Daily Clips

July 19, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

DODGERS.COM

10 again! Dodgers extend streak, on 30-4 run—Ken Gurnick and Fabian Ardaya

Back from layoff, Kershaw wins MLB-high 15th—Ken Gurnick

Ryu set to return from DL early next week—Ken Gurnick

Maeda, Dodgers wrap up brief series vs. Sox—Fabian Ardaya

8 reasons why 2017 is Dodgers' year—Richard Justice

LA TIMES

Clayton Kershaw pitches Dodgers past White Sox—Andy McCullough

Dodgers are soliciting sponsorship offers for naming rights to field at Dodger Stadium—Bill Shaikin

Dodgers are hopeful Hyun-Jin Ryu could start next week—Andy McCullough

Nationals debut new relievers in Anaheim, just miles away from potential playoff stop Dodger Stadium—Mike DiGiovanna

OC REGISTER:

Dodgers make it 10 in a row – again – with 1-0 win over White Sox—Bill Plunkett

Dodgers Notes: Team owners reportedly seeking $12 million a year for naming rights to field at Dodger Stadium—Bill Plunkett

Dodgers at White Sox: Wednesday game time, TV channels and starting pitchers—Bill Plunkett

ESPN

Kershaw wins 15th, Dodgers top Chisox 1-0 for 10th W in row— Associated Press

Dodgers reportedly interested in selling naming rights to field— ESPN.com News Services

Real or Not? Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers find their new 'low'—Bradford Doolittle

TRUE BLUE LA

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers make 1 run hold up to beat White Sox—Eric Stephen

Brant Whiting goes 4-for-4 in Quakes comeback win—Craig Minami

DODGER INSIDER

A 1–0 win and another 1-0-game win streak—Rowan Kavner

NBC LA

Dodgers Set Best 34-Game Mark in Franchise History With 1-0 Win Over White Sox—Michael Duarte

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

The Dodgers are selling the naming rights to Dodger Stadium's field for $12 million—Jon Tayler

EL PASO TIMES

11-year-old El Pasoan wins managerial debut with Dodgers—Brett Bloomquist

WASHINGTON POST

The Los Angeles Dodgers have become baseball’s version of the Golden State Warriors—Adam Kilgore

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2017

DODGERS.COM

10 again! Dodgers extend streak, on 30-4 run By Ken Gurnick and Fabian Ardaya CHICAGO -- The Dodgers juggernaut jumped leagues Tuesday night and kept on winning, as Clayton Kershaw pitched seven scoreless innings in a 1-0 Interleague shutout of the White Sox for Los Angeles' second 10-game win streak of the season. Padding the best record in MLB, the Dodgers (65-29) are on a 30-4 tear -- a franchise best since 1899 -- which had not been accomplished since the 1977 Royals had a 35-4 run. The last National League team to have such a run was the 1936 Giants. Los Angeles is off to its best start through 94 games since 1955. "When you think about the last time we lost to a National League team, and all the things coming my way," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "it's unbelievable. And the bottom line is, we're finding ways to win baseball games." Kershaw notched his MLB-high 15th win, completing his 14th consecutive start without a loss (going 11-0), dating back to May 6. The Dodgers have won all 14 of those starts, the most consecutive team wins when a pitcher starts in franchise history. "It does feel like every night we find another way to win," Kershaw said. "I think my run support has got to be one of the best in the league, and tonight, that didn't happen and we still found a way to win." Cody Bellinger drove in the game's sole run with an RBI single in the first off White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez, who made his first start since coming off the disabled list for A/C joint inflammation in his right shoulder. Bellinger has a team-high 62 RBIs in 74 games. Kenley Jansen improved to 24-for-24 on save opportunities, surviving a long warning-track flyout by Matt Davidson in the ninth. "I know I didn't make the best pitch there, but we're human, you're not going to make 100 percent every day," Jansen said. "When he hit it, it's a feeling like, 'What's going to happen?' You can't panic. Then, I saw [left fielder Chris Taylor] catch it and, all right, one out."

Taylor, who scored the only run, stole his team-high 12th base and tied a career high with four hits. "One of those days where everything found a hole," Taylor said. "I don't think I hit the barrel one time." • White Sox net 4 in big Frazier deal with Yanks Gonzalez allowed four of the first five Dodger batters to reach, but grinded through six innings of one-run ball. Despite issuing a season-high five walks, he allowed his lowest run total since allowing an unearned run over eight innings against the Royals on April 24. He's lost nine of his last 10 decisions dating back to April 30. "I was pretty amped up," Gonzalez said. "I gave up four or five walks tonight. That's not really me. But we were capable of getting, what was it, four double plays? That's huge, man. We kept the game close. Unfortunately, we got the loss." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Double trouble: After a one-out single by Yolmer Sanchez off Kershaw in the bottom of the fourth, shortstop Corey Seager made a diving stop of Kevan Smith's sharp grounder and, with his face in the dirt, flipped the ball to second baseman Logan Forsythe, who made the pivot and wide throw that required a long stretch from Bellinger for an inning-ending double play. Got popped: The White Sox nearly broke through against Kershaw in the sixth, getting runners on the corners with one out on Avisail Garcia's single, Seager's throwing error and a single from Davidson. Tyler Saladino followed by squaring around to bunt, popping the ball up to catcher Yasmani Grandal. Sanchez then grounded out, as Kershaw preserved the shutout. QUOTABLE "Today was a tough one, we left a lot of guys on base. At the same time, for me as a closer, that's when I really, really need to pick up my guys." -- Jansen, on Dodgers going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Tuesday marked the 52nd time in Kershaw's career that the ace had gone at least seven scoreless innings. For historical comparisons, Pedro Martinez did it 57 times and Tom Glavine had 54 such outings. UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Dodgers challenged a safe call at first base on Kershaw's pickoff attempt of Tim Anderson with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The call was overturned, and Anderson was out, giving Kershaw his 58th career pickoff and first since 2015. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Kenta Maeda makes his first start in 11 days Wednesday night in the 5:10 p.m. PT series finale. In his last 12 games (10 starts), Maeda is 6-2 with a 3.20 ERA. This will be his first career start against the White Sox. He's 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two Interleague starts this season. White Sox: Carlos Rodon starts for the first time in 10 days on Wednesday, just his fourth start of the season after dealing with left biceps bursitis since Spring Training. The 7:10 p.m. CT game will give Rodon a chance to rebound after allowing six runs in 5 1/3 innings at Coors Field on July 9. Yoan Moncada, the Majors' No. 1 prospect per MLBPipeline.com, will be recalled from Triple-A Charlotte prior to the game and is expected to make his White Sox debut.

Back from layoff, Kershaw wins MLB-high 15th By Ken Gurnick CHICAGO -- Seven scoreless innings, and Clayton Kershaw sounded almost apologetic after pitching the Dodgers to a 1-0 win over the White Sox on Tuesday night. "I was a little rusty tonight," said Kershaw, who hadn't pitched since a July 9 complete-game win over the Royals in the final game before the All-Star break. "The fastball command wasn't great, it got a little better as the game went. Nine days off definitely is not something I'm used to. I'm thankful to get out of that unscathed, and glad we won." Because Kershaw pitched on the Sunday before the break, the ace was ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard. But the Dodgers then skipped past him for the three-game series in Miami coming out of the break to give his arm an extended rest. "I still believe the layoff was the best thing for him, and for us, in the long term," manager Dave Roberts said. "It's a decision we made, and we still feel good about it." Rusty or not, Kershaw notched his MLB-high 15th win and lowered his ERA to 2.07. It was his 77th career start without allowing an earned run, the most among active pitchers and most since at least 1913 by a pitcher not yet 30 years old. In his last five starts, the left-hander is 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA, 51 strikeouts and six walks. The Dodgers have won Kershaw's last 14 starts, a franchise record. He's 11-0 in those 14 starts, and is 7-1 with a 1.59 ERA on the road this season. It was Kershaw's 141st career victory, tying Fernando Valenzuela for sixth on the franchise's all-time wins list. Kershaw allowed seven singles and struck out seven. The White Sox put runners in scoring position in four of Kershaw's innings, and the ace had just one 1-2-3 inning. Kershaw had only a first-inning run to work with, scored by Chris Taylor on a Cody Bellinger single. There was a throwing error by shortstop Corey Seager, a catcher's interference by Yasmani Grandal and Kershaw was called for a balk by first-base umpire and crew chief Jeff Kellogg for leaning toward home while picking off Avisail Garcia. "Still, seven innings scoreless, and he pitched out of jams created by errors and soft contact," Roberts said. "He still pitched his way out of it, and made pitches when he needed to. He really wasn't synced up tonight. The last four or five starts, he's been dominant. It's all relative to Clayton, because he's so special. When he's not synced up, you think something's wrong. But he is human, he's not perfect, but he finds a way to go out there and give us quality innings."

During their current 10-game win streak, Dodgers starters are 10-0 with a 1.41 ERA and are limiting opponents to a .189 batting average. Ryu set to return from DL early next week By Ken Gurnick CHICAGO -- The Dodgers will keep ace Clayton Kershaw on normal rest and activate Hyun-Jin Ryu on the upcoming homestand, temporarily creating a six-man rotation, manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday. Speaking before Kershaw's start against the White Sox, Roberts indicated that Kershaw will start Sunday against the Braves at home. Roberts said Ryu, who is on the disabled list with a bruised left foot, will be activated to start either Monday or Tuesday against the Twins. Kershaw was given a breather after starting the final game before the All-Star break, a complete-game win over the Royals. With the break, Kershaw had nine days off before Tuesday's start. "His next start is on turn, and we'll see how the schedule lines up after that," Roberts said. "At some point in time we will give him an extra day." With Kershaw and Kenta Maeda pitching in Chicago, the Dodgers will start Brandon McCarthy, Alex Wood, Rich Hill and Kershaw against the Braves. Ryu, injured by a line drive on June 28 in Anaheim, will throw a four-inning simulated game on Wednesday as a final tune-up, and will not make a Minor League rehab appearance. He also threw a simulated game last Friday in Miami. "Ryu feels good, but now we've got to find a way to drop him in," Roberts said. "Early next week makes sense. A six-man rotation for an extended time, no. But we've done that at times before." Roberts also said that left-handed reliever Grant Dayton, who has been on a Minor League rehab assignment with Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga after straining his neck, will come off the disabled list by the weekend. Maeda, Dodgers wrap up brief series vs. Sox By Fabian Ardaya The Yoan Moncada Era is set to begin in Chicago.

Moncada, the No. 1 prospect in the Majors per MLBPipeline.com, will make his White Sox debut Wednesday vs. the Dodgers, after the news of his promotion from Triple-A Charlotte followed Tuesday night's blockbuster deal that sent Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to the Yankees. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound, switch-hitting second baseman was one of the key pieces in last offseason's deal that sent ace Chris Sale to Boston. Moncada hit .282 with 12 homers and 36 RBIs in 80 games with Charlotte this season, and was a SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game participant for the second time last week in Miami. He is expected to play every day at second as he continues his development, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "We're starting to get a little younger in that clubhouse," Hahn said. "A few guys are starting to get opportunities over the next few weeks and months. It will be interesting to see." White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (1-2, 4.32 ERA) will start for the first time in 10 days on Wednesday, opposing Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda (7-4, 4.38) in the finale of the brief, two-game Interleague set at Guaranteed Rate Field. Los Angeles has won 10 in a row, and 30 of its last 34. Rodon, who started just one game in Spring Training before his injury, has made three starts, including his season debut on June 28 against the Yankees. He allowed six runs in 5 1/3 innings in his last start on July 9 in against the Rockies, after pitching well despite command issues in his first two starts. Rodon said the break was poorly timed for him, interrupting any rhythm he may have gotten coming off the injury. "Yeah, it's tough," Rodon said after his last start. "Just keep it going, try to get throwing during the break, get on the mound. These guys deserve the break, they've been going at it a long time. Me, not so much." Maeda posted a 1.71 ERA in five appearances (three starts) in June. However, the right-hander has gone deeper than five innings just three times this season, and has only thrown more than 100 pitches twice. He pitched well in his last start against the Royals on July 7, allowing a run on four hits over five innings. Rodon is making his first career start against the Dodgers, and his second straight against an Interleague opponent. He is 3-3 with a 5.50 ERA in seven career Interleague starts. Maeda is 2-2 with a 3.81 ERA in five career Interleague starts. Three things to know about this game • Dodgers rookie first baseman Cody Bellinger has something in common with White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu -- they both mashed to start their Major League careers. They are the two players with the most homers through the first 73 games of a career in the last 100 seasons. Abreu had 27, and Bellinger entered Tuesday -- his 74th game -- with 26. • Pitchers tend to lean more on fastballs when they fall behind in the count, but not Maeda. His offspeed rate of 52.3 percent in those situations is eighth highest among starters who have thrown at least 300 pitches while behind the hitter this season. • White Sox manager Rick Renteria and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts know each other well, as they worked together on Bud Black's staff with the Padres from 2011-13. Both previously served as bench

coach in San Diego, before moving to their current organizations -- Roberts moved to Los Angeles before the 2016 season and Renteria became the White Sox bench coach in 2016 before being promoted to manager before this year. 8 reasons why 2017 is Dodgers' year By Richard Justice The Dodgers (64-29) are on a pace to win more games than any National League team in 111 years. Actually, they might be better than that. Historical comparisons are risky. They're interesting, but it's never clear what we're supposed to learn from them. Besides, for the Dodgers, the ultimate story of this season will be written in October. But that shouldn't keep us from appreciating what we're seeing, which is baseball played at about as high a level as humanly possible. Their pitching staff is baseball's best (3.12 ERA). Only the Nationals have scored more runs in the NL. The Dodgers are a joy to watch, and they clearly feed off one another. As rookie Cody Bellinger said, "Good vibes everywhere." Those vibes are easy to come by when there's production and playing time from every corner of the clubhouse. Their stars are contributing at a high level, but plenty of others have chipped in as well. Some numbers: The 2001 Mariners hold the modern Major League record by going 116-46. The 1906 Cubs hold the NL mark of 116-36. At 64-29, the Dodgers are winning at a .688 clip, which translates to a 112-50 finish. Only thing is, that's not the team that'll be playing the White Sox in Chicago tonight. The Dodgers were 10-12 on April 26. They're 54-17 since. There are smaller breakdowns, too: 42-11, 29-4, 9-0. Bellinger did not make his debut until April 25. The Dodgers are 54-16 with him in the lineup. And back in April, third baseman Justin Turner had not yet spent three weeks on the disabled list. They are 25-4 since his return. Turner and Bellinger together? The Dodgers are 36-9 when manager Dave Roberts pencils both onto his lineup card. Again, this story won't be written until October. When a team is on its way to a fifth straight division championship and has the history of the Dodgers, it's about winning World Series championships -- which they haven't done since 1988. Here are eight reasons to believe this is the year:

1. The Dodgers do not have one NL Most Valuable Player Award candidate. They have three of them: shortstop Corey Seager, Turner and Bellinger. Turner is batting .374 and seemingly on his way to a batting title. Bellinger has 26 home runs in 73 games and appears to be a slam dunk for NL Rookie of the Year Award, if not more. Seager established himself has one of the NL's five best players last season when he won the NL Rookie of the Year Award and finished third in the NL MVP Award voting. Some of his toughest competition for MVP votes this year may come from inside his own clubhouse. 2. Clayton Kershaw makes his 20th start of the season on Tuesday against the White Sox. Midway through his 10th season, he might make the Hall of Fame without throwing another pitch -- he has a 2.35 ERA (23rd all-time) and a 0.998 WHIP (second all-time). In his past four starts, he has been scored upon twice (0.62 ERA, five walks, 44 strikeouts in 29 innnings). This stretch coincides with the start of a debate about Max Scherzer maybe having a better season than Kershaw. For all Kershaw's accomplishments, he has not been a dominant October pitcher. It would be a mistake to doubt him. 3. Outfielder Yasiel Puig is pretty good after all. He doesn't get many of the headlines anymore, and let's face it, some of those were for the wrong reason. Instead, Puig has turned out to be exactly what the Dodgers hoped he'd be: a contributor on a winning team. He has 18 home runs, 47 RBIs and a .797 OPS. Wood's scoreless start Wood's scoreless start Alex Wood picks up four strikeouts and allows just three hits and a walk across six innings of work on the mound against the Marlins 4. Pitching depth -- Alex Wood (11-0, 1.56 ERA) is an All-Star, and Rich Hill and Brandon McCarthy have been solid. Best of all, there's enough depth that manager Dave Roberts can mix and match Kenta Maeda and Hyun-Jin Ryu and allow for rest. A big division lead should have everyone tanned, rested and ready for October. 5. Who are Austin Barnes, Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor, and why do they matter? All of them play. All of them contribute. When teams have special seasons, they always look back and see that they've gotten contributions from places they hoped for, but didn't count on. The Dodgers have gotten a long list of those. 6. They may get better. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has done a brilliant job, not just in constructing a 64-29 Major League roster, but in building one of the deepest farm system the Dodgers have ever had. That means Friedman has the chips to strengthen his team by the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. A's starter Sonny Gray and Padres lefty reliever Brad Hand are on his shopping list. 7. Free agents? What free agents? The Dodgers re-signed three important ones -- Hill, Turner and closer Kenley Jansen -- last offseason. All three have played a critical role in a 64-29 start. Jansen has converted 23 straight save chances and has a microscopic 0.575 WHIP (24 baserunners in 40 innings). 8. Roberts sometimes gets overshadowed by the star power. He shouldn't. Roberts has that magical touch that the best managers have. His players respect him, but they also like him and know everything he does is what he believes is in the best interests of the team.

LA TIMES

Clayton Kershaw pitches Dodgers past White Sox By Andy McCullough Clayton Kershaw scanned the visitors’ clubhouse at Guaranteed Rate Field. A 10-game winning steak, which the Dodgers reached for the second time in 2017 after a 1-0 victory over the White Sox on Tuesday, must include unsung contributors. Kershaw caught sight of the latest. “John Pratt, best video guy in the league over there,” Kershaw said. “Got us an out.” Pratt, the bespectacled video coordinator, flashed a thumbs up. Hunched behind a laptop inside the clubhouse, Pratt called to the dugout to challenge Kershaw’s pickoff of Tim Anderson in the seventh inning. After an initial call of safe, the replay review erased Anderson, ended the inning and allowed Kershaw to keep Chicago scoreless as the Dodgers improved to 30-4 in their past 34 games, a stretch of dominance unmatched since the 1977 Kansas City Royals. Despite the historic implications, it was not a breezy evening for either the Dodgers or Kershaw (15-2, 2.07 ERA). He admitted to feeling “rusty” after a nine-day layoff, and struggled to harness his fastball. He gave up seven hits to the White Sox, which he offset with seven strikeouts. The Dodgers (65-29) afforded Kershaw a slim margin for error. After an RBI single by Cody Bellinger in the first inning, the offense stalled in irritating fashion. They went one for 10 with runners in scoring position, stranded 11 runners and hit into four double plays. Manager Dave Roberts revealed some displeasure after the game with his team’s efficiency on offense. “When we had guys on base, I didn’t think we had the right approach at the plate,” Roberts said. “There’s the result of having success, but there’s also the process. Tonight I just didn’t think we were good.” The game offered a microcosm of one challenge for the Dodgers in the second half. The team holds a double-digit lead in the National League West. They appear capable of cruising into October, perhaps with home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Yet Roberts does not want his group to grow complacent during the long summer. Dodgers are soliciting sponsorship offers for naming rights to field at Dodger Stadium “With our club, one through 25, I believe and I know we’re the best team,” Roberts said. “Every night, we take the field, we know that. ... We’ve got to stay focused on the process. We won a baseball game, which is the most important thing. But you’re not always going to be able to escape games like this.”

Kershaw deserved credit for keeping the White Sox at bay, despite his shaky control. He led the majors with 1321/3 innings in the season’s first half, so the team afforded him the extended break after the All-Star game. From the beginning Tuesday, though, he felt uneasy after the lengthy layoff. “Nine days off, it’s not something I’m used to,” Kershaw said. “I’m thankful to get out of that unscathed, and get this win.” The Dodgers faced a short-handed White Sox team Tuesday. About an hour before the game, Chicago announced designated hitter Todd Frazier as a “healthy scratch.” Reports emerged that the White Sox were close to shipping Frazier, closer David Robertson and reliever Tommy Kahnle to the New York Yankees. The deal was consummated after the game. Kershaw gave up four hits in the first four innings. He walked Avisail Garcia in the first. Another batter reached on a catcher’s inference. In the sixth, the White Sox stressed Kershaw again. There were runners at the corners with one out. The infielders converged around Kershaw on the mound. Yasmani Grandal informed Kershaw that the next batter, second baseman Tyler Saladino, might bunt. Kershaw responded by firing a fastball at Saladino’s fists. Saladino popped up the bunt attempt for the second out. Two pitches later, designated hitter Yolmer Sanchez grounded out to end the threat. “He made pitches when he needed to,” Roberts said of his ace. Kershaw returned for the seventh with his pitch count at 94. He retired the first two hitters on grounders toward the mound. Anderson, a first-round pick in 2013, was the third. He punched a slider into left for a single. The hit upset Kershaw, but it did not unnerve him. He threw two pitches to Melky Cabrera, then turned his attention to Anderson. Holding the ball in his glove, Kershaw bobbed his head a few times at Anderson. Then he stepped toward first base and threw. Bellinger swept a tag across Anderson’s shoulder. He wasn’t sure if he made the play in time. “I just didn’t know for sure,” Bellinger said. Pratt had the benefit of watching the replay. The review lasted less than two minutes. When the call got overturned, Kershaw jogged back to his dugout, another successful evening in the books. The Dodgers did not play particularly well Tuesday. Kershaw battled himself as much as his opponents. The offense tripped over its own feet. The victory still counted. “We just keep finding different ways to win every night,” Kershaw said. Dodgers are soliciting sponsorship offers for naming rights to field at Dodger Stadium By Bill Shaikin

Mike Scioscia called Dodger Stadium home for the entirety of his 13-year major league career. He played on the last two Dodgers teams to win the World Series, in 1981 and 1988. To him, the ballpark on the hill should be known by one name, and one name only. “Dodger Stadium,” Scioscia said. In the future, that might not be such a simple matter. The Dodgers are soliciting sponsorship offers from companies interested in attaching their name to the field on which the team plays, and a winning bid from Acme Co. could mean the Dodgers would play at Acme Field at Dodger Stadium. The Dodger Stadium name is not for sale, Dodgers President Stan Kasten said Tuesday. “That has never been for sale,” Kasten said in Chicago, where the Dodgers played the White Sox on Tuesday night. “It never will be for sale.” To the Dodgers, the possible sale of naming rights for the field is no different than the previous sales of naming rights for the stadium suites (BMW) or the baseline club (Ketel One) or the right-field pavilion (Coca Cola). Kasten said he is not concerned about the risk of sullying the name of an iconic stadium. “We’re not worried about any discussions that we’re having now being a problem. We’re not selling the name of the stadium,” he said. “That’s the only thing I’m willing to tell you.” According to Sports Business Journal, which first reported the potential sale, the Dodgers have pitched field naming rights for several months, with an asking price of $12 million per season. In February, the Dodgers confirmed that they would solicit investors interested in buying a minority share of the team. No deal on either front appears imminent. Dodger Stadium opened in 1962, and generations of fans have grown used to the name. Fans would disregard a corporate prefix, said Bob Wagner, an Orange County sports and entertainment consultant who previously sold naming rights for the Angels and Ducks. Dodgers Dugout: Breaking down the amazing 29-4 run The Dodgers could mandate that their broadcast partners use a corporate field name, and the team could paint that corporate name on the field, but they could not reasonably expect fans to use it, he said. “I think that’s going to be a challenge for Stan and the ownership group,” Wagner said. “If I was the Phoenix Coyotes, I’d give that name away as fast as I could to make money. “But this is a different business model. It’s going to be called Dodger Stadium.” Wagner said an interested company would have to weigh the risk of a short-term fan backlash against the long-term benefits of association with a team rich in tradition, one that regularly leads the major leagues in attendance and puts a winner on the field.

Jeff Marks, chief executive of Santa Monica-based Innovative Partnerships Group, negotiated the 2013 deal under which video game company Kabam bought rights to “Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium,” the beloved 94-year-old home of the University of California football team. (Kabam pulled out of the 15-year deal this year.) Marks said Kabam was perceived as a good citizen because it did not insist that its name replace the Memorial Stadium name, and by including scholarships and community involvement in the deal. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw tweaks strategy on the mound The name on the field need not be the only element of a deal. Generally speaking, Marks said, companies can expand a naming rights package to include advertising on a team’s broadcasts, sponsorship of promotional events at games and the right to hold corporate events at the venue. However, the return on investment in such deals is in dispute among economists. Michael Leeds, chairman of the economics department at Temple University, has studied more than 50 naming-rights deals for North American sports facilities. Since the announcements of such deals generally are not followed by a short-term rise in stock price, he said, investors have concluded those deals do not generate a substantial profit. “They might as well put the money in the bank,” Leeds said. “All this talk about branding and name recognition is nothing — it is literally nothing — if it doesn’t have any impact on profit.” In May, Coliseum Commission President Mark Ridley-Thomas told The Times that USC had sold naming rights to the Coliseum to United Airlines. USC has not announced an agreement, but Ridley-Thomas said that, under the deal, "this historic landmark will always retain 'Memorial Coliseum' as a part of its name." Naming rights — to the ballpark, not just the field — are available at major league stadiums in Miami, Oakland, Seattle and Washington. The Dodgers' sales pitch also could be complicated by the pending availability of naming rights for the NFL stadium the Rams and Chargers plan to share in Inglewood, starting in 2020. In Anaheim, owner Arte Moreno has not sold stadium naming rights, in the interest of branding his team rather than a corporation. As he sat in Angel Stadium on Tuesday, Scioscia — now the Angels’ manager — said that he could only conceive of one alternate name for the ballpark in which he played. “Dodger Stadium and Chavez Ravine,” Scioscia said. “That’s it.” Dodgers are hopeful Hyun-Jin Ryu could start next week By Andy McCullough

Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu will pitch another four-inning simulated game Wednesday, his second simulated outing since the start of the second half. The Dodgers are hoping to give him a start next Monday or Tuesday against Minnesota, manager Dave Roberts said. Ryu has not pitched since June 28, when he was hit in the left foot by a batted ball. “He feels good,” Roberts said. “But now we’ve got to find a way to drop him in.” The Dodgers will stay on their rotation through a four-game series against Atlanta at Dodger Stadium. Brandon McCarthy will start Thursday, followed by Alex Wood, Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw. Ryu has competed with Kenta Maeda for the fifth spot in the rotation for most of the season. Roberts indicated the Dodgers are not interested in using a six-man rotation. “For an extended period of time? No,” Roberts said. “But we’ve done that at times this year, for a turn.” Grant Dayton is close to returning Left-hander Grant Dayton threw a scoreless inning for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Monday, in his second outing of a rehabilitation assignment. Dayton is recovering from neck stiffness. He has not pitched for the Dodgers since June 30. Roberts indicated the team would likely activate Dayton during the upcoming homestand, which stretches from July 20 to July 30. Dayton entered the season as the team’s primary left-handed option out of the bullpen. He has struggled to replicate the success of his rookie season in 2016. His earned-run average has jumped from 2.05 to 3.63. As the trade deadline approaches, the Dodgers have identified left-handed relief as one of their major areas of concern. The team has engaged in discussion with Baltimore over closer Zach Britton, but could also pursue other left-handers such as Detroit’s Justin Wilson or San Diego’s Brad Hand. Nationals debut new relievers in Anaheim, just miles away from potential playoff stop Dodger Stadium By Mike DiGiovanna To a Washington Nationals fan base that has been shellshocked by a seemingly endless string of late-game meltdowns, it was simply another fine mess a reliever had gotten them into. That it was created by one of the two relievers just acquired from Oakland who are supposed to prevent these sticky situations made it all the more painful to watch.

Veteran right-hander Ryan Madson, making his Nationals debut after Sunday’s trade from the Athletics, breezed through the eighth inning against the Angels on Tuesday night, inducing a pair of fly-ball outs and striking out Martin Maldonado, who had homered in the sixth, to protect a one-run lead. Washington tacked on an insurance run on an Adam Lind homer for a 4-2 lead in the ninth. On came Sean Doolittle, the hard-throwing left-hander who was traded with Madson for reliever Blake Treinen and two minor leaguers, for the bottom of the ninth. His adrenaline pumping too hard and his 95-mph fastballs sailing above the zone, Doolittle walked C.J. Cron on four pitches. Ben Revere grounded into a fielder’s choice. Kole Calhoun doubled to right field, snapping Doolittle’s string of retiring all 24 left-handed batters he had faced this season. Up stepped Mike Trout, considered by many to be the best player in baseball, with runners on second and third and one out. On deck was slugger Albert Pujols, with Yunel Escobar to follow. “It wasn’t an ideal situation,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker would say afterward, “but that’s how baseball goes.” Here’s how it went Tuesday night: Baker shunned conventional strategy and had Doolittle pitch to Trout, who was jammed on a first-pitch fastball and grounded out to shortstop, a run scoring. Dodgers are soliciting sponsorship offers for naming rights to field at Dodger Stadium Pujols flied to shallow left on a 96-mph inside fastball, and Washington held on for a 4-3 win that extended its National League East lead to 11 1/2 games. “I promise they won’t all be like that,” Doolittle said with a grin. “I would have loved to have struck out the side, but hopefully they saw what I was able to do — gather myself and make a couple of really good pitches in a pressure situation.” The Nationals could do without the drama, but this was the kind of clutch ninth-inning performance they have not gotten enough of, and what they’ll need if they are to have any chance of winning a playoff series against the powerful Dodgers, who eliminated them in a thrilling five-game division series last October. Sunday’s trade brought a pair of experienced high-leverage relievers with closing and setup experience. Washington probably needs at least one more bullpen arm, preferably one capable of closing, to compete with the Dodgers, but it’s a start. “We did what we had to do,” said outfielder Jayson Werth, who is on the disabled list because of a left-foot bruise. “It sets your mind at ease a little bit. You get some guys who have been there, who have been in the fire, been battle-tested. You can lean on those guys, and it takes the pressure off everyone else.” Madson, 36, missed all of 2012 to 2014 because of elbow injuries before resurfacing as a shut-down reliever for the World Series-champion Kansas City Royals in 2015. He posted a 3.03 ERA in 1 1/2 seasons with the A’s, striking out 88 and walking 26 in 104 innings of 103 games.

In the second year of a three-year, $22-million deal, Madson, who features a 95-mph two-seam sinking fastball and curve, converted 31 of 41 save opportunities for Oakland and had a 2.06 ERA and 0.79 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) in 40 games this season. “It feels good to have a chance to win again,” said Madson, who has 42 career post-season appearances and pitched on Philadelphia’s 2008 championship team. “I’m getting up there. I don’t know how many bullets are left, how many more chances I’m gonna have, so to get this opportunity … what a gift.” Doolittle, 30, closed for an A’s wild-card team in 2014. He’s been slowed by shoulder injuries for the past two seasons but had a 3.38 ERA and 0.66 WHIP in 23 games this season for Oakland. He features a 95-mph fastball and an improving slider and is signed through 2018 with reasonably priced team options for 2019 ($6 million) and 2020 ($6.5 million). Clayton Kershaw pitches Dodgers past White Sox “We felt these guys checked off a lot of boxes for us,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “They’re two veterans with playoff savvy, and they’re great in the clubhouse. But let’s not gloss over their performance. It’s been great, and we’re a better team than we were without them.” While a stout rotation led by Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez entered Tuesday with the league’s third-best ERA (3.54), second-best opponents average (.230) and most strikeouts (598), the bullpen might have qualified for FEMA assistance. Washington relievers entered Tuesday with a major league-worst 5.27 ERA, an NL-worst .278 opponents average, 1.46 WHIP and 236 strikeouts. They had 14 blown saves in 36 opportunities. The Nationals began the season with the hard-throwing Treinen as closer. He lost his ninth-inning job, then his late-inning role, and had a 5.73 ERA in 37 games by the time he was traded. Washington tried Shawn Kelley (7.00 ERA in 22 games) and Koda Glover (5.12 ERA in 23 games) as closers before turning to veteran Matt Albers, who had 460 major league appearances before recording his first save this season. Albers, with a 1.91 ERA in 34 games, has been among the team’s most reliable relievers. Joe Blanton, who shined in a setup role for the Dodgers last season, has a 6.75 ERA in 28 games but has not allowed an earned run in 7 1/3 innings of his last nine games. “We just couldn’t get a rhythm or a role system or any kind of synergy in the bullpen, so they struggled,” Rizzo said. “It wasn’t a lack of effort or preparation. They just weren’t performing. We felt like we had to acquire some guys.” Baker will use matchups to determine who pitches the eighth and ninth inning, and age and injury histories will prevent Madson and Doolittle from pitching too often on back-to-back days. But the two new relievers are clearly upgrades over what Washington had in its bullpen. “Madson threw the ball excellent, and Doolittle closed the door,” Baker said, adding that Doolittle “seems like a pretty cool customer. He’s not easily rattled. He’s been in that situation before, and he did his job.”

OC REGISTER

Dodgers make it 10 in a row – again – with 1-0 win over White Sox By Bill Plunkett CHICAGO – The Dodgers are doing the equivalent of riding a bicycle with their feet on the handlebars, yelling “Look — no hands” to the rest of baseball. Tuesday night in Chicago, they went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. They hit into four double plays. They managed to load the bases with no outs and not score. They had two players get on base four times each – Chris Taylor (four hits) and Cody Bellinger (two walks, two hits) – and 16 baserunners in all but scored only one run. And still they won. Dodgers Notes: Team owners reportedly seeking $12 million a year for naming rights to field at Dodger Stadium Left-hander Clayton Kershaw went seven scoreless innings as the Dodgers added a pair of 10s to their ace with a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox. “It does feel like every night we just find a different way to win,” Kershaw said. “Tonight, usually we capitalize on those situations. My run support has to be one of the best in the league. Tonight that didn’t happen and we still found a way to win. “We just keep finding different ways to win.” This one was different indeed. But nonetheless, the win was the Dodgers’ 10th in a row and gives them two winning streaks at least 10 games long for the first time since the 1955 team had win streaks of 10 and 11 game. It was also the Dodgers’ 30th win in their past 34 games. No team has ripped off a 30-4 stretch since the 1977 Kansas City Royals and no National League team had done it since the 1936 New York Giants. “I think the formula is just finding a way to win,” Taylor said. “We’ve been pretty good at that.” Pitching for the first time since he closed out the first half of the season with a complete game against the Royals nine days ago, Kershaw looked both rested and rusted. He didn’t retire the side in order until the fifth inning and stranded runners in scoring position in three of those first four innings. He had to work out of another dangerous situation in the sixth when Corey Seager’s throwing error on an infield single put Avisail Garcia at second base with one out.

Matt Davidson singled, moving Garcia to third. But Tyler Saladino bunted Kershaw’s first pitch right into the air at home plate for an out and Kevan Smith grounded out softly to third base to end the inning. “Obviously I was a little rusty tonight,” he acknowledged. “Fastball command wasn’t great the first few innings. It got a little better as it went. Nine days off is definitely not something I’m used to. So I’m thankful to get out of that unscathed and get this win.” Kershaw (15-2) allowed seven hits in his seven innings, the most he has given up in a start since May. But the White Sox were 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position against him, Davidson’s harmless (as it turned out) single being the only success. The Dodgers’ offense had similar issues against White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez. Three of the first four Dodgers reached base against Gonzalez and they scored a run on Cody Bellinger’s RBI single. But that was all the damage they could do against Gonzalez despite 11 baserunners – five hits, five walks and a hit batter – in his six innings. The White Sox turned three double plays in the first five innings. They turned a fourth in the eighth inning when the Dodgers loaded the bases with no outs but came away without a run. “Tonight, I just thought when we had guys on base I didn’t think we had the right approach at the plate,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s the result of having success but there’s also the process. I just didn’t think we were good. “I just think it’s getting better pitches to hit and understanding the situation. You’re looking to get a pitch you can drive. I think we were a little too aggressive in certain situations.” That gave Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen no margin for error when they took over for Kershaw after his seven innings. Yasiel Puig, who bounced into a double play with the bases loaded, made up for his part in the unproductive offense by making a diving catch in right field to start the eighth. Taylor had to go back to the wall in left field to corral Davidson’s long fly to start the ninth. But Baez and Jansen closed it out. Dodgers Notes: Team owners reportedly seeking $12 million a year for naming rights to field at Dodger Stadium By Bill Plunkett CHICAGO – Five years after buying the Dodgers for $2.15 billion, the Guggenheim Baseball Management group is apparently looking for new ways to recoup that investment.

According to a report in Sports Business Daily, the Dodgers have enlisted Entitle, a naming-rights firm formed earlier this year, to sell naming rights to the field at Dodger Stadium. Citing “industry sources,” the report claims the Dodgers are seeking an annual fee of $12 million and began the venture this spring. It is an important distinction that the rights would only be for the field and Dodger Stadium would remain just that. A $12 million fee would be one of the most lucrative naming-rights deals in professional sports. The Dallas Cowboys currently receive approximately $19 million a year from AT&T while NRG (formerly Reliant Energy) pays the Houston Texans approximately $12 million per year. Team president and CEO Stan Kasten would neither confirm nor deny the report about the Dodgers’ attempt to tap into this revenue source. However, this winter Kasten did confirm that the Dodgers had retained another firm, New York-based Galatioto Sports Partners, to explore the possibility of selling minority ownership shares in the team – another potential infusion of revenue for the team that is carrying the highest payroll in baseball for the fourth consecutive year (but projects to be its lowest since 2013). The two revenue streams could be connected with a corporate partner coming in as a minority owner while also paying to have its name on the field. PITCHING PLANS Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team’s starting pitchers will stay on rotation through the weekend series at home against the Atlanta Braves. That means Brandon McCarthy, Alex Wood, Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw will start the four games. But changes could come in the following week with the Dodgers getting two off days in a five-day span – next Thursday and the following Monday. Left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (on the DL with a foot contusion suffered during his June 28 start against the Angels) is scheduled to throw four innings in a simulated-game setting Wednesday afternoon before the Dodgers’ game at Guaranteed Rate Field. After that, he is on track to rejoin the starting rotation early next week. “At some point, he’ll be penciled in,” Roberts said of Ryu. “It could be Monday, could be Tuesday. He feels good but now we’ve got to find a way to drop him in. Early next week makes sense.” Right-hander Kenta Maeda, the most vulnerable of the starting pitchers to be bounced from the rotation, is scheduled to start Wednesday in Chicago. His turn would come up again on Monday. But Roberts acknowledged that a six-man rotation on a temporary basis – something the Dodgers have already done this year – could be an option again. “A six-man rotation for an extended period of time, no,” he said. “But we’ve done that at times this year for a turn.” DAYTON RETURN

Lefty reliever Grant Dayton has pitched two scoreless innings for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga and the Dodgers’ Arizona Summer League team in two appearances on a rehab assignment this week. Dayton is expected to come off the DL and rejoin the Dodgers before the weekend, Roberts said. Dayton has been on the DL twice this season – for an intercostal strain in his rib area in April and now due to neck stiffness. In between, he was demoted to Triple-A briefly and overall has been unable to match last year’s performance. In 27 appearances for the Dodgers this season, Dayton has a 3.63 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 8.1 strikeouts per nine innings (down considerably from last year’s 13.3 in 25 big-league appearances). That is one of the reasons a left-handed reliever tops the Dodgers’ shopping list as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. ALSO Justin Turner has been named the Dodgers’ winner of the Heart and Hustle Award. An overall winner will be chosen from among the 30 teams’ nominees and announced on Nov. 14. The Dodgers’ Aug. 6 game against the New York Mets at Citi Field has been added to the ESPN schedule as the Sunday Night Baseball telecast. Game time has been moved to 5 p.m. PT. Dodgers at White Sox: Wednesday game time, TV channels and starting pitchers By Bill Plunkett When: 5:10 p.m. Where: Guaranteed Rate Field TV: SportsNet LA (where available) THE PITCHERS DODGERS RHP KENTA MAEDA (7-4, 4.38) Vs. White Sox: First game WHITE SOX LHP CARLOS RODON (1-2, 4.32) Vs. Dodgers: First game At Guaranteed Rate Field: 11-9, 4.15

ESPN

Kershaw wins 15th, Dodgers top Chisox 1-0 for 10th W in row By Associated Press CHICAGO -- Clayton Kershaw might not have been as sharp as usual coming off a rare nine-day gap between starts. Then again, the Dodgers' ace is awfully good, even when he's not at his best. Kershaw pitched seven innings for his major league-leading 15th victory and the Los Angeles Dodgers edged the Chicago White Sox 1-0 on Tuesday night for their 10th straight victory. Kershaw (15-2) made his first start since the All-Star break, allowing seven hits and a walk to post his 11th win in a row. "I was little rusty tonight," said Kershaw, who struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 2.07. "The fastball command wasn't great the first few innings. It got a little better as we went along. Nine days off is definitely not something I'm used to. I'm thankful to get out of this unscathed and get the win." The Dodgers, with the best record in baseball at 65-29, have won 30 of 34 -- the best 34-game stretch in the franchise's rich history. This is the second 10-game winning streak of the season for the NL West leaders. Relievers Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen closed it out. Jansen survived a deep fly by Matt Davidson to record his 24th save in 24 chances. Chris Taylor had four hits and scored on rookie Cody Bellinger's single in the first inning off Miguel Gonzalez (4-9), who lasted six innings and induced three of the Dodgers' four double plays. Both teams struggled with runners in scoring position, with the Dodgers going 1 for 10 and the White Sox 1 for 8. "To me, we won a baseball game, which is the most important thing, but you're not always gonna be able to escape games like this," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "So, you gotta cash in. I expect us to be better offensively tomorrow." Chicago's best chance off Kershaw, who had not allowed more than six hits in a game since a no-decision on May 28, came in the sixth. With runners on first and third and one out, Tyler Saladino bunted a safety squeeze attempt into the air for an easy play by catcher Yasmani Grandal, then Kershaw ended the rally by getting Yolmer Sanchez to ground out.

"If you look at the line tonight, domination, but it's all relative with Clayton because he's so special," Roberts said. "When everything isn't synced up, you think something's wrong. But he is human and he's not perfect, but he still finds a way to go out there and give us quality innings." LATE SCRATCH, LATER TRADE White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier was originally listed in the lineup before being scratched about 40 minutes before game time. Frazier, along with relief pitchers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle, were informed after the game of the trade that sent them to the New York Yankees in exchange for three minor leaguers and relief pitcher Tyler Clippard. "Over the last few weeks, we spent a considerable amount of time surveying the market for each of these players individually and decided the more prudent path to acquiring more talent similar to what we have over the last several months, the best path to acquiring the most potential impact talent, was to bundle these players together," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: Veteran left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu (left foot contusion) will throw a four-inning simulated game on Wednesday then rejoin the Dodgers crowded rotation next week. "It could be Monday, it could be Tuesday," Roberts said. "He feels good but now we have to find a way to drop him in." White Sox: INF/OF Leury Garcia (sprained finger) is expected to begin a rehab assignment in the next couple of days, according to White Sox manager Rick Renteria. He originally injured the finger on June 11 but wasn't placed on the 10-day DL until June 20. UP NEXT Dodgers RHP Kenta Maeda (7-4, 4.38 ERA) and White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (1-2, 4.32 ERA) are set to start the series finale on Wednesday. Maeda made two relief appearances in June and could be battling to stay in the rotation. Rodon will make his fourth start since returning from the 60-day DL. Dodgers reportedly interested in selling naming rights to field By ESPN.com News Services The Los Angeles Dodgers are reportedly interested in selling the naming rights to the field the team has played on for over five decades.

News of the potential sale was first reported by Sports Business Journal, which notes the Dodgers have been soliciting sponsorship offers for months at a cost of $12 million per season. However, Dodgers president Stan Kasten told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday that the name of Dodger Stadium itself is not for sale. "That has never been for sale," Kasten told the L.A. Times. "It never will be for sale." He added that attaching a company's name to the field at Dodger Stadium wouldn't tarnish the ballpark's reputation. "We're not worried about any discussions that we're having now being a problem. We're not selling the name of the stadium," he said. "That's the only thing I'm willing to tell you." Dodger Stadium opened in 1962. It is the third-oldest venue in the majors, behind Fenway Park and Wrigley Field. Real or Not? Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers find their new 'low' By Bradford Doolittle CHICAGO -- By the tone of the postgame questions directed at Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and star pitcher Clayton Kershaw, you would have thought he had just gotten rocked. In a very real way, the fact that the questions took the form they did was a terrific compliment. Kershaw shut out the Chicago White Sox over seven innings, leaving a 1-0 lead to his impenetrable bullpen, and after Pedro Baez and Kenley Jansen did their work, that ended up as the final score. As they do on almost a nightly basis, the Dodgers won again. "He didn't [have his best stuff]," Roberts said of Kershaw. "But still seven innings scoreless. He pitched out of a couple of jams. He made pitches when he need to." That's 10 straight wins for the hottest team in baseball. How hot? I track Bill James' formula for measuring "team temperature" by which 72 degrees is the average. The Dodgers are at 130.9 degrees -- the highest mark of any team all season. The next-hottest team in the majors is the Washington Nationals at a relatively lukewarm 99.6 degrees. "I was a little rusty tonight," Kershaw said as he answered more questions about his less-than-peak stuff. "Things got a little better as it went. Nine days off, definitely not something I'm used to. So I'm thankful to get out of that and get this win." Los Angeles has won an astounding 30 of its past 34 games. Sometimes, you can adequately illustrate the amazing nature of a performance by simply layering on the facts, and that's what I'll do here:

According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Dodgers had never won 30 in a 34-game stretch. They hadn't won 29 of 33 since 1899 -- the year aspirin was patented. The Dodgers are on pace to win 112 games -- the most by an NL team since the 1906 Cubs won 116. L.A. has won its past 25 games started by either Kershaw or Alex Wood. The Dodgers have won 14 straight Kershaw starts, the longest streak of his career and, according to Elias, the second-longest streak in franchise history. And yet, we repeat: Kershaw did not have his best stuff Tuesday. He struggled early with fastball command. So, being Clayton Kershaw, he pivoted. According to ESPN Stats & Info, he threw fastballs on only 37 percent of his offerings -- his low figure for the season -- and threw 43 percent sliders, a season high. And it worked: Chicago whiffed on 73 percent of their whacks on Kershaw's slider, and he got a 57 percent chase rate on that pitch. "He really wasn't synched up tonight," Roberts said. "But when he needed to make pitches, as he always does, he made them." Kershaw is now 15-2 on the season. And in beating Chicago in his first appearance at the new Comiskey Park (aka Guaranteed Rate Field), he improved his career interleague ERA to 1.95: the best of any qualifying pitcher. "Every night, we find a different way to win," Kershaw said. Have we layered on enough details to get the point across? The Dodgers, and their Hall of Fame-bound ace, are really on top of their game. In some respects, they are only competing against themselves. "With our club, one through 25, I know we're the best team when we take the field," Roberts said. "[The players] know that. We've got to stay focused on the process." The tortoise and the hare. A guy with 30 homers faces a guy with an 8-plus ERA, so of course this happens: The reference to the Aesop fable is, on one level, about creating false expectations based on superficial contrast. And when it comes to contrast, you don't have a starker example than when you pit the Bunyanesque rookie Aaron Judge against the "Big Sexy" Bartolo Colon in his Twins debut. Colon has been defying expectation for years. Last season, we all laughed and cried along when he hit his first big league homer for the Mets. And his whiff of Judge will certainly be one of the most memorable moments of this campaign. Colon spreads happiness wherever he goes. Sadly though, this is no fable. The Twins are in a playoff race and need reliable starting pitching to cash in what still feels like a long-shot playoff push. Colon gave Minnesota only four innings, surrendering eight hits and four runs. He'll get another chance or two, one would figure, but the Twins don't need a character from a fairytale. They need quality innings.

Take him to the river. The Brewers have vowed to be unbowed by the Cubs' splashy acquisition of starter Jose Quintana, someone in whom owner Mark Attanasio admitted his club was also interested. Milwaukee went into the All-Star break with a surprising 5½-game bulge in the National League Central, their largest advantage in a race they've led for most of the season. The Brewers haven't played badly since the break. They won two of three against the Phillies, dropping the series finale Sunday. Then they lost a tough 4-2 decision in Pittsburgh on Monday. With the Cubs sprinting out the gate, you have to think Brewers fans were starting to squirm. Then Travis Shaw polluted the Allegheny River. Shaw later improved to 10-for-13 in his career against Pirates starter Ivan Nova with a single. Milwaukee led 3-0 heading into the sixth inning and all seemed well, but then Junior Guerra surrendered homers to Francisco Cervelli and Josh Harrison to tie it up, followed by David Freese who drove in Andrew McCutchen and all of a sudden, the Brewers lost 4-3 -- their third straight defeat. And just like that, Milwaukee's edge in the division is shrinking. It's down to 2½ over the Cubs, but now the Cardinals are just 4½ back and the resurgent Pirates are within five. This is going to be a very interesting division in the 12 days leading up to the trade deadline. Also: Starling Marte started and led off for Pittsburgh in his first appearance since his 80-game suspension for PED use ended. He singled, walked and scored a run. Out goes Frazier, in comes Rutherford. I'll admit ... I liked the symmetrical notion of the Yankees sending outfield prospect Clint Frazier to the White Sox in the major deal that sent Chicago's David Robertson, Tommy Kahnle and, of course, Todd Frazier to New York on Tuesday. But by all accounts, Blake Rutherford is yet another high-quality get for White Sox general manager Rick Hahn. The list of prospects acquired by Hahn since December is dizzying. Because it's at hand, I'll use Baseball America's midseason top 100 rankings as a guide. Chicago now has eight of the players on that list: 1. Yoan Moncada, 2B 5. Eloy Jimenez, OF 20. Michael Kopech, RHP 36. Blake Rutherford, OF 45. Luis Robert, OF 59. Reynaldo Lopez, RHP 75. Lucas Giolito, RHP 83. Dylan Cease, RHP

As for Frazier, there are worse things for him than to be headed to the Big Apple. He's from Tom's River, New Jersey, and grew up a Yankees fan who, the very first time he stepped foot on a big league field, stood next to Derek Jeter. "I remember the first game I went to was at the old Yankee Stadium," Frazier said. "It was Don Mattingly, I actually brought it up with Don a couple years ago about the home run he hit to win 1-0. He was like, 'Yeah, I remember that day, I remember the pitcher's name.' I looked it up and he remembered it like it was yesterday. I remember the upper deck was shaking. To call New York my home now is pretty surreal." Burying the lede. After Hahn made his opening statements about Tuesday's big trade, he said, "I guess I buried the lede here." He was referring to his next announcement -- one that should have White Sox fans excited that, perhaps, the parade of prospects they've been hearing about might finally start to arrive. Moncada (Baseball America's current No. 1 overall prospect) will be summoned from Triple-A Chartlotte to play in Wednesday's game against the Dodgers. According to Hahn, expect to see plenty of Moncada over the rest of the season. "We're not bringing him in here to sit," Hahn said. "We're bringing him here to continue the development that needs to take place in Chicago. He still has work to do. He's still very young. But we feel that he's ready for that next challenge at the big league level. There are going to be growing pains. He's not a finished product." The 22-year-old hit .282 with 12 homers, 36 RBIs and a .377 on-base percentage for Charlotte. Get well soon, Carlos. If the regular season were all that mattered, the Astros would almost certainly be just fine if Carlos Correa didn't play another inning. That's the luxury of enjoying a 15-plus game advantage in the third week of July. They should be fine muddled along with Marwin Gonzalez filling in at shortstop, and Alex Bregman sliding over, etc. It's a loaded team with plenty of position player depth. Gonzalez has plus-8 defensive runs saved while playing shortstop during his career, per baseball-reference.com, and Correa is a modest plus-1 this season. And since Gonzalez (161 weight runs created, per FanGraphs) has actually outhit Correa (158), the Astros should be fine at the six hole. In fact, according to ESPN Stats & Info, Gonzalez has now reached base in 22 straight games, tied with Jorge Bonifacio of the Royals for the longest active on base streak in baseball. You'd certainly expect Correa to be better than Gonzalez going forward, perhaps exponentially better, but there is no reason to expect a crash either offensively or defensively because of Correa's injury. Houston will have to dig a little deeper into its outfield depth if Gonzalez starts moving around less. But, still, the Astros remain on cruise control in the playoff race. So it all comes down to a health watch, because you know the Astros will need Correa back in the lineup and functioning like the MVP candidate he was by the time October baseball ramps up to full speed. That makes the timeframe of 6-to-8 weeks for his return a bit anxiety-inducing. The outer edge of that

range is starting to rub up against the end of the schedule and doesn't allow much wiggle room for setbacks in the recovery process. Bottom line: The Astros have the luxury of time in allowing their young star to get healthy. But they don't have all the time in the world.

TRUE BLUE LA

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers make 1 run hold up to beat White Sox By Eric Stephen Tuesday night was a game that saw both sides frustrated, unable to do much of anything despite several chances on offense. The Dodgers managed to scratch across a run in the first inning, and thanks to Clayton Kershaw and friends made it hold up for a 1-0 victory over the White Sox. The Dodgers have their second 10-game winning streak of the season, and have won a ridiculous 30 of their last 34 games. They have also won their last six one-run decisions. Kershaw allowed some traffic in the early going, with runners on base in each of the first four innings. But despite fighting it, Kershaw was able to keep Chicago off the board, and retired the side in order in the fifth. A single and an error by Corey Seager put a runner in scoring position, where the White Sox were 1-for-8 against Kershaw. That lone hit was by Matt Davidson in this spot, but his ball was hit too hard to center field, and Avisail Garcia had to hold at third base, the first time Chicago reached third base all night. It would be the only time. Tyler Saladino tried to bunt with one out, but popped out to catcher Yasmani Grandal, then Kershaw got Yolmer Sanchez to ground out to end the threat. Kershaw was heavily involved in getting through the seventh, fielding two ground balls for a pair of 1-3 putouts to open the frame. Then, after Tim Anderson singled with two outs, Kershaw picked him off, another 1-3 putout — the call was originally safe, but overturned on replay review — to finish his night. Kershaw leads all active pitchers in baseball with 58 pickoffs, with James Shields the next closest at 33. But that was also Kershaw’s first pickoff since 2015. It was another great July start for Kershaw, who has allowed two runs in 23 innings this month, with 31 strikeouts and three walks. Kershaw has a win in each of his last eight starts, improving to 15-2 on the season, and the Dodgers have won his last 14 starts, dating back to May 6.

The Dodgers struck first with two singles and a walk in their first four batters of the game. Cody Bellinger‘s single drove home Chris Taylor for the game’s first run. Taylor, who singled, had four hits on the night. Bellinger also reached base four times, with two hits and two walks. The threat wasn’t over, as the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out. But they couldn’t capitalize. Joc Pederson grounded into a double play to end the inning, one of three double plays induced by White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez. Gonzalez allowed five hits and five walks in the first five innings, but only gave up the one run, and he lasted six innings, with five strikeouts. The Dodgers loaded the bases again in the eighth inning, this time with nobody out. It was the third different time they loaded the bases in the game, and would be the third time they failed to score, thanks to a Grandal strikeout and ground ball double play by Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers’ fourth double play of the night, one shy of the club record. Defense The Dodgers only turned one double play on the night, but it was a beauty started by Seager in the fourth inning. In the eighth inning, Puig laid out in right field to rob Melky Cabrera of a leadoff hit. The Puig play was the first out of a perfect eighth inning for Pedro Baez, who was followed by a scoreless ninth inning from Kenley Jansen to close out the win. That ninth inning didn’t come without worry though, as Matt Davidson led off with a 400-foot drive to the wall in left center field. Given the initial reactions of Taylor in left field and the SposrtNet LA camera man, it looked like Jansen was about to blow his first save of the season. But instead the ball landed safely in Taylor’s glove for the first out. Up next The Dodgers finish off their quick Chicago series with Kenta Maeda on the mound Wednesday night, another 5:10 p.m. PT start. The White Sox counter with left-hander Carlos Rodon. Tuesday particulars Home runs: none WP - Clayton Kershaw (15-2): 7 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts LP - Miguel Gonzalez (4-9): 6 IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts Sv - Kenley Jansen (24): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 strikeout

Brant Whiting goes 4-for-4 in Quakes comeback win By Craig Minami Oklahoma City, Rancho Cucamonga and Ogden won on Tuesday, Tulsa and both Dominican Summer League teams lost. Player of the day Brant Whiting caught the day game after the night game at Rancho Cucamonga. Whiting went 4-for-4 with his first home run and two RBI. A special note that 2017 1st round pick Jeren Kendall began his Dodger career with an assignment to Ogden. Triple-A Oklahoma City Oklahoma City defeated the Memphis Redbirds (Cardinals) 4-1 on Tuesday. The Dodgers got a fine performance by Justin Masterson, who pitched seven innings, gave up one run, five hits and one walk. He also struck out five. Justin Marks and Josh Ravin each pitched a scoreless inning to record a hold and a save respectively. The Dodgers scored three runs in the third inning as Drew Maggi, Todd Cunningham and Scott Van Slyke each drove in a run. Cunningham went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Double-A Tulsa Three times the Drillers gave up four runs in an inning and that made the Arkansas Travelers (Mariners) a 12-4 winner over the Drillers. Andrew Sopko only got two outs in the first as he gave up four runs, three hits and three walks. Five relievers followed, Ralston Cash and Corey Copping gave up the other two four-run innings. Michael Johnson, Karch Kowalczyk and Brian Moran each had scoreless appearances. Peter O’Brien hit his fifth home run. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes woke up with the sounds of a walk-off win the night before ringing in their ears, but soon the Stockon Ports (Athletics) ruined the brunch-timed game with an early 6-0 lead. But behind five home runs, the Quakes came back to win 12-10 and that gave them a three-game sweep. The Quakes halved their six-run deficit with a two-run homer from Victor Roache and an RBI single by Brandon Montgomery. After the Ports added another run, the Quakes tied it with a pair of two-run homers, the first by Drew Jackson and the second from Brant Whiting.

Whiting would go on to go 4-for-4 in his second game with the Quakes. The Ports eventually took a three-run lead but in the sixth, a pair of home runs, the first, a two-run shot by Luke Raley and that was followed by a solo shot from Johan Mieses. Tied at 8-8, a single by Whiting, Ariel Sandoval doubled home Whiting and then Sandoval moved to third on the throw home and he scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 10-8. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons were off on Tuesday, they begin a six-game road trip, starting with today’s game against the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Twins). Rookie Pioneer - Ogden The Raptors scored ten runs in the fourth and won 17-8 over the Helena Brewers. 2017 1st round pick Jeren Kendall made his professional debut and he was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI. Kendall also stole two bases. The Raptors had 18 hits and received seven walks. Moises Perez, Kendall and Starling Heredia all had three hits. Gersel Pitre, Hendrik Clementina and Ronny Brito each had three hits. In the fourth, the Raptors scored ten runs. 15 hitters came to the plate, nine got hits, three walked, two struck out and one grounded into a force out. Rookie - AZL Dodgers The game between the AZL Dodgers and Reds was postponed due to rain. Transactions Class-A: Chris Powell, a right-handed pitcher, was released by Rancho Cucamonga. Rookie: 2017 1st round pick outfielder Jeren Kendall was assigned to Ogden; left-handed pitcher Jairo Pacheco was placed on the 60-day disabled list by Ogden. Christian Stolo, a left-handed pitcher, was assigned to Ogden from Great Lakes. Right-handed pitcher Joel Toribio was released by AZL Dodgers. Two 2017 draft picks, 13th round pick right-handed pitcher Marshall Kasowski and 36th round pick right-handed pitcher Riley Richert were assigned to AZL Dodgers. Tuesday’s Scores Oklahoma City 4, Memphis 1 Arkansas 12, Tulsa 4 Rancho Cucamonga 12, Stockton 10 Ogden 17, Helena 8 DSL Marlins 8, DSL Dodgers1 1 DSL Cubs1 10, DSL Dodgers2 8

Wednesday’s Schedule 4:35 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (TBD) at Cedar Rapids Kernels [Twins] (Domenick Carlini) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Scott Barlow) vs. Memphis (John Gant) 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Josh Sborz) vs. Arkansas (Lindsey Caughel) 7:00 p.m.: AZL Dodgers at AZL Reds

DODGER INSIDER

A 1–0 win and another 1-0-game win streak By Rowan Kavner The Dodgers tested the limits of what they could survive while keeping their winning streak alive Tuesday night. They went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, hit into four double plays and went scoreless for eight innings after Cody Bellinger’s first-inning RBI single. And none of that could stop them from persevering in a 1–0 win against the White Sox, which stretched their winning streak to 10 games for the second time this season and gave them 30 wins in their last 34 games. It’s the best 34-game stretch in franchise history. “It’s pretty crazy,” said Chris Taylor, who logged his second four-hit game of the year (and the month) and bumped his batting average up to .300 in the process. Having Clayton Kershaw on the mound didn’t hurt. The Dodger ace threw seven scoreless innings, consistently working around trouble to ensure none of Chicago’s seven hits against him turned into a run. It’s been 40 years since a Major League team has won 30 times in a 34-game stretch, when the Royals did it in 1977. It’s been more than 80 years since a National League team accomplished the feat, when the 1936 New York Giants did it. Kershaw’s not sure if “simple” is the right word to explain how it seems on a nightly basis right now for a Dodger team going through a historic stretch.

“But it does feel like every night we just find a different way to win,” Kershaw said to reporters. “Usually we always capitalize in those situations, and I think my run support has got to be one of the best in the league. Tonight that didn’t happen, and we still found a way to win.” Offensive struggles have been few and far between during the 30–4 stretch. The Dodgers entered Tuesday having scored a National League-best 5.8 runs per game with a National League-best .885 OPS since June 7, when the 34-game stretch began. But not every game will look the same. When the offense left 11 on base Tuesday, the Dodgers endured by coming up with more than one extraordinary defensive play. And when the Dodgers needed Kershaw to make an inning-ending pitch, he did. The White Sox left eight on base and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. On that one hit, the Dodgers held the runner at third base in the sixth inning. With men on the corners and one out, Kershaw got out of the jam. The Dodgers are now 9–1 in one-run games during the 34-game stretch, after Pedro Baez got the hold and Kenley Jansen finished off the White Sox in the ninth inning for his 24th save of the year. Kershaw moved to 15–2, and the Dodgers have won 14 straight games in which he’s started. He’s thrown at least seven innings in each of his three July starts, and he’s allowed a total of two runs in 23 innings this month. “He’s unbelievable, and it seems like he gets better with every start,” Taylor said. “The pressure situations, that’s when he’s at his best.”

NBC LA

Dodgers Set Best 34-Game Mark in Franchise History With 1-0 Win Over White Sox By Michael Duarte One is the loneliest number. The Dodgers scored one run in the first inning and held on to defeat the Chicago White Sox, 1-0, to set the best 34-game mark in franchise history on Tuesday night in the Windy City. Cody Bellinger knocked in the game's only run with an RBI single and Clayton Kershaw earned his 15th win of the season with seven shutout innings as the Dodgers improved to 30-4 in their last 34 games, the best stretch in baseball since 1977.

Chris Taylor reached base on an infield single to start the game, and then promptly stole second, before scoring on the Bellinger single. Little did both teams know, that early run would be the only one of the game. Taylor finished with four hits for just the second time this season, and is now batting .426 in the leadoff spot for Los Angeles this season. Kershaw (15-2) was not at his best, but scattered seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in seven shutout innings as the three-time Cy Young Award winner has made 14 consecutive starts without a loss, beating his own record second in 2014 of 13 consecutive games without a loss. White Sox starter, Miguel Gonzalez (4-9), was the hard-luck loser, allowing just one run on five hits with five walks and five strikeouts in six innings. Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 24th save of the season. The victory is the Dodgers 10th straight game, the second time this season that the team has reached a double-digit win streak this season, the only team in baseball to accomplish that feat. Los Angeles is 65-29 on the season, the best start in Los Angeles franchise history, and the best start in team history since 1955. Up Next: Kenta Maeda heads to the mound on Wednesday as the Dodgers look to keep rolling against LHP Carlos Rodon. First pitch is 5:10PM PST.

SPORTS ILLUSTRATED

The Dodgers are selling the naming rights to Dodger Stadium's field for $12 million By Jon Tayler Got a cool $12 million lying around? Then have I got an offer for you: the field naming rights to Dodger Stadium. Via Sports Business Daily: Now, America’s third-oldest MLB venue is looking to defy MLB’s legacy as the most traditional sport even more aggressively by selling naming rights to the field in Chavez Ravine, home to the Los Angeles Dodgers since 1962. Numerous industry sources tell us that Dodger Stadium’s field—thus, it would be X Corp. Field at Dodger Stadium—has been on the market since early spring with an asking price of $12 million per season. Keep in mind: These are not the rights to rename Dodger Stadium; this is just for the field. So, in other words, if you were an enterprising rich Giants fan and wanted to pony up $12 million a year for the

amusement of watching the Dodgers play on "Madison Bumgarner Is God" Field at Dodger Stadium, then now's the time to pull off your very expensive prank. There's no word on when the team expects to have a new name attached to the grass and dirt under its players' feet, but hopefully whoever buys the rights will just decide to call it Vin Scully Field or Jackie Robinson Field, and that will be that.

EL PASO TIMES

11-year-old El Pasoan wins managerial debut with Dodgers By Brett Bloomquist The Los Angeles Dodgers don't need much help to win games. Last month, though, the best team in baseball pulled out a secret weapon from El Paso. They picked up an extra manager in the form of 11-year-old Lazaro "Ziggy" Monarrez. For those who missed it, ESPN will revisit Monarrez's June 24 managerial debut as part of its "My Wish" series. The piece on Monarrez debuted Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on SportsCenter and will run on various ESPN platforms throughout the day Wednesday. Monarrez, a sixth-grader to-be at Brown Middle School (he was at Rosa Guerrero Elementary last school year) who is living with spinal muscular atrophy and restricted lung disease, was living a dream, or more accurately a wish as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make-A-Wish officials said his condition is non-terminal. More: Robot puts ailing 9-year-old back in school — virtually Monarrez, who was with his father on Tuesday and could not be interviewed, was co-manager of the day for Los Angeles, sharing duties with Dave Roberts, the current favorite to be named the National League manager of the year. ESPN often coordinates with Make-A-Wish on sports-related wishes for its regular "My Wish" segment. If that all sounds like an enormous amount of fun, well, Monarrez squeezed every bit out of it. "It was something amazing, I didn't expect it to be as great as it was," said his mother Areceli, a physical therapist who accompanied her son on the trip. "Ziggy was treated like a little celebrity. It was amazing

the way everyone was. He met all the L.A. Dodgers, he met Hall of Famers like Fernando Valenzuela and Tommy Lasorda. "And it was so fun watching Ziggy, he had a smile the whole time. We're still talking about it." More: Florida beachgoers form human chain to save family One thing to talk about was how the third inning began. Dodger centerfielder Joc Pederson, who often bats eighth, was hitting second and launched a 421-foot shot well over the centerfield wall for a home run. It was a no-doubter off the bat and before he started running the bases he was yelling at his dugout, right in the direction of the 11-year-old in the wheelchair. Roberts had an explanation for that. "Joc was very happy that Ziggy penciled him in at center field and hit him second," Roberts told the Los Angeles Times. Pederson "said when I’m just the manager, he hits eighth. He was happy Ziggy was managing today." Ziggy was rather happy as well. Colorado never had a chance in what turned into a 4-0 Dodger victory. "He's 1-0," Araceli said.

WASHINGTON POST

The Los Angeles Dodgers have become baseball’s version of the Golden State Warriors By Adam Kilgore Baseball is resistant to superteams, at least in the way the phrase has come to be understood. Its inherent randomness stifles dominance, and hording stars is impractical when there’s a 40-man roster to stock and the best players only have four or five chances to impact any given game. Major league teams do not rip off .800 winning percentages or sweep through the postseason. There are no Golden State Warriors in baseball, because the sport’s dynamics would never allow them to exist. But we do know what a baseball version of a superteam looks like, because it has sprung to life in the form of the juggernaut Los Angeles Dodgers. As the season progresses to its latter stages, the Dodgers have brushed off a mediocre start and morphed into a colossus. As the Warriors stretched their league’s limitations of excellence in the manner their sport allows, so have the Dodgers. Rather than clustering stars and reshaping strategy, the Dodgers compiled superior depth and innovated roster construction.

They have high-end talent, youthful athleticism and meaningful experience. They have everything, including the opportunity to acquire even more. [Svrluga: Judge and Harper are no Curry, and that’s on baseball] The Dodgers have been winning at a clip that makes you squint and wonder if you’ve misread something. On May 16, the Dodgers were 22-18 and stood in third place, three games out of first place in the National League. In the two months since, they have gone 42-11 – an absurd .792 winning percentage, 128-win pace over a full season – and suddenly lead the NL West by 10.5 games. Their weekend sweep of the Marlins gave them a nine-game winning streak, their second such tear in the past month. In the Dodgers’ past 23 games against NL opponents, they are 22-1. That just doesn’t happen. Under baseball czar Andrew Friedman and his cadre of brainy, experienced executives, the Dodgers have leveraged their financial resources to build a roster void of weakness. They have a generational lefty in Clayton Kershaw, a fire-breathing closer in Kenley Jansen, an MVP candidate in Corey Seager, a rookie behemoth in Cody Bellinger and a hitting machine in Justin Turner. But ask the Angels and Mike Trout how relying on stars works in baseball. For all their elite talent, the power of the Dodgers team lies in depth and innovation, the deployment of above-average spare parts. None The Dodgers are making the most of pretty good players, such as starting pitcher Alex Wood. (Steve Mitchell/USA Today Sports) The Dodgers have shown how to manipulate the 10-day disabled list. They have placed 23 players on the disabled list, the most in baseball. Many of them have been pitchers ostensibly sidelined with a minor injury, but actually receiving a rest in place of a fresh arm. The Dodgers can afford it because of the quality of the back end of their 40-man roster. Seventeen Dodgers pitchers have contributed at a level above replacement this year. Even at their most desperate, the Dodgers do not turn to scrubs. Austin Adams isn’t walking out of their bullpen door. The Dodgers have discarded convention, particularly in how they manage their pitching staff. Alex Wood has a 1.56 ERA and has allowed one or zero runs in 11 of his 14 starts. And yet, he has pitched past the sixth inning only three times and not thrown more than 98 pitches in any one start. The quality and depth of their bullpen – acquired through shrewd deals and gobs of money – allows them to maximize Wood and keep him fresh. They apply the same concept up and down their roster, through platoons and matchups. [Theo Epstein has drained the Cubs’ farm system, but for the right reasons] The result has been a team that is great at everything. Their position players, as a unit, rank second in the majors in the FanGraphs version of wins above replacement. Their starting pitchers and relievers have both accumulated the most in the majors. And they have the prospects to upgrade. They’re casting a wide net at the trade deadline, willing to consider additions to their offense, rotation and bullpen.

The last team to win a series against the Dodgers was the Nationals, back in early June. The Dodgers knocked out the Nats in a classic NLDS last October, and they appear to be on a collision course again. The Cubs may have announced the end of their post-championship malaise this weekend, outscoring the Baltimore Orioles, 27-11, and rolling out newly acquired Jose Quintana in an assertive sweep. “We are back,” catcher Willson Contreras told reporters Sunday. But all year long, the Dodgers and Nationals have stood above a mostly lousy National League. Right now, depending on how the Nationals’ bullpen reinforcements reshape them, it may be more accurate to place the Dodgers on a tier by themselves. The nature of baseball prevents teams from winning nearly 80 percent of their games. But that’s what the Dodgers have done for nearly a third of a season. They’re the best team in baseball, and possibly redefining the ceiling of what that means.