Bill Shaikin previews second half of season for Dodgers

By Chuck Schilken

July 11, 2012 12 AM PT

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”ORSPT000015”&amp;gt;Dodgers&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt; got off to a tremendous start and held the best record in baseball for much of the first half of the season.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;They have since lost 15 of their last 20 games but still hold a half-game lead over the &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”ORSPT000025”&amp;gt;San Francisco Giants&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt; atop the &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”ORSPT00000195”&amp;gt;National League West&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt;.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Now that the All-Star break has come and almost gone, the Dodgers appear to be a team in need of some help down the stretch as they make their playoff run.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Some of that help is sure to come when All-Star &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”PESPT000010167”&amp;gt;Matt Kemp&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt; returns from the disabled list. Hopefully his controversial decision to take part in Monday’s &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”EVSPR000175”&amp;gt;Home Run Derby&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt; won’t be the source of any kind of setback.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Even with Kemp’s return, the Dodgers might want to find some additional help from outside the team before the trade deadline. Ace &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”PESPT000010172”&amp;gt;Clayton Kershaw&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt; did some recruiting for the team during the All-Star festivities, telling Phillies’ free-agent-to-be &amp;lt;runtime:topic id=”PESPT000010088”&amp;gt;Cole Hamels&amp;lt;/runtime:topic&amp;gt;, “You’d look good in Dodger blue.”&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Times writer Bill Shaikin discusses Kemp’s decision to participate in the Home Run Derby, possible moves before the trade deadline and other topics as the Dodgers head into the second half of the season.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;strong&amp;gt;ALSO:&amp;lt;/strong&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-kemp-trumbo-hr-derby-20120710,0,170228.story”&amp;gt;Matt Kemp cuts it short at Home Run Derby&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-kemp-braun-all-stars-20120710,0,4257467.story”&amp;gt;Ryan Braun still has the support of Dodgers’ Matt Kemp&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href=”https://www.latimes.com/sports/baseball/mlb/dodgers/la-sp-0711-all-star-notes-20120711,0,4613776.story”&amp;gt;Clayton Kershaw makes pitch to recruit Cole Hamels to Dodgers&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

Bill Shaikin previews second half of season for Dodgers

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