Charlie Blackmon’s solo homer in bottom of 10th gives Colorado the victory.
Up next for Dodgers: Archrival San Francisco Giants
DENVER — And now, the main event.
In the blue corner, the defending World Series champions, your Los Angeles Dodgers. In the black corner, or the orange corner, depending on the day, the archrival San Francisco Giants.
The teams with the two best records in the major leagues: the Giants and the Dodgers.
The teams atop the National League West standings: the Giants, by one game over the Dodgers.
The teams that open a four-game series Monday at Dodger Stadium: the Giants and the Dodgers.
The Dodgers could have started the series in a first-place tie, but they lost to the Colorado Rockies 6-5 on an afternoon they twice were three outs from victory. In the ninth inning, Kenley Jansen blew his first save since May 5, giving up a tying single to Chris Owings. In the 10th inning, Phil Bickford, the sixth Dodgers pitcher, gave up a walkoff home run to Charlie Blackmon.
Rockies win it on Charlie Blackmon’s homer in bottom of 10th
Dodgers: Right-hander Mychal Givens now pitching for the Rockies. Hilliard in left. Pujols the runner at second. It might take two hits to score him. Bellinger walked on four pitches. Muncy struck out swinging. Turner struck out swinging at a ball inside. Smith singled to center, scoring Pujols, Bellinger to third. I was wrong. Smith stole second. Taylor struck out swinging.
Rockies: Right-hander Phil Bickford now pitching for the Dodgers. Hampson is the runner at second. Rodgers flied to left, Hampson to third. Story flied to right, scoring Hampson. Blackmon homered to deep right. Ball game.
Final score: Rockies 6, Dodgers 5
Rockies tie it up in bottom of the ninth
Dodgers: Right-hander Josh Bard now pitching for the Rockies. Pollock lined to left. Lux grounded to second and appeared to pull a leg muscle running to first. Hopefully it is just a cramp. Albert Pujols, batting for Treinen, grounded to short.
Rockies: Right-hander Kenley Jansen now pitching for the Dodgers. Taylor to short. Muncy to second. Pujols in at first. McMahon doubled to deep right-center. Diaz grounded to first, McMahon to third. One out, tying run 90 feet away. Owings singled to left, scoring McMahon. We’re all tied up. Sam Hilliard, batting for Bard, grounded to first, forcing Owings at second. Hampson flied to center.
Score after nine: Dodgers 4, Rockies 4
Dodgers re-take the lead on Will Smith two-run shot
Dodgers: Right-hander Carlos Estevez now pitching for the Rockies. Muncy grounded to first. Turner doubled down the left-field line. Smith homered to left, estimated at 384 feet. Dodgers retake the lead, 4-3 in the eighth. Taylor struck out swinging. McKinstry struck out swinging.
Rockies: Right-hander Blake Treinen now pitching for the Dodgers. Story struck out swinging. Blackmon grounded to first. Cron grounded to first.
Score after eight: Dodgers 4, Rockies 3
Rockies take 3-2 lead on Justin Turner’s error
Dodgers: Lux popped to third. Matt Beaty, batting for Vesia, struck out swinging. Bellinger fouled to third.
Rockies: Right-hander Joe Kelly now pitching for the Dodgers. McMahon singled to right. Diaz grounded to first, McMahon to second. McMahon took third on a wild pitch. Owings walked on six pitches. Matt Adams, batting for Gray, grounded to third. Turner booted it for an error, scoring McMahon, Owings to third. Three errors by the Dodgers today. Hampson struck out looking. Rodgers struck out swinging.
Score after seven: Rockies 3, Dodgers 2
It’s still 2-2 after six innings
Dodgers: Taylor grounded to third. McKinstry struck out swinging. Pollock struck out swinging. Gray has retired eight in a row.
Rockies: Story struck out swinging. And that’s it for Jake Reed. Left-hander Alex Vesia now pitching. Blackmon grounded to first. Cron struck out looking.
Score after six: Dodgers 2, Rockies 2
Rockies tie it on Chris Taylor’s error
Dodgers: Muncy grounded to first. Turner flied to center. Smith struck out swinging.
Rockies: Right-hander Jake Reed now pitching for the Dodgers. Diaz fouled to short. Owings singled to center. Gray sacrificed Owings to second. Hampson popped to second. Taylor, who didn’t use his flip-down shades, lost it in the sun and it bounced off his glove for an error. Owings scored. We’re tied. Rodgers popped to second. Taylor caught this one.
Score after five: Dodgers 2, Rockies 2
Dodgers lead 2-1 after four innings
Dodgers: AJ Pollock singled to left. He has 14 hits in his last 25 at-bats. Lux struck out looking. Price hit another slow roller in front of the plate. Pollock moved to second, Price thrown out at first. Bellinger fouled to third.
Rockies: Blackmon lined to right. Cron walked on seven pitches. McMahon grounded into a 4-3 double play.
Score after four: Dodgers 2, Rockies 1
Dodgers take 2-1 lead on Justin Turner’s home run
Dodgers: David Price hit a slow roller up the third and beat it out for a hit. Bellinger flied to right. Muncy flied to shallow center. Turner homered to right. It’s 2-1 Dodgers. That was estimated to travel 399 feet. Smith singled to left. Smith took second on a passed ball. Taylor walked on four pitches. McKinstry struck out swinging.
Rockies: Hampson grounded to short. Rodgers grounded to short. Story struck out swinging. Price has retired seven in a row.
Score after three: Dodgers 2, Rockies 1
Rockies 1, Dodgers 0 after two innings
Dodgers: Will Smith walked on four pitches. Chris Taylor singled to left-center, Smith to second. Zach McKinstry grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, Smith to third. AJ Pollock hit a slow roller in front of the plate for a single. Smith was unable to score because the ball was near the plate. Gavin Lux grounded to third.
Rockies: Elias Diaz grounded to short. Chris Owings struck out swinging. Jon Gray struck out swinging.
Score after two: Rockies 1, Dodgers 0
Rockies take 1-0 lead in the first
Dodgers: Right-hander Jon Gray is pitching for the Rockies. He is one of the leading rumored trade candidates for the Dodgers. Cody Bellinger, batting leadoff in the absence of Mookie Betts, struck out swinging. Max Muncy grounded to first. Chris Taylor grounded to first. Hey, the Dodgers didn’t score in the first inning. What’s wrong with them?
Rockies: Left-hander David Price pitching for the Dodgers. Garrett Hampson singled to center. Brendan Rodgers grounded slowly to second, Hampson to second. Trevor Story struck out swinging. Charlie Blackmon singled to center, scoring Hampson. Blackmon stole second. This is the first time the Dodgers have trailed in this three-game series. C.J. Cron hit a hard grounded to third that rolled up Turner’s glove for an error. First and second, two out. Ryan McMahon grounded to the pitcher.
Score after one: Rockies 1, Dodgers 0
Max Muncy is on Dad Watch
It’s been quite a week for Max Muncy. He started the All-Star Game here Tuesday, hit two home runs on Saturday, and could become a first-time father any day now.
The Dodgers have outfielder Zach Reks here on the taxi squad, in case Muncy’s wife Kellie goes into labor. Whenever that happens, Muncy will leave the team.
As far as he knows, Roberts said, the couple has no plans to induce.
“We’re going to let God take that one,” Roberts said. “Kellie is expecting. She is resting in Arizona. Max has got one eye on his wife and his baby, and he’s got one eye on the Dodgers.”
Cody Bellinger takes a turn at leadoff
With Mookie Betts out Sunday because of irritation in his right hip, the Dodgers will try jump-starting Cody Bellinger by batting him leadoff.
Bellinger is batting .173, with four home runs and 42 strikeouts in 127 at-bats. Since June 23, when the Dodgers last activated him from the injured list, he is batting .123, with a .515 OPS.
Bellinger has missed 53 of the Dodgers’ first 93 games because of calf and hamstring injuries.
In 2019, when Bellinger won National League MVP honors, he hit 47 home runs, with a .629 slugging percentage.
In 2021, he has a .291 slugging percentage. Of the 145 NL players with at least 150 plate appearances, Bellinger ranks 143rd in slugging percentage, ahead of only Jackie Bradley Jr. of the Milwaukee Brewers and Kevin Newman of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Dodgers’ lineup against the Colorado Rockies:
Cody Bellinger, cf
Max Muncy, 1b
Justin Turner, 3b
Will Smith, c
Chris Taylor, 2b
Zack McKinstry, rf
AJ Pollock, lf
Gavin Lux, ss
David Price, p
Dodgers defeat Rockies, but Mookie Betts leaves with hip flareup
DENVER — Mookie Betts endured a fairly miserable first half. He offered a self-assessment in one word: “bad.”
Beyond whatever statistics might not have measured up to his traditional levels of excellence, he was hurt. He had nagging injuries to his back, forearm, hip and shoulder. He even missed a game because of an allergic reaction.
Two games into a second half that had gotten off to a blistering start, Betts was interrupted by a flareup of the hip injury.
In the seventh inning of a 9-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies, Betts hit his third double of the evening but slowed between first and second base, then left the game with what the Dodgers said was irritation in his right hip. Betts said he had first felt discomfort in the hip earlier in the game.
“I’m good,” Betts said. “I just made it a little more mad today than normal.”
The Dodgers have issues with their rotation and the offense has been inconsistent. Still, they open play after the All-Star break only two games out of first.
For all his maladies, Betts never did end up on the injured list in the first half, and the Dodgers sounded confident he can avoid the injured list this time as well. Manager Dave Roberts, who said Betts has had to “manage” the hip injury all season, said Betts would not play Sunday, with the hope he can rejoin the lineup for Monday’s series opener against the first-place San Francisco Giants.
Betts hit a home run. Max Muncy hit two, on a night he had four hits and drove in a career-high five runs. Muncy’s home runs traveled a combined 897 feet, although he had no regrets about not participating in the home run derby here this week and no interest in participating should there be another one here.
“It’s too tiring,” he said. “It’s pretty impressive those guys could do what they did the other night and keep going. I get tired just from the five or six swings you get each round in [batting practice]. I’m good on that.”
Walker Buehler worked seven strong innings, giving up two runs and four hits. He made 53 pitches in the first three innings, then 40 in his final four. He retired the final 13 batters he faced, striking out six, with one ball leaving the infield.
Seven quality innings are welcome at any time, and especially so with a depleted starting rotation, but Buehler said he did not necessarily consider this situation as pitching under pressure.
“I don’t know if pressure is the right word,” he said. “There’s an expectation for the guys that are in there to save our bullpen and go deep, and that’s a focus of mine, so it all kind of works together, I guess.”
The National League has four 10-game winners. The Dodgers have two: Julio Urias (12-3) and Walker Buehler (10-1).
Betts has seven hits in nine at-bats since the All-Star break, and 12 hits in 16 at-bats over his last four games.
In those four games, he has scored 12 runs, and he had lifted his batting average from .245 to .271. The Dodgers won all four of those games, outscoring their opponents, 48-11.
“We go as he goes,” Roberts said before the game. “I think we’re going to be in for a fun ride in the second half.”
For fans prone to fretting, there is plenty to fret about. Cody Bellinger is batting .173. The Dodgers have two reliable and durable starting pitchers. Betts, the catalyst for a World Series champion offense, just left a game because of injury.
For all that, and for a bullpen that played the first half with plenty of replacement parts, and for a team that has had its projected lineup intact for all of five games this season, take a step back, and a deep breath.
Highlights from the Dodgers’ 9-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.
For all that, the Dodgers have the second-best record in the major leagues. They are one game out of first place in the NL West. And president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, whose history of trade deadline imports includes Yu Darvish and Manny Machado, is on the clock.
“We’ve got a good team, man,” Clayton Kershaw said. “We have a really good team. Seags [shortstop Corey Seager] will be back soon, and hopefully I’ll be back soon, and Andrew will do something, and we’ll be good to go.”
For the team that has won eight consecutive division championships, October is included in the schedule.
Dodgers win 9-2, but lose Mookie Betts
Dodgers: Right-hander Tyler Kinley now pitching for the Rockies. Pollock singled to center. Barnes fouled to first. Matt Beaty, batting for Treinen, walked on seven pitches. Gavin Lux struck out swinging. Turner doubled to center, scoring Pollock and Beaty. It’s 7-2 Dodgers. Left-hander and former Dodger Zac Rosscup now pitching for the Rockies. Muncy homered to DEEP center, estimated at 466 feet. Pujols struck out swinging.
Rockies: Left-hander Darien Nunez now pitching for the Dodgers. Beaty in at first base. Story struck out swinging. McMahon grounded to first. Cron grounded to the pitcher.
But the big story is Betts coming out of the game with an apparent hip injury.
Final score: Dodgers 9, Rockies 2
Dodgers extend lead to 5-2 in the eighth on Max Muncy’s homer
Dodgers: Right-hander Carlos Estevez now pitching for the Rockies. Muncy homered to right-center, estimated at 431 feet. Pujols flied to right. Blackmon had to run half a mile to get there. Taylor grounded to first. Bellinger struck out swinging. It’s 5-2 Dodgers.
Rockies: Right-hander Blake Treinen now pitching for the Dodgers. Hampson grounded to second. Rodgers struck out looking. Blackmon flied to center.
Score after eight: Dodgers 5, Rockies 2
Mookie Betts leaves game with injury in top of seventh
Dodgers: Right-hander Mychal Givens now pitching for the Rockies. Pollock homered to DEEP left, estimated at 424 feet. Barnes flied to left. Buehler struck out looking. Betts doubled to right, but, he jogged slowly into second and is coming out of the game. Looks like he hurt his right leg. Gavin Lux runs for Betts. Turner struck out swinging.
Rockies: Lux to short. Taylor to center. Bellinger to right. Hilliard struck out swinging. Nunez struck out swinging. Matt Adams, batting for Givens, grounded to first.
Score after seven: Dodgers 4, Rockies 2
Dodgers are ahead 3-2 entering the seventh inning
Dodgers: Betts doubled to left. Turner lined to second. Muncy singled to left, scoring Betts, who beat a parachute throw to home that allowed Muncy to take second. Pujols “singled” to right-center. It was a medium fly ball, but Hampson and Blackmon in center and right called each other off the ball, which dropped right between them for a single. First and third, one out. Taylor struck out looking. Bellinger grounded to second.
Rockies: Story fouled to first. McMahon struck out looking. Cron struck out swinging.
Score after six: Dodgers 3, Rockies 2
We move to the sixth, 2-2
Dodgers: Pollock lined to center. Barnes flied to center. Buehler struck out looking. Freeland has settled into a groove.
Rockies: Hampson flied to right. Rodgers grounded to short. Blackmon grounded to the pitcher. Quick inning.
Score after five: Dodgers 2, Rockies 2
Still 2-2 after four innings
Dodgers: Pujols lined to third. Taylor lined to center. Bellinger grounded to second.
Rockies: Hilliard grounded to short. Nunez fouled a ball hard off the hollow of his right knee and was down for quite a while, but he’s staying in the game. He then struck out looking. Freeland struck out looking.
Score after four: Dodgers 2, Rockies 2
Dodgers retake lead on Mookie Betts’ homer, Rockies then tie it again
Dodgers: Walker Buehler struck out swinging. Betts homered to right, estimated at 415 feet. He is heating up. Turner flied to right. Muncy grounded to the pitcher. 2-1 Dodgers.
Rockies: Rodgers singled to right. Blackmon flied to left. Story grounded to the pitcher, Rodgers to second. McMahon doubled to right-center, scoring Rodgers. Cron popped to second.
Score after three: Dodgers 2, Rockies 2
Rockies tie it in second inning
Dodgers: Cody Bellinger fouled to left. AJ Pollock struck out looking. Barnes grounded to third.
Rockies: Ryan McMahon walked on seven pitches. C.J. Cron popped to second. Hilliard doubled to left. Second and third, one out. Dom Nunez walked on six pitches. Kyle Freeland flied to left, scoring McMahon. He just barely beat the throw. Hampson struck out swinging.
Score after two: Dodgers 1, Rockies 1
Dodgers take early 1-0 lead against the Rockies
Dodgers: Left-hander Kyle Freeland pitching for the Rockies. Mookie Betts doubled to left. Justin Turner lined to right. Max Muncy singled to center, scoring Muncy. Muncy took second on a passed ball. Albert Pujols popped to first. Chris Taylor grounded to first.
Rockies: Right-hander Walker Buehler pitching for the Dodgers. Garrett Hampson grounded to short. Brendan Rodgers grounded to third. Charlie Blackmon hit a high bouncer over the mound, and there was no play on him. It bounced really high. Trevor Story struck out swinging.
Score after one: Dodgers 1, Rockies 0
Clayton Kershaw’s goal: â€As good as I can be in October’
In recent years, the Dodgers have put Clayton Kershaw on the injured list because of maladies to his back, shoulder and bicep.
His elbow had not given him any trouble. So he grew concerned when, as the Dodgers approached the All-Star break, he started to experience discomfort in the elbow.
“I really haven’t had many elbow things before,” Kershaw said Saturday. “It wasn’t like a one-pitch deal. It’s something that’s been building over time.”
The Dodgers put him on the injured list July 7, citing elbow inflammation, and sent him for an MRI examination.
“It was good to get a good bill of health from an MRI, for sure. It was a little — I don’t want to say nervous, but I’ve never really had any elbow stuff, so it was a little uneasy.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he expects Kershaw to return sometime in August. Kershaw said he “absolutely” has a specific target date in mind, but he declined to share it.
“Everybody wants me to be back as fast as possible, but I also want to be as good as I can be in October,” Kershaw said. “It’s just kind of playing that game, trying to figure out the best timing for everything. It’s not an exact science, but I think we’re on the right page right now.”
The Dodgers have issues with their rotation and the offense has been inconsistent. Still, they open play after the All-Star break only two games out of first.
The Dodgers opened play Saturday two games out of first place in the National League West, with Walker Buehler and Julio UrĂas as the only healthy options from the season-opening starting rotation.
Kershaw said the team would be fine and that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman would trade to make sure of it.
“We’ve got a good team, man,” Kershaw said. “We have a really good team. Seags [shortstop Corey Seager] will be back soon, and hopefully I’ll be back soon, and Andrew will do something, and we’ll be good to go.”
Coreys near return: Seager first, then Knebel
Corey is on his way back to the Dodgers. Both of them.
Shortstop Corey Seager took seven at-bats in a simulated game Saturday in Arizona, manager Dave Roberts said. He hit a home run.
Seager and reliever Corey Knebel are expected to participate in a simulated game Monday. Seager could be activated soon thereafter; Knebel figures to need additional simulated games or a minor league rehabilitation appearance.
Seager has been on the injured list since May 16 because of a broken hand. Knebel has been on the injured list since April 24 because of a lat strain.
Dodgers vs. Rockies: Analysis and betting odds for Saturday
The Dodgers advanced their record to 7-1 against the Colorado Rockies this season by taking Friday’s contest and will look to keep the success they’ve had against their divisional foe Saturday with Walker Buehler taking the mound.
Buehler has won his last three starts in Coors Field and eight of his last nine against the Rockies overall, giving up two earned runs or fewer in six of his seven road starts this season with three home runs yielded in 44-1/3 innings. He has gone at least six innings in 17 of his 18 starts this season.
He will face Rockies starter Kyle Freeland, who had a 9.58 ERA and gave up nine home runs in his first five starts of the season, but in his last four starts has yielded four runs without a single home run surrendered with opponents averaging two runs a game in those starts.
The Dodgers have scored at least four runs in 10 of their last 12 games and at least four runs in all eight of their games against the Rockies. The Rockies have played each of Freeland’s last four starts under the total and have scored four runs or fewer in nine of their last 10 games with 12 of their last 15 games going under the total.
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Batting cleanup, the surprisingly productive Albert Pujols
When the Dodgers signed Albert Pujols, they made clear they did not consider him an everyday player, at least not in their club. He would make spot starts at first base, primarily against left-handed pitching, and he would pinch-hit.
The plan has been a smashing success. Pujols entered play Saturday batting .282, the highest of any Dodgers position player not named Justin Turner. Pujols also has put up a 0.5 WAR, according to Fangraphs, the first time the three-time MVP has posted a positive WAR since 2016.
On Friday, as a pinch-hitter, Pujols singled, passing Willie Mays for 11th place on the all-time hit list. With 30 more hits, Pujols would pass Eddie Collins for 10th place, which would mean Pujols would rank among the all-time top 10 in hits, home runs, runs batted in, doubles, extra-base hits and total bases.
On Saturday, Pujols bats cleanup for the Dodgers, against left-hander Kyle Freeland of the Colorado Rockies. Gavin Lux and Will Smith have the day off. The Dodgers’ lineup:
Mookie Betts, rf
Justin Turner, 3b
Max Muncy, 2b
Albert Pujols, 1b
Chris Taylor, ss
Cody Bellinger, cf
AJ Pollock, lf
Austin Barnes, c
Walker Buehler, p
Dodgers open second half of season with win, but pitching concerns loom
The Dodgers did what a good team does at Coors Field: score a lot of runs and pummel the home team.
It was a good Friday indeed, a 10-4 rout of the Colorado Rockies, a good start to the first series of the second half.
The second series figures to be more of a challenge, at what could be a particularly challenging time for the Dodgers.
On Monday, the Dodgers open a series against the first-place San Francisco Giants. Clayton Kershaw, who was in line to start one of the games in that series, instead is expected to remain on the injured list into August, manager Dave Roberts said. That would mean the Dodgers would proceed without Kershaw and Trevor Bauer as the July 30 trade deadline approaches, and likely beyond.
Bauer is on leave from the Dodgers, as the Pasadena police and Major League Baseball investigate sexual assault allegations against him.
Roberts, asked whether the Dodgers have to assume Bauer would not return this season as they plan their pitching future, chose his words carefully. He did not use Bauer’s name in his answer. He basically said yes, without explicitly saying yes.
“We are planning with who we have now, on our team and in our organization, and canvassing the industry,” Roberts said. “That’s how we’re going about it.”
Highlights from the Dodgers’ 10-4 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night in Denver.
The Dodgers went about it with purpose and efficiency Friday, scoring five runs before the Rockies could record two outs.
Chris Taylor hit a three-run home run, Mookie Betts had three hits and Will Smith drove in four runs. Pitcher Phil Bickford got his first career hit, and every player in the Dodgers’ starting lineup scored at least one run by the fifth inning.
Julio UrĂas (12-3), who leads the majors in victories, pitched into the sixth inning for this victory. He gave up four runs, all on a grand slam by C.J. Cron. Walker Buehler, who has completed six innings in all but one of his 18 starts this season, starts for the Dodgers on Saturday.
Roberts said he had alerted Buehler that he might not pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star game, given the Dodgers’ need for reliable starters. Buehler had pitched in a previous All-Star game, and Roberts said Buehler said he would do whatever the team asked.
On Sunday, the Dodgers plan to start David Price, who has not pitched more than three innings since July 30, 2019. On Monday, in the series opener against San Francisco, the Dodgers plan to start Tony Gonsolin, who has pitched beyond the fourth inning once in seven starts this season. On Tuesday, the Dodgers could ask one of two prospects — Josiah Gray or Ryan Pepiot — to make his major league debut.
Roberts said the Dodgers also could try another bullpen game, which would be their 10th this season.
That would have been Kershaw’s day to pitch. Instead, Kershaw is expected to miss at least his next three starts.
He has not pitched since July 7 because of what the team lists as forearm inflammation. Roberts said Kershaw had complained of a sore elbow, and the team decided it would be prudent to let him rest and then “build him back up,” with the kind of midseason sabbatical the Dodgers had hoped to provide for all their starters.
Trevor Bauer is under investigation for sexual assault by the police and by MLB. How is the situation likely to unfold? What can the Dodgers do?
“It’s a blow we just kind of wanted to bake in,” Roberts said. “We talked about it this year, as far as giving guys certain blows. The season hasn’t allowed for that. Now, with Clayton, we just said let’s revisit our conversation and build that blow in right now.”
By assuming Bauer does not return, the Dodgers’ baseball operations braintrust is making a decision based not on guilt or innocence, but on reality.
It is not considered likely that Bauer would be reinstated from administrative leave at the first available date, July 28.
Even if he were reinstated then, he would not have pitched for a month, so he would have to rebuild his arm strength.
There is no guarantee Bauer would be cleared to pitch again this season, but the Dodgers cannot afford to wait and see. The trade deadline is July 30. And, under new baseball rules, the second chance of an August trade is gone. August waiver trades are no longer allowed.
Here’s a look at 10 starting pitchers that the Dodgers and Angels could target in trades this month.
So, if the Dodgers wish to trade for a starting pitcher, they have two weeks to do so.
Max Scherzer? Roberts started him Tuesday, in the All-Star game. Could he start the three-time Cy Young winner again, this time for the Dodgers, who would need to acquire him from the Washington Nationals?
Roberts laughed. That question was easy for him to dodge. That would be a trick for President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman to pull off.
“That,” Roberts said, “is above my pay grade.”
Dodgers defeat Rockies, 10-4 (over and out)
Dodgers: Left-hander Lucas Gilbreath now pitching for the Rockies. Lux flied to center. Albert Pujols, batting for Reed, singled. Betts struck out swinging. Muncy singled to center, Pujols to second. Turner flied to right-center.
Rockies: Right-hander Jimmie Sherfy now pitching for the Dodgers. Hampson struck out swinging. Rodgers singled to left. Story grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
Final score: Dodgers 10, Rockies 4
We go to the ninth, 10-4 Dodgers
Dodgers: Left-hander Ben Bowden now pitching for the Rockies. Smith struck out looking. Bellinger struck out swinging. Taylor grounded to short. Story bounced the throw and it got past the first baseman. Man on second, two out. Pollock struck out swinging.
Rockies: Right-hander Jake Reed now pitching for the Dodgers. Diaz struck out swinging. Owings flied to left. Fuentes popped to second.
Score after eight: Dodgers 10, Rockies 4
Dodgers take 10-4 lead into the eighth inning
Dodgers: In his second major-league at-bat, Bickford singled up the middle. Betts struck out swinging. Muncy grounded to first, Bickford to second. Bickford took third on a wild pitch. Turner flied to right-center.
Rockies: Story singled to left-center. Blackmon grounded to short, forcing Story. Blackmon was initially called out at first, but on review he was clearly safe. Man on first, one out. Cron walked on four pitches. Raimel Tapia hit for the pitcher, which ends the night for Bickford. He is replaced by left-hander Garrett Cleavinger. First and second, one out. Tapia grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
Score after seven: Dodgers 10, Rockies 4
It’s 10-4 Dodgers after six
Dodgers: Right-hander Antonio Santos now pitching for the Rockies. Josh Fuentes in at third base. Taylor struck out looking. Pollock grounded to short. Lux struck out looking.
Rockies: Owings flied to right. Fuentes flied to right. Right-hander Phil Bickford replaced UrĂas. Hampson walked on six pitches. Rodgers grounded to first.
Score after six: Dodgers 10, Rockies 4
It’s 10-4 Dodgers after five innings
Dodgers: Right-hander Justin Lawrence now pitching for the Rockies. Pollock walked on seven pitches. Lux singled to center, Pollock to second. UrĂas sacrificed the runners over. Betts flied to center, scoring Pollock, Lux to third. It’s 8-4 Dodgers. Muncy walked on five pitches. Turner walked on four pitches, loading the bases with two out. Smith singled to left-center, scoring Lux and Muncy, with Turner going to third. It’s 10-4 Dodgers. Bellinger struck out swinging.
Rockies: Blackmon singled to center. Cron flied to center. McMahon struck out swinging. Diaz grounded to first.
Score after five: Dodgers 10, Rockies 4
Dodgers extend lead to 7-4 on Will Smith’s double
Dodgers: UrĂas hit a grounder to first that ricocheted off the bag into right field for a hit. Betts singled to left, UrĂas to second. Muncy flied to the wall in right, UrĂas taking third. Turner lined to third. Smith doubled of the wall in left, scoring UrĂas and Betts. Bellinger walked on four pitches. Taylor struck out looking.
Rockies: Owings hit a shot to third. Turner made a diving grab and threw him out. Sam Hilliard, batting for Gonzalez, grounded to short. The call was reviewed, and while it looked like his foot missed the bag, he was called safe. Man on first, one out. Hampson flied to right. Rodgers was hit by a pitch. Story lined to short.
Score after four: Dodgers 7, Rockies 4
Cron’s grand slam pulls Rockies within 5-4
Dodgers: Bellinger lined to second. Taylor flied to right. Pollock doubled to left. Lux grounded to first.
Rockies: Hampson beat out a slow roller in front of the plate. Rodgers singled to right, Hampson to second. Story fouled to right, Hampson taking third. Blackmon was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with one out. Pitching coach Mark Prior comes out to talk to UrĂas. Cron hit a ball about 20 miles over the left-field fence, making it 5-4. It was actually estimated at 465 feet. The pitch was basically set on a tee for him. And now it’s a one-run ball game. McMahon flied to left. Diaz grounded to short.
Score after three: Dodgers 5, Rockies 4
It’s 5-0 Dodgers after two
Dodgers: Julio UrĂas lined to center. Betts singled to left. His third consecutive multi-hit game. Muncy struck out swinging. Turner singled to right-center, Betts to third. Smith hit a fly ball the deep right-center, but Blackmon made an excellent running, jumping catch to end the inning.
Rockies: Ryan McMahon popped to short. Elias Diaz flied to right. Chris Owings singled. Chi Chi Gonzalez struck out swinging.
Score after two: Dodgers 5, Rockies 0
Dodgers ride Chris Taylor’s homer to a 5-0 lead in the first
Dodgers: Right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez pitching for the Rockies. Mookie Betts doubled to left. Max Muncy popped to short. Justin Turner was hit by a pitch. Smith walked on five pitches, loading the bases with one out. Cody Bellinger singled to right-center, scoring Betts and Turner, Smith to third. Gonzalez wasn’t supposed to start today but was forced to when the scheduled starter entered COVID protocols. Chris Taylor homered to DEEP left-center, estimated at 435 feet. It’s 5-0 Dodgers. AJ Pollock lined to center. Gavin Lux lined to short.
Rockies: Left-hander Julio UrĂas now pitching. Garrett Hampson grounded to short. Brendan Rodgers struck out swinging. Trevor Story walked on six pitches. Charlie Blackmon singled to center, Story to second. C.J. Cron hit a shot up the middle, but Taylor was positioned perfectly, snagged it and threw Cron out at first.
Score after one: Dodgers 5, Rockies 0
Rockies affected by COVID concerns, but Dodgers cleared
After Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees tested positive for the coronavirus upon returning from the All-Star game here, the Dodgers were directed to test their All-Stars: manager Dave Roberts, all of his coaches, and four players.
All tested negative in two rounds of testing, Roberts said Friday.
Roberts said he was not concerned that he nor anyone else in the Dodgers’ All-Star traveling party would test positive.
However, Bud Black — one of Roberts’ All-Star coaches, and the manager of the Colorado Rockies—was one of six persons affiliated with the Rockies to sit out Friday’s game because of COVID testing and tracing protocols.
Black, first base coach Ron Gideon, pitchers Yency Almonte, Jhoulys Chacin, Antonio Senzatela, and outfielder Yonathan Daza all were put on the injured list Friday, in line with those protocols.
Roberts said he had exchanged text messages with Black. According to Roberts, Black is asymptomatic.
Roberts said he was not frustrated by the ongoing COVID concerns.
“Certainly not ideal,” he said, “but it’s our reality.”
Five observations about the Dodgers
The Dodgers were almost never at full strength in their 91 games before the All-Star break. Injuries devastated the lineup, hindered their bullpen and, most recently, left unexpected uncertainty in the starting rotation.
Clayton Kershaw was placed on the injured list days before the time off and less than a week after Trevor Bauer was placed on paid administrative leave after a woman accused him of sexual assault and obtained a temporary restraining order against him. The leave was extended a second time Wednesday to July 27. Bauer may never pitch for the Dodgers again.
The Dodgers still reached the break with five All-Stars and the second-best record in the majors at 56-35. Their plus-142 run differential is tops in the major leagues. The problem is the only team with a better record — the San Francisco Giants — is sitting above them in the National League West.
The Dodgers begin the “second half” Friday against the Colorado Rockies two games behind the Giants (57-32). They have work to do to avoid a win-or-go-home wild-card game scenario with the San Diego Padres sitting behind them in third place. It’s an unfamiliar position for an organization vying for its ninth straight division title.
Trevor Bauer bobblehead giveaway replaced by Clayton Kershaw T-shirt night
When the Dodgers removed the Trevor Bauer bobblehead night from their promotional schedule, they faced this dilemma: Bobblehead nights are quite popular, as reflected in ticket prices for those games. How could the Dodgers satisfy fans who had paid premium prices for a giveaway item that no longer would be given away?
The answer: an exclusive Clayton Kershaw product.
The Dodgers’ promotional schedule now shows a “Kershaw World Champion T-shirt” as the giveaway item Aug. 19, the date originally reserved for the Bauer bobblehead.
Los Angeles celebrated with Kershaw, who raised his arms and smiled broadly when the Dodgers won the World Series last year. For too long, he had been the greatest pitcher of his generation, yet without the validation of October.
Dodgers return with All-Stars atop lineup
The Dodgers return to action Friday with a lineup that includes four All-Stars, including the top three batters.
The lineup against the Colorado Rockies:
Mookie Betts, rf
Max Muncy, 1b
Justin Turner, 3b
Will Smith, c
Cody Bellinger, cf
Chris Taylor, 2b
AJ Pollock, lf
Gavin Lux, ss
Julio Urias, p
The Dodgers activated reliever Jimmie Sherfy, whom they claimed on waivers this week, and returned outfielder Zach Reks to triple-A Oklahoma City.
Dodgers to proceed cautiously with Clayton Kershaw
The Dodgers do not plan to activate Clayton Kershaw to start in next week’s series against the first-place San Francisco Giants, manager Dave Roberts said Friday.
Instead, the Dodgers plan to call up a starting pitcher from the minor leagues. Roberts said the candidates include Josiah Gray, who would be making his major league debut.
Gray, 23, the Dodgers’ top pitching prospect, has made three appearances for triple-A Oklahoma City since missing a month because of a shoulder impingement.
In those three appearances, Gray is 1-0 with a 2.53 earned-run average. In 10 2/3 innings, he has given up five hits and no walks, with 12 strikeouts.
The Dodgers put Kershaw on the injured list July 7, with what the team said was inflammation in his left forearm. Roberts said the team wanted to take advantage of the All-Star break to “save some bullets” and “build him back up.”
Roberts said the Dodgers probably would let Kershaw decide whether he would benefit from a minor league rehabilitation assignment.
Kershaw, 33, is 9-7 with a 3.39 ERA. In 106 innings, he has walked 19 and struck out 127.
Bill Plaschke: Dodgers need to cut Trevor Bauer right now
The fake Trevor Bauer is gone, his bobblehead night canceled.
The shirt off Trevor Bauer’s back is gone, his jersey no longer available for purchase at the team store.
The clubhouse support for Trevor Bauer is gone, not one teammate agreeing to publicly offer even the mildest of affirmative testimonials, nobody even dare mentioning his name.
Every piece of evidence that Trevor Bauer ever pitched for the Dodgers is gone, save one.
He is still contractually a pitcher for the Dodgers.
That’s as crazy as it sounds, and it needs to change.
It would be enormously costly, legally difficult, and maybe impossible to actually pull off, but the Dodgers need to send the community a message about their standards by ridding themselves of a guy who has clearly sunk far below them.
They need to cut Trevor Bauer, and they need to do it now.
All-Star game finally returns to L.A. next year
Next time, it’s ours.
The last time the All-Star game was played at Dodger Stadium, Reggie Smith started in center field for the National League.
That was in 1980. He is 76 now. The Dodgers have not played host to an All-Star game since then, and he would not have believed it if you had told him how long the wait would be for the next one.
“Forty-two years? The Dodgers? No All-Star game in L.A.?” Smith said as he reminisced in the dugout Tuesday at Coors Field. “Something’s wrong.”
Two score and two years later, it will be showtime once again at Dodger Stadium. It might be Sho Time Two.
Thanks, Denver, and we’ll take it from here. Save the date: The All-Star game returns to L.A. on July 12, 2022.
“It’s a long time coming,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I know our city is going to do it right, with the help of the Dodgers.
“Can’t wait. I hope I get to manage.”
Q&A on sexual assault case involving Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer
The Dodgers open the second half of the season Friday in Denver, but pitcher Trevor Bauer will not be there. Bauer, who is in the first year of a three-year, $102-million contract, remains under investigation in a sexual assault case, and Major League Baseball and the players’ union have agreed to extend his paid administrative leave through July 27.
Questions, answers and a look ahead:
What is the status of the investigation?
There are two investigations, one by the Pasadena Police Department and one by MLB. Both are ongoing. Bauer has not been arrested or charged.
What happens between now and July 27?
The woman accusing Bauer has obtained a temporary restraining order against him, based on her written testimony and medical records, photographs and text messages.
The Dodgers need pitchers. Here are 10 possible trade options
The Dodgers, who lost Dustin May to season-ending elbow surgery, Clayton Kershaw to left forearm tightness and Trevor Bauer to a Major League Baseball-imposed administrative leave in the wake of a sexual assault investigation into the right-hander, are in dire need of starting pitching.
With nine teams clearly out of playoff contention coming out of the All-Star break, there should be no shortage of “sellers” before the July 30 trade deadline.
But with five American League teams within 5 1/2 games of the second wild-card spot and two National League teams within 6 1/2 games of the second wild-card spot, there should be no shortage of “buyers,” which could make the competition for highly sought-after players fierce.
With that in mind, here’s a look at 10 starting pitchers, with varying degrees of availability, that the Dodgers could target in trades this month:
Jose Berrios (Minnesota Twins, RHP)
Berrios, 27, is 7-3 with a 3.48 ERA in 18 starts, with 114 strikeouts and 31 walks in 108 2/3 innings, and he has an electric four-pitch mix that includes an 83-mph curve and a 94-mph sinking fastball. He is signed for an affordable $6.1 million this season and is under club control through 2022, so it would take a highly attractive package of prospects for the Twins to part with him.