Daily Clips August 10, 2016

Transcription

1 Daily Clips August 10, 2016

2 LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016 DODGERS.COM: Dodgers rout Phils, join Giants atop NL West- Jack Baer and Todd Zolecki Hill (blisters) still hopeful for LA debut Friday- Ken Gurnick Dodgers to address Puig incident 'internally'- Ken Gurnick Dodgers recall Taylor with Van Slyke on DL- Jack Baer Dodgers aim to sweep Phils, win 5th straight- Jack Baer LA TIMES: Dodgers still hopeful Rich Hill, Brandon McCarthy start this weekend- Andy McCullough Dodgers join the Giants atop NL West standings with 9-3 win over Phillies- Andy McCullough Dodgers are 'disappointed' after Yasiel Puig posts videos depicting drinking in minors- Andy McCullough Dodgers reliever Josh Ravin uses car accident, PED suspension as motivation on mound- Andy McCullough OC REGISTER: Dodgers catch Giants for share of first place in NL West with 9-3 win over Phillies- Bill Plunkett Dodgers 'disappointed' in Yasiel Puig's party video posted to social media, not selling his merchandise- JP Hoornstra On deck: Phillies at Dodgers, Wednesday, noon- Bill Plunkett SPORTS ILLUSTRATED: Even without Clayton Kershaw, contending Dodgers proving 'pen is mightier- Tom Verducci DODGER INSIDER: Blue-hot offense powers Dodgers into first-place tie- Jon Weisman Wrist ailment puts Van Slyke on DL, Taylor recalled- Jon Weisman TRUEBLUELA.COM: Dodgers keep scoring runs, also score a share of first place-eric Stephen Kenta Maeda looks to remain in control- Eric Stephen Brock Stewart has a nice game at the plate and on the mound- Craig Minami Scott Van Slyke placed on DL with wrist irritation, Chris Taylor recalled from Triple-A- Eric Stephen Dodgers and the 20-homer club- Eric Stephen ESPN LA: Tie for first place not quite reason for Dodgers to celebrate- Doug Padilla Dodgers beat Phillies 9-3 to tie Giants atop NL West- Associated Press Yasiel Puig video drama: Just a peek a little too far behind curtain- Doug Padilla WHERE DOES ROBERTS RANK AMONG MANAGERS?- David Schoenfield and Christina Kahrl Dodgers 'disappointed' in Yasiel Puig, some Triple-A teammates- ESPN NBC LA: Dodgers Dismantle Phillies 9-3 Move Into Tie for First Place- Michael Durate FOXSPORTS.COM: Why it's time to stop doubting the Los Angeles Dodgers-Ken Rosenthal

3 Dodgers rout Phils, join Giants atop NL West By Jack Baer and Todd Zolecki LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2016 DODGERS.COM LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers' offense kept on humming as home runs from Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal and Justin Turner powered them to a 9-3 win over the Phillies on Tuesday night. With the Giants falling, 2-0, in Miami, the Dodgers (64-49) moved into a tie for first place in the National League West. While starter Kenta Maeda didn't have one of his better nights, going just five innings and allowing three earned runs, the offense more than picked him up. And they did it quickly. After the Phillies jumped ahead, 2-0, in the second inning on Aaron Altherr's home run, Los Angeles put up crooked numbers for three consecutive innings. "I thought he caught it at first, but I was just glad it kept rolling, so I'll take it," Kendrick said of his second-inning homer. "A lot of guys have been putting in the same work all year and you're starting to see the fruits of their labor. Hopefully, we can continue to do the same thing and keep the ball rolling." Along with the home runs, Adrian Gonzalez put up doubles in consecutive innings, his second game with multiple extra-base hits in three days. The offensive explosion came entirely at the expense of Phillies starter Vince Velasquez, who allowed a career-high nine earned runs and saw his ERA increase from 3.22 entering Tuesday to "The whole mentality going into today's game was just attacking the hitters," Velasquez said. "And then it just went south from [the first inning]." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Shouldering the load: Grandal needed a moment in the ninth inning of Monday's game after a foul tip struck him on the shoulder, but he showed he was feeling quite all right in the third inning on Tuesday. The catcher took a 95 mph fastball 400 feet into the right-field stands to put Los Angeles up, 6-2. Since July 1, Grandal has hit.353/.476/.788 in 105 plate appearances. "There's nothing much to it," Grandal said. "Just the fact that being healthy and have my bat speed back and relax at the plate. Just see the ball, hit the ball." Vince's forgettable homecoming: Velasquez grew up in nearby Pomona, Calif., so he had a whole bunch of family and friends in attendance, but after he struck out the side in the first inning, things fell apart for him. He is the first Phillies' starter to allow nine earned runs in a start since David Buchanan allowed 11 in 1 2/3 innings in Arizona on Aug. 11, "Everything was hard, hard, hard," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said of Velasquez's outing. "He had a pretty good fastball. We've seen him throw harder. He had plenty to get them out. But against a team like the Dodgers, especially against lefties, he's got such a good changeup that he didn't use. I think he should have used it more. I think he would have been more effective."

4 New guy left out: Every player in the Dodgers' starting lineup finished with a hit except one, and it wasn't Maeda, who doubled in the second inning. Josh Reddick finished the game hitless for the fifth time in his seven games with Los Angeles. He is now 2-for-27 with no extra-base hits as a Dodger. Altherr steps up: Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said before the game that Altherr could move to center field at some point, but he needed to prove he could hit big league pitching first. Altherr hit his third homer of the season in the second inning, a two-run homer that gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead. More QUOTABLE "We're as good as any lineup in the NL." -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on the club's offensive surge SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Altherr has not been in the big leagues long, but he has piled up extra-base hits: 24 of his 44 hits (54.5 percent) have gone for extra bases. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW Freddy Galvis singled in the second inning and soon stole second base with Cody Asche up to bat. The Dodgers challenged that Corey Seager's glove reached Galvis before Galvis reached second, but the safe call stood to give Galvis his 11th stolen base of the season. He would get No. 12 a batter later when he took third. WHAT'S NEXT Phillies: Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (9-7, 3.72 ERA) faces the Dodgers in Wednesday afternoon's series finale at Dodger Stadium. He will try to do something Zach Eflin and Velasquez could not do in the first two games of the series: have a quality start. Eflin allowed seven runs in three innings Monday and Velasquez allowed nine runs in 4 1/3 innings Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET Dodgers: Scott Kazmir will continue what has been an erratic first season with Los Angeles as he takes the mound in Wednesday's series finale. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. PT. Hill (blisters) still hopeful for LA debut Friday By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Pregame workouts on Tuesday did little to clarify the Dodgers' starting-pitching plans for the weekend series with the Pirates. Manager Dave Roberts said Rich Hill and Brandon McCarthy were still scheduled to start Friday and Saturday, but as Roberts has proved repeatedly this year, plans could change. Guessing a Sunday starter is even tougher. Hill did not throw off a mound Tuesday as scheduled, but Ross Stripling did, lining him up to possibly make Friday's start. Hill hasn't pitched in a game of any kind since July 7 because of two blisters. The last time he tried to start for Oakland, on July 17, he shut it down while warming up in the bullpen and wound up on the disabled list, where he was when the Dodgers traded for him on Aug. 1.

5 For Hill to start Friday without a bullpen session or a rehab start -- and for a club to take the chance that a recurrence would create an emergency for the taxed bullpen the way it did for Oakland -- would be about as unconventional as anything the Dodgers have done this year. "Eventually, I think it will completely heal and be gone, but again, where it is right now, it feels good to go for Friday," Hill said. "Just keep looking toward Friday, that's all I can say." McCarthy, a command-and-control pitcher who has lost both coming off Tommy John surgery, threw a bullpen session on Tuesday and Roberts said his command was "much better." "He might throw another light 'pen on Thursday to follow up on today," Roberts said. "As it looks now, he'll still make his start Saturday." Saturday would give Julio Urias five days of rest from his Monday night start. The same goes for Brett Anderson (back surgery), who made a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Monday and whose next assignment, Roberts said, could depend on the health of other pitchers. Jose De Leon is scheduled to start Friday night for Triple-A Oklahoma City, so there's that possibility too. Dodgers to address Puig incident 'internally' By Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman on Tuesday issued a statement in response to the latest incident involving outfielder Yasiel Puig. "We are aware of what Yasiel posted on social media last night, and while we are disappointed in his and some of our other players' judgment, this is a matter we will address internally," Friedman said in the statement. Puig, who was demoted to Triple-A last week in part because of his off-field behavior, posted a video of himself and some of his Oklahoma City teammates dancing in the clubhouse, then partying and shouting obscenities in a party bus. Puig's demotion capped two weeks of drama and intrigue, beginning with a reported tight hamstring, followed by more than a week of limited playing time and trade rumors. Last Monday, the club acquired right fielder Josh Reddick from the A's to replace Puig. Puig's behavior has been an issue for two front offices and on-field staffs. He's been a fan-favorite enigma since he was signed in 2012 after escaping from Cuba. He arrived in spectacular fashion in 2013 with a five-tool arsenal, was runner-up for the National League Rookie of the Year Award and was a key reason the Dodgers returned to the postseason that year. But he was equally dogged by behavior issues, from speeding arrests to tardiness to insubordination. Meanwhile, despite being voted into the All-Star Game starting lineup in 2014, Puig has seen his performance regress every season. As a contributing factor, he has dealt with numerous injuries, many of them hamstring related.

6 Dodgers recall Taylor with Van Slyke on DL By Jack Baer LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers placed Scott Van Slyke on the disabled list with right wrist irritation on Tuesday and recalled infielder Chris Taylor from Triple-A Oklahoma City to replace Van Slyke on the bench. This is Van Slyke's second trip to the DL this season. He spent most of April and May sidelined with lower back irritation. He has hit.237/.301/.323 in 103 plate appearances since returning from the DL on June 3. "It's something that Scott's dealt with over the course of the whole calendar year," manager Dave Roberts said. "He just can't get that flexion in his wrist, so it's impeding his swing." Van Slyke's role on the Dodgers as a right-handed hitter who's capable of playing the corner-outfield positions had been somewhat eclipsed by Sunday's recall of Rob Segedin. Taylor was optioned on Sunday as the corresponding move for Segedin, but will come back after just two days. While a team must wait 10 days to recall a player it has optioned, no wait is needed if a player is placed on the DL. "Right now, bringing Chris Taylor back, it's an easy move for us," Roberts said. "Chris gives us that versatility and obviously where Slyke's at right now, we're not doing him any good keeping him active." Taylor did not appear in a game with Oklahoma City and is hitting.229/.288/.417 in 52 plate appearances with the Dodgers since being acquired from the Mariners in June. He figures to slot back into his utility infielder role, backing up Corey Seager at shortstop while seeing occasional time at second and third base. Dodgers aim to sweep Phils, win 5th straight By Jack Baer The red-hot Dodgers will look to sweep the Phillies and take their fifth straight win on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium. With Tuesday night's win, Los Angeles (64-49) moved into a tie with the San Francisco Giants for first place in the National League West. Jeremy Hellickson will take the ball for Philadelphia opposite the Dodgers' Scott Kazmir. The Phillies surprisingly held onto Hellickson at the non-waiver Trade Deadline despite the righthander's impending free agency. Hellickson has been a model of consistency over the last two months, holding a 2.98 ERA in his last 10 starts and reaching six innings pitched in all but one of his starts. The sole time he didn't reach that mark was on July 30, when he went 5 2/3 innings.

7 That's a level of steadiness Kazmir would envy. The southpaw has suffered an erratic first season with the Dodgers, reaching the six-inning mark in less than half of his 22 starts. He gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings in his last time out against Boston on Friday. Things to know about this game Phillies left-hander Elvis Araujo joined the team Tuesday after the Phillies placed right-hander Zach Eflin on the 15-day disabled list with sore knees. Araujo is expected to help in the bullpen until Sunday, when they will need to add a starter to take Eflin's turn in the rotation. Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner enters Wednesday's game on a season-high 10-game hit streak. He's one game away from tying his career-high, an 11-gamer in Phillies first baseman Tommy Joseph has 15 home runs, which are the most by a Phillies rookie since Ryan Howard hit 22 in '05. He entered Tuesday averaging one home run every at-bats, which is the fifth-best home run rate in the National League this season. LA TIMES Dodgers still hopeful Rich Hill, Brandon McCarthy start this weekend By Andy McCullough The Dodgers hoped to emerge from a series of bullpen sessions on Tuesday afternoon with some clarity about their rotation this weekend against the Pirates. Instead, the team will return to a familiar position of building contingency plans. Rich Hill decided against throwing off a mound as a precaution for the blister on his left hand. He limited himself to a game of catch. Acquired last week from Oakland, Hill has not pitched since an injuryshortened, five-pitch outing on July 17. He expressed his hope that he could start Friday. Brandon McCarthy, the proposed starter for Saturday, did complete a session in the bullpen. He indicated he felt better about his fastball command, which deserted him in his last two outings, leading to 10 walks in 6 2/3 innings. McCarthy may throw another bullpen on Thursday for maintenance with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. I think it was a positive today to work through some things with Honey and command that fastball, Manager Dave Roberts said before his team s game against the Phillies. Today was a good day for Mac. Holstered as an option is Ross Stripling, who also threw a bullpen on Tuesday. Pitching in Hill s place last Sunday, Stripling threw five scoreless innings against Boston. The Dodgers could also bring back Brett Anderson into the rotation. Anderson completed a five-inning outing with triple-a Oklahoma City on Monday. Or the team could insert Julio Urias, who started on Monday, to throw on either Saturday or Sunday. As always, the plans are written in pencil.

8 Van Slyke back on disabled list The Dodgers placed outfielder Scott Van Slyke on the disabled list for the second time this season, this time because of right wrist irritation. The team recalled utility infielder Chris Taylor from triple-a Oklahoma City. Van Slyke missed most of April and all of May due to a back injury. He has hit.225 this season with only one home run, leaving a void on a roster searching for outfielders capable of hitting left-handed pitching. Roberts framed Van Slyke s injury as a long-standing condition that resurfaced. It s been something that Scott s dealt with for a calendar year, Roberts said. He just can t get that flexion in his wrist. It s impeding his swing. So right now, bringing Chris Taylor back, it s an easy move for us. Chris gives us that versatility. And obviously, where Slyke s at now, we re not doing him any good keeping him out there. Dodgers join the Giants atop NL West standings with 9-3 win over Phillies By Andy McCullough For 87 days, the Dodgers stared up at the standings at the San Francisco Giants, watching their National League West rivals extend a division lead that appeared close to insurmountable. On June 26, the Giants pushed the lead to eight games. Later that week, Clayton Kershaw went on the disabled list with an injured back. But a funny thing happened on the way to San Francisco romping toward a division title. The Giants hit a perilous patch of regression, and the Dodgers regrouped to find an offensive stride unseen during the first three months of the season. With a 9-3 victory on Tuesday over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers have tied the Giants for the division lead. When you look at the standings, that s something to hang your hat on, a little bit, Manager Dave Roberts said. But I think the bigger picture is the way we re going about, preparing every day. Like I always said, the wins are a byproduct of our preparation. The clubs will not face each other until Aug. 23. By then, the Dodgers (64-49) may have reclaimed the division s throne. On Tuesday, the offense thrashed a Phillies starter for the second night in a row at Dodger Stadium, this time taxing Vince Velasquez for nine runs in 42/3 innings. The Dodgers operated with savagery at the plate. Howie Kendrick hit a two-run homer to key a four-run second inning. Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run shot in the third. Justin Turner continued the pattern with a two-run shot in the fourth. The lineup compensated for a shaky outing by Kenta Maeda. He lasted through the fifth inning, but operated at a slackened pace and gave up three runs. The offense made up for his inconsistency. And now, no longer does the team trail the Giants. That s just a testament to hard work throughout the season, Kendrick said.

9 Dodgers are 'disappointed' after Yasiel Puig posts videos depicting drinking in minors By Andy McCullough The explanation winding its way from Des Moines to Los Angeles went like this: Last weekend, late in a summer of scuffling, members of the triple-a Oklahoma City Dodgers asked for and received permission to unwind Monday night. The group had recently found access to a party bus, the sort bedecked with neon interior lighting and a booming speaker system, which seemed like a harmless venue to let off steam amid the cornfields of Iowa. The players declined to consider one variable the outsized fame of new teammate Yasiel Puig and the dizzying speed of social media. In a late-night blitz Monday, Puig posted a series of videos on his personal Snapchat account of the players carousing inside the bus. The behavior veered closer to dorkiness than debauchery but still raised eyebrows within the Dodgers organization. The videos prompted a tepid rebuke from President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman and a rhetorical eye roll from Manager Dave Roberts. As the front office seeks to resuscitate Puig s production or trade value, the on-field staff has ventured forth with Puig acting as an emblem of the past. We are aware of what Yasiel posted on social media last night and while we are disappointed in his and some of our other players judgment, this is a matter we will address internally, read a statement from Friedman released in the afternoon. Before Tuesday night s game with the Philadelphia Phillies, President Stan Kasten and General Manager Farhan Zaidi declined to comment beyond the statement. The objection from the organization does not stem from the actions of the group which appear limited to drinking Coronas, wearing sunglasses indoors and shouting into a camera but rather that the videos were shared with the public. Roberts offered scant commentary on the situation. He appeared disinterested in discussing the exploits of a player no longer on the major league roster. I was surprised, Roberts said. I didn t see it until a little bit ago. We re going to take care of things. His goal is and should be to continue to be a better baseball player. So we ll handle it. Unable to find a trading partner for Puig before the Aug. 1 deadline, the Dodgers demoted him after the acquisition of right fielder Josh Reddick. Puig went two for four Sunday in his debut. On Monday, after going hitless in a 3-2 loss to the Iowa Cubs, Puig and his teammates hopped aboard the aforementioned bus. Puig had landed in the minors for a variety of reasons, some rooted on the field and others related to his behavior. Despite some temperamental improvements in 2016, Puig still displayed a lack of consistency in effort, focus and willingness to take instruction, in the eyes of some Dodgers officials. When the team sent him to the minors, one of their instructions was for him to improve his relationships with teammates. On Monday evening, Puig offered documentary evidence of his attempt.

10 The videos start in relatively innocuously, with Puig soliloquizing to the camera in the clubhouse. I think it s so funny, he says. Lose today, and everybody happy. In the next clip, Puig straps on a pair of sunglasses and dances in his boxers. The footage shifts to the bus, music blaring and players hollering into the camera. Puig screams himself hoarse, unleashing expletives at a rapid pace. His teammates behave in innocuous, if uncouth, fashion. They sing along to Yo Gotti and Fat Joe. They flip off the camera. One man references an Internet meme about Harambe, the gorilla killed at the Cincinnati Zoo in May. One odd moment occurrs when the entirety of the group chants F--- Sege, a reference to recently promoted utility man Rob Segedin. As Segedin explained the situation, the chant stemmed from the team attempting to rally around his departure. Segedin carried the Oklahoma City lineup during the summer, hitting 21 homers and 23 doubles, and the group joked that he deserted them by receiving a promotion. A lot of inside jokes, and stuff, that when you put it on the Internet, people can judge it a certain way, Segedin said. A lot of guys texted me this morning saying it was completely the opposite of the way it was portrayed. The constant inside the tumult is Puig. His caption for one video reads I love this team. His energy appears indefatigable. Let s go, guys! he shouts. Let s go! The last video ends with Puig wagging his tongue at the camera. The Dodgers chose not to cast the behavior as a gesture of defiance, a response to the embarrassment of his demotion. The front office is still seeking to recoup value for Puig on the trade market. And the on-field staff is just looking to move forward. We ll handle it accordingly, Roberts said. For me, I want to focus on the guys here. Dodgers reliever Josh Ravin uses car accident, PED suspension as motivation on mound By Andy McCullough A mangy patch of hair covered the face of Josh Ravin when he entered the Dodgers clubhouse on Monday afternoon. My prison beard, he called it, a fittingly fuzzy accompaniment to a season spent in a penitentiary built by an illness, a car crash and a drug suspension. The forces forged a fury inside Ravin that he converted into fuel on the mound. I want to destroy everyone who steps in the box, Ravin said. Because I have no other way to take out my anger and frustration.

11 Ravin spent a decade toiling in the minors before he debuted with the Dodgers last season. His career nearly unraveled this spring in a cascade of misfortune. Some of it was self-inflicted, he acknowledged. He rejoined the club this week as a testament to his dominance in the minors and the organization s thirst for fresh arms. The Dodgers recalled Ravin after placing Joe Blanton on the bereavement list. Blanton is expected to return Friday, Manager Dave Roberts said. But Ravin received a chance to showcase himself, striking out a pair and working around a triple in a scoreless ninth inning in Monday s 9-4 victory over Philadelphia. From the reports that I get, he s been dominant, Roberts said before the game. He s got better command of the slider, and he s sitting at 97 mph. I like the velocity and the slider command. He should get major-league hitters out. Three months ago, Ravin wondered if he would ever get that chance again with the Dodgers. Frustrated with his options in the appeals process, he accepted an 80-game suspension for violating the league s performance-enhancing drug policy. He vowed to team officials that he would pay his penance and return with a vengeance. For Ravin, the spiral started in spring training. He contracted an illness that laid him low and stripped 20 pounds from his 6-foot-4 frame. After he regained strength and started to resume his throwing program, he was involved in a car accident that broke his non-throwing arm. The injury would shelve him for months. As he recuperated, it only got worse. In between the illness and the accident, Ravin consumed a sports drink that contained the banned substance Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2. He sought to regain strength so he could be ready for the season. While he acknowledged he violated the league s drug policy, he found a sizable dichotomy between his behavior and the decisions of other offenders. You can call it cheating, Ravin said. It is what it is. I cheated. But it s a little different when you ve got a guy on the playing field who is using compared to a guy who can t even be on the field. That s what frustrates me. That s where my anger comes from. The perceived injustice gnawed at him as Ravin considered his options after he failed the test. He thought about claiming negligence, the defense used by players when an illegal substance enters the body unwittingly. But his lawyer from the MLBPA told him his case was too thin, Ravin said. Ravin feared the possibility of fighting the charge for the entirety of this season and still facing an 80- game ban in So he capitulated and accepted the punishment. The suspension left him time to stew. Ravin raged at the situation, he said. He felt he had been honest about his usage of the substance when talking to league officials. He had not attempted to improve the performance of a healthy body. He merely intended to heal a depleted one. Where s the sympathy? Ravin said. That s what I was looking for. It s frustrating. It really is. When there s guys on the field who are doing it and there s guy who can t even be on the field. Big difference. The fact that I got 80 [games] and other guys got 80, that s where that frustration [comes from].

12 Idle for most of the summer, Ravin made a handful of appearances in the rookie-level Arizona League last month. Moved to triple-a Oklahoma City in August, he struck out seven batters in a pair of twoinning stints. With Blanton away from the club, the Dodgers brought Ravin back to the majors. In a comical twist, the team placed his locker next to that of utility man Enrique Hernandez. In April, with Ravin on the disabled list and awaiting suspension, the pair engaged in a Twitter spat that led to Ravin deleting his account. The row started when Ravin made a crack about Hernandez s outfield defense. Hernandez replied with a joke about Ravin s driving. The exchange devolved from there. You can t pick up on sarcasm on that type of stuff, Ravin said. It was just a misunderstanding. He added, I had enough stuff on me that that s when I checked out of Twitter. I was like I need to get off this crap. Ravin joked about the idea of building a brand on Twitter. He would rather make his reputation on the mound. After a ruined spring and a torturous summer, he has emerged ready to contribute for the club that stuck by him. I ve got a lot of lost time, Ravin said. So I m trying to make up for it, every time I get on the rubber. OC REGISTER Dodgers catch Giants for share of first place in NL West with 9-3 win over Phillies By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES Well, that didn t take long at all. When baseball reached its All-Star break, the San Francisco Giants had the best record in baseball and a robust 6-1/2-game lead over the Dodgers in the National League West. A month later, the Dodgers and Giants are tied for first in the division after the Dodgers latest offensive show a 9-3, three-home run victory over the Philadelphia Phillies combined with another Giants loss Tuesday night. It is the first time the Dodgers have had their hands on any part of first place since they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals on May 15. You think about it. But you keep going, Dodgers rookie shortstop Corey Seager said. The job s not done yet so you keep going. You can celebrate after the year is done. Admittedly, the Giants have done most of the work in arranging this meeting at the top of the division standings. After being shut out by the Miami Marlins on Tuesday, the Giants are 7-16 since the All-Star break, the worst record in baseball during that time.

13 The Dodgers, meanwhile, have gone 13-9 to catch the Giants thanks to an offense that has scored 120 runs since the All-Star break. Only two teams have scored more in the second half the altitude-aided Colorado Rockies (133) and the Minnesota Twins (126). Both have played three more games than the Dodgers since the break. I think if you look at our club on paper offensively there s a lot of length. It just didn t play out the first month of the season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. There s really no breaks in our lineup now. There s stress throughout. It s just a credit to these guys understanding that it s a long season and not give the season away in April. We ve got length. We re as good as any lineup in the National League. The runs were easy to come by again Tuesday as Yasmani Grandal, Howie Kendrick (on his bobblehead night) and Justin Turner each hit two-run home runs. It was the third consecutive game in which the Dodgers have hit at least three home runs, a streak they hadn t accomplished since May We re finding the barrel, Roberts said. As an old mentor (Astros assistant hitting coach Alonzo Powell) used to tell me, Extension and elevation equals damage. There s a lot of that to be had. Grandal, Kendrick and Turner have been doing significant damage, figuring prominently in the midseason rebirth of the Dodgers offense. Grandal s home run was his 12th since June 30, the most in the NL in that time, and extended a hot streak that has seen him go 13 for 29 with seven extra-base hits (two doubles, a triple and four home runs) and 10 RBI in his past nine games. That s just part of a longer revival. Slow to find his swing this season after shoulder surgery last fall, Grandal has hit.348 (31 for 89) with 21 RBI and those 12 home runs (and 20 walks) in his past 28 games. His average has jumped 58 points in that time (from.178 to.236) Turner was also slow to get started this season following microfracture knee surgery last fall. His average bottomed out at.220 on June 3. Since then, he has been one of the most productive hitters in the National League with a.320 average (70 for 219), 18 home runs and 51 RBI and at least one extrabase hit in nine of his past 10 games. Kendrick had his own struggles early in the season, the residue of a spring training cut short by a calf injury. He was batting.219 on June 13 but has hit.310 (53 for 171) since then while quietly accepting a new role in unfamiliar territory (left field). You get frustrated through part of it, Kendrick said of the slow start. But I think the thing is knowing we ve done this for a long time, you trust yourself. You trust the process and you trust the work you re putting in. Seager, Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Utley also had multi-hit games Tuesday, backing Kenta Maeda, who struggled through five innings. Maeda threw 104 pitches to get the bare minimum for a win, more than he has thrown in all but two of his starts this season.

14 He looked like it was a grind for him tonight, Roberts said. Fastball command wasn t where I think we like it. There were some good breaking balls in there. But the breaking ball was a little rolling tonight. It wasn t as sharp as we ve seen it. Maeda s struggle was rewarded. With his five innings Tuesday, Maeda has thrown a team-high 130-2/3 this season hitting another benchmark in his bonus-laden contract and adding $250,000 to his take for the season. Dodgers 'disappointed' in Yasiel Puig's party video posted to social media, not selling his merchandise By JP Hoornstra LOS ANGELES Two large action photos of Yasiel Puig awaited visitors in the official merchandise store at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. Facing inward from opposite sides of the room, Puig was hard to miss. Much easier to miss Tuesday: actual Yasiel Puig merchandise. Other than the photos, the Dodgers removed all traces of number 66 from their official team store this week. Any merchandise bearing his name, jersey number or likeness has been placed in storage. This wasn t the most awkward situation for the Dodgers since Puig was demoted to Triple-A last week, but it was among the most obvious. A quick scan around Dodger Stadium on Tuesday revealed the enduring popularity of Puig apparel. As recently as July 2015, Puig s number 66 was the 21st-most popular Majestic jersey in MLB according to data provided by the league. Meanwhile, down in the Dodgers clubhouse, Rob Segedin was catching up on messages from his former Oklahoma City teammates and answering questions about party buses. Late Monday night, Puig posted a series of 16 video clips to his Snapchat account depicting a raucous celebration, beginning in a clubhouse and ending on a bus. Fueled by beer and loud music, Puig and the other Oklahoma City players shouted profanities directed at Segedin, who was promoted to the Dodgers on Friday. A bunch of guys texted me this morning. They didn t know (the video) was going to go so viral, I guess, Segedin said. They were all just having fun. They were trying to have a team bonding experience. There s no negative feelings toward any of those guys. Some of those guys (in the video) are my best friends on the team. Puig deleted his Snapchat account, but only after the videos made the social media rounds. Much of the content was not suitable for work. None of it appeared to be illegal, or necessarily irresponsible. Still, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman issued a statement condemning Puig s behavior Tuesday afternoon. We are aware of what Yasiel posted on social media last night and while we are disappointed in his and some of our other players' judgment, this is a matter we will address internally, the statement read.

15 Puig had been with the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate less than 48 hours when the videos hit the internet. Whatever internal discipline he faced Tuesday did not keep him out of the starting lineup. Puig even hit a home run in his first at-bat against the Iowa Cubs. Puig was batting.260 with seven home runs when the Dodgers optioned him out, after failing to find a partner at the non-waiver trade deadline Aug. 1. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Puig s goal is and should be to continue to be a better baseball player. A home run at Triple-A might have moved the needle in that direction, but it s fighting a massive current in a stadium where Puig has no locker and now, no jerseys for sale. VAN SLYKE AILING Scott Van Slyke was placed on the 15-day disabled list with inflammation in his right wrist. Now the first baseman/outfielder can only hope the injury does not end his season. Van Slyke said this is related to the wrist injury that bothered him last September; he s also missed time each of the last two seasons with back problems. The Dodgers have placed 26 different players on the disabled list this season, believed to be one shy of the major league record. The more Van Slyke spoke of his latest injury, the more trivial the DL record seemed. Since last year, I know I ve lost range of motion, he said. I ve known it wasn t normal. Van Slyke said he was told to take a week to 10 days to rest his wrist. If he doesn t feel better at that point, surgery would be an option. The procedure would be an arthroscopic, run-of-the-mill clean-up, Van Slyke said, but it would probably end his season. The goal is to find a scenario where I m not completely shut down but can still help the team in certain capacities, Van Slyke said. Now in his fifth major league season, Van Slyke hasn t been able to help the team at the plate much lately by his own admission. The limited range of motion in his wrist has contributed to his.225 batting average in 52 games. Among the Dodgers regulars, only catcher A.J. Ellis (.562) has a lower OPS this season than Van Slyke (.606). If surgery is the recommended course of action, Van Slyke said he would prefer not to wait. You don t want to wait until November or December because then you re short on time going into spring training next season, he said. Chris Taylor, who was optioned to Triple-A on Friday, was recalled to take Van Slyke s spot. He was hitting.229 in 24 games this season after the Dodgers acquired him in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. ALSO

16 Right-hander Brandon McCarthy threw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium absent any of the wildness that plagued his fastball Sunday. He remains on track to start Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Roberts said. Left-hander Rich Hill s bullpen session was scratched, but he is scheduled to make his Dodgers debut Friday against the Pirates. Hill is on the 15-day disabled list with a blister on his left middle finger. Right-hander Ross Stripling, who threw five shutout innings against the Red Sox in a spot start Saturday, also threw a bullpen session. He and left-hander Brett Anderson, who pitched five innings in a Triple-A rehab game Monday, could potentially fill in this weekend if needed. In a private ceremony, California state assemblymen Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) and Jimmy Gomez (D-Riverside) presented Assembly Concurrent Resolution 195 to Vin Scully, recognizing his 67 year-long career with the Dodgers. On deck: Phillies at Dodgers, Wednesday, noon By Bill Plunkett Where: Dodger Stadium TV: SNLA, noon Did you know? In his career, Scott Kazmir has been more successful in day games (35-22 with a 3.81 ERA) than night games (72-73 with a 4.07 ERA). THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP SCOTT KAZMIR (9-5, 4.51) Vs. Phillies: 1-1, 7.04 At Dodger Stadium: 5-5, 4.16 Hates to face: Cody Asche, 2 for 3 (.667) Loves to face: Taylor Featherston, 0 for 2, 2 strikeouts PHILLIES RHP JEREMY HELLICKSON (9-7, 3.72) Vs. Dodgers: 0-1, 9.00 At Dodger Stadium: 0-1, 9.00 Hates to face: Yasmani Grandal, 3 for 4 (.750), 1 double, 1 home run Loves to face: Joc Pederson, 0 for 4, 4 strikeouts SPORTS ILLUSTRATED Even without Clayton Kershaw, contending Dodgers proving 'pen is mightier By Tom Verducci The Dodgers have the highest payroll in baseball, the best pitcher in baseball (Clayton Kershaw, who remains on the DL since July 1), the National League Rookie of the Year who might also be the MVP (Corey Seager) and so much money that they are paying players $73 million not to play for them (Carl Crawford, Matt Kemp, Hector Olivera, Yasiel Puig, etc.). But when you ask manager Dave Roberts why Los Angeles has gotten within one game of the Giants in the NL West, he doesn t hesitate to say that it s because of a rather low-budget, low-profile collection of assorted pickups.

17 "The most important part of our team without a doubt is our eight-man bullpen," Roberts said. "We ve used them a lot collectively, but when you look it individually we don t have anybody among the league leaders in games. What makes the eight-man bullpen work is that all of them are unselfish and willing and able to pitch whenever called upon. There are no egos." Since last year, teams have paid huge prices in talent and dollars to acquire relievers such as Aroldis Chapman (Yankees, then Cubs), Ken Giles (Astros), Craig Kimbrel (Red Sox), Jonathan Papelbon and Mark Melancon (Nationals) and Will Smith (Giants). The Dodgers, with president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman channeling his bargain-hunting and sabermetric-savvy ways from his years running the Rays, have built a historically great bullpen while shopping the bargain aisles. This might surprise you: L.A.'s staff is the toughest staff to hit at the end of games the sport has ever seen. Here's a look at the lowest batting average allowed in innings seven through nine in baseball history: Dodgers: Tigers: Mariners: (tie) Dodgers: White Sox: (tie) Orioles: (tie) Athletics:.206 Overall, the Dodgers are 20th in innings from starting pitchers, but they have the best bullpen in baseball when it comes to allowing base runners (1.063 WHIP) and being tough to hit (.204), and their 'pen ranks third in ERA (3.10). Couple that with smart deployment in shifting only the Cubs defense is better at turning batted balls into outs and Los Angeles is playing smart baseball as well as any team in the majors. Closer Kenley Jansen is a star reliever having a career year who has been unhittable lately. In his past four appearances he has retired 13 straight batters (nine by strikeout) while throwing a total of only six balls (44 of 52 pitches for strikes). The other seven relievers all had under-the-radar paths to the Los Angeles bullpen: one converted infielder, two cheap free agents and four minor trade acquisitions. The Dodgers deep front office has played the bullpen analytics game as well as any one. Major league relievers this season are on pace to throw more innings than ever in the history of the game, breaking the record set in But whereas bullpens then were used passively as a defensive mechanism to react to offense, now they are deployed as a pro-active tactic to depress offense. The formula goes like this: Use more pitchers in shorter bursts. When you narrow the time hitters see these pitchers, you can deploy specialty pitchers who don t have the weapons to pitch effectively even one full way through a lineup but are effective in brief exposures. When teams look for specialty relievers, they place a greater emphasis on outliers among the modern analytical measurements we have today: spin rates, release angles, extension, exit velocity allowed, et al. Clubs aren't looking for guys who do many things in the average range; bullpen usage now is about deploying specialists.

18 Ichiro Suzuki became the 30th member of the 3,000-hit club on on Aug. 7, The Marlins outfielder recorded his 3,000th major league hit against the Rockies in Denver, tripling off of reliever Chris Rusin in the top of the seventh inning. Batting sixth in the lineup, Ichiro struck out in his first at-bat and grounded out in the third and fourth innings. Alex Rodriguez became the 29th member of the 3,000-hit club on on June 19, Much to the chagrin of many baseball fans, including many of those in the Bronx, A-Rod had returned from a season-long suspension and hip surgery to put together one of the most amazing comeback seasons ever. In his age- 40 season, he became just the third to hit a home run for 3K, along with Wade Boggs and Derek Jeter, after hitting the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the first inning from Tigers starter Justin Verlander. Derek Jeter became the 28th member of the 3,000-hit club on July 9, Jeter's 3,000th hit came in dramatic fashion. He became the second member of the club to mark his entrance with a home run, joining former teammate Wade Boggs. Jeter took the Rays' David Price deep in the third inning, the second hit of the day for No. 2 and at precisely 2 p.m. Craig Biggio became the 27th member of the 3,000-hit club on June 28, 2007, with an RBI single off Colorado's Aaron Cook at Minute Maid Park. Rafael Palmeiro became the 26th member of the 3,000-hit club on July 15, 2005, with a double off Seattle's Joel Pineiro at Safeco Field. Palmeiro was suspended for violating MLB's drug policy less than three weeks later. Rickey Henderson became the 25th member of the 3,000-hit club on Oct. 7, 2001, with a double off Colorado's John Thomson at Qualcomm Stadium. The "Man of Steal" Henderson is baseball's career leader in runs (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406). Cal Ripken Jr. became the 24th member of the 3,000-hit club on April 15, 2000, with a single off Minnesota's Hector Carrasco at the Metrodome. The Iron Man collected 2,832 of his hits during his 2,632 consecutive games played streak. Wade Boggs became the 23rd member of the 3,000-hit club on Aug. 7, 1999, with a home run off Cleveland's Chris Haney at Tropicana Field. While 94 percent of Boggs' hits went for singles (2,253) or doubles (578), Boggs is the only player to reach the milestone with with a round-tripper. Tony Gwynn became the 22nd member of the 3,000-hit club on Aug. 6, 1999, with a single off Montreal's Dan Smith at Olympic Stadium. An eight-time batting champion, Gwynn is the only player to collect No. 3,000 on foreign soil. Paul Molitor became the 21st member of the 3,000-hit club on Sept. 16, 1996 with a triple off Kansas City's Jose Rosado at Kauffman Stadium. He is only member of the club to reach the milestone with a three-bagger. Eddie Murray became the 20th member of the 3,000-hit club on June 30, 1995, with a single off Minnesota's Mike Trombley at the Metrodome. Steady Eddie joined Pete Rose as the only switch-hitters in the club.

19 Dave Winfield became the 19th member of the 3,000-hit club on Sept. 16, 1993, with a single off Oakland's Dennis Eckersley at the Metrodome. At 6-6, Winfield is the tallest member of the H3K club and was the first to reach the plateau indoors. George Brett became the 18th member of the 3,000-hit club on Sept. 30, 1992, with a single off California's Tim Fortugno at Anaheim Stadium. Brett is the only player to win batting titles in three different decades. Robin Yount became the 17th member of the 3,000-hit club on Sept. 9, 1992, with a single off Cleveland's Jose Mesa at County Stadium. Only Ty Cobb and Hank Aaron reached the milestone at a younger age. Rockin' Robin collected more hits in the 1980s (1,731) than any other player. Rod Carew became the 16th member of the 3,000-hit club on Aug. 4, 1985, with a single off California's Frank Viola at Anaheim Stadium. The only player to reach the milestone in the 1980s, Carew won seven batting titles and finished with 3,053 hits. Carl Yastrzemski became the 15th member of the 3,000-hit club on Sept. 12, 1979 with a single off New York's Jim Beattie at Fenway Park. The last player to hit for the triple crown, Yaz hit.369 in the postseason. Lou Brock became the 14th member of the 3,000-hit club on Aug. 13, 1979, with a single off Chicago's Dennis Lamp at Busch Stadium. He was especially clutch in the postseason, posting a career.391 average in 21 World Series games. Rose became the 13th member of the 3,000-hit club on May 5, 1978, with a single off Montreal's Steve Rogers at Riverfront Stadium. Charlie Hustle collected more than 200 hits a record 10 times and remains baseball's Hit King. Al Kaline became the 12th member of the 3,000-hit club on Sept. 24, 1974, with a double off Dave McNally at Memorial Stadium. Kaline was the first American Leaguer to reach the milestone in 49 years. Roberto Clemente became the 11th member of the 3,000-hit club on Sept. 29, 1972, with a double off New York's John Matlack at Three Rivers Stadium. It was Clemente's final at-bat of the season and, tragically, the last of his career -- he died in an airplane accident during the offseason. Willie Mays became the 10th member of the 3,000-hit club on July 18, 1970, with a single off Montreal's Mike Wegener at Candlestick Park. The Say Hey Kid also joined Hank Aaron as the only members of the 500-homer, 3,000-hit club. Hank Aaron became the ninth member of the 3,000-hit club on May 17, 1970, with a single off Cincinnati's Wayne Simpson at Crosley Field. Hammerin' Hank holds major league records for total bases (6,856), extra-base hits (1,477) and RBIs (2,297). Stan Musial became the eighth member of the 3,000-hit club on May 13, 1958, with a double off Chicago's Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field. Stan The Man owns the highest career slugging percentage (.559) among H3K members and is the only player to reach the milestone as a pinch-hitter.

20 Paul Waner became the seventh member of the 3,000-hit club on June 19, 1942, with a single off Boston's Rip Sewell, a former teammate, at Braves Field. A career.333 hitter, Big Poison posted eight 200-hit seasons. Eddie Collins became the sixth member of the 3,000-hit club on June 3, 1925, with a single off Detroit's Rip Collins at Navin Field. An unlikely superstar at 5-9, 170 pounds, Collins also had 42 hits in World Series play, batting.328 in 34 games. Tris Speaker became the fifth member of the 3,000-hit club on May 17, 1925, with a single off Washington's Tom Zachary at League Park. A career.345 hitter, Speaker finished with a record 792 doubles. Ty Cobb became the fourth member of the 3,000-hit club on Aug. 19, 1921, with a single off Boston's Elmer Myers at Navin Field. Six years later, The Georgia Peach collected his 4,000th hit. Cobb held 90 major league records when he retired and remains the all-time leader in career batting average (.367). Nap Lajoie became the third member of the 3,000-hit club on Sept. 27, 1914, with a single off New York's Marty McHale at League Park. A career.339 hitter, Lajoie topped.350 ten times and needed only 2,224 games to reach the milestone -- second only to Ty Cobb. Honus Wagner became the second member of the 3,000-hit club on July 9, 1914, with a double off Philadelphia's Erskine Mayer at the Baker Bowl. The Flying Dutchman hit at least.300 in his first 17 seasons and won eight NL batting titles. Cap Anson became the first member of the 3,000-hit club on Aug. 3, 1897, with a single off St. Louis' Bill Hart at West Side Grounds. Officially, Anson finished with 3,418 hits, although some historians question Anson's membership because walks were counted as hits (as well as at-bats) in The Dodgers have no one younger than 27 in their bullpen. They like seasoned pitchers who have gone through their learning curve and narrowed their repertoire to exactly what works best. Here is a profile of L.A.'s relievers and how they were acquired. Note in each case that the Dodgers have identified at least one pitch or trait that makes that pitcher something of an outlier. Luis Avilan, LHP, 27 (acquired via 2015 trade with the Braves): Heavy changeup usage; reverse split tendencies make him tough on righthanders. Pedro Baez, RHP, 28 (converted minor league infielder): High-velocity, high-spin swing-and-miss fastball. Joe Blanton, RHP, 35 (2016 free agent): Premium spin (slider, curveball) with short extension. Jesse Chavez, RHP, 32 (2016 trade with the Blue Jays): Very hard cutter and high-spin four-seamer. Grant Dayton, LHP, 28 (2015 trade with the Marlins): Deceptive 91-mph four-seam fastball. Josh Fields, RHP, 30 (2016 trade by the Astros): Turbo cutter with above average extension. J.P. Howell, LHP, 33 (2013 free agent): Exceptional low-spin rate sinker.