Video: Postgame interviews with Seager, Bellinger and Grandal
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager went two-for-four at the plate and drove in two runs.
Rookie first baseman Cody Bellinger scored his first postseason run on a Yasiel Puig double in the first inning.
Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal talks about what worked for Clayton Kershaw against the Diamondbacks.
Jansen pitches ninth and Dodgers win, 9-5
Kenley Jansen takes the mound.
Gregor Blanco, batting for Adam Rosales, flied to center.
Ketel Marte singled to center.
Daniel Descalso, batting for Jeff Mathis, walked.
Jake Lamb, batting for the pitcher, grounded to first. Bellinger forced Descalso at second, but Seager, attempting to turn the double play, threw the ball away. Marte scored.
David Peralta hit a shot up the middle that Jansen speared for the final out. Dodgers win, 9-5.
Puig is a happy guy
Vin Scully is in the house
Dodgers take 9-4 lead on Corey Seager’s triple, Justin Turner’s single
Chase Utley was announced as a pinch-hitter for Brandon Morrow, so Arizona manager Torey Lovullo replaced David Hernandez with Andrew Chafin. So Dave Roberts replaced Utley with Austin Barnes.
After all that maneuvering, Barnes singled to right.
And that’s it for Chafin. Nice outing. Jimmie Sherfy will now be pitching.
Chris Taylor grounded to first, Barnes advancing to second.
Corey Seager tripled down the right-field line, scoring Barnes.
Justin Turner singled through the drawn-in infield, scoring Seager. Turner has five RBIs in this game, tying a postseason record held by Pedro Guerrero and Davey Lopes.
Cody Bellinger struck out.
Yasiel Puig flied to left.
Arizona doesn’t score in eighth, Dodgers lead 7-4
Brandon Morrow is still pitching. Enrique Hernandez replaces Granderson in left.
Paul Goldschmidt popped the first pitch to first.
J.D. Martinez hit a lollipop that dropped in front of Logan Forsythe. Forsythe should have caught that ball. And he’s supposed to be in there for his defense.
Brandon Drury grounded up the middle. Corey Seager saw Forsythe going for the ball and said, “Forget it, I’ll do this myself” and turned a 6-3 double play. OK, he didn’t say that, but I’d like to believe he was thinking it.
Yasiel Puig’s triple has tongues wagging
Dodgers waste Yasiel Puig’s leadoff triple in seventh, still lead 7-4
David Hernandez now pitching for the Dodgers.
Yasiel Puig led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple down the left-field line. A hustling Yasiel Puig is a fun Yasiel Puig to watch. And it’s hard to hit a triple in Dodger Stadium.
Curtis Granderson flied to left, not deep enough to score Puig.
Yasmani Grandal flied to center, not deep enough to score Puig.
Logan Forsythe grounded to third. Adam Rosales bobbled it but gunned it to first for the out.
The failure to get Puig home could be important. Let’s hope not though. And it appeared Puig was mad that the third-base coach Chris Woodward didn’t send him on Grandal’s fly ball.
Arizona hits two solo homers off Kershaw to close at 7-4 in the seventh
The seemingly always troublesome seventh inning for Clayton Kershaw.
Adam Rosales flied to center.
Ketel Marte homered to left on Kershaw’s 99th pitch of the night. All Arizona’s runs have come on solo homers.
Jeff Mathis then homered to left.
Kershaw still has trouble in the seventh inning. And that’s it for Kershaw. He will be replaced by Tony Watson.
Christian Walker hit for Zack Godley and singled to right. David Peralta grounded to short, Walker advancing to second.
A.J. Pollock came to the plate, and Dave Roberts came out to replace Watson with Brandon Morrow. We could see Kenley Jansen early tonight, as the Dodgers can’t let this game get away from them.
Pollock swung at the first pitch and popped to center. Thank you, Brandon Morrow.
Dodgers go down quietly in sixth, still lead 7-2
Corey Seager grounded to second. Justin Turner flied deep to center and Cody Bellinger flied to shallow right-center.
J.D. Martinez’s homer pulls Arizona within 7-2 after top of sixth
A.J. Pollock drew a leadoff walk to start the top of the sixth inning. Noted Dodgers killer Paul Goldschmidt hit a shot to third that Justin Turner turned into a 5-4-3 double play.
J.D. Martinez then hit a ball about a mile high and a mile deep to left for a home run. Martinez has two homers in 11 career at-bats against Kershaw.
Brandon Drury struck out to end the inning.
And then for dessert...
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Cameron Romo, 19, of Rialto, staked out his gastronomical prize: the Dodgers’ Chicken Waffle Sammy with a piece of fried chicken and candied, smoked bacon sandwiched between two Belgian waffles. He carried one in each hand as he took an elevator to the stadium’s top deck.
“I’m 100% excited,” he said. He saw the postseason-special delicacy advertised online and knew he had to find one.
“I hope it’s the best thing I’ve ever experienced,” he said.
Romo might not stop there. By game’s end, he might also try to get his hands on the Donut Bacon Double Cheeseburger: two beef patties, cheese, bacon, maple syrup and blackberry jam with a doughnut on top.
Dodgers don’t score in fifth, still lead 7-1
Yasmani Grandal popped to short. Logan Forsythe flied to center. The announcers thought it was a homer. They need to learn what Vin Scully always said. Don’t watch the baseball, watch the outfielder. He’ll tell you if it’s out or not by how he moves.
Clayton Kershaw singled to center. I’d rather he made an out and not waste energy on the bases.
Chris Taylor struck out.
Arizona retired quietly in fifth, Dodgers lead 7-1
Jeff Mathis flied to center. Zack Godley grounded to second. David Peralta hit pop fly to center that Corey Seager ran down. What time does Game 2 start?
Those are good numbers
Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks: Photos from Game 1 of the NLDS
Hey, I know you!
Dodgers take 7-1 lead after four innings
Logan Forsythe singled to center to start the inning. Godley had retired six of seven until then. Kershaw sacrificed Forsythe to second. Godley underhanded the ball to first and almost threw it away.
Chris Taylor walked, putting runners at first and second with one out for Corey Seager, who singled to left, scoring Forsythe. Taylor was aggressive on the bases and barely beat the throw to third.
Justin Turner singled to center, scoring Taylor. Turner has four RBIs on the night. Turner may be the most underrated player in the game today.
Cody Bellinger hit a bouncer up first. Paul Goldschmidt was ready to make the play but pitch Zack Godley got in the way and bobbled the ball. Error on Godley. Bases loaded, one out.
The Diamondbacks had the infield in. Yasiel Puig hit a slow grounder to short, but Arizona had no play at the plate, with Puig being thrown out at first.
Curtis Granderson grounded to second to end the inning.
Dodgers lead Arizona, 4-1, after top of fourth thanks to some strong defense
J.D. Martinez singled up the center on a ball that was spinning like crazy and eluded Logan Forsythe at second.
Brandon Drury grounded into a 6-4-3 double play causing Dodgers fans to breathe a sigh of relief.
Adam Rosales drew a walk, as Kershaw seems to be struggling a bit. Ketel Marte hit a bouncer between first and second. Bellinger made a great play and forced Rosales at second.
Dodgers lead Diamondbacks 4-1 after three innings
Yasiel Puig led off the bottom of the third and looked like he got hit by a pitch, but it actually hit the knob of the bat. He then flied out to center.
Curtis Granderson struck out. I have now saved that sentence on cut and paste to save myself time tonight and the rest of the series.
Yasmani Grandal struck out swinging. A lot of strike outs on both sides tonight.
Where does pine tar fall in the food pyramid?
Arizona closes gap to 4-1 after top of third on A.J. Pollock’s homer
An overmatched Zack Godley (2 for 42 this season) struck out swinging.
David Peralta grounded to short.
A.J. Pollock ruined the fun with a solo homer to left. And he hit it hard too.
Paul Goldschmidt flies out to right (and boy are his arms tired) to end the inning.
Dodgers lead Arizona 4-0 after two innings
Zack Godley replaced Taijuan Walker for Arizona. Wonder if the Diamondbacks would turn to Walker in Game 4 if need be.
Chris Taylor led off his second inning in a row and struck out on a called strike three.
Corey Seager grounded to second.
Justin Turner walked and took second on a wild pitch, advancing to third on a bad throw by catcher Jeff Mathis.
Cody Bellinger struck out on a breaking pitch in the dirt to end the inning.
Wow, that’s crazy
Watch Justin Turner hit his three-run homer
Dodgers lead, 4-0, after top of second inning
Brandon Drury struck out to start the top of the second. Adam Rosales grounded to third, but Justin Turner bobbled it to allow Rosales to make it to first. Error on Turner.
Ketel Marte struck out on a nasty curveball and Jeff Mathis, who is a career .198 hitter, struck out looking. Not sure why Torey Lovullo went with Mathis instead of Chris Iannetta, who hits Kershaw pretty well.
That ball is gone
That would probably be a record
Justin Turner’s three-run home, Yasiel Puig’s double give Dodgers 4-0 lead after one
Justin Turner electrifies the crowd with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first to give the Dodgers a quick 3-0 lead.
Chris Taylor led off the inning with a single and Corey Seager walked off a struggling Taijuan Walker.
Cody Bellinger followed Turner’s homer with a single to center. Still no one out with Yasiel Puig at bat.
Puig doubles to right-center to score Bellinger. Even the national broadcast guys are giving the Dodgers credit, so it must be a great inning.
Curtis Granderson follows by striking out. Yasmani Grandal also strikes out, and the Diamondbacks walk Logan Forsythe intentionally to bring up Clayton Kershaw, who strikes out to end the inning.
This guy is bananas for the Dodgers
Kevin Guadamuz rocked a full-body banana costume and a pair of shades at Dodger Stadium on Friday night in honor of his favorite Dodger, Enrique Hernandez, who became known two years ago for waving a rally banana.
The 28-year-old UCLA student said he tweeted the whole process of buying his playoff banana costume from a Party City in Long Beach earlier this week.
His day was made when Hernandez liked a picture of him dressed as a banana on Twitter.
“I like his kid-like excitement about being in the game,” he said of Hernandez. “I’m a Chiquita banana. He’s a Chiquita banana. We can go bananas together.”
Guadamuz was attending his first-ever playoff game with his two brothers and his nephew. He’s a little too emotionally invested in sports, he admitted. This postseason might just send him into a frenzy, especially after that blasted losing streak.
“I’m really excited, but, I’m not gonna lie, I’m a little nervous,” he said. “I don’t like it when they lose when I’m at the game because it hurts me personally.”
One of his brothers teasingly chimed in: “Are you a player?”
“It’s like I’m going through a breakup every time they lose a playoffs game,” he continued.
After four years of the Dodgers losing in the playoffs, he’s got all the feels, he said.
“I feel like I’m one of those old-school fans from the 1950s, where it’s like, ‘we’ll get ‘em next year,’ but then you die a little inside,” Guadamuz said. “I feel like I’m part of the team.”
His older brother, Yader Guadamuz, 40, of Long Beach, said he gets so emotional during the games that his wife tells him to stop watching them because it’s bad for his heart. His anger lingers for days if the Dodgers lose, he said, laughing.
Yader’s 10-year-old son, Nicholas, who made his school’s all-star baseball team as a second baseman, said of the playoffs: “I feel pretty confident.”
“Right now, I really like Puig,” he added. “I used to play outfield, and he inspired me to play better.”
Crowd thrilled by Justin Turner’s homer
Dodgers 0, Diamondbacks 0 after top of first
Looks like a full house at Dodger Stadium as Clayton Kershaw throws his first pitch to David Peralta. Kershaw got Peralta down 0-2 and walked him. Kershaw always seems overpumped for the playoffs.
Kershaw got A.J. Pollock down 0-2 and Pollock hit a sharp line drive to center for the first out.
The always dangerous Paul Goldschmidt struck out looking on a fastball right down the middle.
J.D. Martinez, he of the four-homer game, struck out. Kershaw threw a lot of fastballs, and also made 22 pitches in the inning.
Starting lineups for Dodgers-Diamondbacks Game 1
Moment of silence for Las Vegas shooting victims
Joe Davis in on a mission from God
Pedro Baez cheered during pregame introductions
They aren’t booing, they’re chanting ... OK, they are booing
Dodgers fan Mark Corritori feels 29 years younger
Coming to Dodger Stadium makes Mark Corritori feel like a kid again.
Walking to his seat for the Dodgers’ Postseason opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Corritori, a 59-year-old salesman from Moorpark, wore a jersey with dozens of pins from games dating back to the 1970s. The jersey had number 88 -- representing 1988, the last year the Dodgers won the World Series.
He’s hoping he’ll need a 2017 jersey.
“I have a feeling we’re going to win it this year,” said the lifelong Southern California resident. “It’s our time. We came out of our slump, and we’re on a roll now.”
Corritori was at the game with his best buddy and neighbor, Eric Deverich, who was sporting a Dodgers-themed Hawaiian shirt. Asked how they felt during the Dodgers’ late-season losing streak, Deverich laughed and said, “Miserable.”
Corritori said he’s always positive.
“I think every year the team stands out,” he said. “I’m always optimistic about it, one way or another.”
His dad brought him to his first game at Dodger Stadium when he was 6 years old in 1965, a year the Dodgers won the World Series. He still has the program from that game.
“The whole atmosphere, it makes me feel like a kid again,” said Corritori, as fans streamed into the stadium, which is decorated in the Postseason red, white and blue bunting.
Corritori’s dad was a huge Brooklyn Dodgers fan who moved to Los Angeles in 1956, two years before his team did. His dad has a Brooklyn Dodgers jersey with the number 55 -- the last year the team won the World Series in New York.
Kenley Jansen can pitch more than one inning in Game 1
Meet a true Dodger dog
Carl Burkett has been coming to Dodger games since 1958, the first year the Boys in Blue played in Los Angeles, but he’s feeling lucky coming into this year’s playoffs.
He came to Dodger Stadium with his girlfriend, Allison Carroll, and their service two service dogs, Coco, a 14-year-old shepherd mix, and Tiger, a 7-year-old Applehead Chihuahua. Tiger wore a tiny Dodger jersey. They call him Dodger Dog.
The first time they brought Tiger to a game a few weeks ago, Burkett, 71, of Redding, won the fan money raffle during the game. They’re hoping the dog is a lucky charm.
“I’m feeling good,” Burkett said of the Dodgers’ postseason prospects. “I’m just excited. I really think they’re going to do it.”
Carroll, 51, of Redding, said Burkett got her into baseball. She felt good, too. Especially since Burkett promised to buy her a Clayton Kershaw jersey.
She laughed and pulled him inside the fan store.
Rich Hill has a different perspective on Game 2
Ten years ago today, Rich Hill started a postseason game for the first time. He had just completed the first, and still the only, full season of his major league career. He surrendered a leadoff home run and allowed three runs in three innings, ultimately responsible for the Chicago Cubs’ season-ending loss at Wrigley Field.
Tomorrow at Dodger Stadium, the 37-year-old left-hander will make his fifth postseason start, and he will do so with an altered perspective.
“The 25, 26, 27-year-old me would be more result-oriented,” Hill said. “Instead of process-oriented, moment-oriented, understanding that really it comes down to having the ball come out of your hand as many times as you want it to.
“When you can do that in any type of situation on this highest level, you’re going to have more success than failure.”
Since his improbable revival at age 35, Hill has become famous for his focus and antics on the days he starts. It is a continued source of enjoyment for his teammates, who appreciate the intensity he brings and the intention he stresses.
“You guys just had Rich,” grinning Manager Dave Roberts told the assembled media in the Dodger Stadium press conference room Friday. “He’s crazy.”
The Dodgers also appreciate his pitching. After a dominant six-start run after his Aug. 1 acquisition, Hill produced six scoreless innings in last year’s National League Championship Series. Over 25 starts this season, he owned a 3.32 earned-run average.
His September ERA was even better: 1.86.
Out in the bleachers
Diamondbacks name Robbie Ray their Game 2 starter
Arizona Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo named left-hander Robbie Ray his starting pitcher for Saturday’s second game of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium. Ray threw 34 pitches out of the bullpen in Arizona’s wild-card game victory Wednesday, but he told the team he felt fine, so start on short rest he will.
“I never really get sore a whole lot,” Ray said Thursday. “So, yeah.”
On Friday, Ray indicated he had little doubt he’d get the baseball for this series’ second game.
“I want the ball every game, honestly,” Ray said. “I mean, if you didn’t, you probably shouldn’t be here. But I was going to get myself as ready as possible for this game.”
Lovullo also confirmed that former Dodger right-hander Zack Greinke will start Monday’s Game 3 at Chase Field. Greinke exited early from the wild-card game, forcing Ray’s insertion to bridge the gap into the back end of the bullpen.
Ray, 26, was one of baseball’s best pitchers this season. Only Boston left-hander Chris Sale struck out a higher rate of batters.
By starting Saturday, Ray can also start a potential fifth game on normal rest. If Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts was telling the truth when he said that left-hander Alex Wood will start Game 4, Ray would be facing Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw in the fifth and final game.
Starting lineup for Dodgers in Game 1
Video preview of Game 1 between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks
Dave Roberts discusses keeping Pedro Baez on the playoff roster
The Dodgers included oft-derided reliever Pedro Baez on their National League Division Series roster, and their manager, Dave Roberts, framed the decision as an easy choice.
Speaking before Game 1’s first pitch Friday at Dodger Stadium, Roberts stopped short of saying he will deploy Baez as his primary set-up man for closer Kenley Jansen, as he did for much of the regular season. Still, he spoke confidently about the 29-year-old right-hander, the subject of significant scorn from the team’s fans.
“Ultimately, Pedro has been a big part of what we’ve done all year,” Roberts said. “I trust him. Arguably, he’s been our high-leveraged reliever outside of Kenley all year. So, I just think it makes sense.”
For the season, Baez authored a 2.95 earned-run average over 64 innings. But fans still recall his past postseason failures, and, this year, his flareups coincided with the team’s. He logged a 20.77 ERA over the first three weeks of September, seemingly hit around every night.
Baez then struck out seven of the last 12 hitters he faced over the season’s final week. Roberts hinted at the move Wednesday, when he stressed the importance of recency in roster decision-making.
Baez’s candidacy was also bolstered by his competition. The Dodgers opted against keeping nascent base-stealing threat Tim Locastro. Two other candidates for a bullpen spot, rookie right-handers Walker Buehler and Brock Stewart, struggled in September. Another, left-hander Luis Avilan, got hurt.
Buehler and Stewart have traveled to Camelback Ranch, where they will continue to throw in the off chance the club calls on them later on this month.
Video: Dave Roberts talks about Game 1 of Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks
What time does Game 1 of Dodgers-Diamondbacks start?
Game 1 of the Dodgers vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks is almost here. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. PT at Dodger Stadium, with Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the Dodgers vs. Taijuan Walker of Arizona.
Here’s how the rest of the series breaks down:
Game 2: Saturday at Dodgers, 6 p.m. PT, TBS
Game 3: Monday at Arizona, 7 p.m. PT, TBS
Game 4*: Tuesday at Arizona, 6 p.m. PT, TBS
Game 5*: Thursday at Dodgers, 6 p.m. PT, TBS
* if necessary
Watch Bill Plaschke break down the Dodgers-Diamondbacks series
Dodgers stick with struggling reliever Baez on NLDS roster
Despite posting a 10.38 earned-run average in September and a 5.13 earned-run average in the second half, Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez has made the 25-man roster for the National League Division Series against Arizona.
The Dodgers released the roster Friday morning, hours before Clayton Kershaw was to face Taijuan Walker in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers can’t settle for anything short of a World Series
This time will be different.
A mantra that has been quietly repeated throughout Los Angeles for the last couple of months has, at last, become a full-throated plea. It’s October, and a city is now collectively begging its Dodgers to bust some ghosts.
This time will be special.
Can you hear the hope? If you’ve been watching any baseball at Chavez Ravine this summer, you certainly understand the reasons.
Reaching World Series is a must for Dodgers — and so is winning it
Sorry, I must have missed the memo. When did finishing second suddenly become acceptable in Los Angeles?
What are we, Tampa Bay?
Bill Plaschke is right — to a point. The Dodgers have no excuse to not reach the World Series this year.
Only I’ll take a step further: They have to win it.
Goldschmidt is a Dodgers killer, but Lamb also can do damage
Jake Lamb is Arizona’s All-Star third baseman, Clayton Kershaw the sport’s preeminent starting pitcher. For more than three full seasons, they have played in the same division.
Yet the left-handed-hitting Lamb has never faced Kershaw. When Kershaw has taken the mound, Lamb has taken a seat on the bench, focusing on the matchup between the Dodgers’ ace and Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
Who will Cody Bellinger be in the playoffs? Here’s what the data can tell us
In the Major League Baseball playoffs, anybody can win. Regular-season stars can fail under pressure while rookies and unknowns can come through in the most important games of the year. Under the bright lights of the playoffs, all bets are off.
Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger has had a fantastic first season — historically among the best, especially considering he was 21 when he was called up. But when it comes to the postseason, will he be like Derek Jeter, who led the 1996 Yankees to a championship in his rookie season? Or will he be like Kris Bryant, a Rookie of the Year Award winner who hit only .176 in his first trip to the playoffs?
Dodgers happy to avoid Diamondbacks’ Robbie Ray in Game 1
The most consequential strategic decision of the Dodgers’ National League division series against Arizona may have occurred in the fifth inning of the wild-card game Wednesday at Chase Field.
That’s when Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo called upon Robbie Ray, his theoretical starter for Game 1 of this series, to pitch in relief and help his team sneak past Colorado.
Ray lasted 2 1/3 innings. He logged 34 pitches. It was his first relief appearance since 2014, and it altered the expected trajectory of the NLDS.
Dave Roberts will play the hero or the villain depending on how the playoffs go
One day in September, amid one of the worst stretches of baseball in Dodgershistory, manager Dave Roberts strolled into the dugout at Dodger Stadium for his pregame news conference.
Standing nearby was first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, an injured veteran pretending to be a reporter. Roberts smiled as Gonzalez pitched a question.