly embraced Robinson, voting him onto the All-Star team two years after his debut and giving him more votes than any player except Ted Williams. • When Robinson moved his young family to Connecticut, they lived temporarily with the family of future singer Carly Simon, as Simon's wealthy mother, Andrea, worked diligently to fight off local housing bias. • After retirement, Robinson became buddies with Richard Nixon, campaigned for him in 1960, and shunned overtures from the Kennedys, particularly after JFK chose a Texan as his running mate. In any arena, Robinson "was his own man," Rachel notes. • During the militant protests of the '60s, Robinson struggled to stay relevant as a civil rights leader, alienating some whites who admired his earlier "turn the other cheek" approach while fellow blacks often dismissed him as an aging has-been. But even as a player, Robinson didn't always turn the other cheek. We learn how teammate Roy Campanella, the sixth black player in the major leagues, worried that Robinson's fierceness on the field was divisive and hurting the team. "Without that anger, you don't get Jackie Robinson," sportswriter Howard Bryant says in the documentary. "He was not an angry black man," Rachel says. "He was an athlete who wanted to win." Burns has an eye for the details you may have forgotten: How Robinson was only 33 when he was diagnosed with diabetes and a failing heart, in 1952, three years before he would help lead the Dodgers to their first World Series title. The historic clips are phenomenal: There's Robinson's flat, beating-the-rug swing; the trademark smile; the way he rounded the bases, exploding off the corner of the bag with his inside foot, like a sprinter encountering a second set of blocks. A preview of Ken Burns' documentary "Jackie Robinson" that PBS will air on April 11-12. Burns says friends are always after him to "lay off the race thing," but it seasons nearly every topic he is interested in, and many of his most iconic works: on the Civil War, baseball, jazz, Jack Johnson.

"We are worse about race now than we were eight years ago," Burns said. His new documentary, full of joy, heartache and hate, leaves you to wonder: Will Americans ever reach a point where we stop talking about race? Does the very discussion of it ease tensions or prolong our divisions? And how many messiahs do we really have left?

OC REGISTER

Kenta Maeda homers in debut as Dodgers earn historic third straight shutout of Padres, 7-0

By Joey Kaufman

SAN DIEGO – It was a warm scene for one side, almost cruel for the other. The Dodgers outscored the San Diego Padres by 25 runs to start their three-game opening series, led by four runs early Wednesday night and then their rookie pitcher from Japan stepped up to the plate and hit a home run in his second at-bat. “We’re supposed to pitch good,” Clayton Kershaw said after Wednesday’s 7-0 victory. “That’s Little League stuff. That’s awesome.” Kenta Maeda beamed in the moment. He clapped his hands as he rounded second base, soon after the ball cleared the 337-foot sign in left field. He slowed down and steadied his helmet with his left hand as if to keep it from falling off. “I didn’t know the ball was going in,” Maeda said through an interpreter. “I was just running really hard.” As he rounded third, he waved toward the crowd and the visiting dugout at Petco Park. “I think a lot of us were really upset he hit a home run before us,” catcher A.J. Ellis said, “but it was a great swing.” It was the icing in an otherwise stellar first start. Maeda is the first Dodgers pitcher to hit a home run in his major league debut since Dan Bankhead in 1947. Maeda had hit just two home runs in 509 career plate appearances in eight seasons in the Japanese Central League. Maeda tossed six scoreless innings, retired 18 of the 23 batters he faced and struck out four. The Dodgers swept their NL West rivals by a combined margin of 25-0, becoming the first team since 1963 to record three shutouts to open a season. For the Padres, meanwhile, their streak of 27 scoreless innings is the longest in history.

Much of the spotlight Wednesday shined on the 27-year-old rookie, who exited with a 5-0 lead while playing in front of more than 25 credentialed reporters from Japanese media outlets. “He got a lot of firsts out of the way,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. The offense gave Maeda an early cushion, starting with a four-hit, four-run first inning in which they nearly went through the batting order. Chase Utley led off with a triple, knocking a 2-2 pitch into the right-center field gap. Justin Turner drove him in with a single, then Crawford scored Turner with a double. “I was a little nervous at first,” Maeda said. “That relaxed me a lot.” Yasiel Puig later hit his first home run of the season in the eighth inning. The Padres did have some chances to end their scoreless streaking, twice getting runners to third base. In the fourth inning, Matt Kemp was held there with one out, after Adrian Gonzalez scooped up a pair of softly hit ground balls by Yangervis Solarte and Derek Norris that rolled along the first-base line in consecutive at-bats. A similar situation presented itself in the sixth inning. With one out and Cory Spangenberg at third, Kemp hit a roller toward Gonzalez. Even with a 5-0 lead at the time, Gonzalez opted to throw home to prevent Spangenberg from scoring rather than make an easy out at first base. “It had nothing to do with the streak,” Gonzalez said. “It had to do with stopping the run.” Spangenberg was called out, and though later replay reviews showed that Ellis appeared to apply the tag late, officials upheld the call. Dodgers trying to use deeper roster to keep Carl Crawford fresh, limit time on DL

By Joey Kaufman

SAN DIEGO – First-year Dodgers manager Dave Roberts followed the same pattern in the first two games of the season against the San Diego Padres. Entering the bottom of the sixth inning in each game, he removed Carl Crawford in favor of Trayce Thompson in left field. There is not the typical platoon in left – with Andre Ethier on the disabled list because of a fractured right tibia and out until at least June. The job, for the most part, belongs to the 34-year-old Crawford. He’s not splitting it with Thompson.

The Dodgers are scaling back Crawford’s workload, though. Roberts said Wednesday that they would follow a similar setup in future games, and the veteran outfielder was likely to be out of the lineup entirely when they open a four-game series at the San Francisco Giants on Thursday afternoon. “It is by design to keep him off his feet, to keep him fresh and to use certain guys on the roster,” Roberts said. In place of Crawford against San Francisco, Roberts said he would turn to Thompson or veteran Scott Van Slyke. The need to keep Crawford fresh comes after he spent extensive time on the disabled list the past two seasons. Last year, he appeared in just 69 games, missing nearly three months because of a torn oblique muscle. Before that, he suffered ankle injuries. Since joining the Dodgers, he has never played more than 116 games in a season. Crawford was 2 for 6 through the first two games, with a pair of singles. On Wednesday, he lined an opposite-field double down the third-base line in the first inning to score Justin Turner. There is no explicit innings limit for Crawford, but Roberts said he’ll be monitored closely. “As we go through each game that we have had, I’ve told him this is what we’re going to do,” Roberts said. “He’s on board.” SOUTHPAW SHOW The Dodgers’ left-handed starting pitchers have had a pretty good go of it to start the season. Clayton Kershaw threw seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts and one walk on opening day. Scott Kazmir gave up one hit and no runs in six innings in his debut against the Padres on Tuesday. Next up is Alex Wood, who takes the hill Thursday against the Giants. “It’s good for any of our guys, to see our guys have success,” Roberts said, “but the Giants are a different team than this club, and I think Alex has pitched enough in the big leagues that, regardless of right-hander or left-hander, I think he’s happy his teammates are throwing well and he wants to match those guys.” Wood made 12 starts for the Dodgers last season with a 4.35 ERA, 49 strikeouts and 23 walks in 701/3 innings. INJURY WATCH Three players on the disabled list, Hyun-Jin Ryu (left shoulder surgery), Howie Kendrick (strained left calf) and Yasmani Grandal (right forearm soreness), are scheduled to appear in a simulated game at the team’s spring training complex in Arizona on Thursday.

“They’re all tracking the right way,” Roberts said. “They all feel good.” Kendrick will participate in three simulated games, with time at third base in one and second base in the others. The Dodgers opened the season with 10 players on the disabled list, the most since Major League Baseball began keeping records in 2002. ALSO Roberts said he was leaning toward giving third baseman Justin Turner a day off Thursday. If he does, he said he would turn to either Kiké Hernandez or Charlie Culberson. On deck: Dodgers at Giants, Thursday, 1:30 p.m. By Joey Kaufman Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco TV: SNLA, 1:30 p.m. Did you know? The Dodgers’ eight-game winning streak against the San Diego Padres entering Wednesday night’s game marked their longest since 1974. THE PITCHERS LHP ALEX WOOD (12-12, 3.84 in 2015) Vs. Giants: 0-1, 7.27 At AT&T Park: 0-0, 10.13 Hates to face: Hunter Pence, 3 for 4 (.750) Loves to face: Denard Span, 4 for 17 (.235) RHP JAKE PEAVY (8-6, 3.58 in 2015) Vs. Dodgers: 14-3, 2.38 At AT&T Park: 17-9, 3.15 Hates to face: Carl Crawford, 9 for 27 (.333) Loves to face: Chase Utley, 0 for 14 (.000)

UPCOMING MATCHUP Friday: Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (MLB debut) at Giants RHP Matt Cain (2-4, 5.79 ERA in 2015), 7:15 p.m. SNLA Saturday: Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-0, 0.00 ERA) at Giants LHP Madison Bumgarner (1-0, 5.40 ERA), 1:05 p.m. FS1 and SNLA Sunday: Dodgers LHP Scott Kazmir at Giants RHP Johnny Cueto, 1:05 p.m. SNLA

DODGERS.COM

A legend is Maeda: LA starter homers in debut By Ken Gurnick SAN DIEGO -- If Dave Roberts bought Kenta Maeda a steak dinner when the pitcher homered off the manager to win a batting-practice bet, Roberts might owe the right-hander the whole steakhouse after what Maeda did Wednesday night. "He's used to Kobe beef," said Roberts. "We're going to go tomahawk steak, something pretty big." In his Major League debut, Maeda was trending worldwide by pitching six scoreless innings and slugging a historic home run as the Dodgers beat the Padres, 7-0, completing a 25-0, three-game shutout sweep. Following in the footsteps of fellow Japanese Dodgers Hideo Nomo, Kaz Ishii, Takashi Saito and Hiroki Kuroda, Maeda earned his first win and became the third starting pitcher to hit a home run in his debut since 2000. He also became the first Dodger to homer in his debut since Jose Offerman in 1990 and the first Dodgers pitcher to homer in his debut since Dan Bankhead in 1947. "I'm just very happy to get the win in my Major League debut," Maeda said. "I was a little bit nervous at first, but my teammates scored four runs for me [in the first inning] and that helped me relax a lot. I was able to get back on the mound and do what I usually do." Maeda, who still needs much work on his home run bat flip, clapped his hands as he rounded second base after belting his solo homer off Padres starter Andrew Cashner in the fourth, waved toward the Dodgers' dugout after rounding third, but admitted he was "surprised" to receive the traditional "silent treatment" for a moment after reaching the dugout before pandemonium broke out. On the mound, Maeda allowed five hits and struck out four without a walk, helping the Dodgers become just the second team in Major League history to open a season with three straight shutouts. He put himself in a second-inning jam with a throwing error, but escaped. He eluded a two-on mess in the fourth, but escaped again. And in his final inning, had a controversial umpire's call at home plate withstand a challenge to keep the shutout intact.

"I was aware no runs scored in the first two games and we won, so I was definitely feeding off that momentum," Maeda said. "At the same time, knowing no runs scored, that was pressure for me, too." At 84 pitches, Roberts called it a night for Maeda after six innings as he did for Scott Kazmir the night before. Yimi Garcia, J.P. Howell and Joe Blanton retired the final nine batters and the Dodgers headed to San Francisco with a sweep that extended their two-year win streak over the Padres to nine games. "He did everything we thought he could do, and even hit a home run, so that's tough to match," said Clayton Kershaw. "Watching him hit in batting practice, I knew he had the ability, but I've played for eight years and hit one homer, so I'm pretty impressed. We're supposed to pitch good, but when we do that, that's Little League stuff." Aside from Maeda, Yasiel Puig had three hits, including his first home run of the season, and he's now 6-for-10. Chase Utley tripled, Carl Crawford doubled and five Dodgers drove in runs. The Dodgers played a spectacular series, no doubt, but are they that good or are the Padres that bad right now? "Well, we'll find out," Kershaw said. "You can't ask for a better start. The Giants were swinging the bats well in Milwaukee. We'll see and find out." Maeda leads Dodgers to historic beginning

By Ken Gurnick and AJ Cassavell

SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers reached a historic high during Wednesday's 6-0 victory over the Padres, as they became only the second team in Major League history to begin a season with three shutouts. The Dodgers joined the 1963 Cardinals as the only teams to open a season by holding their opponent scoreless for three successive games. The Padres, meanwhile, became the first team to be blanked in three straight to start the season. Los Angeles pitcher Kenta Maeda hit a home run and tossed six scoreless in his Major League debut as the Dodgers completed a three-game sweep at Petco Park. "I was aware no runs scored in the first two games and we won so I was definitely feeding off that momentum," Maeda said. "At the same time, knowing no runs scored, that was pressure for me too." Los Angeles established a club record with 27 consecutive scoreless innings to begin a season, surpassing the 23 scoreless frames that came to begin the 1974 season. San Diego pitcher Andrew Cashner labored in his first start, needing 94 pitches to get through four innings. He surrendered four runs in the first and allowed five overall on six hits, while striking out five.

"I put the team in a hole today with four runs," Cashner said. "It'll come. It's just three games -- three bad games. But I believe in these guys in this locker room. We believe in ourselves. No doubt, we'll come out of it." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Leading the Chase: Chase Utley led off the game with a triple to right-center, scoring on Justin Turner's single to trigger a four-run inning off Cashner, with Carl Crawford doubling in a run and Joc Pederson singling home two more. Out at home: Andy Green lost his first replay review as Padres manager in the bottom of the sixth, and in doing so the Friars were denied their first run of the season. On a ground ball to first, Cory Spangenberg broke for home, but was thrown out at the plate. Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis applied the tag relatively late and high -- but evidently just in time to get Spangenberg. "I thought we got underneath there -- that's why Andy challenged it," said Spangenberg. "But in the end I guess they saw something different in New York. … I thought Ellis tagged me high, but it must have been not conclusive." Don't forget Puig: Adrian Gonzalez was walked three times, but that won't continue if his protection in the lineup, Yasiel Puig, continues hitting behind him. Puig had three more hits Wednesday night, including his first home run of the year, and raised his average to .600. Left hanging: In the second and fourth innings, the Padres put a runner in scoring position with only one out, but they came up empty both times. In the fourth, Matt Kemp and Wil Myers hit back-to-back singles, but were stranded, thanks to a pair of nice defensive plays by first baseman Adrian Gonzalez "I think what you see right now -- like I said yesterday -- it's just more collective pressing," Green said. "Give credit to Maeda, he threw the ball well. But we had plenty of opportunities to cash in runs." QUOTABLE "We have 159 left. We've got to stay within ourselves and stay with our plan. I think everybody's pressing a little too much right now. I'll be the first to admit that I'm definitely guilty of that." -- Myers said. REPLAY REVIEW The Dodgers won their first review of the season in the sixth inning. Second-base umpire Gary Cederstrom originally ruled Jon Jay safe at second base when Utley dropped Corey Seager's throw, but the replay showed Utley retrieved the loose ball and tagged the bag with it before Jay arrived. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: The Dodgers will send their fourth starter, Alex Wood, to the mound in San Francisco for the Giants' home opener on Thursday. Wood, acquired from the Braves in 2015, had a rough spring, posting a 7.13 ERA in Spring Training.

Padres: The Padres' offense could end up getting just the boost it needs with a trip to Coors Field on the horizon. They face the Rockies for the start of a three-game series on Friday as Colin Rea gets the start. Watch every out-of-market regular season game live on MLB.TV. LA 2nd team ever to open with 3 shutouts

By Ken Gurnick

SAN DIEGO -- With a 7-0 victory over the Padres on Wednesday night at Petco Park, the Dodgers became just the second team in modern-day Major League history to record three shutouts to open a season, matching a feat previously accomplished only by the 1963 Cardinals. Dodgers pitchers also set a franchise record for starting a season with 27 consecutive scoreless innings, which broke the mark of 23 by the 1974 club. The '63 Cardinals went 32 innings before allowing a run. "These guys are embracing [pitching coach] Rick Honeycutt and [bullpen coach] Josh Bard's game plan and executing pitches," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Starting with Clayton Kershaw setting the tone for the staff, these guys are feeding off each other from the starters to the 'pen." Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda, making his Major League debut, homered in his second at-bat and allowed five hits in six innings. Yimi Garcia, J.P. Howell and Joe Blanton each followed with an inning apiece. The Padres nearly ended the streak in the bottom of the sixth, when Cory Spangenberg tried to score from third base on a ground ball to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. Spangenberg was ruled out, and after a replay challenge by the Padres, umpires ruled that the play would stand as called, preserving a 5-0 lead for the Dodgers. On Monday, Kershaw pitched seven scoreless innings of a 15-0 shutout. On Tuesday night, Scott Kazmir pitched six scoreless innings of a 3-0 shutout. The Dodgers open a four-game set Thursday against their longtime rival, the Giants, in San Francisco. Left-hander Alex Wood is slated to start for Los Angeles. Short turnaround means lineup changes for LA

By Ken Gurnick

SAN DIEGO -- Reluctantly, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts must tinker with his lineup for Thursday's series opener with the Giants at AT&T Park.

Because it's San Francisco's home opener, the game is scheduled for a 1:35 p.m. start. A Wednesday night series finale with the Padres means late travel and an early wakeup call, except for starting pitcher Alex Wood, who flew ahead to the Bay Area earlier Wednesday. Meanwhile, Roberts said all spring he wants to be cautious with third baseman Justin Turner's playing time coming off left knee microfracture surgery. Roberts said he will decide during or after Wednesday night's game if Turner starts on Thursday. If not, Roberts said Kiké Hernandez or Charlie Culberson will start at third base. Roberts is committed to giving Carl Crawford a rest, meaning either Scott Van Slyke or Trayce Thompson will get their first start in left field. Roberts already has been using Thompson as a late-inning sub for Crawford, explaining that he wants to keep Crawford's legs fresh. Thompson also is the superior defender. Perhaps surprisingly, Roberts said he will stick with 37-year-old leadoff hitter Chase Utley at second base on Thursday. More elaborate lineup changes will occur on Saturday, when the Dodgers face left-hander Madison Bumgarner. During Spring Training, Roberts said infielder Howie Kendrick and catcher Yasmani Grandal will play in a simulated game on Thursday and remain on track to return from the disabled list for Tuesday's home opener.

DODGER INSIDER

Yasiel Puig off to spectacular start, while Dodgers tie shutout record

By Jon Weisman

It’s so like that Yasiel Puig to lurk in the shadows. The big story right now, after tonight’s 7-0 victory over San Diego (recapped by MLB.com), is that the Dodgers are the first team since the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals to begin a season with three consecutive shutouts. But the Dodgers have also scored 25 runs in the process, and Puig has played a powerful part. His eighth-inning home run, matching Kenta Maeda for the team lead, exclamationed this opening salvo from Puig: 6 for 10 with two walks, two triples, the home run and a hit-by-pitch. That’s .600/.692/1.300/1.992 if you’re tracking at home. As joyful as the results are, it’s the execution to all fields that’s been eye-opening. Here’s the rundown of his first three games …

Game 1 First inning: Struck out Third inning: Walked Sixth inning: Hit by pitch Seventh inning: Singled to center Eighth inning: Tripled to right field, then scored on error Game 2 First inning: Walked Fourth inning: Tripled to center Sixth inning: Grounded to short Ninth inning: Grounded to short Game 3 First inning: Lined out to right Third inning: Singled to left Fifth inning: Singled to left Eighth inning: Homered to left-center Puig, of course, wasn’t alone. Seven different Dodgers scored, eight different Dodgers had hits, and Adrian Gonzalez walked three times. With a shutout inning apiece, Yimi Garcia, J.P. Howell and Joe Blanton closed the game out for Maeda and the Dodgers. The Dodger bullpen has pitched eight of the 27 shutout innings. The ’63 Cardinals extended their season-opening scoreless streak to a MLB-record 32 innings before allowing a run. Kenta Maeda steals his own spotlight

By Jon Weisman

Tonight, Kenta Maeda did to the Padres what no hitter could do against Kenta Maeda: Round the bases. In the midst of helping Dodger pitchers break the 23-inning, franchise-record season-opening scoreless inning streak, Maeda came to bat in the fourth inning of his MLB debut — rushing to get to home plate after A.J. Ellis’ first-pitch groundout — and hit a no-doubt home run to left field off Andrew Cashner. Working to suppress a smile until he crossed home plate, Maeda became (according to the Elias Sports Bureau) the first Dodger to hit a home run in his MLB debut since Jose Offerman on August 19, 1990. The last Dodger pitcher to do it was Dan Bankhead on August 26, 1947. Meanwhile, on the mound, after being staked to a 4-0 first-inning lead, Maeda carved through the Padre lineup, echoing the debuts of his predecessors in age and country. Retiring 10 of the first 11 batters he faced, Maeda ultimately completed six innings of shutout ball on 84 pitches, allowing five hits, walking none and striking out four, before leaving with a 5-0 lead.

The first big threat Maeda faced came in the fourth inning, when Matt Kemp and Wil Myers singled with one out. But first baseman Adrian Gonzalez made two dexterous plays to prevent a run from scoring, first throwing home for a fielder’s choice, then underhanding from distance to Maeda for a 3-1 putout. In the sixth, San Diego once again threatened. Two calls in the inning were examined by replay, and in this charmed series, both went the Dodgers’ way. After Jon Jay singled to lead off the single, Cory Spangenberg hit a grounder that Corey Seager backhanded and threw to Chase Utley. Utley dropped the ball, allowing Jay to be ruled safe, but that call was overturned after replay showed that Utley picked up the ball from the ground and touched second base ahead of Jay. Then, after Kemp singled Spangenberg to third, Wil Myers hit a grounder to Gonzalez, who threw home to A.J. Ellis for a tag at home. San Diego challenged that call, and it was tough to judge, but ultimately there wasn’t enough evidence to overturn the call. Maeda then fanned Yangervis Solarte to end the inning. In contrast, Cashner struggled from the outset. He threw 43 pitches in the first inning, more than Maeda used in his first three innings. As he did on Opening Day, Chase Utley ignited the action, hitting a triple. Justin Turner and Carl Crawford added RBI hits before Joc Pederson singled home two. Maeda, Stripling to join rare group of 26-and-older starting pitchers to debut with Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

Kenta Maeda, who turns 28 on Monday, tonight will be the 18th Dodger starting pitcher in the past 100 years to make his Major League debut at age 26 or above. And 48 hours later, barring anything unforeseen, 26-year-old Ross Stripling will become the 19th in that group on Friday. That list includes such Asian pitchers as Hyun-Jin Ryu, Hiroki Kuroda, Kazuhisa Ishii and Hideo Nomo, who combined to pitch 24 innings and allow only two runs while striking out 26. The 26-year-old Nomo came first in this foursome and threw one-hit, shutout ball over five innings in a memorable May 2, 1995 game in which the Dodgers took a 3-0 lead in the 15th inning at San Francisco, only to lose. But Nomo was surpassed by his countryman Ishii, who at age 28 went 5 2/3 shutout innings — at Colorado, no less — and struck out 10, 14 years ago today. That game, won by the Dodgers, 9-2, happened to be Dave Roberts’ fifth as a Dodger outfielder. At age 33, Kuroda not only matched his predecessors by going five scoreless innings on April 4, 2008, he went two innings more and left for a pinch-hitter in the top of the eighth with a 7-1 lead. Kuroda struck out four, walked none and allowed three hits, including a Brian Giles homer with two out in the seventh.

Eight days after his 26th birthday, Ryu took a 3-0 loss against the Giants on April 2, 2013, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on 10 hits, no walks and five strikeouts. The inaugural name in this fraternity, 29-year-old Ray Gordiner, didn’t fare so well. Pitching for Brooklyn against the Cubs with a 5-0 first-inning lead on September 17, 1921, Gordiner walked the first three batters he faced and was pulled from the game. He ended his MLB career a year later with a 6.94 ERA in 23 1/3 innings, though with a perfect 1-0 record. A pair of pitchers threw shutouts, however: 31-year-old Tot Pressnell on April 21, 1938 and 29-year-old Joe Hatten exactly eight years later to the day. Despite not beginning his big-league career until his 30s, Pressnell had a reasonably useful five seasons with the Dodgers and Cubs. Hatten spent seven years in the Majors with the same two teams. The most recent name is Red Patterson, whose one and only big-league appearance so far came in the second game of a doubleheader at Minnesota in 2014, when he was nearly 27. But the oddest is Ben Chapman, a longtime big-league outfielder who later would become notorious as a 38-year-old Phillies manager for mercilessly baiting and heckling Jackie Robinson in 1947. Chapman, who had become a player-manager in the minor leagues for Richmond during World War II, was suspended for the 1943 season for assaulting an umpire. He returned to Richmond in 1944, not only playing outfield and managing but also pitching. That summer, at age 35, the Dodgers acquired him, and he made his debut for 39-61 Brooklyn on the mound on August 4, 1944 — and threw a complete game, 9-4 victory. Pitching during World War II, Chapman not only finished the 1944 season with a 3.40 ERA in 79 1/3 innings for Brooklyn, he batted .368 with a .916 OPS in 44 plate appearances. A year later, he was traded to Philadelphia, setting the stage for his confrontation with Robinson during the groundbreaking legend’s rookie season.

TRUEBLUELA.COM

Kenta Maeda is the star of his major league debut

By Eric Stephen

SAN DIEGO -- As far as openers go, the Dodgers couldn't have scripted a better first series. They'd be hard pressed to come up with a better big league debut than the one crafted by Kenta Maeda in Wednesday night's 7-0 victory over the Padres to complete a three-game sweep in which the Padres didn't score a single run. The Dodgers became the first time to open a season with three shutouts since the 1963 Cardinals. With 27 consecutive scoreless innings, the Dodgers set a new franchise record to open a season, surpassing the 23 straight innings accomplished by the 1974 team, also against the Padres.

There was no problem scoring for the Dodgers, who got off to another quick start. A triple by Chase Utley was followed by an RBI single from Justin Turner, an RBI double by Carl Crawford and a two-run single by Joc Pederson for a fast 4-0 advantage. But the story on Wednesday was Maeda, who dazzled both on the mound and at the plate. He kept the Padres off balance all night, even pitching out of a few jams, the first time a Dodgers starting pitcher had to work with a runner in scoring position yet this season. He allowed five hits, all singles, and struck out four in six scoreless innings. San Diego had a legitimate gripe when Cory Spangenberg appeared to score on a ground ball, but was called out and somehow upheld upon review. That would have made the score 5-1 instead of 5-0 at the time. Maeda in his second plate appearance, in the fourth inning, took Andrew Cashner deep into the left field seats for the Dodgers' first home run of the season. Maeda became the first Dodgers pitcher to homer in his major league debut since Dan Bankhead on Aug. 26, 1947. With those six scoreless innings along with the home run, Maeda was the first Dodgers starter to do both since Zack Greinke on Sept. 13, 2014 in San Francisco. Maeda was just the second major league starting pitcher to allow no runs and homer since 1913, joining Jason Jennings, who did so on Aug. 23, 2001 for Colorado. Maeda wasn't along for very long atop the Dodgers power department, as Yasiel Puig added a solo shot in the eighth inning after tripling in each of the first two games. Puig enjoyed a three-hit night and was 6-for-10 (.600) with two walks and a hit by pitch in the series. The Dodgers tacked on a run in the ninth inning for good measure, making the series a 25-0 rout, and giving them nine consecutive wins over the Padres, their longest win streak over San Diego since a 16-game streak from Sept. 9, 1973 to Sept. 20, 1974. Wednesday particulars Home runs: Kenta Maeda (1), Yasiel Puig (1) WP - Kenta Maeda (1-0): 6 IP, 5 hits, 4 strikeouts LP - Andrew Cashner (0-1): 4 IP, 6 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts Dodgers notes: Howie Kendrick, Carl Crawford, Justin Turner

By Eric Stephen

SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers used the same players in the first seven spots in their lineup in all three games in San Diego, changing only the catcher and pitcher against the Padres. That will change as the road trip shifts to San Francisco against the Giants, but the club is also expected to get some reinforcements back once they return home next week. Dave Roberts remains hopeful that Yasmani Grandal and Howie Kendrick will be ready for the home opener on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. Both are at Camelback Ranch in Arizona, with Grandal (right forearm soreness) to this point ahead of Kendrick (left calf tightness). But Kendrick could find himself ready if they next three days pan out as planned. Both will play in a simulated game on Thursday, which for Kendrick will be the first of three straight days of games. Kendrick will play third base on Thursday, then will play second base in the final two simulated games. When and where Kendrick will play once he returns, or how often, remains to be seen, but we could see some rest for Justin Turner at third base and/or Chase Utley at second base at some point in San Francisco. Roberts said that Turner might get Thursday off, a day game following a night game, though he won't make that decision until after Wednesday night's game. Should Turner sit in the series opener against the Giants, either Charlie Culberson or Kiké Hernandez will play third. Chase Utley will start on Thursday, his fourth straight start. In left field, Roberts said Carl Crawford would get a day off on Thursday, but he hasn't yet decided whether Scott Van Slyke or Trayce Thompson would start in left field. "It's by design to keep him off his feet, keep him fresh," Roberts said. "I've already talked to him in spring training about that. He's on board. "I'll try to use the entire roster." Jake Peavy starts for San Francisco on Thursday. Austin Barnes is expected to catch for the Dodgers, with starting pitcher Alex Wood already up north, having taken an earlier flight on Wednesday. Kenta Maeda hits home run in major league debut

By Eric Stephen

Welcome to the big leagues, Kenta Maeda. Not only was the Japanese right-hander staked to four runs in the first inning, but he added to the support himself in the fourth inning with a solo shot to left field against Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner.

It was the first home run of the season for the Dodgers, who to this moment have outscored the Padres 23-0 in three games this season. Maeda is the second Dodgers pitcher to hit a home run in his big league debut. Dan Bankhead did the same against the Pirates on August 26, 1947, in his first major league at-bat. Maybe Maeda can get Dave Roberts to take him out for another steak dinner. Cody Bellinger, Willie Calhoun, Alex Verdugo bring offense to Double-A Tulsa roster

By Eric Stephen

SAN DIEGO --- If you want to see runs scored, Double-A Tulsa might just be the Dodgers minor league team to watch in 2016, with several top offensive prospects headed to the Texas League on the Drillers' opening day roster. First baseman Cody Bellinger, outfielder Alex Verdugo and infielder Willie Calhoun, rated by our David Hood as the Dodgers' seventh, eighth and 10th-best prospects heading into 2016, highlight the roster, which is talented on offense, and young as well. Bellinger and Verdugo are entering their age-20 seasons, Calhoun is 21, and outfielder Jacob Scavuzzo is just 22. Bellinger lasted most of spring training in big league camp as a non-roster invitee and impressed on both sides of the ball. Verdugo and Calhoun both impressed in their brief appearances in major league games during the spring. Dodgers pitcher Brandon McCarthy, who while biding time after his Tommy John surgery last year, helped the club with draft preparation has been particularly impressed with Calhoun, drafted in the fourth round last year. He played just 20 games at advanced Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. "Calhoun looks to have elite bat-to-ball skills that will play at all levels," McCarthy said. That offense will be in the hands of first-year manager Ryan Garko and hitting coach Terrmel Sledge, in his first year in the Dodgers' organization. The Drillers will also have a pair of veteran pitchers signed this week by the Dodgers. Dale Thayer, 35, had a 4.06 ERA in 38 games with the Padres in 2015, with 25 strikeouts and 11 unintentional walks. He struck out 23.6 percent of hitters faced in 2013-2014 combined. Thayer was released by the Indians last week. Seth Frankoff was released by the A's on March 30. The right-hander had a 3.53 in 2014-2015 combined and a 24-percent strikeout rate between Double-A and Triple-A.

Here is the Drillers' 2016 opening day roster, with age as of June 30, 2016. The disabled list includes Red Patterson, still recovering from Tommy John surgery, as well as minor league Rule 5 Draft pickup Alex Burgos and catcher Spencer Navin. Pos Player 2016 age How acquired Highest 2015 level P Chris Anderson 23 2013 draft (1st round) Triple-A Oklahoma City P Scott Barlow 23 2011 draft (6th round) Triple-A Oklahoma City P Logan Bawcom 27 2015 minor lg Rule 5 Draft Triple-A Tacoma (Seattle) P Ralston Cash 24 2010 draft (2nd round) Triple-A Oklahoma City P Chase De Jong 22 trade (Tor), 7/2/15 Class-A Rancho Cucamonga P Caleb Dirks 23 trade (Atl), 7/2/15 Double-A Tulsa P Seth Frankoff 27 minor league FA, 4/5/16 Triple-A Nashville P Felipe Gonzalez 24 2015 minor lg Rule 5 Draft Class-A Bradenton (Pittsburgh) P Michael Johnson lhp 25 2013 draft (14th round) Class-A Rancho Cucamonga P Rob Rogers 25 2013 draft (32nd round) Double-A Tulsa P Jordan Schafer lhp 29 minor league FA, 1/9/16 MLB (Minnesota) as an OF P Dale Thayer 35 minor league FA, 4/5/16 MLB C Kyle Farmer 25 2013 draft (8th round) Double-A Tulsa C Tyler Ogle 25 2011 draft (9th round) Class-A Rancho Cucamonga 1B Cody Bellinger (L) 20 2013 draft (4th round) Class-A Rancho Cucamonga 2B Willie Calhoun (L) 21 2015 draft (4th round) Class-A Rancho Cucamonga 3B Brandon Trinkwon (L) 24 2013 draft (7th round) Double-A Tulsa SS Erisbel Arruebarrena 26 international FA, 2/22/14 Double-A Tulsa IF Drew Maggi 27 minor league FA, 1/24/16 Double-A Arkansas (Anaheim) OF Devan Ahart (L) 23 2014 draft (16th rond) Class-A Rancho Cucamonga OF Yadir Drake 26 international FA, 8/25/14 Double-A Tulsa OF Adam Law 26 2013 draft (12th round) Double-A Tulsa OF Jacob Scavuzzo 22 2012 draft (21st round) Class-A Rancho Cucamonga OF Alex Verdugo (L) 20 2014 draft (2nd round) Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Disabled list C Spencer Navin 23 2013 draft (11th round) Class-A Rancho Cucamonga P Alex Burgos lhp 25 2015 minor lg Rule 5 Draft Double-A Jacksonville (Miami) P Red Patterson 29 2010 draft (29th round) DNP (Tommy John surgery) Tulsa opens its schedule on Thursday night in Corpus Christi. Player/coach A.J. Ellis back at catcher for series finale with Padres

By Eric Stephen SAN DIEGO -- A.J. Ellis is back at catcher for the Dodgers in their series finale against the Padres but otherwise there are no changes to the lineup that has scored 18 runs in the first two games at Petco Park.

Ellis caught on opening day, then Austin Barnes caught on Tuesday with Scott Kazmir on the mound. Barnes will catch again on Thursday afternoon in San Francisco with a day game following Wednesday night's game. "I see a mentor, a big brother, a great teammate. A.J. is in it for the right reasons," Roberts said of his catcher on Tuesday. "Robin Ventura when I played with him in LA was a 'ploach', a player/coach. A.J. is not there yet because Robin had more service and was older, but A.J. is tracking to be a ploach. It's a compliment, for sure. "He thinks the game. He relates to players, he communicates to players. He asks the right questions. If he wants to coach, I definitely see that as a possibility. Between that and broadcasting, he has some opportunities ahead of him." Ellis is 7-for-14 (.500) with two walks against Padres starter Andrew Cashner in his career. But he's not along in having success agains the San Diego starter. Starting Lineups Dodgers Padres 2B Utley (L) CF Jay (L) SS Seager (L) 2B Spangenberg (L) 3B Turner RF Kemp 1B Gonzalez (L) 1B Myers RF Puig 3B Solarte (S) LF Crawford (L) C Norris CF Pederson (L) SS Ramirez C Ellis LF Blash P Maeda P Cashner Location: Petco Park Time: 6:10 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA Radio: KLAC Adrian Gonzalez has more plate appearances than any other major league player against Cashner (35), and is 11-for-32 (.344) with a double and four home runs against the right-hander. Three of those home runs came in one game, last April 8 at Dodger Stadium, also in the third game of the season. Carl Crawford is 9-for-26 (.346) with two doubles and a homer against Cashner, but also has 10 strikeouts. Crawford has played five innings in left field in each of the first two games, then has exited with leads of 8-0 and 3-0, respectively, in favor of Trayce Thompson. "I want to be able to use the whole roster," Roberts said after Tuesday's game. "And I'm also mindful of keeping Crawford healthy. This keeps him fresh and ready for the start tomorrow." Crawford has averaged just 97 games played and 344 plate appearances in the last three years, including playing in just 69 games and 193 PA in 2015.

Justin Turner is 4-for-6 (.667) with two doubles against Cashner. The Padres, facing a right-handed starter for the first time in the series, made a small tweak to their lineup after scoring zero runs in the first two games. Rule 5 pick Jabari Blash is in left field batting eighth, his first major league start.

ESPN LA

Dodgers' Puig doing his best to evolve and improve; Pads still scoreless

By Buster Olney

In the midst of an exhibition game in Arizona, the Texas Rangers ran a pickoff play with Yasiel Puig at second base, successfully. Puig jogged back to the dugout, head down, and what he did not do was go to the end of the bench and emotionally barricade himself from any of the team's staffers. What Puig did do was go directly to Dave Roberts, put a hand on the shoulder of the new Los Angeles Dodgers manager and tell him, in so many words: That was my fault, and it'll never happen again. Given all that has transpired in Puig's career, with the baserunning and the fielding and the clubhouse mistakes mixed in with the power and the speed, nobody will ever hold Puig to the impossible standard he set for himself in that moment with Roberts. But it was one indication for those around him, among others, that Puig is clearly trying to evolve as a player and a teammate. He has established a beachhead of change, and time will tell whether this is all temporary and that Puig will revert back to doing the stuff that has bothered others in the clubhouse, including former manager Don Mattingly. Puig is trying, reaching out to others around him to ask how he can get better. He took to heart his first meeting with Roberts, who initially said this: "Tell me about your family." The second topic Roberts raised, after family, was accountability, and Roberts talked about how the manager needed to be accountable to his players, and how the players needed to be accountable to their peers. It wasn't long after that that a throw got past first base in an exhibition and Roberts saw Puig hustling to be exactly where he should be, backing up the play, intercepting the ball and preventing the runner from taking more bases. Teammates have seen him dig into his preparation with new hitting coach Turner Ward and focus in his at-bats early this season in a way he didn't in 2014 or '15. Opposing pitchers feasted on Puig the past couple of years by repeating the same pattern: Get ahead in the count, then coax him to chase pitches out of the zone, which he did time and again. For teammates, it was like watching a sibling ignore his chores of taking out the trash every day. Puig had 94 plate appearances in 2015 in which he fell into a 1-2 count (one ball, two strikes), and thereafter he batted .187 with three walks and three extra-base hits, whiffing in almost 40 percent of his at-bats.

In Monday's opener, Puig fell behind in the count 1-2 in two plate appearances -- and drew a walk and clubbed a triple. On Tuesday, the same thing happened: a walk and a triple after he fell to a 1-2 count. In the first two games of the 2016 season, Puig almost matched his entire walk and extra-base production on that count for all of last year. His teammates see him working hard; they see the effort; they see the change. There are more tests to come, for him and them. He must handle his early success. He must handle failure. He must continue to show up on time, keep putting in his work. But it's a start, a good start. Yasiel Puig has had a great spring, says his manager. After three games, the Dodgers' run differential is almost one -- per inning. And on Wednesday, starting pitcher Kenta Maeda, making his major league debut, blasted a homer. The Dodgers went crazy in the dugout after Maeda's homer. From Elias Sports Bureau: Those 25 unanswered runs are the most to begin a season in MLB history. The previous mark of 23 was set by the 1974 Dodgers (who reached the World Series but lost to the Athletics). Meanwhile, the Dodgers are approaching the record for most scoreless innings pitched to begin a season in MLB history; their 27 scoreless frames pushed them past the 1943 Reds (26) and into second on the all-time list. The 1963 Cardinals began the season with 32 scoreless innings. As for the Padres, they're the first team to be shut out in each of the first three games of its season. Next on the list: The Cardinals had 26 scoreless innings to begin the 1943 season and last year's Twins had 24. The Padres made history, as Dennis Lin writes. From his story: The postgame message from the clubhouse was that the Padres would move on, to hitter-friendly Coors Field on Friday. At this point, there is nothing else they can do. "There is still perspective here not to be lost," [manager Andy] Green said. "We do have 159 games left. We will score runs this year, and we will win series this year." "It's nothing that we're going to be proud of, but it's part of baseball," catcher Derek Norris said. "We've just got to get back and start over again when we go to Colorado." Kenta Maeda puts on a show in Dodgers debut

By Doug Padilla

SAN DIEGO -- Less than two hours before his first major league start, Kenta Maeda's manager called him “laid back.”

By the end of the night, Maeda looked like one of the most sinister players in Major League Baseball’s opening week thus far. The Los Angeles Dodgers' latest pitcher from Japan is now must-see TV in his home country, if he wasn’t already. A two-time winner of Japan’s Cy Young Award equivalent, including his latest Sawamura Award last year, it wasn’t just his pitching that made this a debut for the ages. Maeda not only won his first game with six scoreless innings, his fourth-inning home run was the Dodgers’ first long ball this season. Talk about ruthless. The Dodgers won the game 7-0 and outscored the Padres 25-0 in the series. Despite all of the runs, it was Maeda who showed the way over the wall, as well as from the mound. That it all played out on live television in Japan, with a 10 a.m. first pitch on Thursday, made it even sweeter. “I was a little bit nervous at first, but my teammates scored for runs for me [in the first inning] so that really relaxed me a lot,” Maeda said through an interpreter. “I was able to get on the mound the way I usually do and pitched the way I usually do.” The subplot was that the Dodgers ultimately were able to start the season with three consecutive shutouts of the Padres. Dodgers pitching gave up just 11 hits in 27 innings of the opening series, with Dodgers starting pitchers giving up seven hits over 19 innings. Staff ace Clayton Kershaw gave up just one hit over seven scoreless innings of Monday’s opener. Scott Kazmir then allowed one hit over six innings Tuesday of his National League debut. Maeda, who had pitched professionally for only Hiroshima of Japan’s Central League before Wednesday, then had a debut to savor. “I was aware that there were no runs allowed in the first two games and [Kershaw and Kazmir] both won so I was definitely feeding off that momentum,” Maeda said. “At the same time, knowing that there were no runs scored, there was pressure for me too.” Maeda let go of that pressure somewhat in his exuberance following some key outs. One moment came when he slapped his glove after covering first base to record the last out of the top of the fourth inning, leaving runners stranded on second and third. He slammed his glove again to end the top of sixth inning after striking out Yangervis Solarte. It was one batter after umpires upheld an out call on a bang-bang play at the plate that nearly gave the Padres their first run of the season. “All of his off-speed pitches had their moments, and we picked the times when to throw the off-speed to the right hitter based off the game plan,” catcher A.J. Ellis said. “Kenta had done his homework and had a pretty good idea of these hitters once we walked into our pregame meeting. We were on the same page, and then he went out there and executed it.”

Even pitchers who have delivered memorable moments in a Dodgers uniform were impressed. Orel Hershiser, who put together a record 59-inning scoreless streak in 1988, setting the record in San Diego, called the game as a member of the Dodgers’ broadcast team. “It was so much fun, especially inside of the success the team has had here in the first three games,” Hershiser said. “He’s as advertised, the pitchability, the ability to change speeds, to add and subtract on his slider, even on his fastball. He really understands the game. It’s a tribute to his athleticism.” It wasn’t all pitch-perfect, though. It never is. Maeda did have a throwing error after fielding a bunt, and he was a bit confused at the American tradition of giving a player the silent treatment following his first home run. When Maeda reached the dugout after his long ball, nobody approached him immediately, so he spread his arms wide and waited for the embrace to come to him. “Usually a rookie will come in and see what is going on, sit on the bench and we’ll mob him.” said Ellis, admitting the silent treatment didn’t translate so well. “He had both arms open as if to say, ‘Where are you guys? What’s going on here?’ He wasn’t buying that was the American tradition for celebrating a home run. We just wanted to have a little fun in that moment and he was a great sport about it.” Before that silent treatment, the most excited Dodgers player of all might have been Kershaw, who looked like a kid at Christmas when Maeda was rounding the bases following the home run. “I was obviously surprised he hit a homer, but watching him hit in batting practice in spring training, we knew he has the ability to do it, you just don’t expect it,” Kershaw said. “I’ve been playing for eight years, I have one homer, so that was pretty impressive. We’re supposed to pitch well, but when we do that, that’s Little League stuff. That’s awesome.” Roberts already owes Maeda a steak dinner, as a payoff to a deal after he gave up a home run to his pitcher in batting practice during spring training. Wednesday’s home run won’t necessarily get Maeda a second dinner, but could get him an upgrade. “We’re going to go with a tomahawk steak, I don’t think he’s seen anything like that,” Roberts said. “He’s seen the Kobe beef, but we’re going to go big. It was fun to see the guys react to Kenta after the homer and they gave him a big team hug. He enjoyed the moment, but when he took the mound he refocused and got outs.” Dodgers hand Padres futility mark with 27 straight shutout innings

By ESPN.com

SAN DIEGO -- No major league team has ever been as futile in its first three games as the Padres. They simply couldn't find home plate in their opening series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, becoming the first MLB team to be shut out in its first three games of a season. With Wednesday night's 7-0 loss, the Padres set the MLB mark with 27 consecutive scoreless innings to open a season. The old mark was 26 by the 1943 St. Louis Browns, according to Stats LLC.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers, who hobbled into the series with 10 players on the disabled list, became the first team since the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals to post three consecutive shutouts to open a season, a feat that was assisted by standout offense. Wednesday's win gave the Dodgers a 25-0 run-scoring edge in their first series. Kenta Maeda's debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers saw some expected pitching prowess, a huge home run and translation issues on the celebration. It was one, two, three shutouts and you're swept for the San Diego Padres, as the Los Angeles Dodgers outscored the Pads 25-0 in the opening series. "There is still perspective here, not to be lost," rookie Padres manager Andy Green said. "We still do have 159 games left, and we will score runs this year. And we will win series this year." The Padres thought they had ended their scoreless streak in the sixth. Although Cory Spangenberg was called out trying to score on a grounder to first, the Padres appealed. A replay appeared to show Spangenberg got his foot across the plate before being tagged by Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis. After a 3:02 review, the call was upheld. "The reality is this: We had ample opportunities to score runs, and I'm not going to cry about a call that is made in New York," Green said, referring to MLB's replay center. "We had two chances with a guy on third base, and we hit two soft ground balls. That is our opportunity." At the helm of the Dodgers' success was Dave Roberts, on the bench for his first three games as a full-time manager. Roberts rolled out a staff ace and two new starters then sat back and watched the magic happen. "These guys, to a man, have prepared, and that's what we talked about in spring training is taking ownership," Roberts said. "I think that once you start with Clayton Kershaw and setting the tone for the pitching staff, then these guys feed off each other. This is where it gets really fun." Kershaw allowed one hit over seven innings Monday, Scott Kazmir gave up one hit over six innings Tuesday in his National League debut, and Kenta Maeda made his major league debut Wednesday with five hits allowed over six more scoreless innings. It was going to be hard for Maeda to top the one-hit performances of the Dodgers' first two starters, but he found a way when he hit a home run in the fourth inning off Padres starter Andrew Cashner. It was Maeda's second major league at-bat. Asked what was more special, the home run or the pitching performance, Maeda was torn. "That's a tough one," Maeda, a native of Japan, said through an interpreter, flashing his ever-present grin as cameras clicked all around. "I'm just very happy that I got a W in my major league debut." The Dodgers played the opening series with three expected regulars out of action. Outfielder Andre Ethier suffered a broken bone in his leg and will be out for most of the first half, and infielder Howie Kendrick (calf) and catcher Yasmani Grandal (forearm) are nearing a return.

Los Angeles hardly skipped a beat. Yasiel Puig drove in four runs in the series, and Ellis and Adrian Gonzalez drove in three each. Puig went 6-for-10 in the three games. But despite the avalanche of runs, the club's first home run of the season came off Maeda's bat. Puig followed with a homer later in Wednesday's game. "I'm happy for him, and he's been great all spring training," Kershaw said of Maeda. "He's an awesome guy. I know that it probably feels good to get that first one out of the way. He looked great. He did everything we thought he could do and even hit a homer, so that's going to be tough to match." Now comes the hard part. Not only do the Dodgers head to San Francisco for the Giants' first home series of the season, but they will have Alex Wood and Ross Stripling on the mound in the first two games, a pair of pitchers who benefited from injuries in the rotation to secure their starting spots. The Dodgers hope Maeda's outing makes the transition to the back half of the rotation a little more seamless. The home run could actually play a key role. "It was a great moment for him, a great moment for a club and one of those things that can bring a ballclub together," Ellis said of Maeda's home run, before planting tongue firmly in cheek. "A lot of us were excited for him, but a lot of us were upset that he hit a home run before us." The Padres return to the field Friday at Colorado with right-hander Colin Rea on the mound. Rea pitched one inning Monday in the 15-0 loss. "It will come. It was just three games, three bad games," Cashner said. "But I believe in these guys in the locker room and I believe in myself, and there's no doubt we will come out of it. It's tough any time you lose but especially to those guys. I mean, we play 162 games, and it's one bad series. We just got to play better from here on out." Dodgers shut out Padres in incredibly hot start

By ESPN Stats and Information

The Los Angeles Dodgers have started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2012 and just the second time since 2000. They did it in convincing fashion, shutting out the San Diego Padres over the first three games and scoring 25 runs. The Dodgers are out to prove that they are still the team to beat in a division they’ve won in each of the past three seasons. The Dodgers held the Padres scoreless through the first three games of the season. According to Elias Sports Bureau research, they became the second team to shut out an opponent in each of the first three games of a season (the 1963 Cardinals are the other). Most Consecutive Scoreless Innings Offenses to Start a Season 2016 Padres 27

1943 Cardinals 26 2015 Twins 24 *Source: Elias Sports Bureau Unsurprisingly, a number of different Dodgers have gotten off to hot starts in 2016. Rookie pitcher Kenta Maeda, signed from Japan this offseason, threw six scoreless innings in his MLB debut. He also hit a home run, which, according Elias research, makes him the first Dodgers pitcher in history to hit a home run in his MLB debut. Yasiel Puig, who struggled last season while playing a career-low 79 games, might be off to the best start on the team. Through his first 13 plate appearances, he has six hits, three of which have gone for extra bases, while scoring five runs and driving in another four. Perhaps the most impressive part of the Dodgers’ high-octane offense at the start of the season is that they have produced 25 runs despite only hitting two home runs -- both solo. In the series, five different Dodgers hitters had multiple extra-base hits; the Padres had one extra-base hit as a team. The key to the Dodgers’ success has been their starting pitching. Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir joined Maeda in tossing at least six scoreless innings in their first starts (Kershaw threw seven). The Dodgers’ rotation health was a concern out of spring training, and opened the season with five different starting pitchers on the disabled list. Dodgers SP on Disabled List To Start 2016 Season LENGTH Mike Bolsinger 15-day Hyun-jin Ryu 15-day Brett Anderson 60-day Brandon McCarthy 60-day Frankie Montas 60-day The next step for the Dodgers could test that lack of depth. They travel for a four-game series with the San Francisco Giants, with Alex Wood and rookie Ross Stripling getting the starts in the first two games. The Padres will look to end their scoreless streak in the friendliest hitter’s park in all of MLB: Coors Field. They face a pitching staff that struggled out of the gate, as the Colorado Rockies came out of Arizona with a pair of wins but allowed 19 runs in the three-game series. If the Dodgers can continue their hot streak through the early part of the season, they could perhaps overcome the injury problems they faced through spring training. If they can do that, they might be well on their way to winning the NL West for a fourth consecutive season. Streaking Dodgers sweep Padres with three consecutive shutouts

By Doug Padilla

SAN DIEGO -- The Los Angeles Dodgers found this town to their liking during the opening series of the season, blanking the San Diego Padres for three consecutive days. The three-game sweep was completed Wednesday with a 7-0 victory, as the Dodgers outscored their National League West rivals 25-0 in the series. If season debuts from pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir seemed hard to follow, Kenta Maeda did his best to top each of his teammates’ one-hit outings. He not only held the Padres to no runs on five hits over six innings without a walk, he hit a solo home run in the fourth inning in his second career at-bat. Maeda was the first Dodgers player to hit a home run in his major league debut since Jose Offerman in 1990. The scoreless streak nearly ended in the sixth inning when Cory Spangenberg was on third base and Wil Myers hit a ground ball to first base. Instead of making the second out by touching the first-base bag, Adrian Gonzalez went home in an apparent attempt to preserve the scoreless streak. Spangenberg was called out on a tag from catcher A.J. Ellis, but the replay appeared to show that he actually was safe. The call was not overturned after it was reviewed, though. Maeda then struck out Yangervis Solarte to end the threat, slapping his glove before returning to the dugout. The Dodgers wasted little time getting going, scoring four runs in the first inning, two coming home on a single from Joc Pederson. Those four runs gave the Dodgers 22 runs in their first 19 innings of the season. Padres scoreless for record 27th straight inning to open season

By AP

SAN DIEGO -- So much joy and so much agony in one game. Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda homered in the second at-bat of his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night and beat the Padres 7-0, making San Diego the first team in major league history to be shut out in its first three games. "I'm just very happy that I got a `W' in my major league debut," Maeda said through a translator. There wasn't anything for the Padres to celebrate. They were outscored 25-0 in the opening three games by their biggest rivals and set MLB marks for futility. With a 7-0 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday night, the Padres became the first major league team to be shut out in their first three games of a season. Kenta Maeda's debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers saw some expected pitching prowess, a huge home run and translation issues on the celebration.

It was one, two, three shutouts and you're swept for the San Diego Padres, as the Los Angeles Dodgers outscored the Pads 25-0 in the opening series. "There is still perspective here, not to be lost," rookie manager Andy Green said. "We still do have 159 games left and we will score runs this year. And we will win series this year." But this was bad. The Padres were outscored 25-0 in being swept in three games by the Dodgers. They set the MLB mark with 27 straight scoreless innings to open a season. The old mark was 26 by the 1943 St. Louis Browns, according to STATS. The Dodgers joined the 1963 Cardinals in winning their first three games by shutouts. Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir had strong performances in the first two games before Maeda responded with six shutout innings of his own. The right-hander signed an eight-year deal with the Dodgers in January after spending eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp of the Japanese Central League. His delivery bears some resembles to that of former Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo, with a pause at the top. He threw a full repertoire of pitches: two- and four-seam fastballs, sliders, curveballs and a changeup. Nomo, the first Japanese player to permanently join the majors, is now a special adviser to the Padres' baseball operations. Maeda scattered five hits in six innings, struck out four and walked none. "I was a little bit nervous at first but my teammates scored four runs for me so that relaxed me a lot," Maeda said. "I was able to get on the mound the way I usually do and pitch the way I usually do." Roberts said Maeda was "very efficient and they didn't really stress him at all. It was clean. Obviously for him to hit a homer, he got a lot of firsts out of the way. He got his first strikeout, hit, homer, win, so it was a good night." With one out in the fourth, Maeda drove an 0-2 pitch from Andrew Cashner (0-1) into the seats in left field. Maeda (1-0) waved to the crowd as he rounded third base and at first got the silent treatment in the dugout from his teammates, who then mobbed him. "I didn't know that the ball's going to go in, so I was running really hard. That's all I thought about," he said. And the silent treatment? "I was surprised but then everybody moments later came. I was very surprised at first." Said manager Dave Roberts: "It was fun to see the guys react to Kenta. They had a big team hug."

The right-hander signed an eight-year deal with the Dodgers in January after spending eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp of the Japanese Central League. His delivery bears some resembles to that of former Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo, with a pause at the top. He threw a full repertoire of pitches: two- and four-seam fastballs, sliders, curveballs and a changeup. Nomo, the first Japanese player to permanently join the majors, is now a special adviser to the Padres' baseball operations. Maeda scattered five hits in six innings, struck out four and walked none. "I was a little bit nervous at first but my teammates scored four runs for me so that relaxed me a lot," Maeda said. "I was able to get on the mound the way I usually do and pitch the way I usually do." Roberts said Maeda was "very efficient and they didn't really stress him at all. It was clean. Obviously for him to hit a homer, he got a lot of firsts out of the way. He got his first strikeout, hit, homer, win, so it was a good night." Yasiel Puig also homered for the Dodgers, his first. The Padres thought they'd ended their scoreless streak in the sixth. Although Cory Spangenberg was called out trying to score on a grounder to first, the Padres appealed. A replay appeared to show Spangenberg got his foot across the plate before being tagged by A.J. Ellis. After a review of 3:02, the call was upheld. "The reality is this: we had ample opportunities to score runs and I'm not going to cry about a call that is made in New York," Green said. "We had two chances with a guy on third base and we hit two soft ground balls. That is our opportunity." The Padres had runners on first and third with one out in the fourth before Maeda retired Yangervis Solarte and Derek Norris. Cashner labored in the first, throwing 43 pitches, and the Dodgers jumped on him for four runs on four hits. Chase Utley tripled on Cashner's sixth pitch and scored on Justin Turner's one-out RBI. Adrian Gonzalez drew the first of his three walks and scored on Carl Crawford's two-out double. Joc Pederson followed with a two-run single. TRAINERS ROOM Dodgers: C Yasmani Grandal (forearm) and 2B Howie Kendrick (calf) will play in simulated games Friday. Both are expected to join the team for Tuesday's home opener. ... 3B Justin Turner, who is coming back from knee surgery, might sit on Thursday in San Francisco. Roberts said he's being cautious with Turner in day games after night contests. UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood begins his second season with L.A. with a scheduled start against RHP Jake Peavy and the Giants in the opener of a four-game series at San Francisco. Padres: After a day off, the Padres begin a three-game series at Colorado with RHP Colin Rea (0-0, 9.00) scheduled to start against RHP Jordan Lyles. Rea pitched one inning Monday in the Padres' 15-0 loss to the Dodgers. As Dodgers' offense flows, Dave Roberts planning some changes By Doug Padilla SAN DIEGO -- The hardest decision for new manager Dave Roberts so far has been which bench player to give playing time in the late innings as a defensive replacement. His Opening Day lineup reeled off 15 runs and 17 hits, and for the third day now, the order has essentially been the same. Aside from alternating his catcher and changing his pitcher every day, Roberts has subscribed to the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it theory. That means Chase Utley at the top and Carl Crawford in the No. 6 spot, as players with a few extra miles on them are getting a little run right now. Justin Turner also comes in a handle-with-care package, since he is on the way back from microfracture knee surgery in the offseason. So when the Dodgers take the field Thursday at San Francisco, for the Giants’ afternoon home opener, Roberts is contemplating a new look for the first time. Utley still will be at the top, but Crawford will not be in left field and Turner might be a spectator as well. “There is definitely something to be said about being consistent with the lineup,” Roberts said. “I think there is, for sure, something to that. But there is also something to the fact that if some things need to be changed up, guys still have to connect those same at-bats.” Who will be asked to get into the flow and keep the line moving? Scott Van Slyke or Trayce Thompson could get the start in left field at San Francisco. Enrique Hernandez or Charlie Culberson could be used at third, if Roberts elects to give Turner a break. It could be an interesting Thompson family doubleheader in the Bay Area on Thursday. Klay Thompson will start for the Golden State Warriors against the San Antonio Spurs in Oakland on Thursday night. It could follow a start for his little brother Trayce Thompson, if Roberts elects to go that way. Pressed on the matter, all Roberts would say about Trayce Thompson’s chances to start was “maybe.” Trayce Thompson has been a late-inning replacement in left field for Crawford in each of the first two games of the season.

LA DAILY NEWS

Kenta Maeda is a hit as LA Dodgers sweep San Diego Padres

By JP Hoornstra

SAN DIEGO >> Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a friendly wager in spring training with Kenta Maeda. If Maeda could hit a home run against him in batting practice, he’d buy the pitcher dinner. Roberts lost the bet. He said later that Maeda’s home run wasn’t a cheap one, perhaps aided by the Arizona wind. The dinner tab probably won’t be cheap either, whenever Roberts gets around to upholding his end of the bet. There isn’t a steak waiting at the end of every home run, but Maeda seemed to enjoy the 358-foot rainbow he crushed against Andrew Cashner in the Dodgers’ 7-0 win over the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. He smiled as he circled the bases quickly. His teammates waited a good three seconds after Maeda arrived in the dugout to celebrate, a tradition as American as the home run itself. “I didn’t know that the ball was going to go in, so I was running really hard,” Maeda said through an interpreter. “That’s all I thought about.” It was the first home run by any Dodger player this season, the first hit of Maeda’s career (in his second at-bat) and, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the first homer by any Dodger pitcher in his major league debut. In a series full of impressive individual feats by the Dodgers, Maeda’s was the best. The Dodgers matched the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals as the only teams to begin a season with three straight shutouts. The Cardinals lost their streak 32 innings into the season, a record the Dodgers can break when they begin a four-game series in San Francisco on Thursday. On the other end, the Padres established a new record by failing to score in their first 27 innings of the season. They were outscored 25-0 in the series. Of course, the Dodgers will allow a run and lose a game at some point this year. Veteran first baseman Adrian Gonzalez saw the three-game series as a triumph of momentum. “For the most part when teams get rolling on both ends it gets contagious,” he said. “On one end, they’re pressing. On the other side, we relax and have fun. We’re playing good good baseball and they’re pressing a bit.” Yasiel Puig went 6 for 10 in the series, including a solo home run Wednesday. Corey Seager had five hits and Gonzalez had four. Twelve different Dodgers collected at least one hit. Maeda (1-0) allowed five hits in six innings, didn’t walk a batter and struck out four. Relievers Yimi Garcia, J.P. Howell and Joe Blanton completed the shutout.

Unlike their hapless efforts against Clayton Kershaw on Monday and Scott Kazmir on Tuesday, the Padres at least threatened to score on Wednesday. With runners on first and third and one out in the sixth inning, the Dodgers’ corner infielders drew in a few steps. Wil Myers hit a ground ball to first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who threw to catcher A.J. Ellis in pursuit of a difficult out at home plate. “I’m not going to get a double play out of it,” Gonzalez said. “When I know I have the play at home I’m going to take it.” Gonzalez said his reaction to throw home had nothing to do with preserving the shutout streak. “I’d like to say 10 out 10 times I make that play,” he said. Replays showed that the runner, Cory Spangenberg, appeared to slide under Ellis’ tag. But home plate umpire Jim Wolf called Spangenberg out, and a 3-minute, 2-second review in New York could not overturn the call. The shutout preserved by the slimmest of margins, Maeda proceeded to strikeout Yangervis Solarte to end the inning. Chase Utley’s latest controversial tactic is what Dodgers are teaching By JP Hoornstra SAN DIEGO >> Chase Utley probably won’t complain if he never gets another question about his baserunning style, which led to another collision Monday night. This one was easy to miss, given that no legs were broken on the play and no games hinged on its outcome. The play received some attention anyway. It was Utley after all, and it was the first runner that new Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward waved into the teeth of a waiting baseball. Here’s what happened: With one out in the third inning, the Dodgers were leading the Padres 2-0. Utley was on first base when Justin Turner sent a line drive into the left-field corner. Melvin Upton Jr. relayed the ball to Padres shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who threw a strike to catcher Derek Norris. Norris tagged out Utley, who slid inside the baseline – exactly where Norris stood to receive Ramirez’s throw. The sequence served as a reminder that Utley broke the leg of then-New York Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada in last year’s playoffs on a dangerous slide into second base. Monday’s slide would have been less dangerous if Utley had slid outside the baseline. Norris was mandated to give him the outside line under a two-year old rule (7.13, the so-called “Buster Posey rule”) that prevents catchers from blocking a runner’s path to home plate. Was this another typical Utley play? Sure.

Was it a dirty tactic? Depends on who you ask. Woodward, for one, said he’d like to see it more often. “We’re desperately trying to get the rest of the team to buy into a similar style,” he said. “If that’s the case, we distinctly have an advantage over most teams, because most teams don’t run the bases that way, that aggressive, with that attention to detail that (Utley) has.” The name on Utley’s jersey, and the circumstances of the play, conspired to obscure the strategy that Woodward admired in the moment. Any perceived controversy – sliding into the catcher with an open lane on the other side of home plate -- was the end result of a series of calculations that Woodward believes few players can make. “(Utley) had a feeling when he was about halfway that a good throw would beat him,” he said. That’s when Utley shifted his path inside the baseline. “His mindset was, if he was going to beat the play, he just would’ve gone to the outside and been safe,” Woodward said. “But since it was in the back of his mind that there was going to be a play, he got in line with where the catcher was trying to receive the throw. If the throw was a foot more to the right, it would’ve actually hit him and he would’ve been safe.” Ramirez’s throw was perfect, so Utley was out. “Chase is a great baserunner, and I love all the little things that he does on a consistent basis,” Woodward said. “We are trying to preach to the rest of the guys, those are things that will get us extra bases. It will help us win games.” Norris agreed with Woodward in one regard. Most teams, and most players, don’t run the bases the way Utley does. The reason, he said, is simple. “That if you’re given a lane to slide you have to slide in your lane,” Norris said. “Subject to the umpire’s opinion is the only thing that would change that. He was trying to make a play on the ball. I was trying to make a play on the ball. So it is what it is. When someone changes their lane to slide, and you’re giving them a lane to slide – given the rules, it’s almost common courtesy to slide in the lane you’re given. But it is what it is. He’s got a style of play that he likes to play, and he’s not going to change according to the rules.” If Woodward has his way, more players will change the way they run to match Utley. He doesn’t need to file away video of Utley’s slide for reference. “We talked about it in spring training a lot,” he said. “In fact, we had just talked about it probably two weeks before we got here. We sat down and showed the video of how to get in the lane.” ALSO

Yasmani Grandal and Howie Kendrick will play simulated games Thursday in Arizona, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Kendrick will play three games – two at second base and one at third. ... Hyun-Jin Ryu is scheduled to throw a two-inning, 40-pitch simulated game in Arizona on Thursday. ... Carl Crawford will get his first day off in the opener of the four-game series in San Francisco.

USA TODAY SPORTS

Dodgers pitcher Kenta Maeda homers in first MLB game, singlehandedly outscoring Padres

By Alysha Tsuji

Pitcher Kenta Maeda made his MLB debut on Wednesday vs. the Padres, and it was one to remember. The 27-year-old hit a home run. Maeda is also pitching a shutout through the sixth inning, which means that he has more runs than the entire Padres team combined — through the entire season so far. As a team, the Dodgers are completely obliterating San Diego. In the first two games of this three-game series at PETCO Park, the Dodgers outscored the Padres 18-0. Maeda’s homer put them up 5-0 in the fourth inning on Wednesday. Update: The Dodgers won again, 7-0, so Maeda has scored more runs than the entire Padres team in three. And the three-game Dodgers-Padres score is 25-0. The Padres are the first team in history to be shut out of its first three games.

NBC LA

Kenta Maeda Pitches and Powers Dodgers Past Padres 7-0

By Michael Duarte

SAN DIEGO – Kenta Maeda hit the Dodgers first home run of the season, and then pitched six shutout innings as Los Angeles silenced the San Diego Padres 7-0 on Wednesday for a franchise record third consecutive shutout to start the season. Maeda (1-0) made history as he became the first Dodgers' pitcher to hit a home run in his first MLB game since 1900 (Elias Sports). He also hit the first home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2016 season.

"That's a tough one," Maeda said when asked by reporters what he was more pleased with: the home run or the six shutout innings. "I'm just very happy I got a W in my Major League Debut." The Dodgers set multiple records during the game. They became the first team since the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals to open the season with three consecutive shutouts. Additionally, they extended their team and MLB record for consecutive shutout innings to start a season to 27. On the flip side, the Padres set the record for futility as they became the first team in major league history to be shut out in their first three games. They also eclipsed the record set by the 1943 St. Louis Browns for most scoreless innings to start the season at 27. The Dodgers demolished the Padres for the ninth consecutive game overall as they sweep the opening series by a combined score of 25-0. To put things in perspective, Dodgers rookie pitcher, Maeda, scored more runs (1) and hit more home runs (1) than the entire San Diego Padres team combined over three straight days. Maeda drove an 0-2 slider from San Diego starter Andrew Cashner into the left field seats with one out in the fourth inning. The Japanese sensation then followed that up with six shutout innings. Maeda allowed no runs on five hits with no walks and five strikeouts. "I've been playing for 8 years and I've hit one homer," said teammate Clayton Kershaw. "It was pretty impressive. It's going to be tough to match." Yasiel Puig followed in Maeda's footsteps when he became the first position player to homer for the Dodgers this season. Puig hit a towering 384-foot blast to left field off Carlos Villanueva as he continues to knock the cover off the ball. In three games, Puig is 6-for-10 with 4 RBI, two triples and a homer. But, the game was all about Maeda. Never in recent memory have we seen such a more impressive debut from the mound and from the plate. In addition to his home run. Maeda threw six shutout innings, following in the footsteps of Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir before him. It was another nightmare debut for Padres pitcher Andrew Cashner (0-1). The right-hander allowed three home runs to Adrian Gonzalez in his 2015 debut, and allowed five runs on six hits in four innings to start the season. Cashner wanted no part of Gonzalez on Wednesday as he walked the Dodgers' slugger every time he came to the plate. Chase Utley continued his torrid stretch at leadoff for the Dodgers. The 37-year-old second baseman hit a triple to the gap in right-center to start the game, and scored two batters later on a Justin Turner single. After a Gonzalez walk and a Puig out, Carl Crawford doubled down the left field line and Joc Pederson followed with a two-run single to give the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead. "I was a little bit nervous at first, but after my teammates scored four runs for me it relaxed me a lot," Maeda said of his nerves before the game. "After that, I was able to pitch the way I normally do." Thankfully for Maeda, the four-run first inning turned out to be all the runs he needed as his fourth inning home run turned out to be for showmanship and insurance alone. Players of the Game:

Kenta Maeda: 0 runs, 5 hits, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts, 6IP. One monster home run! Yasiel Puig: 3-for-4 with a home run. Chase Utley: 1-for-5 with a triple and run scored. Three Takeaways: 1. Maeda Makes History: Japanese star, Kenta Maeda, became the fist Dodgers' pitcher since 1900 to hit a HR in his MLB debut. Maeda waved to the crowd -- many of them holding Japanese flags -- as he rounded third base and touched home. When he got tot he dugout, his teammates gave him the silent treatment before mobbing him. 2. Dodgers Shutout the Competition: The Los Angeles Dodgers set a franchise and tied an MLB record with three consecutive shutouts to start the season. In addition, they extended their team record for consecutive shutout innings to 27 to start the season and have scored 25 unanswered runs in 2016. 3. Padres on the Wrong side of History: The San Diego Padres still have not scored a run in 2016 and set an MLB record with 27 consecutive scoreless innings to start a seaon, surpassing the previous mark set by the 1943 St. Louis Browns. Up Next: Dodgers (3-0): Alex Wood makes his season debut in another day game for the Dodgers as they travel to San Francisco for a four-game series with the rival Giants. Padres (0-3): San Diego gets a needed day of rest before heading out to Denver to take on the Colorado Rockies on Friday at 1:10 PM PST. Colin Rea gets the start for the Padres.

YAHOO! SPORTS

Maeda homers in Dodgers' win; Padres set mark for futility

By Bernie Wilson

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- So much joy and so much agony in one game. Pitching Details Kenta Maeda Win Kenta Maeda 1-0 Andrew Cashner Loss

Andrew Cashner 0-1 Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda homered in the second at-bat of his major league debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night and beat the Padres 7-0, making San Diego the first team in major league history to be shut out in its first three games. ''I'm just very happy that I got a 'W' in my major league debut,'' Maeda said through a translator. There wasn't anything for the Padres to celebrate. They were outscored 25-0 in the opening three games by their biggest rivals and set MLB marks for futility. ''There is still perspective here, not to be lost,'' rookie manager Andy Green said. ''We still do have 159 games left and we will score runs this year. And we will win series this year.'' But this was bad. The Padres were outscored 25-0 in being swept in three games by the Dodgers. They set the MLB mark with 27 straight scoreless innings to open a season. The old mark was 26 by the 1943 St. Louis Browns, according to STATS. The Dodgers joined the 1963 Cardinals in winning their first three games by shutouts. Clayton Kershaw and Scott Kazmir had strong performances in the first two games before Maeda responded with six shutout innings of his own. The right-hander signed an eight-year deal with the Dodgers in January after spending eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp of the Japanese Central League. His delivery bears some resembles to that of former Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo, with a pause at the top. He threw a full repertoire of pitches: two- and four-seam fastballs, sliders, curveballs and a changeup. Nomo, the first Japanese player to permanently join the majors, is now a special adviser to the Padres' baseball operations. Maeda scattered five hits in six innings, struck out four and walked none. ''I was a little bit nervous at first but my teammates scored four runs for me so that relaxed me a lot,'' Maeda said. ''I was able to get on the mound the way I usually do and pitch the way I usually do.'' Roberts said Maeda was ''very efficient and they didn't really stress him at all. It was clean. Obviously for him to hit a homer, he got a lot of firsts out of the way. He got his first strikeout, hit, homer, win, so it was a good night.'' With one out in the fourth, Maeda drove an 0-2 pitch from Andrew Cashner (0-1) into the seats in left field. Maeda (1-0) waved to the crowd as he rounded third base and at first got the silent treatment in the dugout from his teammates, who then mobbed him.

''I didn't know that the ball's going to go in, so I was running really hard. That's all I thought about,'' he said. And the silent treatment? ''I was surprised but then everybody moments later came. I was very surprised at first.'' Said manager Dave Roberts: ''It was fun to see the guys react to Kenta. They had a big team hug.'' The right-hander signed an eight-year deal with the Dodgers in January after spending eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp of the Japanese Central League. His delivery bears some resembles to that of former Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo, with a pause at the top. He threw a full repertoire of pitches: two- and four-seam fastballs, sliders, curveballs and a changeup. Nomo, the first Japanese player to permanently join the majors, is now a special adviser to the Padres' baseball operations. Maeda scattered five hits in six innings, struck out four and walked none. ''I was a little bit nervous at first but my teammates scored four runs for me so that relaxed me a lot,'' Maeda said. ''I was able to get on the mound the way I usually do and pitch the way I usually do.'' Roberts said Maeda was ''very efficient and they didn't really stress him at all. It was clean. Obviously for him to hit a homer, he got a lot of firsts out of the way. He got his first strikeout, hit, homer, win, so it was a good night.'' Yasiel Puig also homered for the Dodgers, his first. The Padres thought they'd ended their scoreless streak in the sixth. Although Cory Spangenberg was called out trying to score on a grounder to first, the Padres appealed. A replay appeared to show Spangenberg got his foot across the plate before being tagged by A.J. Ellis. After a review of 3:02, the call was upheld. ''The reality is this: we had ample opportunities to score runs and I'm not going to cry about a call that is made in New York,'' Green said. ''We had two chances with a guy on third base and we hit two soft ground balls. That is our opportunity.'' The Padres had runners on first and third with one out in the fourth before Maeda retired Yangervis Solarte and Derek Norris. Cashner labored in the first, throwing 43 pitches, and the Dodgers jumped on him for four runs on four hits. Chase Utley tripled on Cashner's sixth pitch and scored on Justin Turner's one-out RBI. Adrian Gonzalez drew the first of his three walks and scored on Carl Crawford's two-out double. Joc Pederson followed with a two-run single. TRAINERS ROOM

Dodgers: C Yasmani Grandal (forearm) and 2B Howie Kendrick (calf) will play in simulated games Friday. Both are expected to join the team for Tuesday's home opener. ... 3B Justin Turner, who is coming back from knee surgery, might sit on Thursday in San Francisco. Roberts said he's being cautious with Turner in day games after night contests. UP NEXT Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood begins his second season with L.A. with a scheduled start against RHP Jake Peavy and the Giants in the opener of a four-game series at San Francisco. Padres: After a day off, the Padres begin a three-game series at Colorado with RHP Colin Rea (0-0, 9.00) scheduled to start against RHP Jordan Lyles. Rea pitched one inning Monday in the Padres' 15-0 loss to the Dodgers.

WASHINGTON POST

Dodgers 25 R, 34 H, 1 E; Padres 0 R, 11 H, 3 E. Whoo, boy. By Barry Svrluga It would be laughable if it wasn’t so scary. The San Diego Padres, who spent the offseason of 2014-15 chasing any shiny object that caught their eye and the offseason of 2015-16 meandering in the wilderness, opened the season with a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In this, there is only frustration, not embarrassment, because the Dodgers have won three straight division crowns and have a team that could easily take a fourth. But look at the stats, and the history made, and no team finished its first series as reeling as San Diego. The composite line score read like this: Dodgers 25 runs, 34 hits, 1 error; Padres 0 runs, 11 hits, 3 errors. Welcome to the record books, San Diego. No team has ever opened the season with 27 consecutive scoreless innings, as the Padres just did. The old mark, according to Stats LLC (via the Associated Press) was 26, set by the 1943 St. Louis Browns. Those Browns, it turned out, weren’t that wretched – 72-80, sixth of eight teams in the American League. The next year, they went to the World Series. So maybe all hope is not lost. But these San Diego numbers are staggering. Among their 11 hits, they have just one for extra bases, a double by third baseman Yangervis Solarte. Three players have four extra-base hits thus far; 52 have at least two. In their 94 plate appearances, they have walked exactly twice. Toronto’s Jose Bautista and Pittsburgh’s Gregory Polanco have already walked five times apiece.

The Padres’ slash line (average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage): .120/.138/.130. They allowed the Dodgers, in return, these numbers: .306/.363/.505. There is, of course, no shame in losing the opener to Clayton Kershaw, still likely the best pitcher on the planet. There is shame, however, in doing so 15-0. After managing one hit in Kershaw’s seven innings, they bounced back with one hit against Scott Kazmir in his six-inning Dodger debut, then a robust five-hit outburst in the first major league outing of Kenta Maeda, who nonetheless twirled six shutout frames against them. Maybe the best stat: In 27 times at-bats, the Padres put two runners on base in four of them. They went down in order, 1-2-3, 18 times. Never did they load the bases. This would all be written off as an early-season fluke, because if this series happened in June or August, it would just be seen as a blip. But consider: In 2015, the Padres hit .243 as a team, last in the majors (but up from a staggering .226 the previous year). They posted a .300 on-base percentage, last in the majors. They slugged .385, which rocketed them all the way to 26th. A day off on Thursday so they can stew about all this, then the Padres head to Colorado for a weekend set against the Rockies. They have to be able to score at Coors Field, right? Right?