News Dodgers Team Notes

Week 4: Two more series losses ‘kind of stings’

Dodgers vs Cubs in Los Angeles, CA.

Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A rough week for the Dodgers with four losses in six games, struggling bats, spotty spot starts, and a record-setting bullpen implosion. But also, another strong outing by Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound.

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers had their first losing week of the 2025 season, dropping two of three games to both the Nationals on the road and the Cubs at home.

But in reality the slump goes back to the previous week as the Dodgers have lose three series in a row. The offense didn’t do much, especially at home against Chicago. The Dodgers called up two starting pitchers to start in Washington D.C. and both had terrible starts, then the bullpen imploded on Saturday in Los Angeles, sending the Dodgers to their worst home shutout loss in franchise history.

“If I were to set here today, however many games into the season, and whatever our win-loss record is [11-6], I would have banked it at the start of the season,” manager Dave Roberts said Sunday night. “But to start 8-0, and how we got here today, that’s what kind of stings.”

Batter of the week​


Offensive standouts were hard to come by, unless perhaps you used a different definition of that first word. But Tommy Edman had the biggest hit of the week, his three-run home run that provided the offense on Friday.

Pitcher of the week​


Yoshinobu Yamamoto wins the Yoshinobu Yamamoto Award for the fourth time in four tries this season, thanks to his nine strikeouts in six scoreless innings to blank the Cubs on Friday, allowing only two hits and a walk. The walk was to leadoff hitter Ian Happ in the sixth inning, followed by a strike out of Kyle Tucker to end Yamamoto’s night at a season-high 103 pitches.

Opposing batters the third time through the order against Yamamoto this season are hitless in eight at-bats, with three walks and five strikeouts.

“Each time out, you see a growing sort of confidence with him. Even with big outs, he holds his adrenaline, and makes the pitches he needs to,” Roberts said. “Right now, he’s really in a place where he’s pretty much unflappable, which is good for us.”

Week 4 results​


2-4 record
17 runs scored (2.83 per game)
39 runs allowed (6.50 per game)
.180 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date​


11-6 record
74 runs scored (4.35 per game)
74 runs allowed (4.35 per game)
.500 pythagorean win percentage (9-8)

Miscellany​


The Dodgers have two pretty stellar defensive plays last week. First came on Wednesday in the ninth inning when a diving stop by Kiké Hernández at first base prevented the tying run for scoring. Then on Saturday, Andy Pages robbed a grand slam in what at the time was a tight, one-run affair but turned out to be very much not that.


Wow, Kiké! pic.twitter.com/brXT9jcR7l

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 9, 2025

Pages gets Roki out of a JAM #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/m4UsZxuhEd

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 13, 2025

Transactions​


Tuesday: Justin Wrobleski was recalled from Triple-A to make a spot start in Blake Snell’s spot in the rotation. Reliever Matt Sauer was optioned after soaking up five outs on Monday.

Wednesday: Landon Knack was called up to start the series finale in Washington D.C., and Wrobleski was optioned.

Thursday: Hunter Feduccia was optioned to Oklahoma City.

Friday: Freddie Freeman was activated off the injured list after missing nine games with an ankle sprain.

Game results​


Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3

Up next​


The Dodgers run the Darryl Hamilton gauntlet, hosting the Rockies in Los Angeles before heading to Arlington Texas to face the Rangers. The Dodgers will call up someone to start on Wednesday, likely Bobby Miller. The Rangers probable pitchers for the weekend are a best guess at the moment.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/14/24404749/dodgers-yoshinobu-yamamoto-tommy-edman-bullpen
 
Dustin May brilliant, Dodgers hold on to beat Rockies

Colorado Rockies v Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Dodgers win 5-3 behind May and the top of the order

The superstars went yard, Dustin May looked outstanding, and the Dodgers did what they were supposed to do, beating the Colorado Rockies 5-3 at home. The game certainly didn’t feel as close as that for much of it, but the bullpen decided to make things interesting late, although no harm was ultimately done.

Focusing on the Dodgers’ starter, results hadn’t been a problem for May, who pitched well in his first two starts, but this third one was definitely on another level. The right-hander looked in complete control from the first to his last pitch. Other than an error from Max Muncy, May cruised through the first five frames, retiring 15 of the first 17 hitters he faced.

Kyle Farmer continued the run of former Dodgers doing damage against Los Angeles as his softly hit but well-placed RBI double put the Rockies on the board in the sixth. Still, May navigated that inning rather smoothly and finished six frames with plenty of gas left in the tank, needing only 76 pitches to do so.

Another aspect that certainly helped May pitch more confidently was the fact that he got a lead almost immediately after the start of the game. Shohei Ohtani got things going in the first with a single, and this was followed by a Mookie Betts home run, his fourth of the year, all of them coming at Dodger Stadium.

Speaking of home runs, Ohtani wasn’t having any of Betts tying his season total, and a few innings later, the reigning NL MVP also got on the board, taking Antonio Senzatela deep. Hitting leadoff and with the bottom of the order not doing well as of late, Ohtani has grown accustomed to the solo shot, with four of his five bombs coming with no one on base.

Ohtani had a chance for an even more special night, but two of his final three at-bats ended up with fly balls caught at the warning track. The Dodgers’ designated hitter finished his evening 3 for 5 with a home run, scoring all three times he reached base.

Anthony Banda kept the Rockies in it, allowing a two-run homer in the seventh, but then Dave Roberts called on the cavalry. Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott both allowed the tying run to reach base in messy innings, but they ultimately got the job done, keeping the Rockies off the board.

On a less positive note, one may point to a couple of issues that continue to linger and may hurt Los Angeles against superior opposition. Nine of the Dodgers’ 10 hits in the evening came from the top four in the order. Hitters fifth through ninth combined 1 for 13, contributing zero runs and RBI. At least Michael Conforto and Max Muncy each had a couple of walks, but with everyone around them struggling, they were stranded.

Monday particulars​


Home runs: Mookie Betts (4), Shohei Ohtani (5); Hunter Goodman (3)

WP — Dustin May (1-1): 6 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 7 strikeouts

LP — Antonio Senzatels (0-3): 4⅓ IP, 9 hits, 4 runs, 1 walks, 2 strikeouts

Sv — Tanner Scott (5): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 strikeout

Up next


After a pretty disastrous start in Washington, Landon Knack will look to settle in against the struggling offense of the Rockies on Tuesday night (7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA). Ryan Feltner starts for Colorado.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/14/24408701/dustin-may-dodgers-rockies-mookie-betts-shohei-ohtani
 
Dodger Stadium will host baseball in 2028 Olympics

USA Vs South Korea, 1984 Summer Olympics

Photo by Walter Leporati/Getty Images

With the Olympics back in Los Angeles, the baseball will be played at Dodger Stadium, just as it was in 1984

With the Summer Olympics coming to Los Angeles in 2028, it’s only natural that baseball will be played at the very same ballpark that hosted 44 years ago the last time the Olympics were in this city. Dodger Stadium on Tuesday was officially named the home of baseball for the 2028 games.

LA28, the committee organizing the games, on Tuesday announced an updated planned list of venues for the 2028 Olympics in and around Southern California, including in Carson, Long Beach, Anaheim, Arcadia, Pomona, San Clemente, and El Monte in addition to Los Angeles.


No place like home.

Dodger Stadium will be the home of Baseball again in the 2028 Olympics! The last time Dodger Stadium hosted Olympic baseball was in 1984. pic.twitter.com/gTOsPrwY5i

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 15, 2025

In 1984 in Los Angeles and in 1988 in Seoul, baseball was only considered a demonstration sport in the Summer Olympics, but was a medal sport for the next five Olympics from 1992-2008. Baseball returned in the 2020 Olympics in Yokohama, with Japan winning the gold medal, in the finale beating a United States team that included former Dodgers Edwin Jackson, Scott Kazmir, and Tim Federowicz.

When Dodger Stadium last hosted Olympics baseball, the games were played from July 31 to August 7. Japan beat Team USA in the finale.

The Dodgers during the Olympics that year took a four-city, 13-game road trip to play the Padres, Reds, Braves, and Giants, in between home games on July 29 and August 13. The Dodgers were swept in San Diego on the first stop but recovered to finish 7-6 on the trip.

“I think it shows the team has character,” Dodgers catcher Mike Scioscia told the Associated Press after the final game of the trip, a win in San Francisco. “After those three games in San Diego, we could have gone on the skids and been 20 games out by now. But we have confidence.”

Amazingly, that was not the Dodgers longest road trip in 1984. They played 14 games on the road in a trip that took then to San Diego, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Chicago from April 25-May 10 that season.

In 2028 the Olympics are scheduled to run from July 14-July 30. It’s likely the MLB All-Star break will be during that time, so perhaps the Dodgers won’t have such an extended road trip after all. Check back in a little over years when the 2028 schedule comes out.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/15/24409193/dodger-stadium-summer-olympics-2028
 
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks on Jackie Robinson’s legacy

Colorado Rockies v Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

Abdul-Jabbar spoke to both the Dodgers and Rockies about the importance of Jackie Robinson’s legacy prior to Tuesday’s game.

Major League Baseball celebrated the 21st annual Jackie Robinson Day on Tuesday, and the Dodgers came away with a win over the Colorado Rockies, earning their first series win in two weeks.

Prior to the game, both the Dodgers and Rockies gathered around the Jackie Robinson statue behind the center field wall, where they honored Robinson’s legacy and recounted stories of the sports pioneer.

Former Laker and NBA Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shared personal anecdotes about the impact Robinson had on him, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. A fellow UCLA star athlete, Abdul-Jabbar grew up in Brooklyn while Robinson was with the Dodgers, and had the privilege of meeting him once again later in his life.

“Jack always had the idea that he was an equal human being to everybody else. … I’m very proud of being able to emulate Jackie in the right way. You can do things the wrong way but Jackie showed us how to do it the right way and I’m very thankful for that.”

Manager Dave Roberts spoke on the importance of Jackie Robinson Day and the impact he continues to have on baseball today, per Steve Henson of the Los Angeles Times.

“This is an emotional day for me,” said the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, who along with the Angels’ Ron Washington are the only Black managers in major league baseball. “People that have certainly never seen Jackie Robinson, just hear some stories, are trying to live in a way that he lived. And that’s something that is so powerful for me.”


The Dodgers announced that longtime outfielder Manny Mota suffered a stroke on Monday night. Mota, 87, is currently in recovery, where he is responsive to commands and is resting comfortably.


Last night, Dodger legend Manny Mota suffered a stroke. He is in recovery, where he is responsive to commands and is resting comfortably.

Anoche, la leyenda de los Dodgers Manny Mota sufrió un derrame cerebral. Se encuentra en recuperación, respondiendo al personal médico y…

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 15, 2025

Mota spent parts of 13 seasons with the Dodgers, where he made the NL All-Star team in 1973 and helped the Dodgers to reach three World Series appearances throughout the 1970’s.

When Miguel Rojas granted his no. 11 jersey to Roki Sasaki back in February, Rojas spoke about the history that the jersey number has, acknowledging Mota’s legacy as one of the great Dodgers to wear no. 11.

“That number 11 means something to me and the organization. I want him to know that before me, there was another guy that was pretty popular here in L.A., and so those guys are important in our culture.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/1...n-kareem-abdul-jabbar-dave-roberts-manny-mota
 
Dodgers vs. Rockies game III chat

Colorado Rockies v Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images

One last game on the Dodgers homestand.


Fulford with his first career start behind the plate ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/DGSC7RxSMq

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 16, 2025

Here's the #Dodgers starting lineup for tonight's series finale with the Rockies: pic.twitter.com/a8dYnHYqj0

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) April 16, 2025

Game info​

  • Teams: Dodgers vs. Rockies
  • Stadium: Dodger Stadium
  • Start time: 7:10 p.m.
  • TV: SportsNet LA
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/24409528/dodgers-rockies-game-chat
 
Memories of 5,000 games at Dodger Stadium

MLB: SEP 25 Rockies at Dodgers

Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Looking back at 64 years of history at the third-oldest ballpark in the major leagues

LOS ANGELES — Wednesday was a milestone game for the Dodgers, and not just because the team finished off its third sweep in four home series this season. It also marked the 5,000th regular season game played by the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Here are some memories from 64 seasons and counting at the ballpark.

The Dodgers have been quite successful at Chavez Ravine, going 2,929-2,071 at home, a .586 winning percentage that’s the equivalent of 95 wins in a 162-game season.

Other games have been played at Dodger Stadium, including 109 Dodgers postseason games. There were also the four games from the American League Division Series during the mishmash that was the 2020 postseason, plus the 323 home games for the Angels from 1962-65 before the Halos moved south to Anaheim.

But for our purposes we’ll focus on the 5,000 regular season games for the Dodgers at the third-oldest ballpark in MLB.

There have been 434 Dodgers walk-off hits during the regular season at Dodger Stadium, an average of roughly seven per year. Dusty Baker has the most with 14, with Manny Mota and Andre Ethier second at 12 apiece.

Of those Dodgers walk-off hits, 143 were walk-off home runs, a little more than two per season. Ethier has the most with seven, and Matt Kemp is second with six walk-off home runs.

One walk-off stood out in a pair of recent interviews.

“My first opening day, here in 2002 as a starter, to see Barry Bonds on the other foul line, on a perfect day was pretty remarkable,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Vin Scully’s last game, Charlie Culberson hits a walk-off homer. Vinnie’s last day for us, to go out there and salute him, that’s probably number one.”

Culberson’s 10th-inning home run on September 25, 2016 not only clinched the National League West for the Dodgers with a week remaining in the season, but it marked a remarkable send-off for Vin Scully’s final home broadcast of his 67-year career.

Justin Turner, the active leader in with 546 games played at Dodger Stadium, noted his walk-off home run in Game 2 of the 2017 NLCS and his three-home-run game on May 7, 2019 among his favorite memories at Chavez Ravine.

“But probably behind the walk-off, the coolest thing was the Charlie Culberson walk-off against the Rockies in Vin’s last day,” Turner said. “I was like, it couldn’t have been scripted any better.”

Turner, now playing for the Cubs, has another Scully memory from much earlier in his career. In July 2011, in Turner’s third major league season, he and the Mets came to Los Angeles for his first career game at the stadium he grew up attending as a kid.

“I think the reason I remember this is because Vin actually came down in the clubhouse and wanted to meet me because I was a redhead, because he’s a redhead,” Turner recalled. “I’ll never forget it, my first day here, because he was looking for me, and I’m like, ‘Wait, why is he looking for me?’”

Perfection​


That game with the Mets was 20 years after Turner’s first experience in the visitor’s clubhouse at Dodger Stadium. He was also in attendance for Dennis Martinez’s perfect game for the Expos on July 28, 1991.

“Mike Fitzgerald was a catcher with the Expos, and him and my dad grew up together,” Turner said. “He brought me to the field. I was in the clubhouse before the game, walked around.”

Martinez pitched the 13th of 24 perfect games in MLB history. Only two have been at Dodger Stadium, and the other one is more famous.

Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game to beat the Cubs on September 9, 1965, his then-record fourth no-hitter, having pitched one in each season from 1962-65. Koufax needed to be perfect that night, as Cubs starter Bob Hendley allowed only one hit in a 1-0 game, the fewest number of combined hits and baserunners (two) in a game in major league history.

Koufax, who had a career 1.37 ERA in 715⅓ innings, is Dodgers royalty, and has been back at Dodger Stadium for big events through the years. For an old-timers game in May 2015, Koufax was talking with the Dodgers’ other three-time Cy Young Award winner, Clayton Kershaw, who in 2014 pitched one of 14 no-hitters in the stadium’s history.

The moment was captured by Jon SooHoo, the Dodgers’ longtime photographer.

“That was the most fun, and my favorite, because no one else could have done that,” SooHoo recalled. “I was fortunate enough to be walking down the hallway, and I got ahead of them and turned around. I got a nice shot of them talking to each other. It’s not a contrived moment.”

Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax walking in a tunnel at Dodger Stadium before an old-timers game on May 16, 2015.
Photo by Jon SooHoo | LA Dodgers
Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax walking in a tunnel at Dodger Stadium before an old-timers game on May 16, 2015.

Perhaps also fitting was SooHoo recalling his first time coming to Dodger Stadium. He was seven years old, along with his sister and brother-in-law, and got to go on the field before the game, because it was camera day.

“I was just happy to be on the field,” SooHoo said with a laugh.

Schedule quirks​


Most years had 81 Dodgers home games at Dodger Stadium, but a few years strayed from the norm. There were work stoppages in 1972 (only 75 home games), 1981 (56 games), and 1994 (55 games). Starting the 2024 season in Seoul included one “home” game apiece for the Dodgers and Padres, which meant last regular season included only 80 games at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers only played 80 home games in 1983, due to poorly-timed inclement weather. An August 18 game against the Mets in Los Angeles was rained out. But because it was so late in the season, the Dodgers and Mets made up the rainout at Shea Stadium as part of a doubleheader on August 30, by order of National League president Chub Feeney.

“The reason we are going back to New York to play,” Mets vice president Lou Gorman told the Associated Press, “is that it is a league rule (3.6) that if a game is rained out on the team’s last trip to a city, and the home team still has to go back to the visiting team to play, the game will played in the visitors’ park.”

Tiebreaker playoff games, which no longer exist, counted as regular season games, and Dodger Stadium saw extra contests in 1962 (the final two of a best-of-three set against the Giants), 1980 (one extra game against the Astros after a final-weekend sweep to break even), and 2018 (Walker Buehler’s big-game coming out party as a rookie to beat the Rockies).

Man at the helm​


Roberts has been directly involved in just over 18 percent of the Dodgers’ 5,000 regular season games, with 174 games here as a player, 46 games as a coach with the Padres, and 690 and counting as Dodgers manager. He’s won over two-thirds of his games managing at Dodger Stadium (465-225, .674), and his teams have the top six single-season home records in the history of the ballpark.

As a player, two hits at Dodger Stadium stood out to him, both in 2004.

“I hit an inside-the-park home run on Father’s Day agains the Yankees. That was special,” Roberts said. “And Alex Cora’s 18-pitch at-bat for a home run was pretty cool.”

Roberts’ “home run” was technically a double and an error by Hideki Matsui in left field on June 20, but exciting nonetheless. “Look out, there’s a rabbit loose!” said Scully on the call.

Cora’s epic battle came six weeks earlier, on May 12, off Cubs starter Matt Clement.



Roberts was the manager for the most runs scored by one team in a game at Dodger Stadium, on July 10, 2021 when the Dodgers throttled the D-backs 22-1. Los Angeles hit eight home runs in that game, tying the ballpark record set two years earlier on opening day, also against Arizona.

The most combined runs by both teams in a game at Dodger Stadium is 27, in a 15-12 Phillies win on May 19, 1990 that is not to be confused with the Phillies coming back from down 10 runs in the eighth inning to win in Los Angeles, just three months later. But that 27-run game took 10 innings to complete.

The Dodger Stadium record for most runs in a nine-inning game is 26, both Dodgers wins — 16-10 over the Cardinals on May 6, 1983 and 21-5 over the Brewers on August 2, 2018.

The most-lopsided shutout ever at Dodger Stadium was also the worst home shutout loss anywhere in Dodgers franchise history, which dates back to 1884. That came this last Saturday, a 16-0 drubbing by the Cubs that finished with infielder Miguel Rojas pitching the final two innings.

“I’m glad I’m on the right side of that one,” Turner, who had an RBI single on Saturday, said with a smile.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/17/24406378/dodger-stadium-5000-games
 
The 2025 MLB stadium ranking guide

Adric at Opening Day 2025. Tokyo Dome. March 18, 2025.

Adric at Opening Day 2025. Tokyo Dome. March 18, 2025. | Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA

Making the subjective objective for four years straight!

Unless you are new, you know the drill by now. But for those who actually keep track of the annual update, when not writing long-form essays, I travel the world following the Dodgers around.

I am up to two continents and three countries now. In my lifetime, I have been to 113 Dodger games in 27 different stadiums, 26 of which are MLB stadiums.

I have been to Oracle Park 23 times, most recently in 2023 — no wonder I am sick of it! I have visited Dodger Stadium 12 times, with the most recent game on September 15, 2021.

It is worth stating that this list is what I think are the best ballparks in Major League baseball, rather than where the best place is to watch a Dodger game. Moreover, if you can get to Dodger Stadium regularly, then of course, the answer is to go to Dodger Stadium if you want to enjoy a Dodger game.

However, if you cannot get to Dodger Stadium regularly, read on.

You will likely notice some additional changes in this year’s list.

First, there are no more gaps due to stale information. Historically, there were some gaps in my knowledge of some National League East ballparks. There are no more, as all 26 ballparks have been visited as recently as 2021, and I can give you a fair assessment of everywhere I visit.

Second, the Guide exclusively studies MLB ballparks. Typically, I generate Guide entries upon the Dodgers' return to a place I have visited. For sporadic venues going forward, if there is interest, I can write my honest opinions of these venues that I am fortunate enough to visit.

Third, reordering and revisions. While the Sacramento Athletics have abandoned Oakland, the Coliseum still exists and merits a spot on this ranking. While the Athletics will be playing near my old law school alma mater, I have no desire to visit or rank Sutter Health Park on this list. It is a serviceable minor league ballpark. While I have resigned myself to attending whatever monstrosity is built on the Las Vegas strip in a few years, that ballpark will likely be the 31st major league ballpark to end up in the Guide.

On that note, while Tropicana Field is out of commission for the 2025 season (at least), its Guide entry will go live later this summer. As of this essay, the Tampa Bay Rays will play baseball in Tampa through their remaining lease. If the team relocates to Nashville or elsewhere, we will revisit this issue.

If the stadium has a hyperlink, you can access the corresponding Guide entry.

1. PNC Park — Pittsburgh, PA


The still-undisputed king of MLB ballparks.

Once the Guide is complete, barring illness or injury, I plan to return to this jewel by the Alleghany River every season for the rest of my life. Yes, this park is that good.

The Dodgers visit PNC Park on September 2-4.

PNC Park. June 9, 2021. View from behind home plate.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
PNC Park. June 9, 2021.
  • Pros: Just about everything, including food, views, tickets, and ease of access, usually a Dodgers win or a resurgent young Pirates’ squad.
  • Cons: It’s only one series a year. The weather can be fickle (muggy, rainy).

2. Petco Park — San Diego, CA


Yes, Little Brother still has the best ballpark in the NL West. Petco Park is ranked highly nationally, but for good reason.

It is not the king of ballparks for a simple, solitary reason. PNC Park is significantly cheaper to visit for a Dodger game, even when you factor in travel to Pennsylvania. However, in a neutral setting, I could entertain arguments that Petco is the best ballpark in the country.

The Dodgers visit Petco Park on June 9-11 and August 22-24.

Petco Park. September 9, 2022.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Petco Park. September 9, 2022.
  • Pros: Imagine everything one would like about Dodger Stadium and make it better — which is an apt description of Petco Park.
  • Cons: Padres fans can be extremely, extremely annoying; ticket prices are absurd (as there is no such thing as a cheap ticket to a Dodgers/Padres game at Petco)

3. T-Mobile Park — Seattle, WA​


This ballpark floored me with its quality and user-friendliness and the relative bang for the buck it provides in its amenities, location, and food. The retractable roof generally renders the infamous Seattle rain impotent.

I could also entertain the argument that T-Mobile Park is the best ballpark in the country, if not for two factors: hotels near the ballpark are hellishly expensive, and the Dodgers only visit every other year.

The Dodgers close out the 2025 regular season in Seattle on September 26-28.

T-Mobile Park. September 17, 2023.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
T-Mobile Park. September 17, 2023.
  • Pros: If you like a stadium that ticks many boxes and is fun to visit with interesting things to see and eat, you will likely find much to love about this ballpark.
  • Cons: Good luck finding a decently-priced hotel near the ballpark or with access to the light rail. The Dodgers only visit every other year.

4. Target Field — Minneapolis, MN


This ballpark is amazing if the weather cooperates, which is a mighty big if. Granted, you will be in Minneapolis, so by definition, the weather may not cooperate. Most folks will skip this ballpark due to its location, and they really should not.

Even at its worst (see freezing rain and snow, see Midwest humidity), it’s a top-five ballpark in the country, and essentially a “cousin” ballpark to PNC Park, as it was made by the same design team and with similar materials.

The Dodgers do not visit Target Field in 2025.

Target Field (before the game). April 13, 2022.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Target Field. April 13, 2022.
  • Pros: It is quite underrated as a venue. It has great fans, great value, and the best customer service in the League.
  • Cons: Heaven help you if the weather does not cooperate. Getting to and from the stadium is a pain. Not the greatest neighborhood by the ballpark for families.

5. Oriole Park at Camden Yards — Baltimore, MD​


As the first retro-classic ballpark, Oriole Park at Camden Yards got a lot of things right about the experience, and you can see this stadium’s influence on half the parks in the league. It is not a perfect experience as the park is beginning to show its age, with its scoreboard and sound system.

As mentioned above, if you can navigate the logistical hurdles, you will likely have a great time at Camden Yards.

The Dodgers visit Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 5-7.

Oriole Park at Camden Yards. July 18, 2023.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Oriole Park at Camden Yards. July 18, 2023.
  • Pros: Now a classic stadium. Great fans. Decent value and food.
  • Cons: No tours. Getting to Baltimore is a hassle. Baltimore has gone through some hard times. Not as much value if you have not seen “The Wire.”

6. Oracle Park — San Francisco, CA


Do you still like witnessing and being surrounded by a perpetual inferiority complex?

Do I still have a place for you! (But in a neutral setting, Oracle Park is a very good park.)

The Dodgers visit Oracle Park on July 11-13 and September 12-14.

Oracle Park. September 4, 2021.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Oracle Park. September 4, 2021.
  • Pros: Snark aside, it is a nice stadium. It is relatively easy to get to and from if you do not drive yourself. Even if you park yourself, it’s expensive, and you must navigate the considerable traffic when leaving the stadium, regardless of how you leave.
  • Cons: It’s where the Giants play. Tickets cost an arm and a leg (and then some!) if the Dodgers are in town. It’s often cold and windy. Giants fans tend to be insufferable, especially when drunk, doubly so when the Dodgers win; triply so when the Dodgers lose.

7. Dodger Stadium — Los Angeles, CA


It’s still Our Blue Heaven.

If we are being honest, assuming you live outside of Los Angeles, there are better stadiums to visit. Honestly, Dodger Stadium makes us as fans accept some things that I would not tolerate at other stadiums, and frankly, it’s not okay.

Still, the stadium is a bucket list destination for a Dodgers fan.

You have 69 more dates to pick from in the regular season to visit Dodger Stadium in 2025.

Dodger Stadium. November 1, 2024.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Dodger Stadium. November 1, 2024.

8. Busch Stadium, version 3.0 — St. Louis, MO


If you go to St. Louis to see a Dodgers game, you will likely have a good time. If you are going to St. Louis for literally any other reason, I don't know what you would do there.

This ballpark has the stadium and neighborhood model that baseball tries to emulate throughout the league. Here, the model is generally done right.

Going to a game here is visiting an oasis of baseball in the sea of blight that is St. Louis. Busch Stadium, version 3.0, is a draw that might not otherwise exist. The reason that the stadium has dropped on this list is that the area is starting to need some sprucing up, as affordable hotels have started to disappear by the ballpark, and the stadium is starting to show its age.

The Dodgers visit Busch Stadium 3 on June 6-8.

Busch Stadium. September 9, 2021.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Busch Stadium. September 9, 2021.
  • Pros: Lots of things directly by and in the ballpark. Food, views, and tickets are a relative bargain. Fans are knowledgeable too.
  • Cons: Generally, the rest of St. Louis, which is a lot. The weather can get muggy. Hearing about the Cardinal Way ad nauseam can get grating.

9. Wrigley Field — Chicago, IL


Someday, I will get over May 2021. It’s still not today, though. It is one of the last jewel box stadiums in the Major Leagues, for better and worse. Compared with Fenway, Fenway has a better ballpark experience, but Wrigley has a better trip overall for reasons that will become obvious when the Fenway Guide goes live.

The Dodgers visit Wrigley Field on April 22 and 23.

Wrigley Field. June 26, 2024.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Wrigley Field. June 26, 2024.
  • Pros: It’s a bucket list destination. It’s a fun time for the most part. Something quite iconic about sitting in the sunshine with a Chicago Dog while the organ plays before the game.
  • Cons: It’s a bit pricey for what you get, the weather often does not cooperate, and if you have a bad seat, it’s legitimately bad.

10. Coors Field — Denver, CO


Truthfully, folks underrate the experience of going to Coors Field, and they really should not. I truly enjoy coming to this ballpark and believe you will too if you give it a chance. There is access to nature for those who like that sort of thing, and there are bars aplenty for those who like that sort of thing.

The Dodgers visit Coors Field on June 24-26 and August 18-21.

Coors Field (before the game). July 17, 2021.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Coors Field. July 17, 2021.
  • Pros: It’s a nice ballpark. It’s a fun ballpark. Where else can you eat bull testicles?
  • Cons: Do you have problems with elevation? Logistical problems are the biggest hurdle to enjoying a game here, i.e. where did you book your hotel? Did you not leave for the ballpark early if you are staying outside of Denver? Did you pay a premium to stay in downtown Denver?

11. Fenway Park — Boston, MA​


“Going to Fenway Park” is a phrase that will always sound foreign to my ear. However, it is a remarkable experience.

Why isn’t Fenway higher on the list? It costs far, far, far too much to go to the ballpark while staying in Boston. One could easily spend an entire year’s travel budget at Fenway. That assessment was made before going to Japan, which made these costs seem almost quaint.

The Dodgers visit Fenway Park on July 25-27.

Fenway Park. August 27, 2023.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Fenway Park. August 27, 2023.
  • Pros: It’s on baseball’s bucket list for a reason. Sitting atop the Monster is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
  • Cons: Dear God, my wallet is still hurting, especially from lodging and ticket costs. These costs easily exceed playoff tickets at Dodger Stadium. In some places, the stadium lacks modern amenities, like aisles.

12. Progressive Field — Cleveland, OH​


Cleveland rocks. Progressive Field is a fun place to visit. There is good food, good prices, and good crowds. Just pick a nearby hotel and walk to the Jake, which still persists as a stadium nickname. The Dodgers will visit every other year, which seems often enough.

If you want to explore elsewhere, you need a car. The Jake is undergoing renovations, and it should go online in 2024.

The Dodgers visit Progressive Field on May 26-28.

Progressive Field. August 23, 2023.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Progressive Field. August 23, 2023.
  • Pros: Good mix of value and amenities for the effort required to visit.
  • Cons: Some folks are hyper-critical of the ground crew (these people are wrong). If the weather does not cooperate, things get challenging in a hurry. The stadium is near a rough neighborhood. Ohio, generally.

13. Comerica Park — Detroit, MI​


Comerica Park is in this rank of the Guide almost by accident. My trip to Detroit in 2024 was not successful by any reasonable definition, as the weather, hotels, Detroit Tigers, and Dodgers refused to cooperate.

The stadium, its history, and its denizens stuck with me long after I left. It’s a solid ballpark that most Dodger fans will never visit, and frankly, that statement is a shame.

The Dodgers do not visit Comerica Park in 2025.

Comerica Park. July 14, 2024.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Comerica Park. July 14, 2024.
  • Pros: Tickets are usually reasonable. The stadium has character. Nice mix of budget and luxury options.
  • Cons: Logistical minefield to navigate, as getting to Detroit is a pain. Hotels downtown are the best option, while safe, they can be pricey. Finding shade in the summer is not optional.

14. American Family Field — Milwaukee, WI


American Family Field is one of those parks where you definitely get what you pay for. If you try to scrimp on the experience, you get what you pay for. If you allow yourself to enjoy yourself, you will have a grand time in Wisconsin.

The Dodgers visit American Family Field on July 7-9.

American Family Field. August 15, 2022.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
American Family Field. August 15, 2022.
  • Pros: Traffic seems to flow rather efficiently here. Tickets are usually reasonable. Great staff. You get what you pay for.
  • Cons: If you go super cheap on the experience, you get what you pay for. For the best results, you will need to rent a car. The Bernie’s Slide Experience will get you if you aren’t careful.

15. Kauffman Stadium — Kansas City, MO


Easily the best-smelling tailgate in Major League Baseball.

This quirky baseball oasis serves as a counterpoint to the experience offered in St. Louis. While some would deride Kauffman as a jumped-up Triple-A stadium, it does have its own unique charm and character for residing in the second-smallest major league town by population (for now).

The Royals are attempting to move downtown, which is obnoxious, rather than build up the area around the ballpark. This entry of the Guide may become moot in a few years.

The Dodgers visit Kauffman Stadium on June 27-29.

Kauffman Stadium. August 13, 2022.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Kauffman Stadium. August 13, 2022.
  • Pros: Great sightlines, reasonable ticket prices, proximity to the Negro League Hall of Fame. You have plenty of access to barbecue in the region.
  • Cons: The stadium is in the middle of nowhere, and the food at the ballpark is mediocre at best. If the weather does not cooperate, you must be prepared; otherwise, you will have a terrible time. Generally, you need to rent a car to visit.

16. Nationals Park — Washington, D.C.


Nationals Park is the baseball stadium equivalent of a ham and cheese sandwich - not great, not terrible. Sometimes all you want is a sandwich.

It is not a bad ballpark; it is not a good ballpark. It is logistically easy to go to a game in Washington, D.C., if you stay in the capital.

The stadium's prices, food, and location are in the middle of the bell curve. It would rank higher if it were closer. This ballpark is the easiest park to match up with other activities. If you want an excuse to spend a week in Washington, D.C., there are worse excuses than spending evenings at the Navy Yard and seeing historical sites during the day.

The Dodgers visited Nationals Park on April 7-9.

Nationals Park. April 25, 2024.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Nationals Park. April 25, 2024.
  • Pros: Solid ballpark. Solid experience. Friendly staff through and through. Plenty of stuff to do in D.C.
  • Cons: The weather can be unforgiving. Getting to the East Coast is a large ask for some fans.

17. Citi Field — Queens, NY


Citi Field is just fine — especially if you take the 7 subway line, and do not pay $40 for parking at the stadium if you can help it. But the entire time you visit, you will likely be thinking of the following two phrases with some justification:

  • Am I technically a Lego minifigure in Steve Cohen’s lifesize model of Citi Field?
  • Why is everything so expensive? I thought Papa Steve was a billionaire; you would imagine some savings would get passed down.

In a few ways, this ballpark reminds me of Dodger Stadium, not in a good way, as there is literally nothing to do by the ballpark. Still, there are worse reasons to visit New York City.

The Dodgers visit Citi Field on May 23-25.

Citi Field. July 16, 2023
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Citi Field. July 16, 2023
  • Pros: It’s fine. It’s fun. It’s a great excuse to visit New York if you have never been.
  • Cons: Going to the stadium (including flights, lodging, and tickets) costs too much. There is not a lot to do by the ballpark. There’s no reason to stay in Queens, which necessitates a stay in Manhattan. The fans can be a bit much.

18. Rogers Centre — Toronto, Canada​


Domed stadiums are hard to do right. If you do it wrong, you feel like you are in a perpetual state of cavernous now. If you do it right, the elements of the dome add to the atmosphere of the proceedings. Rogers Centre is a mixed bag.

Going to Rogers Centre is not as financially onerous as you might think. For its many faults, Rogers Centre has its charms and is actively being renovated. For as many times as Toronto Blue Jays’ fans have just missed out on free agents, there is an undeniable charm to Toronto, which most Dodger fans should at least experience once.

The Dodgers do not visit Rogers Centre in 2025.

Rogers Centre. April 26, 2024.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Rogers Centre. April 26, 2024.
  • Pros: When the US dollar is strong, costs are lower than expected. The stadium has its own quirky charm, and the Marriott is an actual part of the stadium, which has to be seen to be believed.
  • Cons: Going to Toronto is a pain from the West Coast. The lights inside the ballpark can be a bit irritating. Blue Jays’ fans can be surprisingly sensitive.

19. Chase Field — Phoenix, AZ


It is not a bad park, but it does feel like an aircraft hangar with the roof closed. If the choice is scorching heat or feeling like you got lost on the way to GenCon, I pick the latter. It might be worth coming back when I know the roof will be open.

Phoenix is a college town in every sense of the word, both good and bad. Plan accordingly.

The Dodgers visit Chase Field on May 8-11 and September 23-25.

Chase Field (before the game). May 28, 2022.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Chase Field. May 28, 2022.
  • Pros: Good starter park to travel to for the beginning traveler of Dodger games. It was a de facto Dodger Stadium East.
  • Cons: Do you like being in the desert? Do you like dry heat? Did you forget sunscreen? Are you prepared to feel like you are trapped in a never-ending spring break while exploring Phoenix?

20. Angel Stadium of Anaheim — Anaheim, CA


Honestly, imagine everything good about Dodger Stadium and then make it worse. Personally, the only draw to the Big A is sentimental. Specifically, I have friends from law school who are avid fans of the Angels, and meeting there is easier than meeting in the Bay Area or at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers visit Angel Stadium of Anaheim on August 11-13.

Angel Stadium. July 16, 2022.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Angel Stadium. July 16, 2022.
  • Pros: It’s by an Amtrak station, so it’s easy to get to and from. If one lived in Anaheim, the stadium would merit more attention.
  • Cons: Imagine a bizarro Dodger Stadium, where everything bad is good and everything good is bad. Now, the Dodgers will play three games a year here, which pleases no one but Angels’ management. Then you get to watch a team that wasted two generational talents. Remind yourself that the Angels are (generally) charging you a mint to be there for a Dodger game. And even then, you can pay a mint, and things still weirdly feel cheap.

21. Great American Ballpark — Cincinnati, OH


Great American Ballpark is like Skyline Chili, which one needs to try when visiting Cincinnati. It is not what I would call good, but it is food, so that is something. So goes Great American Ballpark.

Shade is your friend during day games. If possible, try to stay in Ohio; otherwise, you will need a car or the tolerance to withstand the weather while walking in from Kentucky. The ownership is still bad, but the Customer Service department on the backend is pretty good.

The Dodgers visit Great American Ballpark on July 28-30.

2021 Regular Season Finale.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Great American Ballpark. September 18, 2021.
  • Pros: It’s a nice stadium from the outside. Opening Day in Cincinnati is essentially a local holiday.
  • Cons: Pretty much everything else. The ownership is cartoonishly bad. The food is enjoyable, mostly on an ironic level. If the weather is bad, forget it. The stadium layout is bad because they wanted more luxury boxes.

22. Tropicana Field — St. Petersburg, FL​


Generally, Tropicana Field is a shabby dump. It is a nightmare to get to the region. It is a nightmare to get to the game. And yet once you are there, odds are you will have a good time. This stadium will likely perplex the heck out of the average traveler.

It would be easy to relegate this stadium to the bottom of this list. But there is a quirky charm that is hard to explain in a blurb such as this one. Going to a game here is quite memorable, for better or worse.

The Dodgers do not visit Tropicana Field in 2025, but do visit Tampa on August 1-3.

Tropicana Field. May 26, 2023.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Tropicana Field. May 26, 2023.
  • Pros: The stadium experience does quite a few things right. The fans are a passionate, if few-in-number, bunch.
  • Cons: Just about everything else. Tropicana Field was wrecked by Hurricane Milton. From lodging and flight costs to the actual gameplay experience, to the logistics of actually getting to the ballpark. The Trop serves as an endurance test and an abstract experience rather than an enjoyable baseball experience.

23. Truist Park — Atlanta, GA


If Atlanta stopped the racist chant or stopped the price gouging for regular-season Atlanta/Los Angeles games, this stadium would be in the top ten of this list. If Atlanta fixed both problems, the stadium would be in my top five.

But they have not, and they likely will not.

The stadium’s Customer Service department is second to none, though. Atlanta’s model of being a commercial landlord is being copied throughout the league to its detriment.

The Dodgers visit Truist Park on May 2-4.

Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Truist Park. June 5, 2021
  • Pros: It does have a neighborhood around it that the League seems to be emulating. The sightlines are nice. The ballpark itself is newer, and it shows.
  • Cons: Objective racism. Usual, outright gouging of ticket prices for Dodgers/Atlanta games (if on a weekend). Watch from home - your conscience and wallet will thank you when watching the Cumberland Baseball Team.

24. loanDepot Park — Miami, FL​


How can the newest ballpark in MLB be such an objective dump?

In theory, the ballpark would attract fans in South Florida. In actuality, it is a gaudy eyesore that is more famous for things other people have done, from the World Baseball Classic to Shohei Ohtani’s perfect day.

Finding positive things to say about this ballpark is genuinely hard, but it can be done. The tickets are relatively cheap when the Dodgers visit, but are inflated compared to normal Miami Marlins prices.

The Dodgers visit loanDepot Park on May 5-7.

loanDepot Park. September 18, 2024
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
loanDepot Park. September 18, 2024
  • Pros: I never have to go back unless I want to.
  • Cons: It’s a dump. The lighting inside actively irritates my eyes, so I was in physical pain for three games. Getting to the ballpark, staying at the ballpark, and doing things at the ballpark are all objectively bad and needlessly hard to do.

25. Guaranteed Rate Field — Chicago, IL​


Woof. It’s the worst ballpark in active service in the majors, but getting to it is easy. The Chicago White Sox fans are long-suffering but generally quite kind.

Imagine you went to the dentist, but somehow, there was a baseball game happening. That analogy best describes the physical sensation of going to Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Dodgers mercifully do not visit Guaranteed Rate Field in 2025.

Guaranteed Rate Field. June 24, 2024.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Guaranteed Rate Field. June 24, 2024.
  • Pros: You get what you pay for. A stadium with a dedicated public transit stop does deserve some praise.
  • Cons: Just about everything else. The stadium is a decaying, unloved monument to Jerry Reinsdorf’s greed. I have never experienced such apathy radiating from a place.

26. Oakland Coliseum — Oakland, CA


The Oakland Coliseum endured a lot in its troubled history. The current ownership is a blight upon the game of baseball, and what has been done to relocate this farce masquerading as a team to Las Vegas, Nevada, is absolutely disgraceful.

The Athletics belong in Oakland. That statement said the Coliseum is a decaying sore in Oakland that was only enjoyable for ironic, devout, or historic reasons.

The Dodgers will likely never visit the Coliseum ever again.

Oakland Coliseum. June 18, 2023.
Michael Elizondo / True Blue LA
Oakland Coliseum. June 18, 2023.
  • Pros: Some of the best and most loyal fans in the Major Leagues. It’s great if you like a dive bar.
  • Cons: The stadium experience is lousy if you hate a dive bar. Pretty much everything else. Friends do not let friends go to the Coliseum these days. MLB has abandoned the stadium.


Agree? Disagree? I am sure that you will tell me here or on social media. What stadiums have you been to? Where should I go next?

I make my own schedule, but if there is an outcry for me to go somewhere, I would be remiss if I did not listen. Four stadiums are left. In the coming months, I will publish my travel itinerary for the coming year as the road to 30 continues.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/17/24120766/dodgers-stadium-guide-ranking-2025-elizondo-adric
 
Zyhir Hope & Jose Ramos hit two home runs each

Los Angeles Angels v Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images

Pitchers Sean Linan and Brooks Auger have dominant games to continue their great starts to the season

In Dodgers minor league affiliate action, two players hit two homers, and two unheralded pitchers had great games and are off to impressive starts.

Player of the day​


Rancho Cucamonga pitcher Sean Linan may not be a name many Dodger fans are familiar with, but he is putting up some eye-popping numbers in his first three appearances this season. For his one-hit, ten-strikeout performance in five and two-thirds innings, he’s the player of the day. On the season, he has accumulated 29 strikeouts against only three walks and six hits in 15⅔ innings. That is a dramatic improvement over the 4.89 ERA he sported at Low-A last season over 57 innings. The Dodgers signed the 20-year-old righty as aan amateur out of Colombia in January of 2022.

Triple-A Oklahoma City​


The Oklahoma City Comets eked out a 4-3 victory against the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners). Matt Sauer started for the Comets and gave up one run in three and two-thirds innings. Dodgers prospects Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland, and Dalton Rushing, hitting 1-2-3 in the lineup, went a combined 0-for-9. Ryan Ward, last year’s Pacific Coast League home run leader, drove in two runs for the Comets and is hitting .333 with 11 RBIs..


Hyeseong Kim showing how it's done at second base! pic.twitter.com/psCAzGfF3k

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) April 19, 2025

Double-A Tulsa​


The Tulsa Drillers defeated the Wichita Wind Surge (Twins) 7-6 when they scored the winning run in the ninth inning on three consecutive singles. Jose Ramos, whose prospects have dwindled as he repeats Double-A ball for the second time, had a huge game with two home runs, including a grand slam.


GRAND SLAM

Game Tied

WCH6️⃣|TUL6️⃣ pic.twitter.com/aYW7nv7OA6

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) April 19, 2025

Jared Karros, son of former Dodgers first baseman Eric Karros, was hit hard for the third consecutive game. Karros, who pitched to a 2.79 ERA in 15 starts last season, has been clobbered this year, giving up 16 runs, 21 hits, and five walks in just 11⅓ innings.

High-A Great Lakes​


The Great Lakes Loons hit four home runs on their way to a 7-2 victory over the Reds’ affiliate, the Dayton Dragons. Brooks Auger, 23, the Dodgers’ sixth-round pick from the 2024 draft, pitched five innings of one-run ball and has now given up just one run in his first 15⅔ innings of professional baseball. Zyhir Hope, rapidly speeding towards a top-10 national prospect ranking (at places other than Baseball Prospectus, that is), hit two home runs, giving him four on the season. Hope leads the Midwest League in hits, slugging percentage, and RBIs. Kendall George and Carlos Rojas also hit home runs for the Quakes.


ZYHIR HOPE JOINS THE PARTY!

The top #Dodgers OF prospect launched his third homer of the season. The Loons have homered twice in the first inning off last year’s second overall pick Chase Burns pic.twitter.com/wSZZHhM7eF

— Bruce Kuntz (@Bnicklaus7) April 18, 2025

A 2-homer night for #Dodgers No. 6 prospect, Zyhir Hope! pic.twitter.com/1eTMXaYjPd

— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) April 19, 2025

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga​


Linan’s stellar pitching performance went to waste, as the Quakes were shut out by the San Jose Giants 2-0. Giant starter Greg Farone matched Linan with five one-hit, nine-strikeout innings. The game-winning hit was a two-run triple by Giants DH Robert Hipwell in the sixth inning. Eduardo Quintero had two hits and a walk for the Quakes, hitting out of the lead-off spot.

Transactions

Triple-A: The Dodgers called up pitcher Noah Davis and outfielder Eddie Rosario from the Comets. Veteran non-roster invitee Giovanny Gallegos started the season on the injured list for Oklahoma City, and on Friday was moved to the 60-day IL.

Double-A: Pitcher Jeisson Cabrera was activated off the IL by the Drillers.

High-A: Right-hander Roque Gutierrez was sent back to the Loons after Thursday’s spot appearance for Tulsa.

Fridays scores​

Saturday schedule:​

  • Dayton (Adam Serwinowski) at Great Lakes (Payton Martin) 10:05 AM PST
  • Wichita (Connor Prielipp) at Tulsa (Jacob Meador) 2:00 PM PST
  • Wichita (Darren Bowen) at Tulsa (Jerming Rosario), 30 minutes after Game 1
  • Tacoma (Sauryn Lao) at Oklahoma City (Justin Wrobleski) 4:05 PM PST
  • San Jose (Jacob Bresnahan) at Rancho Cucamonga (Christian Zazueta) 6:30 PM PST

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/19/24411789/dodgers-minors-zyhir-hope-jose-ramos-sean-linan
 
April 20: Dodgers 1, Rangers 0

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Texas Rangers

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Two shutouts wins for LA in three games in Texas

Tyler Glasnow left with leg cramps, but the Dodgers bullpen pitched five scoreless innings to complete its second shutout of the Rangers over the weekend. Freddie Freeman’s sacrifice fly scored Will Smith in the eighth inning for Sunday afternoon’s only run at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/20/24411279/dodgers-rangers-april-20
 
Dave Roberts: ‘The bullpen’s done a great job all year’

Los Angeles Dodgers v Philadelphia Phillies

Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images

A look at the busiest relief group in baseball, after a six-pitcher, five-inning scramble on Sunday in Texas, and ahead of a planned bullpen game on Wednesday in Chicago.

Strong starting pitching pretty much defined the Dodgers’ weekend series against the Rangers, with a paltry 1.22 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 37 innings. But the Dodgers bullpen played an important role as well, even while losing one of its high-leverage members.

Glasnow was among the dominant starters at Globe Life Field with six strikeouts through four scoreless innings on Sunday. But lower leg cramps ended his day just one pitch into the fifth inning, which pressed the busiest bullpen in baseball into duty earlier than expected.

They were up to the task.

Six Dodgers relievers combined for five scoreless innings, with two singles and two walks allowed, and five strikeouts to close out the one-run win.

“The bullpen’s done a great job all year. It’s certainly nice that we have an off day [Monday] to reset,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday in Arlington, as shown on SportsNet LA. “The bullpen came up big tonight.”

Dodgers relievers are third in the majors with a 28.6-percent strikeout rate and a 20.7-percent strikeout-minus-walk rate, to go with a 3.54 ERA that ranks 12th and 3.15 FIP that is fourth in MLB.

Dodgers relievers lead the majors with 96⅔ innings pitched and 88 appearances, and average of 3.83 relievers totaling 4.2 innings per night on average. The Dodgers bullpen actually doesn’t lead the majors in average innings per game, as the Marlins, who have played two fewer games and have seven fewer innings, average 4.27 innings per game.

Bill Chuck in his Don’t Mess With Bill newsletter on Monday noted that while the Dodgers’ bullpen is heavy this year — Los Angeles relievers have faced 392 batters, nearly as many as the 455 batters faced by their starters — it is actually a more restrained usage relative to this time last season.

In 2024, though 23 games, Dodgers relievers pitched 102⅓ innings, and was doing relatively worse, with a 4.40 ERA and 91 strikeouts, the latter 21 fewer than this year’s bullpen.

Even with heavy bullpen usage to date, the Dodgers have been fairly judicious in meting out appearances. They had five relievers pitch on back-to-back games during the home opening series against the Tigers, then had five total back-to-back sets over the next five series combined. Three pitchers over the weekend against the Rangers — Kirby Yates, Jack Dreyer, Evan Phillips — pitched on back-to-back days.

Only twice has a Dodger pitched three times in four days so far in 2025 — Luis García from March 28-31, Alex Vesía from April 13-16. Both got at least two days off before pitching next in a game.

One of the higher-leverage arms in the bullpen was Blake Treinen, who has two saves but also hasn’t pitched since April 13. He was placed on the injured list Saturday and was diagnosed with a low-grade forearm sprain. The timetable for his return is to be determined.

Treinen was replaced by Phillips, who returned from his own IL stint after recovering from last October’s shoulder injury. Phillips was pressed into duty immediately, and struck out three of his four batters faced in his two games, pitching in the eighth inning on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Dodgers are off Monday and off again on Thursday, which makes the two games at Wrigley Field against the Cubs an island series, which can lend itself to more aggressive bullpen usage. After Dustin May starts on Tuesday, the relievers will be tasked to cover the entirety of Wednesday in the Dodgers first bullpen game of the year.

Well, the first planned bullpen game that is. But the Dodgers have already had eight games in which their bullpen has pitched at least five innings. The starting pitchers in those games have a collective 7.50 ERA, but because of the bullpen’s work in stabilizing the rest of the game, the Dodgers are 7-1 in those games.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/21/24413236/dodgers-bullpen-usage
 
Biggest challenge: Padres, Giants, or Diamondbacks?

Detroit Tigers v. Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images

We are still in the relative infancy of the season, but after about three and a half weeks the National League West is looking even stronger than previously thought.

The Padres are tied atop the division with the Dodgers, while the Giants and Diamondbacks are close behind. Of those four teams, the Dodgers have the worst run differential to date.

Prior to the year the Dodgers were overwhelming favorites to win the division, and basically still are. FanGraphs as of Monday gave Los Angeles a 78.9-percent chance to win the NL West, while Baseball Prospectus had them at 87 percent. San Diego and San Francisco playing better has tightened up the rest of the division.

When I asked a similar question back in March, Arizona was projected to win 86 games by FanGraphs with the Padres at 82 games. Baseball Prospectus had both San Diego and the D-backs at roughly 87 wins.

Here’s how they were projected as of Monday:

  • D-backs: 87.3 wins (FanGraphs), 89.6 wins (Baseball Prospectus)
  • Padres: 86.1 wins (FanGraphs), 89.3 wins (Baseball Prospectus)
  • Giants: 85.7 wins (FanGraphs), 87.6 wins (Baseball Prospectus)

It’s probably already baked into the projections, but the Padres and Dodgers have only 10 games remaining against the lowly Rockies, while the D-backs and Giants get to play Colorado 13 times, so adjust your thoughts accordingly.

Today’s question is which NL West opponent poses the biggest threat to the Dodgers?

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/22/24413647/padres-giants-diamondbacks-dodgers-playoff-odds
 
Dodgers can’t outlast the comeback Cubs

Los Angeles Dodgers v Chicago Cubs

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Dodgers came back with five runs in the seventh inning, but couldn’t hold on as they lose 11-10 to the Cubs in 10 innings.

The Dodgers and Cubs dueled in a back-and-forth slugfest, but it was Chicago coming away victorious 11-10 in extra innings.

Dustin May got the nod for the Dodgers, who entered with a 1.06 ERA, while lefty Shota Imanaga took the bump for the Cubs.

The Dodgers took advantage of the Cubs’ poor defense in the first, with Shohei Ohtani reaching on an error from third baseman Gage Workman to lead off the game. Teoscar Hernández roped a single to put two men on base before Imanaga secured a strikeout of Freeman for the second out.

Tommy Edman terrorized Imanaga last season by launching a pair of home runs, and his tormenting of both Imanaga the Cubs continued with him launching his National League lead tying eighth home run of the season to put the Dodgers ahead 3-0.

In the words of broadcaster Joe Davis, Tommy Edman owns the Cubs.


The Tommy Sho! pic.twitter.com/DQeLREAA9H

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 22, 2025

The Cubs quickly pounced on Dustin May in the bottom of the first inning, with Ian Happ and Kyle Tucker recording hits on just three combined pitches. Seiya Suzuki drove both of them home with a two-run double to put the Cubs on the board. May was able to induce a groundout of Michael Busch before Dansby Swanson tied the game with a triple to dead center field. Opposing hitter were 0-21 against May’s sweeper before Swanson’s triple. The Cubs took the lead thanks to the Chicago winds that allowed Pete Crow-Armstrong and Miguel Amaya to find the grass and extend the Cubs lead to two runs after just one inning.

The Dodgers put the leadoff man on in the second inning, before Kiké Hernández grounded into a double play. That double play proved costly for the Dodgers, as Andy Pages immediately followed with a solo home run that trimmed the deficit to a single run.


Andy knew. pic.twitter.com/O8oHrRGLCh

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 23, 2025

May experienced déjà vu in the second inning by putting the first two men he faced on base, but was able to settle in and escaped the jam unscathed to preserve the deficit.

The Dodgers had their chance to retake the lead in the fourth inning after putting the first two hitters on base, but just like how May did in the second inning, Imanaga recorded a pair of strikeouts before getting Pages to line out to retire the side and thwart the Dodgers comeback attempt.

The Cubs kept hacking away at May in the fifth inning, once again putting the first two hitters on base to lead off the inning. The Dodgers were able to nab Nico Hoerner at second base for a huge first out, before Pete Crow-Armstrong unloaded a two-run home run to give Chicago some breathing room.

The Dodgers got Imanaga out of the game when Will Smith connected for a solo home run to pull the deficit to two runs.


Will sends one to the bleachers! pic.twitter.com/WjTIoVnzpT

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 23, 2025

The Dodgers loaded the bases against right-hander Brad Keller in the seventh inning, when Teoscar Hernández squirted a ball down the third base line that was misplayed by Workman, allowing the Dodgers to once again cut the deficit to a single run. Freddie Freeman erased an 0-3 performance against Imanaga by rifling a go-ahead two-run double down the left field line to give the Dodgers the lead, their first since the first inning. Tommy Edman’s sacrifice fly and a Will Smith double brought in a pair of runs, and the Dodgers ended the inning with a three-run lead.


Let 'em know, Kirby! pic.twitter.com/VQ7itVCWPW

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 23, 2025

The Cubs kept knocking at the Dodgers’ door in the eighth inning after a two-run home run from Kyle Tucker off of Alex Vesia. Kirby Yates came in relief and after walking pinch-hitter Carson Kelly to put the tying run on base, he picked up a strikeout of Dansby Swanson put an end to the Cubs’ rally.

Tanner Scott came in looking to secure his ninth save of the season. He managed to get the first two hitters out, but with just one out left to notch a victory, allowed a game-tying home run to Miguel Amaya, sending Wrigley Field into a frenzy and sending the game to extra innings.

Noah Davis came in the 10th inning, making his Dodgers debut, and his first pitch in a Dodger uniform was smoked by Ian Happ, scoring Vidal Brujan and giving the Cubs a thrilling 11-10 win.

Game particulars​

  • Home runs: Tommy Edman (8), Andy Pages (3), Will Smith (3); Pete Crow-Armstrong (4), Kyle Tucker (7), Miguel Amaya (2)
  • WP— Porter Hodge (2-0): 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
  • LP— Noah Davis (0-1): 0.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts

Up next​


The Dodgers are back at Wrigley Field on Wednesday, looking to split the two-game series and win the season series overall (4:00 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). The Dodgers will opt for a bullpen game, and the opener has yet to be announced. Matthew Boyd will face the Dodgers for the second time this season for Chicago.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/22/24414279/dodgers-cubs-game-recap
 
Dodgers face yet another lefty in finale at Cubs

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs

Matt Marton-Imagn Images

Dodgers, who will face Matthew Boyd for the second time this season, are hitting .202/.275/.399 against left-handed pitchers this season

Having played the Cubs more than any other team in this regular season, the Dodgers have taken part in some energy-packed games going back to the Tokyo Series, but none quite like the 11-10 walk-off loss at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. One of the main issues for Los Angeles early on, aside from the bottom-of-the-order woes, has been the general ineffectiveness against left-handed pitching, hitting .202 against southpaws with an 87 wRC+. A lot of those lefty matchups have come against the southpaw-heavy rotation of the Cubs.

There are some positives to be taken away from the recent performance against Shota Imanaga, but it wasn’t as great as it could’ve been. Particularly not for a team that had him on the ropes, scoring four runs in the first two innings, and didn’t quite finish the job. In fact, the Dodgers allowed him to almost complete six full frames, and ultimately, he did only concede two earned runs as that first inning scoring was partially driven by poor fielding, a theme of that slugfest.

The Dodgers will now face Matthew Boyd for the second time this year. Although the three runs they scored in six innings against him a little more than a week ago don’t necessarily jump out at you, it represents 60 percent of all the earned runs he has given up in four starts in 2025.

Looking at the Cubs, Boyd is a perfect example of what has gone right for them this season. Kyle Tucker is doing what he was brought in to do and then some. Seiya Suzuki is mashing as well, but it’s the guys going the extra mile who have the Cubs comfortably leading the NL Central. From the likes of Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong on the hitting side to Colin Rea and Boyd on the pitching side, Chicago has plenty of players outperforming their expectations early on.

A lot has been said about the bottom of the order failing to provide much of a spark for the Dodgers, and that mostly continues to be the case — 7-9 hitters are a collective .176/.256/.289 — but the superstars also warrant a look. Outside of Freddie Freeman, who has already missed more time than he usually does in a full year, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts aren’t necessarily lighting the world on fire. One could even include Teoscar Hernández here, although he is clearly a different caliber of player. Amidst all that scoring in an 11-10 loss, Ohtani and Betts went hitless, and if the Dodgers are going to go where they want to this season, to say they’ll need these two is an understatement.

Wednesday game info​

  • Teams: Dodgers at Cubs
  • Stadium: Wrigley Field, Chicago
  • Start time: 4 p.m. PT
  • TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/23/24414698/dodgers-offense-left-handed-pitching-cubs-matthew-boyd
 
Tony Gonsolin pitches into 6th in latest rehab start

MLB: Los Angeles Dodgers-Workouts

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Gonsolin allowed two runs in his longest outing since 2023, and lines up to pitch next on Tuesday, when the Dodgers will need a starting pitcher in Los Angeles.

Tony Gonsolin allowed two runs and pitched into the sixth inning in his fourth and potentially final rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City. The Dodgers right-hander struck out three on the road against the Salt Lake Bees on Wednesday night, throwing 79 pitches.

He didn’t allow a hit or a ball to the outfield until the fourth inning, which came after a 28-minute top half of the frame for the Comets offense. He gave up two hits and a single during the inning to load the bases with one out. But he got a pop out and fly out to exit unscathed.

Bees third baseman Mitchell Daly hit a solo home run in the fifth inning. Gonsolin also came out for the sixth inning, but allowed another home run to Matthew Lugo, his final batter faced.

Gonsolin induced five groundouts, including a double play, and also got three infield popouts.

Gonsolin threw 36 fastballs on Wednesday, averaging 93.1 mph on the pitch and topping out at 95, right in line with his previous two Triple-A starts.

In four rehab starts for the Comets Gonsolin has a 3.21 ERA, allowing six runs (five earned) on 11 hits and six walks in his 14 innings, and struck out 16 of his 58 batters faced (27.6 percent).

Gonsolin was one of 11 pitchers to open the season on the injured list, a number that has since swelled to 13. His IL stint isn’t from the Tommy John surgery he had in September 2023. Rather, Gonsolin was sidelined to start the season due to tweaking is back while weightlifting at Camelback Ranch in March, which essentially reset his spring training.

While Gonsolin’s health will be the primary driver for him getting activated off the injured list, the Dodgers could certainly use him in the majors. At the moment the team has just four starting pitchers on the active roster, and the Dodgers used six relievers on Tuesday night before seven reliever pitched in a bullpen game on Wednesday against the Cubs. Dodgers relievers have thrown more innings than any team in baseball.

Blake Snell won’t be returning anytime soon, as the left-hander was shut down from throwing a bullpen session on Wednesday in Chicago after feeling discomfort in his shoulder.

The Dodgers will likely need two starting pitchers to cover the final two games against the Marlins next Tuesday and Wednesday, ending a stretch of six game days in a row for the club. Gonsolin would be on five days rest to pitch on Tuesday, if that’s how it shakes out. If Tuesday is in fact the return date for Gonsolin, it would mark 620 days since Gonsolin’s last major league start.

.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/23/24414858/tony-gonsolin-rehab-start-dodgers-oklahoma-city
 
Aidan Foeller strikes out career-high 12 for Quakes

St. Louis Cardinals v Pittsburgh Pirates

Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Career-high 12 Ks for Foeeler, a 3-inning save for Sauer, and Tony Gonsolin made another rehab start for Oklahoma City.

Tony Gonsolin pitched into the sixth inning for Oklahoma City, lining up to slot back into the Dodgers rotation next week. Here’s what happened elsewhere on the farm on Wednesday.

Player of the day​


Aidan Foeller struck out a career-high 12 in Rancho Cucamonga’s win, continuing his strong start to 2025. Foeller allowed single runs to Inland Empire in the first and fourth innings but otherwise allowing nothing else in his five innings, and struck out 12 of his 21 batters faced, with four walks.

The Dodgers drafted Foeller in the 11th round last year out of Southern Illinois, and he pitched three scoreless innings over two September relief appearances in his pro debut. This year through four starts, the 23-year-old right-hander had a 4.15 ERA in 17⅓ innings with a 44.3-percent strikeout rate and 16.5-percent walk rate.

Triple-A Oklahoma City​


Crooked numbers in the fourth and fifth innings proved enough in the Comets’ win over the Salt Lake Bees (Angels).

Ryan Ward homered off Caden Dana, the Angels top pitching prospect and rated among the top 100 prospects in the sport prior to the season at Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Hunter Feduccia tripled, Alex Freeland and James Outman doubled, and all four of these players had two hits.

Michael Chavis had three more hits, giving him 15 hits in his last 33 at-bats.

Logan Boyer followed Gonsolin on the mound and pitched a clean sixth inning. Matt Sauer followed and allowed a run while finishing out the win, earning a three-inning save.

Double-A Tulsa​


Chris Campos struck out seven in 5⅔ strong innings, allowing two runs in the Drillers’ win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals).

Jose Ramos and Aaron Bracho homered for Tulsa. Ramos, who also walked twice, has a seven-game hit streak, including four home runs in his last five games.

High-A Great Lakes​


The Loons managed only three hits and three walks in a shutout loss to the Lake County Captains (Guardians).

Eriq Swan allowed two home runs in a three-run first inning in his second start of the season. He allowed four total runs (three earned) in his four innings, with three walks and two strikeouts.

Roque Gutierrez followed on the mound with five strikeouts in four scoreless innings in his first game back with Great Lakes after a spot bulk relief outing in Double-A last week. The 22-year-old Gutierrez has 12 strikeouts in eight scorless innings in his two games with the Loons this season.

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga​


The Quakes broke open a one-run game late with nine runs over the final two innings in a road triumph over the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels).

Catcher Victor Rodriques homered and doubled, the last in the line of 6-7-8 hitters for Rancho Cucamonga with two hits and two RBI each. First baseman Jose Meza had two singles and a sacrifice fly. Third baseman Eduardo Guerrero had two singles and a walk.

Kellon Lindsey singled, walked twice, and stole two bases.

Right-hander Alex Makarewich pitched two scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts for the win. Makarewich in five relief appearances this season has allowed just one unearned run in 8⅔ innings this season, with a Foeller-esque 44.1-percent strikeout rate and 17.6-percent walk rate.

Transactions​


Double-A: Catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell was placed on the seven-day injured list, and catcher Frank Rodriguez was activated off the development list.

High-A: Right-hander Joel Ibarra joined the Loons from Arizona.

Low-A: Right-hander Nicolas Cruz was sent back to the Quakes after a spot bulk relief effort on Sunday for Great Lakes.

Wednesday scores​

Thursday schedule​

  • 3:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Patrick Copen) at Lake County (Jackson Humphries)
  • 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Jared Karros) at Northwest Arkansas (Ben Kudrna)
  • 5:15 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Sean Linan) at Inland Empire (Francis Texido)
  • 5:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Justin Jarvis) at Salt Lake (Dakota Hudson)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/2...eller-chris-campos-roque-gutierrez-matt-sauer
 
FanGraphs top Dodgers prospects shows movement

Los Angeles Angels v Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images

Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs unveiled his top 51 Dodgers prospects for 2025, which gives us another glimpse into how the club’s farm system is perceived. There are also some notable differences from the top-100 MLB prospects list released by FanGraphs in February.

Six Dodgers were ranked in that top-100 list back in February. Outfielder Zyhir Hope and pitcher Jackson Ferris, the team’s return from the January 2023 Michael Busch trade, just missed that top-100 list, but in Friday’s team-centric rankings, Hope is rated the third-best prospect in the system and Ferris is fourth.

“Ferris is a stout lad and lacks the long-term physical projection of most 21-year-old starters, but he has two plus pitches and is throwing strikes even as his velocity soars,” Longenhagen wrote. “He has no. 3 starter upside if he can keep improving his offspeed stuff.”

Unchanged were Roki Sasaki and Dalton Rushing at the top, with Longenhagen giving Sasaki a 65 future value rating on the 20-80 scoting scale, and Rushing a 60 rating.

Another standout in the FanGraphs Dodgers list is right-hander Christian Zazueta, who was acquired from the Yankees in the Caleb Ferguson trade in February 2024. The 6’3 right-hander has a 3.65 ERA through three starts in his second go-around with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga, and is set to start Friday night at Inland Empire.

Zazueta was not listed on any of the other Dodgers preseason prospect rankings, which ranged from 10 players (ESPN) to 30 (Baseball America, MLB Pipeline).

“He has arguably the best command projection in the entire Dodgers system, with feel for locating his tailing, flat-angled fastball at the top of the zone,” Longehagen wrote. “Zazueta was at times peaking around 97 mph during spring training, but he tends to live in the 93-95 mph range throughout his starts.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/25/24416728/dodgers-prospects-fangraphs-2025
 
Paul Skenes shuts out Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers

MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Los Angeles Dodgers

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Yoshinobu Yamamoto walked a career high four batters in 3-0 loss to the Pirates

The Dodgers (16-10) returned home to host the Pittsburgh Pirates (11-16) for a three-game series. Friday’s series opener was a highly anticipated pitching matchup between the reigning NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Dodgers have faced Skenes before, but this was his best start against them yet. Skenes was dominant with nine strikeouts and no walks against the Dodgers, pitching into the seventh inning.

Yamamoto is usually the walking definition of pinpoint control on his pitches. Tonight he wasn’t his sharp self and walked an uncharacteristic four Pittsburgh batters before getting the first out in the third inning.

A leadoff walk to Oneil Cruz proved costly early for Yamamoto. Cruz showed off his wheels with a stolen base, and Enmanuel Valdez brought him home with an RBI single against a laboring Yamamoto in a 32-pitch first inning.


This pitch from Paul Skenes to Shohei Ohtani pic.twitter.com/syurkA8NoM

— MLB (@MLB) April 26, 2025

Andy Pages continued to hit Skenes well this game. The Dodgers’ number nine guy hit a ground-rule double down the right-field line with one out in the bottom of the third. Shohei Ohtani reached on a fielder’s choice after Pages was caught in a pretty long pickle between second and third base for the second out.

Yamamoto pitched a quick 1-2-3 fourth inning to turn the page on his start. Freddie Freeman looked to lift his starter up with his bat with a ground-rule double to open the home half of the frame.


Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Nasty 79mph Curveball.

4th K pic.twitter.com/3vovLycaZH

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 26, 2025

Bryan Reynolds’ error gave Freddie time to turn on the afterburners and get to third base. Skenes pitched around the threat, and he retired Teoscar Hernández, Tommy Edman, and Will Smith in order.

Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in a third run for the Bucs in the top of the fifth.

Pages got another base hit off Skenes, a two-out double in the bottom of the fifth. Ohtani’s struggles at the plate continued. Skenes struck out Ohtani to strand Pages and preserve the shutout. Ohtani was now 1 for his last 15 at-bats.

Alex Vesia, Luis García, and even Noah Davis pitched well out of the L.A. pen in relief of Yamamoto for four scoreless innings combined including two shutout innings by Davis. This isn’t exactly a juggernaut Pittsburgh lineup to be fair.

The Dodgers had six hits, and three of those came from Pages who led off the bottom of the eighth with a single.

David Bednar allowed a walk to Edman, but the Dodgers’ offense never was able to get traction against Skenes and company and fell 3-0 for their second shutout loss of the season.


Friday particulars​


Home runs: none

WP —Paul Skenes (3-2): 6 1⁄3 IP, 5 hits, no runs, no walks, 9 strikeouts (108)

LP — Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-2): 1 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 4 walks, 5 strikeouts (94 pitches)

Sv — David Bednar (2): 1 IP, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

Up next​


Roki Sasaki (0-1, 3.20 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) is still looking for his first win in the majors. The Pirates send right-hander Mitch Keller (1-2, 4.18 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) to the mound for the middle game of the series with first pitch at (6:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/2...-shuts-out-yoshinobu-yamamoto-and-the-dodgers
 
Dodgers aren’t creating enough scoring chances

Pittsburgh Pirates v Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

The Dodgers enter Saturday on their second three-game losing streak of the year, scoring 16 runs in the two games in Chicago then nothing on Friday against the Pirates at home.

Allowing only three runs is usually a good path to winning. The Dodgers were 18-8 (.692) last season when allowing exactly three runs, and Friday’s loss dropped them to 3-2 (.600) in such games this season.

I’m not sure if there was much to take from getting dominated by Paul Skenes, who is one of a tiny number of folks in the conversation as the best pitcher in the sport. The Dodgers already beat the two reigning Cy Young Award winners this season and beat Jacob deGrom last weekend, but just couldn’t put much together on Friday.

The Dodgers batted six times with runners in scoring position in the series opener against Skenes, actually above his average this season (4.83 plate appearances per start). They just didn’t capitalize, going 0-for-6.

In a general sense, the Dodgers have done fine with runners in scoring position, hitting .257/.322/.503, tops in the majors in slugging percentage and sixth in wRC+ (121) in those situations.

But they aren’t creating enough run-scoring opportunities.

The Dodgers average 8.03 plate appearances per game with runners in scoring position, third-fewest in the majors, ahead of only the Rangers and Angels. The league-wide average is 9.89 PA per game. Last year, for comparison, the Dodgers batted the third-most often with runners in scoring position, averaging 10.49 PA per game, with MLB as a whole averaging 9.46.

Mitch Keller in his five starts this season for the Pirates averages nearly as few chances in scoring position against him as Skenes, at 5.2 PA per game, and has allowed only five singles and two walks in those situations.

Last August the Dodgers created their own scoring position, with home runs by Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani against Keller, en route to scoring seven runs against him in four innings.

Saturday game info​

  • Teams: Dodgers vs. Pirates
  • Stadium: Dodger Stadium
  • Start time: 6:10 p.m.
  • TV: SportsNet LA
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/2025/4/26/24417078/dodgers-losing-streak-scoring-position-pirates
 
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