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Dodgers take their elite starting pitching on the road to San Francisco

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Whoever said a six-man rotation in baseball was a nice concept, but unfeasible, clearly never met the current version of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Across Los Angeles’ last six games, the Dodgers sent six different starters who have thoroughly dominated everyone in their way, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s objective is to keep that run going. To illustrate the quality of recent pitching for Los Angeles, their starters have compiled 2.0 fWAR since Friday. They’ve allowed five runs in 38 innings of work, allowing the fewest runs in the second-most innings, trailing only Cleveland in volume.

Obviously, there are unavoidable consequences of a long 162-game season that often get in the way of a six-man rotation, but for right now, it is working beautifully for the Dodgers. Not only does the production of all names involved justify it, but also the specific circumstances around each one. For different explanations, the Dodgers have a particular reason for closely monitoring each of their starters, and for Yamamoto, it’s the volume increase from last season, in which he missed a significant amount of time due to injury.

One could also argue that with a six-man rotation, Dave Roberts has a bit more leeway in pushing each starter’s pitch count, and that was evident in Yamamoto’s last start. Going for that no-hitter in Baltimore, Yamamoto reached 112 pitches, his highest single-game mark in the big leagues, and for the second straight game, he struck out 10 batters.

All of this recent success from the Dodger rotation came against a pair of last-place clubs, which doesn’t necessarily detract from the achievement. Yamamoto will now face a Giants team inching closer and closer to a playoff spot, currently only 1.5 games back of the New York Mets for the final Wild Card slot. Considering the Dodgers’ current scenario, if the Giants were to be able to run down the Mets, these teams could meet again in the Wild Card round.

Friday game info​

  • Teams: Dodgers at Giants
  • Ballpark: Oracle Park, San Francisco
  • Start time: 7:10 p.m.
  • TV: SportsNet LA
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/103553/dodgers-giants-yoshinobu-yamamoto
 
Six-run fifth inning helps Dodgers defeat Giants in a 13-7 slugfest

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After scoring just one run on Friday, the Dodgers bats erupted in a Saturday night slugfest that resulted in a 13-7 victory.

The Dodgers got to right-hander Logan Webb quickly, as Shohei Ohtani led off the game with an infield single against the shift. Freddie Freeman knocked in Ohtani with a base hit down the left field line, but he was gunned down at second trying to stretch a single into a double.

The Giants proceeded to give Clayton Kershaw fits in the bottom half of the first, as Heliot Ramos led off with a single before Rafael Devers won a nine pitch battle with a walk. Willy Adames and Matt Chapman brought home both Ramos and Devers with a pair of singles before Kershaw recorded his first out with a strikeout of Wilmer Flores. Jerar Encarnación plated Adames on a fielder’s choice, with Luis Matos promptly following with an RBI single to make it a four-run first inning against Kershaw. Kershaw needed 36 pitches and a full go-around through the Giants lineup to bring an end to the first inning.

The Dodgers immediately responded by loading the bases on three consecutive singles to begin the top of the second inning. Webb was able to get Miguel Rojas to pop out to second base before getting Ben Rortvedt to ground into a double play, once again exacerbating the Dodgers incapabilities of hitting with the bases loaded.

After Kershaw got two quick outs, the Giants also loaded the bases with a single and a pair of walks, but Kershaw left the bases loaded by getting Casey Schmitt to ground out to.

Ohtani trimmed the Dodger deficit in half with a titanic shot to dead center field that hit the batter’s eye. It was his 49th home run of the season, tying Shawn Green for the second-most home runs in a single season by a Dodger, and travelled 454 feet, surpassing Alex Call by a foot for the longest home run hit by a Dodger this year.

That Shohei bat flip. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xXTbDinb7Y

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 14, 2025

Teoscar Hernández brought the deficit to a single run with an RBI double, but Webb struck out Michael Conforto to leave the tying run on base. Clayton Kershaw managed to get through a perfect nine pitch inning, but his day was done after just three innings, his shortest start since May 23 where he went just two innings against the New York Mets.

Edgardo Henríquez took over for Kershaw in the bottom of the fourth inning, and struck out the side in his lone inning of work.

The Dodgers once again loaded the bases against Webb with nobody out, forcing Giants manager Bob Melvin to relieve his ace with right-hander José Buttó. Hernández greeted Buttó with a go-ahead two-run double that landed just out of the reach of a diving Matos. Conforto followed with a sacrifice fly to push the Dodger lead to two, but the floodgates burst open with a two-run double from Ben Rortvedt. Mookie Betts plated the Dodgers sixth run of the inning with an RBI single that forced Buttó out of the game.

Put up six on 'em! pic.twitter.com/0rgFBdg4tS

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 14, 2025

The Giants made things interesting against Kirby Yates in the bottom of the fifth, as they scored three two-out runs to make it a two run game. Justin Wrobleski was called upon to end the inning, and he managed to strike out Heliot Ramos to end the inning before proceeding to set down the next six hitters in order.

For the second straight game, Max Muncy had to be removed from the game, as he took a fastball to the head from Matt Gage. He was able to finish the top of the sixth inning but was replaced by Kiké Hernández defensively in the bottom of the sixth.

The Dodgers added four more runs after their explosive fifth inning, bringing their total to 13 on the night, the most amount of runs they have scored in the second half. Both Michael Kopech and even Tanner Scott had scoreless innings, as the Dodgers allowed zero hits after the fifth inning.

With the Giants losing, they now fall a half game back of the New York Mets for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. The Dodgers’ division lead remains at two and a half games with the San Diego Padres defeating the Colorado Rockies.

Game particulars​

  • Home runs— Shohei Ohtani (49)
  • WP— Edgardo Henríquez (1-1): 1 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
  • LP— Logan Webb (14-10): 4+ IP, 10 hits, 6 earned runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts

Up next​


The Dodgers wrap things up against the Giants on Sunday (1:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA) before heading back home to open a three game series against the Philadelphia Phillies. Tyler Glasnow gets the start for the Dodgers and faces lefty Robbie Ray.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/103656/dodgers-giants-game-recap
 
Dodgers playoffs look likely to start in wild card round

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The Dodgers took care of business by winning five of six games last week, giving them six wins in their last seven contests. But there are only two more weeks left in the regular season and an uphill climb ahead for them to earn a bye into the Division Series.

NL West standings​


Dodgers 84-65 (.564) – – –
Padres 82-68 (.547) 2 1/2 GB

While the Dodgers took a three-game series in San Francisco, the Padres won three of four at home against the Rockies. Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker and has a magic number of 10 to win the division; any combination of Dodgers wins and Padres losses that total 10 gives LA the National League West. Put another way, the Dodgers have 13 games left and the Padres have 12 games remaining, and they don’t play each other again.

Los Angeles needs 10 of 25 outcomes to go their way to win the division, while San Diego needs 16 of 25 outcomes to fall their way.

National League playoff seeding​


The Milwaukee Brewers were the first team to clinch a postseason berth, doing so on Saturday when the Mets lost to the Rangers.

  1. Brewers 91-59 (.607)
  2. Phillies 89-61 (.593)
  3. Dodgers 84-65 (.564)
  4. Cubs 85-64 (.570)
  5. Padres 82-68 (.547)
  6. Mets 77-73 (.513)
  7. Giants 75-74 (.503)
  8. Reds 74-75 (.497)

Milwaukee holds a two-game lead over Philadelphia for the No. 1 seed, and own the tiebreaker over the Phillies by winning four of their six head-to-head matchups. The Phillies are still in good shape to earn a bye into the NLDS, holding a 4 1/2-game lead over the Dodgers.

Luckily for fans of good baseball, the Dodgers host the Phillies for three games at Dodger Stadium beginning Monday night. Even if the Dodgers sweep the Phillies, they’d still be 1 1/2 games back for the No. 2 seed, but in that scenario would also hold the tiebreaker over Philadelphia. Bottom line is, the Dodgers likely need a series win over the Phillies at bare minimum to still cling to hope for the No. 2 seed.

Current scenario: Dodgers win division as No. 3 seed, host the sixth-seed Mets in the best-of-3 wild card round. The Giants and Reds are still clinging to hope at a Mets collapse for that final playoff spot. New York lost eight straight before eking out a win on Sunday over the Rangers.

Up next: Dodgers vs. Phillies, Brewers vs. Angels, Cubs at Pirates, Padres at Mets, Giants at D-backs, Reds at Cardinals

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-.../dodgers-postseason-standings-phillies-padres
 
Phillies outlast the Dodgers in a game with postseason-like energy

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With too many back-and-forths to count, the Phillies managed to connect the last punch, winning it in extras, 6-5. In doing so, Philadelphia secured the NL East title and put a big dent in Los Angeles’ rather small chance of potentially running down that number two seed and the incredibly valuable bye it secures.

It’s not often that the Dodgers welcome any opponent who can roll out a hitter matching Shohei Ohtani’s power threat, but the Philadelphia Phillies are capable of just that with Kyle Schwarber in 2025. So big is the danger from facing Schwarber and also fellow lefty-hitter Bryce Harper at the top of the Phillies order that Dave Roberts worked up a specific plan for tonight’s game. In shades of postseason baseball, Roberts had Anthony Banda open the game for the specific purpose of facing those lefties before Emmet Sheehan made his regular scheduled appearance, but as a follower.

Ultimately, said plan only proved that very little would have been able to slow down the lefty mashers from Philly. Both Harper and Schwarber went deep in the game off southpaws, Schwarber in the first and Harper in the eighth.

What made this pitching decision from Dave Roberts particularly odd is that almost nothing from Sheehan’s recent performance led you to be overly cautious about his matchups against dangerous hitters. Harper and Schwarber are daunting, but they’re a problem against anyone, and Sheehan had been dealing as of late. Furthermore, not starting a game only twice this season, Sheehan could hardly be referred to as someone who is all that used to this approach.

Unfazed by Banda’s presence on the mound, Schwarber took the left-hander deep in the top of the first. It was Schwarber’s third home run in as many games, and it put him at 53 on the year, one below major-league leader Cal Raleigh. Although the Dodgers’ pitching strategy didn’t work out, it also didn’t not work out. Much like Schwarber, Sheehan was unfazed by the disruption in his routine. The Dodgers’ current youngest starting pitcher came on in the middle of the first and absolutely dominated the Phillies, not allowing a hit until his final pitch of the game, when Otto Kemp got him for a ground-rule double to open the seventh. By that time, Los Angeles held a 3-1 lead courtesy of a Max Muncy homer and a pair of Mookie Betts’ sac flies. That hit, though, opened the floodgates as Jack Dreyer struggled against the bottom of the Phillies’ order, allowing three runs to come across, capped by a Weston Wilson two-run bomb, giving Philadelphia a 4-3 advantage.

WAYYY OUT WES pic.twitter.com/rb6iK9oupj

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 16, 2025

One of the big issues in dealing with the likes of Schwarber and Harper is that even if you make the right decisions, with the best pitchers throwing the correct pitches, you’re still susceptible to getting burned. That’s how talented they are, and shortly after Mookie Betts tied the game with a solo shot in the seventh, it was Harper’s turn to show out against a talented Dodger left-handed reliever.

Alex Vesia came on with the plan of attacking Harper with high heaters. He executed that quite well, and still, Harper went out of the zone to crush one of those four-seamers over the right-field wall, once again putting the Phills back in front.

BRYCE IN HIS VEINS pic.twitter.com/AYKrI7n3DQ

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 16, 2025

Much like Banda’s 1-2 slider in the first hadn’t been a bad pitch by any means and had Schwarber reaching out for it, this was yet another case of good pitch, better swing. Room for improvement is ever-present, but there was little to complain about from the job Banda and Vesia did against these two outstanding hitters. If anything, Los Angeles should lament the seventh-inning blowup against a part of the Phillies order it should handle swiftly, regardless of who is on the mound.

By the time the ninth inning rolled around, the Dodgers needed to score against Jhoan Duran with their bottom of the order up. Andy Pages managed what no one else had since Duran got traded to Philadelphia, which is to homer against the flame-throwing closer. An outstanding hitter at home, Pages added to the folklore of his skills at Dodger Stadium with yet another signature moment.

ANDY KNEW. pic.twitter.com/fBRh3M0nJB

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 16, 2025

Shohei Ohtani got nothing in the zone a couple of batters later, walked, stole second, and set up the game-winning opportunity for Betts, who, unlike in many of his previous at-bats in this game, this time couldn’t come through. Missed opportunities ended up marking the final innings for Los Angeles. In the tenth, Blake Treinen did a fine enough job to hold the Phillies to one run, and when the Dodgers loaded the bases with just one out, the park was very lively, but a Miguel Rojas pop-fly and an easy groundout from Muncy meant defeat for Los Angeles.

Monday particulars​


Home runs: Max Muncy (18), Mookie Betts (19), Andy Pages (25), Kyle Schwarber (53), Weston Wilson (5), Bryce Harper (27)

WP — Jhoan Duran (7-6): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

LP — Blake Treinen (1-5); 1 IP, 1 run (unearned), 1 walk

SV – David Robertson (1): 1 IP, 2 walks

Up next​


Same start time for the Dodgers and Phillies on Tuesday, with Shohei Ohtani and Cristopher Sánchez squaring off on the mound and both teams trying to navigate tired bullpens after an eventful Monday game.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...llies-recap-loss-pages-betts-harper-schwarber
 
Dodgers and Phillies head for round two

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It’s been a while since I didn’t feel completely frustrated after a loss, but that’s where I’m at today. While the Dodgers failed in their comeback attempt Monday night, there still were a whole bunch of positives.

They hit

The Dodgers had 18 hits in Sunday’s game against San Francisco. They halved that on Monday night, but who they hit its more important. Ranger Suarez came into the game having been lights out lately. They tagged him for three runs, including a homer from Max Muncy. Suarez left the game down 3-1. Andy Pages also tagged Johan Duran for a home run in the ninth inning. Duran this season has only allowed two homers – that one to Pages, and one in July to Shohei Ohtani.

Sheehan looked great

Last season, the Dodgers had to rely on at least one bullpen game a series on their way to winning it all. This year, the starters are probably what’s going to get them deep into the playoffs if that happens. Emmet Sheehan will be a big part of that. The team used an opener for him, which didn’t exactly go as planned with Anthony Banda allowing Kyle Schwarber to go deep right off the bat, but Sheehan then came in to deliver 5.2 innings of one run ball, allowing one hit and striking out seven. He shut down a very good Phillies offense for a good chunk of the game and will be a weapon in the bullpen if he continues that.

Tanner Scott – back?

Every Dodger fan collectively groaned when Dave Roberts put Tanner Scott in the game in the ninth when the Phillies had a 5-4 lead. But he showed up this time, setting down the Philles 1-2-3 and keeping the game within one run which allowed Pages to tie it in the ninth.

Overall, it was a pretty decent game to start the series. The bats stayed going, Mookie Betts is continuing his Player of the Week status, and they kept battling. Worrisome that Jack Dryer, Anthony Banda and Alex Vesia gave up runs, but hopefully those are just blips. Blake Treinen, well, as we said yesterday, that has been happening all season.

The Dodgers will face another tough pitcher in Cristopher Sanchez on Tuesday. He is 13-5 on the season with a 2.57 ERA. He has allowed exactly one run in each of his last three starts and has only walked nine batters in his last seven games. Sanchez has faced the Dodgers three times in his career, has a 2-0 record and 3.57 ERA. Teoscar Hernandez has homered twice against Sanchez, and Alex Call only has one hit against him, but that too was a homer.

Shohei Ohtani will start for the Dodgers, and it will be a test to see how he looks against a playoff caliber team. He only went 3.2 innings in his last outing against the Baltimore Orioles, in what was a spot start after his own missed start in Pittsburgh. He should be back at full strength, and it would be good to see him go a full five innings.

If there is any such thing as a positive loss, the Dodgers had one last night. The Phillies look like the team to beat in the playoffs this year, and the Dodgers were right with them. You can say “yeah they should be!” and you would be right, but the Dodgers have not looked like those Dodgers most of the season. They just need to carry this momentum forward and good things will happen.

Tuesday game info​

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

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/103867/dodgers-phillies-head-round-two
 
Dodgers notes: Shohei Ohtani, Tanner Scott, bullpen concerns

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If there was any doubt that Shohei Ohtani wouldn’t win his second straight NL MVP, those doubts were officially silenced after he clobbered his 50th home run of the season while dazzling for five no-hit frames on the mound.

Ohtani became the first player in Dodgers history with multiple 50 home run seasons— let alone one— and is now the first player in baseball history to hit 50 home runs and strike out 50 hitters in the same season. All this while trying to keep his team afloat in the National League playoff picture in the pursuit of a first round bye.

Ohtani has already proven in his time with the Dodgers that he can contribute in the postseason— disregarding a shoulder injury that derailed his World Series numbers— but the newest test will see how well he is on the mound in October. Ohtani spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA postgame on Tuesday about his dominant start and how it’ll prepare him for the playoffs.

“I felt like everything went according to the plan this outing… It was pretty impressive to be able to come up with a really good game plan.”
Shohei Ohtani (5.0 IP, 0 H, 5 K, BB, 68 P; 2-5, HR (50), RBI) talks with the media after the #Dodgers drop their 2nd straight to the Phillies, losing 9-6. pic.twitter.com/o0WZXFjmlT

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 17, 2025

Links​


Out of all the moments to describe as “rock bottom” for Tanner Scott’s 2025 campaign, it came on Friday as he served a walk-off grand slam to the light hitting Patrick Bailey in the Dodgers’ 5-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants. Since then, he has been lights out over his past two appearances.

Could this finally be the turning point for Scott? Dave Roberts, who has put Scott in high regard and has only given his reliever the benefit of the doubt, is hopeful that it is the case, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register.

“I really believe without a doubt that, for us to win the World Series, we’re gonna need him. For me, I don’t see any other side. So the most important thing is for him to get the confidence that baseball doesn’t hate him, and he’s the best option when he goes out there.”

Stop me if you’ve heard this before; a Dodgers starting pitcher limits the opposing team to zero hits only for the bullpen to blow the lead and the team’s chances of winning. Well, it happened again on Tuesday night, as the Dodgers bullpen allowed nine runs to the Philadelphia Phillies after Shohei Ohtani tossed five no-hit innings.

Blake Treinen took the loss on Tuesday after allowing the Phillies to score three runs in the ninth inning, and he spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA after another frustrating loss thanks in large part to the bullpen.

“I can promise you, from the bottom of our hearts, we are trying our darnedest every single night. There’s nothing we haven’t done, there’s no stone we haven’t unturned… It’s literally just sometimes, thing aren’t working… Obviously, it’s been a frustrating stretch.”
Blake Treinen (L (1-6), 1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, HR, BB, 19 P) talks with the media after the #Dodgers drop their 2nd straight to the Phillies, losing 9-6. pic.twitter.com/clsAV9ElL9

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 17, 2025

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-links/103885/dodgers-shohei-ohtani-tanner-scott-bullpen-concerns
 
Clayton Kershaw will retire after the 2025 season

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Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, a three-time Cy Young Award winner and former National League MVP, will retire at the end of the 2025 season, the team announced on Thursday.

Friday will be Kershaw’s final career regular season start at Dodger Stadium, facing the Giants, the longtime rival he’s faced more than any team during his career.

“On behalf of the Dodgers, I congratulate Clayton on a fabulous career and thank him for the many moments he gave to Dodger fans and baseball fans everywhere, as well as for all of his profound charitable endeavors,” Dodgers owner Mark Walter said in a statement. “His is a truly legendary career, one that we know will lead to his induction in the Baseball Hall of Fame.”

Kershaw’s 18 seasons are the most of any pitcher in Dodgers history, and tied with Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most seasons by any player in franchise history. He is the team’s all-time leader in strikeouts, having reached the 3,000-strikeout milestone earlier this season on July 3.

After shoulder surgery following the 2023 season, and procedures on his knee and left foot last offseason, this has been a relatively healthy season for Kershaw, who made his season debut in May. Kershaw this season is 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA and 3.83 xERA in 20 starts, with 71 strikeouts and 30 walks in 102 innings.

Kershaw is an 11-time All-Star, five-time ERA leader, and three-time strikeout leader. In addition to winning the National League Cy Young Award in 2011, 2013, and 2014, he finished top five in the voting in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017 as well. He’s 222-96 with a 2.54 ERA in 452 career games, including 449 starts, with 3,039 strikeouts. His ERA and ERA+ (154) are the lowest in the live-ball era.

Kershaw will hold a press conference at Dodger Stadium on Thursday at 5:30 p.m., which will be televised by SportsNet LA.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/104072/clayton-kershaw-retire-dodgers
 
Thank you, Clayton Kershaw

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Father Time remains undefeated.

The dreaded day has finally come.

Clayton Kershaw will take the mound at Dodger Stadium on Friday for the 228th and final time in his regular season career. Of course, it comes against the rival San Francisco Giants.

The Dodgers announced on Thursday that Kershaw will retire following the 2025 season, officially closing the book on his 18-year Hall of Fame worthy career. The longest tenured Dodger, the last remaining piece of the Frank McCourt era, and one of just two active players to have been of a part of a Dodgers team that missed the postseason, will give the home fans one more memory as the team celebrates his career over their final three home games of the season.

Here are some reactions to Kershaw’s last hurrah.

Mookie Betts remarked on Kershaw’s loyalty and his persistence in wanting to finish his career with the same team that drafted him 19 years ago, per Mirjam Swanson of the Orange County Register.

“It’s definitely different,” said shortstop Mookie Betts, who was traded to the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2020 season. “I’d say virtually nobody plays with the same team for their whole career now, and so for him to do it and be a legend, that just shows who he is and what he means to the Dodgers.

Miguel Rojas spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA prior to the Dodgers’ win against the Giants on Thursday, and admitted that he was shocked by Kershaw’s decision, but congratulated him on an excellent career.

Miguel Rojas on Kershaw retirement: "I heard it yesterday for the first time and I was kinda shocked. I didn't know what to say other than thank you and congratulations for an amazing career." pic.twitter.com/KOIIHXnQSg

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 19, 2025

From facing him in October to being teammates for four seasons, Freddie Freeman spoke with Kirsten Watson about Kershaw’s legacy after Thursday’s game, what it was like to be competing with and against him, and what Friday’s game means for the rest of the team.

“You’re in awe when playing against him, and I got to play against him for 12 years. Every time you step in the box, it is not fun. It was not fun to face him. You knew it was going to be a tough night at the yard. But then you come over here, and you see his daily work ethic… He deserves everything he’s going to get from the fans tomorrow… Whatever happens out there tomorrow, it’s Clayton Kershaw’s night, and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Freddie: "These are nice to win these ball games. It feels like these are the ones we've been coming up short in lately. To win these 1-run ball games, that's big for us." pic.twitter.com/wsbACZzaR8

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 19, 2025

Andy McCullough of The Athletic writes about Clayton Kershaw’s decision to keep playing despite the fact that he had pondered retirement after the Dodgers were swept by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2023 NLDS. He also shares how former rivals, such as Paul Goldschmidt and Madison Bumgarner, reflect on his illustrious career.

“He’s, like, my favorite guy in baseball,” long-time National League rival Paul Goldschmidt told me. “My favorite player. I hate to say that about a pitcher. I kind of joke, like, I’d spend money to buy his jersey.”
Added former San Francisco Giants rival Madison Bumgarner, “I think he’s the best pitcher to ever play, myself.”

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Clayton, for everything. Even through the highs of the regular season and the all too frequent postseason meltdowns, thank you. Thank you for 18 years of greatness and loyalty to the Dodgers. It will be all too bittersweet to watch the no. 22 be retired and to see him be inducted in Cooperstown in 2031.


  • Roki Sasaki made his first appearance out of the bullpen for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets, and his fastball reached a maximum speed of 100.1 miles per hour. Sonja Chen at MLB.com notes that Sasaki has a case for being in the postseason bullpen, especially considering how the pitching staff performed on Thursday.
  • Mookie Betts had Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos on the most recent episode of On Base with Mookie Betts, where the two discussed a controversial moment where a woman snatched a home run ball away from a young fan during a game between the Phillies and Miami Marlins.
Per Castellanos: “Whenever I’m playing catch, I always aim for a kid. You always have that ambitious adult sometimes that will come and grab it. This woman was obviously mad about a lot of other things in her life… Now, everything she has been mad about in her life for years all came out in this one moment where she felt like this man stole her opportunity for happiness.”

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...haw-roki-sasaki-mookie-betts-nick-castellanos
 
Dodgers vs. Giants game XI chat

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The Dodgers (86-67) continue their four-game series against the rival Giants (76-77) Friday night in Los Angeles.

Clayton Kershaw (10-2, 3.53 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) makes his 450th start of his career and final regular season start at Dodger Stadium.

Left-hander Robbie Ray (11-7, 3.50 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) starts for the Giants.

Tonight's #Dodgers lineup vs. Giants: pic.twitter.com/FCxuIa6s3y

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 19, 2025
Game 2 🔜

⌚️: 7:10 p.m. PT
📍: Los Angeles, CA
📺: @AppleTV
📻: @KNBR | KSFN#SFGiants | @CocaCola pic.twitter.com/Y41fvySv2j

— SFGiants (@SFGiants) September 20, 2025

Friday game info​

  • Teams: Dodgers vs. Giants
  • Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
  • Start time: 7:10 p.m.
  • TV: Apple TV+
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-game-threads/104172/dodgers-giants-game-chat
 
Landon Knack pitches six scoreless innings in OKC win

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It’s down to just Triple-A games for the Dodgers’ affiliates, and Landon Knack has demonstrated a knack for walking batters and stranding them lately.

Player of the day

Landon Knack went six innings, walked six, finished the season 6-6, with a 6.66 ERA, and for that next-level syxchronicity gets the POTD. The six-walk, no-run performance, along with the seven-walk, no-run performance from two starts ago, provides a departure from Knack’s normal method of operation, when he is at his best only when exhibiting pinpoint control.

Oklahoma City Comets

The Oklahoma City Comets defeated the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) 5-2 behind six shutout innings by Landon Knack. Alex Freeland hit a two-run homer as part of a four-run third inning that put the Comets ahead for good. Jose Ramos had three hits for the Comets, including a double and a home run, which put his Triple-A batting average at .300 in 140 at-bats and his OPS at .924. The comparison to his .221batting average and .688 OPS in 213 Double-A at-bats highlights the difference in league batting characteristics.

Watch it fly Alex Freeland 🤩 pic.twitter.com/bMlwQyWwid

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 20, 2025
Jose Ramos says welcome to the laser show! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/bSsENyXmwY

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 20, 2025
Austin Gauthier ropes it down the line and keeps the 2-out rally going! ☄️ pic.twitter.com/jXiulC8Fr1

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 20, 2025

Scores for games played on Friday, September 19th:

Oklahoma City 5, Tacoma 2

Games scheduled for Saturday, September 20th

Oklahoma City (TBD) at Tacoma (Nico Tellache), 6:05 PM PDT

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-minor-leagues/104251/dodgers-minors-landon-knack-alex-freeland
 
Dodgers magic number to clinch the National League West

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With a week and a half left in the regular season, the Dodgers are closing in on potentially a fourth consecutive National League West crown and 12th in the last 13 seasons. They clinched their 13th consecutive postseason berth on September 19.

The Dodgers on Saturday are hosting the Giants at Dodger Stadium. Earlier in the day the Padres beat the White Sox in Chicago. Los Angeles is up three and a half games on San Diego.

NL West standings​


Dodgers 87-67 (.565) – – –
Padres 84-71 (.542) 3 1/2 GB

By virtue of beating the Padres nine times in 13 games to secure the season series, the Dodgers hold the tiebreaker over San Diego. So they only need to tie the Padres to clinch the division.

The Dodgers magic number to clinch the National League West is now 4.

Put another way, the Dodgers have eight games left, the Padres have seven, and they don’t play one another. The Dodgers need four of those 15 outcomes to go their way to win the division, while the Padres need 12 of 15 outcomes to fall their way to prevail in the division.

Remaining schedules​


The Dodgers are playing the Giants this weekend. The Padres play the 96-loss White Sox once more in Chicago.

Next week the Dodgers are on the road to play the Diamondbacks and American League West-leading Mariners, while the Padres will be at home to face the best-record-in-baseball Brewers before finishing up against the D-backs.

If everything goes perfectly for the Dodgers, the earliest possible day they could clinch the division is Monday, September 22.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...offs-magic-number-national-league-west-padres
 
Three home runs not enough as OKC loses game in extra innings

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With the two teams starting the game with identical 84-64 records, the Tacoma Rainiers (Mariners) mounted a comeback and defeated the Oklahoma City Comets in ten innings.

Oklahoma City Comets

After the Rainiers scored a run in the first inning, Jose Ramos led off the second inning with a home run, Justin Dean singled home two runs in the third inning, and Kody Hoese hit a two-run homer in the fourth, to give the Comets a 5-1 lead. The Rainiers responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a one run game. A two-run Luken Baker homer in the top of the eighth padded the Comets lead, but the Rainiers answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own. Paul Gervase was brought in to close the game in the ninth, but a walk, double, and sacrifice fly tied it. After the Comets failed to bring home the free runner at the top of the tenth, the Rainiers quickly closed the game out with a run-scoring double by Jacob Nottingham.

Jose Ramos evens it 🆙 😤 pic.twitter.com/Fvu51EdQPC

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 21, 2025
Kody Hoese muscles this one over the wall! 💪 pic.twitter.com/Ba7A3ZC0xH

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 21, 2025
Luken bakes a 2-run homer to put the Comets up 3️⃣! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/dYBxNj0ZmM

— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 21, 2025

Scores of games played Saturday, September 20th:

Tacoma 8, Oklahoma City 7

Games scheduled for Sunday, September 21st:

Oklahoma City (Andrew Heaney) at Tacoma (Michael Mariot), 1:35 PM PDT

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-minor-leagues/104346/dodgers-minors-jose-ramos-kody-hoese
 
Blake Treinen’s nightmare September continues with another Dodgers loss

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Blake Treinen allowed three runs in the eighth inning, continuing a slump that has lasted over two weeks, turning a Dodgers lead into a 3-1 loss to the Giants on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

Up 1-0 to open the eighth, Treinen allowed two singles and a ground-rule double to tie the game before recording an out. Dave Roberts opted to intentionally walk Rafael Devers to load the bases, trying to set up a double play, but still an iffy proposition with Treinen having control problems of late, including two walks in Thursday night’s series opener.

Much like on Thursday, Treinen walked in a run, then a groundout scored another. Three runs were enough to hang the loss on Treinen, his fifth loss in his last seven appearances. During that time he’s allowed 11 runs, nine earned, in only 5 1/3 innings, with more unintentional walks (five) than strikeouts (three).

Treinen has been one of the Dodgers’ best relievers when healthy, and was a big part of last year’s postseason run. He is by no means alone in a very shaky bullpen at the moment, but he hasn’t pitched well enough to continue to pitch in the highest-leverage spots, as he has done on average so far this season.

A long walk(less start) spoiled​


Emmet Sheehan has compiled as good a résumé as any Dodgers starting pitcher this season, especially of late, all but assuring he will pitch meaningful innings in October even if he doesn’t start.

The right-hander matched career highs with 10 strikeouts and seven scoreless innings, with Sunday having a lot in common with that same combination on August 25 against the Reds which was one of the best Dodgers starts of the season. That night, Sheehan allowed two singles and a walk, and on Sunday against the Giants Sheehan allowed one single and hit two batters. He retired his final 15 batters.

Sheehan has allowed only four total runs in his last five starts, with 42 strikeouts against only seven walks in 32 1/3 innings. He has a 2.86 ERA and 30.1-percent strikeout rate in 72 1/3 innings on the season.

He now has two double-digit-strikeout games this season to go with his three seven-inning games. Sheehan just happens to be lower on the depth chart in a rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell, all of whom have multiple of each this season, plus Shohei Ohtani.

Emmet Sheehan's next start will be Friday in Seattle, Dave Roberts said. That was part of why he didn't push the pitch count today. It would also allow Sheehan to be available in relief in a Wild Card Series.

— Sonja Chen (@SonjaMChen) September 21, 2025

Sheehan only needed 84 pitches to get through his seven innings, and received a Yamamotoan level of run support. Trevor McDonald was pitching in his second major league game for the Giants and his first major league start, and held the Dodgers scoreless through six innings.

A walk by Max Muncy started the seventh inning, followed by singles from Andy Pages and Michael Conforto for the game’s first run. Conforto, who played with the Giants the last two seasons, hit .378/.415/.649 with three home runs and 10 RBI against them this year.

But that one single run did not hold up for the Dodgers on Sunday.

Of note​


With an announced attendance of 46,601 on Sunday, the Dodgers concluded their home schedule with 4,012,470 total attendance, an average of 49,537 per game, leading the league in attendance for the 12th season in a row. They reached four million fans for the first time in franchise history, and the first MLB team to hit that mark since 2008. Bill Shaikin had a nice breakdown of the Dodgers’ attendance and resulting ticket revenue earlier this week in the Los Angeles Times.

Sunday particulars​


Home runs: none

WP — Spencer Bivens (3-4): 3 up, 3 down

LP — Blake Treinen (1-7): 2/3 IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks

Sv — Ryan Walker (16): 2/3 IP, 1 strikeout

Up next​


The Dodgers are off on Monday but start a season-concluding road trip against the Diamondbacks in Arizona on Tuesday night (6:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound for the Dodgers, with Brandon Pfaadt starting for the home team.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...ke-treinen-slump-dodgers-giants-emmet-sheehan
 
National League West report: Diamondbacks still alive

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The Dodgers next play the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, and somewhat amazingly won’t be facing a team in the desert merely playing out the string. The D-backs, who were sellers at the trade deadline, are alive and kicking in a fight for a wild card spot.

At the trade deadline, Arizona traded away third baseman Eugenio Suárez, first baseman Josh Naylor, starting pitcher Merrill Kelly, closer Shelby Miller, and outfielder Randall Grichuk. Their low point was eight games below .500 on August 1.

Since then, the D-backs are 27-18, the third-best record in the National League behind only the Brewers and Phillies. The Dodgers during that span are 24-21, for instance. Driving the bus on offense since the beginning of August are Geraldo Perdomo (171 wRC+), catcher Gabriel Moreno (151 wRC+), and outfielder Corbin Carroll (148 wRC+).

That has Arizona just one game back of the final wild card spot heading into the season’s final week. Problem is they have two teams ahead of them, with the Mets and Reds tied for the No. 6 seed. The Diamondbacks this week play the Dodgers and Padres, so their path to the postseason is a rough one. But at the very least, they can make things difficult for the two other playoff-bound teams in the division.

Dodgers at Diamondbacks​

  • Tuesday, 6:40 p.m.: Shohei Ohtani vs. Brandon Pfaadt
  • Wednesday, 6:40 p.m.: Blake Snell vs. Ryne Nelson
  • Thursday, 12:40 p.m.: Yoshinobu Yamamoto vs. Zac Gallen

Division notes​


Renee Dechert at the Rockies Pitch newsletter wrote that it’s time for the Rockies to clean house after one of the worst seasons in major league history:

Look, if anything has become clear this season, it’s that the “Rockies Way” — whatever that is — has failed. It’s time for the Rockies to bring in someone from outside the organization and empower that person to make significant change.

The Giants haven’t been officially eliminated but begin the week under .500 at 77-79 and three games behind the final wild card spot, needing to leapfrog three teams. “The Giants had good luck this season,” Bryan Murphy asked at McCovey Chronicles. “Will they have better talent next year?”

NL West standings​


Dodgers 88-68 – – –
Padres 85-71 3 GB
D-backs 79-77 9 GB
Giants 77-79 11 GB
Rockies 43-113 45 GB

The week ahead​

  • Dodgers: at D-backs, at Mariners
  • Padres: vs Brewers, vs. D-backs
  • D-backs: vs. Dodgers, at Padres
  • Giants: vs. Cardinals, vs. Rockies
  • Rockies: at Mariners, at Giants

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-...national-league-playoffs-diamondbacks-dodgers
 
Dodgers playoffs likely to start against Mets, Reds, or Diamondbacks

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The Dodgers are back in the postseason, having clinched their 13th consecutive playoff berth on Saturday, tied for the second-longest streak in major league history. Now it’s just a matter of figuring out who they play, a group that has winnowed down to a few choices.

NL West standings​


Dodgers 88-68 (.564) – – –
Padres 85-71 (.545) 3 GB

The Dodgers’ are closing in on a fourth straight division title, with a magic number of only three to win the NL West.

National League seeding​


The Brewers, Phillies, Cubs, and Dodgers have all clinched postseason berths. The Phillies own the tiebreaker over the Dodgers and have a magic number of only two to lock Los Angeles out of the No. 2 seed, which would mean the Dodgers would have to begin their postseason in the wild card round, even if they win their division.

  1. Brewers 95-61 (.609)
  2. Phillies 92-64 (.590)
  3. Dodgers 88-68 (.564)
  4. Cubs 88-68 (.564)
  5. Padres 85-71 (.545)
  6. Reds 80-76 (513)
  7. Mets 80-76 (.513)
  8. Diamondbacks 79-77 (.506)

By far the most likely scenario for the Dodgers is the No. 3 seed as the NL West winner, which would mean hosting the No. 6 seed at Dodger Stadium in a best-of-3 series from September 30 to potentially October 2. But that fight for the final wild card spot is seemingly wide open at the moment, with one games separating three teams for that final spot.

The Reds and Mets are now tied for the No. 6 seed, with Cincinnati holding the two-team tiebreaker over New York by virtue of beating the Mets four out of their six matchups this season. The Diamondbacks are right there with them, just one game out of the final playoff berth.

Should the Reds, Mets, and D-backs end in a three-team tie, the Reds would win the tiebreaker by going 8-4 against the other two teams, with New York and Arizona each at 5-7 in those games.

For what it’s worth, the Mets the best shot to make the postseason from this group at both Baseball Prospectus (53.3 percent) and FanGraphs (51.5 percent). The Reds have a 418-percent chance to make the playoffs at FanGraphs and 37.5-percent at BP. The D-backs are at 6.2 and 6.6 percent, respectively.

Up next: Dodgers at D-backs, Brewers at Padres, Phillies vs. Marlins, Cubs vs. Mets, Reds vs. Pirates

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-scores-standings/104345/dodgers-playoffs-mets-reds-diamondbacks
 
Dodgers playoff roster decisions remain

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On week from today, the Dodgers will begin their 2025 postseason in the wild card round. This is not set in stone just yet, but with Los Angeles already unable to catch the top-seed Brewers and with a tragic number of two to be iced out by the Phillies, it’s pretty clear the Dodgers will have to play extra baseball before the Division Series for the first time since 2021.

The Dodgers have already set up their rotation in such a way that at least three of their top four starting pitchers are lined up for the wild card round, with Shohei Ohtani, Blake Snell, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting this week against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix, with Tyler Glasnow’s final tune-up to be determined.

There are a few roster decisions left to be made before the Dodgers begin their title defense.

Catcher health​


Will Smith taking a foul ball off his right hand on September 3 in Pittsburgh has proven much more costly than originally thought. The All-Star catcher has played in only one game since, and won’t play this week either after subsequent testing showed a hairline fracture in that hand. Whether he will be ready for next week remains to be seen.

Dalton Rushing had a right shin contusion of his own but returned from the injured list last week. He started only two of six games though, as Ben Rortvedt has taken “the lion’s share” of duties — Dave Roberts’ words — behind the plate. It’s abundantly clear the club prefers the receiving skills of Rortvedt, who has started 11 of the last 15 games.

Smith started every game for the Dodgers and caught all but two innings last postseason, and that probably would have been the case this year too. But with Smith’s status very much in doubt, Rortvedt seems like the probable choice for October either as the backup to Smith or starting in a timeshare with Rushing.

Finding relief​


What a difference a year makes, after navigating last year’s postseason with only three starting pitchers and relying heavily on a very deep bullpen all the way to a championship. This year, the rotation is the Dodgers’ clear and obvious strength, so much so that quality starters likely won’t get starts in October. Emmet Sheehan has pitched as well as any Dodgers starter of late, but will instead be deployed as a weapon in relief in October.

Roberts last week said of Clayton Kershaw’s postseason status, “I don’t know what role, but I just feel there’s a spot for him,” which was as nice a way as possible to say he won’t be starting in October. This comparison is probably unfair to both parties, but I view Kershaw’s 2025 role as sort of a better Landon Knack, who had a fill-in bulk role a year ago.

The Dodgers bullpen has been an unpleasant adventure down the stretch, with a 5.23 ERA that ranks 25th in the majors in September, and the worst walk rate (13.9 percent) in the league.

Tanner Scott seems to be on the other side of his horrific “baseball hates me right now” slump, with four consecutive scoreless appearances. Blake Treinen is going through it, taking each of the last five Dodgers losses during a 10-5 stretch for the team.

The Dodgers’ most reliable relievers — Alex Vesia and Jack Dreyer — are both left-handed.

With Treinen struggling, Michael Kopech no longer a viable option, and Kirby Yates unable to find his early-season effectiveness, finding right-handed relievers to trust is something the Dodgers need to sort out, and soon. Edgardo Henriquez might be the best bet here, and Sheehan will certainly be asked to get important outs in October.

Getting Roki Sasaki and Brock Stewart are expected to be activated off the injured list during this series against the Diamondbacks add too more potential right-handed relievers into the mix, trying to catch lightning in a bottle.

Position players​


Aside from Smith’s injury status, the rest of the Dodgers’ offensive roster is basically set. They have 14 position players active in September, but basically only 13 have played this month. Hyeseong Kim hasn’t played at all since September 14, and has only batted twice in the last 12 games, appearing late in games the Dodgers won by eight and nine runs. A lot of Kim’s sitting last week was due to the Dodgers facing five left-handed pitchers in seven games, but his October status is fairly clear, as Roberts noted last week. From Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:

He’s growing. He’s going to get better. But I think right now (when it comes to playing time) I’ve got to think about guys that I feel that can handle postseason pitching. But I think that this experience for Hyeseong to be on the club, to be in a pennant race, I think this is going to help him going forward.”

But that doesn’t necessarily mean Kim will be completely iced out of October. The wild card round is a best-of-3 series over three days, and a team doesn’t necessarily need to carry 13 pitchers to cover those innings. Last year, for instance, six of eight wild card teams carried 12 or fewer pitchers for that round — the Royals and Astros only had 11 pitchers — which left room for an extra position player. So it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Kim is active for the wild card round as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive replacement.

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/los-angeles-dodgers-news-notes/104261/dodgers-playoff-roster-options
 
Dodgers vs D-backs game XII chat

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Blake Snell makes his final start of the regular season as the Dodgers look to bounce back against right-hander Ryne Nelson and the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Tonight's #Dodgers lineup at D-backs: pic.twitter.com/OiEuXD4fcs

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 24, 2025

Game info​

  • Teams: Dodgers vs. D-backs
  • Stadium: Chase Field, Phoenix, AZ
  • Time: 6:40 p.m. PT
  • TV: SportsNet LA
  • Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)

Source: https://www.truebluela.com/dodgers-game-threads/104504/dodgers-diamondbacks-game-chat
 
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