RSS Dodgers Team Notes

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Freddie Freeman, Alex Call out of Dodgers lineup with injuries

LOS ANGELES — First baseman Freddie Freeman is out of the Dodgers lineup on Wednesday against the Reds whille dealing with a neck stinger that has bothered him for a few days. Also out of the lineup is Alex Call, who left Tuesday’s game with lower back pain.

“He’s got a neck stinger that kind of went to his shoulder on the right side.” manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday. “Just giving him a couple of days, with the off day tomorrow, and he’ll be back in there on Friday.”

Freeman had started the last 48 games for the Dodgers, with his last day off coming June 29 in Kansas City. He homered twice on Sunday in San Diego and doubled in each of the first two games against the Reds. Freeman’s seven home runs this August match his most in a month in his four seasons with the Dodgers, hitting .319/.379/.626 for the month.

Kiké Hernández starts at first base in place of Freeman on Wednesday. The right-handed hitting Call was going to start against Reds left-hander Nick Lodolo in the series finale, but tweaked his back running from second to third. Roberts said it was sacroiliac joint discomfort for Call, who is considered day-to-day.

“It’s something he’s dealt with before. Played through worse, he said,” Roberts said of Call. “We just felt it would be safe to not play him tonight.”

---

On the rehab front, reliever Michael Kopech and infielder/outfielder Hyeseong Kim are expected to be activated off the injured list next week when the Dodgers are on the road in Pittsburgh and Baltimore. That’s after September 1, when active roster limits expand from 26 to 28 players and from 13 to 14 pitchers.

Kopech, on the 60-day injured list after right knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, has pitched in five games in this current rehab assignment for Triple-A Oklahoma City, the last four of them scoreless. “He’s trending in the right direction,” Roberts said.

Kim since joining the Comets on a rehab assignment has at least one hit in alll five games, and has played shortstop twice, left field, center field, and designated hitter. He’s been out since July 29 with left shoulder bursitis.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...eeman-alex-callhyeseong-kim-michael-kopechbac

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers vs. Reds game VI chat

The Dodgers try for their second home sweep in a row, facing a Reds team that has not been swept all season.

Tonight's #Dodgers lineup vs. Reds: pic.twitter.com/WVGqDQMF56

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 27, 2025

Game info​

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Reds
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 5:40 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-game-threads/102461/dodgers-reds-game-chat

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Shohei Ohtani strikes out 9, Dodgers finish sweep of Reds

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani had his longest pitching start yet with the Dodgers and struck out nine in a 5-1 win over the Reds on Wednesday night in Los Angeles to complete the sweep.

Of the 20 three-game series this season at Dodger Stadium, 10 have ended in sweeps, seven in the Dodgers’ favor. The four-game winning streak by Los Angeles — their longest in eight weeks — has them two games up on the Padres in the National League West.

Ohtani was wild early on, with two walks and two wild pitches in a 27-pitch second inning, which he was able to keep scoreless thanks to three strikeouts in the frame. Noelvi Marté took Ohtani deep in the third inning to open the scoring, the third home run allowed by Ohtani this season. Like Byron Buxton (July 21) and Taylor Ward (August 13), Marté’s blast was a solo shot.

After the homer, Ohtani retired his final eight batters with four more strikeouts to give him nine on the night. He needed 45 pitches to get his first six outs, but threw only 42 pitches over the next three innings.

“This was a complete performance by Shohei,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Through three innings, the pitch count was up there. For him to find a way to get through four and five was a huge accomplishment.”

Ohtani achieved several pitching season highs on the night, with five innings, 87 pitches, and nine strikeouts. He also induced 14 swinging strikes, five coming on the sweeper and four more on his curveball. The nine strikeouts were the most for Ohtani since July 21, 2023 with the Angels, in a 6 1/3-inning start against the Pirates.

Shohei Ohtani records his season-high 9th strikeout pic.twitter.com/Jg7TPgOk1n

— MLB (@MLB) August 28, 2025

“Progressing through this rehab in general, aside from the innings, I wanted to just be able to incorporate other pitches,” Ohtani said, through interpreter Will Ireton, of throwing his curveball and sweeper each more than his fastball on Wednesday. “That was the intent going in.”

“He’s like Yoshi[nobu Yamamoto] in a way,” said Dalton Rushing, who caught his fourth of Ohtani’s 11 pitching starts this year. “He has so many pitches, and everything is in the zone.”

The Dodgers have been purposely gradual in Ohtani’s return from September 2023 elbow surgery, building him back up slowly with incremental increases in workload. The plan was for Ohtani to get through five innings in each of his last two starts, too, though he faltered and allowed nine total runs in 8 1/3 innings. But there’s also still time on the schedule for at least four more regular season starts to get Ohtani ready to unleash his two-way status in October for the first time.

“That’s why we went through this process, of starting him slow, building him up,” Roberts said before the game. “The point wasn’t August [27], it was through the postseason, and then locking in.”

Nick Lodolo struck out 11 Dodgers in 5 1/3 innings in Cincinnati on July 29, but in between now and then only recorded five outs in his one start, missing the bulk of that time on the injured list with a blister on his left finger. He was dominant in the first three innings on Wednesday, with five strikeouts and retired each of his first nine batters faced.

In the fourth inning though, the Dodgers BABIP’d Lodolo to death, with a few pop-fly singles and a pair of seeing-eye two-run singles. The second two-run single came after Lodolo intentionally walked Miguel Rojas with first base open, the first intentional walk for Rojas since 2022 while with the Marlins.

That brought up Dalton Rushing, whose numbers haven’t yet been as good as those of Rojas this year, but is one of the best Dodgers hitting prospects in recent memory. Even with the handedness advantage of left on left, Rushing cashed in the opportunity with a single that extended the Dodgers lead from 2-1 to 4-1.

Michael Conforto added an insurance run in the eighth inning with a solo home run, his first since July 27, snapping an 83-plate-appearance drought.

Jack Dreyer, Justin Wrobleski, Edgardo Henriquez, and Blake Treinen all worked through traffic to each pitch a scoreless inning, and each had multiple strikeouts. Nineteen strikeouts by Dodgers pitchers are a new season high, surpassing the 16 achieved on March 28 (in 10 innings) against the Tigers and April 16 against the Rockies.

It’s the most strikeouts ever by the Dodgers in a nine-inning game.

Wednesday particulars​

Home runs: Michael Conforto (10); Noelvi Marté (11)

WP — Shohei Ohtani (1-1): 5 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts

LP — Nick Lodolo (8-7): 4 2/3 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts

Up next​

The Dodgers finished their 13 game days in a row at 9-4 and now get to rest on Thursday before opening a series against the Diamondbacks on Friday night (7:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). Blake Snell starts for the home team.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...ni-strikes-out-9-dodgers-finish-sweep-of-reds

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

August 27: Dodgers 5, Reds 1

• Dodgers set franchise record with 19 strikeouts in 9-inning game
• Dodgers vs. Reds game VI chat
• Freddie Freeman, Alex Call out of Dodgers lineup with injuries
• Dodgers notes: Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, sweep opportunities
• Why the Dodgers vs. Reds finale starts at 5:40 p.m.
• Dodgers on Deck: August 27 vs. Reds

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102459/dodgers-reds-august-27

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers Notes: Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw, Emmet Sheehan

Once upon a time, batting .400 was something magical. Now, most batters are lucky to hit .300, says Bill Shaikin at the Los Angeles Times. In fact, the only National League hitter batting at .300 or above is Freddie Freeman, who sits just over the line at .302. What gives?

“The pitching is just too good. It’s hard to combat,” Freeman said. “My whole goal every year is to hit .300. It’s getting harder and harder.”

That goal might just be enough, as Freeman is now in the batting title conversation. Last year’s winner, Luis Arraez, won with a .314 batting average, a drop from Freeman’s own winning average of .331 in 2023.

Only one other player—Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox—has won a batting championship with a lower average. Yaz did it with a .301 year in 1968 (the first with a shorter pitcher’s mound, coincidentally).

Pitchers aren’t the only ones changing. There’s a stronger emphasis these days on hitting homers and getting on base, chasing a better on-base percentage rather than a batting average.

“Batting average isn’t valued as much — until you get to the postseason,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Then you want guys that can get hits and drive in runs, right?”

Dodgers Notes​

Clayton Kershaw felt that he didn’t have his best stuff in his last start, but he still looked as sharp as ever, writes Cary Osborne at Dodger Insider. This August has been particularly great for Kersh, who went 5-0 for the first month since June 2017.

The Dodgers are comfortable with their six-man rotation and plan to stick with it until the playoffs require cuts, writes Doug Padilla at the Orange County Register. Emmet Sheehan is likely to get dropped during the playoffs despite his recent performance, according to Padilla, and deciding who else to remove for the required four-man system will be a tough decision.

Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates was sidelined for more than two weeks because of blood clots in his left leg but is now back with the team, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Although Bates said the health scare changed his perspective a little bit, he remained an active member of the Dodgers’ staff during his recovery, sending notes as he watched games from home.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...freddie-freeman-clayton-kershaw-emmet-sheehan

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Jake Gelof drives in three with a home run and a double to power Great Lakes win

In Dodgers minor league games played on Wednesday, August 27th, Josue De Paula, in a two month slump, had two hits, Charles Davalan had only one hit, but it was clutch, and Jake Gelof provided some power in High-A.

Player of the day

Bobby Miller has done extremely well pitching single innings in relief. In the last seven games where he has pitched a single inning or less, he has given up no earned runs and not much of anything else. In his last two appearances, he was stretched out into a second inning, and in both cases, he retired the side in order in his first inning, but surrendered multiple runs in his second inning.

Bobby Miller just threw a 1-2-3 inning for AAA OKC and touched 100 with his four-seam fastball. He needed just 9 pitches, 6 were strikes, including landing all 3 of his breaking balls.

Stay tuned, will report back if he throws a 2nd inning or beyond. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/spsPhPCxwP

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) August 28, 2025

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) broke a 6-6 tie with two runs off Bobby Miller in the ninth inning to defeat the Oklahoma City Comets 8-6. Kody Hoese hit a three-run homer for the Comets that put them up 4-2 in the fourth inning. But the Redbirds answered with three runs of their own in the top of the fifth, knocking Comet starter Matt Sauer out of the game. The Comets regained the lead with a two-run sixth, but Michael Kopech was tagged with a run when he gave up a lead-off ground ball single, a stolen base of second and third, and an outfield fly to plate the tying run. Bobby Miller almost got out of the trouble he created when he walked the bases loaded in the ninth inning, striking out a batter for the second out. But a ground ball single made it through the infield, allowing the winning runs to score.

Deepest part of the park? Not a problem for Kody Hoese with this 3-run ! pic.twitter.com/dbs2Y1sfNr

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) August 28, 2025

Double-A Tulsa

Patrick Copen gave up four runs on five hits and four walks in a rough three innings, and an anemic Tulsa offense put up a single run in the ninth inning, as the Drillers lost to the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) 6-1. Zach Ehrhard had two hits and a stolen base for the Drillers, who were limited to seven singles, gave up nine stolen bases, including a steal of home, and committed two errors in a forgettable performance.

High-A Great Lakes

Jake Gelof homered, doubled, and drove home three runs, leading the Great Lake Loons to a 6-2 win over the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers). Josue De Paula checked in with two hits, breaking an 0-for-August slump. Logan Tabeling started for the Loons, and he and three relief pitchers limited the Whitecaps to two runs on five hits.

GELOF STAYS HOT pic.twitter.com/X6MUumwCv1

— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) August 27, 2025

LET'S GO!

Zyhir Hope RBI single pic.twitter.com/1cXqDXxPsO

— Great Lakes Loons (@greatlakesloons) August 27, 2025

Low-A Rancho Cucamonga

Shut out for eight innings, the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes scored two runs in the ninth inning to tie the game, and a run in the tenth to capture the win over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres). The only hit for the Quakes in the ninth inning was a single by Charles Davalan, the third time in his last four games that he contributed a clutch ninth-inning hit to help tie a game. Chase Harlan had three hits and a walk. Marlon Nieves pitched another effective game for the Quakes, going five innings and giving up one run on two hits. His ERA in seven Rancho Cucamonga starts is 1.93.

Scores of games played on Wednesday, August 27th:

Memphis 8, Oklahoma City 6

Corpus Christi 6, Tulsa 1

Great Lakes 6, West Michigan 2

Rancho Cucamonga 3, Lake Elsinore 2

Up next: games scheduled for Thursday, August 28th:

West Michigan (Hayden Minton) at Great Lakes (Maddux Bruns), 4:05 PM PST

Corpus Christi (James Hicks) at Tulsa (Roque Gutierrez), 5:00 PM PST

Memphis (Aaron Wilkerson) at Oklahoma City (Kyle Funkhouser), 5:05 PM PST

Rancho Cucamonga (TBD) at Lake Elsinore (Kannon Kemp), 6:05 PM PST

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-minor-leagues/102540/dodgers-minors-jake-gelof-bobby-miller

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

MLB playoffs: The bunched-up fight for National League seeding

The Dodgers are off on Thursday after playing 13 days in a row, a length none of their remaining schedule can match. Beginning Friday, they will play 28 games over 31 days, with a nine-day stretch (September 2-10), a 10-day stretch (September 12-21), and a six-day stretch to end the regular season (September 23-28).

Unlike most years, the Dodgers winning the National League West this season wouldn’t necessarily earn them a bye past the wild card round. The Dodgers have only been in the wild card round twice in this current stretch of playoff participation — in 2020, when the postseason was expanded and all 16 postseason teams played in the wild card round; and in 2021, when the Dodgers had the second-best record in baseball (106-56) but finished one game behind the Giants and had to play in the wild card game (it hadn’t yet become the wild card series that currently exist).

So the Dodgers are fighting several fronts in their 2025 postseason war, and let’s take stock of where things stand at the moment.

National League West​

Dodgers 77-57 (.575) – – –
Padres 75-59 (.560) 2 GB

The Dodgers went 9-4 against San Diego, and thus hold the tiebreaker should both teams finish with the same record. They do not play each other again, but have several common games among their remaining slate.

Up next: Dodgers vs. D-backs, Padres at Twins

NL seeding​

1. Brewers 83-51 (.619)
2. Dodgers 77-57 (.575)
3. Phillies 76-57 (.571)

Milwaukee is 44-16 over the last 10 weeks, which has earned them a six-game cushion for the possible No. 1 seed in the National League. The Dodgers and Phillies are tightly bunched in the battle for the No. 2 seed, which earns a bye. The Phillies beat the Dodgers two out of three in April in Philadelphia, and the two teams play at Dodger Stadium from September 15-17 to conclude the season series.

But the Dodgers and Phillies are also tightly bunched with the other teams currently in wild card position, too. Only two games separate the No. 2 and No. 5 seeds.

1. Brewers 83-51 (.619)
2. Dodgers 77-57 (.575)
3. Phillies 76-57 (.571)
4. Cubs 76-57 (.571)
5. Padres 75-59 (.560)
6. Mets 72-61 (.541)
7. Reds 68-66 (.507)

Six NL teams make the postseason, but I included the Reds here as a courtesy because they are the only other team in the league that doesn’t have a losing record. The Dodgers sweeping them put a damper on Cincinnati’s October chances.

The division winner with the worst record gets the No. 3 seed, and will play the No. 6 seed in the wild card round, with No. 4 playing No. 5. All wild card series are at the home of the higher seed for the entirety of the best-of-3 series, which this year runs from Tuesday, September 30 to October 2.

For the Division Series, the No. 1 seed will play the winner of the 4-vs.-5 wild card matchup, and the No. 2 seed gets the 3-vs.-6 winner. As things stand on Thursday, the Dodgers would get a bye as the No. 2 seed, and would play the winner of the Phillies-Mets wild card round.

But there’s still 4 1/2 weeks remaining and plenty of time to sort this all out.

This weekend: Phillies vs. Braves, Dodgers vs. D-backs, Cubs at Rockies, Padres at Twins, Mets vs. Marlins

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102389/mlb-playoffs-national-league-standings

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers set franchise record with 19 strikeouts in 9-inning game

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani had his longest start and most strikeouts since joining the Dodgers, but he was not alone in getting swing-and-miss from the Reds on Wednesday night. Five Dodgers pitchers combined to strike out 19 batters, the most in franchise history in a nine-inning game.

After Ohtani fanned nine in his five innings, Jack Dreyer struck out two in the sixth, Justin Wrobleski loaded the bases but struck out two in the seventh, Edgardo Henriquez struck out three in the eighth, and Blake Treinen worked around a hit and walk to strike out three more to close out the win, the fourth straight for the Dodgers.

“That’s a big number, and speaks to what our guys can do and the talent we have, the swing and miss,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Really good performance.”

It helps that the Dodgers rotation is at full strength, six deep at the moment and with Ohtani stretched out to five innings. The pitching staff as a whole ranks second in the majors with a 25.7-percent strikeout rate for August, their best month of the season. The only month closer was the amalgamation of March and April, when the Dodgers were at their previous healthiest; but even then they didn’t yet have Ohtani.

Dodgers pitching strikeout rates by month​

• April: 25.4 percent (3rd)
• May: 23.2 percent (9th)
• June: 20.2 percent (24th)
• July: 23.4 percent (10th)
• August: 25.7 percent (2nd)

Against the Reds, Dodgers pitchers struck out 42 batters in three games, a tidy 39.6-percent strikeout rate. There were double-digit strikeouts in each game, with 19 the record-setting effort on Wednesday.

The Dodgers struck out 18 batters in a nine-inning game five times, with the last coming on May 15, 2015 against the Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Unsurprisingly, Clayton Kershaw was involved, with 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings in that win, the 100th of his career.

There were also five 18-strikeout extra-inning games for the Dodgers, including in a 1-0 win over the Expos on August 23, 1989, one of two 22-inning games that season for the Dodgers and a game more famous for Tommy Lasorda getting the mascot Youppi! ejected in Montreal.

Before Wednesday, Dodgers pitchers struck out 19 or more in extra innings five times. In only one them they got to 19 strikeouts within the first nine innings.

On June 2, 2017, Kershaw reached another milestone with his 2,000th strikeout, the fifth-youngest pitcher in major league history to get to 2,000. He got to 2,000 in the second inning that night against the Brewers in Milwaukee, but then added 10 more to his total.

Kershaw that night struck out 14 in seven innings, and Pedro Báez followed with five strikeouts in two innings. But the game was a 1-1 tie, thanks to stellar mound work on the other side from future old friends Jimmy Nelson (11 strikeouts in eight innings) and Corey Knebel (two strikeouts in the ninth). In extra innings, Grant Dayton struck out all three batters he faced in the 10th, then Kenley Jansen got the win with four strikeouts in two scoreless innings.

Twenty-six strikeouts by the Dodgers that night matched the major league record, done five times. All of those games were extra innings, with the 12 innings by the Dodgers two fewer than any other 26-strikeout game.

With 19 strikeouts on Wednesday, the Dodgers matched the major league season high. The Blue Jays (April 16), Braves (June 14), and Astros (July 28) also got to 19 strikeouts in nine innings, and the Astros (twice) and Nationals also got there in extra-inning games this year.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-history-records/102528/dodgers-record-19-strikeouts

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers hope for back to Diamondbacks series sweeps

The Dog Days of August are almost over, and somehow, the Dodgers survived them. The team had slogged their way through July, but August brought a lot of reinforcements in the line of lots of players returning from the injured list.

Through the month, the Dodgers lost the division lead but gained it back again. They currently have a two-game lead on the San Diego Padres. Just as importantly, they are now tied with the Philadelphia Philles for the second-best record in the NL, which would entitle them to a bye in the first round of playoffs.

The Dodgers on Friday start their last home stand of the month, a three-game set with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The D-backs didn’t have quite the season they were envisioning, and currently sit at 66-69, 11.5 games out of first in the NL West.

The Diamondbacks will send Zac Gallen to the mound to start the series. Gallen has a record of 9-13 with a 5.13 ERA. Most of his season has not been great, but in August he has turned things around.

So far in August, Gallen has thrown four quality starts. He entered the month with just eight in his previous 22 starts. For most of the season, his ERA has been in the fives, with June being the worst at 6.23. His ERA so far this month is down to 3.10. He has been the proverbial ace of the staff as of late, as this season saw Corbin Burnes out for the season, and Merrill Kelly traded to the Texas Rangers at the deadline.

However, Gallen is 0-5 lifetime at Dodger Stadium, and most of the lineup sees him well. Even Michael Conforto has a .280 average and a homer against him.

The Dodgers will counter with Blake Snell, fresh off of paternity leave and daddy to a brand-new baby girl. Snell looked strong in his last two outings, both against the Padres, allowing only two earned runs over 13 innings of work.

On the flip side, even though the Diamondbacks have had a disappointing season, the team isn’t going to roll over for the Dodgers. Over the last month as a team, the D-backs have the fourth best average against left-handed pitchers. In that same time span, they also have the second-best average against fastballs and third best slugging against lefties.

L.A. and Arizona haven’t faced each other since they did twice in May. The Dodgers hold the series edge with a 4-3 record against. The Dodgers only faced Gallen once in those seven games, tagging him for four runs in 5.2 innings.

But, that Gallen is not the same Gallen as now, and this Diamondbacks team is sure to hype themselves up to take on the division leaders and maybe help play spoilers. The Padres will be in Minneapolis to face the Twins, who have almost the exact inverse record of the Padres. The Dodgers will need to carry their momentum from their last four wins into this series.

Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. D-backs
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102580/dodgers-hope-diamondbacks-sweeps

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers only muster three hits in shutout loss to D-backs

The Dodgers (77-58) were shutout 3-0 by Zac Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks (67-69) in the series opener Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Blake Snell’s velocity was down, yet he didn’t allow a base hit until the fourth inning when Lourdes Gurriel Jr. singled and Blaze Alexander took him deep. Although Snell left in the sixth down by three runs, he got absolutely no run support for his pitching efforts.

Gallen is having an off year, but he put together one of his best starts of the season on Friday night against the Dodgers. The right-hander started the game wild with a leadoff walk to Shohei Ohtani, but he settled down and struck out six batters through the first third of the game.

Teoscar Hernández robbed Corbin Carroll of a leadoff double in the top of the fourth with an ice cream cone sliding catch in right field. Dave Roberts had to challenge the no catch call, but it was overturned along with a smile from Hernández on the field.

Blaze Alexander put the D-backs on the board first with a two-out two-run home run against Snell. The Snakes added a third run in the sixth on a two-strike RBI base hit by Gabriel Moreno. That would be all for Snell who left the game down by three.

The Dodgers finally mustered a second base hit off Gallen, a booming Mookie Betts double in the bottom half of the sixth. Will Smith came up representing the tying run with two on and two outs. He took a Gallen slider deep to left field, but it didn’t have enough on it to leave the yard. Smith has been struggling in the month of August with a .159 average for the month coming into Friday’s game.

The bullpen did some good work with 3 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.

The offense was not good at all, and other than a two-out Andy Pages single in the bottom of the seventh, the L.A. bats were completely shut down for the rest of the game as well.

Friday particulars​

Home run: Blaze Alexander (7)

WP — Zac Gallen (10-13) : 6 IP, 2 hits, no runs, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts (96 pitches)

LP — Blake Snell (3-2): 5 1/3 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 3 walks, 8 strikeouts (86 pitches)

S — Jake Woodford (2): 1 IP, no hits, no runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

Up next​

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks go at it again Saturday night (6:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, MLB Network). Tyler Glasnow (1-2, 3.36 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) goes up against left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (5-8, 5.67 ERA, 1.64 WHIP).

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...-muster-three-hits-in-shutout-loss-to-d-backs

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

August 30: Diamondbacks 6, Dodgers 1

• Dodgers vs. Dbacks game IX chat
• Kyle Hurt pitches simulated game, wants to be Dodgers option down the stretch
• Dodgers skip Emmet Sheehan once through rotation, with off days
• Kiké Hernández returned just in time to face Eduardo Rodríguez
• Dodgers on Deck: August 30 vs. Diamondbacks

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102658/dodgers-diamondbacks-august-31

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Kendall George steals three more bases to reach 92

In Dodgers minor league games played Saturday, August 30th, we have a six-inning one-hitter by Luke Fox, Kendall George with three more stolen bases getting him closer to 100, four RBIs for Chase Harlan.

Player of the day

Elijah Hainline put in a very solid half-season at Low-A before being promoted to High-A, and he has maintained his production for the Great Lakes Loons.

Low-A: 235 at-bats, .298 batting average, .851 OPS

High-A: 115 at-bats, .296 batting average, .849 OPS

Cumulatively, Hainline has walked 70 times in 104 games, which has helped him achieve a stellar .422 on-base percentage. He has also been a threat on the bases, having stolen 29 bases in 36 attempts.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

Landon Knack gave up seven runs in three innings, and the Oklahoma City Comets lost to the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 8-2. Luken Baker hit a home run for the Comets.

Luken Baker the home run maker! pic.twitter.com/8BTRbubJy5

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) August 31, 2025

Double-A Tulsa

Luke Fox pitched a six-inning one-hitter, giving up a single run, and helping the Tulsa Drillers win their game against the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) 4-2. Nelson Quiroz and Kole Myers drove in two runs each.

Nelson's hit leads to for the party
TUL| CC pic.twitter.com/mOfZy2Uugh

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) August 31, 2025

High-A Great Lakes

With the game tied 4-4, Elijah Hainline singled to lead off the eighth inning, his third hit, and the next three batters walked to force in the winning run, as the Great Lakes Loons defeated the West Michigan Whitecaps (Tigers) 6-4. Kendall George stole three bases to bring his season total to 92 with seven games remaining.

Josie DePaula just nailed a bases loaded single to give the Great Lakes Loons the lead, 4-2.

DePaula is hitting .250, with an OPS of .788, and is getting his rhythm back after coming off the IL a little over a week ago.

He has hits in 3 games in a row. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/GjTmiYHoiJ

— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) August 31, 2025

Low-A. Rancho Cucamonga

Luis Carias made his first start in full-season ball after pitching three seasons in the rookie league, and didn’t give up a run in four and one-third innings, leading the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes to a 6-0 win over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres). Chase Harlan drove in four runs on three hits, and Ching-Hsien Ko also contributed three hits.

Scores of games played Saturday, August 30th:

Memphis 8, Oklahoma City 2

Tulsa 4, Corpus Christi 2

Great Lakes 6, West Michigan 4

Rancho Cucamonga 6, Lake Elsinore 0

Up next: games scheduled for Sunday, August 31st

West Michigan (Lael Lockhart) at Great Lakes (TBD), 10:05 AM PST

Corpus Christi (Jackson Nezuh) at Tulsa (Wyatt Crowell), 4:00 PM PST

Memphis (TBD) at Oklahoma City (Christian Romero), 4:05 PM PST

Rancho Cucamonga (TBD) at Lake Elsinore (Bryan Balzer), 4:45 PM PST

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...dodgers-minors-kendall-george-elijah-hainline

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

August 31: Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 4

• Michael Kopech ready for another Dodgers playoff push
• Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks game X chat
• Dodgers sit Teoscar Hernández Sunday: ‘A 2-day reset could help’
• Dodgers on Deck: August 31 vs. Diamondbacks

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102716/dodgers-diamondbacks-august-31

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers activate Michael Kopech, Hyeseong Kim off injured list

The Dodgers on Monday activated pitcher Michael Kopech and infielder/outfielder Hyeseong Kim off the injured list, as expected, as their September additions as active roster limits expand from 26 to 28 players for the season’s final month.

Kopech was on the 60-day injured list, so his activation required adding him back to the 40-man roster. The Dodgers already made room there last week with infielder Buddy Kennedy getting designated for assignment.

Kopech has been out since July 1 and missed 52 games while recovering from right knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus. Coupled with a right shoulder impingement that kept him out for over two months to begin the season, the right-hander has only pitched in eight games with the Dodgers this season.

“It feels like it’s been a long season. I’ve had two stints on the 60-day. You never want to go on the IL, but you definitely don’t want to miss this many games,” Kopech said Sunday. “I know we all have the same objective in mind — to go and win another championship. To not get to be a part of what it’s looked like so far, at least not as much, is disappointing. I’m eager to get back.”

Kim was sidelined since July 29 with left shoulder bursitis. In nine games on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City over the last two weeks, Kim hit .324/.368/.412 and reached base in all nine games. He played second base, shortstop, and center field with Oklahoma City, just like he has with the Dodgers this season. But he also played three games in left field with Oklahoma City, a position he last played in 2020 in the KBO.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Kim would be in the mix to play some left field once returning.

“He’s been good, and the at-bat quality has been fine. He’ll be back with us on the road, so just kind of figuring out when he plays,” Roberts said Sunday. “This is his first year in the United States, and I think he’s done a fine job.”

The left-handed-batting Kim so far in the majors has essentially been a platoon player, with 87 percent of his plate appearances coming against right-handed pitchers.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...-roster-michael-kopech-hyeseong-kim-september

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers in August: Starting pitching now a strength

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.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...g-rotation-clayton-kershaw-yoshinobu-yamamoto

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Shohei Ohtani fastest to 100 home runs in Dodgers history

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

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.

Player	100th HR date	Games w/Dodgers	Total Dodgers HR
Shohei Ohtani	Sep 2, 2025	294	100
Gary Sheffield	Apr 19, 2001	399	130
Cody Bellinger	Aug 2, 2019	402	152
Max Muncy	Jul 1, 2021	404	207
Mookie Betts	Jul 8, 2023	405	146
Shawn Green	Jul 11, 2002	408	162
Mike Piazza	May 7, 1996	422	177
Frank Howard	Apr 14, 1964	491	123
Roy Campanella	May 23, 1952	508	242
Will Smith	May 29, 2024	533	128
Dolph Camilli	Aug 31, 1941	566	139
Gil Hodges	Aug 13, 1951	581	361
Joc Pederson	May 14, 2019	595	129
Raúl Mondesí	Sep 26, 1997	608	163
Duke Snider	Jul 24, 1952	623	389
Eric Karros	Jun 9, 1996	630	270
Corey Seager	Sep 26, 2021	630	104
Mike Marshall	Jul 17, 1987	637	137
Pedro Guerrero	Sep 17, 1984	645	171
Matt Kemp	May 23, 2011	675	203
Yasiel Puig	Aug 11, 2018	675	108
Justin Turner	Jul 26, 2019	714	156
Ron Cey	Jul 17, 1977	717	228
Adrián González	Aug 24, 2017	720	101
Babe Herman	May 24, 1931	734	112
Andre Ethier	Apr 20, 2011	738	162
Dusty Baker	May 22, 1981	756	144
Adrian Beltré	Apr 6, 2004	812	147
Chris Taylor	Jun 15, 2023	831	108
Steve Garvey	Jul 26, 1977	904	211
Jackie Robinson	Jul 24, 1953	986	137
Carl Furillo	Jun 26, 1954	1,133	192
Steve Yeager	Aug 24, 1984	1,155	100
Willie Davis	Sep 20, 1969	1,337	154
Pee Wee Reese	Jun 16, 1954	1,626	126
Zack Wheat	May 3, 1924	1,933	131

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-ange...9/shohei-ohtani-100-home-runs-dodgers-history

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers walk the plank

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.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102887/dodgers-pitching-walks

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Dodgers find ways to avoid scoring in shutout loss to Pirates

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.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102914/dodgers-pirates-game-recap

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

Kendall George, Adam Serwinowski win Midwest League August awards

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.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...endall-george-adam-serwinowski-midwest-league

 

[Los Angeles Dodgers]

The challenge of trying to bounce back against Paul Skenes

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)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/102964/dodgers-pirates-offense-paul-skenes