Dodger Thoughts

By Jon Weisman

Originally scheduled to start for the Dodgers on Friday, Zack Greinke left the team early this morning to be with his wife for the imminent birth of their first child, for which we send our very best wishes.

At this particular moment in time, it’s unclear who will be the starting pitcher for the Dodgers in each of their next three games in New York after tonight.

Greinke could conceivably (pun not intended but welcomed) return to the Dodgers before their series against the Mets is over.

Brett Anderson worked out today without his walking boot, throwing and doing agility drills, and is almost certain to avoid the disabled list, but whether he pitches Sunday remains undecided — especially if that’s the day Greinke is able to rejoin the team.

(No one asked me, but with Sunday’s game being the end of a cross-country road trip, the sensible thing might just be to let Greinke rest at home with his newborn and take the mound for the next homestand opener Tuesday against Oakland. Of course, these aren’t necessarily sensible times, and I can understand wanting a guy with 43 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings to get out there as soon as possible.)

Anderson said he will throw a bullpen session Friday that will help determine whether he is able to take his turn Sunday on four days’ rest.

Whatever happens with those two, the Dodgers still need a starter at least for Friday. Ian Thomas, called up to be the long man out of the bullpen, might be one candidate. The Dodgers will also add a pitcher Friday, when Greinke is officially on paternity leave (maximum of three days).

Carlos Frias is scheduled for a rehab start for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday, and is not a candidate to start for the Dodgers this weekend. Relief pitcher Chris Hatcher, by the way, will also make a rehab appearance for Rancho on Friday.

This will all sort itself out soon enough, but for now, it’s a whirlwind.

Clayton Kershaw: 0.96 ERA in past 15 July starts

By Jon Weisman

On July 23, 2015

In Pregame

Dodgers at Mets, 4:10 p.m.
Kershaw CCXXIX: Kershawnt-Man
Joc Pederson, CF
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Kiké Hernandez, 2B
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

When the weather gets hot, so does Clayton Kershaw.

The big lefty not only brings a 20-inning scoreless streak into tonight’s game against the Mets, but also an awesome recent history of July dominance.

Kershaw has made 15 consecutive quality starts in the month of July, dating back to his last July outing of 2012, and they’ve hardly been cheap. It’s been a day short of three years since Kershaw didn’t go seven innings in a July start, and he has allowed three runs in only two of the 15 games.

He has pitched shutout ball in seven of his past 15 July starts, and overall has an ERA of 0.96 in 122 innings across that set of games. (In his past 10 July starts, his ERA is 0.68 in 82 innings.)

Here’s the score by innings against Kershaw in those 15 games combined:

221 113 201 — 13

With 14 and 13 strikeouts in his past two games, Kershaw has a chance to become the first National League pitcher ever to strike out at least 13 in three games in a row. Pedro Martinez did this twice for the Boston Red Sox in 1999 (May 1-7-12, September 4-10-15).

Kershaw is the first Dodger to strike out at least 13 this two times in a row since Chan Ho Park in 2000, and he is the first MLB player to do this with no walks since Dwight Gooden in 1984. He is already the only pitcher in more than 100 years to strike out at least 13 in a game twice in a row with no walks or runs allowed.

Tonight’s opponent, the Mets, is the last team to score on Kershaw — on Wilmer Flores’ RBI single in the fourth inning July 3, following a John Mayberry double and a wild pitch. That is the only RBI against either Kershaw or Zack Greinke this month.

Analysis: Going deep on Adrian Gonzalez going deep

By Jon Weisman

On July 22, 2015

In Analysis, Offense

By Robert Tagorda

When Adrian Gonzalez made the All-Star team earlier this month, it capped a prodigious first half in which he batted .283/.355/.520 with 18 home runs. But it also recognized a longer trend of elite production — one that reflected a return of his power.

Over the past calendar year, Gonzalez has amassed a .395 weighted on-base average, following the likes of Mike Trout, Buster Posey and Jose Bautista in the Major League top eight. He has created 58 percent more runs than the average hitter. If we adjust for park and league factors, we can say that he’s been the fifth-most productive batter over his last 640 plate appearances.

Throughout this timeframe, Gonzalez has done well in many aspects of the hitting game, but his power numbers have really stood out. While his .369 on-base percentage has ranked 19th among qualified hitters, his 34 home runs have placed him in the top 10, and his .559 slugging percentage has cracked the top five. In the National League, only Giancarlo Stanton, Nolan Arenado, and Bryce Harper have exceeded his .255 isolated power.

So it’s evident that, since last year’s Midsummer Classic, Gonzalez has slugged with the best of them. But is it just a temporary surge? Or does it represent a more enduring reemergence of his power?

July 22, 2009: Relive Manny’s Bobbleslam

By Jon Weisman

On July 22, 2015

In History

[mlbvideo id=”5693487″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

Hey, it’s not a five-year or 10-year anniversary, but with a free afternoon, why not celebrate the sixth anniversary of Manny Ramirez’s bobbleslam? It was good enough to key the Boxscore of the Month for Dodger Insider magazine in July.

By the way, that last sentence in the blurb below about starting pitchers not batting eighth since 2009? That was true until this month, when Yimi Garcia did so July 6.

— Jon Weisman

With Dodger pitchers ailing, Mike Bolsinger brings the medicine

By Jon Weisman

On July 22, 2015

In Postgame

[mlbvideo id=”281492483″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

By Jon Weisman

The Dodgers wished upon their non-star, and Mike Bolsinger came through.

Beginning with his nine-pitch first inning, the undersung Bolsinger was at the top of his game for seven innings and 98 pitches, allowing only three hits and an unearned run in the Dodgers’ 3-1 daytime victory at Atlanta.

Dodgers option Liberatore, recall Thomas, ponder pitching

By Jon Weisman

On July 22, 2015

In Pregame, Transactions

[mlbvideo id=”278026483″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Braves, 9:10 a.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, RF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Carl Crawford, LF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Mike Bolsinger, P

By Jon Weisman

Brett Anderson has avoided the disabled list for now and has an outside shot at taking his next turn in the Dodger starting rotation Sunday after leaving Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to Atlanta in the third inning with irritation in the left Achilles’ tendon area.

Dodger manager Don Mattingly told reporters before today’s early game against Atlanta that Anderson is getting tests, but that he showed up to work today in better condition than Dodger vice president of medical services Stan Conte expected he would be. So an expected move to the disabled list for Anderson is on hold.

Anderson initially felt discomfort in the first inning during a grounder by Atlanta’s Andrelton Simmons, then decided enough was enough after attempting to field a Jonny Gomes swinging bunt, according to Carlos Collazo of MLB.com:

“(It) just kind of kept getting tired and more sore,” Anderson told Collazo. “I wasn’t able to push off the rubber like I normally was, and it was affecting my command. … Even with all the other (injuries), I’ve never taken myself out, but it was one of those things where I felt like if it got worse then it would make it worse in the long run.”

However, a bullpen that has thrown 11 1/3 innings in the past 40 hours does need some backup, so the Dodgers have optioned Adam Liberatore to Triple-A Oklahoma City and called up Ian Thomas.

Liberatore took a 1.29 ERA and .363 opponents’ OPS into June. Since then, however, those numbers have gone to 7.50 and .917. In July, nine of 19 batters have reached base against Liberatore, with no strikeouts.

This is Thomas’ fourth callup by the Dodgers this season, moving him within one of Daniel Coulombe’s team-leading five. In his most recent appearance, Thomas pitched two shutout innings July 7 against the Phillies, walking one and striking out two.

With Oklahoma City, Thomas had lowered his ERA to 3.16 on June 17, then allowed 10 runs in eight innings across two games (June 27-July 2). In his last two Triple-A appearances, he has pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings.

After Mike Bolsinger pitches today, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke will take the Dodgers’ Thursday-Friday starts against the Mets. The Dodgers haven’t announced who will take Saturday’s start in place of Brandon Beachy, and a potential replacement if Anderson can’t go Sunday is also undecided.

Eric Stults, Zach Lee and Joe Wieland are the listed Friday-Saturday-Sunday starting pitchers for Oklahoma City. Trevor Cahill is today’s Triple-A starter.

Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles wrote about the Dodger front office’s pursuit of pitching.

“I don’t know that we could ratchet up our search for starting pitching any more than we already are,” general manager Farhan Zaidi told Saxon.

On the bright side for the Dodgers, Yasmani Grandal is back in the lineup for the first time since taking a hard foul ball off the jaw Sunday, and Carl Crawford (who pinch-ran Tuesday) is making his first start since April 27. Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner have scheduled days off.

Turner, who hit his first homer of July on Tuesday and is 12 for 22 since July 12, but the Dodgers believe that he needs rest every few days to avoid wearing down.

Dodgers activate Carl Crawford, option Beachy

By Jon Weisman

On July 21, 2015

In Pregame, Transactions

[mlbvideo id=”92347783″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Braves, 4:10 p.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Scott Van Slyke, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Kiké Hernandez, SS
Austin Barnes, C
Brett Anderson, P

By Jon Weisman

After nearly two months on the disabled list, Carl Crawford returns to active duty today for the Dodgers.

Los Angeles will have an extra position player for the next few games, having optioned right-hander Brandon Beachy to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers likely to make at least one more move to bring back a starting pitcher for Saturday in New York, with Zach Lee (who pitched six shutout innings for Oklahoma City on Monday before allowing two runs in the seventh) among the possibilities.

Crawford had a .260 on-base percentage and .408 slugging percentage in 50 plate appearances before his sight oblique strain April 27. Last year, from August 10 through the end of the 2014 regular season, Crawford had a .463 OBP and .606 slugging in his final 135 plate appearances.

He is expected to fill the role of a fourth outfielder at the outset.

To re-open a vacancy on the 40-man roster for Crawford, the Dodgers designated right-handed pitcher Preston Guilmet for assignment. Guilmet, who was claimed by the Dodgers on July 10, allowed one run in three innings of relief for Oklahoma City.

Clayton Kershaw, All-Star jokester

By Jon Weisman

On July 21, 2015

In Humor, Other teams

Clayton and Cali Ann Kershaw (John Grieshop/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Here’s an anecdote that’s an antidote to any Tuesday morning Dodger blues. It’s from Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford — yes, that’s right — at the Brandon and Brandon blog (via MLB.com/blogs):

… Besides being an honor, the All-Star Game was one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had. When you play against guys, you form an impression of what they’re like. Then you get to spend a little time together and you sometimes see another side. For instance, Adrian Gonzalez. I could never get a read on him because he never really talks to you at first base, unlike some other first basemen. But I talked to him a bit in Cincinnati and he seemed like a really good guy. He was loose and having a great time in the dugout.

So was Kershaw. When the first-base umpire called a foul ball against us, Kershaw yelled in a high-pitched voice, “C’mon, Jerry! That was fair!’’ Then he turned to Dee Gordon next to him and in his own voice said — real loud — “Yeah, Dee! You tell him!’’ He was really funny, which is not what I think of him when I’m standing in the batter’s box. …

— Jon Weisman

Dodgers tease, then tumble in Atlanta

By Jon Weisman

On July 20, 2015

In Postgame

[mlbvideo id=”274718683″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

By Jon Weisman

It’s not much of a secret — something that anyone might assume with any amount of time spent thinking about it — but covering a live event, you start crafting your thoughts in advance, in anticipation of what seems probable, or even possible.

Even if you’re never going to use them.

So there’s Brandon Beachy on the mound in the bottom fourth inning for the Dodgers. After allowing a two-run homer (the first of the year by Nick Markakis) in the first inning, and despite some control problems, he’s on a bit of a roll. He’s retired his last (let me count) one, two, three, four, five, six, seven hitters, he’s got a 1-2 count on No. 7 hitter Eury Perez, and he’s one strike away from “Beachy has settled down to retire eight Braves in a row.”

Catcher to the DL is Ellis, not Grandal — with Barnes starting tonight

By Jon Weisman

On July 20, 2015

In Pregame, Transactions

Austin Barnes and A.J. Ellis in the Dodger video room before Barnes’ MLB debut May 24. (Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers)

Dodgers at Braves, 4:10 p.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Justin Turner, 3B
Andre Ethier, LF
Yasiel Puig, RF
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Austin Barnes, C
Brandon Beachy, P

By Jon Weisman

You might have seen Yasmani Grandal get clocked in the jaw by a foul ball Sunday, but he wasn’t the only Dodger catcher to come down wounded.

A.J. Ellis has right knee inflammation that has landed him on the 15-day disabled list.

It’s never a good time to lose a catcher, let alone two at once. And the injury to Ellis comes at a particularly unfortunate time, considering that the 34-year-old has had a .429 on-base percentage and .511 slugging percentage in 57 plate appearances since May 26.

Ellis has also thrown out six of 12 would-be basestealers in that time, with zero errors and one passed ball.

He was on the disabled list for 38 days last year because of surgery on his left knee in April, followed by a May trip to the disabled list after he sprained his ankle during the celebration of Josh Beckett’s no-hitter.

Dodger manager Don Mattingly told reporters today that Ellis could be ready to go before the week is out, but the Dodgers didn’t have the luxury of going with only one catcher while waiting. Ellis’ knee started getting tight on the plane ride to Atlanta and stiffened further in the middle of the night, according to Mattingly.

Grandal, of course, is six days removed from playing in the All-Star Game. He has a .399 OBP and .518 slugging percentage this season — .425/.594 since May 1. But he did not end up on the disabled list after all, and though he isn’t starting tonight, he is available, Mattingly said.

When Brandon Beachy makes his second MLB start of the season tonight, he’ll actually be throwing to the catcher who caught his last two minor-league rehab starts of 2015: Austin Barnes.

The 25-year-old Barnes, who went 1 for 5 with a walk while making his MLB debut with the Dodgers while Grandal was on the seven-day concussion disabled list, has a .385 OBP and .484 slugging percentage with Triple-A Oklahoma City, with 22 extra-base hits and 28 walks compared with 26 strikeouts.

Barnes was singled out for praise by another Dodger rejoining the team from Oklahoma City: Carl Crawford.

“I like him,” Crawford told Jacob Unruh of the Oklahoman. “He looked like a real good player. I think we’ll see him playing real good in the big leagues someday. They’ve got a lot of guys that can play, but he’s the guy that stood out the most to me.”

The expectation is that the Dodgers will activate Crawford from the 60-day disabled list Tuesday.

Greinke, Kershaw share NL Player of the Week honors

By Jon Weisman

On July 20, 2015

In Awards

By Jon Weisman

The newest National League Player of the Week Award only covers the three days of regular-season play after the All-Star Break (July 17-19), and it was hard to be more dominant during those 72 hours than Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw were.

Kershaw: eight innings, no runs, three hits, no walks, 14 strikeouts (0 for 4 at the plate)
Greinke: eight innings, no runs, three hits, one walk, 11 strikeouts (1 for 3 at the plate)

Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw have faced 168 batters in July. Wilmer Flores of the Mets has the only RBI.

— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) July 19, 2015

The air up there: Zack Greinke nearing outer limits with 43 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings

By Jon Weisman

On July 19, 2015

In Health/injuries, Postgame

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

000 000 000 000 000 000 00^ 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 00 – 0

“Oxygen! We need oxygen here!”

The indomitable Zack Greinke put another eight zeroes on his opponents’ scoreboard today in the Dodgers’ 5-0 victory at Washington, extending his streak of consecutive innings without allowing a run to 43 2/3.

Passing the 41-inning streak that Clayton Kershaw had last year, Greinke’s scoreless inning streak is now the third-longest in Los Angeles Dodger history, behind Orel Hershiser’s MLB-record 59 and Don Drysdale’s 58. It’s also the longest streak in the Majors since Hershiser. Bob Gibson (47 innings in 1968) is the only pitcher since 1961 with a longer streak than Greinke’s, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Greinke and Kershaw have combined to pitch 47 innings in July and have allowed one run. That’s a 0.19 ERA.

What else? How much time you got?

Greinke lowered his 2015 ERA from 1.39 to 1.30.
He ran his streak of consecutive batters retired to 28 in a row — encompassing a hidden perfect game — before allowing a third-inning single to Michael Taylor (whom Greinke soon picked off).
Bryce Harper’s walk in the fourth was the first allowed by Greinke pitcher in 22 innings.
In striking out a season-high 11 today, Greinke has 42 strikeouts and four walks during his scoreless streak.
Greinke has retired 59 of the past 64 batters he has faced.
No runner has reached third base against Greinke since the first inning June 23 — a streak of 35 2/3 innings.
No runner has reached second base against Greinke since the third inning July 4 — a streak of 20 innings.

Opponents are batting .129 (19 for 147) with a .158 on-base percentage and .150 slugging percentage during Greinke’s 43 2/3-inning scoreless streak, which is detailed right here.

Greinke needed virtually every bit of his excellence today, because the Dodgers couldn’t drive in a run against Max Scherzer for six innings today. However, thanks to Andre Ethier’s leadoff double in the fourth, the first sacrifice of Yasmani Grandal’s professional career and then, of all things, a Scherzer wild pitch, the Dodgers scratched across what they needed to put Greinke ahead.

How hot? So hot …

By Jon Weisman

On July 19, 2015

In In case you missed it, Pregame

Dodgers at Nationals, 10:35 a.m.
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Andre Ethier, LF
Yasmani Grandal, C
Yasiel Puig, RF
Alberto Callaspo, 3B
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Zack Greinke, P

By Jon Weisman

Hopefully, Zack Greinke’s Florida roots will come in handy today, because this is gonna be a steamy one.

Greinke has thrown 35 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings and retired 36 of his past 37 batters, but those numbers will be challenged not only by Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals, but also by the triple digit heat index in Washington D.C. during today’s game.

Facing fellow All-Star righty Max Scherzer in today’s primo pitching matchup, Greinke would need six scoreless innings to move pass Clayton Kershaw for third place on the Los Angeles Dodgers all-time streak list, behind (as if I need to tell you) Orel Hershiser and Don Drysdale.

Here are some other pregame notes:

Carl Crawford will rejoin the Dodgers in Atlanta on Monday, with his activation from the disabled list imminent. Don Mattingly told reporters today that figuring out how to create a roster spot for Crawford is not an easy decision. Counting Alex Guerrero and Kiké Hernandez, Crawford’s return would give Los Angeles a surplus of seven outfielders, pending the next roster move. Alberto Callaspo could be vulnerable, though he is the team’s only infielder off the bench that can bat from the left side.
How did Clayton Kershaw strike out Harper three times Saturday? According to Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles, in conversation with Don Mattingly after the game, “Kershaw attacked Harper’s weaknesses by elevating hard fastballs just enough to get him to swing and getting into counts in which he could use either breaking ball to devastating effect.”
Brandon Beachy’s second start after his second Tommy John surgery will take place Monday at his first MLB home, Atlanta — but Beachy is trying not to think about that, he told J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News.

Behold 14-K Clayton Kershaw at the top of his game

By Jon Weisman

On July 18, 2015

In Postgame

Jon SooHoo/Los Angeles Dodgers

By Jon Weisman

In a glorious performance that was the humidity-soaked version of last year’s crisp and cool no-hitter, Clayton Kershaw phenomenalized the Washington Nationals this afternoon, striking out 14 batters without a walk in eight shutout innings of a 4-2 Dodger victory.

Making his 228th start in his seventh Major League season, Kershaw marched with the mercenary drumbeat of two strikeouts every inning for the first seven innings, and was a serious threat to the franchise record of 18 strikeouts in a game (held by Sandy Koufax and Ramon Martinez) until a perfect eighth inning that featured three groundouts.

With a pitch count (101) approximating the heat index, Kershaw then called it a day, backed by a lead that was the product of an Adrian Gonzalez double and 12 singles. Kershaw’s 14 strikeouts, one shy of the career-high 15 he had in the no-hitter, included three of leading National League Most Valuable Player candidate Bryce Harper each time they squared off. (Harper later hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Kenley Jansen, who otherwise struck out the side himself.)

Each Dodger outfielder had exactly one putout behind Kershaw today (14 strikeouts, seven groundouts, three flyouts). According to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A., Kershaw is the first Dodgers pitcher with at least 13 strikeouts in consecutive games since Chan Ho Park from Sept. 24-29 2000, and the first with back-to-back starts of double-digit strikeouts and no walks since Dazzy Vance, Sept. 11-16, 1930.

It remains astonishing but true: Since May 26, with a 1.36 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings, Kershaw is outperforming his 2014 NL Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award numbers.

Here are Kershaw’s totals for July: three starts, 24 innings, 16 hits, two walks, 34 strikeouts, 0.42 ERA.

On July 3, the MLB leader in fielding-independent pitching and strikeouts walked New York Met outfielders Curtis Granderson and John Mayberry Jr. in the top of the first inning. Since then, he has struck out 34 batters without walking anyone.

His strikeout rate for the season is the highest since a couple of guys named Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez were at the top of their game.

best K% ever, starters, 100+ innings

1. 1999 Pedro
2. 2001 RJ
3. 2001 Pedro
4. 2000 Pedro
5. 2000 RJ
6. 1997 RJ
7. 1995 RJ
8. 2015 Kershaw

— Jeff Sullivan (@based_ball) July 18, 2015

Paired with Zack Greinke’s 35 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, Kershaw now has 20 consecutive scoreless innings of his own, putting him just about halfway to his 2014 streak of 41 consecutive shutout frames. (Greinke faces Washington ace Max Scherzer on Sunday.)

I’ve given up on the idea that the “What’s wrong with Kershaw?” questions will ever stop, because they will come every time he doesn’t do this. It’s maddening.

Zach Lee gets first MLB taste as 26th man

By Jon Weisman

On July 18, 2015

In Postgame, Pregame, Transactions

Dodgers at Nationals, 1:05 p.m.
Kershaw CCXXVIII: Kershawt Hot American Summer
Joc Pederson, CF
Howie Kendrick, 2B
Justin Turner, 3B
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B
Yasiel Puig, RF
Andre Ethier, LF
A.J. Ellis, C
Jimmy Rollins, SS
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Following their 5-3 loss in the completion of Friday’s suspended game, the Dodgers recalled former first-round draft choice Zach Lee as the special dispensation 26th man for today’s regularly scheduled game. It is Lee’s first official moment as a Major Leaguer.

Adrian Gonzalez hit home runs on different days of the calendar in the same game for the Dodgers, and Joc Pederson nearly had a game-winning three-run shot in the ninth inning, but it was all for naught.

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Page 105 of 381

Soon-to-be-a-dad Zack Greinke back in Los Angeles

Clayton Kershaw: 0.96 ERA in past 15 July starts

Analysis: Going deep on Adrian Gonzalez going deep

July 22, 2009: Relive Manny’s Bobbleslam

With Dodger pitchers ailing, Mike Bolsinger brings the medicine

Dodgers option Liberatore, recall Thomas, ponder pitching

Dodgers activate Carl Crawford, option Beachy

Clayton Kershaw, All-Star jokester

Dodgers tease, then tumble in Atlanta

Catcher to the DL is Ellis, not Grandal — with Barnes starting tonight

Greinke, Kershaw share NL Player of the Week honors

The air up there: Zack Greinke nearing outer limits with 43 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings

How hot? So hot …

Behold 14-K Clayton Kershaw at the top of his game

Zach Lee gets first MLB taste as 26th man

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