Dodgers acquire reliever John Axford from Blue Jays

The Dodgers fortified their bullpen Tuesday by acquiring veteran right-hander John Axford from the Toronto Blue Jays.

Axford, 35, has a 4.45 earned-run average in 45 appearances. But he has gotten more than half his outs on ground balls, and he has held left-handed batters to a .147 average.

To get Axford, whose contract expires after the season, the Dodgers gave up double-A reliever Corey Copping.

There might be no more fitting player for the major league team closest to Hollywood than Axford, who is a film aficionado and once predicted every winner on one Academy Awards broadcast.

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