Latest news with #DodgersNation
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Plaschke: The 'legend' Clayton Kershaw is legendary again for Dodgers
Even now, Clayton Kershaw. After all these years, Clayton Kershaw. When the Dodgers are reeling and roiling and losing their grip on a long hot summer, who is the one player who can stop the fall and calm the nerves and, oh yeah, kick some San Diego Padre butt? Still, still, still, Clayton Kershaw. He's 37 with a battered 18-season body and a fastball the speed of a Zamboni and yet there he was Friday night, carrying an entire worried Dodger nation on his weary shoulders into the opener of a three-game series against the cocky rivals who had just stolen first place. Final score: Dodgers 3, Padres 2 Final line: Six innings, two hits, one run. Final verdict: He's still All That. 'We had the right guy on the mound tonight, I think we all know that,' said manager Dave Roberts, smiling for what seemed like the first time in a week. 'What he did for us tonight, not only just the compete, but the stuff ... getting us through six innings was huge, setting us up for the rest of the series ... Clayton set the tone ... big, big outing by him.' Read more: Dodgers slay their recent demons by beating Padres to regain tie for first in NL West It was a blast from the past, only it's been happening in the present, Kershaw behaving like the staff's second-best starter, improving his record to 7-2 while lowering his ERA to 3.01 and, as crazy as this once sounded, making an early case for inclusion in the postseason rotation. 'It was a good night,' Kershaw said. Understated as usual. For all this game meant, it was a great night. Since July 4 the Dodgers had been worse than even the Colorado Rockies, with a 12-21 record while losing 10 games in the standings to the Padres in a span of 40 days, surrendering first place just two days ago, and set to play the Padres six times in the next two weeks. They desperately needed somebody to stop the bleeding. And before the game, Roberts claimed that Kershaw was 'the perfect guy' to do it. Perfect prediction. Almost perfect performance. Read more: 'Super grateful' Clayton Kershaw, Dodger teammates bask in glow of 3,000th strikeout There was Kershaw, spinning and steering and surfing the ball past the Padre bats with apparent ease, his only mistake a hanging curve that Ramón Laureano hit 400 feet. There was Kershaw, deftly making plays from the mound, demonstrably pleading for every close strike call, proudly stalking from the mound into a dugout filled with hugs and high-fives. And there was Kershaw, after his maligned bullpen danced through danger and barely survived, admitting that maybe this game meant a little more. 'When you play everyday, things can spiral pretty quick,' he said. 'So maybe just coming home, having an off day to reset, and playing good games ... it just takes one to get going. Hopefully this was it tonight for us.' Before the game, Roberts acknowledged that the Dodgers just play harder, and with more urgency, when Kershaw is pitching. 'He had a way of elevating people's focus and play,' Roberts said. Sure enough, a team that had seemingly forgotten to do the little things did every little thing, from great defensive plays at the corners from Alex Freeland and Freddie Freeman to the eighth-inning sweeper from Blake Treinen that fooled Manny Machado into stranding two runners with a popout. This is a team that devoutly follows Kershaw ... when they're not sitting back and admiring him. 'He's built for these big moments,' said Teoscar Hernández, whose seventh inning homer eventually proved to be the difference. 'He is a legend.' Kershaw was at his best when the Dodgers' best was needed, and in doing so he brought sanity back to the National League West and old-fashioned hardball back to a series that had become cheap and unseemly. In these two teams' seven previous meetings this season, the Padres Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit three times, Shohei Ohtani was hit twice, and Roberts and Padres manager Mike Shildt engaged in a brief shoving and shouting match. The stage was set for more bad blood, but Kershaw, who entered with a career 23-11 record and 2.19 ERA against the Padres, quickly put an end to that. He retired the Padres on a three-up-three-down first inning and efficiently dominated them from there. 'It's a game in August, obviously, it's not that huge a deal,' Kershaw said. 'But the way we were going, it felt like a big game for us and, thankful that we got a win.' The only possible controversy emerged when Kershaw was removed from the game after just 76 pitches, surprising fans who didn't have time to give him the proper standing ovation while leaving the game in the shaky hands of the bullpen. Get used to it. The Dodgers are smartly going to protect the midseason Kershaw in hopes of maximizing the October Kershaw. 'I just think we've got to take care of him,' Roberts said. 'For Clayton to give us six strong innings of one-run baseball, he did his job, there was no reason to push him more.' Before the game, Roberts was asked if his struggling team held a players-only meeting. He said that, no, the transparent results of the next week would be the equivalent of any meeting. 'I don't like to be embarrassed, I don't think our players do, so this series I'm expecting high intensity and high performance,' Roberts said. 'I think in itself, the schedule over the next week, will suffice in lieu of a meeting.' In an opener that pulled the two teams into a first-place tie, the early results were clear. High intensity? Check. High performance? Check. Clayton Kershaw? Still. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
10-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Max Muncy's two-run homer (16)
Max Muncy crushes a two-run home run to left field, putting the Dodgers on the board with a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the 4th
Yahoo
09-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers' Mookie Betts thanks Freddie Freeman for support during slump
The post Dodgers' Mookie Betts thanks Freddie Freeman for support during slump appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Dodgers lost their most recent series to the St Louis Cardinals to fall to 66-49 on the season. Despite the series loss, there was a big resurgence in LA's lineup. That is not Shohei Ohtani, who pitched and hit a homer on Wednesday. Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts is breaking out of his slump and has thanked Freddie Freeman for his support. 'We all know who Freddie is and what he's done,' Betts told reporters, per Doug McKain of Dodgers Nation. 'It's good to talk to someone who's in the grinder with you. He's just there, and he's supporting me. I just run things by him. He's always there for me. He's always been there. I love him for that.' In his first 14 games after the All-Star Break, Betts hit .148 with a dreadful .411 OPS and only 3 RBI. That dropped his season batting average to .231 on the season with a .657 OPS. But on Tuesday, he broke out of the slump with a three-hit day, including a double. He picked up another hit in the loss on Wednesday. Through that slump, Freeman was also struggling. The Dodgers' first baseman posted a .170 batting average in 13 games between July 5 and July 22. But that is over, with a .396 batting average and .967 OPS since July 23. Clearly, the conversations between Freeman and Betts have helped them both as the Dodgers' season rolls on. The Dodgers have struggled of late, and the Padres have closed the gap on them in the NL West. Now that they have just a 2.5-game lead in the division, LA has to kick it into gear. They let San Diego and the Arizona Diamondbacks back in the race last summer, but charged down the stretch to take the division. The Dodgers host the blistering hot Toronto Blue Jays in Los Angeles starting on Friday. Related: Dodgers waste Shohei Ohtani's bonkers MLB feat not seen since 1920 Related: Dodgers' Dave Roberts drops 3 word declaration after late-game loss to Cardinals
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers' Dave Roberts explains placing Tanner Scott on IL
The post Dodgers' Dave Roberts explains placing Tanner Scott on IL appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Dodgers received a major scare this week when reliever Tanner Scott exited Monday night's win over the Minnesota Twins with a noticeable arm issue. On Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts confirmed that the left-hander was placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation — a decision the team is hopeful will not lead to a long-term absence. The injury occurred during the ninth inning of Monday's 5-2 victory. After walking one batter and hitting another, Scott grimaced and immediately exited the game mid at-bat, flexing his arm. The 31-year-old closer was reportedly emotional in the clubhouse, with Roberts saying the closer was struggling. While the scene was alarming, Roberts offered cautious optimism the following day during his media availability. The update from the manager, captured and posted by Dodgers Nation on X (formerly known as Twitter), highlighted the current state of Scott's condition. 'Just given the way he feels, we're in a better spot than we were last night.' Roberts reiterated that the club is awaiting full MRI results to confirm the severity, but the initial evaluation suggests that a season-ending injury may have been avoided. The move to the IL, he said, is precautionary. The implications for the Dodgers bullpen are significant. Scott, who signed a four-year, $72 million deal this offseason, has a 4.14 ERA and 19 saves in 26 chances this year. His fastball velocity has dipped slightly, and he currently leads the league in blown saves. The team recalled Alexis Diaz from Triple-A and will likely turn to veteran Kirby Yates in the closer role for now. Despite inconsistent results, Scott remains a key arm for a bullpen that's ranked middle of the pack in ERA. With the MLB trade in nine days, Scott's status could push the Dodgers to aggressively pursue additional late-inning help. They've already been linked to Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians and Jhoan Duran of the Twins. The Dodgers, battling injuries throughout the roster, are still in the thick of the NL West race. While the club managed a much-needed win on Monday, the absence of their closer — even if short-term — casts a shadow over the team's momentum heading into the trade deadline. Whether Scott's injury is a short-term hiccup or something more serious, the Dodgers bullpen will be tested. And with the MLB trade deadline days away, Roberts and the front office may be forced to act swiftly to reinforce a group suddenly under pressure. Related: Dodgers' Ben Casparius exits Twins game with apparent injury Related: Dodgers rumors: Dustin May could be on the move at trade deadline
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers' Ben Casparius exits Twins game with apparent injury
The post Dodgers' Ben Casparius exits Twins game with apparent injury appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered another concerning setback on Tuesday night when reliever Ben Casparius exited their game against the Minnesota Twins with an apparent injury. His early removal underscored the team's deepening bullpen crisis as the trade deadline approaches. Casparius appeared to suffer the injury in the sixth inning after allowing four straight batters to reach. He issued an RBI walk to Royce Lewis, then signaled for the training staff after grabbing at his right leg. Gabe Smallson of Dodgers Nation first confirmed the development in an article posted to the website. 'Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Ben Casparius exited Tuesday's contest against the Minnesota Twins after pointing to his right leg after motioning for a trainer to approach the mound.' The Dodgers' injuries continue to pile up. Already without Blake Treinen, Blake Snell, and Brusdar Graterol, Los Angeles now finds itself missing two more arms that had become key to their relief plans. Casparius had been earning more high-leverage opportunities, especially with the club's recent 6-10 skid since July 1st. In the same game, newly called-up reliever Alexis Diaz made his debut in relief of Casparius. Kirby Yates is expected to handle closer duties for now, but if the right-handed reliever is sidelined long-term, the Dodgers may be forced to expedite decisions ahead of the trade deadline. Reinforcements may be needed immediately. The 26-year-old has quietly emerged as a valuable option this season, showcasing a fastball that reached 94.3 mph during the outing. Casparius's injury is not only a strategic setback for the Dodgers, but also a clear indication of just how fragile the bullpen has become amid ongoing attrition. As the injury list continues to grow, the coming days will challenge both the Dodgers' roster depth and the front office's resolve. With the MLB trade deadline just over a week away, Tuesday's setback could intensify the push for reinforcements—particularly if Casparius becomes the latest arm sidelined. Related: Dodgers' Dave Roberts makes 'rock bottom' request after another implosion Related: Insider claims Shohei Ohtani just hit 'one of most impressive home runs ever'
