Dodgers' brass not standing pat

What does a club do when they have the best record in baseball and a 14-game lead in their division?

Go out and snare a premium starting pitcher and additional left-handed relief pitching so they can make a serious run in October.

L.A.'s braintrust landed Yu Darvish from Texas, Tony Watson from Pittsburgh and Tony Cingrani from Cincinnati just before today's trade deadline.

What the organization is screaming from the rooftops is this: "We want to win it all this year."

The Dodgers gave up prospects Willie Calhoun, A.J. Alexy and Brendon Davis, but held onto their top farmhands in bolstering the pitching staff.

General Manager Farhan Zaidi and President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman have set up Dave Roberts to go into the playoffs with a starting pitching corps of Clayton Kershaw, Darvish, Alex Wood, Rich Hill, Hyun Jin-Ryu and Kenta Maeda. 

Kershaw is on the shelf with a back strain but expects to return to the rotation before the end of the regular season.

Expect Roberts to narrow the rotation to Kershaw, Darvish, Wood and Hill when October baseball comes around.

The Dodgers go to Atlanta tomorrow for a series with the Braves after sweeping the Giants over the weekend. Rookie Kyle Farmer, in his first major league at-bat, delivered a two-run double in the bottom of the 11th inning last night to give the Dodgers their eighth win in a row and a dramatic 3-2 come-from-behind victory.

The Dodgers rallied to tie the game at 1-1 in the ninth behind Chase Utley, who legged out a pinch-hit single and swiped second base, and Yasiel Puig, who brought him home with a single up the middle.
 
Utley, 38, a former MVP with Philadelphia, has been a steady influence in the clubhouse and provided needed sparks off the bench.

Comeback kids do it again

The Dodgers stormed back from a 4-2 deficit with four runs in the seventh inning last night to post a 6-4 win over the beleaguered Giants, who are 32.5 games behind the first-place Dodgers.

It's not really important to mention how far back the Giants are, but it is fun to write that the Giants are 32.5 games behind the Dodgers.

The comeback was L.A.'s 30th of the season, which means you can never really count this team out.

The inning started quietly, as Austin Barnes worked a base on balls from San Francisco's Matt Moore. Kike Hernandez then went down looking for the first out of the inning.

Joc Pederson then stroked a line drive double to right field, moving Barnes to third.

The Giants then brought in George Kontos to face pinch-hitter Yasiel Puig, batting for Alex Wood. Puig hit an 0-1 grounder to shortstop Brandon Crawford, who had to go to first for the out because Pederson was moving on the pitch and second baseman Joe Panik was not at the bag due to an infield shift. Barnes scored on the play, making it a 4-3 game with two outs.

Chris Taylor then worked a full count on Kontos before hitting a weak fly to left field that dropped in for a double, scoring Pederson to knot the game at 4-4. Taylor, who has been on fire since the All-Star break, was jammed on the pitch but found room in left field with the Giants shifted to the right.

Corey Seager, who homered in the first inning, then crushed his second dinger of the game to give the Dodgers the 6-4 win.

With the comeback, the Dodgers moved to 13 games ahead of Arizona and 14 games in front of Colorado in the NL West.

Speculation is strong that the Dodgers will add a pitcher before Monday's trade deadline.

Kershaw's injury could slow Dodger Express

Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw went on the DL this week, suffering a mild back strain.

Team doctors initially said the injury would keep the southpaw on the sidelines for 4-6 weeks but Dave Roberts said there is no timeline for Kershaw's return.

In the meantime, the Dodgers are playing winning baseball, building a 12-game lead over Arizona in the National League West.

Las Vegas had the Dodgers pegged to win the World Series before Kershaw got hurt. Now the odds may not be so favorable.

With the July 31 trade deadline only days away, the Dodgers' braintrust has some big decisions to make: go after the likes of Sonny Gray in Oakland, Yu Darvish in Texas or Justin Verlander in Detroit, or hope Kershaw can come back for a stretch run that takes the Dodgers deep into the playoffs.

It's always a difficult decision: trade away prospects for a short-term solution or stand pat. Los Angeles has not played in or won a World Series since 1988. Windows of opportunity stay open only so long.

The 2017 Dodgers are chock full of talent but the stars have to align just so for a team to be hitting on all cylinders when October baseball comes around.

Brock Stewart gets the call tonight to try to sweep the Twins in Kershaw's absence but he will not be able to replicate Kershaw's numbers. The bullpen is strong and closer Kenley Jansen has been lights out.

But can you win it all without an ace?

Major league managers are changing how they use their bullpens -- asking relievers to go longer and using more of a platoon system to get to the closer.

So far, this new management group has made some great calls.

Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor, Alex Wood, Austin Barnes, Corey Seager, Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson are all young players who have contributed mightily to LA's success.

Let's hope they make the right call about what to do before Monday's trading deadline.

Pantone 294 is spreading the Blue

I first noticed them last year in Yankee Stadium, a rabid group of Dodgers' fans had taken over a section along the left field line, waving a giant Dodgers' banner and actually drowning out the home crowd.

Last weekend I saw them in Miami, a sea of Dodger Blue in Marlins Park, hoisting the giant flag and rocking that stadium.


I was a little curious because their banner included the name Pantone 294. So I looked them up. Pantone 294 is the brainchild of Huntington Park's Alex Soto, who has been organizing Dodgers' road trips since 2009. The travel group takes its name from that particular shade of blue we call Dodger Blue.

The following is growing. They had 1,500 Dodgers' fans in New York last year. They have made trips up and down the coast in California to catch the Giants and Padres. The travel group organizes hotels, airfare and field trips in the cities they visit.

“The Dodgers have the most loyal fan base, myself included,” Soto said. “What we have done here as a group is open doors for them to travel safely and securely to away games to support their team. We have offered them a unique and fun experience and a large Dodger family to be part of and build memories with. To be able to show our love and support to our Dodgers at an away game gives new meaning to the full fan experience.”

Pantone 294 hasn't released its 2018 schedule but I think I may want to join the crowd on one of those trips.

The Dodgers are on an amazing 30-4 run right now and have won 10 in a row. Clayton Kershaw tossed seven innings of shutout ball last night in a 1-0 win over the White Sox to improve his record to 15-2.

I don't know how long this roller coaster ride will last but I am enjoying it while I can.

Bellinger becomes a cyclist

Cody Bellinger, who went into the All-Star break in a mild slump, broke out in dramatic fashion tonight, becoming the first Dodger in team history to hit for the cycle in his rookie season.

The cycle, which involves getting a home run, triple, double and single in the same game, is one of those statistical rarities in a sport that is awash in statistics, trends and records.

Bellinger's long ball, a two-run shot, gave him 26 for the season and tied him for the league lead with Miami's Giancarlo Stanton and Cincinnati's Joey Votto.

Perhaps the bigger story of the night was the performance of Alex Wood, who went 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA in the first half and continued his winning ways tonight.

Wood tossed six shutout innings and surrendered only three hits in extending his record to 11-0, the first pitcher in Dodgers' history to start with 11 straight wins. He dropped his ERA to 1.56, the lowest among starting pitchers in major league baseball.

The Dodgers also got a three-run homer from Yasmani Grandal enroute to a 7-1 win over the Marlins as Los Angeles won its 28th game in the last 32.

Coupled with Arizona's loss to the Braves, the Dodgers moved to 9.5 games up on the Diamondbacks in the National League West standings.

Los Angeles will send Rich Hill to the mound tomorrow afternoon as the Dodgers seek another series sweep.

Puig starts second half with a bang

Down to their last strike.

That's where the Dodgers were last night in the ninth inning when Joc Pederson stroked a single to right field, just outside the reach of the Marlins' defender.

That's where Yasmani Grandal was when he worked a base on balls to put two runners on base with the Dodgers trailing 4-3.

That's where Yasiel Puig was, facing a 1-2 count against Marlins' closer A.J. Ramos, when he drove a fastball deep into left center that bounced off that ridiculous piece of modern art.  The home run piece features mechanical marlins spinning, flamingos flapping, seagulls twirling and water splashing all over the 75-foot structure.

They didn't turn it on for either one of Puig's two home runs that paced the Dodgers to a 6-4 win and pushed Los Angeles to an 8.5 game lead over Arizona, which dropped a 4-3 decision to the Braves.

Former Marlins' outfielder Logan Morrison described the structure back in 2012. "I think it's definitely Miami," Morrison said. "It's very colorful, very innovative. I think there is no need to hold out your bat when you hit a home run and walk down the line any more, because the stadium will pimp it for you."

Puig's bat flip and gesture back to his own dugout was enough for me. You can have your mechanical marlins, flapping flamingos and twirling seagulls. Give me a Cuban-baked tater any day.

After the game, my brother in Utah sent a text message. "These guys refuse to lose!"

I gotta agree.

Dodgers go into All-Star break on top of baseball

It's only the first half, but what a first half of a season the Dodgers have had.

The Dodgers downed Kansas City 5-2 Sunday to complete a three-game sweep, coming on the heels of a sweep of second-place Arizona to go into the break with a 7.5 game lead in the NL West and the best record in baseball by a half-game over the AL's Houston Astros.

The Dodgers closed out the first half with a sizzling 26-4 mark in their final 30 games and did it with stellar starting pitching, power hitting and a deep bench that has dangerous bats from one to eight in the batting order.

Los Angeles staged 10 series sweeps by the All-Star break.

Clayton Kershaw finished the first half with a complete game to roll his record to 14-2. The Dodgers have not lost one of his starts since early May.

The 2017 edition of Dodgers' baseball features the top hitter in the bigs in Justin Turner and his .377 batting average; rookie sensation Cody Bellinger with his 25 home runs and 58 RBI; 2016 Rookie of the Year Corey Seager with a .298 batting average, 45 RBI and 13 HRs and a supporting cast that is deep and versatile.

Manager Dave Roberts' lineup card varies from game to game, with the likes of Chris Taylor, Kike Hernandez, Logan Forsythe, Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Austin Barnes and Chase Utley playing multiple positions and moving up and down in the batting order. Yasmani Grandal handles the catching chores with Barnes an able backup.

Case in point: Puig usually hits eighth in the order and has hit 16 home runs, knocked in 43 RBI and posted a respectable .251 average. Defensively, he ranges right field and dares runners to test his arm.

The rest of the rotation includes breakout star Alex Wood (10-0, 1.67 ERA), Brandon McCarthy (6-3, 3.12 ERA), Kenta Maeda (7-4, 4.38 ERA), Rich Hill (5-4, 3.69 ERA) and Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-6, 4.21 ERA).

A weakness in years past, the Los Angeles bullpen has been lights out. Closer Kenley Jansen is 21 for 21 in save opportunities and the Dodgers can roll out flame throwers in Brandon Morrow, Josh Fields, Pedro Baez, Grant Dayton, Ross Stripling and Chris Hatcher to get to Jansen in the late innings.

The second half figures to be a wild ride.

Dodgers send Snakes slithering back to Arizona

Los Angeles and Arizona are the two best teams in the National League, holding the second and third-best records in the major leagues.

After this week, it is clear that the Dodgers are a wee bit better.

LA swept the Snakes in the three-game set and did it with masterful starting pitching.

On the Fourth of July, Clayton Kershaw threw seven innings of shutout ball, gave up only two hits and struck out 11 in a 4-3 win. Kershaw is now 13-2 on the season.

Wednesday, Alex Wood continued his magical season with seven shutout innings, 10 strikeouts and surrendered just three hits in a 1-0 victory. Wood is now 10-0 with a 1.67 ERA. Wood is pitching better than Kershaw, which is mind-boggling.

Last night, spinner Rich Hill went seven strong innings, gave up just one run on two hits and struck out nine batters in a dramatic come-from-behind 5-4 win.

The Dodgers won it with a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth keyed by singles by Yasiel Puig, Cory Seager and a walkoff single by Chris Taylor bunched around four walks issued by Arizona closer Fernando Rodney, who couldn't find the strike zone.

When the dust had settled and the Gatorade coolers were empty, the Dodgers held a 5.5 game lead in the division with Kansas City coming into town to wrap up the first half.

Smart phones and the Brotherhood of the Blue

The Dodgers open a critical series with Arizona tonight with Dave Roberts sending Clayton Kershaw to the mound.

The Diamondbacks are 2.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. Arizona can take over first place with a sweep while LA could pad their lead by taking down the snakes.

Living in the Eastern time zone, I usually don't stay up to catch all the games on my MLB package. I usually watch an inning or two then catch up the next morning. MLB archives the games so I check the boxscore and watch those innings where something good happened.

Then there's the Brotherhood of the Blue text messages I get on my iPhone. My brother and three nephews are on a group text. Usually during a game my phone will ping with a message when the Dodgers do something good -- often a home run this season.

Brotherhood of the Blue

Technology has linked us to games being played thousands of miles away. I like the connection. It's reassuring to know that when I am watching a game in Florida my brother and nephews are tracking the same game in Utah.

My older brother is in Los Angeles, but lost his way. He roots for the Cardinals and Angels. He is not part of the Brotherhood of the Blue.

But like a lost prodigal, we would welcome him with open arms. I wonder if he has a smart phone?

Dodgers' pitchers hitting the right spots

It's good to be a Dodgers' fan these days.

Home runs are flying out of the park at a record pace. Hitting coach Turner Ward has his sluggers listening to every word that drips off his Southern drawl.

But it's the pitching that will carry them into late October.

Look at the last five games:

On Tuesday, Kenta Maeda held the Angels to four hits over seven innings and struck out six in a 4-0 victory.

On Wednesday, Hyun-Jin Ryu tossed 5.2 innings, scattered seven hits, struck out eight and gave up just two runs in a 3-2 loss to the Angels.

On Thursday, the Dodgers sent Clayton Kershaw to the mound and he was masterful, giving up just three hits and one run while striking out 12 over seven innings in a 6-2 win.

Friday, Alex Wood went to the hill, gave up only one run on two hits over six innings and struck out eight batters in a 10-4 win over San Diego.

Last night, Rich Hill went seven strong innings, struck out 11 and shut out the Padres over seven innings in an 8-0 shutout.

This kind of pitching hearkens back to the days of Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, when the Dodgers were stingy with runs.

The difference now is that the LA offense is potent, featuring the National League batting average leader in Justin Turner (.388), the home run leader in Cody Bellinger (24) and a lineup chock full of hot sticks.

Look at Chris Taylor. The fourth-year player acquired from Seattle last year had one career home run coming into the season and has hammered 10 dingers this year in limited playing time, four of them grand slams.

Like I said, it's good to be a Dodgers' fan these days.

LA battery charged up in San Diego

To the uninitiated, the pitcher and catcher in a baseball game are referred to as a battery.

The term was first used in the 1860s, referring to the battery of weapons and artillery power used in war.

It's an old school baseball term not used too often. Now and then it makes its way into broadcasts and baseball discussions.

Last night, the Dodgers' battery of southpaw Alex Wood and catcher Austin Barnes were high voltage.

Wood, who came over from Atlanta in 2015, is having the season of his life. Wood went six innings, gave up only one run on two hits and struck out eight Padres. He ran his record to 9-0 and dropped his ERA to 1.82 over his 72 innings pitched in 12 starts.

Wood started the season in the bullpen but has emerged as the solid No. 2 starter in the rotation.

Wood's pitching motion reminds me of a wounded stork as he uncoils from his windup but once into his pitching motion he looks like money. 

His battery mate, Barnes, also had a night to remember. The third-year player from Riverside, California had cups of coffee in 2015 and 2016 before moving into the backup catcher role this year with the departure of A.J. Ellis.

Barnes took full advantage of the opportunity to spell Yasmani Grandal, delivering a first inning grand slam and a sixth inning three-run blast to lead the Dodgers to a 10-4 win over San Diego.

The Dodgers finished the month of June with a sizzling 21-7 mark and clubbed a team-record 53 home runs.