Clayton Kershaw’s sharp outing wasted by Dodgers’ lackluster offense in loss
The long-awaited bronze statue of Sandy Koufax will be unveiled Saturday in the Centerfield Pavilion at Dodger Stadium.
Koufax retired in 1966. Should the Dodgers take as long to create a statue for their current left-handed pitcher who has posted similar career numbers, Clayton Kershaw would have his unveiled in, oh, 2078 or so.
Not that Kershaw is pitching like someone on the verge of retirement. Making his second start since spending five weeks on the injured list with lower back inflammation, the 15-year veteran was sharp in a five-inning outing Friday night against the Cleveland Guardians, giving up one run and leaving with the score tied.
Cody Bellinger’s second-inning home run was all the offense the Dodgers could muster, however, in a frustrating 2-1, 10-inning loss in which they went one for 13 with runners in scoring position.
Dodgers fall to Guardians 2-1 in 10 innings
Cleveland reliever Enyel De Los Santos struck out Justin Turner to seal the Guardians’ 2-1 win over the Dodgers in 10 innings at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.
Anthony Gose struck out Freddie Freeman to start the frame before being relieved by De Los Santos. Will Smith then grounded out to third base, preventing ghost runner Trea Turner from even thinking about trying to advance on play. Max Muncy then drew a walk before Justin Turner struck out to end the game.
The two teams continue their series Saturday at 4:15 p.m. PT (game is on FOX). The Dodgers fall to 39-24 on the season, with Cleveland improving to 33-27.
FINAL: Guardians 2, Dodgers 1 (10 innings)
Cleveland takes 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th inning
Top of the 10th inning: Richie Palacios drove in ghost runner Owen Miller from third on a sacrifice fly to give Cleveland a 2-1 lead.
Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips gave up a leadoff single to Andres Gimenez that moved Miller to third before Palacios flied out to Cody Bellinger in center field.
Steven Kwan followed with a groundout to second before Phillips struck out Amed Rosario on three pitches two at-bats later to end the frame.
Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Max Muncy are due up for the Dodgers. Trea Turner will be on second.
Dodgers miss prime opportunity to put the game away
The Dodgers and Guardians are heading to extra innings.
Cody Bellinger led off with an opposite-field slapper for a single before stealing second. Then, Cleveland right fielder Oscar Gonzalez dropped what should have been a routine flyball off the bat of Hanser Alberto to put runners on the corners for the Dodgers with one out.
But Cleveland reliever Anthony Gose then managed to strike out Gavin Lux and got Trea Turner to fly out to right (where Gonzalez made a very careful two-handed catch) to send the game into the 10th inning.
End of ninth inning: Guardians 1, Dodgers 1
Dodgers and Guardians tied heading into the bottom of the ninth
Top of the ninth: Daniel Hudson took over in relief of Brusdar Graterol and oversaw a 1-2-3 inning for the Dodgers.
Do the Dodgers have some walk-off heroics in them tonight? Cody Bellinger, Chris Taylor and Hanser Alberto are due up with the game tied 1-1. They’ll face Cleveland reliever Trevor Stephan.
Dodgers and Guardians tied 1-1 heading into the eighth inning
Bottom of the seventh: The Dodgers missed another opportunity to break the tie when Freddie Freeman hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Hanser Alberto led off with a single to left field off Cleveland reliever Sam Hentges. After Gavin Lux struck out, Trea Turner reached base on soft infield grounder for his third hit of the game.
But the double play ended any chance of a Dodgers rally.
Brusdar Graterol, who relieved Alex Vesia in the seventh, will continue pitching in the eighth.
End of the seventh: Guardians 1, Dodgers 1
Dodgers can’t capitalize on scoring chance in the fifth
Bottom of the fifth: The Dodgers failed to take advantage of potential scoring chance when Gavin Lux hit a one-out, ground-rule double to center field. Lux advanced to third off a scorching drive from Freddie Freeman that got past Cleveland second baseman Andres Gimenez. But the inning ended on the next at-bat with Freeman being forced out at second on a Will Smith grounder to third.
Alex Vesia will take over for Clayton Kershaw in the sixth. Kershaw allowed one run, five hits, walked one and struck out four over 5 innings and 81 pitches.
End of the fifth: Dodgers 1, Guardians 1
Cleveland ties game on Josh Naylor’s sacrifice fly
Top of the fourth: Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Josh Naylor to tie the game 1-1.
Clayton Kershaw allowed singles to Ramirez and Oscar Gonzalez to start the inning before Naylor’s popup plated Ramirez from third. Kershaw then struck out Owen Miller and Luke Maile to cap the frame and leave two Cleveland runners stranded.
Kershaw has allowed five hits, one run, one walk and has struck out four over 74 pitches.
Sandy Koufax statue to be unveiled Saturday at Dodger Stadium
The long-awaited bronze statue of Sandy Koufax will be unveiled Saturday in the Centerfield Pavilion at Dodger Stadium. It will pair with the Jackie Robinson statue that has stood since 2017.
Should the Dodgers take as long to create a statue for their current left-handed pitcher with similar numbers as Koufax, Clayton Kershaw would have his unveiled in, oh, 2078 or so.
The Koufax statue was scheduled for unveiling in 2020 but the ceremony was postponed because of the pandemic. The All-Star Game to be hosted by the Dodgers was also postponed, and it will take place July 19.
Koufax, 86, is famously reclusive. Yet the three-time Cy Young Award winner and two-time most valuable player of the World Series will be in attendance along with his wife, Jane.
“First with Sandy, there is humility,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who counts Koufax as a good friend. “I’m excited to see him and it’s going to be a special moment.... It’s going to be uncomfortable to him for something to be totally about him. It’s not what he likes, it’s not who he is. I just know we are all very grateful he and Jane are making the trip [from the East coast].”
Dodgers dress up, show out and gala fundraiser
The Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala was held Thursday night at Dodger Stadium with proceeds benefiting the organization’s community programs aimed at improving education, health care, and social justice. Jennifer Lopez provided the entertainment.
Many Dodgers players attended the gala with their spouses and partners. The event, which hadn’t taken place the last two years because of the pandemic, raised $3.6 million.
“Everyone turned out,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Everyone was dressed to the nines, the concert was great and we made a lot of money for a good cause.”
Cody Bellinger hits solo home run to give Dodgers early lead
Cody Bellinger hit a solo home run off Cleveland pitcher Zach Plesac to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Bellinger’s eighth home run of the season was a 423-foot blast over the wall in right-center field.
After Bellinger’s homer, Chris Taylor lined out to left field and Eddy Alvarez lined out to second to end the inning.
Top of the second: A 1-2-3 inning for Clayton Kershaw, who made a sliding grab on a Luke Maile dribbler, spinning around quickly to throw him out at first for the final out.
End of the second inning: Dodgers 1, Guardians 0
Dodgers and Guardians scoreless after the first inning
Top of the first inning: Amed Rosario laced a Clayton Kershaw slider down the left-field line for a one-out, standup double. Kershaw then struck out Jose Ramirez on nine pitches and walked Oscar Gonzalez before striking out Josh Naylor to leave a couple stranded for the Guardians.
Bottom of the first: Trea Turner led off with a single to left field off Cleveland starter Zach Plesac. Freddie Freeman then lined out to second, Will Smith lined out to center field and Max Muncy flied out to center.
End of the first: Guardians 0, Dodgers 0
Dodgers vs. Guardians lineup: Mookie Betts dealing with rib contusion
Here’s the starting lineup for the Dodgers on Friday night against the visiting Cleveland Guardians. Mookie Betts was originally scheduled to play, but was scratched about two hours before game time because of a right rib contusion, the team said.
Here’s the starting lineup for the Guardians:
What’s the deal behind Apple TV’s deal to broadcast baseball games? We asked MLB
For decades now, the way you watch your baseball team has been pretty much the same. You paid a cable or satellite company a monthly fee for a bundle of channels, many of which you would never watch.
Your team’s regional sports network (or RSN) — SportsNet LA for the Dodgers, Bally Sports West for the Angels — was one of those channels. If your team’s game was selected for a national broadcast — on ESPN, Fox, FS1, TBS or MLB Network — you also could find those channels within your bundle. You might have to look up which channel would carry that day’s game, but you already had paid for access to it.
The bundle format is in decline, with customers balking at paying for dozens of channels they never watch and streaming services offering the chance to pay only for the programming you do want to watch. There might be no more critical concern for Major League Baseball, where teams have grown accustomed to ever-higher payments from cable and satellite companies, all based on the concept that each home subscriber should pay perhaps $5 per month for a team, even if 95% of those customers do not watch the games.
Want to go to the MLB All-Star game at Dodger Stadium? Tickets aren’t cheap
For the first time since 1980, the All-Star game is headed to Dodger Stadium.
And with the Dodgers as the perennial league leaders in attendance, season-ticket holders already have spoken for many of the seats at Dodger Stadium.
That combination of supply and demand — limited supply and pent-up demand — is reflected in the price of available tickets for the July 19 game.
Hail Dave Roberts for letting Tyler Anderson pursue no-hitter despite high pitch count
As much as Dave Roberts insisted that he didn’t take any risks, he couldn’t be certain of that. Tyler Anderson’s attempt to complete a no-hitter could very well backfire on the Dodgers in the coming weeks and months.
With Walker Buehler’s arm in a sling, Clayton Kershaw just returned from a back injury and Julio Urias still working his way into form, Anderson is their No. 2 starter behind Tony Gonsolin.
They can’t afford to lose him.
Yet on Wednesday night, Roberts permitted this 32-year-old left-hander with a disconcerting medical history to throw a career-high 123 pitches in pursuit of personal glory.
How reckless.
How irresponsible.
How absolutely wonderful.
How to stream and watch the Dodgers this season
Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular season: