Daily Clips

April 14, 2018

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, APRIL 13, 2018

MLB.COM

Taylor launches another leadoff homer – Ken GurnickMLB creates path for girls at Trailblazer Series – Alyson FooterAt Trailblazer Series, role models abound – Alyson FooterRally falls short after D-backs get to rusty Maeda – Ken Gurnick

LA TIMESDodgers move Matt Kemp up to No. 3 slot, drop Yasiel Puig in lineup – Andy McCulloughEarly struggles doom Dodgers – Andy McCullough

Matt Kemp gets banged up and the Dodgers lose again, but the club isn't worried yet - Mike DiGiovanna

OC REGISTERBad luck contributing to Dodgers’ slow starts at the plate – J.P. HoornstraDodgers’ Kenta Maeda struggles against Diamondbacks after long layoff – J.P. Hoornstra

TRUE BLUE LAKenta Maeda chased early, Dodgers rally falls short – Eric StephenNever too much Kyle Garlick for Tulsa - Craig MinamiDodgers 2018 top prospects: No. 2, Keibert Ruiz – David Hood

DODGER INSIDERLuck is fickle on Friday the 13th, as Dodgers’ comeback comes up just short – Rowan Kavner

ESPNDodgers take Lemon Face Challenge, join Nick Saban in fight vs. DIPG

USA TODAYAndre Ingram's victory lap takes him to Dodger Stadium to throw ceremonial first pitch – Casey L. Moore

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2018

MLB.COM

Taylor launches another leadoff homer

By Ken Gurnick

LOS ANGELES -- For the second time this week, Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor led off the bottom of

the first inning with a home run.

Taylor greeted Arizona starting pitcher Zack Greinke with a home run into the left-field pavilion on a 2-1

fastball. On Tuesday night, Taylor led off the bottom of the first with a homer against Oakland starting

pitcher Sean Manaea, and was followed back-to-back with a home run from Corey Seager. Those were

the first home runs of the year for both.

After Taylor's home run, which tied the game at 1-1, Greinke encountered back spasms and he was met

on the mound by manager Torey Lovullo and a trainer. After a warmup pitch, he remained in the game.

Taylor's home run (416 feet) was the fifth of his career leading off a game. He finished going 2-for-5 with

two runs and two RBIs. Against Arizona in his career, he has a slashline of .326/.359/.581 with five

homers and 17 RBIs in 24 games.

"We did some good things in that first inning, got Greinke's pitch count up to 25 or 26 in that first

inning," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "But then he kinda cruised the next four innings. We've

got to do a better job making the pitcher work in those middle innings."

MLB creates path for girls at Trailblazer Series

By Alyson Footer

LOS ANGELES -- Even if they're still a little too young to fully understand it, the girls participating in this

weekend's Trailblazer Series in Los Angeles have already carved out their unique, special place in sports

history.

Girls playing baseball is not a new thing, of course. But girls having myriad opportunities to play

organized baseball, together, at a young age, rather than have to try to fit in as the only girl on a team

full of boys, is still somewhat of a new concept.

If Major League Baseball's vision is carried out, girls playing baseball -- not softball, but baseball -- will

simply become a new norm. It certainly is this weekend for the approximately 100 girls, ages 11-13, who

are playing the Trailblazer Series at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton. A successful inaugural

tournament a year ago inspired MLB and USA Baseball to make this a regular event, further ensuring

girls are given the same opportunities to play organized baseball as the boys.

"These girls are ballers, they're really out there, they're playing, they're excited," MLB chief diversity &

inclusion officer Renee Tirado said to the participants during a dinner reception Friday night to kick off

the event. "We couldn't wait to reinvest in this and bring you all back this year and continue to make

this grow."

The effort certainly has the backing of generations of well-known women who didn't have such an easy

time when they were carving out their niche in the game. Many of those women are currently in Los

Angeles to help celebrate the Trailblazer Series, some of whom spoke to the group at Friday's kickoff din

That list included Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch, who currently serves as Youth Programs

ambassador for MLB. A former star pitcher at the University of Arizona, Finch told the girls she loved

"the teamwork, the discipline, the sacrifice" that sports exposed her to.

She also loved the confidence sports gave her when she was an awkward kid looking for an outlet.

"I was bigger than everyone else," the 6-foot-1 Finch said. "I never fit in, ever, ever. Then I realized,

through sport, that my height was a gift. My biceps were bigger than most of the boys. It was cool

because I could hang tough with my brothers, but it wasn't so cool in so many other situations. I always

felt awkward and not a part of it. Through sport, I was."

Finch was one of several trailblazers who attended the dinner. Three stars from the All-American Girls

Professional Baseball League were there, too, as special guests of MLB this weekend: Maybelle "Mae"

Blair, Shirley "Hustle" Burkovich and Jeneane Lesko. Their careers were among those highlighted in the

1994 hit movie "A League of Their Own."

Three high-ranking women who work in baseball also shared their life and career experiences during a

panel discussion: Molly Jolly, senior vice president of finance and administration for the Los Angeles

Angels; Nichol Whiteman, executive director of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation; and Shelagh Dillon,

senior director of security operations for Major League Baseball.

The panelists spoke of their current job responsibilities and the challenges they faced as younger people

when their careers were first starting. They were also asked to name some of their favorite memories

working in their respective jobs.

Unveiling the Jackie Robinson statue at Dodger Stadium last year was a particular highlight for

Whiteman, who this weekend will be part of the Dodgers' celebration of the anniversary of Robinson

breaking the color barrier on April 15, 1947.

"I essentially work for Jackie's team, and I'm doing that work, and that was really special for me,"

Whiteman said of the statue unveiling.

Major League Baseball's long-term goal is two-fold: to continue to encourage girls to play baseball, and

also to inspire them to stick with the game as they get older, especially if they want to someday pursue

careers in the industry.

"What's important to us at baseball is to make sure you stay connected to us your entire lives," Tirado

said. "Hopefully some of you will come back and work in baseball. I believe somebody in this room will

be a general manager, a president and/or the Commissioner of baseball. Because you all have it in your

blood."

At Trailblazer Series, role models abound

By Alyson Footer

LOS ANGELES -- As a kid growing up playing baseball, Stacy Piagno wanted nothing more than to just

blend in with the boys as the only girl on the team.

As an adult, Piagno's perspective has evolved. Girls playing baseball is special. It is unique. It's also

becoming more commonplace and will continue to move in that direction, as long as this generation of

female baseball players draws attention to the growing trend within the sport.

"There's a responsibility where we have to be trailblazers for future generations," said Piagno, a

member of USA Baseball Women's National Team. "If we want to continue to play baseball and have

women's baseball grow, it's important for us to be role models and it's so important for us to open

doors for those younger girls."

Doors are wide open this weekend in Los Angeles, where 100 girls ages 11-13 are participating in the

Trailblazer Series, a three-day event to be held at the MLB Youth Academy in Compton. The girls -- who

hail from all over the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada -- will be split into six teams for a round-

robin tournament Saturday and Sunday.

Major League Baseball has worked with dozens of national organizations, all of which have committed

to providing girls opportunities to participate in their baseball leagues. USA Baseball's National Member

Organizations -- AABC, American Legion, Babe Ruth League, Dixie Boys and Majors, Dixie Youth, Little

League International, NABF, NFHS, PONY, and USSSA -- are all working toward growing the opportunities

afforded to girls in the game.

In addition to games, the Trailblazer Series features several special activities, including non-game

instruction from the coaches, appearances by special guests connected to baseball, and a visit on

Saturday to Chavez Ravine, where the Dodgers will be celebrating the game's most distinguished

trailblazer -- Jackie Robinson, who broke baseball's color barrier as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers

on April 15, 1947.

The Trailblazer Series coaching staff, which consists of 12 past and present members of the USA Baseball

Women's National Team and Baseball For All founder Justine Siegal, spent the morning Friday preparing

for the girls' arrivals later in the afternoon.

"It means the world to be here and to have the opportunity to work with the younger girls and share our

experiences with them, and let them know that we've been through some of the things that you've been

through, whether it's good or bad," Piagno said. "We can help them learn and maybe help steer them in

the right direction."

Piagno has experience in this area. In 2016, she and teammates Kelsie Whitmore and Anna Kimbrell

joined the Independent League Sonoma Stompers. Piagno has played for the team the past two seasons.

Piagno said she was one of the lucky ones who was able to play baseball through high school rather than

be funneled over to the softball side. She wants girls to know that they have options as they get older.

"The percentage of girls that play Little League drops significantly by the time they get to high school,"

Piagno said. "There is a small handful of girls that didn't get to play during high school, and then after

high school, it drops to one percent or so of girls who actually go on to play college baseball.

"I think just in society it's engrained to us that girls have to play softball, boys have to play baseball. It's

so rare for girls who do play baseball to continue pushing through it."

The girls participating in the Trailblazer Series this weekend will be encouraged to follow that path, if

they so desire. It's a message today's coaches wish they had relayed to them when they were kids.

"The weekend for me is about keeping the passion alive and trying to reflect in those kids the same

feelings I had when I was 12 years old," said coach Bridget Venturi, an outfielder for the USA Baseball

Women's National Team in 2004 and '06. "I wanted to win the World Series, the Super Bowl and the

NBA Championship all at once, every day, after school. If these kids can keep that alive in their minds

and hearts, it's possible -- whatever their dream is. That's a successful trailblazer for me."

Rally falls short after D-backs get to rusty Maeda

By Ken Gurnick

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers, manager Dave Roberts said, just aren't quite synced up yet. When they

pitch, they don't hit. When they hit, they don't pitch.

The latter was the case on Friday night, when they spotted the D-backs a five-run lead and fell short of

their first comeback win of the year despite scoring five late runs, falling 8-7 for their 10th consecutive

regular-season loss to Arizona. The 4-8 start is the worst for the Dodgers since 1994. They trail the first-

place D-backs by 5 1/2 games, larger than any deficit they faced last year.

"It's not ideal," Roberts said of the start. "Not what we expected. We're playing good teams. We're just

not synced up."

With home runs from Chris Taylor and Cody Bellinger, Roberts' club nearly dug its way out of a hole

created by pitcher Kenta Maeda, who looked like he hadn't pitched in 13 days -- which he hadn't --

because of scheduling quirks that prompted management last weekend to send him to the bullpen (he

made one one-inning appearance). He pitched only 2 2/3 innings (tied for career shortest), walked the

first batter of the inning twice, opened the floodgates with a throwing error and left 6 1/3 innings for

the bullpen. Only two of the five runs charged to Maeda were earned.

"Possibly the one inning in 13 days got him," Roberts said. "It's a lot to throw on the plate of a player.

From what we've been through, off-days and a rainout, to navigate through the rotation, Kenta

competed. His stuff was fine, he wasn't sharp. Obviously, the throwing error changed the inning, and it

just got away from him."

In his previous start, Maeda was lights-out, 10 strikeouts in five scoreless innings. But because of the

erratic scheduling, combined with his scheduled start last Friday being rained out in San Francisco and

his dominance out of the bullpen last postseason, management felt it made sense to put him in the

bullpen and try to keep the rest of the starting rotation on semi-regular rest.

"It was difficult getting myself situated in the game today," Maeda said of the adjustment needed after

that much time off. "I think that's something I need to work on and change. For a starting pitcher, it's a

difficult thing to do. In the third inning, everything started snowballing after my own mistake, and it was

mistake after mistake and something that I regret."

Roberts noted the bright spots. Three runs in the seventh inning, chasing D-backs ace and former

Dodger Zack Greinke, who battled back spasms. Two more runs in the eighth inning on pinch-hitter

Chase Utley's fluky single through the box that would have been an inning-ending double-play until it hit

the second-base bag and deflected into left field.

"There were at-bats we put together, there was some luck that extended an inning," Roberts said. "But I

think to get Archie [Bradley] in the game and throw a lot of pitches was a good thing for us. To get the

closer [Brad Boxberger] in a game we seemingly were out of was another positive, and our club showed

some life."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Self-inflicted: Could be pitchers' fielding practice on Saturday for Maeda, who gloved Ketel Marte's

comebacker with runners on first and second and no outs in the third inning and pulled Corey Seager off

second base with a wide throw. The original out call was overturned on review, but an accurate throw

and the Dodgers likely would have had a double play. The misplay led to a decisive four-run inning.

Maeda started a 1-4-3 double-play in the first inning.

Good eye: Greinke, who walked only twice last season in 70 plate appearances, walked for the second

time this year leading off the third inning, which turned into a four-run windfall. Greinke was singled to

second by David Peralta, took third on Maeda's throwing error and scored on a Maeda wild pitch.

HE SAID IT

"I'm good. It ain't even nothing to write about. I'll be in there tomorrow." -- Matt Kemp, who slammed

his knee into the fence chasing Ahmed's decisive homer in the eighth inning.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Roberts said he was aware that outfielder Andrew Toles suffered a hamstring injury playing for Triple-A

Oklahoma City, but he did not know the severity. … Arizona's 10-3 start is the best in franchise history

after 13 games.

WHAT'S NEXT

After batting Yasiel Puig in injured Justin Turner's third spot in 10 of the first 11 games, Roberts moved

hot-hitting Kemp there on Friday. He will probably be there again on Saturday, when Rich Hill starts

against the D-backs' Taijuan Walker at 6:10 p.m. PT in Los Angeles. Hill is 1-5 with a 4.78 ERA against

Arizona.

LA TIMES

Dodgers move Matt Kemp up to No. 3 slot, drop Yasiel Puig in lineup

By Andy McCullough

For the first time in 2018, Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig occupied a position in the batting order besides

the No. 3 spot. And for the first time since Aug. 27, 2014, Matt Kemp batted third for the Dodgers.

On the opening night of a three-game series against the division-leading Arizona Diamondbacks,

manager Dave Roberts made some adjustments to his batting order. The Dodgers stumbled through the

first two weeks of the season, unable to strike an offensive rhythm. Roberts rewarded Kemp for a recent

streak of success, with seven hits in his previous three games heading into Friday.

"He's been swinging the bat well, having some good at-bats," Roberts said before the game. "Moving

Yasiel down to the sixth adds some length to the lineup, gives him a different look."

Both Kemp and Puig are placeholders in the No. 3 spot, which is usually occupied by third baseman

Justin Turner. With Turner rehabilitating a fractured wrist, Roberts was searching for a consistent way to

stack the top of his lineup.

Puig was the initial choice to bat after the leadoff tandem of outfielder Chris Taylor and shortstop Corey

Seager. Puig posted a .500 on-base plus slugging percentage during his first 11 games. Roberts

suggested Puig was chasing too many inside fastballs as he dealt with the slump.

Puig also appeared to be dealing with a spate of bad luck. He ranked 10th in average exit velocity for

hitters with at least 25 balls put in play heading into Friday, according to Baseball Savant.

Toles stays hot — but gets hurt in OKC

Sent to triple-A Oklahoma City to start the season, outfielder Andrew Toles experienced a setback on his

road back to the majors. He injured his hamstring after a three-hit night that included a home run,

extending a hot streak that featured six hits in his previous two games.

Oklahoma City manager Bill Hasselman indicated Toles experienced cramps, and would require a few

days of rest.

The Dodgers opted to demote Toles, rather than Joc Pederson, for the opening day roster, in part so

Toles could play on a daily basis as he returns from surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament.

Pederson has struggled to start the season, batting .143 heading into Friday, with Roberts willing to

forgo the platoon advantage and start Kemp, a right-handed hitter, over Pederson, a left-handed hitter,

against right-handed pitchers.

Early struggles doom Dodgers

By Andy McCullough

Fortune favored the Dodgers on Friday. The score may not reflect this, not after an 8-7 defeat to

Arizona, but good luck blessed the team through the final innings.

They scored three runs in the seventh on a trio of groundball singles. They scored two more in the

eighth when a groundball bounced off second base.

And yet they could not capture a victory. The early hole dug by starter Kenta Maeda was too deep. The

relief work of Tony Cingrani and J.T. Chargois did not help. The offense gave away too many at-bats

earlier and could not capitalize late. With the tying run at third base and one out in the eighth, Chris

Taylor grounded into a double play against Arizona reliever Archie Bradley.

It was a black mark on an otherwise quality evening for Taylor. He flung his helmet and screamed as the

inning came to a close. The Dodgers (4-8) have lost four times to the Diamondbacks in the year's first

fortnight and granted life to an upstart aiming to transfer control of the National League West out of Los

An "We've got to beat them at least once before the season's over," outfielder Matt Kemp said. "It's a

long season, still."

After permitting 16 runs in a loss to a hapless Oakland club on Wednesday, the Dodgers received a day

off. The rest did little good. Maeda imploded after nearly two weeks without making a start. His

communication with catcher Yasmani Grandal was spotty. His command was missing. Maeda unraveled

in the third after walking the opposing pitcher, former Dodger Zack Greinke.

A humorous scene unfolded in the seventh inning. In the second deck of the ballpark, a group of fans

hollered as a fellow chugged a beer. "M-V-P! M-V-P!" they chanted. Moments later, Arizona third

baseman Daniel Descalso crushed a two-run homer off Cingrani. In the eighth, Chargois served up a

home run to shortstop Nick Ahmed.

Stunned by a leadoff homer from Taylor in the first inning, Greinke looked uncomfortable on the

mound. At one point, the game ground to a halt as he attempted to loosen up. He recovered in time to

bat aside the Dodgers lineup. He retired 12 in a row and 15 of 16 before Cody Bellinger launched a solo

shot in the sixth.

The offense found traction against Greinke in the seventh. He exited the game after giving up a walk and

a double. The trio of Taylor, Corey Seager and Kemp threaded singles to bring home runs. An inning

later, facing Bradley, Chase Utley chopped a grounder up the middle. The ball caromed off the bag and

brought two runs home. But Taylor grounded into the double play to end the threat.

At the center of Friday's early slop was Maeda. He was making his second start of the season. After five

scoreless innings in his 2018 debut, Maeda shifted into the bullpen. He pitched once during a 12-day

span. In part, this was the result of a rainout last weekend in San Francisco. In part, it was by design.

Slated to start last Friday, Maeda saw his outing washed away by a storm in the Bay Area. The Dodgers

elected to start Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw during the next two days at AT&T Park. Maeda did not

start either of the two games against Oakland earlier this week, a series bracketed by two off days. The

layoff did not aid Maeda.

"Possibly [pitching] one inning in 13 days got him," manager Dave Roberts said. "It's a lot to throw on

the plate of the player."

As a reliever in the playoffs last year, Maeda hounded right-handed hitters by challenging them inside

the zone. He eschewed the passivity that marred most of his 2017 regular season, plagued by "nibbling"

as Roberts called it. Roberts expected better on Friday.

Maeda could not deliver. A leadoff of outfielder David Peralta led to a first-inning run for Arizona.

Maeda gave up a single to Diamondbacks shortstop Ketel Marte. Maeda tried a 91.2 mph fastball

against Descalso, who stroked an RBI single.

The deficit ended after one at-bat in the bottom of the first. Greinke fell behind in the count and

hummed a 2-1 fastball over the plate. The pitch clocked at 89.5 mph on the radar gun and its positioning

was ideal for Taylor. Greinke unleashed an expletive as Taylor hammered a solo shot.

Greinke helped Maeda come apart in the third. At the plate, Greinke stood watch as Maeda flung

fastballs outside the zone and took a walk. A single by Peralta compounded the trouble. Maeda could

blame what followed on no one but himself.

With runners at first and second, Marte chopped a grounder back toward the mound. Maeda whirled to

start a potential double play at second base. His throw pulled Seager across the diamond, his feet

unable to touch the bag for a forceout. Instead of two outs, Maeda recorded zero.

"Everything started snowballing after my own mistake," Maeda said through his interpreter, Will Ireton.

"It was mistakes after mistakes. It's something I regret."

The bases were loaded. Maeda set forth to emptying them. One run scored on a fastball in the dirt that

Grandal could not intercept. Another scored on a slider that eluded Grandal's glove on a passed ball as

he attempted to backhand it. Descalsco brought home another run with a sacrifice fly.

Now the bases were free of Diamondbacks. The diamond did not remain pristine for long. Arizona

outfielder Chris Owings hammered a curveball for a double. In the bullpen, Ross Stripling stirred.

Roberts allowed Maeda to face one more batter, the speedy outfielder Jarrod Dyson.

Dyson flashed some strength as he yanked a curveball into the right-field corner for a two-out, RBI

double. Roberts left his dugout to fetch Maeda. The crowd appeared either disgusted or bored. You

could not blame them for either reaction.

"It's early, man," Kemp said. "We're not panicking."

Matt Kemp gets banged up and the Dodgers lose again, but the club isn't worried yet

By Mike DiGiovanna

The position player the Dodgers tried the hardest to trade last winter might be the one they can least

afford to lose right now, which is why the team held its breath when left fielder Matt Kemp limped back

to his spot after slamming into the wall in pursuit of a home run in the eighth inning Friday night.

Kemp remained in the game, an eventual 8-7 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and his injury — a

bruised right knee — appears minor, especially when compared to the left-shoulder tear he suffered

when he crashed into the Coors Field wall in August 2012.

"I'm good, man, it ain't even nothing to write about," Kemp said. "Trust me, I'll be in there [Saturday]."

The Dodgers acquired Kemp in December for pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Scott Kazmir, first

baseman Adrian Gonzalez and infielder Charlie Culberson, not because of his bat but because of his

contract, which nearly offset the money owed to Gonzalez, Kazmir and McCarthy.

By spreading the remaining $43 million on Kemp's deal across two seasons, the Dodgers could reduce

their luxury-tax payroll below the $197-million threshold for 2018.

The Dodgers were expected to flip Kemp, who spent nine seasons with the club before being traded to

San Diego in 2015, but Kemp reported to spring training in excellent shape and hit so well during Cactus

League play that he won the left-field job.

Twelve games into the season, Kemp is batting .333 with an .885 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, one

homer, three doubles and four RBIs, including a run-scoring single in a three-run seventh inning Friday

night as the Dodgers nearly rallied back from a 7-2 deficit.

The rest of the offense, with the exception of .361-hitting catcher Yasmani Grandal and .304-hitting first

baseman Cody Bellinger, is struggling, which is one reason the defending National League-champion

Dodgers are 4-8 this season, 0-4 against the Diamondbacks.

Three regulars — Yasiel Puig, Logan Forsythe and Enrique Hernandez — are batting below .200. Chris

Taylor is hitting .226, and Corey Seager .213.

"We're not panicking," Kemp said. "We have a long ways to go."

This is a common refrain heard around the National League. The Dodgers, who went 104-58 and won

the NL West by 11 games last season, are in fourth place.

The defending NL Central-champion Chicago Cubs are off to a 6-7 start and also in fourth place after

going 92-70 and winning the division by six games in 2017. And the Washington Nationals, who went 97-

65 and won the division by 20 games last season, are 6-8 and in fourth place in the NL East.

So, two weeks into 2018, three teams that combined to go 293-193 and win their divisions by a

combined 37 games are a combined 16-23 and 14½ games back in their divisions.

"It's not ideal, it's not what we expected, but we're playing some good teams," Dodgers manager Dave

Roberts said. "We're just not synched up, whether it's the pitching and the hitting is not there one day,

or vice versa.

"Guys in the bullpen have thrown the ball well up until the last couple of days. Offensively, we have to

continue to be relentless with our at-bats and be the offensive club that I know that we can be, that

we've seen."

The Dodgers, who entered the week at or near the bottom of virtually every NL offensive category,

nearly replicated some of their 2017 comeback magic Friday night when Bellinger homered in the sixth

and Taylor, Seager and Kemp hit consecutive RBI singles in the seventh.

The Dodgers trailed 7-5 after Kemp muscled a 97-mph fastball from Archie Bradley through the middle

and into center field, and they had runners on first and third with one out. Bellinger crushed a ball to

deep center field that was caught on the warning track for the final out.

The Dodgers pulled to within 8-7 in the eighth inning when Chase Utley's grounder, which was headed

right to shortstop Nick Ahmed, hit the second-base bag and caromed into shallow left field for a two-run

single.

They had runners on first and third for Taylor, who led off the first inning with a homer, but Taylor

swung at a first pitch from Bradley and grounded into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play. Closer Brad

Boxberger allowed a hit in a scoreless ninth to notch the save.

"There were some at-bats we put together, we got a little luck, and for us to get Archie into the game, to

go one-plus inning and throw a lot of pitches, was a good thing for us," Roberts said. "To get their closer

in a game we were seemingly out of for a long time is another positive, and our offense showed some

life."

There was also some of the usual impatience at the plate and expansion of the strike zone. With two on

and two outs in the first, Puig waved meekly at a full-count changeup near his ankles for an inning-

ending strikeout.

The Dodgers pressured Arizona starter Zack Greinke in the first inning, but Greinke retired 15 of 16

batters from the end of the first to the sixth inning.

"We rallied late, and it was good to see our guys compete until the end," Roberts said. "But you look at

the beginning and middle part of the game … we had Greinke at 26-27 pitches early, and the next four

or five innings he kind of cruised. We need to do a better job getting that pitch count up after that first

inning."

OC REGISTER

Bad luck contributing to Dodgers’ slow starts at the plate

By J.P. Hoornstra

LOS ANGELES — The 13th day of April was a Friday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he might break

his superstition of avoiding the white chalk lines while stepping onto the field.

Joe Davis, the Dodgers’ television play-by-play broadcaster, wore a pair of prescription glasses to the

ballpark. He said some fans on Twitter noted that his dark-rimmed specs coincided with a winning streak

last year. So they made a comeback.

The Dodger batters, maybe more than any group of men at the ballpark Friday, had reason to be

superstitious. By Thursday they were putting the ball in play above the league-average rate. They were

hitting line drives more often than all but five teams. Yet their batting average on balls in play – BABIP

for short – was a mere .275, below the league average of .288.

That’s more bad luck than a black cat walking under a ladder.

“I do believe that there’s some hard contact in play that isn’t being rewarded,” Roberts said. “If that

consistently shows up it’ll change.”

Hitting coach Turner Ward has relayed some form of this message to the Dodger hitters. His audience

should be receptive. Six regulars entered this weekend’s series against the Arizona Diamondbacks with

batting averages below .220: Corey Seager, Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig, Kiké Hernandez, Logan Forsythe and

Joc Pederson.

“A couple comments that I’ve made to a couple guys: you ought to be acting like and feeling like you’re

hitting .350,” Ward said, “because if some of those balls fall in, that’s where you would be.”

Ward pointed out that hot streaks and cold streaks are nothing new. When the Dodgers were riding a

43-7 stretch last summer, ultimately climbing 55 games above .500, his message to hitters was to not

grow overconfident.

When the season is three weeks old, and your batting average is still hovering near the Mendoza line,

it’s different. Then, Roberts said, it can be harder to convince a player that his problem is bad luck and

not bad process. The Dodgers’ problems at the plate aren’t limited to luck, either.

“I still think that 1 through 8 we can still be better with our at-bat quality consistently,” Roberts said.

ALSO

Justin Turner still has not been cleared to pick up a bat since he was hit by a pitch in spring training,

fracturing his hand. The third baseman has been standing in a batter’s box without a bat against live

pitching in the cage this week. The drill is designed to help batters track and see pitches. …

Students from John Muir High in Pasadena, Jackie Robinson’s alma mater, were among those who

attended a special program at Dodger Stadium on Friday morning. The program included a panel

discussion featuring Roberts and was part of the Dodgers’ “Jackie Robinson Day” slate of weekend

activities. …

All players and coaches from the Diamondbacks and Dodgers will wear No. 42 on Sunday, an annual

tradition that Major League Baseball began in 2004 to recognize Robinson breaking the color barrier in

1947. His number is the only one retired by every team in the league.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks (RHP Taijuan Walker, 0-0, 3.27 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Rich Hill, 1-0, 2.70), 6 p.m.,

SportsNet LA (where available)

Dodgers’ Kenta Maeda struggles against Diamondbacks after long layoff

By J.P. Hoornstra

LOS ANGELES — As Kenta Maeda threw his final warm-up pitches, the public-address system at Dodger

Stadium blasted “Mugenmirai,” the latest release from the Japanese girl band Perfume. Mugenmirai

translates to “infinite future,” a concept closer to the hearts of poets and teeny boppers than pitchers

headed for the showers in the third inning.

So it was for Maeda on Friday. The Arizona Diamondbacks greeted him with one run in the first inning

and four in the third. Maeda was removed after 2-2/3 innings, matching his shortest start in three major

league seasons.

The Dodgers mounted a few late rallies, but ultimately lost 8-7 before an announced crowd of 43,791.

Arizona (10-3) is 5-1/2 games ahead of the Dodgers (4-8) in the National League West. The

Diamondbacks have won all four head-to-head meetings between the teams in 2018.

“It’s not ideal. Not what we expected. We’re playing some good teams and we still have to find ways.

We’re just not synced up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The pitching, and the hitting’s not

there one day, or vice versa. Our guys in the ’pen have thrown the ball well until the last couple days.”

Maeda had pitched merely one inning out of the bullpen in 12 days following his most recent start, back

on March 31. The rust showed. He walked the first batter he faced, David Peralta, and allowed a pair of

singles – the last by Daniel Descalso – to put the Dodgers in a 1-0 hole four batters into the game.

After a 1-2-3 second inning, the Diamondbacks piled on in the third.

Pitcher Zack Greinke drew a walk to begin the inning. Peralta grounded a single into right field. Ketel

Marte grounded a ball back to the pitcher’s mound, but Maeda thwarted a potential double play by

throwing the ball wide of second base. After a video review confirmed that Dodger shortstop Corey

Seager’s foot left the bag, Maeda was charged with a throwing error. The bases were full with nobody

out.

All three runners ultimately scored. Greinke scampered home on a wild pitch to Descalso. Peralta

advanced to third base, then scored on a Maeda pitch that eluded the glove of Yasmani Grandal.

Descalso ended his plate appearance with a sacrifice fly and Arizona led 4-1.

Back-to-back doubles by Chris Owings and Jarrod Dyson gave the Diamondbacks a 5-1 lead and ended

Maeda’s day. He had thrown only 65 pitches but he understood the situation. The right-hander hadn’t

allowed an earned run in six innings to begin the season; he allowed five runs Friday, though only two

were earned by virtue of his own error.

Will Maeda prepare differently the next time he has 12 days between starts?

“Yeah,” Maeda said through his interpreter. “I think that’s something I need to work on, change a little

bit, especially considering for a starting pitcher it’s a difficult thing to do.”

Greinke entered the game with a 2-5 record against his former team, including the postseason, since he

spurned the Dodgers as a free agent in 2015.

Friday he was masterful.

A solo home run by Chris Taylor began the first inning, his second leadoff homer this week. That was the

Dodgers’ only run against Greinke until Cody Bellinger homered in the sixth inning.

In his third start of the season, Greinke allowed five hits. The Dodgers failed to string together any kind

of a threat during his 6-1/3 innings. The right-hander walked one batter and struck out seven.

When a scheduled day off in San Francisco was followed by a day of steady rain, the Dodgers were

presented with rare back-to-back days off on the road. Roberts chose to skip Maeda’s turn in the

rotation. He admitted Friday that the fluctuating schedule was less than ideal.

The bullpen fared better. Ross Stripling extinguished the burning embers left by Maeda, then hung

around to pitch a scoreless fourth inning. Pedro Baez pitched a scoreless fifth, followed by Josh Fields,

Tony Cingrani and J.T. Chargois. Twelve of the 16 outs they recorded came by virtue of strikeouts.

Cingrani allowed a two-run home run by Descalso in the top of the seventh, giving Arizona a 7-2 lead. In

the bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers rallied for three runs against the Arizona bullpen. All three

scored with two outs.

Taylor drove in Yasiel Puig with an infield single against T.J. McFarland. Seager drove in Logan Forsythe

with a single. Archie Bradley relieved McFarland and allowed an RBI single to Matt Kemp.

Arizona tacked on another run in the eighth inning when Chargois allowed a solo homer to Nick Ahmed.

Kemp bruised his knee trying to haul it in at the fence but remained in the game.

Again, the Dodgers answered.

Bradley allowed a single to Yasmani Grandal and walked Puig. Grandal advanced to third on a sacrifice

fly, and Joc Pederson walked to load the bases. Pinch hitter Chase Utley stroked a ground ball up the

middle of the diamond, a potential double-play groundout – until the ball met the canvas of second base

and caromed out of the reach of the Arizona infielders. Grandal and Puig scored, cutting the Dodgers’

deficit to 8-7.

Bradley got out of the jam by retiring Taylor on a double-play groundout, ending the eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the Dodgers. Diamondbacks closer Brad Boxberger

allowed only a single to Bellinger in the bottom of the ninth before closing out his fifth save of the

season.

The Dodgers sit in fourth place in their own division. Last year, they never fell lower than third.

Their 5-1/2-game deficit is their largest since July 2016.

“It’s early man,” Kemp said. “We’re not panicking. We’ve got a long ways to go.”

TRUE BLUE LA

Kenta Maeda chased early, Dodgers rally falls short

By Eric Stephen

LOS ANGELES — Friday the 13th proved to be a horror show for Kenta Maeda, who lacked command

and looked every bit like a pitcher with just one inning under his belt in the previous 12 days. The

Diamondbacks chased Maeda in the third inning, and though the Dodgers staged a series of late rallies

their early hole proved too large to climb out of, falling 8-7 in the opener of a three-game series at

Dodger Stadium.

It was the 10th straight regular season loss to the Diamondbacks by the Dodgers, matching their longest

such drought against any single team since moving to Los Angeles.

“We have to beat them at least once before the season’s over with,” said Matt Kemp.

Maeda walked the leadoff hitter in two of his three innings on Friday, including pitcher Zack Greinke in

the third. Maeda needed 36 pitches to get just two outs in the third inning, a frame that saw him walk

the pitcher, make a throwing error on a potential double play ball back to the box, throw one wild pitch

and another passed ball on a pitch that crossed up catcher Yasmani Grandal.

A pair of two-out doubles by Chris Owings and Jarrod Dyson were the final nails in the coffin for Maeda,

who was charged with five runs while recording eight outs. It was Maeda’s first start since March 31,

with only one inning of relief pitched in between thanks to a bounty of off days plus a rainout.

“He wasn’t sharp. I thought the stuff was fine,” Dave Roberts said. “Obviously the throwing error

changed the inning. It just got away from him.”

On a night that seemingly nothing was working for Maeda, he did manage to strike out Dodgers killer

Paul Goldschmidt in both of their encounters Friday night. Such is baseball.

Chris Taylor got the Dodgers on the board early with a solo shot in the first inning, his second leadoff

home run in three games, on a pitch that Greinke clearly wasn’t pleased with as his audible expletive

can attest:

In between grunts and after the home run Greinke was visited by team trainers on the mound, needing

to stretch out something that was bothering him on what looked like either his back or side. He allowed

a single and hit a batter in the inning but also struck out three to get out of his own jam.

Greinke really settled down after hitting Grandal with a pitch in the first inning, retiring 12 straight

batters before getting blindsided by a Kyle Farmer pinch-hit single in the fifth.

Daniel Descalso took to batting fourth like a moth to a flame. In his first ever start hitting cleanup,

Descalso singled home a run in the first inning, hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning, then crushed a two-

run home run against reliever Tony Cingrani in the seventh. Descalso drove in four runs on Friday night,

one shy of his career high.

Both of his home runs this season are against the Dodgers.

The Dodgers chipped away at Greinke, who pitched into the seventh and saw two bequeathed runners

score. The seventh-inning rally included a walk, a double, then three consecutive RBI ground ball singles.

That pulled the Dodgers to within 7-5, which made the Descalso home run in the top of the inning even

more important.

Cody Bellinger, who hit a solo home run against Greinke in the sixth inning, nearly hit another against

Archie Bradley with runners on the corner in the seventh, but the ball died into the waiting glove of A.J.

Pollock on the warning track in center field, despite the collective will of the bulk of the 43,791 in

attendance at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.

Nick Ahmed tacked on a solo home run in the eighth, which proved important because the Dodgers

rallied for more against Bradley. A single and two walks loaded the bases with one out for Chase Utley,

whose sure double play ball up the middle instead caromed off second base into short left field for a

two-run single, pulling the Dodgers to within one.

But Taylor followed by a double play ball that was unimpeded by any base, squashing the rally and

stranding the tying run 90 feet away.

Wall collision

Kemp banged his right knee against the scoreboard on the left field wall trying to catch Nick Ahmed’s

home run in the eighth inning, but remained in the game.

Roberts said Kemp had a contusion, which Kemp downplayed.

“It ain’t even nothing to write about,” Kemp said. “Trust me, I’ll be back in there tomorrow.”

Up next

The Dodgers play an earlier start on Saturday, with Rich Hill on the mound for a 6:10 p.m. PT start in the

middle game of the series, against Yucaipa High grad Taijuan Walker.

Friday particulars

Home runs: Chris Taylor (2), Cody Bellinger (2); Daniel Descalso (2), Nick Ahmed (2)

WP - Zack Greinke (1-1): 6⅓ IP, 5 hits, 4 runs, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

LP - Kenta Maeda (1-1): 2⅔ IP, 5 hits, 5 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

Sv - Brad Boxberger (5): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout

Never too much Kyle Garlick for Tulsa

By Craig Minami

Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Rancho Cucamonga each have comfortable wins on Friday. Great Lakes did not

play due to bad weather.

Player of the day

Kyle Garlick, a 28th round pick in 2015, has an .878 OPS in over 1100 career plate appearances. The 26-

year old has a 1.063 OPS in 32 plate appearances this season.

On Friday, Garlick went 4-for-5 with a double and his third home run.

Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Dodgers won their fifth straight game as they won 10-3 over New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins).

Brock Stewart gave up all three runs in his 5⅔ innings pitched but that was good enough for him to pick

up his first win of the season.

Stewart struck out eight and walked two in his outing. C.C. Lee, Joe Broussard and Edward Paredes

pitched scoreless relief for the Dodgers.

The Dodgers had two four-run innings, they collected 17 hits and two home runs. Andrew Toles, who

later was reported to have suffered a hamstring or cramp injury, hit his first home run to start the

scoring.

Henry Ramos capped the Dodgers scoring with a grand slam in the eighth inning. Ramos led the Dodgers

with four hits and five RBI. Besides Toles, Donovan Solano and Rocky Gale also had three hits.

Double-A Tulsa

The Drillers were tied 3-3 with the Frisco RoughRiders (Rangers) going to the bottom of the sixth. But

then the Drillers scored four runs to retake the lead and went on to win 8-4 to win their second straight

game.

With one on and no outs, Drew Jackson singled and Peter O’Brien moved to third on an error. A wild

pitch produced a run and moved Jackson to second.

Errol Robinson singled in the second run of the inning. DJ Peters reached on error and then with runners

on second and third, Kyle Garlick drove in both with a double. Garlick would later single in a run.

The Drillers played a little fast and loose in the field as they made four errors which led to three

unearned runs. Daniel Corcino got the win and Brian Moran recorded one out to get his first save of the

season.

Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

The Quakes fell short in their home opener but made sure to take a lead when they scored nine runs in

the second inning and beat the Inland Empire 66ers (Angels) 13-6 to get their first win at home.

Connor Wong had a good night at the plate going 2-for-4 with a double and his third home run of the

season. Wong has a 1.069 OPS in 30 plate appearances, Wong has also struck out 14 times this season.

It was a rough night for all of the pitchers, of the nine pitchers who threw on the mound for either team,

only one did not allow at least one run to score.

Class-A Great Lakes

The Loons had another weather postponement on Friday has they were set to host the Dayton Dragons

(Reds). The bad weather continued on Saturday, so the Loons have scheduled a doubleheader on

Sunday, weather permitting.

Transactions

There were no transactions on Friday.

Friday’s scores

Oklahoma City 10, New Orleans 3

Tulsa 8, Frisco 4

Rancho Cucamonga 13, Inland Empire 6

Saturday’s schedule

11:05 a.m. PT: Great Lakes vs. Dayton (postponed due to bad weather)

5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Alec Asher) vs. New Orleans (Joe Gunkel)

5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Devin Smeltzer) vs. Frisco (Pedro Payano)

7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Imani Abdullah) vs. Inland Empire (Joe Gatto)

Dodgers 2018 top prospects: No. 2, Keibert Ruiz

By David Hood

No prospect in the Dodgers system rose faster to star status than Keibert Ruiz in 2017. The switch-

hitting catcher tamed the tough hitting environments of the Midwest League with ease before flashing

power for the first time in his California League promotion. Ruiz even received a brief cameo at Tulsa

during the playoffs, where he has started 2018 at still just 19 years old. Developing power might be the

only thing that keeps him from four present plus tools, and Ruiz is the cream of a full crop of catching

prospects.

Ruiz is the ideal package of innate ability and future projection. Physically, he has a broad frame and

looks bigger than his listed 6’0 200 lbs. size. He should carry an additional 15 to 20 lbs. with ease, and

the extra physicality should help him with his pop. Ruiz is a good athlete though probably not in the class

of Dodger backstops like Austin Barnes or Will Smith, but he nonetheless moves well behind the plate

and is not a plodder on the basepaths.

Presently a switch hitter, Ruiz has shown a platoon split with the right side being weaker, and it’s

possible he might be asked to scrap that side down the road. From the left side, Ruiz employs an open

setup and low crouch. He has a high leg kick for timing purpose but could do better shifting his weight

on contact. He has quick hands and decent extension, giving Ruiz an elevated plane on a swing that can

stay in the hitting zone a long time.

Ruiz has an excellent eye and is tough to fool at the plate. He is able to make quick adjustments despite

the leg kick, and he is also learning what pitches he can turn on. Ruiz’s power from the left side has been

exclusively pull, but he should be able to extend to all fields with added strength. At the moment,

though, Ruiz’s stroke is geared for line drives from the left side and he was extremely successful at

putting the ball in play with fairly hard contact.

From the right side, Ruiz is much more upright, with lower hands and a heavily rotational swing that still

makes a fair amount of contact but fails to drive the ball quite like his swing from the left side. His

batting eye translates to both sides of the plate, but Ruiz could stand to quicken his bat and steepen his

plane to add more impact to his contact.

Ruiz has a good reputation as a defensive catcher, but his blocking and footwork can look raw at times.

He is a bigger catcher than other Dodger prospects and doesn’t quite frame the low strike as well as his

counterparts, but his receiving skills are sound and will improve with more experience. He knows how to

stick borderline pitches on the sides of the plate, and doesn’t pull catches out of the zone.

Ruiz’s setup can be a little noisey with runners on and this could be contributed to some overeagerness

on his part. He doesn’t block the umpires vantage point so he shouldn’t have framing issues, but could

stand to show a calmer approach. Ruiz moves well laterally behind the plate but will over-rely on his

glove and won’t always position his body for blocking errant pitches. The overall too set is very

promising for a teenager and his flaws are all correctable, so there’s little reason to believe he won’t

stick behind the plate.

Ruiz has opened the year in a catching job-share with Will Smith, but given his status in the organization

he’s sure to see regular at bats from behind the plate and in the designated hitter role. His ceiling is the

highest of all catching prospects in the system, with the chance for easy plus hit tool and even possibly

above average to plus power with more physical development. Smith might move quicker up the ladder

than Ruiz this season given his polish, but that shouldn’t suggest he is the superior catching prospect at

this point.

I haven’t seen a player this young with this accomplished of an offensive resume yet in the Dodger

system since I started covering it, so I do consider Ruiz a special prospect. However, for him to reach

elite prospect status, Ruiz will need to show more consistent ability to hit for power while also refining

the raw aspects of his defensive game. He has yet to face adversity in his career but should meet a

stiffer challenge with more polished pitching in Double-A. Should Ruiz again conquer the pitching he will

face in the Texas League, expect to see him near the top of national prospect lists next season.

DODGER INSIDER

Luck is fickle on Friday the 13th, as Dodgers’ comeback comes up just short

By Rowan Kavner

It seemed, for a moment, Friday the 13th might be Arizona’s unlucky night.

Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed waited behind the bag at second base to potentially turn an

inning-ending double play on a Chase Utley bases-loaded grounder up the middle in the eighth inning,

only to watch the ball carom off the base and into left field to score two runs and cut the Dodger deficit

to one.

In each of the last three innings, the Dodgers — at one point trailing by five runs — put the potential

winnings runs at the plate. But on a Friday the 13th full of “what-ifs,” it would not end up the Dodgers’

lucky night in an 8–7 loss to start the series.

What if Kenta Maeda’s attempt to turn two found Corey Seager in stride in the third inning? What if

Cody Bellinger’s throw in the top half of the seventh inning found Tony Cingrani’s glove covering first

base? What if Bellinger’s smash at the plate screaming toward center field went a little farther than the

warning in the bottom half of the seventh?

The first two occurrences led to run-scoring innings for Arizona. The last occurrence took away what

would’ve been go-ahead runs for the Dodgers, sending the 43,791 in attendance into a crescendo of

cheers and anticipation only to send them back to their seats as the ball traveling 100 mph off

Bellinger’s bat found A.J. Pollock’s glove.

The Dodgers clawed back all night, scoring six runs from the sixth inning on, but couldn’t get the final hit

to get ahead in those late innings after a start that matched the shortest of Kenta Maeda’s career.

Maeda smacked his glove, sweeped the dirt in front of the mound with his foot, walked behind the

mound and stretched to reset. Despite walking Arizona pitcher Zack Greinke to start the third inning, no

damage had yet been done.

After David Peralta followed Greinke’s walk with a single, Maeda received a grounder back to him.

Attempting to turn two, as he had successfully earlier in the night, Maeda’s throw to second base pulled

Seager off the bag.

From there, the inning avalanched for Maeda, who made his second start of the season 13 days after his

first, with a relief appearance sandwiched in between. Maeda struck out Paul Goldschmidt — what

could’ve been the final out of the inning — before a wild pitch broke a 1–1 tie. A passed ball made it 3–1

Arizona.

A sacrifice fly and an RBI double would give the Diamondbacks five runs and end the night after 2 2/3

innings for Maeda, who entered having allowed no runs in six innings this season.

“Especially in the third inning, everything started snowballing after my mistake,” Maeda said through an

interpreter.

The Dodgers would not lay down, staying within striking distance all night thanks in large part to 3 1/3

combined scoreless innings from Ross Stripling, Josh Fields and Pedro Baez. The Dodgers would get a run

back in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Bellinger — the Dodgers’ second solo homer of the night,

following Chris Taylor’s leadoff homer to start the game.

But every time the Dodgers threatened, Arizona stayed just ahead. In the seventh inning, a two-out

grounder to Bellinger’s right required a perfect throw to Cingrani, covering first base. It carried a bit,

going by Cingrani’s glove and against the railing in front of the Diamondbacks’ dugout. A two-run homer

immediately followed.

The Dodgers would respond, with Yasiel Puig walking and Logan Forsythe doubling to start the rally.

Two-out RBI singles would follow from Taylor, Seager and Matt Kemp, but the potential go-ahead hit —

 which sounded so solid off the bat of Bellinger — fizzled out at the warning track.

When Arizona added another run in the eighth inning on a solo shot, the Dodgers again responded on

Utley’s lucky bounce to cut the deficit to one. But with two on, the luck ceased as an inning-ending

double play followed.

Bellinger would keep the hope alive with his third hit of the day in the ninth inning, raising his batting

average over .300 for the year in the process, but the go-ahead hit never came as the Dodgers remain in

search of their first win against the Diamondbacks, who snapped a skid of seven straight losses on Friday

the 13th.

ESPN

Dodgers take Lemon Face Challenge, join Nick Saban in fight vs. DIPG

How can something so sour be so sweet?

The Los Angeles Dodgers became the latest to join the fight against Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma

(DIPG) by puckering up for the #LemonFaceChallenge on Friday. The social media movement was

created by Aubreigh Nicholas, an 11-year-old girl in Mobile, Alabama, who has the rare form of brain

cancer.

Dodgers utility player Kike Hernandez and his teammates and coaches appeared on a video taking a bite

out of a lemon wedge in support of Aubreigh's Army.

At the end of the video, Hernandez, who said he got the idea from hitting coach Turner Ward,

challenged the Arizona Diamondbacks to do the same over the next 48 hours.

The Diamondbacks won the first game of a three-game series against the host Dodgers on Friday. The

teams play again Saturday and Sunday.

Alabama coach Nick Saban also appeared in a video on Nicholas' Facebook page this week in support of

her fight against DIPG.

"Our team is so proud to be a part of Aubreigh's Army as you continue your fight and also your efforts in

helping raise awareness for DIPG," Saban said in the video. "I want you to know that you are in our

thoughts and prayers, and we are behind you 100 percent."

USA TODAY

Andre Ingram's victory lap takes him to Dodger Stadium to throw ceremonial first pitch

By Casey L. Moore

The story of Andre Ingram took the basketball world by storm Tuesday, when the 10-year veteran of the

G League made his NBA debut with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ingram responded by scoring 19 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including 4-for-5 from three-point range, in

29 minutes.

And on Friday, Ingram took his celebrity status to Dodger Stadium, where he threw out the ceremonial

first pitch before the Dodgers' game against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Ingram threw from the pitching rubber and tossed a high strike to Dodgers backup catcher Kyle Farmer.

Ingram was cheered on by his two daughters and wife, Marilee, who admitted she "lost it and started

screaming" when she got word that Ingram got the call to the Lakers.

Ingram took to Twitter after the pitch to show his appreciation.

The Lakers surprised Ingram, 32, by calling him in for a staged end-of-the-year interview with his South

Bay Lakers. There South Bay general manager Nick Mazzella told Ingram he was being called up to the

NBA for the final two games of the season. Ingram admitted he didn't believe it until Magic Johnson, the

Lakers' president of basketball operations, walked into the room.