News Dodgers Team Notes

Dodgers in August: Starting pitching now a strength

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It took until the final swing of the month for the Dodgers to secure a winning record in August, a month that saw them drop into second place on a few days before finding their way back on top.

The encouraging part of the month was the starting rotation being at full strength and providing a stronger base should they ever sync up the offense and bullpen to go an an extended run down the stretch.

August results​


15-13 record
132 runs scored (4.71 per game, 13th in MLB)
98 runs allowed (3.50 per game, 1st in MLB)
.633 pythagorean win percentage (18-10)

Year to date​


78-59 record
700 runs scored (5.11 per game, 2nd in MLB)
599 runs allowed (4.37 per game, 17th in MLB)
.571 pythagorean win percentage (78-59)

Clayton Kershaw led the way by winning all five of his starts with a 1.88 ERA, even while having his innings monitored depending on how things were going. Yoshinobu Yamamoto was the rock with six starts, and led the team in innings (37 1/3) and strikeouts (44), as he does on the season.

Shohei Ohtani was the only one of the six Dodgers starters with an ERA over 3.52 for August, and even his 5.71 ERA came with 27 strikeouts against only two walks in his 17 1/3 innings.

Dodgers starting pitchers in August​

  • Clayton Kershaw 1.88 ERA, 28 2/3 IP, 3 walks, 19 strikeouts
  • Blake Snell 2.54 ERA, 28 1/3 IP, 10 walks, 34 strikeouts
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto: 3.13 ERA, 37 1/3 IP, 9 walks, 44 strikeouts
  • Tyler Glasnow: 3.45 ERA, 28 2/3 IP, 11 walks, 32 strikeouts
  • Emmet Sheehan: 3.52 ERA, 23 IP, 6 walks, 28 strikeouts
  • Shohei Ohtani: 5.71 ERA, 17 1/3 IP, 2 walks, 27 strikeouts

Dodgers starting pitchers averaged 5.58 innings per start, third in the majors in August, which added a stability the pitching staff was missing most of the season. Dodgers starters were pitching well and lasting deep enough into games that they earned 13 wins for the month, after notching only 10 wins in June and July combined. Dodgers starting pitchers in August led the majors in both strikeout rate (28.1 percent) and strikeout-minus-walk rate (21.5 percent).

The offense was more middling, mostly without Max Muncy and Tommy Edman, who will begin rehab assignments in Triple-A this week. But Shohei Ohtani (1.020 OPS, 23 walks) and Freddie Freeman (.306/.438/.582) led the way, tying for the team lead with seven home runs. For Freeman, with his best month since May, his seven homers tied his most in a month since joining the Dodgers, and his 20 RBI led the team.

Previous monthly reviews: April | May | June | July

The month ahead​


It’s a suitcase-heavy final four weeks of the regular season, with 15 of the Dodgers’ 25 September games on the road. If it’s any consolation, four of the five road series (Pirates, Orioles, Giants, D-backs) are against non-playoff teams before finishing off the schedule with three games in Seattle.
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Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...g-rotation-clayton-kershaw-yoshinobu-yamamoto
 
Shohei Ohtani fastest to 100 home runs in Dodgers history

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Shohei Ohtani hit a solo home run on Tuesday at PNC Park for his 46th home run of the season. Coupled with his franchise-record 54 home runs last season, Ohtani now has 100 home runs in less than two seasons with the Dodgers, and got there faster than any other player in franchise history.

Gary Sheffield held the previous club record, needing 399 games with the Dodgers to hit 100 home runs. Ohtani got to 100 in 294 games.

“It wasn’t on my radar. I’m not surprised by it,” manager Dave Roberts said last week of Ohtani already hitting 100 home runs. “I didn’t know what to expect, I was just happy to have him in a Dodgers uniform. He’s had an incredible run in a short period of time.”

Home run No. 100 for Ohtani with the Dodgers came in the third inning on Tuesday, against hard-throwing Pirates rookie right-hander Bubba Chandler.

120 mph for Shohei's 100th homer as a Dodger! pic.twitter.com/iIukEIr5UP

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 2, 2025
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Ohtani set the Dodgers franchise record with 54 home runs last season, and he’s the only player in club history with two seasons of more than 43 home runs. The Dodgers still have 24 games remaining on the schedule, which puts Ohtani on pace for 54 this season.

After Ohtani, a group of players are bunched up closely in how long it took them to hit 100 home runs with the Dodgers. Sheffield needed 399 games, Cody Bellinger did so in 402 games, Max Muncy did it in 404, and Mookie Betts took 405 games.

Sheffield hit his 100th Dodgers home run on April 19, 2001 in San Francisco, which was an eventful week for the Dodgers. One day later, Kevin Malone resigned as Dodgers general manager in Los Angeles, five days after he threatened a fan in the fans in San Diego for heckling Sheffield.

“He really believed he was a distraction,” Dodgers president Bob Daly told reporters, per Associated Press. “And we agreed with that.”

Just two days after Sheffield’s 100th Dodgers home run, the Dodgers officially renamed the media work area at Dodger Stadium as the Vin Scully Press Box, on the 51st anniversary of Scully’s first game called for Brooklyn.

We’ll see what kind of Dodgers news the rest of this week brings.

Ohtani’s 100th home run with the Dodgers was his third against the D-backs over the last two seasons. Ohtani’s most common home run victim with the Dodgers is the Rockies with 10 homers allowed in 22 games. The Marlins have given up eight home runs in only 12 games to Ohtani, including three last September 19 when Ohtani founded the 50-50 club and had “the greatest day in baseball history.”

Eighteen of Ohtani’s 100 home runs with the Dodgers have been hit on Tuesday, tied for his most homer-happy day of the week over the last two seasons. Ohtani since the start of 2024 also has also hit 18 home runs on Friday, 15 on Sunday, 14 on Saturday, 13 on Wednesday, 12 on Monday, and 10 on Thursday.

Eleven of his Dodgers home runs have been hit in September. His most homer-prolific month with Los Angeles in May, with 22 home runs. That included 15 long balls this May to tie a franchise record for any month, which earned Ohtani National League player of the month honors.

Forty-seven of his 100 Dodgers home runs have been hit at Dodger Stadium, and 76 of the home runs were hit off right-handed pitchers.

Ohtani with the Dodgers has homered against 28 of the other 29 teams in MLB. The only team left unscathed thus far are the Mariners. Ohtani will get his chance during the final weekend of the regular season in Seattle.

Player100th HR dateGames w/DodgersTotal Dodgers HR
Shohei OhtaniSep 2, 2025294100
Gary SheffieldApr 19, 2001399130
Cody BellingerAug 2, 2019402152
Max MuncyJul 1, 2021404207
Mookie BettsJul 8, 2023405146
Shawn GreenJul 11, 2002408162
Mike PiazzaMay 7, 1996422177
Frank HowardApr 14, 1964491123
Roy CampanellaMay 23, 1952508242
Will SmithMay 29, 2024533128
Dolph CamilliAug 31, 1941566139
Gil HodgesAug 13, 1951581361
Joc PedersonMay 14, 2019595129
Raúl MondesíSep 26, 1997608163
Duke SniderJul 24, 1952623389
Eric KarrosJun 9, 1996630270
Corey SeagerSep 26, 2021630104
Mike MarshallJul 17, 1987637137
Pedro GuerreroSep 17, 1984645171
Matt KempMay 23, 2011675203
Yasiel PuigAug 11, 2018675108
Justin TurnerJul 26, 2019714156
Ron CeyJul 17, 1977717228
Adrián GonzálezAug 24, 2017720101
Babe HermanMay 24, 1931734112
Andre EthierApr 20, 2011738162
Dusty BakerMay 22, 1981756144
Adrian BeltréApr 6, 2004812147
Chris TaylorJun 15, 2023831108
Steve GarveyJul 26, 1977904211
Jackie RobinsonJul 24, 1953986137
Carl FurilloJun 26, 19541,133192
Steve YeagerAug 24, 19841,155100
Willie DavisSep 20, 19691,337154
Pee Wee ReeseJun 16, 19541,626126
Zack WheatMay 3, 19241,933131
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Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...9/shohei-ohtani-100-home-runs-dodgers-history
 
Dodgers walk the plank

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The Dodgers had another frustrating loss on Tuesday night to the Pirates, in which their offense and pitching were at odds with one another. If the Dodgers can’t figure out a way to be more in sync, they can say bye bye to a bye in the postseason.

The Dodgers scored seven runs on Tuesday, and fell to 33-7 (.825) when scoring at least that many runs. MLB teams in 2025 when scoring at least seven runs have an .880 win percentage. When scoring exactly seven runs, MLB teams are 227-56 (.802) this season. The Dodgers are merely 7-5 (.583) in those games, including four losses in their last five such games, dating back to the weekend before the All-Star break.

That’s about the time this malaise began for the Dodgers, who are a very ordinary 20-21 since the break despite outscoring their opponents by 30 runs.

Walks were the Dodgers’ undoing, issuing eight free passes against the Pirates. Clayton Kershaw walked four himself, after walking three of his 107 batters faced in all of August. The Dodgers are 0-3 this season when walking at least eight batters.

Walks have been a problem for the bulk of the season by the pitching staff, with a 9-percent walk rate on the year that is the seventh-highest in baseball.

Dodgers pitching walk rate by month​

  • March/April: 10.1 percent (7th in MLB)
  • May: 8.3 percent (17th)
  • June: 9.2 percent (5th)
  • July: 9.6 percent (2nd)
  • August: 7.5 percent (20th)

That August walk rate was best of the season by the Dodgers pitching staff, fueled by a starting rotation that was at full strength for the entire month, adding much-needed stability.

They just need that to carry over into September and October, and avoid as many games like Tuesday as possible.
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Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102887/dodgers-pitching-walks
 
Dodgers find ways to avoid scoring in shutout loss to Pirates

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The Dodgers had ample opportunities to score, but wasted all of them as they were shut out by the Pittsburgh Pirates by a 3-0 final score.

Emmet Sheehan was one strike away from recording a perfect first inning, but a 2-2 changeup to Bryan Reynolds that caught the outside corner was ruled a ball. Reynolds won the 12-pitch battle against Sheehan by blasting an inside fastball over the right field wall to give the Pirates another first inning lead.

The Dodgers made Braxton Ashcraft labor in the second inning, as the first three hitters all reached to load the bases after bringing the count full. Ashcraft found himself in another full count spot against Andy Pages with nobody out, but Pages swung at what would’ve been ball four. Ashcraft froze Alex Freeland for the second out and escaped the jam unharmed by inducing a fly ball out of Kiké Hernández.

Andrew McCutchen wasted little time extending the lead for the Pirates, as he crushed a home run down the left field line to give Pittsburgh a two run cushion.

After Ashcraft retired Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, Dalton Rushing blooped a single into right field before both Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández walked to load the bases again. Alex Call hit a weak ground ball in front of home plate, with Pirates catcher Joey Bart throwing Call out at first to keep the Dodgers scoreless.

The Dodgers once again found themselves with a runner in scoring position with less than two outs against Mike Burrows, but Freeman, representing the potential tying run, grounded into a double play to end the threat.

The Pirates added to their lead in the top of the bottom of the sixth inning against Ben Casparius, as Joey Bart lined an RBI double off the right field wall to extend the lead to three.

Andy Pages’ hit streak was snapped at eight games, as he and the rest of the bottom of the order went hitless.

Shohei Ohtani was the only Dodger on Wednesday with at least two hits and an extra-base hit, as the rest of the lineup slumped to a .116 batting average against the Pirates pitching staff.

Will Smith left the game early with a right hand contusion after the second inning. Dalton Rushing took over in the top of the third and finished the game going 1-2 with a walk.

The Dodgers left 10 runners on base in Wednesday’s loss and went 0-7 with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers still hold a 2 1/2 game lead over the San Diego Padres after San Diego suffered a three game sweep at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles.

Game particulars​

  • Home runs— Bryan Reynolds (15), Andrew McCutchen (13)
  • WP— Mike Burrows (2-4): 3 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
  • LP— Emmet Sheehan (5-3): 4 2/3 IP, 5 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
  • SV— Dennis Santana (13): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout

Up next​


The Dodgers look to avoid being swept by the Pirates as they wrap things up in Pittsburgh on Thursday (3:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before they fly out to Baltimore to take on the Orioles over the weekend. Blake Snell faces Paul Skenes in the series finale.
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Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102914/dodgers-pirates-game-recap
 
Kendall George, Adam Serwinowski win Midwest League August awards

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A pair of Dodgers minor leaguers were honored for their work in August, and both are teammates on the High-A Great Lakes. Outfielder Kendall George was named Midwest League player of the month, and left-hander Adam Serwinowski was the circuit’s pitcher of the month.

George had the best month of his career, hitting .378/.496/.429 with a 174 wRC+, 23 walks, and 21 runs scored during August. The Dodgers’ first-round draft pick from 2023 is widely regarded to have 80-grade speed on the 20-80 scouting scale, and that’s been George’s calling card this season.

In August alone George stole 34 bases, which would rank ninth on the season leaderboard for the Midwest League. George has really turned it on the last two months, with 66 steals since the start of July, and 97 on the season, the third-most in a season in Dodgers organizational history, behind only Maynard DeWitt’s 110 steals for Class-D Zanesville in 1946 and Maury Wills stealing a then-record 104 bases for Los Angeles in 1962.

“He set a goal to play fearlessly on both sides of the ball, and he certainly is. He took some major steps forward in the efficiency of his jumps about a month ago, that really stood out,” Will Rhymes, the Dodgers vice president of player development, told True Blue LA in August. “He’s been dialed in with our staff there on pitcher tells and the nuance of base stealing. He’s gained a ton of confidence and it’s just snowballed as all of these improvements have been put into action.”

Serwinowski was one of three players the Dodgers got for catcher Hunter Feduccia in a three-team trade with the Reds and Rays on July 31. His introduction to a new organization has gone swimmingly to date, with a 1.55 ERA and a Midwest League-leading 37 strikeouts in August over 29 innings.

The 6’5 left-hander won his last four starts after a no-decision in his organizational debut, in which he struck out nine in 6 1/3 scoreless innings on August 5. Serwinowski struck out a career-high 12 in seven innings last Friday against West Michigan.
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Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...endall-george-adam-serwinowski-midwest-league
 
The challenge of trying to bounce back against Paul Skenes

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Are you a glass-half-empty or half-full kind of person? That question feels particularly pertinent given the context of today’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. On one hand, despite recent losses, you find yourself playing a last-place team, but on the other, you have to go up against the National League’s best pitcher, Paul Skenes.

Los Angeles will send an ace of its own to the mound in Blake Snell. These days, though, you’re likely at a disadvantage regardless of whom you have going up against Skenes, who’s been making a mockery out of MLB hitters ever since his call-up last season.

Perhaps even more positive for the Dodgers than having Snell on the mound is that Skenes, for as great as he is, can’t affect the production of his offense. The Pirates’ lineup is among the worst-performing ones in the sport, and it’s particularly weak against LHP (.631 team OPS).

Being inarguably the top pitcher in the National League, Skenes has only been able to lead the Pirates to a slightly above .500 record when he takes the ball (15-13). Specifically in games in which he is factored into the decision, Skenes is 9-9 this season. One of those nine wins, though, came at Dodger Stadium, when he shut out Los Angeles for 6.1 innings, helping Pittsburgh to a 3-0 victory.

Other than the highlight of pitching at Dodger Stadium, that outing probably doesn’t even stand out for Skenes himself this season, given he’s held teams to two or fewer runs on 23 different occasions and to no earned runs 11 times.

The Dodgers’ offense will have to battle Skenes without one of its more prolific hitters, missing catcher Will Smith. The NL’s leading OBP bat left Wednesday’s game shortly after being hit in the hand, and while X-rays were negative, it should be a few days before he’s back behind the plate, at least.

Thursday’s game info​

  • Teams: Dodgers at Pirates
  • Ballpark: PNC Park, Pittsburgh
  • Start time: 3:40 p.m. PT
  • TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out-of-market only)
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)
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Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102964/dodgers-pirates-offense-paul-skenes
 
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