Dodgers lose to Nationals, 8-3, and trail 2-1 in best-of-five NLDS
BOTTOM OF NINTH: NATIONALS 8, DODGERS 3
Though Washington led by five, Nationals Manager Dusty Baker still brought in his closer, Mark Melancon. He did what Kenley Jansen could not and retired the Dodgers in order. Yasmani Grandal flew out. Josh Reddick grounded out. And Joc Pederson popped out to short left field, concluding a four-hour, 12-minute affair, the Dodgers’ longest nine-inning game of 2016.
The Dodgers scored a run in today’s first inning, two in the fifth, and nothing further. They must win Tuesday at Dodger Stadium to force a return trip to Washington for a Game 5 on Thursday. If they win both those games, they’ll likely head to Chicago to open up the National League Championship Series. A tough road lies ahead.
Nationals hammer Jansen in ninth, take 8-3 lead over Dodgers
TOP OF NINTH: NATIONALS 8, DODGERS 3
Jayson Werth hit Kenley Jansen’s second pitch of the inning 450 feet, deep into the left-field bleachers. Jansen then walked Daniel Murphy, and right-hander Ross Stripling started stretching in the bullpen. Jansen hit Bryce Harper, and Stripling began to throw. Anthony Rendon popped out, but Ryan Zimmerman followed by launching a baseball to the right-field wall. Josh Reddick jumped for it, had it in his reach, then dropped in. Murphy scored easily, and Harper ran through a stop sign at third base to score, too.
With the Nationals up by four, Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts removed Jansen for Stripling. Another run scored and the game was about out of reach as the Dodgers’ last chance approached.
Dodgers are retired meekly in the eighth
BOTTOM OF EIGHTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 3
Shawn Kelley struck out Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez swinging. In between those two, Andrew Toles pinch-hit for Yasiel Puig and flew out lightly to center. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts double-switched Josh Reddick into the game, so he’ll hit second in the bottom of the ninth, after Yasmani Grandal and before Joc Pederson.
Game 3 in pictures
Joe Blanton strikes out side in top of eighth, Dodgers still trail, 4-3
TOP OF EIGHTH: NATIONALS 4. DODGERS 3
Joe Blanton, on for another inning, quickly struck out Pedro Severino, Stephen Drew and Trea Turner in a dominant display of slider-focused relief. Kenley Jansen slowly warmed behind him in the Dodgers’ bullpen, just in case he was needed. He’ll likely enter for the ninth. The Dodgers trail, 4-3.
Dodgers waste a single in the seventh and are six outs away from defeat
BOTTOM OF SEVENTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 3
Washington Manager Dusty Baker called in left-hander Oliver Perez to start the inning. He struck out Joc Pederson, then yielded a single to Chase Utley, at which point Baker brought in right-hander Shawn Kelley.
Kelley dominated this season but had not yet pitched this series, Baker before opting to deploy left-hander after left-hander because the Dodgers so struggle against them. But he had no more left here, and so Howie Kendrick worked the count to 3-and-2 against Kelley before flying out to center field.
Up as the potential go-ahead run, Justin Turner took a sizable swing at a 1-and-0 fastball over the heart of the plate but missed. The count grew to 2-and-2. Kelley fired a fastball on the inside corner, immediately called a strike by home-plate umpire Ron Kulpa. Turner crouched down in disbelief but did not argue. The Dodgers have just two more chances to score at least one run.
Utley starts a potential rally
Dodgers vs. Nationals head to bottom of seventh with Dodgers trailing, 4-3
TOP OF SEVENTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 3
Left-hander Luis Avilan remained on the mound to begin the inning as right-hander Joe Blanton warmed in the Dodgers’ bullpen. He’d face one batter, Bryce Harper, who grounded out to second base. In came Chase Utley to replace Charlie Culberson at second base and Blanton to face Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman. Rendon flew out, while Zimmerman reached on an infield single to shortstop. Clint Robinson then pinch-hit and flew out to right, ending the top half of the inning.
With 17 pitches on his ledger, Blanton figures to begin the eighth.
Dodgers trail Nationals, 4-3, after six innings
BOTTOM OF SIXTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 3
With Sammy Solis still on the mound for Washington, Yasiel Puig flew out, Adrian Gonzalez singled, and Yasmani Grandal struck out. Nationals Manager Dusty Baker had right-hander Blake Treinen ready in his bullpen, but he opted to leave his left-hander, Solis, in to face Charlie Culberson, who soon grounded a baseball to third base.
Anthony Rendon took the easy forceout at second base. Two-thirds of the way through this game, the Dodgers trail by one run.
Dodgers escape trouble in top of sixth, still trail 4-3
TOP OF SIXTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 3
Left-hander Grant Dayton began the inning by permitting a single to Jose Lobaton. Stephen Drew, in the game at shortstop after a double switch in the fifth, struck out. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts then brought in right-hander Josh Fields for Dayton. Fields struck out Trea Turner and walked Jayson Werth. Roberts then brought in left-hander Luis Avilan for Fields as Daniel Murphy loomed in perhaps the biggest at-bat of this game so far.
Murphy struck out on seven pitches. Avilan pumped his left fist as he walked off the mound.
Watch Carlos Ruiz’s two-run pinch-hit homer
That Gibson homer seems vaguely familiar
Dodger fans come to life after Ruiz’s homer
Carlos Ruiz’s two-run homer pulls Dodgers closer, 4-3, after five innings
BOTTOM OF FIFTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 3
After Charlie Culberson grounded out, Joc Pederson singled to right field. Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts was going to send up Andre Ethier to pinch-hit, but when Pederson singled, he sent up backup catcher Carlos Ruiz instead, knowing he’d burn both his backup backstops but not caring. Ruiz received a middle-middle fastball in a 3-and-1 count, and he hit it out for a two-run home run, enlivening the crowd and ending Gio Gonzalez’s day.
Left-hander Sammy Solis entered out of the bullpen to face Howie Kendrick. After a seven-pitch battle, Kendrick grounded out to second. It was an exceptionally close play at first base because Daniel Murphy bobbled the ball initially. Justin Turner then walked, and the crowd roared for Corey Seager as he approached the plate. Some fans chanted, “M-V-P.”
Seager flew out to center to end the inning, the Dodgers closer than at the start but still trailing, 4-3.
As Baez starts to falter, Dodgers escape the inning
TOP OF FIFTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 1
Pedro Baez remained in the game for his second inning of relief, firing 98 mph fastball after 98 mph fastball and again troubling the Nationals. But his control became an issue after Daniel Murphy lined out.
Bryce Harper walked, and then Anthony Rendon popped out to short right field. As Baez’s pitch count reached 27, the Dodgers’ bullpen remained silent, and he went on to walk Ryan Zimmerman. Only then did the bullpen begin to stir, in the form of left-hander Grant Dayton.
Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt visited the mound to help stall, but Baez got one more batter, Danny Espinosa, and got him to pop out. His day’s done. He succeeded.
Dodgers’ offense continues to struggle in fourth inning
BOTTOM OF FOURTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 1
Gio Gonzalez is the surprise star of this game so far. He is now through four quick innings after retiring Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez and Yasmani Grandal in order, all on flyouts. Gonzalez has thrown only 71 pitches. The Dodgers still trail, 4-1.
Pedro Baez calms the Nationals in top of the fourth
TOP OF FOURTH: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 1
Pedro Baez did his job, striking out Gio Gonzalez before inducing a fly out from Trea Turner and a pop out from Jayson Werth. He may try another inning if his spot in the Dodgers’ order does not come up in the bottom half of the fourth.
Dodgers still trail Nationals, 4-1, after three innings
BOTTOM OF THIRD: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 1
Kenta Maeda’s day is done. Third-string catcher Austin Barnes pinch-hit for him to begin the bottom half of the third inning as Pedro Baez warmed in the Dodgers’ bullpen. Barnes struck out. Up next, Howie Kendrick smashed a double to left-center. Justin Turner battled Gio Gonzalez to eight pitches but grounded out to short, and Corey Seager struck out with Kendrick on third base.
As the Dodgers still trail by three runs, Baez will enter for the top of the fourth and begin the parade of relievers required to finish this ballgame.
Dodgers vs. Nationals: Boo-birds come out as Washington takes a 4-1 lead
TOP OF THIRD: NATIONALS 4, DODGERS 1
Trea Turner led off with a single to center, and he soon scored when Jayson Werth doubled to right field. Werth took third on the throw home, then scored when Bryce Harper knocked a single to right on a first-pitch changeup from Kenta Maeda.
With the Nationals in the lead, Harper took off for second on Maeda’s 1-and-2 pitch to Anthony Rendon. Maeda’s pitch and Yasmani Grandal’s throw were errant, and Harper scrambled all the way to third.
Maeda threw a 2-and-2 fastball. Rendon fouled it off. Maeda threw another 2-and-2 fastball. Rendon obliterated it, sending the baseball 432 feet into the left-field bleachers to provide the Nationals a commanding 4-1 lead.
Ryan Zimmerman quickly lined out before Danny Espinosa was hit by his third pitch of this series. The boos began at Dodger Stadium when Maeda threw a third ball to Jose Lobaton, but the half-inning ended, finally, when Lobaton grounded out two pitches later.
Dodgers vs. Nationals: Dodgers still lead, 1-0, after two innings
BOTTOM OF SECOND: DODGERS 1, NATIONALS 0
Yasmani Grandal flew out to right field. Charlie Culberson, starting at second base because of the left-hander on the mound, grounded out to shortstop. Joc Pederson was ruled to strike out on a foul tip, but Pederson disputed it, saying he was actually hit by the pitch. The Dodgers challenged; the call remained and the inning ended. This game’s pace is speeding up after a slow first frame.
Feeling blue
Dodgers vs. Nationals: Washington goes down quietly in top of second
TOP OF SECOND: DODGERS 1, NATIONALS 0
Kenta Maeda settled after an unsteady first inning, striking out Danny Espinosa on four pitches and Gio Gonzalez on three. In between, Jose Lobaton lobbed a well-placed fastball into short center field for another easy out. Maeda threw only nine pitches in the inning, and the Dodgers retained their lead.
Dodgers-Nationals live updates: Dodgers take 1-0 lead when Seager doubles home Turner
BOTTOM OF FIRST: DODGERS 1, NATIONALS 0
As late arrivals slowly filed into Dodger Stadium, Howie Kendrick laced Gio Gonzalez’s fourth pitch into right field — right at Bryce Harper, for an out. Justin Turner worked a six-pitch walk, then took off running when Corey Seager smashed Gonzalez’s first pitch curveball into the right-center gap. As the Dodgers’ third-base coach, Chris Woodward, rapidly windmilled his hands, Turner rounded third and slid head-first into home for this game’s first run.
Seager homered in the first inning of Games 1 and 2. Here, he doubled. As he stood on second, Yasiel Puig watched three consecutive fastballs pass for balls. Gonzalez fired another over the plate, and Puig again passed. On the fifth pitch, there came another fastball. Puig swung and missed. He took the sixth for a called third strike.
Adrian Gonzalez then grounded out. The Dodgers lead, 1-0, after one inning.
Dodgers vs. Nationals live updates: Maeda throws a lot of pitches but Washington doesn’t score
TOP OF FIRST: DODGERS 0, NATIONALS 0
To begin this game at 1:08 p.m., Kenta Maeda threw Trea Turner three consecutive outside fastballs. The first was at the bottom of the zone, the second at the middle, the third at the top. Turner struck out swinging.
Next up, Jayson Werth worked the count to 2-and-2 and whacked back-to-back Maeda fastballs foul, each time ripping the baseball more than 100 mph. The seventh pitch of the at-bat was another fastball, fouled off lightly. Maeda then missed to bring the count to 3-and-2. Werth poked pitch No. 9 into short right field. Daniel Murphy soon popped up on a well-located slider, and up came Bryce Harper, dropped down into the cleanup spot.
Harper walked on five pitches. Anthony Rendon also walked on five pitches, loading the bases for Ryan Zimmerman. Maeda struck him out on three pitches, escaping any damage but requiring 28 pitches to finish the inning, ensuring the Dodgers’ bullpen will be active early this afternoon.
Where is everyone? There’s a game on
Dusty Baker reminisces on good times at Dodger Stadium
The Dodger Stadium crowd didn’t give much of a welcome home to native son Dusty Baker, who grew up in Riverside and spent eight productive seasons as a Dodgers outfielder.
A smattering of applause.
Earlier, Baker said Chavez Ravine still feels a little like home, even though it’s been 32 years since he played there.
“It’s the same Dodger Stadium that I came to as a kid, you know, even before I got into professional baseball. This is always one of my favorite stadiums.
“… They have taken great care of it. They have changed the seats. They have added the Tom Lasorda whatever it is out there in right field — restauranté.”
Lasorda was in his first full season as the Dodgers manager in 1977 when a dramatic Baker home run earned a place in baseball history.
On the final day of the regular-season, Baker hit a sixth-inning home run to give him 30 for the season – and join Steve Garvey (33), Reggie Smith (32) and Ron Cey (30) to form the first foursome from one team to each hit 30 homers in the same season.
“Memories do come back,” Baker said. “You try not to dwell on them, but you know, I have some very pleasant memories here, and the town was good to me. I think in a small way, I was pretty good to the town.”
It’s a beautiful day for a ballgame
Dodgers have had great success at home this season
The Dodgers had a record of 53-28 at home during the regular season, tied with Texas and Cleveland for the second-best home record in the major leagues behind the Chicago Cubs, who were 57-24.
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts was asked before Monday’s Game 3 about the upside of playing at Dodger Stadium.
“When we were there in Nationals Park, it was loud. Those guys fed off that emotion. Those fans were great,” he said. “And we’ve got the same thing here.”
But fan support goes only so far, and the Dodgers manager said there were other advantages to playing at home.
“Having to find your closer or certain guys in the pen on the road, that’s tougher as a strategic thing, as opposed to being able to hit last at home.
“And also, you’re just more comfortable with the background, the drive to the ballpark, the clubhouse, the routine of playing at home. I think that players typically enjoy playing at home.”
Dodgers’ Game 3 lineup
Forget Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, how about Justin Turner for president?
Justin Turner showed up for a news conference with reporters before Monday’s Game 3 wearing a blue with white and red lettering “Turner for President” T-shirt.
The ‘u” in Turner – for a little personalized touch – was accented with a red beard and mustache.
Asked about it, Turner quipped: “I think I’ve got a chance this year.”
He added, “Yeah, it was something we did in spring training. They did it for -- I think five or six teams had guys that did kind of a presidential campaign for certain players, just to go along with the election year. It’s not serious. I haven’t been contacted by the Republicans or the Democrats.”
On a more serious note, Turner credited Manager Dave Roberts for keeping a steady hand throughout the season.
Asked what Roberts added to the cohesiveness of the club, Turner responded:
“Thinking, positivity, encouragement. He believes in us, even when things weren’t going good. You know, myself personally, in the beginning of the year, I was struggling for the first two months. He believed in me. He kept running me out there. He kept putting me in the 3-spot in the lineup. He kept telling me, ‘Hey, like, you’re my guy, you’re there.’ And that goes a long way.
“I think guys have a lot of respect for him and what he’s done. … He doesn’t push anything aside. When something happens, he’s the leader of it. He addresses everything right away and gets it taken care of, and you know, that’s kind of a breath of fresh air for us.”
Julio Urias still on tap to start Game 4 for Dodgers
Julio Urias remains on schedule to start Game 4, Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said during a Monday morning news conference before Game 3 of the National League division series against the Washington Nationals.
No matter what the result of today’s game, Roberts is likely to say the same afterward. But if the Dodgers lose, well, it will be interesting to see who is on the lineup card Tuesday morning.
Asked about the situation, Roberts said, “We know that Julio is scheduled to pitch tomorrow.”
He also said: “There are no absolutes,” “It can change,” “Kershaw is available” and “We have two options.”
A look at today’s Dodgers-Nationals matchup
The Nationals came from behind to defeat the Dodgers, 5-2, in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday. The series heads to Los Angeles Monday, but will the Dodgers be able to bounce back?
NEXT UP: GAME 3 OF NLDS
When: Monday, 1 p.m.
Where: Dodger Stadium.
TV: MLB Network. Radio: 570, 1020, 1540.
STARTING PITCHERS
Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda (16-11, 3.48 ERA)
Nationals’ Gio Gonzalez (11-11, 4.57 ERA)
Maeda, a 28-year-old rookie, was the Dodgers’ most reliable starter in a tumultuous season for the rotation. He frequently received extra rest to make his schedule similar to what he was used to while pitching professionally in Japan. And he pitched between five and seven innings in 29 of his 32 starts.
Will the Dodgers’ prime weakness haunt them in Game 3?
The Dodgers struggle against left-handed pitchers. That’s what the numbers say and what the Washington Nationals will test when they send Gio Gonzalez to start Game 3 on Monday at Dodger Stadium.
Gonzalez will be the 47th left-hander to start against the Dodgers this season. Against the first 46, the Dodgers have batted .235 with a .662 on-base-plus-slugging percentage. That’s 20 points lower in batting average and .91 lower in OPS than they had against right-handed starters during the regular season.
The difference is even larger when relief pitchers are included. Overall, in more than 1,800 regular-season plate appearances against left-handers, the Dodgers hit .213 with a .622 OPS. The next-worst major league team, a rebuilding Philadelphia, logged a .246 batting average with a .666 OPS.
Against right-handers, the Dodgers hit .264 with a .772 OPS. The power gap was particularly pronounced. They had a .443 slugging percentage against right-handed pitching, above the overall major league average, and a .332 slugging mark against left-handers, well below average.
Dodgers revive that playoff anxiety
The Nationals came from behind to defeat the Dodgers, 5-2, in Game 2 of the NLDS on Sunday. The series heads to Los Angeles Monday, but will the Dodgers be able to bounce back?
It’s October. It’s the Dodgers. Never forget that.
Two days after their stirring opening win against the Washington Nationals, the heartache kids again have been whacked in the head by the playoffs, casting the same old doubt on this new autumn of hope.
“No one said it was going to be easy,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said, shaking his head after a fittingly chilly and windswept Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park.
Baseball officials stole their momentum by suspiciously ordering an early rain postponement of Saturday’s Game 2, even though the entire evening was pleasant and dry.