Dodgers News
10-14-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West division this season and headed home to host the first two games in the NLDS at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers got a chance to avenge their 2013 NLCS loss to the St. Louis Cardinals as they drew the same Cardinals once again in the 2014 ALDS. The Dodgers were big favorites in the series with St. Louis having to beat Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke twice in a five game series but Kershaw has struggled in his career both in the postseason and against the St. Louis Cardinals. Kershaw could not get the Cardinals monkey off his back in Game One as he allowed eight earned runs while the Cardinals came from behind to win Game One 10-9 to take a 1-0 series lead. In Game Two Zack Greinke shut down the Cardinals and Matt Kemp hit a big home run late to give the Dodgers a victory to even the series at 1-1 as the series shifted to Busch Stadium.
In Game Three of the NLDS the Cardinals sent John Lackey to the mound to face off with the Giants Hyun-Jin Ryu. Ryu was sharp as he lasted 6.0 innings allowing just five hits and one run, a solo home run off the bat of Matt Carpenter, striking out four before handing the ball to the Dodgers shaky bullpen. Lackey matched Ryu’s strong performance with 7.0 innings of his own allowing just one run while striking out eight as he handed the ball to the Cardinals bullpen with a lead. The Cardinals struck in the 7th inning against Dodgers reliever Scott Elbert when Kolten Wong hit a two run home run to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead after seven innings. Pat Neshek pitched a perfect 8th inning for the Cardinals while St. Louis closer Trevor Rosenthal made things interesting in the 9th inning allowing two hits before locking down the save and the 3-1 victory for the Cardinals. St. Louis took a 2-1 series lead as the Cardinals looked to finish the series at home in Busch Stadium in Game Four.
In Game Four Clayton Kershaw was back on the mound on three days of rest for the Dodgers while St. Louis countered with Shelby Miller. Kershaw and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly stated that Kershaw was going to pitch Game Four whether the Dodgers were on the brink of elimination or not which was a questionable decision given the lefty’s career line against the Cardinals. Kershaw seemed ready to put those talks to bed as he was absolutely dominant through six innings and was finally given a lead in the top of the 6th inning. The Dodgers put two runs on the board in the top of the 6th including a Juan Uribe RBI single and Kershaw went out to the mound for the 7th with the lead looking to send the game back to Los Angeles in a decisive Game Five. Kershaw started the inning putting two runners on base before St. Louis’ first baseman Matt Adams came up to bat. Matt Adams took a Kershaw offering deep to right field for a three home run that knocked Kershaw out of the game and eventually knocked the Dodgers out of the playoffs. Kershaw’s demons once again took center stage in the postseason and against the Cardinals and once again St. Louis was moving on while Los Angeles was heading home. Pat Neshek pitched a perfect 8th inning while Rosenthal gave up a single before locking down the save in the 9th inning to win the game 3-2 and win the series 3-1. St. Louis will head to the NLCS to face off with the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers will once again head home early in October after having one of the highest payrolls in all of baseball. Many around the league are wondering if GM Ned Coletti’s job is in jeopardy after a second early postseason exit as well as manager Don Mattingly’s managerial job. Change may definitely be on the horizon for the Dodgers as free agent Hanley Ramirez sets to test the open market while personnel changes may be on the horizon in Los Angeles.
10-7-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West for the second consecutive season in 2014 and got a second chance to get payback against the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division series. There was not a single Dodgers ticket not sold for this game as the fans filed into Dodgers Stadium for what was scheduled to be a pitcher’s duel in every single game of this best of five game set. The fans were entertained in Game One as the two leading Cy Young Award candidates in the NL faced off with Adam Wainwright heading to the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals and Clayton Kershaw heading to the mound for the Dodgers. In a game that was pegged as a definite pitcher’s duel there was plenty of offense to go around for both teams. For much of this game it looked like the Dodgers had the game in hand and even took a 6-2 lead into the Top of the 7th inning before the Cardinals offense broke out of their slump against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers. Matt Holliday hit a two run home run off Kershaw in the frame as a part of an eight run inning for St. Louis that gave them a 10-6 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th. Kershaw finished the night with 6.2 innings of work allowing eight earned runs and two home runs while striking out 10 Cardinals batters. Adrian Gonzalez inched the Dodgers closer in the bottom of the 8th with a two run home run to bring the score to 10-8 heading into the bottom of the ninth. Trevor Rosenthal entered the game in the bottom of the night for the Cardinals and made things interesting giving up a run in the bottom of the 9th before securing the save and giving St. Louis a 1-0 series lead.
In Game Two St. Louis sent Lance Lynn to the mound to face off with Zack Greinke for the Dodgers in what was described as another pitcher’s duel. This time the game lived up to the hype as Greinke threw 7.0 shutout innings only allowing two base hits while striking out seven before handing the game over to the Dodgers bullpen. Lynn pitched well in the game for the Cardinals throwing 6.0 innings but made two mistakes to Dee Gordon and Adrian Gonzalez and left the game trailing 2-0 before handing the ball to the Cardinals bullpen. J.P. Howell entered the game for the Dodgers and ultimately blew the save allowing three hits and two runs without recording an out before Brandon League came in and stopped the bleeding for Los Angeles. The Cardinals sent Pat Neshek out to the mound to hold the lead in the bottom of the 8th inning but Matt Kemp had other plans as he blasted a solo home run to put Los Angeles up for good by the score of 3-2. Kenley Jansen threw a perfect 9th inning striking out two batters to even the series at 1-1 and give the Dodgers that 3-2 victory.
10-1-14: The Dodgers earned their second consecutive NL West title despite the fact that the team never played their best baseball. One Dodger who was dealing all season was Clayton Kershaw. The left-handed starter won 21 of his 27 outings, which made him the first pitcher to do that feat since 1880. Yes, 1880. Kershaw should win both the NL Cy Young and NL MVP this season. The Dodgers will play the Cardinals in the NLDS.
9-30-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Dan Haren had a $10 million player option written into his contract that vested this week when Haren went over the 180 IP mark this season. Haren has announced that he would not think about the 2015 option until after the Dodgers season that will end in the postseason. Speaking of incentives the Dodgers relief pitcher and former Cleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez has already made $2 million in incentives this season while triggering appearance bonuses written into his contract. Perez already had a base salary of $2.3 million and will finish the season with an AAV of $4.3 million. Los Angeles made it official this week when they took home the National League West division title and will host the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS later in the week. Los Angeles has one of the hardest pitching staffs to beat in a short series with Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Dan Haren all pitching in a short series. Los Angeles finished the 2014 season with a 94-68 record and won the National League West division title.
9-25-14: The Dodgers offense exploded for 54 runs in seven games last week, as team rebounded from a series loss to the Rockies to take three out of four from the Cubs. The Dodgers already clinched a playoff spot, but are still looking to nail down the NL West crown. Their lead over the Giants sits at 4.5 games. The Dodgers closing out their schedule against the Rockies at home in what should be an easy series for L.A.
9-23-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers are not expecting to retain shortstop Hanley Ramirez this winter and have announced they would be offering Hanley Ramirez a qualifying offer this season. Ramirez could return to the Dodgers on a one year deal worth roughly $15 million or he could test the market and sign elsewhere. If the latter happens the signing team would have to surrender a draft pick and the Dodgers would receive a first round pick as compensation. The Dodgers find themselves scrambling this week in wake of the injury news from starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu. Los Angeles sent out 39 year old Jamey Wright in place of Ryu this week for only his second start in the last seven years. Wright has been working exclusively out of the bullpen and will be called on to get a few innings and be relieved by a plethora of relief pitchers in the game. Dan Haren was pushed back a day and started Monday to try and ease the strain on the team. Los Angeles ended the week by announcing a new home for their Triple-A and Double-A minor league affiliates as the Triple-A squad will be moving to Oklahoma City, former home of the Houston Astros Triple-A team, and the Double-A squad would be moving from Chattanooga to Tulsa, the former home of the Colorado Rockies Double-A squad.
9-18-14: The Dodgers staked their claim as the NL West’s top team with a series win over the Giants this past weekend. They entered this week with a three game lead over San Fran in the division. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez has a good shot of winning the NL RBI title. He currently leads Giancarlo Stanton by just one (106 to 105), and with Stanton most likely done for the season its Gonzalez’s to lose. Clayton Kershaw is 19-3 with a 1.70 ERA and 219 strikeouts in 185.1 innings of work. He's 16-1 with a 1.26 ERA since the beginning of June. He should win both the NL CY Young and NL MVP.
9-16-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers Hanley Ramirez may be letting his impending free agency get in his head as he has become a defensive liability and short tempered with the media. Ramirez refused to talk to reporters after the game on Monday and followed it up with a two error game at shortstop on Tuesday. This is the first time Hanley has seemingly had all eyes on him heading into free agency and manager Don Mattingly thinks it may be affecting his star shortstop. Los Angeles also received some terrible news at the worst possible time of the season as starting pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu is battling a sore shoulder. Ryu has already missed several weeks this season with shoulder inflammation so for this injury to conceivably reoccur it cannot be great news for the Dodgers. Los Angeles has already lost Josh Beckett, Paul Maholm, and Chad Billingsley this season and any Ryu injury could leave the Dodgers extremely thin at starting pitching as they continue to fight the San Francisco Giants for the NL West division title.
9-12-14: After dropping a three-game series to Nationals for the NL’s best record to kick off last week, the Dodgers bounced back nicely with a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks. Their lead over the Giants in the NL West race currently stands at just 2.5 games, and those two teams square off this weekend for a three-game series in the Bay Area. Their pitching staff is scary and their offense is starting to come around. If they can hold off the Giants, the Dodgers will be tough draw for anyone in October. .
9-9-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have finally called up their top prospect in outfield Joc Pederson as rosters expanded this week. Los Angeles had to designate former Seattle Mariners top prospect Carlos Truinfel for assignment to accommodate Pederson after Truinfel slashed .223/.256/.330 in Triple-A for the Dodgers. Truinfel was immediately outrighted to Triple-A and can now accept the assignment or elect free agency and test the free agent waters. Los Angeles also selected the contract of Roger Bernadina this week in wake of the sickness that has kept outfielder Yasiel Puig out of the lineup. Josh Beckett was transferred to the 60 day DL to make room on the 40 man roster for Bernadina as Beckett is out for the rest of the season. Puig was sent to the hospital this week and had to receive IV fluids.
9-4-14: Despite dropping a series to the Padres this past weekend, the Dodgers closed out August with a
winning record at 15-13, and given the injuries they are dealing with, that is impressive. Hanley
Ramirez is out for who knows how long and Yasiel Puig is slumping badly. The Dodgers will
have their hands full holding off the Giants in the NL West standings, and those two teams still
have six games left head-to-head. L.A. has a narrow two-game lead on the Giants.
9-2-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers completed their trade with the Philadelphia Phillies this week for starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez by sending prospect Victor Arano to Philadelphia. Arano was ranked as the Dodgers 14th best prospect according to MLB.com at 19 years old. The Dodgers are also holding internal discussions about the future of Hanley Ramirez with the team as he is set to be a free agent at the end of the season. Hanley may look to head to the American League so he can get the occasional half day off as a designated hitter and may ultimately move to third base. Los Angeles is wary of giving Hanley a big deal due to concerns about his attitude, durability, and his defense. If Hanley walks in free agency the Dodgers may be forced to keep Matt Kemp and trade one of Andre Ethier, Carl Crawford, or Joc Pederson as Kemp is only one of two notable right handed hitters in the Dodgers lineup besides Yasiel Puig.
8-27-14: The Dodgers made the most of a favorable schedule this past week, taking series from the Padres and Mets to extend their lead in the NL West to five games over the Giants. They beat Arizona Tuesday in Phoenix and travel to San Diego this weekend. Hanley Ramirez rejoined the team Sunday, and starter Hyun-Jin Ryu is expected to be activated as soon as he is eligible to come off the DL. The Dodgers are getting healthy for their stretch run, and that is scary news for the rest of baseball.
8-26-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have already added Kevin Correia, Justin Germano, and Roberto Hernandez and are still reportedly in the market for a relief pitcher and a bat for the bench. The Dodgers have not shown a willingness to part with top prospects this season so a deal for a top piece seems unlikely at this point. Los Angeles may give the New York Mets a call about starting pitcher Bartolo Colon before August is up, especially since Colon has now cleared waivers and can be traded to any team for the remainder of the season. Colon would also help the Dodgers next season as he is under team control for the 2015 season. Colon also fits into the Dodgers plans well as he would not command a Joc Pederson or other top prospect in return presumably. Even without the big name acquisition the Dodgers still lead the NL West division by 4.5 games over the San Francisco Giants with a 74-58 record. If the season ended today the Dodgers would have the second best record in the National League and would face off with the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS playoff round.
8-20-14: The Dodgers lead over the San Francisco Giants in the NL West is now just 3.5 games. LA is dealing with some key injuries right now. Hanley Ramirez, Juan Uribe, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Josh Beckett are all sidelined with no timetable for their returns. The Dodgers did acquire Kevin Correia and Roberto Hernandez to plug the two holes in the rotation. It’s going to be a dogfight in the NL West from here on out.
8-19-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have been seemingly acquiring a new pitcher for every day of the week as the team has been extremely active during these August revocable waiver days. Last week we saw the Dodgers acquire starting pitcher Roberto Hernandez to try and replace the injured Josh Beckett and the team hasn’t stopped acquiring pitching since. The Dodgers also acquired Justin Germano from the Texas Rangers for future considerations. Germano will start his Dodgers career in the Triple-A but may be called upon after the losses of Beckett and Hyun-Jin Ryu. Ryu has been placed on the 15 day DL with a hip strain but the DL stint is retroactive a day which will shorten the time he is out.
8-13-14: The Dodgers took three out of four from the Los Angeles Angels in the Freeway Series last week but failed to build off of that when they dropped a series to the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. They have beaten the Braves twice this week and with the San Francisco Giants sliding once again, the Dodgers' lead in the NL West currently sits at six games. Hanley Ramirez landed on the DL on Sunday with a strained oblique, which could prove to be costly for the Dodgers over the next week or so.
8-12-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers started the week by designating infielder Chone Figgins for assignment ending his surprising season with LA. Figgins signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers this offseason and made the team out of spring training but spent a big chunk of the season on the disabled list with a strained quad muscle. Figgins was on a minor league rehab assignment but the clock is only good for 30 days and that window expired forcing the hand of the Dodgers. It is conceivable that Figgins will sign another minor league deal with the Dodgers or will clear waivers and accept a minor league assignment and outright to stay with the team. Speaking of waivers the Dodgers placed Matt Kemp, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, and Josh Beckett on waivers and all four players cleared meaning that LA can trade them to any team for the rest of the season. The Dodgers finished the week by sending two players to be named later for the Phillies Roberto Hernandez to further solidify their pitching staff.
8-6-14: On a night when Clayton Kershaw looked human, the Dodgers still found a way to win beating the Angels 5-4 Tuesday night to even the Freeway Series. Kershaw recovered from a rocky start to pitch seven innings, but he gave up three early runs to the Angels' lineup. The two-time CY Young winner didn't get a win for just the second time in 12 starts since May. Juan Uribe scored on David Freese's bad throw to the plate in the ninth inning to give the Dodgers the win. The Dodgers have a 2.5 game lead on the Giants in NL West play.
8-5-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers inquired about the Phillies ace starting pitcher Cole Hamels and quickly shot down their asking price for the lefty. Philadelphia asked for the Dodgers top three prospects in Joc Pederson, Corey Seager, and Julio Arias. Los Angeles thinks the world of these prospects as they were linked to many high priced starting pitchers including David Price and Jon Lester and ultimately passed rather than trading away their top talent in the farm system. All in all the Dodgers lead the NL West division by two games over the San Francisco Giants with a 63-49 record. The Dodgers are 7-3 in their last ten games while the Giants have slumped with a 4-6 record in their last ten.
7-30-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers got the news they have been hoping for this week as the Philadelphia Phillies have made ace starting pitcher Cole Hamels available in a trade. The Dodgers immediately jump to the front of the interested list as they have been looking to acquire a top of the rotation starter all month. The Dodgers also shored up some of their infield depth and defense this week when they acquired Darwin Barney from the Chicago Cubs after Barney was designated for assignment. The Dodgers will only be on the hook for $500K of Barney’s salary for the remainder of this season and get a defensive specialist for the middle of their infield. The Dodgers are said to be shopping Carl Crawford in trades this week as they are willing to eat a lot of the $69.25 million owed to the outfielder through the 2017 season.
7-28-14: The Dodgers started on a nine-game road trip after the All-Star break. They did not play too well at the beginning of it, dropping two of three games to both the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates. However, Yasiel Puig made it back to the lineup on Friday and led the Dodgers to victory by hitting three triples at San Francisco.
7-24-14: Adrian Gonzalez hit his 15th long ball of the season and finished with three RBI but it wasn’t enough as the Dodgers fell to the Pirates 12-7 Tuesday night in the Steel City. Paul Maholm took the loss after replacing starter Josh Beckett, who struggled in his return from a hip injury. The Dodgers have cooled off considerably after the All-Star break and are just 5-5 in their last ten games played. LA must play better as their arch rivals from San Francisco are starting to play better baseball too. Currently, the Dodgers are one game back of the Giants for the NL West lead.
7-21-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to complete the Boston Red Sox to Los Angeles departure as the team has recently shown interest in acquiring former Red Sox and current Philadelphia Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon. The Dodgers are in danger of relinquishing first place in the NL West and are currently tied with the San Francisco Giants at the top of the division with a 55-45 record. The Dodgers may now be turning their full attention to acquiring David Price to get them over the hump in the division but Tampa Bay still seems unwilling to commit to selling or staying put. With Cole Hamels seemingly available these days Los Angeles may also make a run at that left handed starter.
7-19-14: Yasiel Puig’s first All-Star experience was not very successful. He went homerless in Monday’s Home Run Derby and went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in Tuesday’s All-Star Game. His offensive struggles spread to the rest of the team on Friday, as the Dodgers only scored two runs and lost to the St. Louis Cardinals.
7-17-14: The Dodgers have not been as dominant as expected, but they still look like the best team in the NL heading into the break. They closed out the first half on a 22-12 run, and they currently hold a one-game lead over the Giants. Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke are the best duo in the majors right now. Hyun-Jin Ryu has been strong once again. With Dan Haren and Josh Beckett on the DL, look for LA to add a starter at the deadline. If guys like Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez can pick things up in the second half, the Dodgers can be that much better.
7-15-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers may be forced to jump back into the starting pitchers market at this year’s trading deadline after losing Josh Beckett to the 15 day DL this week. The Dodgers did dodge a bit of a bullet with Beckett though as he will only miss one start with the help of the All Star Break but the team is not as confident in Beckett’s health and Josh himself may be. The Dodgers asked the Cubs about Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel before they were traded to the Oakland Athletics but were quickly denied since they are reluctant and seemingly unwilling to trade Joc Pedersen or Corey Seager in any deal. The Dodgers head into the All Star break with a 54-43 record which is good for first place in the National League West division. Yasiel Puig represented the Dodgers in the Home Run Derby and fellow teammates Clayton Kershawn, Zach Greinke, and Dee Gordon will be representing the National League in the All Star Game this week.
7-14-14: The Dodgers, who went 18-10 in June, fought their way back into the race for the 2014 National League West title, but they could not solidify a divisional lead because of their poor July thus far. With Josh Beckett on the disabled list and Hanley Ramirez still out of the lineup, Clayton Kershaw is going to have to continue to carry this team. On Thursday, he threw a complete game as the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres, 2-1.
7-10-14: After getting five runs off of Tigers ace Justin Verlander, the Dodgers must have felt great about themselves. That all vanished quickly as the Tigers rallied to beat the Dodgers 14-5 on Tuesday night. Dodgers’ starter Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed seven runs and 10 hits in only 2 1/3 innings of work. Juan Uribe hit a two run homer for the Dodgers in the first, but Verlander retired 13 in a row after that. Los Angeles has a narrow one-game lead over San Francisco in the NL West.
7-7-14: Clayton Kershaw, who was the National League Pitcher of Month for June, started July on a strong note. On July 4, he extended his scoreless streak to 36 innings, pushed his personal winning streak to seven games and gave the Dodgers their sixth consecutive victory against the Colorado Rockies. Los Angeles has taken over first place of the division even after losing two of three games against the Cleveland Indians earlier in the week.
7-3-14: You know it’s not your night when you have a triple play go against you. That’s what happened to the Dodgers Tuesday night in their 10-3 loss to Cleveland. In fourth inning, with Dee Gordon and Yasiel Puig on base, Adrian Gonzalez hit a flyball out to Indians left fielder Michael Brantley for one out. Brantley threw home and got Gordon at the plate. Two outs. Catcher Yan Gomes saw Puig breaking for second and got him for the third out. Indians manager Terry Francona challenged the original safe call. The ruling was overturned and then Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly then came out to challenge the call at the plate. Nevertheless, the Dodgers couldn’t recover from that.
7-2-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to be buyers once again at this year’s trading deadline but are already telling teams they are unwilling to move top prospects Joc Pederson or Corey Seager. This announcement will likely take them out of any sweepstakes involving David Price and Jeff Samardzija. The Dodgers were a team that were worried just a couple weeks back about falling too far behind in the division but have come back to within one game of the first place San Francisco Giants and are primed to make moves in the West. The Dodgers are 7-3 in their last 10 games while the Giants are 3-7 in their last ten which made for a four game difference in a week and a half. This division may go down to the final weekend of the season with these two teams battling it out.
6-30-14: Although Hanley Ramirez remains out with a shoulder injury, the Dodgers are gaining ground on the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. On Wednesday, Dee Gordon had four hits, scored two runs and stole his 40th base of the season in the Dodgers’ 5-4 win over the Kansas City Royals. On Thursday, Josh Beckett shined in the 1-0 victory, but the Dodgers lost on Friday.
6-26-14: Clayton Kershaw managed to follow his first career no-hitter by going eight innings, and Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier drove in a run each as the Dodgers edged out a 2-0 victory over the Royals Tuesday night. Kershaw, now 8-2 on the year, allowed six hits and a walk while striking out eight. The two-time CY Young winner hasn't allowed a run in 21 1/3 innings of work. LA is 7-3 in their last 10 games played and are only three games back of San Francisco for the NL West lead.
6-24-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers are struggling and trailing the San Francisco Giants in the National League West division and are now said to be “open for business” in the trade market. The Dodgers have even gone as far as to say they would be willing to talk about trading any of their outfielders not named Yasiel Puig. The Dodgers also signed their first round pick in the MLB First Year Players Draft this week when they signed Grant Holmes to an over-slot deal worth $2.5 million. The deal was worth $519.5K over the slot and will count against the Dodgers draft pool. The Dodgers also were witnesses to Clayton Kershaw’s no hitter against the Colorado Rockies this week. If not for a Hanley Ramirez error the Los Angeles lefty would have had a perfect game, I bet a steak dinner after the game didn’t make up for that costly mistake. The Dodgers are considered to be the favorites in acquiring another dominant left hander, Tampa Bay’s David Price, which could make for an extremely scary rotation for opposing teams.
6-18-14: Hanley Ramirez’s two-run homer against Colorado’s Jhoulys Chacin, coupled with Zach Greinke’s five strikeouts helped the Dodgers defeat the Rockies 4-2 Tuesday night in Los Angeles. Greink, who improved to 9-3 on the year, threw a season-high 117 pitches over six innings of work, allowing a single run and three hits. Ramirez left in the seventh inning with a bruised ring finger on his right hand after Corey Dickerson's hard grounder deflected off of him into center field. Thankful for Dodgers fans, X-rays were negative. LA remains five games back of NL West leading San Francisco.
6-17-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers received some bad news on starting pitcher Chad Billingsley when they learned that Billingsley was highly unlikely to throw the baseball again this season. Billingsley has a partially torn flexor tendon that he is trying to rehab and avoid surgery with. This news came at the worst possible time for Billingsley as he is in the final season of a three year deal worth $35 million. The Dodgers have a $14 million club option for 2015 that they will likely decline and instead pay the $3 million buyout associated in the deal. This is disappointing news for the Dodgers that currently find themselves in second place in the National League West and 6.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants in the division.
6-10-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have shelved discussions with their soon to be free agent shortstop Hanley Ramirez, likely until after the season. Ramirez is reportedly asking for a contract somewhere in the neighborhood of $130 million to not test the market but would likely command more on the open market, qualifying offer or not. The Dodgers got a glimpse into their future when they drafted RHP Grant Holmes out of Conway High School with their first pick in the 2014 MLB First Year Players Draft on Thursday. The Dodgers may need a shakeup if they want to compete in the West again this season. Last year they called up Yasiel Puig and the team took off on a historic run and this season it may have to be centerfielder and top prospect Joc Pederson and Erisbel Arruebarrena. The problem is these call ups would take away at bats and opportunities away from Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez but it looks like it’s either that or struggle with the highest payroll in the league.
6-3-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have added Carl Crawford to the 15 day disabled list after he rolled his ankle in a victory over the Reds. The Dodgers will shift Matt Kemp to left field to take his spot and, at least for now, the problem with the division of playing time in the Los Angeles outfield is easier to deal with. The Dodgers are now 7.5 games back of the San Francisco Giants in the National League West division but may not be worried. At this point last season they were in last place before making a historic run all the way to the top of the division. Last year the Dodgers called up Yasiel Puig to be the savior and I am not sure they have anyone who can do the same this time around. The Dodgers Matt Kemp does seem to be coming around a little with the bat since Carl Crawford was placed on the disabled list so that is encouraging for manager Don Mattingly and the Dodgers.
5-28-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers released Miguel Olivo for his assault on rookie Alexander Guerrero, a really disturbing scene that you must see if you missed it. Guerrero will miss at least five weeks after Olivo bit off part of his ear in the altercation. This was terrible timing for Guerrero as Juan Uribe was added to the disabled list recently and Guerrero was considered the first in line for the call up. Instead of Guerrero the Dodgers called up Erisbel Arruebarrena for his first shot in the majors. In some good Dodgers news Josh Beckett threw a no hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on “Bat Day” in Citizens Bank Park. This was Beckett’s first career no hitter and the last Dodger no hitter since Hideo Nomo in 1996.
5-21-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have the highest payroll in all of major league baseball and find themselves in third place in the National League West division. The good news is the Dodgers and their ownership has shown a willingness to spend at the trading deadline and in free agency if it improves the team in the now. The bad news is that Los Angeles has way too many outfielders for the positions they have to fill. The Dodgers have the big names in Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Andre Either, and Carl Crawford but the overlooked Scott Van Slyke has outperformed them all not named Puig. This is on top of top prospect Joc Pederson sporting a 1.125 OPS in Triple-A this season knocking on the door. The Dodgers may use one or two of those high priced outfielders to solidify a shaky bullpen and held an iffy bench that lacks situational hitting.
5-15-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers once again spent a ton of money this offseason and barely hold a record over .500 after two weeks of games in May. The Dodgers also lead the National League in errors and have really looked bored at times this season on the field. There is plenty of time to turn things around as they have a terrible April and May last season as well and ended up winning the National League West division by a comfortable amount of games in 2013. It doesn't help the Dodgers case that the San Francisco Giants are hot and playing very good baseball as one of the most underrated teams in all of baseball. The Dodgers core may be running out of time to win as players like Hanley Ramirez are free agents after the 2014 season.
5-7-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have to be one of the most disappointing teams in all of baseball in 2014 after just a month of games with a third place finish to date. The Dodgers spent heavily once again this offseason but have little to show for it. Los Angeles has been without their ace Clayton Kershaw for about a month now but has been activated off the disabled list and is joining the big league club once again for the mid-season push. The Dodgers still have more outfielders than they have playing time for in Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Andre Ethier, and Carl Crawford and the problem is only going to get worse with the emergence of Joc Pederson. Pederson is knocking on the Dodgers door after hitting .393/.491/.628 in his first 114 plate appearances in 2014. The Dodgers need all the reinforcements that they can get because the top spending team in the league will not settle for second place, and they shouldn't.
4-28-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers are right in the thick of things with a record above .500 in the National League West division and in the free agency market. The Dodgers have been linked to free agent relief pitcher Joel Hanrahan as he showcased for teams in April on his way back from Tommy John surgery. The Dodgers will have to play much better at home this season if they want to make a serious run at a playoff spot as they have a losing record in LA in the first month of 2014. Yasiel Puig continues to make questionable decisions after being benched for showing up late to batting practice. It's hard to blame the guy though after getting arrested in the offseason for driving way over the speed limit and being told to slow it down by the Dodgers. Voting has opened up for the 2014 MLB All Star Game for this July so remember to vote your favorite Los Angeles Dodgers into the game.
4-21-14: Cliff Lee and the Phillies defeated the Dodgers last night at Dodger Stadium 7-0. Cliff Lee was fantastic over 8 innings, striking out 10, walking none and shut the Dodgers out on just four hits. At one point in the game he retired 20 straight batters. Adrian Gonzalez, Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, and Tim Federowicz were the only Dodgers to reach base vs Lee who had everything working. The Phillies were led by Carlos Ruiz who went 3-for-4 with a double, and home run, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored. Ryan Howard also homered and drove in two in the Phillies win.
4-14-14: Los Angeles (9-4) improved to 5-0 on the season against the D-Backs with a three-game sweep in the desert over the weekend, led by the hot bat of Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez has homered in each of the last four games, and is hitting .280 with five bombs and 14 RBI to kick-off the year. The play of Dee Gordon has also been a surprise, as the speedy middle infielder currently leads all of MLB with nine stolen bases early on.
4-7-14: Friday’s home opener did not go as planned for the defending NL West champs, as starter Hyun-Jin Ryu was touched-up for six runs in the first inning alone against the San Francisco Giants. The Dodgers’ bullpen picked up the slack in a big way, holding the Giants without a single hit from the third inning until the end of the game, but the Dodgers fell 8-4. On Sunday, the Dodger bats came around, as Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez each crushed a pair of home runs, leading L.A. to the 6-2 victory. L.A. (5-2) will host the Tigers in a series beginning Tuesday.
4-1-14: The Dodgers' defense of their NL West title got off to a nice start in 2014, as the team went Down Under and took both games of a two-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sydney, Australia, on March 21st and 22nd. Ryu then started the domestic opener in San Diego against the Padres on Sunday night, allowing no runs to the in seven strong innings. Unfortunately, the Dodgers could muster just one run of their own off of Padres ace Andrew Cashner. Leading 1-0 heading into the eighth, Brian Wilson came on to give up three runs on two hits with a walk, as San Diego went on to win it, 3-1.
3-27-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers made waves this offseason by signing Cuban defector Alex Guerrero, which everyone thought put them out of the Robinson Cano sweepstakes, only to stash him in AAA to start the 2014 season. The Dodgers also made waves as they made George Steinbrenner roll over in his grave when Los Angeles snapped the Yankees 15 season streak of being the biggest spenders in baseball. The Dodgers will have the highest 2014 Opening Day payroll in all of baseball with a $235,295,219 payroll. The Dodgers were also valued as the second highest Major League Baseball team after Forbes valued the Dodgers at $2 billion, the only other team to be valued that high being the New York Yankees. The Dodgers are the favorites to win another National League West division title and are also the favorites to win the 2014 World Series, spending big will do that for a club.
3-20-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have a good problem to have, too much good pitching and not enough roster spots, and ultimately designated pitcher Javy Guerra for assignment recently. The Dodgers have to finalize their roster, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a little earlier than most since Opening Day for LA is in Australia on March 22. Clayton Kershaw will be on the mound for the Dodgers in Australia looking to earn some of that monstrous contract back. Carl Crawford does not look like he will be available for the quick two game series as he suffered a shoulder injury in a minor league game and will be held out for a few days according to manager Don Mattingly. The Dodgers surprisingly have one of the worst Cactus League records and have gone 2-6 in their last 10 games. This just goes to show you how little spring training performances and wins and losses really matter in the grand scheme of a 162 game schedule. The Dodgers will be there when it matters.
3-13-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers in typical Los Angeles Dodgers fashion signed who they wanted when they wanted this offseason including signing Clayton Kershaw to the biggest extension and pay day, AAV wise, in Major League history. That's a lot of tickets Mr. Clayton Koufax has to help sell. The Dodgers head into spring training in the Cactus League showing off their newest additions of Alexander Guerrero from Cuba and Dan Haren in the rotation. The spring competition in the outfield may be the biggest storyline with three spots and four players, Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Carl Crawford, vying for the spots. The Dodgers have arguably the best offense in the National League to go with arguably the best starting rotation and bullpen in the league. In case you were wondering Brian Wilson still has that disgusting beard going on so all the more reason to watch the favorites to win the 2014 World Series. The Dodgers season will start in Australia when they face off with the Arizona Diamondbacks starting on March 22.
3-5-14: The Los Angeles Dodgers have big plans coming into the 2014 season and they hope that these early rashes of injuries to key players don't affect them in the long run. It was declared that starting pitcher Zack Grinke will not pitch when the team travels to Australia to open the season Starting outfielder Matt Kemp has been cleared to do more baseball drills after getting good news from his latest MRI. However like Grienke is not expected to be available when team opens the season in Australia.
2-20-14: Robin Thicke will be performing a three song pre-game concert at the April 5th Dodgers game vs the San Francisco Giants. He'll then throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the 1:10pm game. Thicke was raised in LA and has claimed to be a lifelong Dodgers fan.
1-24-14: Under the guidance of Manager and former All-Star Don Mattingly the Los Angeles Dodgers enjoyed their most successful season in quite some time as they made it all the way to the National League Championship Series before succumbing to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dodgers were able to sure up the front part of their rotation over the offseason as they signed Clayton Kershaw to a 7 year $215 million extension, ensuring them to have one of the most dominant pitchers on their roster for years to come.
1-15-14: Dodgers ace pitcher and two-time Cy Young award winner, Clayton Kershaw, has agreed to a seven-year, $215 million contract extension with Los Angeles. The deal will pay the left-hander $30.7M annually, which breaks the previous MLB record, which was held by A-Rod.
1-7-14: According to reports the Los Angeles Dodgers on the verge of losing Chris Capuano to the hands of a two-year contract The 35-year-old left-hander pitched to a 4.26 ERA last year with 81 strikeouts in 105 innings. After an early termination from the playoffs last year the Dodgers will be looking to build upon their success with their all-star lineup. In other news manager Don Mattingly is nearing a contract extension and young budding star outfielder Yasiel Puig was arrested for reckless driving in Florida in December.
12-9-13: But they're extremely high payroll and new owner ship group led by Magic Johnson Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League West division last year with 92 wins. The Dodgers played amazing second-half baseball last year under Don Mattingly and jumped all the way from Last Place into first. Wester the Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves in the division series in four games before losing to the St. Louis Cardinals in the championship series in six games. The sixth and final game against St. Louis was an embarrassment for the Dodgers as they were shut out 9-0. This year the Dodgers will bring back their same expensive roster and look to build on last season success behind Hanley Ramirez Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford. Clayton Kershaw had a magnificent season going 16 and nine with an ERA of just 1.83.
10-17-13; The Los Angeles Dodgers were able to hold off elimination by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. The Cardinals still lead the series 3-2 as the series will shift back to Busch Field in St. Louis. The Dodgers enjoyed the long ball in Game 5 with home runs from A.J. Ellis, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. Pitching has kept Los Angeles in this series, with Zack Greinke pitching another seven innings with only two runs allowed. The Dodgers will pitch Clayton Kershaw in Game 6 in hopes to hold off the Cardinals once again and force a Game 7.
10-16-13: The Dodgers wasted a golden opportunity to tie up the NLCS on Tuesday, falling to the Cardinals 4-2 at Dodger Stadium. Ricky Nolasco started for the Dodgers and wasn't very effective. He allowed 3 runs on 3 hits over just four innings. Matt Holliday took him deep for a 2-run home run in the 3rd inning. The Cards added another run in the inning and that was pretty much all she wrote. The Dodgers made a game out of it with two runs in the bottom of the 4th. Yasiel Puig picked up two hits on the night and an RBI in the inning. A.J. Ellis drove in the other run. Zack Greinke looks to keep the Dodgers alive on Wednesday night. Joe Kelly takes the hill for the Cardinals.
10-15-13: With just the flip of a bat Yasiel Puig continued to be the lightning rod that ignites the Los Angeles Dodgers during his 4th inning RBI triple. That combined with Hyun-Jin Ryu pitching the game of his life helped the Dodgers capture a must win Game 3 of the NLCS.
10-14-13: The Los Angeles Dodgers are down 0-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Divisional Series. The Dodgers offense has been slow to come alive as they have only scored two runs, both coming in the third inning of Game 1, over the 22 innings of play in this series. The starting pitching has been stellar despite the lack of run support. Zack Greinke struck out 10 batters and gave up just two runs in eight innings of Game 1, which eventually went 13 innings. Clayton Kershaw allowed one unearned run in six innings of Game 2, but took the loss in a 1-0 game. Rookie outfielder Yasiel Puig is 0-10 so far in the series with six strikeouts. The Dodgers offense has only three extra base hits in 76 at-bats. Game 3, 4 and 5, if necessary, will be Dodger Stadium, where the Dodgers won both games against the Atlanta Braves during the NLDS. Los Angeles will pitch Hyun-Jin Ryu in Game 3, Ricky Nolasco in Game 4 and go back to Greinke in Game 5 if the Dodgers are able to win at least one of those two games.
10-8-13: The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking to close out the National League Divisional Series against the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 after winning Game 3 at Dodger Stadium 13-6 to lead the series 2-1. The Dodgers are pitching ace Clayton Kershaw on three days rest instead of starting Ricky Nolasco to try to avoid having to go back to Atlanta for a deciding Game 5 on Wednesday.
9-30-13: After horrible start the Los Angeles Dodgers late surge has been remarkable. The young group being led by manager Don Mattingly has posted a 92–68 record this season so far. As the seasons final weekend approaches the Dodgers will host the Colorado Rockies. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez leads the Dodgers and all offensive categories including batting average homeruns RBIs and runs scored. He also Lead the team with a .810 OPS. The Dodgers hit .265 as a team and that ranks fifth best in baseball. Clayton Kershaw is a candidate for the Cy Young Award posting an ERA of just 1.83. He also struck out 232 batters and had a whip of just .92.
8/21/13 - The Los Angeles Dodgers have been a tear since the All-Star break and now lead the National League West division by 7.5 games. The Dodgers are eight and two in the last 10 games after beating the Miami Marlins last night in Miami. Left fielder Carl Crawford recorded two hits for the Dodgers in the victory. Starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw has an era of 1.80. The Dodgers will leave Miami to fly home to face the Boston Red Sox over the weekend in Boston. The Dodgers have compiled a 36 – 27 road record this season.
8/6/13 - The Dodgers have really turned it on as of the all-star break and now hold sole possession of 1st place in the NL West. They are 9-1 in their last 10 games and have a 6 game lead on the second-place Diamondbacks. This week, the Dodgers will face the St. Louis Cardinals on the road. LA has also won 14 games straight on the road.
7/31/13 - The Dodgers have acquired catcher Drew Butera from the Twins in exchange for a player to be named or cash.
7/19/13 - The LA Dodgers are 47-47 and currently in second place of the NL West division. The Dodgers have been a huge disappointment after taking on the high payroll due to the trade they made with the Boston Red Sox. Thus far, the high priced talent the Dodgers inherited had underachieved massively. Carl Crawford is batting only .273 with only 5 home runs. The lone bright spot for the Dodgers has been starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw has an ERA of just 1.98 along with 139 strikeouts. After the break, the Dodgers will face the Nationals in Washington DC. The Dodgers have the 8th highest team batting average in baseball.
7/7/13 - Clayton Kershaw was the only Los Angeles Dodgers named a 2013 National League all-star. The 25-year-old left-hander is 8-5 with a 1.89 ERA in 2013 and has stuck out 129 batters in 138.1 innings pitched. Two other Dodgers--first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and rookie sensation outfielder Yasiel Puig--have a chance to make the team as part of MLB final vote.
6/12/13 - After trading pieces with the Red Sox the Dodgers were expected to do big things. But with only 28 wins they are currently in last place. Hanley Ramirez started the season on the DL and is played just nine games. Former Red Sox ace Josh Beckett Is 0-5 in eight starts and is currently on the DL With an injured finger. The Dodgers have the highest payroll in baseball at Over 220 million dollars. Thus far they've been a huge disappointment.
