Missed it by that much

Maxwell Smart said it best: "Missed it by that much."

The Dodgers fell short in the National League Championship Series, falling to the anointed Chicago Cubs four games to two despite taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

Clayton Kershaw was beaten handily in Game Six, adding to his post-season woes.

Kershaw pitched well in the playoffs, but couldn't muster another masterful performance to force a Game Seven.

In 2018 it will be 30 years since the Dodgers won the World Series. Much has been said of Chicago's and Cleveland's lifetime droughts - but 30 years is nothing to shake a stick at.

But I am the eternal optimist.

The Dodgers have the resources to add players and have won four straight NL West crowns. This year they made it to baseball's version of the Final Four. Not a bad year.

Dave Roberts guided his team to a divisional crown and NLDS title despite having the most players on the DL during the season.

The Dodgers have a strong crop of young players who will only get better. It was a fun ride.

I watched some of the playoffs in Tallahassee while we were fleeing from a hurricane. My granddaughter Daphne (see picture) wore her hat and later we bought her a Dodger blue dress.

How can the future not be bright?

Dodgers advance with dramatic win over Nats

Last night's 4-3 win over the Nationals sent the Dodgers to Chicago and a berth in the National League Championship Series starting Saturday. The winner of the NLCS advances to the World Series.

Getting there was a wild ride.

Joc Pederson hit a solo opposite field homer off of Max Scherzer, Justin Turner continued wielding a hot bat with a two run triple, Kenley Jansen threw 50 plus pitches in relief and ace Clayton Kershaw came out of the bullpen to record the final two outs when Jansen finally ran out of gas in the ninth.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pulled all the rabbits out of his hat and was grabbing for mice and squirrels to find a way to get the Dodgers past a dangerous Washington club.

I watched Game Five in Eden, Utah, high in the mountains above Ogden Canyon and was sitting on the edge of my seat.

I saw Game One in Tallahassee, Florida on Friday on the run from Hurricane Matthew. The Dodgers posted a 4-3 win to open the series. Our apartment in Jacksonville survived without damage and we headed to Utah on Saturday. I watched Game Two here in Eden on Sunday as the Nats evened the series at 1-1 with a 5-2 win.

We watched Game Three here in Eden on Monday and my brother and I agonized when the Nats administered an 8-3 whipping and took a 2-1 edge in the series. Nachos and quesadillas eased the pain.

We went to  his house in Kaysville for Game Four on Tuesday and watched the Dodgers post a 6-5 win to even the series at 2-2. Dominos pizza was part of the celebration.

Last night, Ann made sub sandwiches for the game and she fell asleep in the seventh inning. She woke up in the ninth when the Dodgers clinched it.

All in all, it's been a good week to be a Dodgers fan.

Dodgers face tall order tonight in DC

The Dodgers face a tall order tonight in Washington, D.C. in the deciding Game Five of the National League Division Series (NLDS).

They send Rich Hill to the mound on three days rest against Max Scherzer, the probable Cy Young winner with a 20-win season under his belt.

The Dodgers did beat Scherzer in Game One, with Corey Seager and Justin Turner taking him deep.

Scherzer is susceptible to the long ball and the Dodgers have feasted on right handers this year.

But let's go back to Hill. A late season acquisition from Oakland, Hill is 12-5 on the season and 3-2 since joining the Dodgers. He worked through a blister issue and has had some flashes of brilliance since donning Dodger blue.

With Hill going on three days rest, the Dodgers hope to get 3-4 good inning out of Hill and then turn the ball over to 20-year old Julio Urias. Urias would face the toughest assignment of his young career in facing a potent Nationals lineup at home.

The game figures to be decided in the bullpens, where Washington's lefties have pretty much had their way with L.A.'s left-handed dominated lineup.

Dave Roberts and Dusty Baker will be moving the chess pieces to earn the NLDS crown and advance to a Saturday date with Chicago in the NLCS.

Can Dodgers get over the playoff hump?

In dramatic fashion, the Dodgers clinched the National League West for a fourth straight year last night, winning 4-3 on a 10th inning walkoff homer by Charlie Culbertson.

In Vin Scully's last broadcast at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers earned another spot in the post season.

Now the questions come.

Can the Dodgers go deep into the playoffs or will they make an early exit?

Can Clayton Kershaw overcome his playoff woes and pitch effectively in the month of October?

Do the Dodgers have enough pitching and hitting to get past Washington and Chicago to make it to the World Series?

No one knows the outcomes, but my guess is the Dodgers will get past the Nationals. They are 5-1 against the Nats this year and Steven Strasburg, Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper, all key pieces for Washington, are less than 100 percent with nagging injuries.

The Dodgers have been on fire in the second half and are playing with a lot of passion. Kershaw (12-3) is strong and rested and Kenta Maeda (16-9) and Rich Hill (12-5) give the Dodgers a starting rotation capable of winning each time out.

The Dodgers biggest area of improvement has been in the bullpen, where Joe Blanton, Adam Liberatore, Pedro Baez, Luis Avilan, J.P. Howell, Ross Stripling and Kenley Jansen have turned around what was the Dodgers major weak point in years past.

In addition, Dave Roberts has starters Julio Urias and Jose DeLeon ready if he needs more pitching.

Ask the Giants how important a bullpen can be.

As for Kershaw, his back injury forced him to sit for 2.5 months. He seems to be recovered and will enter the playoffs looking his dominant self.

As for hitting, the Dodgers have shown good power with Yasmani Grandal (27), Justin Turner (27), Corey Seager (26) and Joc Pederson (26) flexing the long ball.

Seager should win the Rookie of the Year award and Adrian Gonzalez, Turner, Josh Reddick, Yasiel Puig, Howie Kendrick, Chase Utley, Andrew Toles and Andre Ethier give the Dodgers a lot of options to create favorable matchups.

Puig has been a different man since being exiled to Oklahoma City and Ethier is just getting his timing back after a season-long bout on the DL with a leg fracture. Toles has emerged as a valuable tool and Reddick has warmed up since coming over in the Oakland trade.

If the Dodgers do get past the Nats they will likely face the Cubs, everyone's favorites to win it all this year.

It may be Chicago's year but they still have to win it on the field.

A night for Vin

Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully, wrapping up an amazing 67-year career at the microphone, took center stage tonight in Chavez Ravine.

Composer John Williams had the baton for the national anthem and all-time great southpaws Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw, among others, were on hand to pay tribute.

Scully and his wife were escorted to the dugout on a blue carpet ringed with Dodgers.

Scully is being recognized this week for his masterful life of broadcasting baseball games. But in actuality, Scully is being honored for being the storyteller who would artfully weave pieces of the players lives into the games we watched and listened to, making the experience a rich and memorable one.

It's seems like yesterday I was a 12-year old Little Leaguer listening to Scully on the radio call the game on summer nights in Bell Gardens, California.

Many a summer night I fell asleep listening to Scully paint wonderful pictures of the exploits of players like Koufax, Don Drysdale, John Roseboro, Maury Wills, Steve Garvey, Wes Parker, Ron Cey, Manny Mota, Willie Davis and Tommie Davis, to name a few.

The pictures Scully painted gave me a vivid image of the games being played in Chavez Ravine.

That was a lifetime ago, but it seems like yesterday.

Scully will broadcast these last Dodgers home games this weekend then wrap up his career calling the Dodgers versus Giants in the city by the bay next week.

Vin, thanks for the memories.

Scoreboard watching and different time zones

When your team is in a pennant race, you watch the scoreboard.

When the Yankees are blanking your Dodgers you gaze at the scoreboard and wonder if San Diego can knock off San Francisco two nights in a row to preserve the lead in the standings.

Living on the East Coast with our team on the West Coast often means waiting until morning to see the results of a game that started at 10:10 p.m. Eastern.

The Giants blew a ninth-inning lead to lose to the Padres last night, easing the pain of a 3-0 shutout to the Bronx Bombers. I didn’t know about it until this morning.

MLBTV’s online package provides highlights and condensed games for the fan who can’t get enough and the MLB Channel is chock full of highlights and analysis.

But you still gotta sleep.

For the Dodgers, the pennant race is now down to 17 games after today’s rubber match with the Yanks.

The Dodgers have four games in Arizona; three at home against the Giants; four at home against the Rockies and finish the season on the road with three against the Padres and three games in San Francisco.

I will sleep when the playoffs are over.

Keeping my cool in Miami

For the last several years I have made my annual trip to see the Dodgers by driving from Carson City, Nevada to San Francisco to see the Dodgers face off against the Giants at AT&T Park, a stunning stadium on the bay.

Since moving to Florida last fall, my options have changed. This year, getting my Dodgers fix meant a drive down I-95 to see the Dodgers square off against the Miami Marlins in beautiful Marlins Park, which opened in 2012.

I saw games with old friends, Jay and Lou, and even worked in a visit to my mother-in-law in Indiantown up in Martin County.

Some impressions:

• Marlins Park is a top-notch stadium. I fell in love with the retractable roof and the air conditioning system that maintained a cool 75 degrees inside as it sweltered outside.
• Jose Fernandez is a beast. He struck out 14 Dodgers in a 4-1 win and was consistently hitting the gun at 97-98 miles per hour.
• Rich Hill was perfect for seven innings on Saturday night but was pulled for health considerations by Dave Roberts. Roberts has his eye on October but it was still a tough decision. Hill is now 3-0 as a Dodger and has yet to allow a run. He's 36 but has been a godsend to the L.A. pitching staff.
• Clayton Kershaw showed the rust from being on the shelf for two plus months, giving up a homer and getting hit in a short three-inning appearance on Friday night. Give him a few starts and if his back holds up he will be nails down the stretch.
• Joc Pederson launched a moonshot in the 5-0 win on Saturday and followed it with a laser to right field the same night. He is coming along just fine.
• Cory Seager has a sweet swing and deserves to be in the running for Rookie of the Year and has an outside shot at MVP.
• Yasiel Puig may be growing up. He is playing within the framework of the team and made a highlight reel catch to preserve Hill's perfecto. 

The Dodgers dropped two of three to Miami this weekend while the Giants were sweeping the D-Backs. Their lead in the NL West has shrunk to three games with a critical series starting tonight in the Bronx. 

Ya gotta love a pennant race.

Greinke gets a harsh welcome at Dodger Stadium

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke bolted for the desert last off-season, signing a huge contract to join the D-Backs and break up the one-two punch of Kershaw and Greinke.

So there was a little nostalgia and emotion on tap when Greinke took the mound against his old team on Labor Day.

Greinke didn't finish the fifth inning.

The former Cy Young Award winner gave up eight runs on nine hits, including five round-trippers by the Dodgers.

The big blowup came in the fifth inning when the Dodgers clubbed four dingers with Joc Pederson, Cory Seager, Justin Turner and Yasmani Grandal teeing off against Greinke.

Here was a pitcher who went 19-3 last year with a 1.66 ERA. He was 17-8 in 2014 and 15-4 in 2013. He used to own Dodger Stadium.

They say you can't go home.

Zack Greinke sure couldn't.

Dodgers pitching cavalry is coming

Dodger rookie right-hander Jose DeLeon made his debut in Chavez Ravine yesterday, tossing a six-hitter over six innings and getting a 7-4 win behind home runs by Yasiel Puig and Yasmani Grandal.

DeLeon showed why his the top pitching prospect in the Dodgers organization, striking out nine and showing great composure on the mound. He and Julio Urias could anchor the Los Angeles pitching staff of the future.

DeLeon's start marked the 15th different starting pitcher for the Dodgers this season, the most in the major leagues.

Injuries have decimated the Dodgers pitching corps but the organization responded by acquiring Rich Hill from Oakland and bringing up Urias and DeLeon to bolster the staff.

The Dodgers erased an eight-game deficit to the Giants and now hold a three-game lead over San Francisco as the season enters the final stretch.

Clayton Kershaw, who hasn't pitched since late June, completed a rehab assignment in the minors on Saturday and will take the hill Friday night in Miami against the Marlins. If Kershaw can regain his form and stay healthy, Dave Roberts will have Kershaw, Hill, Scott Kazmir and Kenta Maeda along with DeLeon and Urias to call on.

Urias is believed to be on an innings limit and could come out of the pen for the Dodgers, which has been stellar this season.

Hill, since recovering from a deep blister injury, has been spot on, winning two games and posting a 0.00 ERA for Los Angeles. On the season, Hill is 11-3 with a 1.94 ERA. Maeda, who squares off against Zack Greinke and the Diamondbacks tonight, leads the staff with 13 wins.

Kazmir is also expected to come off the DL after suffering a neck strain. He also threw a rehab assignment last week.

Toles making most of his second chance

Dodgers rookie Andrew Toles was the hero last night, slugging a ninth-inning, two-out grand slam to give the Dodgers a come-from-behind 10-8 victory over the Rockies and avoid a sweep in Denver.

Toles was a third round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012 after playing college ball at Tennessee. He was dismissed from the team his sophomore year.

Toles sat out of baseball last year after being cut by the Rays and spent some time working in a grocery store to pay the bills.

Dodgers exec Andrew Friedman was at Tampa Bay when Toles was drafted and kept in touch. That contact resulted in Toles joining the Dodgers organization and he shined in the minors, earning a call up to the bigs this summer.

In his 58 at bats in the major leagues, Toles is hitting at a torrid .397 clip while showing good speed on the bases and in the outfield as well. He has hit three dingers, none more dramatic that last night's grand salami.

Dodgers taking off the training wheels

Last week, the Dodgers faced two critical series at Chavez Ravine.

Division rival San Francisco came into town followed by baseball’s best team – the Chicago Cubs.

When the dust had settled, the Dodgers had won four of six, taking both series and cling to a two-game lead in the National League West.

And though veterans played critical roles, it was the young guns who played beyond their years to hold off the Giants and the Cubs.

Julio Urias, Brock Stewart, Ross Stripling and Kenta Maeda turned in solid mound performances, pitching like they were seasoned veterans. The veteran bullpen, anchored by Joe Blanton, Jose Baez, Jesse Chavez, Adam Liberatore and Kenley Jansen, has emerged as one of the stingiest in the league.

At the plate, rookies Cory Seager, Andrew Toles and Rob Segedin have delivered, despite facing the likes of Madison Bumgarner, Johnny Cueto, Matt Moore and John Lester. Seager is a front-running candidate for Rookie of the Year and is in the conversation for NL MVP.

Players that are driving the Dodgers race for the pennant are not far removed from playing ball in places like Rancho Cucamonga, Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

It has been well documented that the Dodgers have put more players on the disabled list than any in baseball – yet the recent arrivals have stepped in to fill the voids.

And while the rooks have shined, veterans such as Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Turner, Chase Utley, Howie Kendrick and Yasmani Grandal have been steady producers.

The Dodgers have made this improbable run to first place without ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who stepped up his rehab by throwing from the mound this week. He is scheduled to pitch a minor league rehab game and the Dodgers are hoping to get him back for a stretch run.

Dodgers an unlikely front runner

Adrian Gonzalez found his power stroke last night, hitting two homers as the Dodgers completed a sweep of the Phillies to move 1.5 games ahead of San Francisco in the NL West.

Los Angeles has made this run to catch and pass the Giants because San Francisco has been in a free fall since the All-Star break and the Dodgers have been wielding some very hot bats.

Since the break, five Dodgers are hitting above .300 (Seager, Kendrick, Turner, Pederson, Gonzalez) and Yasmani Grandal has warmed up, bringing his average to .288 after hovering around .200 most of the year.

Seven Dodgers are in double figures with HRs with Turner and Seager battling for the team lead.

But the most amazing part of the Dodgers second-half run has been a pitching staff that couldn’t be recognized in a lineup.

Kenta Maeda (12-7) and Scott Kazmir (10-6) have been the anchors since Clayton Kershaw (11-2) went on the DL but Brett Anderson, Ross Stripling, Bud Norris, Brandon McCarthy, Jose Urias and a strong bullpen have kept the Dodgers in the running.

Los Angeles acquired Rich Hill (9-3, 2.25 ERA) from Oakland but he is still in Arizona trying to get his blisters to heal.

If Kershaw and Hill return for the stretch run the Dodgers may have enough pitching to challenge the likes of Chicago, Washington, San Francisco and St. Louis. The Dodgers have a good shot to get a Wild Card slot if they can’t hold off the Giants in the NL West.

The Dodgers get San Francisco and Chicago next week, which should give us a good indication of how we match up.

Dodgers draw even with Giants

That eight-game lead San Francisco held in the National League West on June 26?

Gone.

The Dodgers caught the Giants in the NL West standings last night, drilling the Phillies while the Giants were getting blanked in Miami.

The Dodgers have made a run for a fourth consecutive NL West title with a power surge led by Justin Turner (21), Cory Seager (21) and Yasmani Grandal (18) and with a pitching staff patched together with medical tape.

Ace Clayton Kershaw is still on the DL and may be there for the rest of the season. However, Kenta Maeda (11-7), Scott Kazmir (9-5), Julio Urias (2-2), Brandon McCarthy (2-2), Bud Norris (3-2) and Ross Stripling (3-3) have been pitching well enough to get to L.A.’s bullpen, which has been lights out.

Adam Liberatore (1.62 ERA), Joe Blanton (2.64 ERA), Pedro Baez (2.67 ERA) and Kenley Jansen (1.29 ERA, 34 saves) have anchored one of the best pens in baseball.

The Dodgers acquired Rich Hill (9-3, 2.25 ERA) from Oakland and hope his blister issues allow him to make his first start this week.

Last year, the Dodgers had a pair of aces in Kershaw and Greinke and exited the playoffs before you could get a hot dog.

This year, the Dodger pitching is more of a committee effort. Starters that go more than five innings are becoming a rarity.

In 2016, it’s the offense that has carried Los Angeles. As a team, the Dodgers are hitting .273 since the break, best in the National League. Since the All-Star break, the Dodgers have pounded out 32 homeruns, two less than the St. Louis Cardinals, who lead the National League. 

Dodgers get spark from unlikely hero to pull close to the Giants

Baseball is like an alternate universe.

Where else would 27 year-old Rob Segedin have been considering retirement last year when the Yankees demoted him to AA ball?

Instead, Segedin was traded to the Dodgers, was invited to spring training, shined at Oklahoma City and made his debut at Chavez Ravine yesterday, sparking the Dodgers to an 8-5 win over Boston with two bases-loaded hits and four RBI in front of his expectant wife.

Coupled with San Francisco's 1-0 loss to the Nationals, the win pushed the Dodgers to within a game of the Giants in the NL West standings.

Los Angeles has nearly erased San Franciso's lead in the standings and they have done it with a pitching staff held together with masking tape and baling wire. Rookie Ross Stripling won on Saturday and the bullpen bailed out Brandon McCarthy yesterday for the victory.

The Dodgers will put rookie Jose Urias on the hill tonight as the injury-plagued pitching staff tries to tread water in the hope that Clayton Kershaw's ailing back will heal in time for a stretch run.

The Giants have been a sub-.500 team since the All-Star break and the Dodgers have taken series from Washington, St. Louis and Boston to edge back into the conversation for the NL pennant.

Depleted Dodgers showing grit

Clayton Kershaw has had the Dodgers on his back this season -- and now that back is aching.

The Dodger southpaw (11-2, 1.79 ERA) could very well be the best pitcher in the major leagues, but for the moment he is on the disabled list with a balky back and may not return to the mound in 2016.

Despite Kershaw being on the shelf, the Dodgers have pulled to within three games of the reeling San Francisco Giants, who have tumbled out of the gates since the All Star break. The Giants have lost seven of eight games since the break and have to feel the Dodgers breathing down their necks.

Los Angeles, with a slew of pitchers on the DL, have made a post All Star break run behind the hot bats of Cory Seager (.406), Justin Turner (.390) and Howie Kendrick (.400).

Turner has completed his recovery from microfracture surgery in the off-season and Seager is a viable candidate for Rookie of the Year. Kendrick just keeps making contact.

Toss in a resurgence from the ageless Chase Utley and the warming up of Adrian Gonzalez' bat and the Dodgers offense has led the National League in hitting since the break with a .285 team batting average while scoring a league-leading 53 runs.

The bullpen has been strong behind a starting rotation consisting of Kenta Maeda (9-7), Scott Kazmir (9-3), recently acquired Bud Norris (2-2) and recently activated Brandon McCarthy (2-0). Adam Liberatore, Joe Blanton, Pedro Baez and closer Kenley Jansen have transformed the once-generous LA pen into a group of bonafide stoppers.

Rookies Jose Urias (1-2) and Scott Stripling (2-3) have had spot starts as the Dodgers have tried to fill the gaps created by injuries to Alex Wood, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Brett Anderson and McCarthy.

The Dodgers went 5-4 on their most recent road trip, winning back-to-back series against the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals, a pair of playoff-class teams after dropping a series to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The real question for the Dodgers approaching the trading deadline is whether the deep pocket management will bring in another premium arm for the second half of the season or hope Kershaw can make a recovery and anchor the rotation for the rest of the season.