Daily Clips

August 16, 2015

LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

DODGERS.COM: Heatwave hits LA lineup as 4 players homer – Steve Bourbon Latest Dodgers Dreamfield accessible for all – Austin Laymance Dodgers bash 4 homers, breeze past Reds – Steve Bourbon and Mark Sheldon McCarthy at crossroads with latest comeback – Barry M. Bloom Turner promotes healthy choices in youth event – David Adler Greinke rides stellar run into finale with Reds – Mark Sheldon LA TIMES: Minor league lifer John Shoemaker has major impact on Dodgers organization – Bill Plaschke Dodgers' Carl Crawford has been hot and could see more playing time – Dylan Hernandez Looking ahead at Angels', Dodgers' and other expected California baseball vacancies – Bill Shaikin OC REGISTER: Dodgers hit four home runs in 8-3 victory against Cincinnati – Pedro Moura Reds at Dodgers – Pedro Moura Dodgers' Crawford shows flashes of old self – Pedro Moura Final: Dodgers 8, Reds 3 – Pedro Moura On deck: Reds at Dodgers, Sunday, 1 p.m., SNLA – Pedro Moura LA DAILY NEWS: Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson grounds Reds while offense takes flight – Tony Ciniglio Dodgers’ Hernandez doing well in Kendrick’s absence – Tony Ciniglio TRUEBLUELA.COM: Andrew Sopko almost perfect in Loons debut – Brandon Lennox Kyle Garlick has a perfect night in big win for Quakes – Craig Minami Dodgers slug their way to win over Reds – Eric Stephen Dodgers vs. Reds Game III chat – Eric Stephen ESPN LA: Dodgers' outfield options -- and dilemma -- on display in L.A. – Dan Arritt Rapid Reaction: Dodgers 8, Reds 3 – Dan Arritt Dodgers hit 4 HRs in 8-3 win over Reds – Associated Press Why Brett Anderson is the Dodgers' overlooked starter – Dan Arritt DODGERS PHOTO BLOG: 8/15/15-Something Current-LAD-8,CIN-3 – Jon SooHoo and Juan Ocampo NBC LA: Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner Homer, Take Selfies, as Dodgers Rout Reds 8-3 – Michael Duarte

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2015

DODGERS.COM

Heatwave hits LA lineup as 4 players homer

By Steve Bourbon

LOS ANGELES -- It was a night when no one player stood out -- actually, it was four.

Four different Dodgers, Yasiel Puig, Kiké Hernandez, Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez, launched home

runs -- matching a season high for long balls in one game -- as they overpowered the Reds, 8-3, on

Saturday night.

"Tonight is a night where it's tough to single anybody out," manager Don Mattingly said. "I felt good

about us playing tonight, that's one of the things we want to do. We told them the first night, these guys

have a good lineup. The ball was jumping out of here tonight, it was hot, it was one of those nights you

got to keep playing."

Though the Dodgers have dealt with injuries all season, it's been the players coming back from ailments

who haven't missed a beat.

After the Reds added a run in the top of the third, Turner immediately answered with his 14th home run

of the season.

"Justin's was when they had clipped into the lead and he gets the momentum going back," Mattingly

said.

Los Angeles got Turner back from the DL on Thursday and he's picked up right where he left off, going 4-

for-11. He's hit .450 in his last 11 games since July 18.

Turner was in the cleanup spot behind Gonzalez, who hit his team-leading 24th home run as insurance

in the fourth inning.

"I don't think the lineup is about me and Justin, it's about everyone hitting and contributing," Gonzalez

said,.

After starter Brett Anderson surrendered a two-run homer to Todd Frazier in the top of the first, the

Dodgers put together a five-run second inning to claim the lead for good.

Puig led off the inning with a home run off rookie David Holmberg. It was Puig's 10th of the season and

he became the eighth Dodger with double-digit homers this season.

Hernandez followed suit later in the inning with a three-run shot.

"Whoever I'm putting in there has been swinging the bat good," Mattingly said. "It's a good problem to

have."

Latest Dodgers Dreamfield accessible for all

By Austin Laymance

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers have a long history of inclusion, and on Saturday the organization

dedicated its first universally accessible Dodgers Dreamfield for youth with disabilities.

The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and its partners have now built 38 baseball fields around the city,

but this is the first that's ADA accessible.

"The reason this is so important is because the Dodgers have been setting the stage forever," said Herb

J. Wesson Jr., president of the Los Angeles City Council. "They have done so much where it relates to

race relations and civil rights, making sure that all people can have an opportunity to participate."

Dodgers stars Clayton Kershaw, and wife Ellen, Adrian Gonzalez, and wife Betsy, and Joc Pederson, and

older brother Champ, were on hand Saturday morning for the dedication.

"Events like this are the highlight of what I do," said Dodgers president and chief executive officer Stan

Kasten. "The Dodgers are not just a first-place team, they're also made up of great individuals and great

human beings who care about their community. Adrian and Betsy, Clayton and Ellen, Joc and Champ,

these are people -- and our whole team is full of players like that -- who not just excel on the field, but

excel in our community."

For the Pedersons, this project hits close to home. Champ, Joc's oldest brother, has Down syndrome.

Champ flew in from Northern California and addressed the crowd at Saturday's event.

"It's important to me to speak for people with disabilities and advocate for them and myself," Champ

said. "Playing sports is about making new friends and life experiences. It's about getting along. I love

baseball. I think it's great that everyone can play and have a chance. Having a disability does not mean

not getting opportunities that other people get. I know it means a lot to kids with disabilities to have this

and do anything they want."

The ADA-accessible field is located at the Baldwin Hills Recreation Center at 5401 Highlight Place. The

$650,000 project transformed an asphalt play area into a state-of-the-art facility over a six-month

period.

The field features an adaptive synthetic turf surface, allowing free movement for wheelchairs and

walkers, as well as oversized dugouts. There's a scoreboard in right field resembling the one at Dodger

Stadium. It's also the first field in Los Angeles with energy-efficient LED lights.

The Dodgers Dreamfields program is one of the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation's signature initiatives.

Its goal is to provide baseball fields where youngsters can learn the game of baseball in an organized

program that is administered by the city or county in a safe environment, while learning the importance

of playing team sports and key characteristics such as sportsmanship, ethics and fair play.

"We are so proud to provide a place for children with special needs to enjoy our nation's pastime and all

the added benefits of the game," said Nichol Whiteman, executive director of the Los Angeles Dodgers

Foundation. "When children are on this field, everyone plays, everyone scores, everyone runs home. It's

a Dreamfield in every sense of the word."

Partners included the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, the LA84 Foundation, the

Miracle League, the Car Ripken Sr. Foundation and Security Benefit.

Dodgers bash 4 homers, breeze past Reds

By Steve Bourbon and Mark Sheldon

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers used a five-run second inning to beat the Reds, 8-3, on Saturday night at

Dodger Stadium.

Yasiel Puig started the scoring for the Dodgers with a solo home run in the second, and Kike´ Hernandez

would go deep with a three-run shot later in the inning. The third inning started much the same way as

Justin Turner led off with his 14th homer of the season. Reds starter David Holmberg (1-2) was roughed

up in two-plus innings by allowing five hits and seven runs while walking four.

Brett Anderson wasn't particularly sharp for the Dodgers, but earned his seventh win of the season.

Anderson allowed a two-run home run to Todd Frazier in the first inning, but allowed just one run in the

next five frames as the Dodgers' offense gave him a cushion.

"From that point forward, he really recovered and kept battling," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said.

"I thought he was solid for us. It's kind of what he's been doing. He kept us in the game."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Frazier ties career high: The game started optimistically for the Reds when Joey Votto hit a two-out

single in the first inning and was followed by Frazier's two-run homer to right field on a first pitch by

Anderson. For Frazier, it was his 29th homer of the season and it equals the career high he set in 2014.

Frazier reached in all four plate appearances as he also had a single, a walk and reached on an error.

Home run flurry: The Dodgers tied a season-high with four home runs as their Nos. 2-5 hitters each put

one out of the park. Two came in a breakout five-run second inning: Puig got the Dodgers on the board

with a solo homer, his 10th of the year and sixth since the All-Star break, and Hernandez later launched

a three-run shot to cap the inning.

"We needed runs early to get back on the board and Kike´'s home run kind of put us in the driver's seat,"

said Adrian Gonzalez, who had a home run of his own in the fourth. "After that, we just kind of kept

adding on."

Hatcher comes back strong: Chris Hatcher pitched a clean ninth inning to close out the Dodgers' win in

his first appearance since June 14. It was an encouraging return for the right-hander, who had been

struggling -- he had a 6.38 ERA and 1.58 WHIP before he went on the disabled list with a left oblique

strain. His rehab appearances were just as rocky, but with the Dodgers holding an 8-3 lead, this was an

ideal, low-pressure situation for them to ease Hatcher back into action.

"It was good. Obviously it's something you want for a guy that's struggled a little bit," Mattingly said of

Hatcher's scoreless frame. "He used his split, he used his slider today -- he's another guy that has to use

his secondary pitches and sequence himself."

Dodgers strike in second inning: The Dodgers' offense plated five runs in the second inning to take a lead

the club wouldn't relinquish. Puig got on the board with his 10th home run of the season and his sixth

since the All-Star break. Holmberg walked a pair and Jimmy Rollins chipped in a two-out RBI single

before Hernandez's three-run homer capped off the big inning.

Holmberg never settles: Not only did Holmberg give up leadoff homers in the second and third innings,

he did not respond well to either setback. He walked back-to-back batters in the second after Puig's full-

count homer and issued two free passes in the third following Turner's long ball that also came on a 3-2

pitch.

"I was not pleased with my performance tonight," Holmberg said. "I would have liked to have kept that

2-0 lead we had. I was not getting ahead of guys. I wasn't throwing a lot of strikes. I wasn't throwing a

lot of quality pitches. That's not [how] you get guys out."

QUOTABLE

"I would call it just a bad game. He just didn't have it tonight. He didn't have a feel for his location. He

didn't have great stuff and the Dodgers took advantage of it." -- Reds manager Bryan Price on Holmberg

"Early it was a little struggle, it was hot, the ball was flying and Frazier ambushed me with a fastball and

you tip your hat to Joey Votto, he's a good hitter. But I thought my stuff was good. Once my velo

decreased later on, I got some more movement on the ball so it was kind of a tale of two games." --

Anderson on his performance

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

With Puig's 10th home run, the Dodgers have eight different players with double-digit homers this

season.

UNDER FURTHER REVIEW

On a force play at second base, Rollins flipped to Hernandez, who dropped the ball. The runner was

initially ruled safe on the play but after the Dodgers challenged, the replay showed that Hernandez had

lost the ball while transferring it to his hand, and the call was overturned.

WHAT'S NEXT

Reds: Anthony DeSclafani, who leads the Reds' rookie rotation with 23 starts this season, will pitch in

Sunday's 4:10 p.m. ET series finale. DeSclafani was given two extra days of rest following his six-inning

no-decision on Sunday at Arizona.

Dodgers: The Dodgers close out the four-game series and their seven-game homestand with Zack

Greinke. The right-hander leads the Majors with a 1.59 ERA and comes off six scoreless innings against

the Nationals in his last start. Greinke has earned the win in seven of his last eight starts.

McCarthy at crossroads with latest comeback

By Barry M. Bloom

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are battling for another division title and Brandon McCarthy isn't where

he's supposed to be -- right in the thick of it, starting every fifth day.

He's slowly coming back from undergoing Tommy John surgery this past May 1 on his right elbow, seven

weeks away from even tossing a baseball. At that point the Dodgers could be in the midst of the

playoffs.

Considering the 12- to 18-month recovery time from that surgery, in a best-case scenario, McCarthy

won't be back until next May, more likely after the 2016 All-Star Game in San Diego.

"If everything lines up and it keeps feeling good and we're hitting every milestone that we need to, if I'm

back in 12 months then I'll be over the moon," McCarthy said on Saturday as the Dodgers prepared to

play the Reds at Dodger Stadium. "If we have to take the time and do what we have to do to get back in

14 to 15 months, that's what we'll do. But if I can pitch in May next year, I'll be thrilled."

McCarthy had a rare full season in 2014 for the D-backs and Yankees, starting 32 games and, for the first

time, logging exactly 200 innings. That success after countless shoulder problems and overcoming the

trauma of taking a line drive off the right side of his head led the Dodgers to sign him last Dec. 16 to a

four-year, $48 million free agent contract.

McCarthy is no kid anymore. He last went on the disabled list for two months because of shoulder

inflammation when he was with the D-backs in 2013. But at 32, his 10-year career is clearly at a

crossroads.

"I thought last year was going to be the new norm," said McCarthy, who was 7-5 with a 2.89 ERA in 14

starts after the Yankees obtained him from the D-backs. "I'm not a sunshine pusher for myself where I

think everything is rosy, but last year felt like what it was supposed to feel like. I'd done so much work

physically to prepare myself for that season. I thought we solved the shoulder issue.

"And this year I was fully confident that if the elbow thing didn't happen, it would have been another

year of pitching and I would have been fine. I felt like I had gotten to a place where I could focus just on

pitching and not on health and I could keep improving as a pitcher."

Instead, he's back at an all-too-familiar juncture. Some of the injuries have been chronic and some were

by sheer misfortune.

In 2012 with the A's, shoulder inflammation shelved McCarthy for nearly two months. Not long after his

return, on Sept. 5 of that season, he was hit by an Eric Aybar line drive, causing an epidural hemorrhage,

brain contusion and fractured skull. McCarthy had emergency surgery later that evening that staunched

internal cerebral bleeding, which almost killed him. That turned out to be his last start for the A's.

The next spring, after signing with the D-backs as a free agent, he was out to dinner in Scottsdale with

his wife, Amanda, and suffered a seizure. For a moment, he lost consciousness at the table. There were

reports that he hadn't take his medication, but he says that wasn't the case.

"After my [brain] surgery I wasn't prescribed anti-seizure medicine," he said. "Then I had the seizure and

I've been on it ever since."

McCarthy is one of the most intelligent pitchers in the game, but the chemical cocktail he's taking -- and

will continue to take for the rest of his life -- is so complex that even he didn't want to explain it.

"We don't need to go too far into that," he said. "There's so many different medicines and so many

different combinations. It's something that you have to determine with neurosurgeons and go through

each one and find combinations that work. Some have a lot of side effects. Some have none. You just

have to find levels that can, not only manage the seizures, but assimilate to regular life so you can live

with it."

McCarthy says as a pitcher he's learned to move beyond the fear of standing 60 feet, 6 inches from a

batter who can inadvertently turn the combination of bat meeting ball into a weapon. McCarthy's well

aware that two of his former D-backs teammates, Archie Bradley and Evan Marshall, were both struck

by line drives to the head this season.

Bradley hasn't pitched much since Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez struck him with a 105-mph line drive at

Chase Field on April 28, making only four subsequent starts and none since June 1. Marshall was struck

earlier this month during a Minor League appearance, and like McCarthy, suffered a fractured skull and

underwent surgery. He's currently in Barrow Institute, a Phoenix neurological facility, struggling to

recover.

If asked, McCarthy said his advice to them about coping with the fear of being hit again would be simple.

"I'd tell them to ignore it, which sounds callous," he said. "It somewhat worked for me. I don't really

know how else to go about it. It's like pitching with an injury. You know it. You just don't let your brain

dwell on that fact. It's the essence of being an athlete: you put failure aside, you push pain and fear

aside, and just try to keep going. Something like that, the more you dwell on it, it becomes real and you

keep reliving it."

McCarthy finds recovering from Tommy John surgery pretty mundane in comparison. There are no long-

term goals. The prospect of pitching again in a big league game is too far away. He arrives at the

clubhouse each day and continues his rehab while his teammates prepare for the game at hand and the

continued pennant chase.

"It's not a physical slog, you feel fine, you feel healthy," McCarthy said. "It's just mental. It's dealing with

not being active in baseball and not being able to throw and not being able to do the things that make

you happy."

Turner promotes healthy choices in youth event

By David Adler

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers hosted the National PLAY Campaign on Saturday morning, with third

baseman Justin Turner, members of the Dodgers training staff and Damian Rodriquez of the Taylor

Hooton Foundation speaking to kids at Dodger Stadium about the importance of eating healthy and

staying active.

"When I was a kid and I ever had the opportunity to see somebody who I aspired to be -- I wanted to be

a Major League baseball player -- so whenever I heard anyone was around, I'd want to be there to meet

them or get the chance to ask them questions or pick their brain," Turner said. "It's pretty cool to be on

the other end of it now."

The program participants rotated through four stations where they learned about nutrition and ran

through a few drills. Afterward, they headed to the batting cage below the Dodgers' dugout for a

question-and-answer session with Turner.

"I think it's good for the game of baseball," Justin Turner said of having the chance to talk with kids. (Los

Angeles Dodgers)

Turner answered questions about his pregame routine, his approach at the plate, how to hit a curveball,

what he'd be doing if he weren't a Major Leaguer -- and, of course, how he maintains his beard.

Turner said he hoped baseball's current youth movement, spearheaded by the likes of Mike Trout and

Bryce Harper, would continue with the next generations of players, like the kids who turned out to

Dodger Stadium before the Dodgers' game against the Reds.

"I think it's good for the game of baseball to try to promote it and try to inspire kids to want to dream

about being a baseball player," Turner said. "I guess it gives kids incentives to want to be better, and

we're always looking for better players -- the next Mike Trouts and Bryce Harpers and superstars -- so

hopefully there were some superstars in there today that I got the chance to talk to."

PLAY, which stands for Promoting a Lifetime of Activity for Youth, was founded in 2004 by the

Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society to raise awareness about children's health and obesity in

the United States. The Taylor Hooton Foundation educates children about the dangers of performance-

enhancing drugs.

Greinke rides stellar run into finale with Reds

By Mark Sheldon

When the Reds and Dodgers play in Sunday's series finale at Chavez Ravine, it will be yet another

opportunity for Zack Greinke to further solidify his credentials for National League Cy Young Award.

Greinke leads the Majors in ERA (1.59), quality starts (21), opponents' batting average (.191) and WHIP

(0.86). He is also unbeaten in his last 10 starts, with a 7-0 record and 1.15 ERA in that span. His last loss

came on June 13 against the Padres.

In his limited encounters vs. the Reds, Greinke has been frequently foiled by Joey Votto. The Cincinnati

first baseman is 10-for-24 (.417) with three solo homers, and four walks during his career vs. Greinke.

Things to know about this game:

• The Reds will be starting right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who has pitched at least six innings in each

of his last four starts. This will be DeSclafani's 23rd start of the season, making him the senior member

of the all-rookie rotation. The other four starters have 23 starts this season, combined.

• Andre Ethier has hit .355 in his last 32 games since June 29. He has three home runs and 12 RBIs in

that span.

• Jay Bruce should be back in Cincinnati's lineup after sitting out on Saturday. Bruce has struggled in

August, batting .148 in 13 games, including a 4-for-33 skid on the current road trip.

• The Dodgers have won the last three series played at Dodger Stadium vs. the Reds, going 2-1 in 2012,

3-1 in 2013 and 2-1 in 2014.

LA TIMES

Minor league lifer John Shoemaker has major impact on Dodgers organization

By Bill Plaschke

His day begins in darkness.

When John Shoemaker shuffles into the tiny clubhouse tucked behind the left-field wall at Lindquist

Field at 8:30 a.m. to begin another chapter in his 39th consecutive season in the Dodgers minor leagues,

he fumbles around folding chairs, lockers, and a gently heaving body under a blanket on a couch.

"You don't want to turn on a light because you never know who might be sleeping in here," he says.

When Shoemaker reaches a closest-size office, he flicks on an overhead bulb and squeezes behind a

desk to begin work as manager of the rookie league Ogden Raptors. It is 10 1/2 hours before his team

will host Great Falls, yet he pulls on his uniform pants and a blue Dodgers T-shirt, and puts on his game

face.

"Got a lot to do," he says.

There might be a uniform that needs washing. Maybe some towels that need drying and folding. A floor

that could use vacuuming. There might be a pitcher showing up early to ask advice about a girlfriend.

Maybe an infielder will need to be informed about his release, at which point the crying kid will

thankfully accept the tissues that Shoemaker conveniently keeps under his desk.

A rumpled figure appears at his door. It is a clubhouse attendant who has wrangled a key to the upstairs

concession stand for moments like this. He hands Shoemaker a giant paper cup filled with a bubbling

greenish liquid, the first of several cups he will consume today.

"Gotta have my Mountain Dew," Shoemaker says.

He sets the drink on the floor next to stacks of boxes containing 27 dozen rubbed-up baseballs he keeps

for emergencies. He then pulls out tonight's lineup card and begins to fill in names of players who are

still scattered about this small mountainside town in deep sleep.

If there was a Dodgers Hall of Fame, there could be an entire room devoted to John Shoemaker's lineup

cards.

After spending four years as a Dodgers minor league infielder in the late 1970s, Shoemaker immediately

joined the minor league staff, and in 35 ensuing years has forged a record unmatched in the history of

Dodgers player development. In his 22 years as a minor league manager, Shoemaker has tutored a Hall

of Famer, Cy Young Award winners and assorted Dodgers greats, his class list including Pedro Martinez,

Clayton Kershaw, Eric Gagne, Eric Karros and Adrian Beltre.

His impact has been so enduring, he not only managed Dodgers All-Star center fielder Joc Pederson, but

also coached his father Stu. His reach has been so deep, the winning pitcher for his first minor league

managerial win was Ramon Martinez. And, oh yeah, just for grins, he once coached a Vero Beach eighth-

grade basketball championship team led by this giant center named Prince Fielder.

"The tree of baseball players that have grown from Shoe's influence is endless," says Dodgers catcher

A.J. Ellis, who credits Shoemaker with helping save his career in 2007. "It's amazing how many people's

lives he has touched."

In winning more than 2,500 minor league games, his gaunt frame and tight grin decorating every

Dodgers outpost, Shoemaker has fulfilled countless dreams by sending numerous individuals of varied

skill levels to the major leagues, with one glaring exception.

Himself.

Despite spending nearly four decades as the rock of the foundation for the Dodgers major league team,

he has not spent a single day there as a full-time member of the Dodgers. He has been in their dugout

for three separate Septembers as a late-season addition in honor of his minor league work, but when

those seasons ended, he was quickly sent back to the bushes.

From Vero Beach, to San Antonio, to Yakima, to Great Falls, to Savannah, to Jacksonville, to Las Vegas, to

Great Lakes, to Ogden, Shoemaker has worked in seemingly every Dodgers home but the one coveted

most. He has developed millionaires while doing a job for which the average salary is $50,000-$75,000 a

year. He has been the genesis for dozens of headlines that never included his name. He has created

countless moments that he can only watch from afar.

"People aren't aware of him because he lurks in shadows doing his job without wanting any publicity or

pat on the back," says Dan Evans, a former Dodgers general manager who brought Shoemaker to the big

leagues for a couple of weeks at the end of the 2003 season. "He's just not that guy."

Shoemaker, 58, has had to watch while not only his players but also his co-workers made the major

leagues, as he has taught alongside future big league managers Mike Scioscia, Ron Roenicke, Jerry

Royster, Terry Collins and Kevin Kennedy.

"I think he probably suffered from being such a good instructor and coordinator," Evans says. "He would

only impact 25 guys in the major leagues, while he can impact dozens of people in the minor leagues."

If Shoemaker thinks about it, he doesn't say it. If he is bitter, he doesn't show it. But he wants you to

know that he hasn't given up on the major leagues. With some of baseball's most creative minds now

running the Dodgers, he believes that suddenly it wouldn't be so strange to bring an minor league lifer

to Chavez Ravine. He'll never give up believing it could be him.

"I believe I can still get that call," Shoemaker says quietly. "For a long time, I thought I didn't have a

chance to become a big league coach because I didn't have the resume, I was never a big player or a big

star. But I really think that's changing. I see a small sliver of light."

He says he has loved the Dodgers too much to ever consider moving to an organization that would offer

more upward mobility. It is his ability to impart this love to impressionable young players that

apparently makes him so valuable right where he is.

"I feel the job that I have at this moment is the most important job in the organization, that's how I

operate," he says. "If I never went to the big leagues as a regular coach, I wouldn't think I was cheated.

This is baseball. This is teaching and developing young men. How can anyone think I was cheated?"

He smiles and nods toward a large book on a shelf next to his door. It is a guest book for a wedding. It

turns out, the previous day, around noon, starting pitcher Dennis Santana decided to get married on the

field. This sort of wonderfully wacky thing happens often in John Shoemaker's world, only this time it

was a little more problematic, as Santana was scheduled to be that night's starting pitcher.

"I hope your outing lasts longer than your ceremony," Shoemaker told the beaming groom.

Barely. An understandably distracted Santana later allowed two runs in four innings in a 6-2 loss to

Great Falls. After which, Shoemaker hugged him anyway.

"This is where they learn," Shoemaker says.

Early in the morning before every home game, with the stiff gait of an old-school baseball guy, John

Shoemaker walks several blocks to Lindquist Field from the aging downtown hotel suite he shares with

Ogden pitching coach Bobby Cuellar. He walks because he is spending the summer without a car. He

figures a guy who lives at the ballpark doesn't need one.

He always carries a Dodgers backpack. He always stops at Subway for a chicken breast sandwich that

costs $4.37, and he always has a $5 bill ready.

The view beyond the outfield fence at Lindquist Field is a stunning combination of mountain peaks and

LDS temple, but Shoemaker never notices, heading straight to that darkened clubhouse to continue a

career that has been quiet from the beginning.

Shoemaker first joined the Dodgers after being drafted as a middle infielder in the 35th round in 1977

out of Miami of Ohio. He was also drafted by the Chicago Bulls as a point guard, but he always knew his

future was in baseball, and even though he was only good enough to play four minor league seasons, his

release was accompanied by a Dodgers offer to start coaching. He quickly accepted, and thus never

spent one day out of the organization.

"I was never blessed with great speed, great arm or great power," he said. "But I liked to teach."

Ogden is about a half-step above the bottom rung of the Dodgers' minor league system, and many of his

players are in professional baseball for the first time, so Shoemaker teaches as much real life as baseball.

He once counseled a player while outside, the kid's car was being repossessed. He has visited a player in

jail. He has comforted a player who lost a child. A frightened player once came to him before a game

and admitted that he had unknowingly been dating a married woman. Shoemaker pushed aside the

lineup card and said, "I've got two pieces of advice — don't answer your phone and stop dating the girl."

Shoemaker is such an effective mentor that one player still calls him on Father's Day, saying, "You treat

me like my father would treat me if I had one."

He's a father figure filled with sentiment. He holds a 6 p.m. meeting before every home game to talk

about Dodgers history. After every win, he gives out a game ball, like football coaches do.

Something else happens after those victories that is not so pretty. Shoemaker gives high fives with his

left arm because he can barely lift his right arm above his head. All these years of pitching batting

practice have shredded his shoulder. This is part of both the personal and professional price he has paid.

Through all the years and towns, he has suffered through prolonged absences from Jackie, his wife of 33

years, and daughters Kayla and Jenna. His eyes get misty when talking about them. He calls often on his

ancient flip phone, although texting, not so much.

It should figure that Kayla dated one of Shoemaker's players in Jacksonville, a pitcher named Casey

Hoorelbeke whom she later married.

"I don't think many people can say their husband routinely showered in the same room as their father,"

Kayla recalls with a laugh.

A fresh appreciation for Shoemaker arrived this spring with Andrew Friedman's new Dodgers regime.

Every day of spring training, the new guys noticed Shoemaker's work habits and influence.

"We were literally behind his back, gushing over him, saying this is exactly what we want out of our staff

members," said Gabe Kapler, the Dodgers' new director of player development.

The idea that Shoemaker would be forgotten again at the start of the season was too much for Kapler

and his staff to take. So in early July officials flew to Ogden and, in that tiny clubhouse in front of

cheering players, they bestowed upon Shoemaker an honor unmatched in all of minor league baseball.

They put a "C" on his jersey, where it will remain for the rest of his career. He will forever be the

Dodgers' Captain of Player Development.

His day ends in light.

Fifteen hours after he stumbled into a darkened clubhouse, John Shoemaker jogs into a loud and

jubilant clubhouse after a kid named Gage Green comes off the bench to hit a walk-off homer in the

bottom of the ninth inning in a victory over Great Falls.

Shoemaker jumps on a table and turns up the rap-blaring stereo. He shouts for his players to stop

dressing and eating and wait for the hero. Then, when Green walks through the door, Shoemaker tosses

him the game ball and the room erupts in cheers.

"It's not quite like the Kirk Gibson shot in 1988, but it's a baseball game no matter where it is," said the

Dodgers' human fist pump, their perpetual MVP, the man who continues to move blue mountains while

standing perfectly still.

Dodgers' Carl Crawford has been hot and could see more playing time

By Dylan Hernandez

Carl Crawford is starting to pile up hits and Manager Don Mattingly said he is aware he might have to

find more playing time for the reserve left fielder.

“He's starting to look kind of like himself again,” Mattingly said.

Crawford went into Saturday batting .500 with a home run and two doubles over his last 10 games.

Crawford started only three times in that stretch, but Mattingly has seen enough to suspect the former

All-Star could be on the verge of another one of his trademark hot streaks.

Last season, Crawford batted .326 over his final 61 games to establish himself as the team's primary left

fielder ahead of Andre Ethier.

Ethier now starts the majority of the games in left field, as he claimed the position while Crawford was

sidelined for nearly three months because of a torn side muscle.

Mattingly said Crawford could earn more starts if he maintains his current form, and not necessarily at

Ethier's expense. On certain days, Mattingly could move Ethier to right field and sit Yasiel Puig.

With Scott Van Slyke sick and unavailable to play, Crawford made a rare start Saturday against a left-

handed pitcher in Cincinnati Reds starter David Holmberg.

“When he gets hot, it seems like it doesn't matter to him, lefty, righty, whatever,” Mattingly said.

Also heating up

Jimmy Rollins, who was batting .204 as recently as July 22, is also starting to gain momentum on

offense.

Driving in Crawford with a second-inning single Saturday, Rollins has now hit safely in 14 of his last 16

games.

Rollins went into Saturday batting .312 in his last 20 games, a span over which he raised his average by

20 points.

Mattingly said Rollins has appeared particularly calm in recent weeks.

“Not that he wasn't calm all year long, but it's almost like, ‘This is the time of the year I have to play well,

this is what I'm here for,'” Mattingly said. “I think he's showing that leadership, that experience, of

playing in a lot of big games, a lot of big situations. This is not too fast for him at all.”

Down on the farm

Mike Bolsinger, who lost his place in the rotation when Alex Wood and Mat Latos were acquired at the

trade deadline, gave up only one run in seven innings for triple-A Oklahoma City.

Bolsinger's previous appearance was as a reliever. Though the Dodgers want him to continue to be

stretched out in case one of their starters is injured, they want to be able to use him out of the bullpen

when rosters expand in September.

Extra bases

Rookie Joc Pederson will be honored in a pregame ceremony Sunday as the winner of the team's Heart

and Hustle Award. The award is presented by the Major League Baseball Alumni Assn. to players who

“demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and tradition of the

game.” … Clayton Kershaw, Adrian Gonzalez, A.J. Ellis and Van Slyke will share their religious experiences

after the game as part of Christian Faith Day.

Looking ahead at Angels', Dodgers' and other expected California baseball vacancies

By Bill Shaikin

July is for trades, and for the frenzy of trade talk that precedes the deadline at the end of the month.

September is for pennant races, and for the frenzy of playoff possibilities and tiebreaker scenarios.

August evokes the phrase "dog days," those antsy days waiting for the postseason, or for the next

season. As we await the playoffs, here are six California baseball vacancies that need to be filled this off-

season, and one that just might be:

1: Angels general manager: Bud Black is the hot name on the rumor circuit, and not just because he can

get along with Mike Scioscia. Black's resume is far deeper than pitching coach for the Angels and

manager for the San Diego Padres; he worked for five years in a Cleveland Indians front office that

nurtured future general managers Neal Huntington (Pittsburgh Pirates), Josh Byrnes (Padres and Arizona

Diamondbacks), Paul DePodesta (Dodgers), Dan O'Dowd (Colorado Rockies) and Chris Antonetti and

Mark Shapiro (Indians). Angels owner Arte Moreno liked the work of Jerry Dipoto, who resigned last

month as general manager. Moreno could offer the job to Matt Klentak, Dipoto's well-regarded

assistant, rather than clean out the front office for the second time in four years. Dipoto and Klentak

have been linked to what probably will become a vacant general manager's job with the Philadelphia

Phillies.

2. Dodgers starting pitchers: The 2016 starting rotation: Clayton Kershaw, Alex Wood and three mystery

guests. The Dodgers have gone through 16 starting pitchers, the most since the team moved from

Brooklyn in 1958. Zack Greinke can opt out of his contract, and it is difficult to imagine the Dodgers

extending his deal into his late 30s, and just as difficult to imagine Greinke settling for $71 million when

Max Scherzer got $210 million last off-season, and Jon Lester got $155 million. Brett Anderson can file

for free agency, Hyun-Jin Ryu is coming off shoulder surgery, Brandon McCarthy is coming off elbow

surgery, and prospects Jose DeLeon (23) and Julio Urias (19) might fit late next season. A bumper crop of

free agents could be highlighted by David Price, Johnny Cueto, and Jordan Zimmermann, but the

Dodgers' front office did not spend more than $48 million on any major league free agent last off-

season. The second-tier options could include Scott Kazmir, Mike Leake, Jeff Samardzija, Yovani Gallardo

and Marco Estrada.

3. Padres shortstop: There is only so much A.J. Preller can do in one off-season. The Padres' general

manager imported five starters in trade — at catcher, third base, and all three outfield spots — and

decided to go with utility player Alexi Amarista at shortstop. So long as the Padres stay most of the

course, their top priority needs to be a legitimate shortstop to support starting pitchers Tyson Ross,

Andrew Cashner, James Shields and closer Craig Kimbrel, although the latter two still could go to any

club offering prospects and/or financial relief in return. Amarista, who is flirting with the Mendoza Line,

can neither hit nor field well enough to play the position every day. That makes it all the more painful

that top prospect Trea Turner might play shortstop every day for the powerful Washington Nationals

next season, because Preller included Turner in a trade for Wil Myers, who cannot play center field well

enough to play there every day.

4. Angels position players: This is all the Angels should count on: Mike Trout in center field, Kole Calhoun

in right field, Albert Pujols at first base. Maybe C.J. Cron at designated hitter, but the Angels are

platooning him now. Shortstop Erick Aybar will be 32 next season, in his walk year. Third baseman David

Freese is a free agent, and the Angels can let minor league players Kaleb Cowart and Kyle Kubitza

compete to replace him. Second baseman Johnny Giavotella might be fine batting ninth, but not leading

off; the Angels' leadoff batters have the worst on-base percentage in baseball. Their catchers are batting

.201, through Friday. The banished Josh Hamilton has as many home runs as all the Angels left fielders,

in one-third the at-bats. The top-ranked prospect among the Angels' position players before the season,

second baseman Alex Yarbrough, has a .275 on-base percentage and three home runs at triple-A Salt

Lake, a hitters' haven.

5. Charter Cable sales guru: With the Dodgers' television blackout expected to extend through a second

full season, how do you sell SportsNet LA to customers who have gotten used to living without it? After

Charter announced its agreement to buy Time Warner Cable in May, Charter cable systems added SNLA.

That means most of the market, pretty much everyone outside the Cox Cable area, can get SNLA by

switching to TWC or Charter. Recent conversations between TWC and the newly merged AT&T/DirecTV

went nowhere, indicating consumer demand is not great enough to force a deal. Assuming federal

regulators approve the Charter/TWC merger — before the start of next season, the companies hope —

Charter will have to deliver quite a compelling pitch to get the Dodgers on the air all over town. Dodgers

fans without SNLA have missed two no-hitters so far, with the prospect of missing another every time

Kershaw delivers his compelling pitches.

6. Athletics new ballpark: In the never-ending search for a new A's stadium, an end might reveal itself

this off-season, and not because of anything the A's did. The Raiders, their co-tenants at the O.co

Coliseum, want a new stadium too, but their best options appear to be in Southern California, sharing in

Carson with the Chargers or in Inglewood with the Rams. The A's owners have pledged to stay in the San

Francisco Bay Area, but the San Francisco Giants remain adamant about exercising their right to veto an

A's move to San Jose. Commissioner Rob Manfred would like the A's to stay in Oakland. So the Raiders

might go, and the A's might have nowhere else to go. Indeed, they might take more than a decade to

move next door. Better very late than never.

There are other vacancies worth noting — Dodgers setup men, Padres manager, Giants starting pitchers

— but none as compelling as the potential opening to manage the Dodgers.

Manager Don Mattingly has the Dodgers on pace to reach the postseason for the third consecutive year,

a feat that would be a first in franchise history. Mattingly has a strong bond with Mark Walter, the

Dodgers' controlling owner, but that might not keep him safe in the event of another October

disappointment. The Dodgers have the first $300-million payroll in sports history, and they are paying

more than $80 million to players not to play for them this season, so they would not blink at paying

Mattingly not to manage for them next year.

Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, inherited Mattingly and has been

cautiously supportive of him in public comments. However, in the first year of the Friedman regime, the

balance of power has tilted overwhelmingly toward the front office and away from the manager and

coaches.

That means that, while we cannot say whether Mattingly will manage the Dodgers next season, we can

say that Mike Scioscia will not.

OC REGISTER

Dodgers hit four home runs in 8-3 victory against Cincinnati

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES – The 2015 Dodgers have 45 games left to play this season. Already, they have surpassed

the home-run totals of each version of the franchise since 2009. That home-run power netted them a

decisive victory at Dodger Stadium on a scorching Saturday, 8-3, over the Cincinnati Reds.

Six of the Dodgers’ runs scored via the long ball. Leading off the second inning, Yasiel Puig hit one and

admired it, and then Kiké Hernandez hit one, five batters later, with two men aboard. Justin Turner and

Adrian Gonzalez followed with solo shots in the third and fourth innings, and no more runs were scored.

“The ball was jumping out of here tonight,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “It was carrying. It

was hot.”

Saturday’s first-pitch temperature was announced as 90 degrees. It has been hot a lot this year at

Dodger Stadium. The team has hit 78 home runs at home this season, more than the Atlanta Braves

have hit total, and 144 overall — 10 more than the 2014 Dodgers hit all year.

Brett Anderson did better than his last start but worse than the precedent he has set for himself this

season. Home Run Derby champion Todd Frazier pushed his 13th pitch out to right center for a two-run

homer in the first inning, portending a night like Anderson’s last, a five-inning, seven-run disaster against

Washington.

But this was not that.

Mattingly said he “recovered from that point forward,” and, indeed Anderson settled down thereafter,

allowing only four more hits and two walks. He finished six innings and was charged with three runs.

Rookie right-hander Yimi Garcia relieved with two more near-dominant innings, and Chris Hatcher

pitched a perfect ninth in his first major-league inning since June 14.

Anderson has permitted three or fewer runs in 20 of his 23 starts this season.

“He was solid for us,” Mattingly said. “That’s just kinda what he’s been.”

With his ERA now at 3.38, Anderson was comfortable discarding his last start.

“You’re gonna have bad starts,” the 27-year-old left-hander said. “Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke

have bad starts every once in a while, too. Nobody’s perfect. But as long as you make the adjustments

and work on what you need to do in between starts, you can only hope for the best.”

The Dodgers (66-51) had 17 baserunners and went 4 for 9 with runners in scoring position. It was a

smooth victory, made smoother by poor pitching from Reds rookie left-hander David Holmberg. It was

Turner’s 14th homer of the season, Puig’s 10th, Hernandez’s sixth, and Gonzalez’s 24th — and just his

fourth to go to the opposite field.

The two non-homer runs were produced by a Jimmy Rollins single and a Joc Pederson groundout.

The only potential blip after the home-run barrage came in the fourth inning, when Anderson attempted

to field a Billy Hamilton grounder up the middle and fell awkwardly, face down. But he waved off a visit

from head trainer Stan Conte and pitched on unscathed.

“I’m probably the front-runner for the Gold Glove right now,” Anderson joked. “That’s part of being a

ground-ball guy. If I could tell him where to hit it every time, it’d be a little bit easier.”

Reds at Dodgers

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES -- The underappreciated Brett Anderson starts tonight for the Dodgers. Today, Don

Mattingly made an impassioned plea about how good the 27-year-old left-hander has been, under the

radar, this season.

His last start against Washington was his worst of the year, Anderson forced to stay on the mound in the

sixth despite a total lack of stuff. He allowed seven runs; his ERA rose from 3.06 to 3.43.

He gets to go again tonight, at 6:10 p.m., at Dodger Stadium, opposing the Reds and rookie left-hander

David Holmberg.

Dodgers' Crawford shows flashes of old self

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES – It was a far cry from the first nine years of his career with the Tampa Bay Rays, but, in

2013 and 2014, Carl Crawford was a valuable member of the Dodgers.

He started the majority of their games, stole some bases, hit .290 with a .333 on-base percentage and

generally provided above-average production from left field.

This season, Crawford provided nothing of value in the season’s first four months. He had a .260 on-base

percentage in April, then got hurt and missed 75 games. And now, in August, he has return to his

surplus-value-providing self, albeit in a highly limited sample size.

Saturday was Crawford’s 12th game of the month, and his fifth start. In 27 plate appearances, he has

reached base 14 times. He has stolen as many bases in August — three — as any Dodger has stolen in

any month this season.

It is not that he is a new and improved player. It is not that he is going to be this Dodgers season’s

savior. It is merely that, hey, here is another good major-league player you might have forgotten about

who is healthy again and performing near his peak.

“He’s starting to look kind of like himself again,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Saturday.

Because Scott Van Slyke was out sick, Crawford earned the start Saturday against a left-hander, the Reds

rookie David Holmberg. It was just his fifth such start since the start of the 2014 season.

He did not make an out in the game, walking twice and recording two singles.

“When he gets hot, it seems like it doesn’t matter to him — lefty, righty, whatever,” Mattingly said.

“That’s his way to show us he’s swinging better.”

The Dodgers do not appear to have a place to play Crawford regularly, even this better-swinging version

of him. To get him starts in August, Yasiel Puig has been resting more than normal, but Puig’s play has

also rebounded of late and it is thus unlikely he’ll sit much more. Joc Pederson is still the center field

starter, at least against right-handed pitchers, and Andre Ethier’s OPS is 12th among all major-league

outfielders who’ve received 300 or more plate appearances.

PEDERSON AT DEDICATION

Joc Pederson’s brother, Champ, spoke at the Dodgers’ dedication of their first universally accessible

Dodgers Dreamfield for disabled children, in Baldwin Hills.

The Dodgers and their foundation had previously built 37 baseball fields in the Los Angeles area. The

latest one, which cost $650,000 per the team, is the first one to be ADA-accessible.

Champ Pederson has Down Syndrome, and he spoke passionately about it at the ceremony.

“It doesn’t affect me,” he said. “I’m full of energy. It’s important for me to advocate for people with

disabilities and myself.”

Also in attendance were Clayton Kershaw and Adrian Gonzalez.

Later in the day, at Dodger Stadium, Champ received hefty applause when shown on the big screen.

NOTES

Kershaw, Gonzalez, A.J. Ellis, and Scott Van Slyke will speak to fans after Sunday’s game at Dodger

Stadium as part of the team’s third annual Faith and Family Day, alongside team chaplain Brandon Cash.

Shortstop Jimmy Rollins, hitting .260 with a .317 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage since

the All-Star break, earned Mattingly’s praise for his sense of calmness in the batter’s box. “It seems like

it's clicking for him right now,” the manager said. Rollins’ .645 OPS this season is tied for 19th with

Texas’ Elvis Andrus among the 26 MLB shortstops who’ve batted 300 or more times this season. When

adjusting statistics for park and league factors, Rollins is alone in 18th, ahead of Andrus and

Washington’s Ian Desmond.

Final: Dodgers 8, Reds 3

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES — The 2015 Dodgers have 45 games left to play this season, and, already they have

surpassed the home-run totals of each iteration of the franchise since 2009. That home-run power

netted them a decisive victory at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, 8-3, over the Cincinnati Reds.

Six of the Dodgers’ runs scored via the long ball. Leading off the second inning, Yasiel Puig hit one and

admired it, and then Kiké Hernandez hit one, five batters later, with two men aboard. Justin Turner and

Adrian Gonzalez followed with solo shots in the third and fourth innings, and no more runs were scored.

Brett Anderson did better than his last start but worse than the precedent he has set for himself this

season. Home Run Derby champion Todd Frazier pushed his 13th pitch out to right-center for a two-run

homer in the first inning, portending a night like Anderson’s last, a five-inning, seven-run disaster against

Washington.

But this was not that. Anderson settled down thereafter, allowing only four more hits and two walks. He

finished six innings and was charged with three runs. Rookie right-hander Yimi Garcia relieved with him

two more near-dominant innings, and Chris Hatcher pitched a perfect ninth in his first major-league

inning since June 14.

The Dodgers (66-51) developed 17 baserunners and went 4-for-9 with runners in scoring position. It was

a smooth victory. The only potential blip after the home-run barrage came in the fourth inning, when

Anderson attempted to field a Billy Hamilton grounder up the middle and fell awkwardly, face-down.

But he waved off a visit from head trainer Stan Conte and pitched on, apparently unscathed.

Before the game, Mattingly fiercely defended Anderson’s performance, saying he’s been “kind of

overlooked” this season because of factors outside of his control.

"I look at him as being a lot like (Hyun-jin) Ryu,” Mattingly said. “Every time out, he's given us a chance

to win. Because of a couple starts that we've had, he's been lumped in with everybody but Kershaw &

Greinke. I think unfairly."

On deck: Reds at Dodgers, Sunday, 1 p.m., SNLA

By Pedro Moura

Where: Dodger Stadium

Did you know: Eight members of the SoldierCare Project threw out ceremonial first pitches at Dodger

Stadium on Saturday. The Studio City-based organization provides outreach to wounded veterans and

veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

THE PITCHERS

RHP ZACK GREINKE (12-2, 1.53)

Greinke's in the midst of a phenomenal season, one that is now rivaling his Cy Young year as the best of

his career. With his last scoreless start at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, Greinke surpassed Clayton

Kershaw's career ERA at Chavez Ravine. If he throws seven scoreless innings in this outing, he'll move his

ERA below 2.00 at the ballpark.

Vs. Reds: 5-2, 2.75 ERA

Dodger Stadium: 25-5, 2.04 ERA

Loves to face: Jay Bruce, 5 for 30 (.167), 8 SO

Hates to face: Joey Votto, 10 for 24 (.417), 3 HR

RHP ANTHONY DESCLAFANI (7-7, 3.75)

The 25-year-old DeSclafani has posted a 4.25 ERA in the equivalent of about one full season over the last

two years. Traded to Cincinnati from Miami in the Mat Latos trade last offseason, he has carved out a

spot for himself in the Reds' rotation. He is currently running a streak of four straight quality starts,

including a nine-strikeout, no-walk effort two outings ago.

Vs. Dodgers: 1-0, 3.00 ERA (6 innings)

Dodger Stadium: 1-0, 3.00 ERA (6 innings)

Loves to face: Andre Ethier, 0 for 3, 1 SO

Hates to face: Jimmy Rollins, 2 for 3 (.667), 1 HR

LA DAILY NEWS

Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson grounds Reds while offense takes flight By Tony Ciniglio The game time temperature was 90 degrees on what had been a scorching day by Los Angeles standards. That is usually a sign that the ball is going to fly out of Dodger Stadium at an alarming rate. But when the first two batters of the game hit harmless grounders, it was a harbinger of things to come for Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson, the major-league’s top ground-ball pitcher this season. Anderson, for the most part, stuck to the ground and the Dodgers took to the air with four massive homers, part of a 12-hit barrage in an 8-3 victory Saturday night over the Cincinnati Reds. L.A. maintained a 2 1/2-game lead over the San Francisco Giants in the National League West. Anderson rebounded from his worst outing of the season Monday against the Washington Nationals with a quality start, allowing three runs in six innings to even his record at 7-7. “It was hot, the ball was flying, but I was able to make some pitches when I had to and was able to get the quality start,” Anderson said. “And the offense was tremendous today. I was getting a bunch of ground balls and was pitching like I have been.” On a day susceptible to the long ball, Anderson found a way to ground the Reds’ offense, aside from a two-run homer to Todd Frazier in the first inning. It is more of what Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has come to expect from the left-hander, who is enjoying his first full healthy season since 2009. Of his 18 outs Saturday, Anderson recorded 14 via ground balls, three on strikeouts and just one flyout. Yimi Garcia struck out one in two scoreless innings of relief, and Chris Hatcher made his first appearance since going on the disabled list with a left oblique strain and struck out one in a perfect ninth inning. “I thought (Anderson) was good. Obviously he gives up the homer. He went 0-2 with (Joey) Votto — he’s a tough out for us — and then the homer to Frazier. But from that point, he kind of recovered. He kept battling and I thought he was solid. That’s what he’s been doing for us. He gave us a chance.” The crowd of 46,807 delighted in the Dodgers’ power surge. Yasiel Puig led off the second inning with a solo blast to right-center field — his 10th — to close the Dodgers within 2-1. It was his sixth homer since the All-Star break. He later added just his second stolen base of the season. Later in the inning, the sizzling Kike Hernandez followed a tying RBI single by Jimmy Rollins with a massive three-run homer halfway up the left-field pavilion for a 5-2 lead. It was his sixth homer, and he nearly hit his seventh with a drive to the right-field wall in the eighth.

Justin Turner led off the third inning with an opposite-field drive just inside the right-field foul pole for a 7-3 lead. It was his 14th homer of the season. For good measure, Adrian Gonzalez tacked on his team-leading 24th homer in the fourth inning for an 8-3 lead. It is the most homers the Dodgers have hit in a game since Sept. 9, 2013, when they hit six against the Arizona Diamondbacks, including three by Juan Uribe. “It was good. We needed runs early to get back on the board, and Kike’s homer put us back in the driver’s seat,” Gonzalez said. “It was about everyone hitting and everyone contributing.” Hernandez and Turner continued their sizzling stretches. Hernandez is hitting .432 (16 for 37) with three homers and eight RBIs in his last 14 games since July 24, filling in admirably for the injured Howie Kendrick (hamstring) at second base. “I like to play. I don’t care where I play, as long as I am in the lineup,” Hernandez said. “I don’t like it (being classified as a utility player). I’m 23, and I believe I have a long career ahead of me. But being a utility guy got me to the big leagues. It’s why I am here.” Turner is 4 for 10 since coming off the disabled list with a skin infection on his leg, and is hitting .462 (18 for 39) with four doubles and four homers since July 18. The suddenly resurgent Rollins finished with two hits. Crawford added two hits and two walks and is hitting .353 (12 for 34) with two doubles, a homer and seven RBIs since returning from the disabled list. Joc Pederson added an RBI groundout, and even Anderson chipped in with two effective sacrifice bunts. Reds rookie left-hander David Holmberg took the brunt of the beatdown, charged with seven runs on five hits in two innings. He walked four and gave up three homers. Dodgers’ Hernandez doing well in Kendrick’s absence By Tony Ciniglio Sometimes baseball players can be typecast, much like actors who repeatedly get cast for similar roles. When Kike Hernandez came to the Dodgers in an off-season deal with the Miami Marlins, he was billed as a super utility player who made the biggest splash by implementing the fan favorite “Rally Banana.” Turns out all Hernandez needed was an opportunity. Since Howie Kendrick sustained a hamstring injury Sunday, Hernandez has made six straight starts and is seeing his stock rise rapidly.

“He’s been really good,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “(President of Baseball Operations) Andrew (Friedman) and I were talking the other day. When you talk about all the things he can do, you almost automatically throw him into that utility role, and it’s unfair. “Kike looks like a guy right now who can play every day.” Finally getting regular playing time, Hernandez is showing surprising pop, steadiness at the plate and a flair in the field at a myriad of positions. Hernandez recorded a career-high tying three hits for the second consecutive game on Friday night and is batting .469 (15 for 32) with three doubles, two homers and five RBIs in his last 13 games since July 24 entering Saturday’s game. “Just getting a little more consistent at-bats, it’s a little easier for me to stay consistent,” Hernandez said, downplaying his recent torrid stretch. Hernandez is also tearing apart left-handed pitching, batting a National League-leading .411 (23 for 56) against southpaws. Hernandez has also found different ways to break into the lineup, starting 10 times at second base, 11 times at shortstop, eight starts in center field, five starts in left field and even one start in right field. “I really believe I can play every day,” Hernandez said. “It’s really up to whatever team I’m with and whatever that teams needs from me. “I can only control what I can control, and that’s what I do on the field.” Hernandez has also sought out advice from veteran shortstop Jimmy Rollins as he tries to hone his craft and become a viable everyday option. “Kike talks to me. I don’t talk to him, I try to run away,” Rollins said, laughing. “When you play with a guy up the middle, you have to have a relationship with him. You’ve got to talk to him about situations and different things about the game. “He’s a guy who wants to learn. His skill is very great. When he’s in there, he’s doing the job, he’s doing what’s expected of him. He makes plays, he’s smart and he doesn’t make mistakes. If you do that, you’ll find yourself thriving when your number is called.” CRAWFORD GETS NOD So why did outfielder Carl Crawford get the start against Reds left-hander David Holmberg? Mattingly said it was two-fold. Not only is Crawford swinging a hot bat, but outfielder Scott Van Slyke — the normal option against left-handers — was feeling sick. “Scott’s not doing too well. He’s a little under the weather,” Mattingly said. “Carl’s also starting to look like himself again. He looks like he’s getting hot.”

ALSO The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation dedicated its first universally accessible field for children with disabilities with the new Dodgers Dreamfield at Baldwin Recreation Center in Los Angeles. Clayton Kershaw and his wife Ellen, Adrian Gonzalez and his wife Betsy, Joc Pederson and his brother Champ and Dodgers President and CEO Stan Kasten attended the dedication. It was the 38th Dodgers Dreamfield. … Eight members of the SoldierCare Project participated in ceremonial first-pitch ceremonies. SoldierCare Project is a Studio City-based humanitarian and non-political outreach to wounded and PSTD veterans across the country.

TRUEBLUELA.COM Andrew Sopko almost perfect in Loons debut By Brandon Lennox Player Of The Day Andrew Sopko proved that a promotion to the Midwest League was no problem on Saturday as he allowed just one hit over five innings and struck out seven. The 2015 seventh round pick out of Gonzaga had a similar line score during his last outing with Ogden as he stuck out eight over four frames of one-hit ball. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers were shutout by Chien-Ming Wang and the Rainiers (Mariners) in a 2 to 0 loss. Wang allowed just three hits to OKC, and all were singles. Jose Peraza and Darwin Barney had a hit each, and they both stole a base as well. Dodger starter Mike Bolsinger only allowed three hits of his own over seven innings of work, but one of those hits was a seventh inning solo homer which led to the loss. Bolsinger also struck out nine, which tied a season high. David Huff was solid but permitted the other run in two frames of relief. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers lost a close one to Midland, falling 5 to 4 on Saturday. Tulsa starter Chris Anderson managed to put together a quality start during his no decision as he allowed just two earned run on six hits over 6⅔ frames. He struck out four and walked a pair, but also gave up a couple of unearned runs which proved to be the difference in this game. Reliever Juan Jaime took the loss after permitting the eventual winning run to score in the bottom of the eighth. At the dish Brandon Dixon connected on his sixth homer of the season for Tulsa, but it was hit first since returns to Tulsa. Kyle Farmer went 2-for-4 with a double and drove in a run, while Yadir Drake also had two hits and recorded a RBI. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga

Craig was at the Quakes games game again on Saturday and has his recap here. Low Class-A Player of the day Andrew Sopko was dominate in his Midwest League debut as he led the Loons to a 5-2 win over the LumberKings (Mariners). As mentioned above Sopko allowed just one hit over five shutout frames, striking out seven along the way. Jose Alberto Molina and Scott Griggs both allowed a run in relief, but Matt Campbell closed the door for his first save of the season. Mike Ahmed led the offense by connecting on a two-run homer in seventh, while Brian Wolfe also drove in a pair with a triple for the only extra base hit for Great Lakes. Rookie - Pioneer League The Raptors put on an offensive show on Saturday as they blew out the Mustangs (Reds) 11 to 4. Scott De Jong led the hitting attack with three hits and three runs scored, finishing a homer shy of the cycle. Jordan Tarsovich also went 3-for-4 and drove in a pair, while Kelvin Ramos had three base knocks and 2 RBI's as well. On the mound starter Jairo Pacheco walked four over four innings of work, but he also gave up just one hit while punching out six. Jose Santos picked up the win despite allowing a pair of runs. Rookie - Arizona League The Arizona Dodgers swept a doubleheader against the Reds on Saturday, winning the first game 8 to 1 and then walking off with a 5-4 victory in the nightcap. 19 year old Ariel Sandoval was the star of the first game as he connected on a pair of three-run homers to drive in six of the eight runs. Dennis Santana was also solid on the mound as he tossed a seven inning complete game while punching out eight. The rehabbing Daniel Mayora helped the Dodgers walk-off with game two as his RBI single in the bottom of the ninth clinched the win. Mitch Hensen also had a big game at the dish as he was 3-for-4 with two double and three runs scored. On the mound Roberth Fernandez was the star as he pitched 5⅔ shutout innings of relief after starter Osiris Ramirez got hit hard to start the game. Rookie - Dominican Summer League The Dodgers allowed two late runs as they fell to the Mets 3 to 2. Dodger starter Johan Diaz pitched very well in this game as he allowed just two hits and an unearned run over five innings of work, then Algenis Soto followed with two shutout frames. Angel Bautista recorded the blown save and the loss, however, after permitting the final two runs to score. Nobody had more than one hit in this game, nor did anyone have an extra base hit as the Dodger offense went down quietly. Transactions Triple-A: Infielder Ronald Torreyes was assigned to Tulsa from Oklahoma City.

Double-A: Hunter Redman was placed on the DL while Daniel Mayora was sent to the Arizona Dodgers on a rehab assignment. Rookie: Third baseman Jimy Perez was assigned to the Raptors from Arizona. Saturday box scores Tacoma 2, Oklahoma City 0 Midland 5, Tulsa 4 Rancho Cucamonga 9, Lake Elsinore 4 Great Lakes 5, Clinton 2 Ogden 11, Billings 4 AZL Dodgers 8, AZL Reds 1 AZL Reds 4, AZL Dodgers 1 DSL Mets 3, DSL Dodgers 2 Sunday schedule 12:00 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Isaac Anderson) at Clinton (Zack Littell) 12:00 p.m.: Tulsa (Eric Stults) at Midland (Sean Manaea) 3:00 p.m.: Billings (Jose Lopez) at Ogden (Adam Bray) 4:05 p.m.: Tacoma (Edgar Olmos) at Oklahoma City (Joe Wieland) 5:05 p.m.: Lake Elsinore (Travis Radke) at Rancho Cucamonga (Scott Barlow) 7 p.m: AZL Dodgers (TBD) at AZL Indians (TBD) Kyle Garlick has a perfect night in big win for Quakes By Craig Minami RANCHO CUCAMONGA ---- The Storm (Padres) just cannot win at LoanMart Field, on Saturday night, the Quakes won 9-4 and the Quakes are now 14-0 against the Storm at their home park. Outfielder Kyle Garlick, who was just called up on Friday, went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run and three runs scored.

The Quakes jumped out to an early lead, in the first, after one out, Alex Verdugo lined a single to right and Johan Mieses walked. Cody Bellinger singled in Verdugo but then Bellinger got caught between first and second. During the rundown. Mieses breaks for home and beats the throw home to make it 2-0. In the second, Garlick doubled and later scored on a double by Tyler Ogle. Tim Locastro doubled home Ogle to increase the lead to four runs. Garlick hit a two-run home run, his first in the California League and Tyler Ogle would single in another run. Verdugo would go 3-for-5, Paul Hoenecke and Ogle each had two hits. Johnathan Richy started for Quakes and pitched six innings. Richy gave up three runs, eight hits, and struck out five. A.J. Vanegas pitched a scoreless seventh while giving up three walks and striking out two. Josh Sborz, who was picked 74th overall by the Dodgers in the 2015 draft, made his California League debut and pitched the final two innings. Sborz gave up a run and two hits and was the beneficiary of nifty double play to end the game. Sborz, who is still slated to be a starting pitcher, will pitch out of the bullpen for the Quakes, his appearances will be one or two innings. Dodgers slug their way to win over Reds By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers took advantage of the 90-degree weather at game time, flexing their muscle with four home runs to power past the Reds 8-3 on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. The four home runs matched a season high for the Dodgers, accomplished five other times. The last time was June 21 against San Francisco. Yasiel Puig got the Dodgers started with a solo shot in the second inning, cutting the Reds' 2-0 lead in half. The club would rally to tie later in the inning, scoring the equalizer on a single by Jimmy Rollins, one of his two hits on the night. Kike Hernandez followed with a blast into the left field pavilion for a three-run shot and a 5-2 advantage. Hit against southpaw David Holmberg, it continued Hernandez's scorching season against left-handers. In 67 plate appearances against southpaws this year, Hernandez is hitting .414/.478/.793 with nine doubles, three home runs, two triples and seven walks. Justin Turner added a solo home run to right field in the third inning, and is 4-for-10 in three games since returning from the disabled list.

That home run helped knock out Holmberg, who recorded only six outs but allowed seven runs, including three home runs, and four walks with no strikeouts. Adrian Gonzalez added a solo shot in the fourth inning was a line drive deep into the seats in left field, his 24th of the season, and either the third (per FanGraphs) or fourth (per Baseball-Reference) home run he has hit this season to the left of center field. The Dodgers on the season in 117 games have hit 144 home runs, 13 more than than any other National League team. The Dodgers haven't hit that many home runs in a full season since 2009, when they had 145. Carl Crawford, making his first start against a left-hander all season, walked twice against Holmberg, then went 2-for-2 the rest of the night against the Cincinnati bullpen. Crawford has nine hits in his last 12 at-bats, with two walks during that span. Brett Anderson was on the receiving end of the offensive support. He allowed a two-run home run to Todd Frazier in the first inning but other than that did Anderson things, inducing 14 ground ball outs to just one fly ball out. Anderson allowed three runs in six innings for the quality start and the win. Chris Hatcher pitched a perfect ninth inning in his first major league appearance since June 24. He was activated from the disabled list on Friday. Double digits Puig's home run in the second inning was is 10th of the season, the eighth Dodger to reach double digits in home runs this season. That's one shy of the club record for players with at least 10 home runs in a season, set by the 2004 Dodgers. The Dodgers also reached eight players in double digits in 1953, 1961 and 1979. The Astros this season also have eight players with at least 10 home runs. Last year the Rockies and Pirates each had nine players. In 2013 the Indians had 10, as did the 2012 Yankees. Howie Kendrick is sitting on nine home runs, but is also out until September with a hamstring strain. Hernandez is next closest with six home runs. Club 500 With his single in the first inning, Gonzalez recorded his 500th hit as a Dodger. He is the 95th player in franchise history to reach 500 hits. Gonzalez is the first new member of the group since James Loney on April 24, 2010. Up next The Dodgers go for a series win on Sunday afternoon with Zack Greinke on the mound, with Anthony DeSclafani starting for the Reds. Saturday particulars

Home runs: Yasiel Puig (10), Kiké Hernandez (6), Justin Turner (14), Adrian Gonzalez (24); Todd Frazier (29) WP - Brett Anderson (7-7): 6 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts LP - David Holmberg (1-2): 2+ IP, 5 hits, 7 runs 4 walks

ESPN LA Dodgers' outfield options -- and dilemma -- on display in L.A. By Dan Arritt LOS ANGELES -- Carl Crawford is the latest outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers to make the job a lot easier for manager Don Mattingly. The veteran left fielder had two singles and two walks Saturday night in an 8-3 win against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, improving to 9-for-15 in the past seven games. Crawford missed nearly two months earlier this season with an oblique strain, generating concern whether his 13 previous major-league seasons were catching up with him. But lately, he's playing like he’s still in his prime. Throw in a bounce-back year for another veteran outfielder, Andre Ethier, who’s .289 average currently sits 40 points higher than it finished least season, and a return to form for second-year player Yasiel Puig, who homered in Saturday’s win, and Mattingly suddenly has a plethora of hot-hitting outfielders. “Whomever I’m putting in there right now is swinging the bat good,” Mattingly said after the victory. “From Andre to Carl, Yasiel looks better. … It’s a good problem to have.” Mattingly could soon face the delicate decision of what to do with struggling rookie center fielder Joc Pederson, however. Pederson was the only position player not to record a hit Saturday night, finishing 0-for-4 to drop his batting average to .217, its lowest mark since the first week of the season. Even more troubling, Pederson has one home run in August and one in July after hitting 20 through the end of June. Still, Mattingly said he’s not ready to sacrifice Pederson’s strong defense to get another hot bat in the starting outfield. “Obviously, there are conversations we have, but we talk about pitching and defense and Joc seems to be swinging the bat pretty good right now,” Mattingly said. “He’s not getting a lot of hits, but he’s actually putting the ball in play; he’s getting on base. You start giving up defense, and you end up paying for it. It’s hard to do. “

Rapid Reaction: Dodgers 8, Reds 3 By Dan Arritt LOS ANGELES -- It's pretty simple for Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson: Keep the ball on the ground, and bad things usually won't happen. He followed that script to near perfection Saturday night, bouncing back from his worst outing of the season earlier in the week to take the air out of the Cincinnati Reds in the 8-3 victory at Dodger Stadium. Anderson struck out three and induced 14 ground-ball outs in six innings of work. He came into the game leading the majors in ground-ball percentage (66.1) and only three of the 26 Reds he faced hit the ball in the air, the first a two-run homer by Todd Frazier in the opening inning and the second a run-scoring double by Joey Votto in the third. How it happened: For the second straight game, the Dodgers' offense benefited from the youth movement within Cincinnati's organization. David Holmberg, who moved into the starting rotation after ace Johnny Cueto was dealt to the Kansas City Royals at last month's trade deadline, made his fourth start this season and things couldn't have gone much worse. He surrendered a leadoff homer to Yasiel Puig in the second inning and a three-run bomb to Enrique Hernandez later in the frame, putting the Dodgers on top 5-2. After yielding another homer, this time to Justin Turner to start the third, followed by back-to-back walks for the second time in the game, Holmberg was done. The rookie left-hander, who came in with 28 walks and 30 strikeouts this season, threw 35 balls and 29 strikes against the Dodgers. What it means: The Dodgers received back-to-back wins from starters not named Clayton Kershaw or Zack Greinke for just the third time this season and first since June 25-26, when Carlos Frias and Anderson won consecutive outings. Anderson received more run support than he did in his previous three starts combined, and the most since a 10-2 win by the Dodgers on June 21 against the San Francisco Giants. Notable: The Dodgers hit four home runs through the first four innings, but couldn't muster another, which would have given them five for the first time in nearly two years. They've hit four home runs six times this season, most recently in the June 21 win against the Giants. … Every position player for the Dodgers had scored or driven in a run by the fourth inning. … Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford went 2-for-2 with two walks and is 9-for-12 in his last seven games. Up next: Greinke (12-2, 1.59 ERA) is scheduled to take the hill Sunday afternoon for the Dodgers, who will try to win three out of four in the series. He'll be opposed by Anthony DeSclafani (7-7, 3.75), who is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his last four starts with both wins coming against the St. Louis Cardinals, owners of the best overall record in the majors. Dodgers hit 4 HRs in 8-3 win over Reds By Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Kike Hernandez has performed more than adequately in every position in which Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has used him. That versatility has provided them with a much-needed spark -- at the plate and on the bases. Saturday night he showed off his power, capping a five-run second inning with a three-run homer in the Dodgers' 8-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. "Being a utility guy in the minor leagues is what got me to the big leagues," said Hernandez, who is getting additional playing time at second base with Howie Kendrick on the disabled list. "I took advantage of my versatility, and that's why I'm here -- because I can play a lot of positions. We have a lot of everyday players, and I'm just a role player right now. I hope it's different in the future -- but for now, I'm all right with it as long as I'm on this team." Hernandez is batting .301 with six homers and 18 RBI in 59 games. Hernandez, Yasiel Puig and Justin Turner went deep against Cincinnati rookie David Holmberg and Gonzalez made it 8-3 in the fourth against Pedro Villarreal with his team-high 24th homer. It was the Dodgers' NL-high 144th -- already 10 more than they had all of last season -- and that's without Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez, who were traded during the offseason. "We're getting power from everybody we expected power from," Gonzalez said. "It was good. We needed runs early to get on the board, and Kike's homer put us in the drivers' seat. I don't think the lineup is just about me and Justin. It's about everybody hitting and contributing." Brett Anderson (7-7) shrugged off a two-run homer in the first by Todd Frazier and yielded one more run during the rest of his six-inning stint. The seven-year veteran allowed six hits and recorded only one flyball out in his first career start against Cincinnati. Holmberg (1-2) threw 64 pitches in two-plus innings and retired only five of the 15 batters he faced in his 10th big league start -- including Anderson on a sacrifice bunt and Turner on a double-play grounder. The 24-year-old lefty, inserted into the rotation on July 30 following the trade of Johnny Cueto to Kansas City, was charged with seven runs, five hits and four walks. The three homers Holmberg gave up came during a span of nine batters. It was Cincinnati's 17th consecutive game with a rookie starting pitcher -- the longest such streak by any club since September 1997, when St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa used a rookie starter in 19 straight games. In all, eight rookie pitchers have started a combined 63 games for the Reds this season, the most by their rotation since 2001 (77). Frazier, who won last month's All-Star Home Run Derby by beating the Dodgers' Joc Pederson with his final swing, gave the Reds a 2-0 lead in the first with a first-pitch drive over the fence in right-center after a two-out single by Joey Votto. It was Frazier's 29th homer and major league-best 63rd extra-base hit. But the Dodgers grabbed a 5-2 lead one inning later. Puig ignited the rally with his leadoff homer to center field on a full count.

Votto, who leads the NL with 41 multihit games, cut the margin to 5-3 in the third with a two-out RBI double. But Turner, a seventh-round draft pick by Cincinnati in 2006, responded in the bottom half with his first homer in 62 career at-bats against the Reds to that point. Holmberg walked his next two batters -- just like he did after Puig's homer. "He's not that type of pitcher. He's a strike thrower and not a guy that backs down," manager Bryan Price said. "He didn't have a feel for his location, he didn't have great stuff, and the Dodgers took advantage of him. "Some of his misses were by such a significant margin that there was obviously something that was off with him. He just wasn't able to get comfortable within his delivery and make the types of pitches that we've seen from him during his time in the big leagues. `' UP NEXT Reds: RHP Anthony DeSclafani (7-7) is 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA in eight road starts since back-to-back losses in Atlanta and Pittsburgh May 1 and 7. Dodgers: RHP Zack Greinke (12-2) is 7-0 with a 1.15 ERA over his last 10 starts -- lowering his overall ERA to a major league-best 1.59. He is trying to become the first pitcher in franchise history to record five consecutive months with an ERA under 2.00 during the same season. Why Brett Anderson is the Dodgers' overlooked starter By Dan Arritt LOS ANGELES -- If the starting pitchers for the Los Angeles Dodgers were branded this season, an appropriate name would be Kershaw, Greinke and Co. That’s because Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke have carried the Dodgers’ staff for much of this season and especially in the last six weeks, posting an 11-0 record and 1.20 ERA since July 3, compared to 4-9 and a 5.16 mark for the team’s other starters. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he believes left-hander Brett Anderson, the starter for Saturday’s game against the visiting Cincinnati Reds, has been “unfairly” lumped in with those not named Kershaw and Greinke. “He’s been kind of overlooked,” Mattingly said before Saturday’s game. Mattingly compared Anderson to fellow Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, who racked up 14 wins in each of the last two seasons while serving as the No. 3 starter behind Kershaw and Greinke. Ryu underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in May, magnifying Anderson’s role on the team.

He had his best stretch in late June and early July, winning three straight starts and allowing one earned run in each outing. “He’s pitching really well all year long,” Mattingly said. “Every time out he’s giving us a chance to win.” Anderson has won just one of his last six starts, however, and is coming off his worst appearance with the Dodgers, allowing seven earned runs and 10 hits in five innings of an 8-3 loss Monday against the visiting Washington Nationals. The first seven batters reached base safely in the sixth inning before Mattingly finally removed Anderson under a chorus of boos at Dodger Stadium. “That’s probably the lone game that you go, ‘Brett didn’t pitch very well. He didn’t get the ball where he wanted to,'" Mattingly said. “I feel like that’s going to be a blip on the radar.” Mattingly said after the game that the Nationals were a difficult matchup for Anderson because so many of their right-handed hitters are willing and able to hit the ball to the opposite field. As for the Reds, Anderson has never pitched against Cincinnati and only two members of its starting lineup, right fielder Marlon Byrd and catcher Brayan Pena, have faced Anderson during his seven-year career.

NBC LA Adrian Gonzalez and Justin Turner Homer, Take Selfies, as Dodgers Rout Reds 8-3 By Michael Duarte The Dodgers assembled their own Fantastic Four onn Saturday night to rival that of the Hollywood blockbuster currently in theaters. Yasiel Puig, Kiké Hernandez, Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez all homered for Los Angeles and the Dodgers crushed the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 at Chavez Ravine. The Dodgers four home runs were a season high and give them 144 on the season tops in the National League and 10 more than they had all of last season at this time. Puig went 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs scored. Puig led off the second inning with a solo shot to center, his sixth homer since the All-Star break. After two consecutive three-hit games, Hernandez went 1-for-5, but hit a big three-run blast to break the game open in the second inning. "I've always been an every day player and at the beginning of the year it took me a little while to get used to my role," Hernandez said. "Now that I'm getting more at-bats, it's just a matter of staying consistent."

Turner finished 1-for-3 with a solo blast to the right field corner that leadoff the third inning. Turner has been terrific since his return to the lineup on Friday after missing 14 games with a MRSA infection in his right thigh. Gonzalez homered for the second consecutive game connecting on an 84 MPH changeup from reliever Pedro Villarreal. It was Gonzalez's team-leading 24th homer of the season. Brett Anderson bounced back from a rough outing against the Nationals last Monday in which he was hammered to the tune of seven runs. Anderson (7-7) recorded his 14th quality start of the season allowing three runs on six hits in six innings. "I thought my stuff early was pretty good," Anderson said. "It was like a tale of two games. I was able to make some pitches and give us a quality start and get back to what I like to do." His counterpart, David Holmberg, couldn’t say the same. Holmberg got knocked out of the game early, allowing seven runs on five hits in just two innings, the shortest start of his career. Holmberg became the 17th consecutive rookie starting pitcher for the Reds, the longest stretch in team history, and the longest by any franchise since the 1997 St. Louis Cardinals when they had 19 straight rookie starts from Sept. 9-28. 2015 All-Star Home Run Derby Champion Todd Frazier hit his 29th long ball of the year, a line drive to right center in the first inning that gave the Reds an early 2-0 lead. Frazier's 29 home runs are tied for the most he's hit in his career. The Dodgers put up a high five in the bottom of the second thanks to home runs by Puig and Hernandez. Puig started the inning off with a solo shot to center field, and Hernandez knocked in three with a rocket shot to left field that gave LA a 5-2 lead. Joey Votto doubled in a run in the top half of the third inning to close the gap to a manageable 5-3, but the Reds would not get any closer as the Dodgers extended their lead in the third and fourth innings thanks to homers by Turner and Gonzalez, respectively. Chris Hatcher pitched a scoreless ninth inning one day after he was activated from the 15-day disabled list. Hatcher missed the last 60 days with an oblique injury. Game Notes: Los Angeles improved to 41-20 at home on the season and are on pace for the best single season winning percentage in Dodger Stadium history. It was Back to the Future night at Dodger Stadium as the original DeLorean from the movie was driven onto the field before the game. Out popped actress Lea Thompson, who played Lorraine McFly in the original movie, and she threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Fans in attendance also got to watch the original movie on the field after the game.