Daily Clips

July 8, 2015

LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015

DODGERS.COM: Kershaw fourth in tight NL Final Vote balloting – Ken Gurnick Dodgers can't rally vs. former teammate Billingsley – Steve Bourbon and Todd Zolecki Anderson's win streak snapped after miscues – Steve Bourbon Kershaw and Greinke Dodgers' new dynamic duo – Lyle Spencer Final Vote candidate Kershaw set to face Phillies – Austin Laymance Crawford aims to return after All-Star break – Steve Bourbon LA TIMES: Dodgers' J.P. Howell is the team's great relief secret – Steve Dilbeck Dodgers can't catch up with Philadelphia Phillies in loss, 7-2 – Dylan Hernandez Phillies' Chad Billingsley returns to beat Dodgers, his former team – Dylan Hernandez Dodgers stumble against Chad Billingsley and the Phillies in 7-2 loss – Steve Dilbeck Dodgers could turn to Brandon Beachy for rotation opening Saturday – Steve Dilbeck OC REGISTER: Billingsley, Phillies get rare road win against sloppy Dodgers – Pedro Moura Dodgers pitcher Brandon Beachy's successful rehab makes him potential starter Saturday – Pedro Moura On deck: Phillies at Dodgers, Wednesday, 7 p.m. – Pedro Moura Final: Dodgers fall to former teammate Chad Billingsley, lowly Phillies, 7-2 – Pedro Moura Phillies at Dodgers – Pedro Moura LA DAILY NEWS: Chad Billingsley shuts down former Dodgers teammates as Phillies win 7-2 – Robert Morales Pitcher Brandon Beachy could make Dodgers debut Saturday – JP Hoornstra TRUEBLUELA.COM: Midseason prospect lists: Corey Seager atop the heap, Jose De Leon rising fast – Eric Stephen Hector Olivera reaches base twice in first rehab game with AZL Dodgers – Eric Stephen Dodgers to call up Chin-hui Tsao, per report – Eric Stephen Dodgers lay an egg against Phillies – Eric Stephen Brandon Beachy a candidate to start for Dodgers on Saturday – Eric Stephen Dodgers recall Ian Thomas, option Eric Surkamp to Triple-A – Eric Stephen ESPN LA: With one key absence, picking the NL All-Star starter is easy – Christina Kahrl An embarrassing night at Dodger Stadium – Mark Saxon Chad Billingsley claims first win in two years as Phillies down Dodgers – Associated Press Rapid Reaction: Phillies 7, Dodgers 2 – Mark Saxon Don Newcombe leaves Dodger Stadium for hospital after feeling ill – Associated Press Brandon Beachy might make Dodgers debut Saturday – Mark Saxon DODGER INSIDER: With Andre Ethier, LADF hosts another Giving Moment – Erin Edwards Fast up, you move too slow – Jon Weisman Brandon Beachy might start Saturday for Dodgers – Jon Weisman Ian Thomas replaces Eric Surkamp on Dodger roster – Jon Weisman Clayton Kershaw and the wins of change – Cary Osborne Dodgers supporting 2015 Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles – Cary Osborne DODGERS PHOTO BLOG:

7/7/15-Something Current-LAD-2,Phil-7 - Jon SooHoo HUFFINGTONPOST.COM: Blake Griffin Is Actually Not Awful At Baseball – Lucy McCalmont NBC LA: Billingsley Beats Dodgers 7-2 in Triumphant Return to Los Angeles – Michael Duarte FOX SPORTS: Former Phillies SS Rollins discusses possibility of Hamels joining Dodgers – FOX Sports Giants' Bochy doesn't pick Kershaw for ASG, but Dodgers aren't snubbed – FOX Sports MYNEWSLA.COM: Former Dodgers owner to receive honor from Japanese government – Debbie L. Sklar

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2015

DODGERS.COM

Kershaw fourth in tight NL Final Vote balloting

By Ken Gurnick

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers reigning National League MVP Award winner Clayton Kershaw is a close fourth

in Wednesday's first update of the Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote.

Kershaw narrowly trails Johnny Cueto of Cincinnati, Troy Tulowitzki of Colorado and Carlos Martinez of

St. Louis in the voting, with Jeurys Familia of the Mets ranking fifth. Cueto has 4.7 million of the 44

million votes cast. The top four are within one percent of each other, putting Kershaw roughly 140,000

votes from the lead. The total votes cast is more than double that of the first day of voting a year ago.

If the 27-year-old Kershaw is elected, he would be an All-Star for the fifth consecutive season. The most

recent Dodgers pitcher to have more than that was Fernando Valenzuela (1981-86).

A Kershaw win also would give the Dodgers five All-Stars this season for the first time since 1995. The

others named on Monday were Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson and Yasmani Grandal.

Nomar Garciaparra is the only Dodger to make an All-Star team via the Final Vote (2005). Matt Kemp

('09), Andre Ethier ('11), Gonzalez ('13), Yasiel Puig ('13) and Kenley Jansen ('14) also have been Dodgers

Final Vote candidates.

Voting is open now at MLB.com to select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2015

Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote. Fans can cast their votes from a list of five players from each

League until 1 p.m. PT on Friday.

During the Midsummer Classic in Cincinnati on Tuesday, fans can once again visit MLB.com to submit

their choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. Voting exclusively

at MLB.com, online and via their mobile devices in the 2015 All-Star Game MVP Vote presented by

Chevrolet, the fans' collective voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the

recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

MLB.TV Premium subscribers will be able to live stream the All-Star Game via MLB.TV through FOX's

participating video providers. Access will be available across more than 400 supported MLB.TV

platforms, including the award-winning MLB.com At Bat app. MLB.com will provide extensive online

coverage of the All-Star Week festivities, including the 2015 Gillette Home Run Derby presented by Head

& Shoulders, part of Gatorade All-Star Workout Day on Monday. The Derby will feature a new format

with brackets and timed rounds and will be broadcast live by ESPN and MLB.com beginning at 5 p.m. PT.

The 86th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports (4 p.m. PT air time, 5:15 first pitch), in

Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries. ESPN

Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB

Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information,

please visit allstargame.com.

Dodgers can't rally vs. former teammate Billingsley

By Steve Bourbon and Todd Zolecki

LOS ANGELES -- In a four-game series between the Dodgers and Phillies that doubles as a reunion tour, it

was Chad Billingsley's turn to beat his old mates in a 7-2 win for Philadelphia at Dodger Stadium on

Tuesday night.

One night after Jimmy Rollins knocked in the go-ahead RBIs against his old club, Billingsley, a Dodger for

eight seasons, earned his first win since April 10, 2013. He threw six innings, allowing six hits and two

runs, while striking out three. His lone mistake was serving up a two-run homer to All-Star catcher

Yasmani Grandal in the sixth.

"It's been a long road," Billingsley said. "I was pretty excited to be back out there today, being a familiar

atmosphere. There were a lot of emotions."

Brett Anderson had a three-start winning streak snapped in the loss for Los Angeles. He lasted five

innings and tied a season-high by allowing four runs, three of which were earned. It was just the second

time in his last 10 starts that Anderson did not last at least six innings.

"I was OK with Brett," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "He ended up with a lot of pitches, but I

didn't feel like he got knocked around. There were a couple dribblers. I would've sent him back out there

[in the sixth] if we didn't get into that hole there."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Billingsley bounces back: Billingsley had arguably his best start since recovering from a pair of right

elbow surgeries the last two years, including Tommy John surgery in April 2013. The Phillies needed a

quality start from him, too. It was just the sixth time in the last 21 games a Phillies starter pitched six or

more innings, giving the bullpen a rare breather.

Grandal's two-run blast: The Dodgers avoided the shutout when Grandal hit his second home run in as

many nights with two outs in the sixth. The first-time All-Star has 14 home runs this season, already one

short of his career high. Grandal finished 2-for-3 with a walk and is hitting .357 in his last nine games.

Fortuitous start: The Phillies got on the board early without a hit leaving the infield. Ben Revere beat out

a grounder up the middle and stole second base. After a flyout and a walk, Justin Turner threw away a

potentially inning-ending out on a grounder to third, and another infield single up the middle allowed

Revere to score.

"Chopped infield hits and swinging bunts, I give up a lot of those," Anderson said. "It's frustrating but at

least they mishit those balls instead of squaring them up like [Jeff] Francoeur did."

Phillies outfield plays: Phillies outfielders entered the game with the second-lowest OPS (.568) in

baseball, but they enjoyed a good night. Jeff Francoeur hit a two-run double in the third and homered in

the seventh. Domonic Brown had two outfield assists in the first two innings. He also knocked in a run

and scored a run. Revere singled and scored in the first and knocked in two runs in the sixth.

"I tell you what set the tone for a good feeling were Brown's two assists," Phillies interim manager Pete

Mackanin said about the assists that came in the first two innings. "That was huge."

QUOTABLE

"Yeah, it was weird. When I was out at second base, I was talking to Jimmy, he was like, 'Man, it's weird

seeing you in a Phillies uniform and vice versa.' I was like, 'Yeah, it's a little different.' But it's fun." --

Billingsley, on pitching against his former team, one night after Rollins beat his former team with a hit

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez went 1-for-4 to extend his career-high hitting streak to 12

games. He is hitting .451 (23-for-51) with seven multi-hit games during the streak.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW

In the fifth inning, the Dodgers challenged the ruling on the field that Rollins was out on a grounder to

lead off the inning. Darin Ruf fielded the grounder and flipped to Billingsley, who reached the base an

instant before Rollins. The call on the field was confirmed after a review.

WHAT'S NEXT

Phillies: The Phillies like what they have seen so far from left-hander Adam Morgan, who pitches

Wednesday night at 10:10 p.m. ET against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. He allowed five hits and two

runs last weekend in Atlanta, which was enough to give him a longer look in the Phillies' rotation.

Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw takes the mound in his final start before the All-Star break. Kershaw is one of

the five candidates for the 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote in the National League. Kershaw

has a 1.78 ERA in his last eight starts, but is 3-3 in that span.

Anderson's win streak snapped after miscues

By Steve Bourbon

LOS ANGELES -- Brett Anderson said he beat himself on the mound Tuesday night, but he wasn't the

only Dodger with self-inflicted mistakes.

The Phillies capitalized on multiple Dodgers miscues early, leading to a 7-2 Los Angeles loss, at Dodger

Stadium.

Anderson threw five innings, allowing four runs (three earned) for Los Angeles, which was just the

second time in his past 10 outings that he's been unable to reach at least the sixth inning. Entering

Tuesday's start, Anderson was riding a three-start winning streak during which he allowed just one run

in each start.

"It's one of the more frustrating starts I've had in a while," Anderson said. "A couple pitches here and it

cost us the game. I wasn't able to be efficient against a pretty free-swinging team, but that's what

happens sometimes."

Anderson, who lead the Majors in groundball rate coming into the game, was snakebit early with softly

hit ground balls.

In the first inning, Ben Revere reached on an infield single, then Anderson issued a two-out walk to Darin

Ruf. Jeff Francoeur hit a bouncer to third, but Justin Turner's throw to first base was well wide of the

base for an error. Finally, Freddy Galvis hit a grounder off Anderson's glove but no one could make a

play, allowing the unearned run to score.

"It's always frustrating when you make a good pitch, but all of a sudden, they're on first with a hit,"

catcher Yasmani Grandal said. "We sequenced them perfectly, but we made a few mistakes and they

made us pay."

In the third, Anderson walked the leadoff hitter on three pitches before allowing a single to Ruf. Of the

pitches that were hard-hit, none was more damaging than a two-run double from Francoeur to left-

center in the third inning to put the Phillies up 3-0.

"Just threw a tremendously bad breaking ball to Francoeur that he hit," Anderson said. "That string of

three hitters, it's pretty much game over from there."

Anderson's night ended after just 87 pitches as Kiké Hernandez pinch-hit in the fifth, despite Anderson

retiring seven of the final eight hitters he faced.

"The last two innings were my best two innings," Anderson said. "I would've liked to keep going to give

us a chance, but that's what happens in the National League sometimes."

The Dodgers had a pair of runners thrown out from the outfield early in the game. Turner was doubled

off first base in the first inning on a flyout to right field that appeared as though it might get over

Domonic Brown's head. Then Grandal was also thrown out by Brown in the second inning trying to go

first to third on a single by Yasiel Puig.

"You have 27 outs, you give two away, now you're playing with 25. You're giving those guys an

advantage," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "You give little things away, you never know, those

could turn into four-, five-run innings."

Kershaw and Greinke Dodgers' new dynamic duo

By Lyle Spencer

LOS ANGELES -- One year ago, Clayton Kershaw was being hailed as not just baseball's best pitcher but

as the game's most dominant southpaw since the prime of Sandy Koufax.

In yet another example of the humbling, unpredictable nature of the summer pastime, Kershaw, at the

moment, is not even the best pitcher on the Dodgers staff. That distinction belongs to Zack Greinke.

With Greinke heading to Cincinnati for Tuesday's Midsummer Classic, Kershaw waits to see how the

Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote shakes out. He'll come along with Greinke or take a quiet break

with his family -- a winning proposition for Kershaw in either case.

If this sudden rotation role reversal at Dodger Stadium seems strange, it is not unprecedented. The

same dynamic was playing out in the 1960s with Koufax and buddy Don Drysdale, the Dodgers' dynamic

duo.

In the common perception a half-century later, it was King Sandy and Prince Don blowing away hitters

on the way to World Series crowns. In reality, Koufax and Drysdale were on equal footing, co-kings of

Los Angeles and the National League.

They made that perfectly clear when they held out together the winter following the 1965 season,

showing solidarity in seeking fairer wages. Koufax and Drysdale had a level of mutual respect we see

with Kershaw and Greinke.

In a five-year stretch ending in 1966, Koufax and Drysdale claimed the MLB Cy Young Award four times.

It wasn't until '67 that Cy Young plaques were awarded to the best in each league.

Drysdale in 1962 and Koufax in '63, '65 and '66 were judged the premier pitchers in the game by the

Baseball Writers' Association of America voters. A three-time unanimous selection, Koufax was third in

'64 when the award went to the Angels' Dean Chance.

Koufax and Drysdale peaked as a tandem in '65, en route to capturing the World Series title against the

Twins. The duo combined for 49 wins, 26 by Koufax. They completed 47 games, 27 by Koufax. Koufax

struck out 382 hitters in 335 2/3 innings with a 2.04 ERA. Drysdale had 210 punch outs in 308 1/3

innings, a 2.77 ERA. One sidelight: that year Drysdale batted .300 with seven homers and 19 RBIs.

Forget it. Those numbers will never even be approached by a pair of mound mates.

It was following that season that they enacted their dual holdout, seeking $1 million spread equally over

three years. Koufax was making $85,000, Drysdale $80,000. Eventually, Drysdale settled for $110,000,

Koufax for $125,000.

Make no mistake: Koufax, like Kershaw now, was the superior artist. But Drysdale was great enough to

have been the ace on virtually every other staff in the Majors. Greinke is in that category now.

As baseball luxuries go, few compare to what the Dodgers had then and have now.

Kershaw and Greinke will be dealing back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday nights against the

Phillies at Dodger Stadium.

The Majors' ERA leader an unprecedented four consecutive seasons, Kershaw uncharacteristically is at

3.08 with a 5-6 record in 17 outings. Greinke, his scoreless innings streak at 27 2/3, leads the Majors

with his stunning 1.48 ERA in 17 starts.

If anything, this disparity in earned run averages might inform us that strikeouts can be overrated.

Kershaw has sent away 147 hitters in 114 innings. Greinke is down the list with 98 strikeouts in 115 1/3

innings. Opponents are batting .216 against Kershaw, .200 against Greinke.

Al Downing, who launched his career throwing pure heat for the Yankees before evolving into the classic

crafty lefty with the Dodgers, observes a familiar transformation in Greinke.

"He has become a pitcher," Downing said. "He's throwing a variety of pitches to different locations,

keeping hitters off balance. He's not trying to blow them away.

"When you become more efficient and get early-count outs, you can get deeper in games without as

much strain. It's something pitchers have to figure out when they lose something off their fastball."

Remembered primarily for delivering the pitch Hank Aaron hammered for career home run No. 715 in

1974, Downing retired after 17 seasons with a 3.22 career ERA that was better than the ERAs of 23 Hall

of Fame pitchers -- including Bob Feller, Don Sutton, Catfish Hunter, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and

Tom Glavine.

Known as "Ace" to teammates, Downing learned through personal experience that command and guile

can compensate for diminished velocity. So it is with Greinke.

It is hard to envision the Dodgers letting him get away via his contractual right to opt out this winter.

Seriously, who would out-bid them? Only this, however, is certain: Zack and Clayton never will have to

hold out together.

Final Vote candidate Kershaw set to face Phillies

By Austin Laymance

Dodgers ace and 2015 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote candidate Clayton Kershaw will make one

last push for All-Star consideration Wednesday night in his final start of the first half against the Phillies

at Dodger Stadium.

The defending National League MVP Award and Cy Young Award winner, Kershaw needs to win the Final

Vote to make his fifth consecutive trip to the Midsummer Classic. Kershaw (5-6, 3.08 ERA) is tied for the

Major League lead with 147 strikeouts, and has a 1.78 ERA over his last eight starts.

Left-hander Adam Morgan will make his third start for the Phillies. The club needs more length from its

starters, and Morgan could deliver. The rookie pitched seven innings against the Braves on Friday, the

longest outing by a Phils starter, other than Cole Hamels, since May 14, when Aaron Harang tossed eight

innings against the Pirates in Philadelphia.

Three things to know about this game

• Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz has enjoyed some success against Kershaw in his career, going 6-for-16

(.375 average) with one home run, five RBIs and six walks.

• Over his last two starts against the Phillies, Kershaw has combined to pitch 14 scoreless innings and

has allowed just five hits.

• Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez is riding a 12-game hitting streak and has reached base

safely in each of his last 16 games.

Crawford aims to return after All-Star break

By Steve Bourbon

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford continues his path back to the Majors with a stint in

Triple-A Oklahoma City and looks for to be activated after the All-Star break.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said there is a plan in place for Crawford to play up until the All-Star

break, and then assess his progress.

"I think [trainer] Stan [Conte] has a plan mapped out for him to be playing through the break so they

have the same time off that we do," Mattingly said. "Then we can see where he's at."

Crawford is 4-for-7 with a double in two games with Oklahoma City after an illness over the weekend set

him back a few days. Tuesday's game for Oklahoma City was rained out. This is the next step for

Crawford, who played in two partial games in Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga on June 30 and July

1.

"He's been good," Mattingly said. "He just needs to continue to play."

In other injury news, infielder Hector Olivera was added to the Dodgers Rookie League team in Arizona

on Tuesday. Olivera has been hampered by a hamstring injury since June 23. Olivera is hitting .358 in 13

games, split between Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa.

LA TIMES

Dodgers' J.P. Howell is the team's great relief secret

By Steve Dilbeck

There's this Dodger who has been remarkably effective the first half and somehow managed to go

almost unnoticed.

When you’re putting together the kind of numbers J.P. Howell has, that should be next to impossible. So

there he is, next to impossibly good through his first 33 games.

Right now Howell is only 4-1 with one save, a crazy 0.36 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP.

He has allowed exactly one earned run all season, and that was back on April 10, which means he has

not allowed an earned run in his last 30 consecutive appearances. It's one of the best runs of his 10-year

career.

"Every year’s different for me, that’s the cool thing," Howell said. "I've had times when it's been

different roles. This is a fun one because I've pitched in every single way possible, and I’ve really enjoyed

that."

Howell has pitched in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and in extra innings. He’s come in to face

one batter or throw as many as 1 2/3 innings. The left-hander has been equally effective against right-

handed hitters (.224 average) as left-handed hitters (.222). He’s allowed only two extra-base hits all

year, both doubles.

All this after a comparatively rocky start. He wasn’t being charged with runs early, but he was

surrendering hits. In his first 11 games, opponents batted .375 against him. In his last 22 games, they’ve

hit .145.

"I just kept grinding," he said. "It was kind of early, and that’s how it happens. It's hit or miss, and you

adjust from there. It's nice when it's 'hit' early, but sometimes it's not."

It is right now. He and Kenley Jansen are the team’s two most reliable relievers. Twenty-three of his

appearances have come in the eighth inning or later.

When you're that good, that late, you tend to be noticed. Or at least should be.

Dodgers can't catch up with Philadelphia Phillies in loss, 7-2

By Dylan Hernandez

KEY MOMENT: Brett Anderson gave up a two-run double to Jeff Francoeur in the third inning that

increased the Dodgers' deficit to 3-0. Francoeur scored later in the inning on a groundout by Domonic

Brown to make it 4-0.

ON THE MOUND: Brett Anderson's personal winning streak ended at three starts, as the left-hander was

charged with four runs (three earned) and six hits over five innings. Anderson didn't receive many favors

from the defense behind him. With two outs in the first inning, Anderson forced Francoeur to hit a

grounder to third base, only for Justin Turner to make a throwing error. That loaded the bases for the

Phillies, who took the lead on an infield hit by Freddy Galvis. Francoeur's two-run double in the third

inning was preceded by a mistake by Yasiel Puig, who bobbled a single by Darin Ruf, allowing two

runners to advance.

AT THE PLATE: The Dodgers were blanked until the sixth inning, when Yasmani Grandal blasted a two-

run home run off Chad Billingsley. Some of their early chances against Billingsley were wiped out by

baserunning mistakes. The Dodgers had two runners on base in the first inning, but the threat ended

when Turner was doubled off at first by right fielder Brown on a deep fly ball by Adrian Gonzalez.

Grandal drew a leadoff walk in the second inning but was thrown out easily at third by Brown on a single

by Puig.

EXTRA BASES: As part of their campaign to get Clayton Kershaw elected to the All-Star game, the

Dodgers have partnered with the Boston Red Sox. The Dodgers are telling their fans to cast their

American League Final Vote ballots for Xander Bogarts of the Red Sox; the Red Sox, in exchange, are

asking their fans to vote for Kershaw. … Left-hander Ian Thomas was recalled from triple-A Oklahoma

City to add a fresh arm to the overtaxed bullpen. Eric Surkamp, who pitched 31/3 innings of relief the

previous night, was optioned to triple A. … In Baseball America's midseason rankings of the sport's top

50 prospects, Dodgers minor league infielder Corey Seager was No. 1. Three other Dodgers prospects

made the list: Julio Urias at No. 4, Hector Olivera at No. 16 and Jose De Leon at No. 20. … Don

Newcombe, a special advisor to the team, was taken from Dodger Stadium to a nearby hospital Monday.

Newcombe, 89, was "resting comfortably," according to the Dodgers, who offered no other details.

UP NEXT: Kershaw (5-6, 3.08 ERA) will face the Phillies and Adam Morgan (1-1, 2.13) at Dodger Stadium

on Wednesday at 7 p.m. TV: SportsNet LA. Radio: 570, 1020.

Phillies' Chad Billingsley returns to beat Dodgers, his former team

By Dylan Hernandez

Reflecting on his first experience on the free-agent market, Chad Billingsley said he was surprised by the

number of teams that were interested in him in the off-season.

He was also surprised that one particular team wasn't: the Dodgers.

"They didn't talk to me," he said.

Billingsley looked down.

"It wasn't the way I thought it would be," he said. "I'll leave it at that."

So on Tuesday night, Billingsley was wearing a Philadelphia Phillies uniform when he took the mound at

the ballpark he called home for the previous nine seasons. As the public-address announcer at Dodger

Stadium welcomed him back, the video scoreboards at Dodger Stadium flashed him a message that

read, "Thanks, Chad." The crowd clapped politely.

There would be other reminders of Billingsley's time in L.A., namely in how well the former All-Star

pitched. Billingsley earned his first victory for his new team, as he pitched the first six innings of a 7-2

win.

"I was pretty excited to be back out there today and be in a familiar atmosphere," Billingsley said. "It

was a lot of emotions."

Billingsley, who had a 7.71 earned-run average in his previous four starts with the Phillies, limited the

Dodgers to two runs and six hits. The only runs he gave up were scored in the sixth inning, when

Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run home run to right-center field.

Billingsley was helped by a baserunning mistake by Justin Turner in the first inning and one by Grandal in

the second.

"We gave him some free outs, let him off the hook early and then he settled down," first baseman

Adrian Gonzalez said. "He did a good job after that."

The victory was the first in more than two years for Billingsley, who bears scars from two operations on

his right elbow. His last win had been April 10, 2013.

"For me, right now, the key is just about getting back out there every fifth day, getting into a routine and

being a baseball player again," Billingsley said. "Each time I get out there, I get more comfortable, get in

a better rhythm."

The Dodgers' first-round draft pick in 2003, Billingsley reached the major leagues only three years later.

He was part of a group of promising young players that included Russell Martin, Matt Kemp, James

Loney and Jonathan Broxton.

Billingsley became a full-time starter in 2008 and won 16 games. The next year, he was a National

League All-Star.

Although Billingsley never developed into the ace some expected him to become, he remained a reliable

mid-rotation starter, winning 45 games from 2009 to 2012.

Late in the 2012 season, he partially tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He made only two

starts the next season, after which he underwent surgery. He never pitched for the Dodgers again.

He underwent a second elbow operation last year, this time for a partially torn flexor tendon.

The guaranteed portion of Billingsley's three-year, $35-million contract expired at the end of the season.

The Dodgers declined his $14-million option for the 2015 season, making him a free agent.

Billingsley was uncertain about his future, particularly because flexor-tendon operations are relatively

rare in baseball.

"I don't know if I doubted I was ever going to pitch again," he said. "It was that it was unknown how it

would be when I got back. They didn't have a whole lot of information to tell me how my elbow was

going to be."

The Phillies signed him to a one-year contract worth $1.5 million even though they knew he wouldn't be

ready to pitch on opening day.

The Dodgers signed a reclamation project of their own in Brandon Beachy, who is also recovering from

his second elbow operation. Beachy, who could make his season debut Saturday, will receive $2.75

million this year. His contract includes an option for next season worth $3.6 million, depending on how

much he pitches this season.

Billingsley made his fifth start for the Phillies on Tuesday. He pitched three games in May, limiting the

Arizona Diamondbacks to two runs over six innings in the last of them.

After that, he was sidelined for 1 1/2 months because of a strained side muscle. He returned from the

disabled list last week, but gave up seven runs in five innings to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Dodgers stumble against Chad Billingsley and the Phillies in 7-2 loss

By Steve Dilbeck

They play these games over and over during the course of six months, so every once in a while any team

is going to suffer its share of little indignities.

The Dodgers did Tuesday night, not only being handled with relative ease by the worst team in baseball,

but getting handled by their former starting pitcher they simply let walk away, Chad Billingsley.

Billingsley had been having a rough time with the Philadelphia Phillies after sitting out last season

following Tommy John surgery in April of 2013. But he looked back in form Tuesday in leading the

Phillies in a 7-2 victory over a flat-looking Dodgers team before a crowd of 46,614 at Dodger Stadium.

The right-hander came in 0-2 with a 7.71 earned-run average in his first four starts, but held the Dodgers

scoreless until Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run homer in the sixth. He left after that inning, having

surrendered the two runs and six hits. Tuesday marked his first victory since April 10, 2013.

The Phillies came in not only with the worst record in baseball (28-57), but having won just two of their

last 12 games.

But it was the Phillies who ran the bases well, saw a strong-armed right fielder (Domonic Brown) throw

out two baserunners, came up with the clutch hits and, of course, had the superior starting pitching.

Brett Anderson had been hot for the Dodgers, having won his last three starts with a 1.35 ERA. But he

seemed out of sorts all night Tuesday, giving up a run in the first and three more in the third.

Anderson (5-5) went five innings, giving up the four runs (three earned), six hits and two walks. He

struck out five.

He suffered from lack of run support, hardly a banner headline with the Dodgers these days. The

Dodgers appeared disinterested or at least worn out from their four-hour, 13-minute victory Monday

night.

They never really seemed in this one, falling behind, 6-0, before Grandal hit his 14th home run of the

season in the sixth.

Dodgers could turn to Brandon Beachy for rotation opening Saturday

By Steve Dilbeck

Is now the time to attempt to cash in on the Brandon Beachy gamble, or would the Dodgers be pushing

his return because of obvious need?

The Dodgers put together their ugliest victory of the season Monday night when they started reliever

Yimi Garcia, tried and failed to squeeze six innings out of Eric Surkamp, and ultimately took more than

four hours to defeat the Phillies (corrected), 10-7.

All this was in an attempt to fill the rotation spot previously occupied by Carlos Frias, himself a fill-in

before he went on the disabled list. But at the same time the Dodgers were going through seven

pitchers at Dodger Stadium, over at triple-A Oklahoma City Beachy was throwing six innings and 92

pitches, allowing three earned runs and nine hits.

It was his fifth rehab appearance in an effort to return from a second Tommy John surgery.

"His velocity was back to what it was in the past," said Manager Don Mattingly. "I know he felt good.

"He threw [92] pitches. His stuff is good. He could be a guy we could consider."

Beachy’s first rehab start was June 16 for Class A Rancho Cucamonga. He has made four starts for

Oklahoma City, going 1-1 with a 2.65 earned-run average. A 30-day rehab window started with his first

appearance. His next turn would be Saturday, whether for Oklahoma City or Los Angeles.

But the Dodgers have tried not to rush Beachy in his return and have to be careful they aren’t doing that

now, however slightly, just because they need a starter Saturday.

"That's one of the things we talked a lot about with Brandon, is giving him the time to not only physically

be ready but mentally feel like he’s getting to the point where he feels like he’s ready to compete,"

Mattingly said. "That’s the main thing."

Beachy, 28, seemed a rising star with the Braves until undergoing his first Tommy John surgery in June

2012. He was 12-8 with a 3.07 ERA in his previous two seasons before that first elbow procedure.

Mattingly would not identify the other candidates to start Saturday against Milwaukee, but the Dodgers’

rotation problems have diminished their options.

"A number of guys again," Mattingly said. "We haven't really sat down and talked about it. I’m sure

Andrew [Friedman, president of baseball operations] and Farhan [Zaidi, general manager] are thinking

about different guys, different combinations, and possibly the same type of game we had [Monday].

We'll just see where we go."

The Dodgers signed Beachy to a one-year contract for $2.75 million in the off-season, with a $3-million

option (with a $250,000 buyout) for 2016.

OC REGISTER

Billingsley, Phillies get rare road win against sloppy Dodgers

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES – In observing the inimitable atrocity that is the 2015 Philadelphia Phillies, it’s easy to

wonder how they ever win any games.

Tuesday night showed how. Perhaps weary from their four-hour victory on Monday, the Dodgers played

sloppily and handed visiting Philadelphia its 29th win of 2015 by a 7-2 score at Dodger Stadium.

“It was a long game yesterday,” said Brett Anderson, the Dodgers’ starter. “It kinda seemed like we

came out a little lethargic on all sides – defense, offense, myself included.”

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was quick to point out that both teams were on the field for the same

amount of time Monday.

About the only thing the Dodgers did well Tuesday is play the same number of innings as the day before

in less than two-thirds the time. Former Dodger Chad Billingsley held them scoreless until the sixth

inning, when Yasmani Grandal landed a changeup on top of the outfield wall for a “shocking” two-run

homer. Grandal thought he hit a double.

In earning his first major-league win in more than two years, Billingsley struck out three and allowed six

hits. He pitched with a lead throughout.

“I was pretty excited to be back out there today and be in a familiar atmosphere,” he said. “It was a lot

of emotions. We put up seven runs pretty early and it was just me trying not to mess it up. It was a fun

day.”

Outside of Grandal’s homer, the Dodgers produced little else, although the All-Star catcher reached base

on two other occasions. He drew the only walk they worked all night; four other players singled once

each, composing the entirety of their offense.

Anderson, the 27-year-old left-hander, surpassed the 100-inning mark for the season, a feat considering

he pitched 88 the last two years combined. He also matched his season-high for runs allowed, with four

– although one was unearned because of a Justin Turner throwing error in the first inning.

“I didn’t think he was that bad,” Mattingly said. “I didn’t feel like he got knocked around so much.”

“I beat myself,” Anderson said, and Grandal agreed.

He threw only 87 pitches before he was lifted for a pinch-hitter with no runners on base and two outs in

the bottom of the fifth. He said he put up a “little bit” of a fight to remain in the game. Mattingly only

removed him because the Dodgers faced a four-run deficit.

Right-hander Juan Nicasio put the game further out of reach in his two innings of relief, allowing three

runs for the second consecutive time.

Jeff Francouer homered off Nicasio and doubled off Anderson, on a breaking ball Anderson described as

“tremendously bad.” In terms of Wins Above Replacement, Francouer has been the worst player in the

majors over the last four years.

Baseball’s second-worst baserunning team made two more basepath blunders. In the first inning, Turner

was doubled off first base on an Adrian Gonzalez drive to the right-field wall, calling to mind Yasiel Puig’s

game-ending catch and throw in his major-league debut two years ago.

Then, in the second, Grandal tried to take third base from first on a Puig single and was thrown out by

several feet.

“Those things are disappointing, and things that we’ll talk about,” Mattingly said. “Really, they are things

that we’ve talked about already. We don’t want to take them for granted.”

The Dodgers (47-38) entered the game winners of eight of 12. They own significant advantages for the

final two games of the series, with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke opposing two men who have a

total of eight major-league starts to their names.

Philadelphia, which improved to 11-31 on the road, is still seven games behind the second-worst team in

baseball, the Miami Marlins.

Dodgers pitcher Brandon Beachy's successful rehab makes him potential starter Saturday

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES – Brandon Beachy lasted four innings in his rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City two

weeks ago, five innings last week and six innings on Monday.

The Dodgers need a starting pitcher for Saturday, one who could last longer than two innings like Yimi

Garcia did Monday. It only makes sense that the 28-year-old right-hander would be the selection, but

the Dodgers didn’t come close to committing to him Tuesday.

“He could be a guy that could be considered,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “We haven’t really gotten to

the candidates for this weekend. He’s throwing the ball well.”

Beachy reached 93 mph in his last outing. He’s never averaged more than 92 mph, so his velocity is back,

and Mattingly allowed that Beachy is physically ready to return to the majors after his second Tommy

John surgery. The unspoken question is if he is mentally ready for the added competition.

“That’s the main thing,” Mattingly said. “With Brandon, we all feel like it’s coming together. Is it gonna

come together by this weekend? I don’t know that yet.”

Pitchers in their first seasons returning from serious surgeries are unknown quantities.

“One time it may be good,” Mattingly said. “The next time, not as good.”

Representation of that took the mound a few hundred feet from where Mattingly talked, in the form of

Chad Billingsley, who the Dodgers drafted in the first round a dozen years ago.

Nine years ago Tuesday, Billingsley pitched his second career game at Dodger Stadium. At the time, he

was a big prospect. Later on, there was even a segment of the baseball-following population that

believed he would be better than Clayton Kershaw.

Clearly, that did not come to fruition. Still, Billingsley is in the majors, having signed with the Phillies for

$1.5 million in the offseason after his three-year, $35million contract expired. Various elbow injuries

delayed his debut for Philadelphia until May.

He’s struggled so far this season but limited the Dodgers to two runs over six innings Tuesday. Before he

took the mound, the team played a short video remembering him, flashing, “Thanks Chad!” on the

scoreboards.

Mattingly said before the game Billingsley was “pretty solid” as a Dodger.

“For the most part, he was consistent with his stuff,” Mattingly said.

SLOW PACE

Mattingly told right-hander Pedro Baez to speed up his pace on the mound, telling the converted third

baseman that he wouldn’t want to play defense behind himself.

At times, the wait between Baez’s pitches can be excruciating. According to fangraphs.com, the 25-year-

old has been the slowest pitcher in baseball this season, taking 32.1 seconds between pitches – nearly

two seconds more than any other pitcher who’s thrown 10 or more innings.

The second-slowest? His teammate Joel Peralta, at 30.3 seconds. Adam Liberatore is the sixth-slowest at

28.6 seconds, Kenley Jansen the 10th-slowest at 28 seconds flat. Chris Hatcher and Juan Nicasio are also

among the 30 slowest of 468 pitchers.

The Dodgers’ bullpen does not work quickly.

“To me, it shows a lack of confidence in what you want to do,” Mattingly said. “I’ve played behind guys

like that, and it’s like they walk around and they wait around. You give the hitter a chance to think, let

him settle down. Whatever count he’s in, everything kind of slows down for him.

“Guys that get the ball, that are in your face, throw a strike and then are back in your face, to me, are

tougher.”

The Dodgers’ Tuesday starter, Brett Anderson, is typically one of the faster workers in the majors. David

Price often brings up the bottom.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s Rays also had five of the 30 slowest

pitchers in 2014.

AROUND THE BASES

The Dodgers recalled left-hander Ian Thomas to take the roster spot of the demoted Eric Surkamp, a

fellow left-hander. Surkamp spent a single day in the majors and gave up four runs in 31/3 innings. ...

Mattingly said the All-Star Game should be “more of a festival than a supposedly meaningful game. “For

me, it’s a flaw in the system that we have. This should be an exhibition game to me. And your stars

should be in Cincinnati. There should be a way to do that.” ... Dodgers special advisor Don Newcombe,

89, is said to be resting comfortably at home after becoming ill and leaving Dodger Stadium before

Monday’s game. A former Dodger pitcher, Newcombe attends many of the team’s home games.

On deck: Phillies at Dodgers, Wednesday, 7 p.m.

By Pedro Moura

Where: Dodger Stadium

TV: SportsNet LA, 7 p.m.

Did you know: Tuesday was right-hander Brandon McCarthy’s 32nd birthday. He went 3-0 with a 5.87

ERA in four starts during his first season with the Dodgers before undergoing Tommy John surgery for a

torn ulnar collateral ligament.

THE PITCHERS

LHP CLAYTON KERSHAW (5-6, 3.08 ERA)

Kershaw is not yet an All-Star, although he still can get in via the Final Vote, and very possibly will. The

27-year-old’s ERA doesn’t look the part of an MVP and his win-loss record is subpar, but everything else

about his season is All-Star-worthy. He’s striking out tons of hitters, walking few of them, and working

deep into games like usual.

Vs. Phillies: 2-4, 3.34

At Dodger Stadium: 56-27, 2.13

Hates to face: Carlos Ruiz, 5 for 14 (.357)

Loves to face: Darin Ruf, 0 for 4, 3 SO

LHP ADAM MORGAN (1-1, 2.13 ERA)

Morgan, 25, made his major-league debut last month. Both of his starts at this level have been good,

with 11 strikeouts and four walks thus far. He was never much of a prospect coming out of Alabama, but

the Phillies are desperate for pitching this season, and so Morgan is here, getting a chance. He had a

4.74 ERA and a miserable strikeout rate in Triple-A before he got the call.

Never faced Dodgers or any Dodgers hitters

Final: Dodgers fall to former teammate Chad Billingsley, lowly Phillies, 7-2

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES — In observing the inimitable atrocity that is the 2015 Philadelphia Phillies, it’s easy to

wonder how they win baseball games against Major League Baseball teams.

Tuesday night showed how. Perhaps weary from their four-hour victory on Monday, the Dodgers played

sloppily and handed visiting Philadelphia its 29th victory of 2015 by a 7-2 score at Dodger Stadium.

The Phillies are still six wins behind the second-worst team in baseball, the Miami Marlins.

About the only thing the Dodgers did well Tuesday is play the same number of innings they did Monday

in less than two-thirds the time. Former Dodger Chad Billingsley held them scoreless until the sixth

inning, when Yasmani Grandal landed a changeup on top of the outfield wall for a two-run homer.

The Dodgers produced no other offense, although Grandal reached base on two other occasions. He

drew the only walk they worked all night; four other players singled once each for the entirety of their

offense.

Left-hander Brett Anderson started and surpassed the 100-inning mark for his season. He also matched

his season-high for runs allowed, with four — although one was unearned because of a Justin Turner

throwing error in the first inning.

Anderson threw only 87 pitches before he was lifted for a pinch hitter with no runners on base in the

bottom of the fifth inning. Right-hander Juan Nicasio put the game further out of reach in his two

innings of relief, allowing three runs for the second straight appearance.

In the first inning, Turner was doubled off first base on an Adrian Gonzalez drive to the wall. Then, in the

second, Grandal tried to take third base on a Yasiel Puig single and was thrown out by several feet.

The Dodgers (47-38) entered the game winners of eight of 12. They own significant advantages for the

final two games of the series against the Phillies, with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke opposing two

men who have a total of eight major-league starts to their names.

LA DAILY NEWS

Chad Billingsley shuts down former Dodgers teammates as Phillies win 7-2 By Robert Morales It was Chad Billingsley Night at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday. No, the Dodgers were not honoring their former right-handed pitcher. They were trying to knock him out of the box. Billingsley, who missed most of 2013 because of Tommy John surgery and all of 2014 with flexor tendon surgery, was back in town with the lowly Philadelphia Phillies, the team with the worst record in baseball. Billingsley entered with a record of 0-2 and an ERA of 7.71 in four starts. But he allowed the Dodgers just six hits and two runs over six innings and the Phillies emerged with a 7-2 victory over the Dodgers before 46,614 at Dodger Stadium. The Phillies led 6-0 before Yasmani Grandal touched Billingsley for a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was home run No. 14 for Grandal. Billingsley struck out three, walked one and hit a batter on 83 pitches in collecting his first victory since 2013, when he had just one. “I just made some pitches that I needed to,” Billingsley said. “It was a fun day.” Billingsley came up to the Dodgers in 2006 and was with them until he signed with the Phillies this past offseason. Of course, he said, it was an emotional return. “Really excited,” he said. “Pitching on the Dodger Stadium mound, it was pretty familiar. It was nice to get the first win. I really tried to control that (adrenaline) and was able to go out and make pitches when I needed to.” Los Angeles (47-38) had its lead in the NL West over the second-place Giants cut to four games.

The Phillies (29-57) came in having lost 10 of 12. The Dodgers did not help themselves at all. They had runners on first and second with one out in the first inning when Adrian Gonzalez lined out deep to right-fielder Domonic Brown. Justin Turner, who was at first, went almost all the way to second and was doubled up at first. In the second inning, with Grandal at first, Yasiel Puig singled to right. Brown gunned down Grandal at third with ease to damage another rally that did not bear fruit. “Dom helped me out, throwing guys out at third base,” Billingsley said. “That’s always nice.” Asked to assess Billingsley, Gonzalez immediately touched upon those baserunning blunders. “We gave him a couple of free outs, let him off the hook early and then he settled in and did a good job until the home run (by Grandal),” Gonzalez said. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly also was asked his opinion of Billingsley. He, too, mentioned those mistakes. “I wasn’t really trying to analyze him so much, but, obviously, he kept us in zeroes,” Mattingly said. “Again, I think we gave him a couple of outs. One of them cost us a run for sure, you didn’t really know about the other. So he did his job.” Dodgers starting and losing pitcher Brett Anderson (5-5) pitched five innings and gave up four runs — three earned — on six hits. He struck out five and walked two on 87 pitches. The Phillies got an RBI single in the first inning from Freddy Galvis that was unearned because of a throwing error by third baseman Turner in the inning. Philadelphia went up 4-0 in the third inning, with two of the three runs scoring on a double to center by Jeff Francoeur. Right before that, Darin Ruf had singled to right with Maikel Franco on base via a walk. Puig bobbled and then hesitated before throwing the ball back into the infield. When Franco saw that, he charged on to third after looking like he was going to stop at second. When Puig threw to third, Ruf went to second. Anderson said he wanted to stay in the game past the fifth inning, but he was lifted for a pinch-hitter as the Dodgers were trailing 4-0. “A little bit,” he said, when asked if he fought to stay in. “But you can only do so much and, obviously, you kind of reflect on it once you get inside and see the need to try to score some runs.” Anderson was mad at himself for allowing Francoeur’s double on a 1-2 pitch. “I had no business throwing Francoeur a strike when he has two strikes right there,” he said. Leading 4-0, the Phillies added two more runs on a two-run single by Ben Revere off reliever Juan Nicasio in the top of the sixth.

Pitcher Brandon Beachy could make Dodgers debut Saturday By JP Hoornstra The Dodgers haven’t announced who will start Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, but Brandon Beachy is a candidate. If so, it will be Beachy’s first major league appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery in March 2014. Beachy has made five minor-league starts since his rehab assignment began in June. In his fifth start Monday, he threw six innings and allowed three earned runs with Triple-A Oklahoma City. “You can’t rush confidence. You can’t rush the way he feels,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “Even though his stuff may be back and physically he may be back, if mentally he’s not feeling it, it’s tough. I think we all feel like everything’s coming together. Is it going to come together by this weekend? I don’t know the answer to that. It’s getting there.” Mattingly said the discussion about who will start the game hasn’t taken place among the Dodgers’ front office yet. It’s the second time they’ve had to fill the rotation spot vacated when Carlos Frias was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a back injury. The first time was Monday. The Dodgers used seven pitchers to get through that game and none pitched more than 3 1/3 innings. They beat the Phillies 10-7 in a game that lasted four hours and 13 minutes — the fourth-slowest nine-inning game in franchise history. Mattingly said that employing the “same type of game” plan remains a possibility for Saturday. Beachy is a possibility too. That hasn’t been the case all season until now. Beachy signed an incentive-laden one-year contract with an option for 2016 in spring training. It was a gamble for the Dodgers at the time, but one that could be paying off soon. “His velocity is back to what it was in the past,” Mattingly said. “He feels good. Obviously he’s getting back to the point physically where he’s back over 90 pitches. His stuff’s good. So he could be a guy that would be considered.” PICK UP THE PACE While the pace of games has picked up on the whole this season, Dodgers pitcher Pedro Baez isn’t helping. The right-hander is taking an average of 32.1 seconds between pitches to deliver the ball, which prompted Mattingly to meet with Baez after Monday’s game. “It seemed like 30 seconds between every pitch. That’s rough,” Mattingly said. “I said, ‘If you were playing third base, you’d be going crazy.’ It’s just tough on guys.

“To me it shows a lack of confidence in what you want to do. I’ve played behind guys like that. They walk around … you give the hitter a chance to think, let him settle down. Whatever count he’s in, everything kind of slows down.” Advertisement Baez walked two batters and allowed a hit in two-thirds of an inning Monday, which might help drive home Mattingly’s point. “His tempo’s always been a little slower so you don’t try to force that,” the manager said, “but 30 seconds is a little over the top.” ROSTER MOVE The Dodgers optioned pitcher Eric Surkamp to Triple-A Oklahoma City, one day after he made his 2015 debut, and recalled left-hander Ian Thomas. Thomas last pitched on Thursday for Oklahoma City, allowing four runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings (100 pitches). Acquired by the Dodgers in the May trade that sent Juan Uribe to the Atlanta Braves, Thomas made his Dodgers debut June 2 in Colorado and allowed four runs in three innings. Surkamp was charged with four runs in 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen in Monday’s game against Philadelphia. CRAWFORD NEARING RETURN Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford has played four games since his minor-league assignment began, the last two at Triple-A. He likely would have played another on Tuesday if Oklahoma City’s game had not been postponed due to rain. Mattingly offered a rough timetable for Crawford’s return to the major leagues, saying “Stan (Conte, the Dodgers’ head athletic trainer) has got a plan kind of mapped out for him to be playing through the break.” The Pacific Coast League’s all-star break ends July 16, while MLB resumes play July 17. The Dodgers visit the Washington Nationals that day. Presuming he doesn’t have any setbacks, that could be Crawford’s first game in a Dodgers uniform since he strained an oblique muscle April 27. ALSO ... The Phillies designated former Dodgers pitcher Kevin Correia for assignment. Correia had been scheduled to start the series finale Thursday; right-hander Severino Gonzalez will start the game instead. … Hector Olivera and Trevor Cahill both began minor-league rehab assignments with the short-season Arizona League Dodgers. Cahill threw 1 2/3 innings out of the bullpen, allowing three runs (one earned) and striking out four. Olivera served as the designated hitter. … Cuban-born pitcher Pablo Fernandez, who signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers in spring training, started the game and pitched 2 2/3 innings. It was his second start in his recovery from shoulder stiffness.

TRUEBLUELA.COM

Midseason prospect lists: Corey Seager atop the heap, Jose De Leon rising fast By Eric Stephen It is midseason prospect list time, and the Dodgers are well represented by both Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus in their respective lists this week. The themes are consistent with both - Corey Seager is the best prospect in baseball who is still in the minors, Julio Urias isn't far behind, and Jose De Leon is a rapid riser on the national radar. Four Dodgers made the Baseball America top 50 list, with Seager No. 1, Urias No. 4, 30-year-old Hector Olivera at No. 16, and De Leon at No. 20. The Baseball Prospecuts midseason list also has 50 prospects, with four Dodgers making the cut - Seager is No. 1, Urias No. 3, Grant Holmes is No. 37 and De Leon No. 42. Seager, who was ranked No. 5 by BA and No. 7 by BP in the preseason, is hitting .280/.331/.466 with eight home runs and 17 doubles in 58 games since his promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Seager, 21, was named a reserve for the Pacific Coast League in the Triple-A All-Star Game, to be played on Wednesday, July 15. Urias has a 3.00 ERA in seven starts this season for Double-A Tulsa, with 46 strikeouts and only nine walks in 36 innings. He is close to returning to the Drillers after surgery on his left eye in June. "Scouts and coaches can’t believe someone this polished is only 18 years old," said the Baseball America report. Urias turns 19 on Aug. 12. He was ranked 10th on both lists in the preseason. De Leon, who turns 23 on Aug. 7, is 6-4 with a 3.04 ERA in 15 starts this season between Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Tulsa, with a whopping 112 strikeouts and 29 walks in 83 innings. "He always had plus arm strength, but he now consistently sits in the mid-90s with his fastball, occasionally touching 98," wrote Christopher Crawford at BP. "The slider is a plus pitch with hard, downward tilt, and the change shows the makings of being a solid-average offering" De Leon did not rank in the top 100 (or 101) in either preseason list. Hector Olivera reaches base twice in first rehab game with AZL Dodgers By Eric Stephen The Dodgers had a pair of rainouts in Oklahoma on Tuesday, but most of the focus was in Arizona, with the $62.5 million man beginning a rehab assignment.

Player of the day Hector Olivera began his road back from a hamstring injury with a minor league rehab game with the rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers. Olivera was 1-for-3 with a walk and a single, and scored two runs as the designated hitter. It was his first game action since straining the hamstring with Triple-A Oklahoma City on June 20. Triple-A Oklahoma City OKC was rained out at home against the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals), a game that will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 21 in Omaha. The Storm Chasers aren't scheduled for a return trip to Oklahoma City this season. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers were rained out at home against the San Antonio Missions (Padres), a game that will likely be made up on the road in San Antonio as part of a doubleheader next week. The Missions aren't scheduled for a return trip to Tulsa this season. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Zack Bird struck out eight in six innings, but also allowed four runs, taking the loss in the Quakes' 4-0 demise on the road to the Lancaster JetHawks (Astros). Erisbel Arruebarrena was 2-for-4 in the loss and played second base for the third time in his four games with Rancho Cucamonga. Low Class-A Great Lakes Kyle Garlick, 28th-round draft pick by the Dodgers this year, was 2-for-4 with a double but the Loons fell to the Lansing Lugnuts (Blue Jays) 5-3. Matt Beaty, the club's 12th-round pick, also had two hits for Great Lakes in defeat. Rookie-level Ogden The Raptors got home runs from Matt Jones and non-drafted free agent Nick Sell, but fell to the Missoula Osprey (Diamondbacks) 7-6. Since joining Ogden, Sell has a nine-game hitting streak, hitting .405/.425/.757 with 12 RBI. Rookie-level Arizona The AZL Dodgers beat the AZL Athletics 9-4, and in addition to Olivera there were a few others on rehab assignments. Pablo Fernandez allowed a run and struck out five in 2⅔ innings in his second U.S. professional start, and Trevor Cahill made his Dodgers debut, striking out four with no walks in 1⅔ innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits. Transactions Triple-A: Ian Thomas was recalled to the Dodgers, and Eric Surkamp was optioned back to Oklahoma City.

Rookie-level: Hector Olivera and Trevor Cahill were added to the AZL Dodgers on a rehab assignment from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Tuesday box scores Lancaster 4, Rancho Cucamonga 0 Great Lakes 5, Lansing 3 Missoula 7, Ogden 6 DSL Dodgers 5, DSL Twins 4 AZL Dodgers 9, AZL A's 4 Wednesday schedule 10:35 a.m.: Lancaster (Daniel Mengden) at Rancho Cucamonga (Brock Stewart) 4:05 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Grant Holmes) at Lansing (Justin Shafer) 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Ross Stripling) at Corpus Christi (Astros) (Brian Holmes) 6:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Eric Stults) at Colorado Springs (Brewers) (TBD) 6:05 p.m.: Ogden (Ivan Vietez) at Missoula (Yefrey Ramirez) Dodgers to call up Chin-hui Tsao, per report By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers might be making another addition to their bullpen on Wednesday, reportedly calling up Chin-hui Tsao from Triple-A Oklahoma City, per Peter Wang of ETTV. Tsao, 34, has a 4.40 ERA in 25 games between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City this season with 39 strikeouts and nine walks in 30⅔ innings, including 31 strikeouts and five walks in 21 games in OKC, with five saves in his first professional season in the United States since 2008. Tsao has gone his last 10 appearances without issuing a walk, and has 10 strikeouts since his last walk, on June 5. The Dodgers signed Tsao to a minor league deal on January 3, a move that had to be cleared by Major League Baseball because the Taiwanese right-hander was serving a lifetime ban from the Chinese Professional Baseball League for involvement in a game-fixing scandal in 2009. Tsao pitched in six games during spring training and impressed his teammates.

"He gives me a lot of options to play with, whether it's backdoor breaking balls, cutters inside, fastballs up," said catcher Yasmani Grandal in March. "He can bring it too. I didn't know he could bring it that hard." Tsao last pitched in the major leagues in 2007 with the Dodgers, putting up a 4.38 ERA in 21 relief appearances, with 16 strikeouts and eight walks in 24⅔ innings. The Dodgers on Tuesday had Juan Nicasio and Ian Thomas each throw two innings of relief, throwing 46 and 30 pitches, respectively. This was one day after six relievers combined with Eric Surkamp for a bullpen game, including Yimi Garcia throwing 43 pitches in two innings and Pedro Baez throwing 28 pitches in his one inning, his third appearance in four days. Manager Don Mattingly said after Tuesday's game that using Nicasio and Thomas, the latter called up on Tuesday for Surkamp, helped give certain pitchers a needed day off, but that the bullpen wasn't quite out of the woods yet. "We'll see," Mattingly said. "We’re still talking about some things with that and what we’ll do with it." Tsao last pitched on Saturday, throwing 37 pitches in two innings. The Dodgers will have to make a corresponding transaction to make room for Tsao on the 40-man roster. Dodgers lay an egg against Phillies By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers were sloppy, and at times just plain bad, beaten soundly by the worst team in baseball, a 7-2 win by the Phillies on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. Chad Billingsley pitched six innings and didn't allow a run until Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning. Billingsley earned his first win since April 10, 2013, and his first win since leaving the Dodgers. The right-hander struck out three and walked one, scattering six hits over his six innings in his return to Dodger Stadium. The home run for Grandal was his 14th of the season, all hit from the left side. Grandal has nine home runs in his last 71 plate appearances batting from the left side, dating back to June 10. Brett Anderson was bedeviled in the first inning, with two infield hits, a walk and an error leading to an unearned run. The Dodgers mistakes carried over to offense too, with Justin Turner getting doubled off at first base on a line drive out to right fielder Domonic Brown in the first inning. In the second, Grandal tried to

advance from first to third on a single to right, and Brown threw him out by 20 feet for his second outfield assist in as many innings. The Phillies added to their lead in the third inning with a walk, a single then a two-run double by Jeff Francoeur, who scored two ground balls later for a 4-0 Philadelphia advantage. Anderson's spot in the batting order came up in the fifth so, down four runs, he was pulled for a pinch hitter after just 87 pitches and five innings, a decision he didn't look too happy with in the dugout. "I didn't feel like he got knocked around," said manager Don Mattingly. "I would have sent him back out there if we didn't dig ourselves a bigger hole." Juan Nicasio allowed two runs in the sixth inning, then another in the seventh with a home run by Francoeur, his sixth of the season, giving him three runs batted in on the night. Ian Thomas pitched two scoreless innings in his home Dodgers debut. Up next Non-All-Star Clayton Kershaw starts on Wednesday night, against fellow southpaw Adam Morgan for the Phillies. Tuesday particulars Home runs: Yasmani Grandal (14); Jeff Francoeur (6) WP - Chad Billingsley (1-2): 6 IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts LP - Brett Anderson (5-5): 5 IP, 6 hits, 4 runs (3 earned), 2 walks, 5 strikeouts Brandon Beachy a candidate to start for Dodgers on Saturday By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers still haven't named a starting pitcher for Saturday night's game against the Brewers, but one candidate is Brandon Beachy, manager Don Mattingly confirmed on Tuesday. "We feel like he's reached that point where he could be considered," Mattingly said before Tuesday's game against the Phillies. Beachy is recovering from his second career Tommy John surgery and last pitched in a major league game on Aug. 20, 2013. On Monday, Beachy allowed five runs (three earned) on nine hits in six innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City, the fifth start of his minor league rehab assignment. But more importantly he was healthy and stretched out. Beachy threw 93 pitches on Monday.

"He's feeling good today. The velocity is back to where it was in the past [before his surgeries]," Mattingly said. "That's one of the things we've talked about with Brandon, to give him the time to be right. Not only physically ready, but mentally." Mattingly said Beachy touched 93 mph in his start on Monday night. The right-hander averaged 92.55 mph on his four-seam fastball in his 25 starts in 2011, then 91.83 mph in 13 starts in 2012, and 90.92 mph in five starts in 2013, per Brooks Baseball. Depending on if Ian Thomas, recalled by the Dodgers on Tuesday, is used, he could conceivably be another candidate to start on Saturday as well. Eric Surkamp was optioned on Tuesday, so he would need someone to be placed on the disabled list in order to return within 10 days. Mattingly said the decision on Saturday's starter hasn't yet been made. "There are a number of guys again. We haven't really sat down and talked about it," Mattingly said. "I'm sure Andrew and Farhan are thinking about different guys and different combinations, and possibly the same type of game we had [Monday]." With starter Carlos Frias on the disabled list with lower back tightness, the game Monday was a bullpen game of sorts, with Yimi Garcia starting for two innings, followed by Surkamp. Mattingly thinks the reaction to the decision was overblown. "It's not really that much different. If we switch Yimi and Surkamp, it's really the same. One guy goes four or five, then from where we were sitting we knew we had to get two out of Yimi at some point," Mattingly explained. "It allows us to pinch hit that first time through." The key to the plan though is having at least one pitcher go longer, at least four or five innings. The two times the Dodgers have tried this bullpen game, on June 2 in Colorado and on Monday, the long man didn't last very long, with Thomas pitching three innings in Colorado and Surkamp just 3⅓ on Monday. "We have to have a guy available to throw a lot of innings," Mattingly said. "If a starter goes two innings, you're in trouble." Dodgers recall Ian Thomas, option Eric Surkamp to Triple-A By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers recalled Ian Thomas from Triple-A Oklahoma City before Tuesday's game with the Phillies, giving the bullpen a fresh arm after using six relievers to record 17 outs in Monday's opener. Eric Surkamp, Monday's starter long reliever, was optioned back to Oklahoma City. Thomas was scheduled to start for Oklahoma City on Tuesday but was scratched. OKC was ultimately rained out. The left-hander last pitched on Thursday. Thomas has 25 strikeouts and 10 walks in 26⅔ innings with Oklahoma City this season, but has also allowed 23 runs on 38 hits, including five home runs, for a 7.09 ERA.

This is the third major league stint for Thomas since he was acquired from the Braves on May 27. He pitched in one game, allowing four runs on five hits in three innings in the first game of a doubleheader at Coors Field on June 2. That was a bullpen game, as was Monday night for the Dodgers, with Yimi Garcia throwing 43 pitches and Pedro Baez throwing 28 pitches in their appearances. "After we got through that game last night, Ian gives us length," manager Don Mattingly said. This is the third option year for Surkamp, having used options in 2013 with the Giants and 2014 with the White Sox. Surkamp was also optioned at the end of 2011 but since his optional assignment didn't last 20 days that did not count as an option year burned. The Dodgers are using the same lineup on Tuesday that they used Monday, with the only difference Jimmy Rollins is now batting eighth instead of ninth. Phillies roster moves The Phillies made a pair of roster moves before Tuesday's game. They sent Monday's starting pitcher Sean O'Sullivan outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, with right-hander Hector Neris recalled from Triple-A to help the bullpen. In addition, Thurday's scheduled starter and old friend Kevin Correia was designated for assignment, with right-hander Severino Gonzalez called up to take his place and start the series finale for Philadelphia.

ESPN LA With one key absence, picking the NL All-Star starter is easy By Christina Kahrl While picking a pitcher for the American League team's starting gig can involve a more extended debate over the criteria you value most -- recent performance or historical track record -- reviewing the National League's current eight choices for the job boils down much more quickly into a choice between two of them. But should it be left to these eight alone, or will the Final Vote provide a late entry into the field? Before we get into that, let's go over the initial awesome eight: 1. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants: An understandable manager's selection by his own skipper, last year's October hero isn't having his best half-season of baseball. Bumgarner doesn't even rank in the NL's top 20 in ERA (3.34), and not because of any particular bad fortune (3.22 FIP). The nicest thing you can say about his first three months in this company is that he has one of the five best strikeout-to-walk ratios (5.4), but he isn't here for these three months, he's here because he's among the league's best over the past 2 1/2 years, ranking 14th among all major league pitchers in WAR and sixth in wins. He belongs, but he shouldn't get the start.

2. A.J. Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates: After Tuesday night's action, Burnett is one of just two NL starters with an ERA under 2.00, if only just (1.99). And with 14 quality starts, he's second in the league there as well, albeit tied with a bunch of guys. If he can do this all year, it would easily wind up as his best season yet -- not too shabby for a 38-year-old journeyman. That's not enough to draw the starting assignment, but kudos to Bruce Bochy for picking him when he didn't have to add a Pirate. 3. Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates: The MLB leader in wins with a 12-3 record, Cole is anything but a mere product of run support. He's fifth in the league in ERA right now (and third in FIP), and across the 2013-15 seasons Cole is in the top 10 in the majors in FIP (2.94), ranking ahead of some of his famous All-Star teammates (Zack Greinke and Bumgarner among them). Just 24 years old, Cole is coming into his own as an ace, as the king of the Pirates' crew of sinkerballing fiends, and will be making his first All-Star appearance. He also hasn't pitched a full season in the majors yet. If there weren't better candidates, he'd be a great choice for the starting nod. 4. Jacob deGrom, New York Mets: Last year's Rookie of the Year is topping his introduction, posting an even better ERA (2.30) and an improved K/BB rate by shaving his walk rate below two free passes per nine. He's also an exceptionally hard to get an extra-base hit against, allowing multibag hits to an NL-low 3.6 percent of batters. He's earned the invite and is a great player's choice ... but not to start the game. 5. Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers: Want consistency and quality? Greinke's your guy, delivering 16 quality starts in 17 turns while leading the league in ERA by a half-run (1.48). And these aren't bare-minimum quality starts -- he's allowed more than two runs in a turn just three times all season. Among all major league pitchers he's seventh overall in WAR from 2013-15, and this is his best season since his Cy Young campaign in 2009 for the Royals. He's 39-14 with a 2.40 ERA as a Dodger. And for all that, Greinke may nevertheless not be better than the second- or third-best choice in the league for the starting nod. 6. Shelby Miller, Atlanta Braves: Got to have a Brave, and there's no better choice than their breakout hurler, picked up in last winter's trade of Jason Heyward. His 2.07 ERA is good for third in the league, but he owes a measure of his success to his defense, ranking a full run worse via FIP (3.08), which ranks 12th. Like I said, best Brave and a worthy All-Star, but that's it. 7. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals: Even after getting beaten up by the Reds Tuesday night to drop his record to 9-7, Scherzer remains the single best starter in the league this season. His 2.12 ERA still ranks fourth overall, but he leads in FIP. He's one of just two NL starters striking out 30 percent of his opponents, but is overpowering people at that pace while having the second-lowest walk rate in the league to post an insanely great 143-to-14 strikeout-to-walk rate, a ratio of 10-1. He's a great pitcher having a great season, but it's also of a piece of his last several seasons: He's MLB's WAR leader among all pitchers from 2013-15 (17.4) with a 2.61 FIP across that span. He deserved to start for the AL in 2013, and he deserves to start for the NL next week. 8. Michael Wacha, St. Louis Cardinals: The bounceback hero in the Cards' rotation after his injury-marred 2014 season, Wacha's 2.66 ERA is the highest among these All-Stars outside of Bumgarner. His 10-3 record has profited some from the best run support received by any of these eight (4.9 runs per turn), while his 11 quality starts are the fewest among them. Another Bochy selection, he might be the one you have to wonder about because of who isn't here.

And that leaves us with Clayton Kershaw, who is just a Final Vote maybe at this stage, and the only reasonable alternative outside of Scherzer for the starting nod because of his full body of work in recent seasons. It's a travesty that he isn't on this roster: He's second in the NL in FIP and quality starts, he's posting the highest strikeout rate in the league (second only to Chris Sale among all major leaguers), and he's second only to Scherzer for WAR from 2013-15 (17.0). But a 5-6 record and a 3.08 ERA in the first half seems to have encouraged people to forget about all of that, which is crazy. Between this and the travesty of Kershaw finishing second to R.A. Dickey in the 2012 Cy Young voting -- preventing him from winning the award in four straight seasons -- is it possible the best pitcher in baseball is nevertheless somehow being underrated? As long as Kershaw isn't on the ballot for reasons that defy sensible explanation, this is easy: It has to be Scherzer. And even if Kershaw was on the roster, it should be Scherzer. An embarrassing night at Dodger Stadium By Mark Saxon LOS ANGELES -- Chad Billingsley's winning his first game in more than two years was a nice little story. Many of his former teammates who watched him work his way back from the first arm injury only to be sideswiped by a second one seemed to be genuinely happy for him after he helped the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-2 Tuesday night. "It's been a long road for him and, like any pitcher who knows he has more in the tank, he's going to keep working to eventually get back," Adrian Gonzalez said. "We'll see where it takes him." But the reality was the Dodgers knew Billingsley never should have been carrying a shutout into the sixth inning Tuesday night. They knew they let him off the hook early with baserunning gaffes and fanned the Phillies' offense with some lackluster effort on defense, creating the storyline the media would ask them about after the game. In other words, inside the walls of the Dodgers' clubhouse this was about what they did wrong, not what Billingsley did right. For whatever reason, the Dodgers traded places with the Phillies on Tuesday, taking on the personality of a last-place team, while the Phillies didn't do much of anything. And the fact that the teams had dragged out Monday night's game to 4 hours, 13 minutes was the last excuse anyone on the Dodgers wanted to hear. "They played the same game. They didn't make the same mistakes," Gonzalez said. You wouldn't expect Yasmani Grandal, an All-Star catcher with plenty of skills -- none of which are speed -- trying to go from first to third on a single and making the no-no of all baserunning no-nos, recording the first out at third. But he did, and he was out by 10 feet. You wouldn't expect Justin Turner -- a veteran who spent enough time in college and the minor leagues to pick up the fundamentals of base running -- to lose track of the runner ahead of him, to bunch up at second base and be doubled off first on a line-drive to right caught by the right fielder. But he did that, too. Sadly, people have come to expect periodic lapses of concentration (or is it interest?) when Yasiel Puig is playing the outfield, and there were another couple of glimpses of that Tuesday, too. Puig took his time

gathering Darin Ruf's single, then bobbled it and two runners took extra bases. They both scored. He also appeared to be caught off guard when Cesar Hernandez hit a fourth-inning fly ball to right field, reacting late and nearly circling the ball before catching a routine fly. "We give some outs away on the bases early and we let some guys advance when we really shouldn’t. Those things are disappointing," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. Fatigue is a legitimate excuse for lackluster play even if it sounds lame when the players trot it out, which they haven't done. The Dodgers have played 35 games in the past 37 days, the schedule-maker doing them no favors heading into the All-Star break. But there was also an element of complacency Tuesday. It looked -- and appearances aren't always deceptive -- that the Dodgers thought they could beat the Phillies because they're the Phillies, easily the worst team in baseball, and score off Billingsley because his right elbow has been a mess for two seasons. Mattingly was asked whether his team thought it could simply throw its gloves on the Dodger Stadium turf and walk away with a win. "I hope not," he said. "I think you need to respect everyone you play. We just made mistakes early that give them outs, then we give them bases. That cost us runs. You just can’t do it. I don’t care who you’re playing." The Dodgers still have won eight of their past 13 games, and the rest of their division is doing nothing to make them nervous, so nobody seemed too panicked by one poorly played game. If anything, the issue that could drag them down if they can't fix it is the disintegration of the back of their pitching rotation. Mattingly wanted to jump-start the offense, so he lifted Brett Anderson after five innings in favor of a pinch hitter Tuesday. The Dodgers didn't score, and the bullpen took the brunt of it again. Dodgers relievers had to pitch 15 innings over these past three games. Reliever Yimi Garcia, one of the few bullpen guys with options, was summoned to Mattingly's office after the game, so a demotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City is a possibility with the Dodgers in need of fresh arms. This is a team that is huffing and puffing its way to the break and is fortunate the Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers are the last two teams it has to play before its mini-vacation. But Tuesday should have been a pretty stark reminder that any team in the major leagues can embarrass anyone on any given night. Chad Billingsley claims first win in two years as Phillies down Dodgers By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Chad Billingsley felt at home kicking the dirt on the mound at Dodger Stadium. Looking around, he saw familiar sights such as Vin Scully in the broadcast booth and heard familiar sounds like organist Nancy Bea Hefley. Except he was wearing a road uniform.

Pitching in a comfort zone, Billingsley won for the first time in over two years, helping the last-place Philadelphia Phillies beat his old team, NL West-leading Los Angeles, 7-2 Tuesday night. "It's been a long road. I was pretty excited to be back out there," Billingsley said. "There were a lot of emotions. My whole time with the Dodgers was special. When you hear the word 'Dodgers,' it's prideful. And when you're on the other side, you realize, 'Man, it was something special to wear the Dodger uniform.' " Billingsley (1-2) allowed two runs and six hits in six innings in just his third start in 25 months to earn his first victory since April 10, 2013. The right-hander struck out three and walked one on the same mound where he pitched eight seasons and won 81 games for the Dodgers before undergoing a pair of right elbow surgeries. "You like to see them do well, just not necessarily against your club," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. The Dodgers declined to pick up Billingsley's option last October, and he signed a one-year deal with the Phillies in January. "There were times when I thought I would never pitch again, and I didn't know how my arm was going to feel once I got back to throwing," he said. "But here I am. I'm a baseball player again, and I haven't done that a whole lot." Billingsley reached on a fielder's choice in the sixth and ended up at second base, where he talked to former Phillies star Jimmy Rollins, who helped the Dodgers win 10-7 Monday night in the series opener. "He said, 'Man, it's weird seeing you in a Phillies uniform, and vice versa,' " Billingsley said. "But it was fun." Billingsley lost his first start 9-0 on May 5 and went back on the disabled list two weeks later because of a strained right shoulder. He struggled in his return last week against Milwaukee, giving up seven runs and 10 hits in five innings but avoided the loss. "I'm still kicking off the rust, but the main thing for me is just to go out there every fifth day and get in a routine," he said. Billingsley was steady and got staked to a 4-0 lead in the third. Jeff Francoeur doubled in Maikel Franco, who drew a leadoff walk and Darin Ruf, who singled, and then scored on Domonic Brown's RBI groundout to second base. "That was the kind of performance we were hoping to get out of Billingsley," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. Freddy Galvis' RBI single made it 1-0 in the first off Brett Anderson (5-5). Anderson gave up a season-high-tying four runs -- three earned -- and six hits in five innings, struck out five and walked two in his first career start against the Phillies that was shortened because the Dodgers needed some offense.

"You see the need to try and score some runs but it didn't work out," Anderson said about leaving early. The left-hander had been 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his three previous starts. Like Billingsley, Anderson had been resurgent after enduring Tommy John surgery in 2011 and foot, finger and back injuries. Ben Revere added a two-run single in the sixth and Francoeur homered in the seventh for a 7-2 lead. The Dodgers' lone runs came on Yasmani Grandal's two-run homer in the sixth. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: LF Carl Crawford, currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, could be reinstated from the disabled list after the All-Star break. COMINGS AND GOINGS Phillies: Recalled rookie RHP Severino Gonzalez and RHP Hector Neris from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to replace Sean O'Sullivan and Kevin Correia on the 25-man roster. Gonzalez will take Correia's place in the rotation and start Thursday's series finale. O'Sullivan was outrighted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley late Monday night after giving up six earned runs for the third consecutive start in his 10-7 loss. Correia was designated for assignment on Tuesday after going 0-3 with a 6.56 ERA in five starts. Dodgers: Recalled LHP Ian Thomas from Triple-A Oklahoma City, flip-flopping him with LHP left-hander Eric Surkamp, who was the second of seven pitchers used by manager Don Mattingly on Monday in an all-bullpen game. Surkamp gave up four runs over 3 1/3 innings in his Dodgers debut, a three-run homer by Ryan Howard and a solo shot by Odubel Herrera. HAIL CESAR Second baseman Cesar Hernandez went 1 for 4 with a walk to extend his career-high hitting streak to 12 games, longest this season by a Phillies hitter. He is batting .451 with seven multihit games during the run. GOING LONG Grandal homered for the second straight game and his 14 homers tie San Francisco's Buster Posey for the most by any catcher in the majors. They are one away from Grandal's career high, set in 128 games last season with San Diego. UP NEXT Phillies: LH Adam Morgan (1-1, 2.13 ERA) has never faced the Dodgers. Dodgers: LH Clayton Kershaw (5-6, 3.08) has pitched 14 scoreless innings and allowed five hits in his last two starts against the Phillies from last season. He is 2-4 in 10 career games against them.

Rapid Reaction: Phillies 7, Dodgers 2 By Mark Saxon LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers played to the level of the competition, and then some, Tuesday night. They lost to the last-place Philadelphia Phillies and longtime teammate Chad Billingsley 7-2 at Dodger Stadium. It was, to put it kindly, probably their worst-played game of the season. How it happened: Maybe it was the four-hour game they played the night before or maybe the lack of off-days is catching up with them. Maybe they are starting to look ahead to the All-Star Game. Or, maybe they just played a really lousy game. Whatever the reason(s), this one was pretty bad. The Dodgers ran themselves into outs in the first two innings to let Billingsley, a two-time arm surgery patient, off the hook. Justin Turner strayed way too far from first base on Adrian Gonzalez's line drive to the warning track in right field and was doubled up. Yasmani Grandal tried to go from first-to-third on Yasiel Puig's bloop single to right and was out by 15 feet. Making the first out at third base is one of the game's fundamental no-nos. Puig later fumbled the ball picking up Darin Ruf's single to right and let two runners take extra bases. They each scored. Turner made an error on a tough slow roller near the line. And Brett Anderson simply allowed too many base runners (eight) in his five innings. Meanwhile, once the Dodgers helped him out early on, Billingsley -- whose option the Dodgers declined last November -- actually looked pretty solid pitching six innings. Grandal did the only damage, lining a two-run home run to center field. What it means: Even though the Dodgers had won eight of their previous 12 and were playing the worst team in baseball, Tuesday was a reminder that they can't just throw their gloves on the field and expect to win. Notable: Grandal, who was picked for his first All-Star team Monday, looks like the biggest no-brainer among the Dodgers headed to Cincinnati -- with the exception of Zack Greinke. The home run was his 14th, which leads NL catchers with at least 150 plate appearances. He also leads in OPS (.901). He is second to Buster Posey in WAR (3.4 to 2.2). ... The Dodgers need to figure out a way to stabilize the back of their rotation because it will affect the bullpen before long, if it hasn't already. The past three games, Dodger relievers needed to pitch 15 innings. ... Puig was dropped to the No. 6 spot in the lineup Tuesday. That's the furthest down he has batted this season. He is in a 7-for-42 (.167) slump with just three extra base hits and 10 strikeouts in his last 11 games. ... When the Dodgers were making up their minds whether to challenge an out call on a close play involving Billingsley and Jimmy Rollins at first base, Billingsley, smiling, yelled into the Dodgers dugout a couple of times. Perhaps the stout pitcher was bragging about his speed. Up next: The series continues Wednesday night at 7:10 PT. Clayton Kershaw (5-6, 3.08 ERA) tries to bolster his case to win the final All-Star Game spot. He'll be opposed by Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan (1-1, 2.13 ERA) making just his third major league start. Don Newcombe leaves Dodger Stadium for hospital after feeling ill By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Don Newcombe, baseball's first player to win rookie of the year, most valuable player and the Cy Young Award, is resting comfortably after being taken to a hospital from Dodger Stadium, the team said Tuesday. The 89-year-old special adviser to the chairman left the ballpark on Monday night, according to the Dodgers, who did not disclose his condition. The team said only that he became ill before the game that night. Newcombe remains a regular presence in his suits and fedora at the stadium. He has served as special adviser since 2009. Newcombe pitched for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1949-51 and 1954-58 after missing two seasons while serving his country during the Korean War. He was one of the first blacks to play for the franchise, along with Jackie Robinson and Roy Campanella. He had a record of 149-90 with 1,129 strikeouts and a 3.56 ERA. Newcombe was a four-time NL All-Star and pitched in three World Series. Brandon Beachy might make Dodgers debut Saturday By Mark Saxon LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers were so heartened by Brandon Beachy's outing for Triple-A Oklahoma City Monday night that they are considering activating him to face the Milwaukee Brewers Saturday, manager Don Mattingly said. It would be Beachy’s first major-league start since he blew out an elbow ligament for the second time in his career nearly two years ago. It wasn’t the results that had the Dodgers excited -- Beachy allowed three earned runs on nine hits over six innings – but the fact that his fastball touched 93 mph, in line with the velocity Beachy had when he was a front-end starting pitcher for the Atlanta Braves from 2010-12. His last major-league start came on Aug. 20, 2013. The Dodgers, who have lost Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu for the season, have seen the back end of their rotation fall apart with an injury to Carlos Frias. Twice this season, they have had to get through a game by using most of the pitchers. Yimi Garcia started Monday night, followed by Eric Surkamp, who was optioned back to Triple-A Tuesday. “One of the things we talked about a lot with Brandon was giving him the time to not only be physically ready, but to the point where he’s ready to compete,” Mattingly said. “He could be a guy that would be considered [for this weekend].” The Dodgers signed the right-hander while he was still recovering from a second Tommy John surgery to a one-year, $2.75 million deal in spring training. The contract contains a 2016 club option that could be

worth anywhere from $3 million – if Beachy makes no starts for the Dodgers this season – to $12 million if he makes 18. Beachy, 28, is 14-11 with a 3.23 ERA over his career. In five minor-league rehab starts in Class A and Triple-A, Beachy has gone 1-1 with a 2.41 ERA. The Dodgers are hopeful Beachy can help them bridge the gap in their rotation this season and then be inked into their rotation next year. Zack Greinke can opt out of his deal following this season, Brett Anderson will be a free agent, McCarthy won’t be ready by spring training and it’s uncertain how effective Ryu will be coming off shoulder surgery. Clayton Kershaw is the only sure thing for next spring. “We weren’t forcing Brandon to be back in June. It was on his timetable. We let him physically get there and mentally get there,” Mattingly said. “I’ve seen it pay off. Give them time and that second year can be really good.”

DODGER INSIDER With Andre Ethier, LADF hosts another Giving Moment By Erin Edwards If you were at Friday’s game against the Mets, you would have seen another Giving Moment by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation. LADF welcomed one of its grantees, Minds Matter LA, to the stadium. LADF granted Minds Matter $15,000 in support of its transformative program that inspires inner-city high school students by providing mentoring and tutoring, as well as assisting them with applications to competitive preparatory schools. Minds Matter students work with their mentors and tutors every Saturday throughout the school year to develop leadership skills and enhance academic performance. Since its inception, 100% of graduates have been accepted to a four-year college or university. When the kids entered the suite, they were completely silent. It took prompting to get them to open up. It turns out they weren’t shy but shocked — they couldn’t believe they had a suite all to themselves. It didn’t stop there. The students had a few more surprises in store. They were gifted New Balance shoes and swag from outfielder Andre Ethier, which they immediately tried on and wore to the field to watch batting practice and have a meet-and-greet with Ethier and other players, including Kiké Hernandez. Stay tuned for more Giving Moments throughout the season. Visit dodgers.com/ladf for more information. Fast up, you move too slow By Jon Weisman I first noticed on Saturday that Pedro Baez had just about become his own commercial break, taking around 30 to 40 seconds between pitches — something that was a bit excruciating to watch but that I chalked up to the sudden pressure of protecting what had once been a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning.

It stood out less Monday, when nearly every pitcher in that marathon 10-7 affair seemed to be carrying a boulder on the mound, but it didn’t escape the notice of Don Mattingly, who said today he spoke to the former infielder about his pace. “That’s rough,” Mattingly said. “He was feeling all right. I talked to him today, and it was like, ‘If you were playing third base, you’d be going crazy.’ It’s just tough on guys. “To me, it shows a lack of confidence in what you want to do. I’ve played behind guys like that, and it’s like they walk around, and they wait around. To me, you give the hitter a chance to think, let him settle down. Whatever count he’s in, everything kind of slows down for him. Guys that got the ball, that are in your face, that throw a strike and then are back in your face, to me, are tougher.” Baez has had mixed results in his six games since returning from the disabled list. He’s had three innings in which he faced the minimum, and three innings (2 2/3 to be more precise) in which he allowed runs. “Now obviously Petey, his tempo’s always been a little slow, so you don’t try to force that,” said Mattingly. “But 30 seconds is a little over the top.” The day might soon come to the Major Leagues when going 30 seconds will cost you more than your peace of mind. A 20-second pitch clock is already being tested in Double-A and Triple-A this year, with a violation causing a ball to be called against the pitcher. After Monday’s game ended shortly before midnight, you could tell Mattingly was concerned about pace, even though the Dodgers had won. “You guys stayed for that?” Mattingly asked reporters as he entered the interview room. “The pace was bad tonight,” he added. “Using a lot of pitches, throwing a lot of pitches. To me, those are the kind of games where people don’t want to come to the game. … It’s something you really work on, because it’s hard to play defense in games like that.” Brandon Beachy might start Saturday for Dodgers By Jon Weisman A day after Brandon Beachy threw 92 pitches in six innings of his fifth rehab start from his second Tommy John surgery, Don Mattingly did not rule out the 28-year-old right-hander as a possible starter for the Dodgers against the Brewers on Saturday. While cautioning that the Dodgers weren’t near a decision and were considering a number of candidates, Mattingly conveyed an upbeat report on Beachy, saying he touched 93 mph Monday, though he did allow 12 baserunners in those six innings while striking out five. “He’s throwing the ball well,” Mattingly said. “We haven’t really gotten to the candidates for this weekend. We know he’s feeling good. … In fact, his velocity was kind of back to where he was in the past.

“One of the things we’ve talked about a lot with Brandon, was to give him the time not only be physically be ready but mentally be at the point where he’s ready to compete. … He could be a guy that we use.” Beachy’s last MLB start was August 20, 2013 with Atlanta. He has a 3.23 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings in his 46-game, 267 2/3-inning big-league career. Ian Thomas replaces Eric Surkamp on Dodger roster By Jon Weisman Southpaw pitcher Ian Thomas has been called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take the roster spot of Eric Surkamp, who was optioned there. Thomas has pitched 39 1/3 innings this season in Triple A with a 4.81 ERA and 41 strikeouts against 54 baserunners. This is his third callup by the Dodgers, for whom he has made one appearance: three innings of four-run ball in the first game of the June 2 doubleheader at Colorado. With Atlanta in 2015, Thomas had a 3.38 ERA in five relief appearances, allowing nine baserunners while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings. In his Dodger debut Monday, Surkamp allowed a bunt single, walk, home run, single and line-drive double play to the first five batters he faced. After that, he stabilized somewhat, finishing with 3 1/3 innings, four runs, seven baserunners and four strikeouts. Thomas and Surkamp each faced 16 batters in their lone relief appearances, the most by any Dodger reliever this year. Clayton Kershaw and the wins of change By Cary Osborne I was one of them. I pledged allegiance back in the day to win-loss record and simply looked at ERA to gauge the kind of season a pitcher was having. This past weekend, a friend of mine asked me what a certain pitcher’s win-loss record was. If that man my friend asked about was Clayton Kershaw, the answer would be 5-6. Sounds like a pretty mediocre season — especially for Clayton Kershaw’s standard. But then I could have asked him who are the pitchers having the best 2015. I’m sure the answer would start with Max Scherzer. Chris Sale would be a safe bet to enter that conversation. I’m sure Sonny Gray and the Dodgers’ own Zack Greinke would be in there, among others.

Then I could say, “You forgot about Clayton Kershaw.” The same Clayton Kershaw with the 5-6 record and the 3.08 ERA that ranks 29th in the Major Leagues. There are three pitchers in baseball who rank in the top 12 in xFIP (trust me when I say I’m still trying to wrap my head around this stat), fielding independent pitching, strikeouts per nine innings, WAR and WHIP. Their names are: Scherzer, Sale and Kershaw. Kershaw ranks first in baseball in xFIP (2.12), second in K/9 (11.6), tied for sixth in WAR (3.1), sixth in FIP (2.55) and 12th in WHIP (1.04). Is the problem here that we’ve compared Clayton Kershaw to Clayton Kershaw, and that’s why we believe he’s having an lesser year? OK – let’s play Clayton Kershaw now vs. Clayton Kershaw then. Note: WAR is a cumlative stat, — Kershaw is on pace to approach his usual level. Some stats are better this year. Some are a bit worse. Either way, keep in mind: Kershaw is competing against the four other potential All-Stars in the vote. He is not competing against Kershaw 2014. That’s not what this vote is about. The fact that his 2015 FIP is higher than it was in 2014 — when it is still among the very best in the NL — is not a reason to vote against him. For example, some have complained that “Kershaw is missing location much more this year.” But much more than whom, other than Kershaw 2014? Just throw this in as well. In Kershaw’s last eight starts, he has a 1.78 ERA an 0.83 WHIP is walking 1.8 batters per nine innings (last year was the first time he was under 2.0 for a season) and is limiting hitters to a .177/.224/.283 line. In those starts, his personal record is 3-3. If that means a lot to you. Dodgers supporting 2015 Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles By Cary Osborne The Dodgers are embracing the 2015 Special Olympics World Games Los Angeles 2015 — being held from July 25 through August 2 — and its athletes with full-scale support of the event. The Dodgers have donated $100,000 to the Games and have been promoting it by participating in the LA2015 Circle of Inclusion social media campaign. The Circle, which is part of the World Games logo, represents the mission of the World Games – to create the awareness that leads to acceptance and inclusion of all people with intellectual disabilities.

Among the Dodgers participating in this campaign are Dodger manager Don Mattingly, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, outfielders Joc Pederson and Andre Ethier, infielder-outfielder Justin Turner, former Dodgers Orel Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela, Al Ferrara and Maury Wills and Spanish broadcasters Jaime and Jorge Jarrin. Photographs may be seen on various Dodgers social media sites this month leading up to the Games and for the duration of the competition. On Friday, prior to the Dodgers’ game against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Special Olympics Unified Relay Across America presented by Bank of America will culminate at Dodger Stadium. The first-of-its-kind relay has covered 50 states over 46 days, with the final leg ending at the ballpark. The Special Olympics Flame of Hope will then continue on its journey until the Games’ Opening Ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 25. The first 40,000 fans in attendance at Friday’s 7:10 p.m. game will receive a Special Olympics World Games commemorative Pin, presented by Bank of America. The Dodgers will also invite fans to participate in the Circle of Inclusion social media campaign. During pregame activities, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Left Field Plaza, fans can meet Dodger Alumni, World Games Staff and Special Olympics athletes, and pose with the Circle of Inclusion. Fans are encouraged to share their pictures on social media using the official campaign hashtags #ReachUPLA and #LA2015 @LA2015 along with the official Dodger hashtags #Dodgers @Dodgers. At the conclusion of the softball competition August 1, Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, senior director of external affairs and community relations Naomi Rodriguez and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation executive director Nichol Whiteman will participate in the medal ceremony, honoring the World Games Softball Champions. “The Dodgers are dedicated to making baseball and sports accessible for people of all ages,” Rodriguez said. “As part of the cultural fabric of Los Angeles, the Dodgers are proud to support this humanitarian effort because the Special Olympics World Games showcases not only the journey of these athletes, but also their courage and passion. The World Games break down barriers on so many levels, and the beautiful thing about this event is that it brings together hundreds of cultures from around the world. It’s truly inspiring and the Dodgers are excited and honored to be a part of it.”

NBC LA

Billingsley Beats Dodgers 7-2 in Triumphant Return to Los Angeles By Michael Duarte It was a heroic homecoming for former Dodger Chad Billingsley on Tuesday night. Billingsley pitched six innings of two-run ball in his return to Dodger Stadium and the Philadelphia Phillies beat Los Angeles 7-2 in the second game of a four-game set. Billingsley (1-2) allowed two runs on six hits with three strikeouts in six innings, picking up his first win of the season against his former team. Billingsley was a first-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2003 and played eight seasons in Los Angeles from 2006 to 2013.

The right-hander from Defiance, Ohio defied the odds overcoming Tommy John Surgery and a torn-flexor tendon thereafter, which forced Billingsley to miss the better part of three seasons. "It's been a long road and I was pretty excited to be back out there in a familiar atmosphere," Billingsley said. "I had a lot of emotion. Pitching at Dodger Stadium was pretty familiar, and I couldn't have asked for a better first win." Billingsley made a triumphant return to the mound beating the Dodgers and improving his record to 42-27 at Dodger Stadium in his career. The victory was Billingsley's first win since April 10, 2013 when the Dodgers defeated the Padres 4-3. Jeff Francoeur provided the offense for Philadelphia as the left fielder went 2-for-5 with a double, home run and three RBIs. Francoeur has three homers and 12 RBIs in 13 games against NL West opponents this season. Dodgers Drop Rubber Match to Mets The Phillies strung together a handful of infield singles in the first inning as three Philadelphia batters reached base on soft ground balls. Ben Revere started the rally off with a soft grounder to second base that he beat out for a single, than stole second before scoring the first run of the game four batters later. The theft was Revere's 20th stolen base on the season, the fifth consecutive year he has reached that milestone. Two innings later, Francouer hit a double off the wall in left field off of Brett Anderson to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead. In all, every starting position player for Philadelphia had at least one hit on the night. Brett Anderson talks about the Dodgers 7-2 loss to the Phillies. Snapping his three-game winning streak. "I was lucky enough to get some extra base hits," Francoeur said. "To me, that's how you got to score runs and win ballgames, and luckily we were able to do that." Anderson (5-5) struggled for the first time in his last four starts. The Texas southpaw was riding a three-game winning streak entering into the game, but he was not sharp on Tuesday allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits in five innings. "I beat myself tonight," Anderson said. "I had no business throwing Francoeur a strike with two strikes right there. I came out a little lethargic, but give credit to Billingsley, he pitched well against his former team." Yasmani Grandal homers for the second consecutive day in the Dodgers 7-2 loss to the Phillies. Another unfortunate circumstance, pitching like ass with Colin Farrell in the stands...safe to say I shall not be in True Detective 3. Yasmani Grandal homered for the second consecutive night with a two-run blast to right center field in the bottom half of the sixth inning. It was Grandal's 14th long ball of the year as the switch-hitting All-Star as hit all of his home runs from the left side of the plate.

"He threw me a change up that stayed over the plate, I didn't think the ball was gonna go out because I hit it to the deepest part of the park," Grandal said of the home run. "Shockingly, the ball was able to go over the fence." Grandal is now tied with Buster Posey for the most home runs by any catcher in baseball, and is one shy of his career high of 15. Game Notes: Chad Billingsley won his 42nd game at Dodger Stadium, the second-most among active players behind Clayton Kershaw (56). The Dodgers recalled left hand reliever Ian Thomas from Triple-A OKC before the game, optioning Eric Surkamp back to Triple-A. Speaking of the minor leagues, Baseball America released it's Midseason Top 50 Prospects on Tuesday and four young up and coming Dodgers made the list. Jose De Leon (#20), infielder Hector Olivera (#16), Julio Urias (#4) and Corey Seager (#1) all made the list.

FOX SPORTS

Former Phillies SS Rollins discusses possibility of Hamels joining Dodgers By FOX Sports The Dodgers have been rumored to be interested in Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels for nearly a year now. With the Phillies playing in Los Angeles this week, the speculation about Hamels to the Dodgers is sure to ramp up. Unlike last year, the Dodgers have a longtime former Phillie in their midst who can vouch for Hamels and maybe even convince Hamels to return to his native Southern California. That would be shortstop Jimmy Rollins. According to the Orange County Register, when asked if he had talked to Hamels, Rollins coyly said “Maybe.” He discussed adding Hamels to a rotation that already includes Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke saying, “That’d be nice.” Hamels has nearly been a copy of fellow lefty Kershaw this year. Both pitchers are 5-6 and Hamels’ ERA of 3.02 is a tick below Kershaw’s 3.08. From an engineering standpoint, such redundancy would indeed be nice. Unfortunately, Hamels is the only Phillies starter not slated to pitch in the team’s four-game series against the Dodgers.

MYNEWSLA.COM

Former Dodgers owner to receive honor from Japanese government

By Debbie L. Sklar Former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Peter O’Malley will be honored by the Japanese government Wednesday night as part of the team’s annual Japan Night. O’Malley will receive “The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon,” for the contributions he has made promoting friendly relations through baseball between Japan and the U.S. and the development of baseball in Japan. The decoration, conferred by Emperor Akihito, will be presented by Harry H. Horinouchi, Japan’s consul general in Los Angeles, in a ceremony before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies. O’Malley has made approximately 85 trips to Japan. His first came in 1956 when he joined his parents, Walter and Kay, and his sister, Terry, accompanying the National League champion Brooklyn Dodgers on their first goodwill tour to Japan. “I am extremely humbled and grateful for this honor,” O’Malley said. “The 1956 trip introduced me to the people of Japan and they made a lasting impact on me. “I saw first-hand fan enthusiasm throughout the country, their appreciation of baseball and warm welcome to the Dodger team. Consequently, I was fortunate to establish lifetime friendships through the common language of baseball and I’ve enjoyed bringing people together from the two countries.” The Government of Japan established The Order of the Rising Sun on April 10, 1875. It is the highest honor for a citizen not from Japan. It is awarded to those who have “distinguished achievements in international relations, promotion of Japanese culture, advancements in their field, development in welfare or preservation of the environment.” O’Malley, whose sale of the Dodgers to the Fox Group was completed in 1998, now chairs Historic Dodgertown — Vero Beach, Florida, the effort to continue use of the Dodgers’ former spring training site. It was used in April by the Edmonton Eskimos and Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League for minicamps. Japan Night will also include an appearance by the Nisei Week Court, a Taiko Drum performance by LA Matsuri Taiko, Japan-born actress Keiko Takeshita performing the Japanese and U.S. national anthems, Hello Kitty throwing the ceremonial first pitch and the first 40,000 fans in attendance receiving a Hello Kitty plush. The Nihon Teriyaki Dog will be available at the Extreme Loaded Dog concession areas on the field, loge and reserve levels. It is a quarter-pound all-beef Super Dodger Dog dipped in teriyaki sauce, served on sweet Hawaiian bread and topped with a pineapple, cilantro and diced tomato salsa.