Here’s what you need to know
Dodgers fall below .500 yet again in a 13-0 loss to the Cubs
Stan Kasten: Dodgers ‘not swayed’ by MLB’s new big spenders
James Outman’s grand slam in ninth inning lifts Dodgers over Cubs
Raise the alarm? Dodgers get their ‘butt kicked’ in worrying blowout to Cubs
Drew Smyly was on the verge of perfection.
The struggling Dodgers couldn’t have been further from it.
For their first 21 at-bats Friday against the Chicago Cubs left-hander, the Dodgers failed to record a hit, a baserunner or any semblance of functional offense.
They weren’t just losing by double-digits, en route to a 13-0 defeat at Wrigley Field, but were on the verge of falling victim to the most unexpected of perfect games, stymied by a 33-year-old journeyman with a 4.11 career ERA who they’d just faced last week.
Dodgers fall below .500 ... yet again
⚾ Cubs 13, Dodgers 0 — FINAL
The Dodgers (10-11) barely avoided a no-hitter and suffered their most lopsided loss since 2018.
The Cubs’ Drew Smyly carried a perfect game into the eighth inning before David Peralta squeezed out an infield single, while Chicago bashed 17 hits, including four home runs, to cruise to the easy victory.
Julio UrÃas was ineffective and was removed from the game with one out in the fourth inning after giving up five runs and throwing 86 pitches.
Cody Bellinger homered for the third time in five games against his former team, one of two homers allowed by Urias.
Smyly struck out 10 Dodgers and induced plenty of soft contact in his bid for the 24th perfect game in MLB history. He came out with two outs in the eighth inning after throwing 103 pitches.
The Dodgers and Cubs square off on Saturday at 11:20 am PT, with Dustin May scheduled to start for L.A.
Shortstop Luke Williams has perfect six-pitch inning
⚾ Cubs 13, Dodgers 0 — End of the eighth inning
We reached the point where a position player pitched for the Dodgers.
To his credit, shortstop Luke Williams retired the side in order on only six pitches, adding some levity on an otherwise frustrating day for the Dodgers.
It also allowed Mookie Betts to get some reps at shortstop for the second day in a row, as he fielded a popout by Cody Bellinger and a groundout by Trey Mancini.
David Peralta breaks up perfect game with infield single
⚾ Cubs 13, Dodgers 0 — Top of the eighth inning
The bid for a perfect game is over for Drew Smyly.
After taking a strike to open the eighth inning, David Peralta hit a dribbler — which had an exit velocity of 32.9 mph, according to the SportsNet LA broadcast — to the third base side of the infield.
As Smyly made a play for the ball, catcher Yan Gomes crashed into him from behind and Peralta reached without a throw.
The left-hander recorded two more outs — on a popout by Miguel Vargas and a James Outman strikeout — before he was lifted to a thunderous ovation after throwing 103 pitches.
Smyly struck out 10.
Drew Smyly remains perfect, now through seven innings
⚾ Cubs 13, Dodgers 0 — End of the seventh inning
Drew Smyly is still flirting with a perfect game.
In the top of the seventh, the left-hander induced Mookie Betts to foul out, struck out Chris Taylor on a full-count fastball and then got J.D. Martinez to fly out meekly to right field.
Smyly has struck out nine and thrown 93 pitches.
The last perfect game was by Felix Hernandez of the Mariners on Aug. 15, 2012, and there have been only 23 in MLB history.
In the bottom of the inning, the Cubs got two men on base but stranded both as Andre Jackson pitched a scoreless inning — only the second inning in which the Cubs have not scored today.
Drew Smyly perfect through six innings
⚾ Cubs 13, Dodgers 0 — End of the sixth inning
Cubs left-hander Smyly is through six innings and has not allowed a hit or walk on 80 pitches.
Five of the Dodgers’ 18 outs have left the infield as Smyly has also collected eight strikeouts.
If you’re wondering: the last no-hitter by the Cubs also came against the Dodgers, on June 24, 2021, at Dodger Stadium. Zach Davies and three relievers — including former Dodger closer Craig Kimbrel — combined on the no-no in the Cubs’ 4-0 win.
The last no-hitter by the Cubs at Wrigley Field was by Jake Arrieta on Aug. 30, 2015 against... yep, the Dodgers.
The Cubs added one more run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Trey Mancini, his third RBI of the game.
Drew Smyly still perfect, Cubs keep piling on
⚾ Cubs 12, Dodgers 0 — End of the fifth inning
Drew Smyly has completed five perfect innings. The left-hander, who allowed one earned run in 5.2 innings in a win over the Dodgers last Sunday, has struck out seven on 63 pitches.
The Cubs added to their lead in the bottom of the inning when the first six batters reached base off Jake Reed. The first four runs of the inning were scored on a three-run home run by Patrick Wisdom and an RBI single by Trey Mancini.
After Andre Jackson relieved Reed and he recorded an out, Nico Hoerner hit a three-run home run to make it 12-0.
Julio UrÃas pulled after his shortest outing of the season
⚾ Cubs 5, Dodgers 0 — End of the fourth inning
Julio UrÃas was removed from the game with one out in the fourth inning in his shortest outing of the season. UrÃas, who pitched into the sixth inning in his first four outings this year, was pulled after he gave up a single to Nico Hoerner.
UrÃas, who has not lost consecutive starts since the end of May 2022, gave up five runs (all earned), seven hits, two walks and struck out four. He threw 86 pitches.
Jake Reed finished off the inning, which ended when Hoerner was caught stealing at second base.
Drew Smyly remains perfect through four innings, and is only at 52 pitches.
Cody Bellinger and Trey Mancini homer, extend lead for Cubs
⚾ Cubs 5, Dodgers 0 — End of the third inning
Cody Bellinger continues to torment his former team.
Bellinger homered with two outs in the third inning, his third in five games against the Dodgers this season. The former Dodger, who has five homers overall this year, has hits in every game against L.A.
Trey Mancini immediately followed Bellinger with a solo shot of his own to extend the lead.
Julio UrÃas is through three innings on 71 pitches.
Drew Smyly remains perfect through three innings and struck out Trayce Thompson and Luke Williams to extend his strikeout streak to six in a row. Austin Wynns did finally make contact for the Dodgers, fouling out to third to end their half of the inning.
Cubs add to their lead on Nico Hoerner’s RBI single
⚾ Cubs 3, Dodgers 0 — End of the second inning
Julio UrÃas allowed another run after No. 9 hitter Nick Madrigal tripled with one out, and leadoff man Nico Hoerner drove him in with a single to left.
UrÃas has already set a season high with earned runs allowed as he’s through two innings on 47 pitches.
Drew Smyly struck out the side in the top of the second inning and has struck out four in a row.
Cubs get on the board first as UrÃas slogs through opening frame
⚾ Cubs 2, Dodgers 0 — End of the first inning
Julio UrÃas gave up two runs in a 31-pitch first inning as the Cubs got a two-run double by Seiya Suzuki to take the lead. UrÃas allowed two walks, including a four-pitch pass to Cody Bellinger, and two doubles.
Sixteen of UrÃas’ 31 pitches were balls and it was the most pitches he’d thrown in the first inning since he threw 45, also against the Cubs, on July 10, 2022, according to the SportsNet LA broadcast.
The Dodgers, for their part, went in order in the top of the first inning as starter Drew Smyly worked through his half inning on 16 pitches.
Mookie Betts back to right field; Michael Grove to injured list
CHICAGO — Mookie Betts will be back in his customary right field position Friday, but could resume his shortstop experiment on Saturday, according to manager Dave Roberts.
“To get those three lefties in [the outfield] tomorrow,†Roberts said, “I think it makes more sense.â€
Betts played shortstop for three innings on Thursday night, the first time in his major-league career he had played his childhood position.
And with Miguel Rojas (hamstring) on the injured list and Chris Taylor (oblique) still not ready to play defense, Betts will remain the team’s primary backup at shortstop behind Luke Williams.
“This is going to be a little TMI,†Roberts joked of Betts, “but now he’s gonna be wearing a cup all the time.â€
Grove to IL; rotation spot TBD
Michael Grove was placed on the injured list as expected Friday with a right groin strain. Reliever Jake Reed was called up to be the pitching staff’s temporary replacement, but how the Dodgers will fill the void in their rotation remains TBD.
Roberts said Tony Gonsolin could be recalled from his rehab stint early, after pitching three innings in triple A yesterday. Prospect Gavin Stone is also in consideration, though Roberts noted the right-hander’s up-and-down start to season in triple A with a 7.20 ERA.
The third option is for the Dodgers to just skip that spot in the rotation next week, taking advantage of the off day next Monday.
In a corresponding move Friday, Ryan Pepiot (oblique) was transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. Pepiot now won’t be eligible to pitch until June.
Stan Kasten: Dodgers ‘not swayed’ by rise of Mets, Padres and other big spenders
As he milled around near the visitors’ dugout at Dodger Stadium on Monday night, Steve Cohen made a bigger on-field presence at Chavez Ravine than any Dodgers owner has all year.
In town to watch his surging New York Mets take two of three games against the struggling Dodgers, Cohen’s every move was followed by eyeballs and cameras.
He held court behind the plate during batting practice. He chatted up his players and staff when they walked by. He visited with prominent agent Scott Boras, spending several minutes with another of the sport’s biggest powerbrokers in plain sight.
Today’s starting lineups
The starting lineups for today’s Dodgers-Cubs game.
New swing, same gratitude: Jason Heyward grateful to be playing at Wrigley Field
CHICAGO — The most meaningful part of Jason Heyward’s return to Wrigley Field this week?
That he made it back to the friendly confines as a player at all.
“It’s good to say I’m here to play baseball with another historic franchise,†the former Cubs star said Thursday, surrounded by cameras and media members in his first trip back as a member of the Dodgers. “That says enough.â€
A permanent Chicago resident after seven memorable years with the Cubs, where he became a fan favorite and clubhouse leader, Heyward never doubted he’d see Wrigley again.
“That might have been walking the dogs out here in the outfield,†he joked.
Mookie Betts plays shortstop in ‘dream come true’ moment after race to get to Wrigley Field
CHICAGO — The Dodgers arrived at Wrigley Field on Thursday with Yonny Hernández as their backup shortstop.
By the time the Dodgers needed one, however, it was Mookie Betts who came trotting into the game.
Such was the conclusion to a whirlwind day for the Dodgers star right fielder, who began the day in Los Angeles on paternity leave before hopping on a plane, flying to Chicago, and battling traffic to simply get to the stadium in time to be activated for the game.
“I was, like, three miles away for 40 minutes,†Betts said jokingly. “Freddie [Freeman] called me and said, ‘As soon as you get here, hurry up and get dressed because you’re going to play.’ He told me to get my mind right. So I did.â€
Recap: James Outman’s grand slam in ninth inning lifts Dodgers over Cubs
CHICAGO — A year ago, James Outman was hardly on the Dodgers’ MLB radar, a solid but overlooked prospect who’d spent years reworking his stiff “caveman†swing.
A month ago, he wasn’t certain to make their opening-day roster, despite a breakout spring performance and an open spot on the team.
But with every opportunity he has received this season, the 25-year-old rookie has risen to the occasion.
And in the biggest moment of his young career Thursday — facing a bases-loaded, full-count, ninth-inning at-bat in a tied game between the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field — Outman took another giant step forward, putting an explosive final touch on his most signature game yet.
Dodgers TV schedule for the 2023 regular season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers TV schedule for the 2023 regular season. All times and broadcast/streaming options are subject to change.
