Dodgers defeat the Diamondbacks, 13-0
Dodgers: Right-hander Bryan Holaday, a position player, is now pitching for the Diamondbacks, Betts homered off the left-field foul pole. Taylor was hit by a pitch. Ramirez grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Pujols walked on five pitches. Seager flied to left.
Diamondbacks: Marte lined to right. Ellis struck out swinging. Walker struck out swinging.
Final score: Dodgers 13, Diamondbacks 0
It’s 12-0 Dodgers after eight innings
Dodgers: Left-hander Miguel Aguilar now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Seager walked on four pitches. Pollock doubled to center, scoring Seager. Barnes fouled to left. McKinney flied to left. Matt Beaty, batting for Price, popped to second.
Diamondbacks: Beaty in at third. Right-hander Yefry Ramirez now pitching for the Dodgers. Holaday grounded to third. Josh VanMeter, batting for Aguilar, walked on seven pitches. Ahmed grounded into a 4-3 double play.
Score after eight: Dodgers 12, Diamondbacks 0
It’s a laugher: 11-0 Dodgers in the seventh
Dodgers: Left-hander Ryan Buchter now pitching for the Diamondbacks. McKinney struck out swinging. Bickford struck out swinging. Betts singled to left. Taylor doubled to left, Betts to third. Turner homered to left. It’s 11-0. Pujols struck out swinging.
Diamondbacks: Left-hander David Price now pitching for the Dodgers. Reddick struck out swinging. Hager flied to right. Varsho grounded to third.
Score after seven: Dodgers 11, Diamondbacks 0
It’s 8-0 Dodgers after six innings
Dodgers: Right-hander Stefan Crichton now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Taylor struck out looking. Turner struck out swinging. Pujols was hit by a pitch. Seager was hit by a pitch. Pollock doubled to left, Pujols scoring, Seager to third. Barnes lined to first.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Phil Bickford now pitching for the Dodgers. Marte grounded to second. Ellis struck out looking. Walker struck out swinging.
Score after six: Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 0
Dodgers extend lead to 7-0
Dodgers: Seager doubled to center. Pollock flied to left. Barnes singled off the pitcher. First and third, one out. McKinney singled to right, scoring Seager, Barnes to second. Urías sacrificed the runners over. Barnes scored on a wild pitch, McKinney to third. Betts flied to center.
Diamondbacks: Varsho struck out looking. Holaday struck out swinging. Asdrubal Cabrera, batting for Peacock, singled to left-center. Ahmed flied to center.
Score after five: Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 0
It’s 5-0 Dodgers after four
Dodgers: Betts flied to right. Taylor singled to third. Turner lined to second. Pujols grounded to first.
Diamondbacks: Ellis struck out swinging. Walker hit a roller to third that Turner threw away for an error. Score that a hit and and error. Reddick struck out swinging. Hager struck out looking.
Score after four: Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 0
Dodgers lead 5-0 after three innings
Dodgers: Pollock singled to right-center. Barnes grounded to third, Pollock to second. McKinney grounded to second, Pollock to third. Urías grounded to second.
Diamondbacks: Peacock grounded to the pitcher. Ahmed flied to center. Marte grounded to second.
Score after three: Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 0
Albert Pujols’ bases-loaded double gives Dodgers a 5-0 lead in second
Dodgers: AJ Pollock singled to third. Austin Barnes walked on six pitches. Billy McKinney walked on four pitches. Julio Urías popped to short. Betts struck out swinging. Taylor walked on seven pitches, Pollock scoring. Bases loaded, two out. Turner singled off the shortstop’s glove, scoring Barnes. Bases still loaded, still two out. Pujols doubled to left, clearing the bases. And just like that, it’s 5-0 Dodgers. And that’s it for Smith, he is replaced by right-hander Matt Peacock. Seager grounded to second.
Diamondbacks: Josh Reddick grounded to third. Jake Hager struck out swinging. Daulton Varsho singled to short. Bryan Holaday struck out swinging.
Score after two: Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 0
There’s no score after one inning
Dodgers: Left-hander Caleb Smith pitching for the Diamondbacks. Mookie Betts walked on six pitches. Chris Taylor struck out swinging. Justin Turner flied to right. Albert Pujols walked on six pitches. Corey Seager struck out swinging.
Diamondbacks: Left-hander Julio Urías pitching for the Dodgers. Nick Ahmed flied to center. Ketel Marte singled to right-center. Drew Ellis lined to second. Christian Walker flied to center.
Score after one: Dodgers 0, Diamondbacks 0
Max Scherzer talks about joining the Dodgers
Mookie Betts to start at second base on Sunday, but right fielder’s move to infield is expected to be short-term
PHOENIX—Mookie Betts was activated off the injured list and in his customary leadoff spot for Sunday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Chase Field, but there was dirt under the right fielder’s cleats instead of artificial turf.
Betts, as anticipated, started at second base in an effort to ease the stress on his inflamed right hip, but manager Dave Roberts said the move was more of a one-day thing and that Betts will be back in right field for Tuesday night’s game against the Houston Astros in Dodger Stadium.
“Just talking to the training staff, we have a day on turf, which is not conducive to a hip-pointer,” Roberts said. “If we can keep him off turf, get to the off-day, it will be better for him.”
Betts, who is batting .270 with an .876 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 14 homers, 25 doubles, 40 RBIs and 63 runs, has been slowed by a series of nagging injuries—to a shoulder, a forearm and his back—and was finally placed on the injured list because of right-hip inflammation on July 25.
He came with the Boston Red Sox as an infielder and made 14 starts at second base for the club in 2014. Betts made one start at second for the Dodgers in 2020.
Neither left-handed-hitting first baseman Max Muncy nor center fielder Cody Bellinger is in Sunday’s lineup.
New Dodgers right-hander Max Scherzer, acquired from Washington with shortstop Trea Turner on Friday, completed his between-starts bullpen session Sunday morning in anticipation of his Dodgers debut against the Astros on Wednesday night.
Clayton Kershaw played catch on Sunday but did not throw a simulated game. A scheduled four-inning, 60-pitch workout was canceled because of some “residual soreness” in his left elbow.
“We want to get to the next day,” Roberts said. “At some point soon, when he feels pain-free and strong enough to pitch a sim game, we’ll get to that point.”
DODGERS LINEUP: 2B Mookie Betts, CF Chris Taylor, 3B Justin Turner, 1B Albert Pujols, SS Corey Seager, LF AJ Pollock, C Austin Barnes, RF Billy McKinney, LHP Julio Urias.
DIAMONDBACKS LINEUP: SS Nick Ahmed, CF Ketel Marte, 3B Drew Ellis, 1B Christian Walker, RF Josh Reddick, 2B Jake Hager, LF Daulton Varsho, C Bryan Haladay, LHP Caleb Smith.
Dodgers’ offense clicks in two big innings in win over Diamondbacks
Mookie Betts has had some spare time to observe the Dodgers’ offense, and the right fielder noticed at least one disturbing trend since he went down with a right-hip injury on July 19.
“We’ve put ourselves in good spots to win games,” Betts said Saturday afternoon, “but we haven’t had the big hit that leads to other hits.”
That wasn’t the case Saturday night, the Dodgers feeding off one another in an 8-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks that featured four hits in a three-run second inning and five straight hits in a tiebreaking, four-run seventh.
A crowd of 23,814 at Chase Field saw the Dodgers amass 16 hits — 13 singles, two doubles and one home run — to stay three games behind the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West.
“Our at-bat quality has been pretty good, but hits are not always easy to come by,” third baseman Justin Turner said. “We did a good job tonight of getting traffic out there, getting some big hits, grinding out at-bats and finding ways to put balls in play and get some runs across the board.”
Turner delivered the biggest hit of the night. With the score tied 3-3 in the seventh and Max Muncy aboard on a one-out walk, Turner turned on an up-and-in, 90-mph fastball from sidearm-throwing right-hander Stefan Crichton, sending a two-run homer into the bullpen in left for a 5-3 lead.
“That was more of a game-planning thing,” manager Dave Roberts said of Turner’s swing. “He was hunting that zone, and that’s when you go from good to great, the guys who are open to hunting a certain zone and are then able to execute. I wouldn’t even say it was a mistake pitch. It was a really good swing.”
The Dodgers stayed hungry. Will Smith dropped a single into shallow right, AJ Pollock lined a single to left, and Cody Bellinger knocked a grounder off the leg of left-hander Ryan Buchter for an infield single to load the bases.
Albert Pujols, who tied Friday night’s game with a pinch-hit single in the eighth, delivered another clutch hit, lining a pinch-hit RBI single to left for a 6-3 lead. Billy McKinney’s fielder’s-choice grounder made it 7-3. Pollock doubled in the ninth, stole third and scored on Pujols’ soft single to center for an 8-3 lead.
Highlights from the Dodgers’ 8-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night in Phoenix.
“One of the highlights was the Pujols at-bat [in the ninth],” Roberts said. “Infield in, man on third, you’re just fighting to move the ball forward and drive in that run. It wasn’t pretty, the ball was up and in and he got jammed, but that just showed tonight our desire to win a baseball game.”
The offensive bounty provided plenty of support for spot-starter Mitch White and six relievers, who combined to give up three runs and five hits.
White gave up two runs and two hits in 3 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking one, in his first big league start, and Joe Kelly, Blake Treinen and Edwin Uceta each threw perfect innings.
The Dodgers’ second-inning rally began with Bellinger legging out an infield hit and Matt Beaty poking a single to right. McKinney flied to left, and White fouled off a two-strike bunt attempt for a strikeout.
Chris Taylor, who hit .333 (35 for 105) with seven homers, seven doubles, 20 RBIs and 21 runs in July, smoked an RBI single to left, and Muncy hit an RBI single to right, Taylor advancing to third on right fielder Kole Calhoun’s bobble.
Muncy and Taylor then pulled off a double steal, Muncy stopping before second base as catcher Carson Kelly’s throw sailed into center field and Taylor trotting home for a 3-0 lead.
The clock is ticking on the Dodgers’ divisional dominance, and Andrew Friedman knew it when he pulled off the most important trade of his career.
“Earning walks, situational hitting, just the fight, the compete,” Roberts said. “Guys kept the line moving, used the whole field. It was unbelievable.”
White cruised through three innings, blanking Arizona on one hit, but he ran into trouble in the fourth when Asdrubal Cabrera walked and Calhoun hit a two-run homer to right to cut the lead to 3-2. Nick Ahmed’s solo homer off Dodgers left-hander Garrett Cleavinger tied the score 3-3 in the fifth.
Clayton Kershaw setback
Clayton Kershaw is experiencing “residual soreness” in his left elbow after last Tuesday’s three-inning, 45-pitch simulated game, potentially delaying the left-hander’s return to the rotation.
Kershaw was scheduled to throw a four-inning, 60-pitch simulated game Sunday and pitch for the Dodgers next weekend, but Roberts isn’t sure if Kershaw will throw Sunday.
Just when it looked like a division rival would make the biggest splash at the trade deadline, Andrew Friedman of the Dodgers came through again.
Short hops
Tony Gonsolin was placed on the 10-day injured list because of right-shoulder inflammation Saturday. … Max Scherzer, acquired from Washington on Friday, joined the team and spent some of Saturday’s game chatting with Walker Buehler and Kershaw on the dugout rail. The team optioned reliever Brusdar Graterol and outfielder Luke Raley to triple-A. … Betts is expected to be activated Sunday.
Dodgers defeat Diamondbacks, 8-3
Dodgers: Right-hander Jake Faria now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Pollock doubled to left. Pollock stole third. Bellinger struck out swinging. Pujols singled to left-center, scoring Pollock. Pujols took second on a balk. McKinney flied to left. Austin Barnes, batting for Treinen, struck out swinging.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Edwin Uceta now pitching for the Dodgers. Cabrera struck out swinging. Calhoun popped to short. Ellis struck out looking.
Final score: Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 3
We go to the ninth, 7-3 Dodgers
Dodgers: Right-hander J.B. Bukauskas now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Taylor grounded to third. Muncy doubled to left. Turner lined to right. Smith flied to right.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Blake Treinen now pitching for the Dodgers. Josh Reddick, batting for the pitcher, struck out swinging. Kelly grounded to the pitcher. VanMeter struck out swinging.
Score after eight: Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 3
Dodgers take 7-3 lead in top of seventh
Dodgers: Taylor flied to right. Muncy walked on seven pitches. And that’s it for Merrill Kelly. Right-hander Stefan Crichton now pitching. Turner hammered the second pitch over the fence in left for a home run. Smith singled to right. Pollock singled to left, Smith to second. And that’s it for Crichton. A brief, ineffective outing. Left-hander Ryan Buchter now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Bellinger singled off the pitcher, everybody’s safe. Bases loaded, one out. Albert Pujols, batting for Beaty, singled to left, scoring Smith. Bases still loaded. McKinney hit a grounder up the middle. Ahmed kicked it, but still have enough time to get the force at second. Pollock scored. First and third, two out. Corey Seager, batting for Vesia, grounded to second.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Joe Kelly now pitching. Pujols in at first base. Peralta lined to center. Ahmed grounded to short. Varsho grounded to third.
Score after seven: Dodgers 7, Diamondbacks 3
It’s 3-3 after six innings
Dodgers: Bellinger flied to left. Beaty walked on five pitches. McKinney flied to left. Zach McKinstry, batting for Gonzalez, flied to center.
Diamondbacks: Left-hander Alex Vesia now pitching for the Dodgers. Cabrera grounded to short. Calhoun singled to left-center. Ellis grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
Score after six: Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 3
Diamondbacks tie it in fifth inning
Dodgers: Turner grounded to short. Smith flied to left. Pollock flied to right.
Diamondbacks: Ahmed homered to left. It’s tied. Varsho singled to center. M. Kelly sacrificed. C. Kelly walked on eight pitches. That’s it for Cleavinger. Left-hander Victor Gonzalez now pitching. VanMeter grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
Score after five: Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 3
It’s 3-2 Dodgers after four innings
Dodgers: McKinney lined to right. White struck out looking. Taylor singled to left. Muncy popped to third.
Diamondbacks: VanMeter struck out swinging. Cabrera walked on nine pitches. Calhoun homered to right. Ellis fouled to first. And that’s it for White, left-hander Garrett Cleavinger comes in to pitch. Peralta struck out swinging.
Score after four: Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 2
It’s 3-0 Dodgers after three
Dodgers: Smith singled to center. Pollock struck out swinging. Bellinger popped to short. Beaty grounded to short.
Diamondbacks: Daulton Varsho grounded to second. Merrill Kelly struck out swinging. Kelly popped to first.
Score after three: Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 0
Dodgers’ lineup to be whole when Mookie Betts is activated for Sunday’s game
PHOENIX — Mookie Betts is expected to be activated off the injured list to start Sunday’s series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field, moving the Dodgers’ lineup — which welcomed back shortstop Corey Seager from a 10-week stint on the injured list Friday — as close to whole as it has been all season.
Betts has been slowed by a series of nagging injuries — to a shoulder, a forearm and his back — and was finally placed on the injured list because of right-hip inflammation July 25. The forearm injury came when he was hit by a pitch, but the other injuries, including his hip ailment, have been difficult to explain.
“I wish it would have come from running into a wall somewhere, and not just out of nowhere,” the right fielder said. “It would have made a little more sense. I can’t say [I hurt it] on one play. I didn’t fall or do anything out of the ordinary. It’s really weird how it came about.”
Betts, who hasn’t played since July 19, is batting .270 with an .876 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 14 homers, 25 doubles, 40 RBIs and 63 runs. He took a cortisone injection in his hip late last week but didn’t start to feel some relief until earlier this week.
“I think the shot just took a little longer to kick in than expected,” Betts said. “The training staff has done a great job of getting me to where we are now, and hopefully we can keep it at bay.”
Manager Dave Roberts said Betts would probably start in right field Sunday, but he is considering playing Betts some at second base — Betts came up with the Boston Red Sox as an infielder and takes grounders regularly during batting practice — to ease the stress on his body.
“There’s definitely been some discussion,” Betts said. “We’re trying to limit the miles, but we’ll see where Doc’s head is for tomorrow.”
Dodgers take 3-0 lead in top of second
Dodgers: Cody Bellinger singled to first. Matt Beaty singled to right, Bellinger to second. Billy McKinney flied to left. Mitch White struck out attempting to bunt. Taylor singled to left-center, scoring Bellinger, Beaty to third. Muncy singled to right, Beaty scoring, Taylor to third. Muncy stole second. The throw went into centerfield, allowing Taylor to score. Turner struck out swinging.
Diamondbacks: Drew Ellis struck out swinging. David Peralta struck out looking. Nick Ahmed grounded to second.
Score after two: Dodgers 3, Diamondbacks 0
No score after one inning
Dodgers: Right-hander Merrill Kelly pitching for the Diamondbacks. Chris Taylor flied to left. Max Muncy struck out swinging. Justin Turner singled to center. Will Smith singled to center, Turner to second. AJ Pollock struck out swinging.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Mitch White gets the start in what will be a bullpen game for the Dodgers. Carson Kelly struck out looking. Josh VanMeter doubled to right. Asdrubal Cabrera grounded to short, VanMeter to third. Kole Calhoun lined to second.
Score after one: Dodgers 0, Diamondbacks 0
Clayton Kershaw has ‘residual soreness’ in elbow, potentially delaying his return
PHOENIX — Clayton Kershaw is experiencing some “residual soreness” in his left elbow after Tuesday’s three-inning, 45-pitch simulated game, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday, potentially delaying the veteran left-hander’s return to the rotation.
Kershaw, who has been on the injured list since July 7, was scheduled to throw a four-inning, 60-pitch simulated game at the team’s spring-training complex in Phoenix on Sunday and pitch for the Dodgers next weekend.
But Roberts was unsure Saturday whether Kershaw, who is 9-7 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 starts this season, would be able to throw Sunday.
“I wish I had a definitive answer,” Roberts said. “There’s still some residual soreness, and if there is going into tomorrow, it’s smart to push it back. There’s no hard date to have to throw tomorrow, so we’re leaving it in his and the training staff’s hands. The main thing with Clayton is to get him back so he stays back for the duration of the season.”
Tony Gonsolin put on injured list; relievers Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta recalled
PHOENIX — The Dodgers placed struggling right-hander Tony Gonsolin on the 10-day injured list because of right-shoulder inflammation and recalled pitchers Garrett Cleavinger and Edwin Uceta to bolster their bullpen before Saturday night’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Chase Field
Veteran right-hander Max Scherzer, who was acquired from the Washington Nationals with shortstop Trea Turner in Friday’s trade-deadline deal, was also activated. The team optioned reliever Brusdar Graterol and outfielder Luke Raley to triple-A Oklahoma City.
Gonsolin, who missed the first two months of the season because of a sore shoulder, retired only five of 11 batters and failed to complete the second inning in Friday night’s 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Diamondbacks, forcing the Dodgers to use eight relievers in the game.
The clock is ticking on the Dodgers’ divisional dominance, and Andrew Friedman knew it when he pulled off the most important trade of his career.
Gonsolin walked five, and of his 55 pitches, only 24 were strikes. His average fastball velocity of 93.3 mph was down from 95.1 mph last season.
“Everyone around him is doing the best they can to keep him feeling strong,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s not in a situation where he’s gonna harm himself. It’s more of a comfort, strength thing.”
With three off days in an eight-game stretch beginning Monday, the Dodgers would not need a fifth starter until the second week of August, Roberts said left-hander David Price, who has pitched out of the rotation since early July, will be available out of the bullpen on Sunday.
Mitch White gets the start for Dodgers in bullpen game vs. Diamondbacks
PHOENIX — Dodgers right-hander Mitch White (0-0, 3.54 ERA) will make his first big league start against the Arizona Diamondbacks in a planned “bullpen game” at Chase Field on Saturday night. Right-hander Merrill Kelly (7-7, 4.39 ERA) will start the 5 p.m. game for Arizona.
Josiah Gray was originally scheduled to start Saturday’s game, but the top pitching prospect was part of the four-player package sent to the Washington Nationals to acquire pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner on Friday.
White, who has shuttled between triple A and Los Angeles this season, threw a season-high four innings in 65 pitches in relief during a July 7 game against Miami.
Asdrubal Cabrera singled home free runner Daulton Varsho from second base in the 10th inning Friday to give Arizona a 6-5 victory over the Dodgers.
The Dodgers would love to get that kind of length out of White after being forced into a bullpen game in Friday night’s 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Diamondbacks, which dropped the Dodgers to 1-11 in extra-inning games this season.
Starter Tony Gonsolin retired only five of the 11 batters he faced and failed to complete the second inning, forcing the Dodgers to employ eight relievers, including closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Blake Treinen, in the game.
DODGERS LINEUP: SS Chris Taylor, 2B Max Muncy, 3B Justin Turner, C Will Smith, LF AJ Pollock, CF Cody Bellinger, 1B Matt Beaty, RF Billy McKinney, RHP Mitch White.
DIAMONDBACKS LINEUP: C Carson Kelly, 2B Josh VanMeter, 1B Asdrubal Cabrera, RF Kole Calhoun, 3B Drew Ellis, LF David Peralta, SS Nick Ahmed, CF Daulton Varsho, RHP Merrill Kelly.
Diamondbacks beat Dodgers in extra innings
Dodgers: Right-hander Matt Peacock now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Will Smith is the runner at second. Pollock flied to center. Bellinger flied to left. McKinney flied to left.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Jimmy Nelson now pitching. Varsho the runner at second. VanMeter lined to second. Cabrera singled to left, scoring Varsho with the winning run.
Final score: Diamondbacks 6, Dodgers 5
We go to extra innings
Dodgers: Right-hander Tyler Clippard now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Muncy flied to deep left. Turner was hit by a pitch. Seager singled to right, Turner to third. Smith grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Blake Treinen now pitching for the Dodgers. Peralta popped to short. Ahmed grounded to third. Varsho doubled to right. Josh Reddick, batting for the pitcher, fouled to first.
Score after nine: Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 5
Dodgers tie it, 5-5, in top of eighth
Dodgers: Right-hander Brett De Geus now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Smith walked on seven pitches. Pollock singled to center, Smith to second. Bellinger fouled to left. McKinney grounded to first, moving up the runners. Second and third, two out. Albert Pujols, who is two for his last 22, hit for the pitcher. Pujols singled to left, scoring Smith, Pollock stopping at third. Pujols stole second. It was basically no one paying attention to him and he waltzed over to second. Taylor grounded to second.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Kenley Jansen now pitching for the Dodgers. Andrew Young, batting for the pitcher, struck out swinging. VanMeter doubled to left. Cabrera walked on seven pitches. Calhoun singled to right, loading the bases with one out. Walker struck out swinging. Kelly struck out swinging. Jansen worked his way in and out of a jam there. Nice job.
Score after eight: Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 5
Dodgers pull within 5-4 in top of seventh
Dodgers: Right-hander Jake Faria now pitching for the Dodgers. McKinney singled to center. Matt Beaty, batting for the pitcher, singled to third. Taylor tripled to deep center, scoring McKinney and Beaty. That’s it for Faria. Left-hander Miguel Aguilar now pitching for the Diamondbacks. Man on third, nobody out. Muncy struck out swinging. Turner fouled to first. Seager grounded to second.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Joe Kelly now pitching for the Dodgers. Peralta grounded to first. Ahmed grounded to third. Varsho struck out swinging.
Score after seven: Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 4
It’s 5-2 Arizona after six
Dodgers: Taylor homered to left-center, estimated at 407 feet. Muncy singled to left. Turner singled to right, Muncy to second. Seager singled to center, loading the bases. Smith struck out swinging. The third strike was not a swing, but the ump called it anyway. Pollock flied to deep right-center, scoring Muncy. Bellinger flied to left.
Diamondbacks: Drew Ellis, batting for Gallen, singled to left. That’s it for Graterol, he’s replaced by left-hander Alex Vesia. VanMeter doubled to right, scoring Ellis. Cabrera walked. Calhoun flied to right. McKinney made an amazing running, lunging catch. VanMeter took third. Walker flied to center, scoring VanMeter. Kelly struck out swinging.
Score after six: Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 2
It’s still 3-0 Diamondbacks after five
Dodgers: Bellinger struck out swinging. McKinney grounded to first. Zach McKinstry, batting for Gonzalez, grounded to first.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Brusdar Graterol now pitching for the Dodgers. Walker doubled to right. Kelly walked on six pitches. The Dodgers have walked seven batters this season. Peralta grounded to the pitcher, with the runners moving up. Ahmed grounded to the pitcher, Walker thrown out at home. Graterol had a tough throw to Smith, as he was still standing on the mound. Varsho lined to right.
Score after five: Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 0
Diamondbacks extend lead to 3-0
Dodgers: Seager grounded to short. Smith flied to center. Pollock flied to left.
Diamondbacks: Ahmed singled to right-center. And that’s it for Bickford. Left-hander Victor Gonzalez now pitching for the Dodgers. Varsho struck out swinging. Gallen struck out swinging. Ahmed stole second. VanMeter walked on five pitches. Cabrera singled to center, Ahmed scoring. VanMeter was called out at third, but on review he was safe. Still a nice throw by Bellinger. Calhoun grounded to short.
Score after four: Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 0
It’s 2-0 Diamondbacks after three
Dodgers: Taylor struck out swinging. Muncy struck out swinging. Turner struck out looking.
Diamondbacks: Walker flied to center. Kelly grounded to short. Peralta popped to third.
Score after three: Diamondbacks 2, Dodgers 0
It’s 2-0 Diamondbacks after two
Dodgers: AJ Pollock fouled to first. Cody Bellinger flied to center. Rich McKinney singled off the first baseman’s glove. Tony Gonsolin struck out swinging.
Diamondbacks: Carson Kelly walked on five pitches. David Peralta walked on six pitches. Nick Ahmed fouled to the catcher. Daulton Varsho walked on five pitches. Zac Gallen struck out swinging. VanMeter doubled to right, scoring Kelly and Peralta, Varsho to third. Cabrera walked on six pitches, and that means Gonsolin is out of there. Right-hander Phil Bickford is now pitching for the Dodgers. Calhoun flied to left.
Score after two: Diamondbacks 2, Dodgers 0
Dodgers, Diamondbacks are scoreless after one inning
Dodgers: Right-hander Zac Gallen pitching for the Diamondbacks. Chris Taylor struck out looking. Max Muncy walked on seven pitches. Justin Turner struck out looking at a pitch right down the middle. Corey Seager grounded to second that Josh VanMeter booted for an error. First and second, two out. Will Smith flied to center.
Diamondbacks: Right-hander Tony Gonsolin pitching for the Dodgers. Josh VanMeter grounded to third. Asdrubal Cabrera grounded to short. Kole Calhoun walked on six pitches. Christian Walker grounded to third, forcing Calhoun.
Score after one: Dodgers 0, Diamondbacks 0
Trade deadline tracker: Updates on all the moves
Trade season is in full swing, and the rumor mill is heating up. With the trade deadline on Friday at 1 p.m. Pacific time, The Times is keeping track of everything that goes on right here. We’ll update this page regularly through the deadline as more moves happen, so check back regularly.
July 30
Angels trade left-handed reliever Tony Watson to the Giants for left-handed reliever Sam Selman and prospects Jose Marte and Ivan Armstrong
Analysis: This will be the second stint in San Francisco for Watson, a reliable situational reliever since 2011 who pitched for the Giants from 2017 to 2019. Selman was drafted in the 14th round by the Angels in 2009 but didn’t sign, attending Vanderbilt instead and moving up to the second-round pick of the Royals in 2012. He made 41 relief appearances for San Francisco the last three years. Marte, signed in 2016 out of the Dominican Republic, hasn’t pitched above double A. Armstrong, 21, also from the Dominican Republic, has shown potential in the low minors.
Andrew Friedman brings us another magic moment
Wow. Just, wow.
Just when you thought the Dodgers were running out of gas and Andrew Friedman was losing his magic and their championship defense was in serious jeopardy and the 2021 season was going slowly silent ...
Boom! In through the clubhouse door walks three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer.
Boom! Following him is All-Star Trea Turner.
Boom! Chavez Ravine is shaken from its slumber with the sounds of October.
Wake up, Los Angeles, the repeat run to the World Series starts now.
Dodgers’ trade for Scherzer and Turner is complete
PHOENIX — The Dodgers completed their blockbuster trade for pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner on Friday, acquiring the Washington Nationals stars for their top two prospects and two other minor leaguers.
The deal, which should greatly enhance the Dodgers’ chances of winning their ninth straight National League West title and second straight World Series, will send triple-A catcher Keibert Ruiz, big league pitcher Josiah Gray, double-A outfielder Donovan Casey and double-A pitcher Gerardo Carrillo to the Nationals.
The Dodgers announced the move right at Friday’s 1 p.m. trade deadline.
In Scherzer, who is in the final year of a seven-year, $210-million contract that pays him $34.5 million this season, the Dodgers get a three-time Cy Young Award winner who helped the Nationals win the 2019 World Series and is 8-4 with a 2.76 ERA in 19 starts this season.
Shortstop Corey Seager activated off injured list; will bat cleanup against Diamondbacks
PHOENIX—Corey Seager was activated off the 60-day disabled list Friday afternoon, and there was no attempt to ease the shortstop back into the lineup. Seager will bat cleanup for the opener of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Chase Field on Friday night.
Seager has been out since May 16 because of a right-hand fracture, an injury he sustained when he was hit by a fastball from Miami’s Ross Detwiler.
The Dodgers thought the left-handed-hitting Seager would be back by early July, but he plateaued in his rehabilitation before the All-Star break, and a bone scan showed that his hand had not totally healed.
Seager was finally able to play in several simulated games at the team’s Phoenix spring-training complex this week, and he performed well enough, in the Dodgers’ eyes, that he did not need a minor league rehabilitation stint before returning.
“It’s been the last five or seven days that he’s felt really good and recovering the right way,” manager Dave Roberts said earlier this week, “and nothing is compensated with his swing.”
Seager, the reigning National League Championship Series and World Series most valuable player, hit .265 (39 for 147) with a .783 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, four homers and 22 RBIs in 37 games this season before getting hurt.
DODGERS LINEUP: 2B Chris Taylor, 1B Max Muncy, 3B Justin Turner, SS Corey Seager, C Will Smith, LF AJ Pollock, CF Cody Bellinger, RF Billy McKinney, RHP Tony Gonsolin.
Dodgers acquire pitcher Danny Duffy from the Royals
The Dodgers acquired left-hander Danny Duffy from the Kansas City Royals on Thursday for a player to be named later, the team announced. The Dodgers also received cash considerations from the Royals.
Duffy, 32, is on the injured list because of a flexor strain but he is expected to return in August. Though he has been a starter for most of his 11-year career, he could serve in a high-leverage, multiinning relief role for the Dodgers, much like Julio Urias has in recent seasons.
The Dodgers are also in need of rotation help having lost Dustin May to season-ending elbow surgery in early May, Trevor Bauer to a domestic-violence investigation in late June and Clayton Kershaw to an elbow injury in early July. Kershaw is expected to return in early August.
ICYMI: Dodgers fall to Giants, 5-0
SAN FRANCISCO — The Dodgers were one game back in the National League West on July 19 when they began a 10-game stretch in which they’d play first-place San Francisco seven times, the opportunity to seize control of a division they’ve owned for eight years there for the taking.
The pesky Giants just wouldn’t let go. Veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto, the man of a thousand windups, and four relievers blanked the Dodgers on four hits in a 5-0 victory in Oracle Park on Thursday, the Giants winning five of seven from the Dodgers to push their division lead to three games.
“We know the NL West is a tough division, and it’s gonna be a dogfight all the way to the end, but we trust the guys in our clubhouse and in the lineup, and we believe in each other,” Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes said. “It will be a tight race, but I think we’re made for that.”