Phillies salvage finale of three-game series.
Dodgers leave bases loaded in ninth inning of 2-1 loss
Dodgers: Right-hander Ian Kennedy now pitching for the Phillies. Pollock grounded to short. Seager walked on six pitches and caught a break because the last pitch was clearly strike three. Taylor flied to left. Bellinger walked on eight pitches. The last pitch was strike three. Phillies manager Joe Girardi was tossed for arguing. Will Smith, batting for Barnes, was hit by a pitch on a 2-2 count, loading the bases. McKinney flied to left.
Final score: Phillies 2, Dodgers 1
We go to the ninth, 2-1 Phillies
Dodgers: T.Turner grounded to short. Muncy grounded to first. Matt Beaty, batting for Bruihl, flied to left.
Phillies: Right-hander Kenley Jansen now pitching for the Dodgers. Harper struck out swinging. McCutchen flied to right. Gregorius flied to center.
Score after eight innings: Phillies 2, Dodgers 1
Phillies 2, Dodgers 1 after seven innings
Dodgers: Right-hander Archie Bradley now pitching for the Phillies. Mickey Moniak in at center. Bellinger flied to deep center. Barnes fouled to the catcher. McKinney struck out swinging.
Phillies: Left-hander Justin Bruihl now pitching for the Dodgers. Moniak flied to left. Segura struck out swinging. Miller flied to right.
Score after seven: Phillies 2, Dodgers 1
It’s still 2-1 Phillies after six
Dodgers: Right-hander Hector Neris now pitching for the Phillies. Pollock flied to right. Seager struck out swinging. Taylor flied to center.
Phillies: Harper walked on seven pitches. That’s it for Vesia, with right-hander Phil Bickford coming in to replace him. McCutchen struck out looking. Gregorius singled to left, Harper to second. Torreyes grounded to the pitcher, runners moving up. Second and third, two out. Janikowski was walked intentionally. Knapp grounded to short.
Score after six: Phillies 2, Dodgers 1
Dodgers close gap to 2-1
Dodgers: Bellinger struck out swinging. Barnes singled to short. Billy McKinney, batting for White, walked on eight pitches. Right-hander Enyel De Los Santos now pitching for the Phillies. The runners moved up on a wild pitch. T.Turner grounded to short, Barnes scoring. Man on second, two out. Muncy was walked intentionally. Pujols grounded to third.
Phillies: Muncy to first. Taylor to third. Bellinger to center. McKinney to right. Left-hander Alex Vesia now pitching. Alec Bohm, batting for the pitcher, struck out swinging. Segura grounded to third. Miller struck out swinging.
Score after five: Phillies 2, Dodgers 1
Phillies increase lead to 2-0
Dodgers: Pujols struck out swinging. Pollock beat out a bouncer to third. Seager popped to short. Pollock stole second. Taylor grounded to short.
Phillies: Miller flied to left. Harper walked on four pitches. McCutchen lined to center. Gregorius walked on five pitches. Torreyes singled to center, scoring Harper, Gregorius to second. Janikowski walked on six pitches. Bases loaded, two out. Knapp lined to center.
Score after four: Phillies 2, Dodgers 0
Phillies 1, Dodgers 0 after three
Dodgers: Mitch White grounded to short. T.Turner grounded to second. Muncy grounded to second.
Phillies: Andrew Knapp struck out swinging. Ranger Suarez beat out a bouncer to short. Segura grounded into a 4-3 double play.
Score after three: Phillies 1, Dodgers 0
It’s 1-0 Phillies after two innings
Dodgers: Chris Taylor flied to center. Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. Austin Barnes grounded to third.
Phillies: Didi Gregorius struck out swinging. Ronald Torreyes grounded to first. The ball took a funny hop forcing Pujols to barehand it and flip to White covering. Travis Janikowski struck out swinging.
Score after two: Phillies 1, Dodgers 0
Phillies take early 1-0 lead on Bryce Harper’s home run
Dodgers: Left-hander Ranger Suarez pitching for the Phillies. Trea Turner popped to second. Max Muncy grounded to short. Albert Pujols singled to right-center. AJ Pollock walked on five pitches. Corey Seager struck out swinging.
Phillies: Right-hander Mitch White pitching for the Dodgers. Jean Segura flied to right. Brad Miller lined to short. Bryce Harper homered to left-center. Andrew McCutchen struck out swinging.
Score after one: Phillies 1, Dodgers 0
Alex Vesia providing much-needed relief from the left side for Dodgers
PHILADELPHIA—The roulette wheel the Dodgers have been spinning all season in hopes of finding a reliable left-handed reliever appears to have landed on No. 51.
That’s the jersey number worn by Alex Vesia, the 25-year-old who was shaky in a first-half stint with the Dodgers but has been dominant since being recalled from triple-A Oklahoma City in early July.
Vesia replaced starter Max Scherzer after a lengthy rain delay Tuesday night and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out four and walking none, in a 5-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.
After going 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA in 10 games, striking out 16 and walking 11 in 10 2/3 innings, from May 1-June 2, Vesia is 2-0 with an 0.71 ERA in 11 games since July 9, striking out 15 and walking two in 12 2/3 innings.
“Going down to triple-A, I got to clear my head, and coming back up, I was able to bring what I was doing in triple-A and carry it over to big leagues,†said Vesia, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins in February. “It was nothing super crazy [as far as changes]. It was just kind of building confidence one inning at a time.â€
Vesia, a Cal State Hayward product, has the stuff to succeed in the big leagues, mixing a fastball that averages 93.6 mph with an 84.4-mph slider and an 86.1-mph changeup, but command issues torpedoed his first stint with the Dodgers.
“I’d walk two guys in a row then punch a guy out, walk another guy, then strike out the next guy on three pitches,†Vesia said. “I had little flashes, and now it’s being able to fully pound the zone and command it the way I know how.â€
Vesia’s adjustments seem more mental than mechanical.
“I try to grip it and rip it,†Vesia said. “When you’re in your rhythm and [catchers] Will [Smith] or [Austin] Barnes puts down a sign and you have full conviction, it plays. I think that mentality is what works for me.â€
It also works for the Dodgers, who have cycled through left-handers like face coverings this season. Victor Gonzalez, Garrett Cleavinger, Scott Alexander and Darien Nunez have all been ineffective and injured.
Where does Vesia fit in?
“He’s right there,†manager Dave Roberts said before Thursday’s series finale against the Phillies in Citizens Bank Park. “He really wasn’t on the radar early in the year, but he’s played himself into that role.â€
How has Vesia changed since the beginning of the season?
“I think he’s just more comfortable,†Roberts said. “Last year was his first stint in the big leagues, and it was a quick ascension for him. Coming to new club, you’re trying to fit in and compete and perform, and it took a couple of times up here to get comfortable. I think he’s found his confidence, his swagger, and certainly, the performance has been very consistent. It’s been a huge add for us.â€
Mitch White to start for Dodgers; Trea Turner looks to rebound from rough night in the field
PHILADELPHIA — The Dodgers activated right-hander Mitch White off the taxi squad to start Thursday’s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizens Bank Park, where afternoon temperatures are expected to reach 95 degrees with about 60% humidity.
White, who will oppose Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez (5-3, 0.98 ERA) in the 1 p.m. (EDT) game, last pitched for the Dodgers on July 31, when he gave up two earned runs and two hits, struck out five and walked one in 3 2/3 innings of an 8-3 win at Arizona.
White threw 58 pitches in the game, and the Dodgers believe he can be stretched out to the 75-80-pitch mark on Thursday.
Albert Pujols will start at first base and bat third for the Dodgers, and Austin Barnes will be behind the plate.
Trea Turner, who is making the transition from Washington Nationals shortstop to Dodgers second baseman after a July 30 trade, will look to rebound from a rough night in the field in Wednesday night’s 8-2 win over the Phillies.
Turner sailed a throw far over first baseman Max Muncy’s head on Alec Bohm’s potential inning-ending double-play grounder in the fourth inning, and the Phillies went on to score two runs.
In the fifth inning, Turner screened shortstop Corey Seager on Jean Segura’s grounder up the middle, forcing Seager to double-pump before throwing late to first. Turner then booted Mickey Moniak’s ninth-inning grounder for an error.
Manager Dave Roberts said Turner is experiencing some natural growing pains at a new position.
“This guy has played shortstop for the last five or six years, he’s a shortstop,†Roberts said. “So now, the pivot is there, and he hasn’t done it, and it also was a wet ball [on the double-play relay] and he kind of lost it. Then he missed the grounder.
“But thing I love about Trea is there’s no excuses. He’s a baseball player, he’s accountable, and I trust him anywhere on the baseball field.â€
DODGERS LINEUP: 2B Trea Turner, 3B Max Muncy, 1B Albert Pujols, LF AJ Pollock, SS Corey Seager, CF Chris Taylor, RF Cody Bellinger, C Austin Barnes, RHP Mitch White.
PHILLIES LINEUP: 2B Jean Segura, 1B Brad Miller, RF Bryce Harper, LF Andrew McCutchen, SS Didi Gregorius, 3B Ronald Torreyes, CF Travis Jankowski, C Andrew Knapp, LHP Ranger Suarez.
Dodgers get two homers from Cody Bellinger and defeat Phillies, 8-2
Dodgers: Right-hander Mauricio Llovera now pitching for the Phillies. Smith walked on six pitches. Seager flied to left. Taylor struck out looking. Bellinger homered to right. His second of the game. It’s 8-2 Dodgers. Pollock singled to third. Albert Pujols, batting for the pitcher, singled off the top of the fence in left. Missed a homer by about six inches. First and third, two out. McKinney grounded to second.
Phillies: Right-hander Edwin Uceta now pitching for the Dodgers. Nick Maton, batting for the pitcher, struck out swinging. Gregorius singled to center. Torreyes flied to left. Mickey Moniak, batting for Herrera, grounded to second, and it clanked off Turner’s glove for an error. First and second, two out. Miller struck out swinging.
Final score: Dodgers 8, Phillies 2
We go to the ninth, 6-2 Dodgers
Dodgers: Right-hander JD Hammer now pitching for the Phillies. McKinney grounded to first. T.Turner lined to right. Muncy fouled to third.
Phillies: Right-hander Blake Treinen pitching for the Dodgers. Knapp struck out looking. Harper struck out swinging. McCutchen struck out looking.
Score after eight: Dodgers 6, Phillies 2
Dodgers extend lead to 6-2
Dodgers: T.Turner singled to center. Muncy was hit by a pitch. Smith lined to left. Seager grounded to first. Bohm barely bent over for the ball and it skipped under his glove for an error, scoring Turner, Muncy to third. First and third, one out. With Taylor batting, Muncy scored and Seager moved to second on a passed ball. Taylor walked on six pitches. First and second, one out. That’s it for Gibson, he is replaced by right-hander Archie Bradley. Bellinger struck out swinging. He again fouled off several pitches. Pollock singled to center, scoring Seager scoring, Taylor to third. Pollock stole second. Graterol fouled to third.
Phillies: Herrera struck out swinging. Brad Miller, batting for the pitcher, struck out swinging. Segura grounded to second.
Score after seven innings: Dodgers 6, Phillies 2
It’s 3-2 Dodgers after six innings
Dodgers: Bellinger struck out swinging. Pollock grounded to the pitcher. Beaty singled to right. Billy McKinney, batting for Bickford, struck out swinging.
Phillies: McKinney to right. Right-hander Brusdar Graterol now pitching for the Dodgers. Bohm grounded to first. Gregorius popped to second. Torreyes grounded to second.
Score after six: Dodgers 3, Phillies 2
It’s 3-2 Dodgers after five
Dodgers: Muncy flied to deep left. Smith walked on five pitches. Seager struck out looking. Taylor hit a fly ball down the right-field line. Harper ran about a mile and made a nice sliding catch in foul territory.
Phillies: Right-hander Phil Bickford now pitching for the Dodgers. Gibson grounded to first. Segura singled to short. Knapp struck out on a bunt attempt. Harper walked on four pitches. McCutchen flied to right.
Score after five: Dodgers 3, Phillies 2
Cody Bellinger homers, Dodgers have 3-2 lead after four
Dodgers: Seager walked on four pitches. Taylor flied to center. Bellinger, in an incredible at-bat, fouled off nine pitches, seven of them with two strikes, and homered to left-center on the 13th pitch of the plate appearance. Pollock singled to right. Beaty grounded to first, forcing Pollock. Price doubled to right-center, scoring Beaty. T.Turner flied to center.
Phillies: Harper flied to center. McCutchen singled to left. Bohm grounded to short, forcing McCutchen. Turner’s throw to first was over Muncy’s head or they would have had a double play. Gregorius doubled to left-center, Bohm to third. Torreyes singled to center, scoring Bohm and Gregorius. Herrera flied to deep center, Bellinger making a great running, leaping grab.
Score after four: Dodgers 3, Phillies 2
No score after rain delay
Dodgers: After a one-hour rain delay, the game resumed. Right-hander Kyle Gibson, who was supposed to start, is now pitching for the Phillies. T.Turner grounded to short. Muncy grounded to first. Smith singled to deep left and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
Phillies: Kyle Gibson singled to center. Segura grounded to second. Turner tagged the runner and threw to first for a double play. Knapp flied to right.
Score after three: Dodgers 0, Phillies 0
Scoreless after two innings
Dodgers: Right-hander Hector Neris, who is the Phillies’ closer, now pitching for Philadelphia. Knapp in at catcher. Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. AJ Pollock struck out looking. Matt Beaty singled to center. David Price struck out swinging.
Phillies: Didi Gregorius grounded to second. Ronald Torreyes flied to right. Odubel Herrera grounded to short. Seager ranged far to his right, backhanded the ball and threw him out by a step. Very nice play.
Score after two: Dodgers 0, Phillies 0
No score after first inning
Dodgers: Right-hander Connor Brogdon pitching for the Phillies. Kyle Gibson was a late scratch. Trea Turner popped to second. Max Muncy flied to left. Will Smith walked on five pitches. Corey Seager singled to right-center, Smith to second. Chris Taylor grounded to third.
Phillies: Left-hander David Price pitching for the Dodgers. Jean Segura singled to left. Andrew Knapp hit for J.T. Realmuto, who took two foul balls off the mask in the top of the inning. Knapp struck out swinging. Bryce Harper grounded to second, forcing Segura. Andrew McCutchen walked on six pitches. First and second, two out. Alec Bohm popped to second.
Score after one: Dodgers 0, Phillies 0
Mookie Betts placed on injured list because of inflamed right hip; will return to Los Angeles to meet with doctors Thursday
PHILADELPHIA—Mookie Betts, as expected, was placed on the 10-day injured list because of an inflamed right hip before Wednesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizens Bank Park.
The Dodgers outfielder will fly back to Los Angeles Wednesday night to be examined by doctors on Thursday. He was replaced on the 26-man roster by pitcher Edwin Uceta.
“He’s disappointed, frustrated, but we’re gonna have some more experts chime in and try to figure this thing out,†Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’re going to keep digging in on this, and hopefully he responds well.â€
Betts was scratched from Tuesday night’s series opener because of the hip, which, according to Roberts, was “achy, sore,†even after Betts did not play in Sunday’s game against the Angels and Monday’s off-day. Roberts said Wednesday’s move is not an indication that the hip has worsened.
“No, I think it’s the same,†Roberts said. “The action to make the move to the IL would seem otherwise, but symptomatically, it is what it is. It’s difficult to for him to navigate and move around. You still have to have a functional roster, so to get him some rest is a no-brainer step for us.â€
The Dodgers did not put a timetable on a return for Betts but remain hopeful it will not take much longer than 10 days.
“Right now, we’re trying to get some of the pain and discomfort to dissipate,†Roberts said. “That’s what we’re hoping these next eight days will accomplish, and we’ll see where he’s at. We’re hopeful it’s a 10-day thing and he’ll be back with us. I just don’t want to put any [timetable] on his return.â€
The Dodgers hoped to manage the hip injury by playing Betts periodically at second base and giving him regular days off, but “it almost seems like it’s worse coming off the off day,†Roberts said on Tuesday.
Betts received a cortisone injection in July, and he could take another shot. Roberts said Betts has not sustained a “labrum tear†in the hip, but he also didn’t rule out the possibility of Betts undergoing post-season surgery.
“I think everything is on the table right now,†Roberts said.
Matt Beaty will start in right field Wednesday night. Super utility man Chris Taylor is filling in for injured third baseman Justin Turner (left groin) this week, but when Turner returns, Taylor will join Cody Bellinger and AJ Pollock in the outfield.
Infielder Gavin Lux is playing some third base—a position he has not played as a professional—during this week’s triple-A rehabilitation stint and could be an option there when he is activated.
Betts was sidelined by the same injury for the final two weeks of July. He hit .381 (eight for 21) with three homers and four RBIs in five games since being activated on Aug. 1, and he’s batting .277 with an .899 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 17 homers 25 doubles, 44 RBIs and 68 runs in 87 games on the season.
The Dodgers enter Wednesday night four games behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West with 49 games to play. Now, they will have to chase down the Giants without one of their most dynamic players.
“It makes it more difficult, certainly, but we have a lot of talented players,†Roberts said. “We just have to be ourselves and play good baseball.â€
Dodgers left-hander David Price to oppose Phillies right-hander Kyle Gibson
PHILADELPHIA—David Price will make his ninth start and 30th appearance of the season Wednesday night when the Dodgers left-hander squares off against Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Kyle Gibson in Citizens Bank Park. Game time is 4 p.m. PDT.
Price, the 2012 American League Cy Young Award winner with the Tampa Bay Rays, opened the season in the bullpen but moved to the rotation to replace the injured Clayton Kershaw in early July. He is 0-1 with a 3.45 ERA in eight starts and 4-0 with a 3.63 ERA on the season.
He went into the sixth inning for only the second time this season in his last start against the Angels last Friday night, giving up two earned runs and four hits, striking out four and walking none in 5 1/3 innings of an eventual 4-3, 10-inning loss.
Gibson, acquired from the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline, is 8-3 with a 2.79 ERA on the season.
Dodgers right-hander Mitch White will be activated off the taxi squad to start Thursday’s series finale against the Phillies.
DODGERS LINEUP: 2B Trea Turner, 1B Max Muncy, C Will Smith, SS Corey Seager, 3B Chris Taylor, CF Cody Bellinger, LF AJ Pollock, RF Matt Beaty, LHP David Price.
PHILLIES LINEUP: 2B Jean Segura, C J.T. Realmuto, RF Bryce Harper, LF Andrew McCutchen, 1B Alec Bohm, SS Didi Gregorius, 3B Ronald Torreyes, CF Odubel Herrera, RHP Kyle Gibson.
Dodgers defeat Phillies, 5-0
Dodgers: Muncy homered to right, estimated at 405 feet. Smith flied to right. Seager struck out looking. Matt Beaty, batting for Pollock, singled to center. Taylor struck out swinging.
Phillies: Right-hander Connor Greene now pitching for the Dodgers. Beaty in left field. Miller singled against the shift and into left field. Gregorius popped to short. Miller took second on a wild pitch. Torreyes struck out swinging. Janikowski lined to center, Bellinger making a sliding catch to end the game.
Final score: Dodgers 5, Phillies 0
We go to the ninth, 4-0 Dodgers
Dodgers: Left-hander Damon Jones now pitching. Pollock grounded to short. Taylor singled to center. Bellinger walked on five pitches. McKinney walked on four pitches, loading the bases with one out. Right-hander Maurico Llovera now pitching. Albert Pujols, batting for the pitcher, struck out looking. T.Turner popped to short.
Phillies: Right-hander Blake Treinen now pitching for the Dodgers. Herrera flied to left. Segura grounded to short. Nice pick by Muncy on a low throw. Harper walked on six pitches. Realmuto grounded to short.
Score after eight: Dodgers 4, Phillies 0
It’s 4-0 Dodgers after seven innings
Dodgers: McKinney struck out swinging. Bruihl walked on five pitches. T.Turner singled to third, Bruihl to third. Muncy struck out looking. Smith singled to left, loading the bases. Seager, a triple shy of the cycle, popped to short.
Phillies: Gregorius lined to center. Torreyes walked on six pitches. Janikowski struck out swinging. Right-hander Brusdar Graterol now pitching for the Dodgers. Luke Williams (no relation to the WWE Hall of Famer of the same name), batting for the pitcher, struck out swinging.
Score after seven: Dodgers 4, Phillies 0
Dodgers take 4-0 lead in the sixth
Dodgers: T.Turner doubled to right. Muncy lined to center. Smith singled to right, scoring Turner. I don’t think any other Dodger scores on that play. Seager doubled to right, Smith to third. Right-hander Enyel De Los Santos now pitching for the Phillies. Pollock singled up the middle past the drawn-in infield, scoring Smith and Seager. Taylor flied to left. Bellinger struck out swinging.
Phillies: Right-hander Corey Knebel now pitching for the Dodgers. Herrera walked on seven pitches. Segura singled to third. First and second, nobody out. Harper struck out swinging. Realmuto struck out swinging. Left-hander Justin Bruihl now pitching for the Dodgers. Miller grounded to first.
Score after six: Dodgers 4, Phillies 0
Dodgers take 1-0 lead on Corey Seager’s homer
Dodgers: Right-hander JD Hammer now pitching for the Phillies. Seager greets him with a home run to left. Pollock grounded to second. Taylor struck out swinging. Bellinger doubled to right. McKinney was walked intentionally. Vesia struck out looking.
Phillies: Gregorius struck out swinging. Torreyes grounded to short. Janikowski singled to third. Alec Bohm struck out swinging.
Score after five: Dodgers 1, Phillies 0
Still no score after lengthy rain delay
Dodgers: T.Turner lined to third. Muncy grounded to first. Smith flied to center.
Phillies: Segura singled to right. Harper struck out swinging. With the count 1-2 on Realmuto, it started pouring, so we are in a rain delay. And, after about 75 minutes, we’re back. Left-hander Alex Vesia replaces Scherzer. Coming back from 75 minutes of not throwing is a recipe for an arm injury, so the Dodgers wisely remove him. Realmuto struck out swinging. Miller struck out swinging.
Score after three: Dodgers 0, Phillies 0
It’s a strikeout party the Dodgers-Phillies game
Dodgers: Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. Billy McKinney struck out swinging. Max Scherzer struck out swinging. Nola has seven strikeouts through three innings.
Phillies: Travis Janikowski struck out swinging. Aaron Nola struck out looking. Herrera struck out swinging.
The pitching lines:
Nola: 3 IP, one hit, no runs, no walks, seven strikeouts
Scherzer: 3 IP, two hits, no runs, no walks, five strikeouts
No score after two innings
Dodgers: Corey Seager singled to right. AJ Pollock struck out swinging. Chris Taylor grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
Phillies: J.T. Realmuto fouled to first. Brad Miller grounded to second. DiDi Gregorious singled to right. Ronald Torreyes struck out swinging.
Score after two: Dodgers 0, Phillies 0
No score after one inning
Dodgers: Right-hander Aaron Nola pitching for the Phillies. Trea Turner struck out swinging. Max Muncy struck out swinging. Will Smith struck out swinging. That was monotonous.
Phillies: Right-hander Max Scherzer pitching for the Dodgers. Odubel Herrera flied to right. Jean Segura singled to left. Segura was caught stealing. Bryce Harper struck out swinging.
Score after one: Dodgers 0, Phillies 0
Max Scherzer to face baseball’s hottest team in second start for Dodgers
PHILADELPHIA—Max Scherzer’s second start for his new team will come against the hottest team in baseball, as the Dodgers open a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday night.
Scherzer, acquired from the Washington Nationals with infielder Trea Turner on July 30, gave up two earned runs and five hits, struck out 10 and walked one in seven innings of his Dodgers debut last Wednesday night, a 7-5 win over the Houston Astros. He is 9-4 with a 2.75 ERA on the season.
The Phillies have won eight games in a row to surge into first place in the National League East, two games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers, winners of eight straight division titles, are in second place in the NL West, four games behind the San Francisco Giants.
Right-hander Aaron Nola (7-6, 4.49 ERA) will start Tuesday night for the Phillies, but the Dodgers will miss Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler, who pitched Sunday against the Mets, in this series.
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, who suffered a left-groin injury in Sunday’s 8-2 win over the Angels, is not in Tuesday night’s lineup.
DODGERS LINEUP: 2B Trea Turner, 1B Max Muncy, RF Mookie Betts, SS Corey Seager, C Will Smith, LF AJ Pollock, 3B Chris Taylor, CF Cody Bellinger, RHP Max Scherzer.
PHILLIES LINEUP: LF Odubel Herrera, 2B Jean Segura, RF Bryce Harper, C J.T. Realmuto, 1B Brad Miller, SS Didi Gregorius, 3B Ronald Torreyes, CF Travis Jankowski, RHP Aaron Nola.
Dodgers activate reliever Corey Knebel, put Joe Kelly on injured list
PHILADELPHIA—The revolving door to the Dodgers bullpen continued to spin on Tuesday, with right-hander Corey Knebel being activated off the injured list and right-hander Joe Kelly being placed on the injured list for unspecified reasons before Tuesday night’s series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizens Bank Park.
Knebel, out since April 24 because of a right lat strain, made five appearances in a rehabilitation stint for triple-A Oklahoma City, giving up one earned run and three hits, striking out 10 and walking one in 5 1/3 innings.
He went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in eight games for the Dodgers, striking out nine and walking three in six innings.
“He’ll be a welcome addition to bullpen,†manager Dave Roberts said. “Having him early [this season], he was great on the field, in the clubhouse. He’s a pro. To get him back is like a [trade-deadline] acquisition. We’re excited to have him back.â€
Kelly, who opened the season on the injured list because of a shoulder injury, is 2-0 with a 3.34 ERA in 31 games, with 35 strikeouts and eight walks in 29 2/3 innings.
Dave Roberts on Trea Turner: ‘He’s a pretty special player’
Trea Turner paced the length of the Dodgers dugout a few times in the eighth inning Friday night, the team’s newest addition looking somewhat anxious in a tie game between the Dodgers and Angels.
Turner, the infielder who was acquired from the Washington Nationals with pitcher Max Scherzer on July 30, had cleared COVID-19 protocols and was added to the active roster about an hour before the game.
He did not start, but with the pitcher’s spot in the batting order nearing and reserves Billy McKinney and Cody Bellinger having already been used, it was clear that Turner was about to make his Dodgers debut and take his first at-bat in a game in 10 days — a tall task for even a player of his All-Star stature.
“I think he was antsy most of the night,†Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Turner. “He’s a very intelligent ballplayer, so when you start seeing how the game is playing out, there were a couple opportunities early, from the sixth inning on, where we might have gone to him.
Should Corey Seager join the Angels next season?
This was a good weekend for the Dodgers. They beat the Angels twice, they marveled at Trea Turner scoring from first base on a single on Sunday, and they moved three days closer to their ninth consecutive postseason appearance.
This was a good weekend for the Angels too. They lost the Freeway Series, but they got encouraging performances from the young arms needed to get them back to the postseason for the first time since 2014, and they got a look at the bat they could use to fortify a potent offense come 2022.
Turner should be the Dodgers’ shortstop next season. Corey Seager should be the Angels’ shortstop.
Turner’s speed provides an offensive dimension rare in today’s game. The Dodgers cherish the positional flexibility he offers. Advanced metrics — including runs saved, ultimate zone rating, and outs above average — rate him as superior to Seager on defense. And, unlike Seager, Turner cannot leave as a free agent after the season.
Danny Duffy could pitch only two weeks for the Dodgers
When the Dodgers acquired Danny Duffy from the Kansas City Royals last month, they traded for a pitcher on the injured list. They hoped to activate him for the final weeks of the season.
The final two weeks, as it turns out.
The Dodgers put Duffy and Clayton Kershaw on the 60-day injured list Monday, creating 40-man roster spots for catcher Anthony Bemboom and pitcher Conner Greene, each of whom they claimed off waivers. For Kershaw, who already has missed a month because of what the team says is elbow inflammation, the move amounts to paperwork: Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Kershaw would not return until “sometime in September.â€
Duffy, who has not pitched since July 16 because of a strained left flexor muscle, said last week he had been advised he could return anywhere from late August to early September. The move to the 60-day IL means he can return no sooner than Sept. 15. At that point, the Dodgers would have 16 games left in the regular season.