Daily Clips

September 5, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017 DODGERS.COM J.D. mashes 4, Ray rules LA as streak hits 11— Steve Gilbert and Joshua Thornton 'Ultra-talented' top prospect Buehler to join LA— Joshua Thornton Hill's bounceback a bright spot for Dodgers— Joshua Thornton Inbox: Why is LA giving rooks extended looks?—Ken Gurnick D-backs, Dodgers taking cautious approach— Barry M. Bloom Greinke, D-backs bid for 12 straight vs. Ryu, Dodgers— Joshua Thornton Monday's best: Hilliard homers twice to join 20/20 club- William Boor LA TIMES Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager’s absence has been hard felt— Dylan Hernandez J.D. Martinez hits four homers as the Diamondbacks rout the Dodgers, 13-0— Bill Shaikin Dodgers being 'super, super cautious' with Corey Seager's injury to make sure he's healthy for playoffs- Bill Shaikin OC REGISTER J.D. Martinez homers four times as Dodgers lose again to Diamondbacks, 13-0- Bill Plunkett Dodgers’ Corey Seager throwing again, but might have to ‘address’ elbow issue in off-season—Bill Plunkett Dodgers notes: Top pitching prospect Walker Buehler getting called up to majors- Bill Plunkett ESPN J.D. Martinez ties MLB record with 4 HRs in D-backs' rout of Dodgers—ESPN.com News Services Dodgers SS Corey Seager expected to resume throwing on Tuesday—ESPN.com News Services Real or not? Dodgers don't want to see J.D. Martinez, Robbie Ray in playoffs- David Schoenfield TRUE BLUE LA Dustin May ends strong first full professional season—Eric Stephen J.D. Martinez homers 4 times, Robbie Ray fans 14 in Diamondbacks latest win over Dodgers—Eric Stephen Dodgers get another shot at streaking Diamondbacks—Eric Stephen Dodgers call up Charlie Culberson, activate Josh Fields from DL—Eric Stephen Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks starting pitchers, game times & TV info- Eric Stephen Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks series snapshot: September 4-6- Eric Stephen DODGER INSIDER Notebook: Top prospect to get the call, Seager throwing— Rowan Kavner Roberts: “The tide will turn”- Rowan Kavner 2016 hero Culberson set for 2017 debut- Rowan Kavner NBC LA Dodgers Nosedive Continues as They are Shutout by Snakes, 13-0—Michael Duarte LA TIMES Dodgers Dugout: Some good and some strange suggestions to end the Dodgers downward skid- Houston Mitchell

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

DODGERS.COM

J.D. mashes 4, Ray rules LA as streak hits 11 By Steve Gilbert and Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- J.D. Martinez tied a Major League record by slugging four home runs and left-hander Robbie Ray dominated the Dodgers as the D-backs ran their winning streak to 11 with a 13-0 victory at Dodger Stadium on Monday night. Martinez had two-run homers in the fourth and ninth and solo shots in the seventh and eighth. It was the first time in D-backs history a player has collected four homers in a game and it was the 18th time it happened in Major League history (and the 16th in the modern era). The Reds Scooter Gennett was the last player to hit four homers in a game when he did it June 6 against the Cardinals. "It's definitely a blessing, for sure," Martinez said. "I don't know how to explain it. It's one of those things where you work real hard and find that perfect swing and find one of those days where everything just kind of lines up. Today, I felt like, was one of those days. I was seeing the ball well and when I was swinging I was hitting them." Ray (12-5) struck out a career-high 14 while allowing just three hits and no walks in 7 2/3 innings. All three of the hits were singles and the Dodgers were not able to get a runner past first base against him. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Ray is the first pitcher in history to record four outings of 10-plus strikeouts against the Dodgers in a single season. "Robbie Ray, obviously, very good stuff," manager Dave Roberts said. "Today he was really spot on. Fastball was on the black all night long. Pitched to all quadrants and that slider off of it. He was exceptional, he really was." Ray did not realize he had a perfect game going through five. "I was just kind of really going out, I didn't really know," he said. "I knew I was throwing the ball really well. Anytime you can keep this lineup in check like that is pretty special." Not only are the D-backs riding a winning streak, they also have not trailed in 88 innings. The last time they faced a deficit was when they fell behind the Giants, 1-0, in the second inning on Aug. 25. The win helped the D-backs maintain their 6 1/2-game lead over the Rockies for the top National League Wild Card spot. The Dodgers, meanwhile, have lost nine of their last 10, including four straight. Despite that, they still hold a commanding 12 1/2-game lead over the D-backs for first place in the NL West. Rich Hill (9-7) took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits over six innings.

"I just feel that you just gotta keep playing," Roberts said. "It's not a lack of effort. We're doing the same thing we've been doing all year but the results are different. We got a very good pitching outing from Rich [Hill] tonight and their guy pitched even better." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED First of many: Hill seemed to be cruising along until the fourth when Kristopher Negron led off the inning with a single to left. One out later, Martinez hit the first of his four homers to give the D-backs a 2-0 lead. It marked the second straight game in which he'd played -- he was off Sunday -- that Martinez gave the D-backs a lead. Saturday night in Colorado his first-inning homer gave Arizona a 3-0 lead. "It was really unreal," D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said of Martinez. "It was an unbelievable day for J.D. Martinez." Breaking it open: Even with Ray dominating, the Dodgers were still very much in the game, trailing just 2-0 through six innings. Martinez, though, led off the seventh with a homer and Brandon Drury followed with one of his own, touching off a four-run rally that gave the D-backs plenty of breathing room. QUOTABLE "We got our butts kicked, all around. We haven't had many games if any like that all year." --- Roberts, on the Dodgers' lopsided loss SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Ray's 14 strikeouts were the most by a D-backs pitcher since Randy Johnson fanned 15 Dodgers on Aug. 31, 2004. The Dodgers' 13-0 loss to the D-backs was the largest shutout loss since June 25, 2004, vs. the Angels (13-0). WHAT'S NEXT D-backs: Zack Greinke will get the start for the D-backs on Tuesday night as they take on the Dodgers at 7:10 p.m. MST. Greinke is tied with Zach Davies and Clayton Kershaw for the Major League lead in victories with 16. Dodgers: Hyun-Jin Ryu gets the ball for the second game of the Dodgers' series against the D-backs. Ryu was roughed up for a season-high six runs and eight hits last Wednesday against the D-backs. First pitch is slated for 7:10 p.m. PT. 'Ultra-talented' top prospect Buehler to join LA By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers will get a first look at their No. 1 prospect, Walker Buehler, at the Major League level as the club plans to call up the righty on Wednesday. Manager Dave Roberts said Buehler will get opportunities to be used out of the Dodgers' bullpen down the stretch. The 2015 first-round pick transitioned into a relief role at the start of August while with

Triple-A Oklahoma City, after beginning the Minor League season as a starter in Class A and Double-A, as well as making three starts in Triple-A. Buehler, who had Tommy John surgery in 2015, has thrown 88 2/3 innings in the Minors this season, sporting a 3.35 ERA in 28 games with 125 strikeouts. "He's had a very quick ascension," Roberts said of the 23-year-old Buehler. "He's ultra, ultra competitive and ultra talented." Whether or not Buehler will get a spot on the Dodgers' playoff roster is still up in the air, but the Dodgers see his callup as an opportunity for Buehler to get some much-needed experience in the Majors and to help the club down the stretch. "It all depends on how he fares," Roberts said about Buehler possibly making a postseason roster. "He's going to get opportunities, but when you're talking about the postseason, we're really not thinking about a postseason roster. I can honestly say that. We want to put eyes on him. He's earned it. To be around our guys, Kenley [Jansen], Clayton [Kershaw], Rich [Hill] and have Rick [Honeycutt] put eyes on him, this is a good thing for his development. He's going to get opportunities and like I say, every day is a test." Seager starts throwing program The Dodgers are planning to have their All-Star shortstop, Corey Seager, back in the starting the lineup during their upcoming series against the Rockies this weekend at Dodger Stadium. Roberts said there isn't a set date for the 2016 National League Rookie of the Year to return, but he is expected to make a start as long as he continues to progress from his elbow injury. Seager has not started the last three games and has only appeared in pinch-hitting situations because he's had issues throwing. The Dodgers called up shortstop Charlie Culberson from Triple-A OKC on Monday to start at shortstop and Seager is still available to be used in pinch-hit situations if needed. Seager took grounders on Monday and started a throwing program, which "went well," Roberts said. "I think it was a positive day for him." Worth noting • Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson will be recalled from Triple-A and will rejoin the team on Tuesday. The Dodgers also plan to recall Kyle Farmer after his 10-day option period is over. • Righty Brandon McCarthy is still dealing with blister issues and was transferred to the 60-day disabled list retroactive to July 21. Roberts said McCarthy will make another Minor League start with Class A Rancho Cucamonga next week and the Dodgers will take the next step from there. • Right-hander Josh Fields was reinstated from the 10-day DL after a back injury caused him to land on the DL.

• Yu Darvish donated $100,000 through the Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation toward Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Hill's bounceback a bright spot for Dodgers By Joshua Thornton LOS ANGELES -- As the Dodgers continue to try and figure out how to break out of this recent 1-9 slump over their last 10 games, they can look to Rich Hill's outing on Monday night and draw some positives. The D-backs came to Dodger Stadium and took the series opener, 13-0, on a night when Arizona belted six homers, with four of them coming from J.D. Martinez. The six homers the Dodgers gave up tied for the most in Dodger Stadium history by a visiting team, since the Reds also hit six on Aug. 2, 2001. Despite being one of four pitchers to serve up a homer to Martinez, Hill left the mound with a much better showing than his previous eight-hit, six-run outing in Arizona. During a stretch where the Dodgers' starters gave up 18 runs over three games in their last series vs. the D-backs, manager Dave Roberts thought the outing from Hill was an encouraging sign and his confidence has not wavered. "I can assure you that we're going to win a game again," Roberts said. "I know that and the tide will turn." Hill flashed the same dominance he showed when he nearly tossed a perfect game against the Pirates on Aug. 23. The 37-year-old struck out seven of the first 10 batters he faced and finished the night allowing two runs with nine strikeouts in six innings on 87 pitches. The southpaw used his signature curveball to mow down the D-backs' lineup until Martinez made him pay the second time he faced him. Hill left an 88-mph fastball over the plate and Martinez didn't miss, launching Hill's pitch a projected 436 feet to left field, according to Statcast™, for a two-run shot in the fourth inning. "Balls out over and he's going to hurt you," Roberts said about Martinez. "He took four good swings tonight and he had a heck of a night." Hill added: "Austin [Barnes] did a great job behind the plate tonight. You tip your hat to Robbie Ray and J.D. Martinez, those guys had unbelievable outings. But the curveball was good tonight, the fastball was good." The Dodgers aren't ready to hit the panic button despite this recent slide and don't plan on changing any of their normal routines going forward. Even with Monday's blowout loss, Roberts sees a shift coming and it starts with the performance Hill put on Monday. "You win and go deep in the postseason with starting pitching in my opinion," Roberts said. "To have Rich [Hill] reset our starters and have an outing like this tonight, I think that's a good sign for all of us. We expect [Hyun-Jin] Ryu to do the same thing tomorrow."

Inbox: Why is LA giving rooks extended looks? By Ken Gurnick Why is there a new lineup every night? Why are all the rookies playing even though the Dodgers haven't clinched the division yet? -- @jack_the_vegas For the most part, the "rookies" (there were five, including Cody Bellinger) loaded the Saturday doubleheader day game following a night game in the midst of a stretch of 17 games in 16 days after five months of the greatest play in Dodgers history. Maybe five was overkill, but it's not like they got blown out. They lost on a walk-off homer. As manager Dave Roberts said, there's a fine line between trying to win every game and running your players into the ground. It happened to coincide with the club's worst stretch of the season, so the optics are bad. What would be worse would be an injury to a key player like Justin Turner, who needed a rest while the club had an 18-game lead. Secondarily, that lead allows management to get a look at top position prospect Alex Verdugo, Rob Segedin, etc., for postseason roles. If you don't give guys like Edward Paredes these chances, you don't learn that they might be better equipped for the Major Leagues than previously believed. What's the plan long term for Joc Pederson? -- @marcobarrs9 Roberts on Sunday struggled trying to explain what the short-term plan is for Pederson, so I don't think anyone knows what the future holds. The club sent him to Triple-A hoping for a rebound like the one Yasiel Puig experienced a year ago, and a quick recall. Pederson slugged his first home run on Sunday, when he went into the game batting .125 since the demotion. He could be assigned to play for any affiliate advancing to the posteason, so his Minor League time could continue and a big league callup is no guarantee. In terms of future planning, it looks like Verdugo will be given an extended chance to take Pederson's place. What about Trayce Thompson? Will he join the team after the Oklahoma City Dodgers' season is over? -- @MichelleMeier9 Not impossible, but not likely either. Thompson hasn't been the same player since last year's back injury. At Triple-A this year, he is batting .215 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and a .639 OPS. The team was hoping that among him, Scott Van Slyke and Franklin Gutierrez, a right-handed bat off the bench would emerge. Now none of them are postseason options, so Segedin, Kyle Farmer and O'Koyea Dickson are getting looks. Is the SI jinx real? -- @frkshw32 Absolutely. If the Dodgers' 2-9 record since the "Best. Team. Ever?" cover appeared isn't enough proof, the Jinx (capital J) even has its own Wikipedia page. What is the most outrageous panic overreaction question that you've seen this week? -- @jpooch21 There are so many candidates to choose from, but here's my personal favorite:

Too bad we cannot put Tommy Lasorda's rants on here to help the team. He would have cursed them out! And a close second: Will Turner shave his beard to start a fresh winning streak? And this, for Statcast™ fans: What is the estimated downward spiral velocity of the Dodgers? D-backs, Dodgers taking cautious approach By Barry M. Bloom LOS ANGELES -- This is a tale of two right elbows -- one belonging to Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager and the other to D-backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Both players are critical to their team's success this season and into the postseason. Thus, no one can blame either club for taking the utmost in precautions about having their respective All-Stars healthy and able to contribute as the season wanes. Seager, who has been reduced to a pinch-hitting role since Aug. 27 because of inflammation in his right elbow, just began a throwing program Monday. If all goes well, he should be back at shortstop some time during the upcoming home series beginning Thursday night against the Rockies. The point is to have Seager ready and at full gear when the Dodgers open their National League Division Series probably at Dodger Stadium on Oct. 6. "That's right, that's right," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Monday before his club played the D-backs. "But we've afforded ourselves that luxury. We're trying to keep the edge and win every baseball game. Just because we're not playing all of our starters each and every night doesn't mean we're not trying to win baseball games. Corey will be back soon, and we'll be better for it." Goldschmidt has been playing through some soreness in the right elbow for about a week, and D-backs manager Torey Lovullo decided to shut him down for Monday's opener of a big three-game series at Dodger Stadium after a planned day off Sunday at Coors Field. The D-backs are taking the extraordinary step of flying Goldschmidt back to Phoenix for an MRI on Tuesday and a visit with the team's orthopedic doctors. They could very well have had an MRI taken at one of the numerous top-flight Los Angeles area medical centers. There is such a thing as emails, faxes and phones. But that's not the route the D-backs decided to take. "We have protocol and our process," Lovullo explained. "We trust our doctors, and that's why we opted to send Paul over there."

Again, the abundance of caution can't be faulted. If all goes well, Goldschmidt is expected back with the team and in the lineup Tuesday night. If not, well, Lovullo said, he'll worry about that when they have a diagnosis. Goldschmidt is having an MVP-type season that's just a tick below the gargantuan numbers being posted by Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who's leading the Major Leagues with 53 homers and 112 RBIs. Goldschmidt has 33 homers, a .597 slugging percentage and is third in the Majors with 109 RBIs. He's also hitting .314 and has a .424 on base percentage. There's no question Goldschmidt is the heart and soul of Arizona's run to host the National League Wild Card Game on Oct. 4. But he's been told not to push through this elbow injury. "It's not like it's been killing me one day and fine the next, up or down or anything," said Goldschmidt, who was 0-for-8 Friday and Saturday at Colorado after amassing two homers, two doubles and five RBIs last week in a three-game home sweep against the Dodgers. "It's just kind of weird. I feel it for a sec, and then I won't feel it for a while. "The best thing is, it hasn't affected preparation or playing in the game. I've been playing through it, can keep doing it, and will if I have to. Hopefully, with a couple of days of rest it will be back to 100 percent or close to it." The Dodgers have had numerous problems during their rare run of eight losses in the last nine games, but missing Seager slashing at .309/.390/.499 with 19 homers and 65 RBIs is right up there. "Yeah, it's a part of it," Roberts said. "You get one of your best players not playing, that's certainly a big part of it. He's a big part of what we've done, and what we're going to do. To not have him in there at short and hitting at the top of the order, it's a big deal. Are we better with Corey? Absolutely." The Dodgers have been slow-walking Seager, who like Goldschmidt, wants to play. Last week, Seager was restricted to taking batting practice grounders and had only three pinch-hit appearances, two of them against the D-backs and the other Saturday in the first game of a split doubleheader against the Padres in San Diego. He went 0-for-3. On Monday before the Dodgers even took the field for batting practice, Seager's throwing program began in earnest. Roberts reported progress. "He did start the throwing program and looked good," Roberts said. "He stretched out to about 70 feet. I talked to the trainers, and they said he looked good. His arm started to loosen up. He took some grounders. I think the thing that's really good is that we've kept him at bat, we've kept him moving. His legs feel strong, healthy. I think it was a good day for him." And good news for the Dodgers, who are exercising an abundance of caution.

Greinke, D-backs bid for 12 straight vs. Ryu, Dodgers By Joshua Thornton The D-backs will call on National League Cy Young candidate Zack Greinke as they aim to extend their winning streak to 12 straight Tuesday night against Hyun-Jin Ryu and the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Greinke, who played for the Dodgers from 2013-15, will be making his first start this season at Dodger Stadium. Greinke has struggled on the road this season, posting a 3-5 record with a 4.28 ERA in 11 road starts compared to his 13-1 record and 2.31 ERA at Chase Field. The Dodgers struggled against Greinke when they faced him last week, with the righty only allowing one run and striking out four in six innings. Ryu will get a shot at redemption after giving up a season-high six runs vs. Arizona last Wednesday. The southpaw was tagged for eight hits in the Dodgers' 6-4 loss, which tied a season high. Besides Ryu's recent outing against the D-backs, the lefty has been solid for the Dodgers, going 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA, striking out 51 against 20 walks in his last nine starts since June 17. The series serves as a possible postseason preview between two rivals, with both clubs in a comfortable position to clinch a playoff spot. Things to know about this game • Opponents are hitting .409 against Ryu (18-for-44) on fastballs since the All-Star break. • Greinke has not allowed a home run in any of his last 29 innings. Houston's Lance McCullers has the longest active streak at 46. • Justin Turner is 7-for-19 with one homer, two doubles and five RBIs against Greinke. Monday's best: Hilliard homers twice to join 20/20 club By William Boor It came down to the final game, but Sam Hilliard ultimately put the finishing touches on a 20/20 season as he powered Class A Advanced Lancaster to an 11-4 win over Inland Empire. Hilliard, the Rockies' No. 19 prospect, entered the season finale with 37 stolen bases but needed another homer to join the 20/20 club. The 23-year-old got the home rub out of the way in the second inning as he put the JetHawks on the board with a solo blast. Hilliard went yard again in the third inning, marking his second two-homer game of the season.

Hilliard finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and closed the season on a seven-game hitting streak. He posted multi-hit efforts in seven of his final nine games and finished the season batting .300. Lancaster begins its playoff run on Wednesday against Rancho Cucamonga. Other top prospect performances from Monday's action: • No. 7 overall prospect Ronald Acuna's (Braves' No. 1) stellar campaign came to a fitting end with a 2-for-4, three-RBI performance with Triple-A Gwinnett. Acuna, who finished 2-for-4, got off to a fast start as he led off with a ground-rule double and hit a three-run homer, his 21st, in the second. After beginning the season with Class A Advanced Florida, Acuna played across three levels this season and finished with a slash line of .325/.374/.522 as well as career-highs in home runs (21) and RBIs (82). • No. 22 overall prospect Brendan McKay (Rays' No. 3) picked up his first professional win as he spun five innings of one-run ball for Class A Short Season Hudson Valley. McKay fired 56 of his 86 pitches for strikes, gave up four hits, walked two and struck out three. • Giants No. 2 prospect Chris Shaw hit a pair of homers, finishing the season with 24, in Triple-A Sacramento's win over El Paso. Shaw hit a solo homer in the fourth and then came up clutch with a game-tying, two-run homer in the ninth. • Athletics No. 4 prospect Jorge Mateo belted a pair of home runs in Double-A Midland's win over Frisco. Mateo, who was dealt from the Yankees to the A's at the Trade Deadline, went deep in the third and eighth innings and finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Sheldon Neuse (No. 14) also had a good game, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs. • Indians No. 9 prospect Will Benson provided the bulk of the offense in Class A Short Season Mahoning Valley's 6-2 win over Batavia. Benson, who has 10 homers this year, matches his season highs with two home runs and four RBIs. • Phillies No. 9 prospect Adonis Medina finished his season on a high note as he needed to 57 pitches (44 strikes) to carve his way through six scoreless frames for Class A Lakewood. Medina, 20, faced the minimum and retired the final 10 batters he faced. When it was over, he had struck out seven and surrendered just one hit, finishing his season with a 3.01 ERA through 22 starts. • Braves No. 11 prospect Austin Riley concluded his season swinging a hot bat for Double-A Mississippi. The 20-year-old posted multi-hit efforts in each of his final three contests after going 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs in the finale. Riley, who drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the first and added a two-run double in the second, hit 8-for-11 (.727) over his final three games. • Dodgers No. 15 prospect Dustin May was nearly unhittable for Class A Advanced Rancho Cucamonga. May fired 45 of his 59 pitches for strikes and yielded just one hit over five scoreless frames. The 19-year-old righty issued just one walk and struck out eight, including the final four batters he faced. • Yankees No. 15 prospect Tyler Austin concluded his season with his first two-homer game of the season. Austin hit solo homers in both the seven and ninth innings, but Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre fell to Lehigh Valley, 4-3.

• D-backs No. 19 prospect Victor Reyes collected a trio of extra-base hits in his fourth straight multi-hit effort for Double-A Jackson. Reyes, who finished 3-for-4 and a single shy of the cycle, hit his fourth homer of the season in the fourth inning and finished his first Double-A season with a .292 batting average in 126 games. Reyes' late surge helped his average as he boosted the mark to .292 from .276 over the final five games. • Brewers No. 21 prospect Cody Ponce held his opponent scoreless for the second time in three starts with Double-A Biloxi. Ponce, who was bumped up to Biloxi on Aug. 22, has a 1.53 ERA through three starts after throwing six scoreless frames. The right-hander yielded three hits, walked one and fanned three. • Braves No. 22 prospect Bryse Wilson finished his season with three hitless frames for Class A Rome. The 19-year-old struck out six in the outing and finished his first full season with a 2.50 ERA across 26 starts (137 innings). • Reds No. 28 prospect Michael Beltre will enter the Midwest League playoffs with a bit of momentum for Class A Dayton. Beltre, who hit just .238 this season, collected a season-high four hits in the last game of the regular season and has posted multi-hit efforts in each of his past three contests, going 9-for-11 (.818) over the final three games of the season.

LA TIMES Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager’s absence has been hard felt By Dylan Hernandez When fans are almost three decades removed from celebrating their team’s last championship, they can become fatalistic. Year after year after year, they have seen the promise of spring and the heightened excitement of summer produce only the crushing disappointment of winter, which explains the depth of anxiety beneath every groan and every boo heard Monday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers couldn’t do anything against Robbie Ray and served up four home runs to J.D. Martinez in a 13-0 defeat against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Watching that was painful enough, but that wasn’t the worst part. For the first time this season, fans could picture the Dodgers losing in October. Once invincible, the Dodgers have dropped nine of their last 10 games. It’s as if the Russians hacked into general manager Farhan Zaidi’s laptop and spread the Dodgers’ secrets around the National League. Except … well, everyone realizes it’s the first week of September, right? Relax. Breathe. Stay calm.

There are times when panic is an appropriate response and this isn’t one of them. It’s important to understand the difference between a bad team and a team that’s enduring a bad stretch, and realize the Dodgers belong in the second category. The Chicago Cubs won two of their last 11 games heading into the All-Star break last year. They took a few days off, came back and resumed their run to the World Series. The concern is understandable. These losses have been ugly. The timing has been less than ideal. J.D. Martinez hits four homers as the Diamondbacks rout the Dodgers, 13-0 The defeats have magnified shortcomings that were covered up for the majority of the season: the dependability of starting pitchers other than Clayton Kershaw; the absence of shutdown middle relievers; the weakness of the bottom of the lineup. In other words, shortcomings shared by pretty much every other contender. But take a step back and look at the larger picture. The Dodgers still have the best record in baseball. They have a 121/2-game lead over the Diamondbacks in the National League West. It would be almost impossible for them to miss the playoffs. They have an explosive offense and a steady defense. They have the best pitcher in baseball, as well as the best closer. The history of baseball tells us not to read too much into this. Some teams have bludgeoned their opponents through September, maintained their momentum through the playoffs and won the World Series. Others have limped to the finish line of the regular season and produced the same result. The Kansas City Royals were a sub-.500 team in the final month of the 2015 season. The San Francisco Giants overcame a 3-8 stretch in September 2014. In the Dodgers’ case, it’s important to recognize they are without their best position player, Corey Seager. The All-Star shortstop, sidelined because of inflammation in his throwing elbow, last started a game Aug. 27. The Angels had trouble scoring when Mike Trout wasn’t in their lineup. Why wouldn’t the Dodgers when Seager is missing from theirs? Dodgers being 'super, super cautious' with Corey Seager's injury to make sure he's healthy for playoffs The Dodgers are taking a cautious approach with Seager, as they should. These games really don’t matter. They will win the division. They should have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Seager played catch and fielded grounders before Monday’s game. Manager Dave Roberts said that he could return this week during a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies. Roberts has insisted the recent losses aren’t a problem so long as they don’t alter how the team approaches games. He acknowledged that there is a point when the weight of defeats will have an effect. “I know we’re not there yet,” Roberts said.

You know when the Dodgers will be? When Seager has played for a couple of weeks and their offense still hasn’t recovered. Until then, it’s hard to get worked up over any of this. If anything, the miracle is how this didn’t happen sooner. “We’re doing the same thing that we were doing all year but the results are different,” Roberts said. There’s nothing Roberts could have said to talk down the most vocal segments of the fan base, which went into full-blown panic mode on social media Monday night. Some of that hysteria made its way into the postgame news conference, as one reporter asked Roberts if he was thinking of moving up Kershaw’s next start. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say to soothe the fans and their passion,” Roberts said. “Each and every night, it’s Game 7. “But I can assure you that we’re going to win a game again. I know that. The tide will turn.” The fans should know that too. J.D. Martinez hits four homers as the Diamondbacks rout the Dodgers, 13-0 By Bill Shaikin So let’s say the Dodgers win the National League West. They will, right? And let’s say the Arizona Diamondbacks win the NL wild-card game, behind Zack Greinke. That would set up a five-game division series between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks, with Arizona set up to deploy Robbie Ray twice in the series. He’d start Game 1 and, yeah, that World Series might look pretty distant for the Dodgers. Ray took a perfect game into the sixth inning and struck out 14 in 7 2/3 shutout innings Monday, and the Diamondbacks rode him to a 13-0 rout. He joined Clayton Kershaw and Sandy Koufax as the only pitchers to strike out 14 and walk none in a game at Dodger Stadium. That wasn’t even the most historic element of Monday’s Dodgers debacle. J.D. Martinez tied the major league record by hitting four home runs in a game, joining Scooter Gennett of the Cincinnati Reds this season and becoming the 18th player in MLB history to do so. “We got our butts kicked, all around,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Martinez, the most impactful of any trade deadline acquisition this season, has 18 home runs in 40 games since the Diamondbacks acquired him from the Detroit Tigers, and 34 for the season, in only 395 plate appearances.

Ray has made five starts against the Dodgers this season, striking out at least 10 in four of them. He is 3-0 with a 2.27 earned-run average in those starts, with 53 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings. No pitcher has struck out so many Dodgers in a season in 109 years. Ray became the first pitcher in major league history to put up four 10-strikeout games against the Dodgers in the same season. Dodgers, meet Game 1. “You’ve just to go out there and compete,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s why you play the game. If that weren’t the case, then we would already book a loss in the column if we face him again.” He added: “This guy is an elite pitcher in all of baseball. He has our number. If we do get that opportunity, yeah, we’re going to compete our tails off.” Ray, who had not driven in a run all season, singled home two runs in the seventh inning, when the Diamondbacks collected six consecutive hits to turn the game into a laugher. Arizona extended its winning streak to 11 games. The Diamondbacks have not trailed in their last 88 innings. “They’re playing really well,” Roberts said. “Us, not so well.” The Dodgers lost for the ninth time in 10 games. In the last 10 days, they have lost 8½ games of their NL West lead, which has shrunk to 12½ games over Arizona. “We’re in a little bit of a rut,” Dodgers starter Rich Hill said. Hill matched Ray in the no-hit department through the first three innings. Then again, as Hill found out in Pittsburgh a couple weeks ago, even nine no-hit innings might not get you a win the way the Dodgers are playing these days. Martinez hit a two-run homer off Hill in the fourth, a solo shot off Pedro Baez in the seventh, a solo shot off Josh Fields in the eighth, and a two-run shot off Wilmer Font in the ninth. And he is the right-handed bat the Diamondbacks can use to complement MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt against the left-handers the Dodgers figure to start in October: Clayton Kershaw, Hill and Alex Wood. Position players were scarce in the home clubhouse after the game, leaving Hill to field the question of how the Dodgers would be able to beat Ray in October when he has beaten up on them all season. “I can’t really speak to that right now,” Hill said. “It’s still too early. He did a great job tonight.” Hill did too, giving up two hits and striking out nine in six innings. Baez did not, giving up four hits without getting an out. He was booed off the mound, loudly, and his spot as a late-inning reliever could soon be taken by Walker Buehler. Buehler arrives Wednesday. The next pitch he makes in the major leagues will be his first.

Dodgers being 'super, super cautious' with Corey Seager's injury to make sure he's healthy for playoffs By Bill Shaikin If the Dodgers were playing out the string, would the team have shut down Corey Seager by now? “I think there would be a better chance,” Seager said Monday. The Dodgers are bound for the playoffs, and Seager might be their most valuable player, so he and his sore right elbow will return to duty this season. “It’s probably something in the offseason I’ll have to address more,” he said. Seager said he has experienced swelling in the elbow. He can hit without discomfort; the Dodgers hope he can return to shortstop this weekend. If he does, he would have had close to two weeks to rest the elbow. “There is some inflammation in there, nothing really overwhelming,” he said. “There’s some old stuff that flared back up. In the past, I’ve had a little bit of it and managed it here and there.” Seager never has been on the disabled list because of an elbow injury. Could he face arthroscopic surgery on the elbow in the offseason? “I don’t know yet,” Seager said. “That will be discussed later.” He said he is not at all concerned he could miss the playoffs and said the Dodgers are being “super, super cautious” with him. “I don’t really have any worries at all,” he said. To help cover the position in what has become a prolonged absence, the Dodgers called up Charlie Culberson, their shortstop at triple-A Oklahoma City. Culberson hit the game-winning home run in the Dodgers’ National League West clincher last season, but he had spent this entire season at Oklahoma City. The triple-A season ended Monday, and Culberson said he had his ticket to fly home to Georgia. “This is a nice change of plans,” he said. Buehler? Buehler. Walker Buehler will join the Dodgers on Wednesday, and the rising star will be afforded the chance to earn a spot as a reliever on the postseason roster. “It all depends on how he fares,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s going to get opportunities.”

Buehler, 23, was the Dodgers’ first pick in the 2015 draft, then underwent Tommy John surgery. He wowed the Dodgers this spring, then climbed from Class A in April to double A in May and triple A in July. The Dodgers moved him to the bullpen last month in preparation for this promotion. “He’s very talented,” Roberts said. “He’s a part of the future, I know that, and possibly the present. How present? It’s up to him.” Short hops In addition to Culberson and Buehler, the Dodgers are bringing up outfielders Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson and catcher-infielder Kyle Farmer from triple A. Pederson hit .143 there following his demotion, with one home run and 12 strikeouts in 56 at-bats. … The Dodgers activated reliever Josh Fields. … The Arizona Diamondbacks sent their first baseman and MVP candidate, Paul Goldschmidt, to Phoenix for an MRI examination of his sore right elbow. Goldschmidt is batting .314 with 33 home runs and 109 runs batted in.

OC REGISTER J.D. Martinez homers four times as Dodgers lose again to Diamondbacks, 13-0 By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES — Magical things are happening at Dodger Stadium again. The Dodgers just aren’t doing them anymore. J.D. Martinez hit four of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ six home runs Monday as they brought their hot streak to Los Angeles and handed the Dodgers a 13-0 beating. The win was the Diamondbacks’ 11th in a row, one behind the Cleveland Indians’ current run for the longest win streak in the majors this season. The Diamondbacks haven’t even trailed at any point in their past 88 innings. The Dodgers have been the most frequent snake-bite victim during that time. They have lost to the Diamondbacks four times in the past eight days and have lost nine of their past 10 games overall. “We got our butts kicked. All around. We haven’t had many games like that if any all year,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “They’re playing well. They’re playing really well and us not so well.” Like the weather in Southern California, it is a combination that is making things uncomfortable and producing a lot of sweat. But Roberts continued to try and sell his message of calm and perspective.

“I don’t think there’s anything I can do to soothe fans and their passion,” he said when asked about the high anxiety created on social media by the Dodgers’ whiplash turn from history to misery. “Each and every night it’s Game 7. But I can assure you we’re going to win a game again. I know that. And the tide will turn.” There is plenty of time for that with the opening game of the NL Division Series still a month away. But the Diamondbacks continue to give the Dodgers something to think about in the weeks ahead. The Diamondbacks swept the Dodgers in a three-game series at Chase Field last week, jumping to leads of multiple runs in the first inning of each game and have the advantage in the season series (9-8). Only one other team can say that this season — the Washington Nationals won two of three at Dodgers Stadium in June and will host the Dodgers next week. And the Diamondbacks have an ace to play if they do face the Dodgers in October. Left-hander Robbie Ray was perfect through the first five innings, retiring the first 15 Dodgers batters he faced (10 on strikeouts). Logan Forsythe broke that up with a leadoff single in the sixth inning but the Dodgers managed just two more singles off Ray. The left-hander struck out 14 in 7 2/3 innings Monday. According to Elias Sports, Ray is the first pitcher with four starts of 10 or more strikeouts against the Dodgers in the same season. In the last three of those starts over the past two months, Ray has allowed two runs on 12 hits while striking out 37 in 20 1/3 innings. His 53 strikeouts against the Dodgers this season are the most since Christy Mathewson struck out 58 Brooklyn Superbas during the 1908 season. “Robbie Ray obviously has very good stuff and today he really was spot on,” Roberts said. “Fastball was on the black all night long to all quadrants and that slider off of it. He was exceptional, he really was.” Ray “has our number,” Roberts acknowledged, but said the Dodgers would “prepare for a better result and compete and expect a different result” if they face him again in October. They might want to come up with a different gameplan for pitching to Martinez also. He went deep in the fourth inning off Dodgers starter Rich Hill then again in the seventh (Pedro Baez), eighth (Josh Fields) and ninth innings (Wilmer Font) as the Diamondbacks scored 11 runs off Dodgers relievers in the final three innings. “He’s got big power,” Roberts said of Martinez who has hit 18 of his 34 home runs since being traded from Detroit to Arizona in mid-July. “It seemed like he was on everything tonight.” Martinez is the 18th player in major-league history to hit four home runs in a game and also the first hitter in big-league history with home runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings of a game. “You tip your hat to Robbie Ray and J.D. Martinez. Those guys had unbelievable games,” Hill said. “We’re in a little bit of a rut. But guys continue to come to the park and put the effort in. We’ll be all right.”

Dodgers’ Corey Seager throwing again, but might have to ‘address’ elbow issue in off-season By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager began a throwing program before Monday’s game. But an MRI of his right elbow taken before he was shut down a week ago showed inflammation – and maybe more. Seager hinted at the possibility of post-season surgery to deal with the problem. “It’s probably something in the off-season I’ll have to address more,” Seager said Monday. “I’ll probably get another MRI and see if things got better or worse or different. It’s something that I’m not really trying to think about. Just go out and play.” One possibility is a bone spur or bone chips that are causing the irritation in Seager’s elbow. That could be addressed with a debridement surgery following the conclusion of the season. Seager would have plenty of time to recover before spring training. Seager was not specific but did acknowledge surgery was a possibility that would be “discussed” after the season. In the meantime, Seager characterized the decision to shut him down for over a week (he has made three pinch-hit appearances) as being “super-super cautious.” He did acknowledge he is very conscious of maintaining his throwing mechanics in order to avoid the pain. “That’s always been the thing – trying to change it as little as possible because that’s how more things get hurt,” he said. “That’ll be the constant battle. I don’t see it being a problem, though.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the team had been trying to “manage” Seager’s elbow problem for a couple weeks but “it didn’t get better so we felt the only way to get it better is to rest him.” Seager was not allowed to do any throwing for a week and started by playing catch from about 70 feet Monday. That will be gradually increased over the next day or two with Seager eventually making throws to bases while fielding ground balls at the shortstop position to simulate in-game demands. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there is no specific date when Seager is expected back in the lineup but “we’re targeting that Colorado series.” The Dodgers play the Rockies four times beginning Thursday. Dodgers notes: Top pitching prospect Walker Buehler getting called up to majors By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – The Dodgers’ two most valued prospects will be in Los Angeles this month. Outfielder Alex Verdugo, the team’s top-ranked position player prospect, joined the Dodgers when rosters expanded on Friday and started all four games in San Diego over the weekend. The team’s top-ranked pitching prospect, right-hander Walker Buehler, will join the Dodgers on Wednesday.

The Dodgers’ first-round draft pick in 2015, Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after the draft. This was his first full season as a professional and he progressed from Class-A to Triple-A. In order to limit his innings and prepare him for a potential promotion to Los Angeles, Buehler finished the season pitching out of the bullpen for the Oklahoma City Dodgers. He made nine relief appearances, allowing seven runs on 13 hits while striking out 19 in 13 1/3 innings. “He’s had a very quick ascension,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Buehler, ranked the 17th-best prospect in baseball by Baseball America at midseason. “He’s ultra-ultra-competitive, ultra-talented. To get him here and reward him for being as good as he has been this year, to get him around our guys, for Rick (Honeycutt, Dodgers pitching coach) to put eyes on him, to be around our players, we feel it can help him. And also in between the lines, he can help us get some innings and get some outs.” Roberts said Buehler will pitch out of the bullpen but would not specify a role for him. “Every game’s different,” Roberts said. “I plan on using him in a relief role. To what extent, we have to see how each game plays out.” Verdugo is being given a chance to play his way onto the Dodgers’ postseason roster this month. His left-handed bat in center field would give the Dodgers flexibility elsewhere on that roster. Roberts would not say how much of a long shot it would be for Buehler to also pitch his way into the October picture. “Honestly, we’re not even thinking about that, in that context right now,” Roberts said. “Has it happened? Yeah, it’s happened. It all depends on how he fares. He’s going to get opportunities. But when you’re talking about the postseason, we’re not even thinking about a postseason roster yet. I can honestly say that. We want to put eyes on him. He’s earned it. “He’s very talented, I know that. He’s a part of the future, I know that. And possibly the present. How much of the present? That’s up to him.” It has happened that players have risen from the minor leagues and played so well in September that they became part of their team’s playoff plans. Most notably, right-hander Francisco Rodriguez pitched his way into a crucial role in the Angels’ bullpen during their 2002 championship run despite not making his major-league debut until Sept. 18 that year and pitching only 5 2/3 innings in September. Rodriguez was only 20 years old at the time. But he had thrown over 300 innings in four minor-league seasons before his MLB debut – and didn’t have Tommy John surgery. Buehler has thrown only 93 2/3 innings since making his pro debut 14 months ago. MORE CALL-UPS In addition to Buehler, outfielders Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson will be added to the roster now that the Triple-A season is complete. Infielder Charlie Culberson was added Monday and reliever Josh Fields was activated from the DL. Kyle Farmer cannot be promoted until this weekend but will join the Dodgers then.

In the case of Pederson, Roberts was reluctant to commit to a return when asked on Sunday, saying that decision had not been made yet and a promotion had to be earned. Pederson hit .143 (8 for 56) in 14 games after being demoted to Triple-A in mid-August. Roberts said Pederson was “trending in the right direction” recently based on discussions with OKC manager Bill Haselman down and “the progress not on the stat sheet.” “He’s swinging at strikes and taking balls,” Roberts said. “For us, when Joc is doing that, we’ll bet on the production. I think to say that whatever he hit is going to dictate whether he’s going to come back, that was not our idea. Our idea was for him to slow things down a little bit, to get back in the strike zone and the trend is that’s what he’s doing from what I hear.” ALSO Left-hander Scott Kazmir pitched in a game for the first time since early July, throwing three scoreless innings for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga Monday afternoon. He gave up two singles, walked two and struck out three. Kazmir has not faced major-league hitters since spring training. Right-hander Brandon McCarthy will continue his rehab assignment by pitching for Rancho Cucamonga in the Cal League playoffs later this week. McCarthy was moved to the 60-day DL Monday and will not be eligible to pitch for the Dodgers until Sept. 19. The Diamondbacks were without first baseman Paul Goldschmidt on Monday. The leading candidate for the National League MVP award this year, Goldschmidt flew back to Arizona to have an MRI on his right elbow. Goldschmidt has been bothered by stiffness in the elbow for the past week. He is expected to rejoin the Diamondbacks in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

ESPN J.D. Martinez ties MLB record with 4 HRs in D-backs' rout of Dodgers By ESPN.com News Services LOS ANGELES -- J.D. Martinez keeps doing damage, and the Arizona Diamondbacks keep winning. Martinez tied a major league record by slugging four of Arizona's six home runs, and the Diamondbacks routed the major-league-leading Los Angeles Dodgers 13-0 on Monday night for their 11th straight victory. "We were part of history," Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. "You can't believe it after it keeps happening -- second, third and finally the fourth time. It was amazing. J.D. works as hard as anybody at his swing, perfecting his craft, and he deserves that moment." Martinez was the headliner on a big night for a couple of Diamondbacks.

Robbie Ray struck out a career-high 14 while helping Arizona, in second place in the National League West, to its longest win streak since it won 11 in a row from June 18 to June 30, 2003. Ray and Martinez are the first pair of teammates in MLB's modern era (since 1900) with at least 14 strikeouts and three home runs in the same game, according to Elias Sports Bureau. "He has our number," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He was exceptional." A four-home-run game is rarer than a perfect game; there now have been 18 four-homer games in MLB history, and there have been 23 perfect games. Martinez is the 16th player in the modern era to hit four homers in a game, the 12th in the NL and the first for the Diamondbacks. He is the second player to accomplish the feat this season, joining the Reds' Scooter Gennett. His four home runs are the most by a player in a single game at Dodger Stadium, and the team's six homers tied for the most by visitors in Dodger Stadium history. This is the first four-homer game in which the player had more homers than the opponent had hits; the Dodgers finished with just three. Martinez also became the first player to hit four home runs against a team that was at least 25 games above .500 at the time, according to Elias. "I felt like it was one of those days," Martinez said. "I was seeing the ball well, and when I was swinging, I was hitting it." Arizona grabbed a 2-0 lead on Martinez's two-run shot off Rich Hill (9-7) in the fourth. Martinez added solo shots in the seventh and eighth innings before capping his power show with a two-run shot off Wilmer Font in the ninth. Walking to the plate for the last time, Martinez recalled hitting three homers in a game in 2015 and thinking too much about a fourth in his final at-bat. He didn't get it. This time, he told himself that if a fourth homer were meant to be, it would happen. "There's no point trying to force it," he said. Martinez has 34 homers this season in 97 games; he didn't make his season debut until May 12 due to a foot sprain. By comparison, Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who leads the majors with 53 homers, had 32 through 97 games this season. Martinez has had 18 since he was traded to the D-backs from Detroit on July 18. He has six multihomer games in his career, with five this season. The 30-year-old right fielder is still adjusting to NL pitching, too. "It's pretty impressive to see a guy go out there and take four really good at-bats and hit four really long balls," Ray said. "I thought there was no way they were going to throw him something he could hit. But sure enough, he got a ball right where he wanted it, and he put it in the seats." The Dodgers are still baseball's best team at 92-45, but they remain mired in a season-worst slump, having dropped four in a row and nine of 10 games. Monday night's defeat equaled the Dodgers' largest shutout loss since June 25, 2004, against the Angels.

"We're going to win a game again -- I know that -- and the tide will turn," Roberts said. "We're still in first place. I do know that." The Diamondbacks have beaten the Dodgers four straight times twice this season, while no other team has done that once. The Dodgers are 8-9 against Arizona, and the only other team they have a losing record against is Washington. Ray (12-5) scattered three hits over 7 2/3 innings. The left-hander improved to 7-1 on the road. His strikeouts were the most by a D-backs pitcher since Randy Johnson had 15 against the Dodgers on Aug. 31, 2004. Ray became the first pitcher in major league history to have four games with 10 or more strikeouts against the Dodgers in a single season. "Any time you can keep this lineup in check like that is pretty special," he said. Hill retired nine of his first 10 batters, striking out seven, before Kris Negron singled leading off the inning. With one out, Martinez sent a 2-2 pitch into the left-field pavilion. The D-backs added four runs in the seventh against the Dodgers' bullpen. Martinez and Brandon Drury hit back-to-back homers off Pedro Baez to open the inning, making it 4-0. Jake Lamb and Adam Rosales singled before Baez was booed heavily as he walked off the field. Chris Herrmann singled off Edward Paredes to load the bases. Ray reached on an infield single to second after the ball glanced off the glove of first baseman Cody Bellinger and squirted into the dirt, allowing Arizona to extend its lead to 6-0. Hill allowed two runs and two hits in six innings, struck out nine and walked one. NEVER TRAILING The D-backs haven't trailed for 88 consecutive innings, tied for the sixth-longest streak by a major league team since 1912. TRAINER'S ROOM Diamondbacks: 1B Paul Goldschmidt got a second straight day off when he returned to Phoenix for an MRI on his right elbow. He is expected back in Los Angeles on Tuesday. Lovullo said Goldschmidt's elbow has been bothering him for a week, and he has experienced stiffness in the mornings before it loosens up. Dodgers: SS Corey Seager, limited to pinch-hitting last week because of a sore right elbow, could be back in the lineup by this weekend. He took ground balls Monday and is expected to resume hitting Tuesday. ... Fields was reinstated from the 10-day DL after missing the previous eight games with a lower back strain. To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Brandon McCarthy was transferred to the 60-day DL (right finger blister). He will start next week for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in the playoffs.

UP NEXT Diamondbacks: RHP Zack Greinke (16-6, 3.08 ERA) starts against his former team on Tuesday. He is 29-7 with a 2.30 ERA in 49 career starts at Dodger Stadium and is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA in three starts against Los Angeles this season. Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (5-7, 3.71) allowed a season-worst six runs and eight hits in four innings at Arizona last week. He is 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA in nine career starts against the D-backs. Dodgers SS Corey Seager expected to resume throwing on Tuesday By ESPN.com News Services Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, who has been limited to pinch-hitting duties for the past week because of a sore right elbow, could be back in the lineup by the weekend, manager Dave Roberts said. Seager took ground balls on Monday and expects to resume throwing on Tuesday. A recent MRI revealed some issues in the elbow that Seager said will need to be addressed after the season. The Dodgers have lost nine of their last 10 games, including a 13-0 beating by the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night. Real or not? Dodgers don't want to see J.D. Martinez, Robbie Ray in playoffs By David Schoenfield If Labor Day is indeed the last day of summer, then J.D. Martinez sent us out in style. The Arizona Diamondbacks slugger became the 18th player in major league history to hit four home runs in one game, a feat rarer than a perfect game ... which we had for five innings in this game, making Arizona's 13-0 shutout over the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers one of the craziest games of any year. Even Zack Greinke was seen laughing and chatting things up in the Diamondbacks' dugout in the ninth inning. Martinez homered against four different pitchers, belting a no-doubter off Rich Hill in the fourth inning and connecting in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings off Pedro Baez, Josh Fields and Wilmer Font. The final blast came off a 1-0 slider from Font, a 406-foot line shot to left field. It was Martinez's shortest home run of the evening; the other three traveled 439, 428 and 424 feet. Pause for a moment to let that soak in. Think of how difficult it is to hit a baseball. Then think of how difficult it is to hit one 400-plus feet. Then think of the "impossible": doing it four times in one game. Heck, Martinez had more home runs than the Dodgers had hits on Monday. Does summer have to end?

The day actually began with bad news for the Diamondbacks: MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt left the team to fly back to Phoenix to get an MRI on his sore right elbow. Goldschmidt tried to talk himself into the lineup on Monday, as MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reported, and is expected to rejoin the team Tuesday. Considering he had hit four home runs in his past eight games, the elbow didn't seem to be hindering his production. Still, check the news on Tuesday for updates. Then there was Robbie Ray. Before Martinez, we thought Ray's performance was going to be the big highlight of the night: He threw one of the most dominating games by any pitcher this season as the Diamondbacks won their 11th game in a row -- and the ninth in a row in which they haven't trailed. Only one other team in the past 25 years has done that. It got so ugly that Dodgers fans started booing, and that was before Martinez cracked his final two home runs. Ray took a perfect game into the sixth inning as he fanned 10 of the first 15 batters he faced, becoming the first pitcher to record four 10-strikeout games against the Dodgers in one season. He finished with a career-high 14 strikeouts and three singles allowed in 7 2/3 scoreless innings. Ray induced 24 swing-and-misses, matching his season high, which also came against the Dodgers. That's a high total: Only 12 times has a pitcher recorded more misses this season, so Ray's dominance against the Dodgers over five outings (53 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings with a 2.27 ERA) is noteworthy because there's a chance he'll get a sixth start against them ... in the postseason. For that to happen, Arizona will have to get past the wild-card game. Greinke would be the likely starter in that game, which means Ray would be the probable Game 1 starter in the division series. As Dodgers broadcaster Joe Davis said as Ray was mowing down the Dodgers, "It's getting to the point where the Dodgers are going to have a rooting interest in that wild-card game." The D-backs are now 9-8 against the Dodgers. The only other team L.A. has a losing record against is the Washington Nationals, at 1-2. With the Dodgers likely to start three lefties in a playoff series, Martinez's righty bat alongside Goldschmidt's is even more vital. Since joining the Diamondbacks on July 19, Martinez has 18 home runs; only Giancarlo Stanton has more in that span. As for the Dodgers, they have other concerns besides Martinez and Ray: They've lost nine of 10 games. Maybe we need to remind them that the official last day of summer is Sept. 22. Maybe they need a day at the beach to clear their heads. Los Angeles Angels use 11 relievers; baseball gods apparently indifferent. I'm not sure if this is an argument for or against expanded rosters, but the Angels became the first American League team to use 12 pitchers in a game in a wild 11-9 victory over the A's in 11 innings. Here's the list to memorize for the next time you're asked this trivia question at a bar: Parker Bridwell, Jesse Chavez, Eduardo Paredes, Jason Gurka, Noe Ramirez, Cam Bedrosian, Yusmeiro Petit, Blake Parker, Fernando Salas, Troy Scribner, Jose Alvarez and Keynan Middleton. Three of those guys didn't record an out, and only Petit went more than an inning. After Parker blew a 9-7 lead in the ninth, it appeared that the Angels could blow another lead in the 11th, but Middleton came on with two runners on and got Khris Davis to ground into a double play on a 3-2 slider. Point being: If the gods were upset with manager Mike Scioscia, Davis would have hit a three-run homer. Anyway, Kole Calhoun delivered the go-ahead triple in the top of the 11th:

Almost as remarkable as using 11 relievers is that the Angels rallied from a four-run deficit for the 10th time this season -- the most in the majors and most since the 2008 Rangers had 10 such comebacks. What's even more surprising is that the Angels are just 10th in the American League in runs per game (and last in OPS). The offense has been much better since Aug. 1, however, ranking fourth in runs per game and sixth in OPS, and they've scored 51 runs in their past six games. Cleveland Indians win 12th straight. Trevor Bauer continues to make a strong pitch for the Cleveland playoff rotation, winning his eighth straight decision as he allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings in a 5-3 win over the White Sox. In the one start he didn't win, he allowed one run over seven innings; he has also lowered his ERA from 5.59 to 4.39 during this span. What has he done differently? Digging into the numbers, the one thing that stands out to me is that he is throwing his cutter more and fastball less: First half: 54.3 percent fastballs, 10.5 percent cutters Second half: 41.8 percent fastballs, 17.5 percent cutters The cutter has been more effective for him (.745 OPS allowed versus .859 on his fastball) with a much higher strikeout rate. There has been an element of good luck here, as he has allowed a .136 average with runners in scoring position during his win streak, but there's no doubt that Bauer is going to play a key role in October. As for the 12-game win streak, it's now the longest win streak by any team this season and one of the most impressive 12-game streaks ever, at least by run differential. Here are the biggest run differentials in a 12-game win streak since 1920 (for streaks that lasted longer than 12 games, each team's best 12-game stretch was considered): 1922 Pirates: 79 1934 Tigers: 69 1953 Yankees: 66 1935 Cubs: 65 2017 Indians: 63 2002 Athletics: 63 1931 Senators: 63 With three more games against the White Sox, don't be surprised if this streak gets to 15. Colorado Rockies win; Charlie Blackmon is awesome. A much-needed win for the Rockies to end their four-game skid appeared -- the much-loved walk-off walk to Carlos Gonzalez with two outs did the trick against the awful Giants -- as Blackmon had another big game, going 3-for-5 with a home run and scoring the winning run after a leadoff double.

I'm a little surprised Blackmon isn't being mentioned more as an MVP candidate. He's hitting .342/.406/.625, and he's on pace for 144 runs, 102 RBIs (while hitting leadoff), 39 home runs and 90 extra-base hits. Coors Field or not, these are lights-out numbers. Sure, Nolan Arenado has 111 RBIs, but whom do you think he has been driving in? Arenado has the defense, of course, but Blackmon does play an up-the-middle position. He has to be one of the six or seven guys in the running. Along with this guy ... Giancarlo Stanton hits No. 53! It didn't go far, but nobody's complaining:

TRUE BLUE LA Dustin May ends strong first full professional season By Eric Stephen The regular season came to a close on Monday for the Dodgers’ top four minor league affiliates, with two of the four teams headed for their playoffs. Player of the day Dustin May struck out eight in five scoreless innings for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, allowing only a single and a walk to his 17 batters faced. May, who turns 20 on Wednesday, has allowed just three runs (one earned) in 11 innings since his promotion to the Quakes, with 15 strikeouts and just one walk. A second-round pick in 2015, May proved to be a workhorse this season, ranking sixth among all Dodgers minor leaguers with 134 innings, including six or more innings in 11 of his last 16 outings, averaging 6.04 innings per start since Memorial Day. May also posted an excellent strikeout-to-walk ratio, with 128 strikeouts against only 27 walks in his age-19 season. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers ended their season with a 6-1 loss to the Round Rock Express (Rangers), managing just four singles and one double, the latter by Jack Murphy. Joc Pederson was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and ended his stint with Oklahoma City 10-for-56 (.179) with a home run, a double, and five walks. Since July 29, Pederson is a combined 12-for-97 (.124) in the majors and minors. Former Dodger Willie Calhoun, who hit a walk-off grand slam to beat OKC Sunday night, was 2-for-3 with two runs scored on Monday for Round Rock. Express starter Adrian Sampson allowed one run in five innings for the win, but was notable for throwing an amazing 44 of 47 pitches for strikes. Old friend Xavier Paul, now 32, was 1-for-4 for Round Rock. Oklahoma City play-by-play announcer Alex Freedman tweeted out a series of memories from the 2017 OKC season. Go to his Twitter feed, or start here.

Double-A Tulsa Down six runs in the ninth inning, the Drillers rallied for five runs in the bottom of the ninth but fell just short in an 8-7 loss to the Springfield Cardinals. Blake Gailen and Johan Mieses homered in the ninth, part of a three-hit day for Gailen that also included a double. The Drillers open the Texas League playoffs on Wednesday against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals). The North Division series is best-of-5, with the first two games in Arkanasa, followed by the final three — if necessary — at Tulsa. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes ended their regular season winning a low-scoring affair, 2-0 over the Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres). After May’s effort on the mound, Scott Kazmir followed with a rehab appearance, pitching three scoreless innings in relief, allowing two singles and two walks with three strikeouts to pick up the win. It was just the fourth appearance all season for Kazmir, and his first since July 8. Rancho Cucamonga managed only four hits on offense, but one was a two-run double by third baseman Zach McKinstry in the sixth inning to drive home the game’s only runs. The Quakes open the California League playoffs on Wednesday against the Lancaster JetHawks (Astros). The best-of-5 Southern Division series starts with two games in Lancaster, beginning Wednesday night. Rancho Cucamonga is home for Games 3-4 on Friday and Saturday. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons dropped their season finale, 10-8 to the Lake County Captains (Indians), finishing their season 69-70. The game ended with the bases loaded for Great Lakes. Dodgers 2017 first-round draft pick Jeren Kendall was 2-for-5 with a triple and a double, driving in a run and scoring another. Kendall reached base by hit or walk in his final 17 games of the season, hitting .269/.347/.493 during that time. Cody Thomas was 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, two runs scored and an RBI. Rookie-level Ogden The Raptors held a one-run lead in the eighth inning, just six outs away from the win they needed to clinch a Pioneer League playoff spot. But two solo home runs meant Ogden would have to wait another day, falling 7-6 to the Grand Junction Rockies. Shortstop Connon Heady went 2-for-4 with a home run in the loss. Ogden has four games remaining in the regular season schedule, including two against Grand Junction, who trails them by three games. Dominican Summer League The Dodgers have two teams in the DSL, creatively named DSL Dodgers 1 and DSL Dodgers 2. DSL Dodgers 1 beat DSL Dodgers 2 on Sunday in the DSL championship game, and this video was posted on Instagram. Transactions Triple-A: Charlie Culberson was called up to the Dodgers.

Class-A: Jordan Sheffield was activated from the disabled list, and retired two of his three batters faced in relief for the Quakes on Monday; Alex Hermeling was placed on the seven-day DL. Kazmir joined the Quakes on a rehab assignment. Monday scores Round Rock 6, Oklahoma City 1 Springfield 8, Tulsa 7 Rancho Cucamonga 2, Lake Elsinore 0 Lake County 10, Great Lakes 8 Ogden 7, Grand Junction 6 Tuesday schedule 5:40 p.m. PT: Ogden (Osiris Ramirez) at Grand Junction (Jorge Oviedo) J.D. Martinez homers 4 times, Robbie Ray fans 14 in Diamondbacks latest win over Dodgers By Eric Stephen The Dodgers have a growing Diamondbacks problem. J.D. Martinez and Robbie Ray had career nights on Monday, lifting Arizona to a 13-0 domination in the opener of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium. Martinez tied the major league record with four home runs on Monday, driving in six. This is the second game with three or more home runs for Martinez, who also hit three on June 21, 2015 for the Tigers at Yankee Stadium. Martinez, acquired by the Diamondbacks on July 18 from Detroit, has 18 home runs in 40 games with his new team, giving their lineup exactly the boost they were looking for. His two-run shot in the fourth inning provided the game’s first score, and represented the only runs allowed by Rich Hill in his six innings, which included nine strikeouts and just three baserunners allowed. On a normal night, that is probably a winnable game. But on Monday, Robbie Ray was at his best. The left-hander struck out a career-high 14 and pitched into the eighth, and was dominant all night. He retired the first 15 batters of the game, and allowed only three singles on the night — Logan Forsythe in the sixth, Justin Turner in the seventh, then Forsythe again in the eighth, when Ray was lifted with two outs. With no walks on the night, Ray became just the third pitcher to strike out at least 14 with no walks at Dodger Stadium, joining Clayton Kershaw (twice) and Sandy Koufax. Ray’s 53 strikeouts in 5 starts against the Dodgers this year are the most in a single season against the team in the live ball era, surpassing Curt Schilling’s 51 strikeouts against LA in 2001. The only pitcher

with more strikeouts against the Dodgers than Ray was Christy Mathewson, with 58 strikeouts in 1908, per Elias Sports. A 2-0 game got ugly in the seventh inning, when Pedro Baez allowed back-to-back solo home runs to Martinez and Brandon Drury, then a two-run single by Ray. Baez, who allowed four runs on the night, allowed exactly one home run in each of the first four months of the season and two in August. He has given up three home runs in his two September appearances. Adam Rosales homered in the eighth inning, then Martinez made history in the ninth with a two-run shot. The Diamondbacks scored three runs in the eighth inning, and four in the ninth to complete the carnage. The Dodgers bullpen has allowed 45 runs in 56⅓ innings against the Diamondbacks, representing 26.9 percent of their total runs allowed in 2017. Up next Hyun-jin Ryu is up next on the firing line, with Zack Greinke starting for the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, a 7:10 p.m. PT start. Monday particulars Home runs: J.D. Martinez 4 (34), Brandon Drury (12), Adam Rosales (3) WP - Robbie Ray (12-5): 7⅔ IP, 3 hits, 14 strikeouts LP - Rich Hill (9-7): 6 IP, 2 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts Dodgers get another shot at streaking Diamondbacks By Eric Stephen The red-hot Diamondbacks are rightfully confident, coming to Los Angeles on a 10-game winning streak, including having their way with the Dodgers for three games last week in Arizona. So far in 2017, there have only been six double-digit winning streaks in the majors, and the Dodgers have two of them — a 10-game run from June 16-25, followed by an 11-game streak from July 4-19. Arizona’s 10-game streak isn’t even the longest current streak in baseball. The Indians have won 11 straight, with the reigning American League pennant winners running away with the AL Central. The Diamondbacks took control of all three games against the Dodgers last week in Phoenix by scoring in their first at-bat. Arizona scored 10 runs in the first inning in that series, and hasn’t even trailed in a game since Aug. 25. Rich Hill has allowed 16 runs in the first inning in 20 starts this season, including spotting the Diamondbacks a 5-0 lead in the opening frame last Tuesday at Chase Field. Those 16 runs are double what Hill has allowed in his second-worst inning (the third).

Robbie Ray gets the call in the opener for Arizona, his fifth start against the Dodgers in 2017. The left-hander has a 1.49 ERA in 11 road starts this season, ranking third among major league pitchers with at least five away starts (Clayton Kershaw is first, at 1.45). On the road, Ray has 88 strikeouts in just 66⅓ innings. The first and third innings are also the worst for Ray, allowing 11 runs in both innings in 22 starts this season. Game info Time: 5:10 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network Dodgers call up Charlie Culberson, activate Josh Fields from DL By Eric Stephen LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers added a few more to the active roster before Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium, activating Josh Fields from the 10-day disabled list and calling up infielder Charlie Culberson from Triple-A. The Dodgers now have 36 players on their active roster. Culberson, who hit the division-clinching walk-off home run in Vin Scully’s final home game last September, has been with Oklahoma City all season after getting sent outright to the minors in December. Starting lineups Pos D-backs Pos Dodgers LF Peralta (L) CF Taylor SS Negron LF Hernandez CF Pollock 3B Turner RF Martinez 1B Bellinger (L) 2B Drury C Barnes 3B Lamb (L) RF Puig 1B Rosales 2B Forsythe C Herrmann (L) SS Culberson P Ray (L) P Hill (L) Time: 5:10 p.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA Culberson hit .250/.299/.336 in 108 games in Triple-A this season. He gives the Dodgers another option at shortstop, with Corey Seager likely unavailable to start until at least the weekend. Seager, nursing a sore elbow, starts a throwing program on Monday that is expected to last 4-7 days. Culberson starts Monday night at shortstop.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred Brandon McCarthy on the 60-day disabled list, retroactive to July 21. McCarthy has made a pair of minor league rehab starts in the last two weeks, still dealing with blister issues. He will likely continue his rehab during minor league playoffs, either with Double-A Tulsa or Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. McCarthy’s season isn’t technically over. He is eligible to be activated as early as Sept. 19. The right-hander has a 3.84 ERA and 3.33 FIP in 16 starts this season, with 66 strikeouts and 25 walks in 86⅔ innings. Fields was placed on the 10-day DL with a lower back strain on Aug. 27, retroactive to Aug. 25. Monday was the first day Fields was eligible to return. The right-hander has a 2.68 ERA in 47 appearances this season, with 49 strikeouts and 14 walks in 47 innings, including 1.86 in 10 games in August. The Dodgers on Monday also released outfielder Brett Eibner, who is out for the year after Tommy John surgery in August. He was designated for assignment on Friday. Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks starting pitchers, game times & TV info By Eric Stephen The Dodgers were swept in three games in Arizona last week thanks in large part to bad starting pitching, and the they will send the same three pitchers to the mound when the Diamondbacks visit Los Angeles for three games beginning Monday night in Los Angeles. Monday, 5:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA, MLB Network) Rich Hill in his last seven home starts — dating back to the beginning of June — has a 2.36 ERA with 49 strikeouts and 14 walks in 42 innings. He has allowed three runs once in those games. Robbie Ray has 39 strikeouts in four starts against the Dodgers this season, including 23 strikeouts in his two starts at Dodger Stadium, with three runs (two earned) allowed in 12 innings. Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, KTLA) Hyun-jin Ryu has started at home just four times in the last 12 weeks, posting a 2.63 ERA in those four games, with 20 strikeouts and eight walks in 24 innings. The Dodgers have won all four games. Zack Greinke is 2-4 in six starts against the Dodgers since leaving as a free agent, including six strong innings last Thursday afternoon in Phoenix. The splits have been stark, with Greinke posting a 2.45 ERA in four home starts. In his two starts at Dodger Stadium wearing whatever color those Diamondbacks uniforms are, Greinke has been tattooed for 13 runs on 19 hits in 9⅔ innings (a 12.10 ERA), including five home runs allowed. Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network) Kenta Maeda is 0-2 with a 9.53 ERA in four starts against the Diamondbacks in 2017, allowing 18 runs on 25 hits in 17 innings, and eight home runs allowed. He has allowed 10 home runs in his other 18 starts combined.

Yucaipa High School grad Taijuan Walker has allowed one run in his last three starts, with 17 strikeouts and five walks in 16⅔ innings. He hasn’t faced the Dodgers since April, when he allowed five runs in 10⅔ innings in back-to-back starts, winning on Apr. 16 at Dodger Stadium and getting a no-decision in a Dodgers win in Phoenix five days later. Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks series snapshot: September 4-6 By Eric Stephen The Dodgers get an almost immediate chance to wash away the bad taste of last week’s sweep by the Diamondbacks, with the two teams meeting for three games at Dodger Stadium. Here is an overview look of the best two teams in the National League West before Monday’s series opener. Teams: Dodgers (92-44) vs. Diamondbacks (79-58) Dodgers/D-backs 2017 Date Location Time (PT) Fri, Apr 14 LA 7-1 LA Sat, Apr 15 LA 8-4 LA Sun, Apr 16 LA 3-1 Ari Mon, Apr 17 LA 4-2 Ari Fri, Apr 21 Ari 13-5 Ari Sat, Apr 22 Ari 11-5 Ari Sun, Apr 23 Ari 6-2 LA Tue, Jul 4 LA 4-3 LA Wed, Jul 5 LA 1-0 LA Thu, Jul 6 LA 5-4 LA Tue, Aug 8 Ari 6-3 Ari Wed, Aug 9 Ari 3-2 LA Thu, Aug 10 Ari 8-6 LA Tue, Aug 29 Ari 7-6 Ari Wed, Aug 30 Ari 6-4 Ari Thu, Aug 31 Ari 8-1 Ari Mon, Sep 4 LA 5:10 p.m. Tue, Sep 5 LA 7:10 p.m. Wed, Sep 6 LA 7:10 p.m. Split records: Dodgers 52-16 at home, D-backs 34-35 on road Run differential: Dodgers +202 (1st in NL), D-backs +124 (3rd in NL) Runs scored: Dodgers 4.91 per game (5th), D-backs 4.93 (4th) OPS+: Dodgers 104 (1st), D-backs 92 (10th) wRC+: Dodgers 107 (1st), D-backs 94 (8th)

Runs allowed: Dodgers 3.43 (1st), D-backs 4.02 (2nd) ERA+: Dodgers 129 (2nd), D-backs 130 (1st) Last 10 games: Dodgers 2-8, D-backs 10-0 2017 head-to-head record: 8-8 Dodgers (5-2 Dodgers in LA) 2016 head-to-head: 12-7 Dodgers (5-5 in AZ) Diamondbacks SB Nation site: AZ Snake Pit Series schedule More details Monday, 5:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA, MLB Network) Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, KTLA) Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network) Pitching matchups Tuesday: Rich Hill vs. Robbie Ray (L) Wednesday: Hyun-jin Ryu vs. Zack Greinke Thursday: Kenta Maeda vs. Taijuan Walker

DODGER INSIDER

Notebook: Top prospect to get the call, Seager throwing By Rowan Kavner The Dodgers’ top prospect, whose 2017 season began in Single-A, is set to get his first call up to the Major Leagues on Wednesday. Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers will bring up pitcher Walker Buehler, ranked by MLB.com as baseball’s №12 prospect overall, as well as Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson from Triple-A Oklahoma City this week. Buehler allowed just three runs in 16 1/3 innings in five starts at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga to start the year before heading to Double-A Tulsa May 10. In 11 more starts, the 2015 first-round pick compiled a 3.49 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 64 strikeouts in 49 innings. Buehler, a Vanderbilt product who had Tommy John surgery after the Dodgers selected him two years ago, continues to ascend rapidly in his first completely healthy professional season. He went to Oklahoma City July 16, and after struggling in his first start at the Triple-A level, bounced back by allowing a combined four hits and one run in 10 innings in his next two starts. Then it was onto

the bullpen for his next nine appearances, preparing him for the role he’ll have when he joins the Dodgers this week with the Triple-A season now concluded. “Walker will be in the pen,” Roberts said. “He’s had a very quick ascension. Ultra, ultra-competitive, ultra-talented. To get him here and to reward him for being as good as he has been this year and to get him around our guys, to get (pitching coach) Rick (Honeycutt) to put eyes on him, to be around our players, we feel it can help him. In between the lines, he can help us get some innings and get some outs.” Roberts said Buehler’s usage will depend how each game plays out. Buehler pitched Sunday, so Roberts wanted to give him a couple days off before bringing him up. Roberts said he’ll give Buehler opportunities to show what he can bring in September and beyond. “He’s a part of the future, I know that, and possibly the present,” Roberts said. “How present, that’s up to him.” Roberts said Pederson and Thompson will also be recalled this week. Pederson was optioned Aug. 19, while Thompson was optioned July 24. Seager starts throwing program Roberts said Corey Seager, who hasn’t started since Aug. 27 as he rests a sore elbow, started a throwing program Monday and looked good. Seager threw out to 70 feet, and while there’s no specific date for Seager’s return, Roberts said the Dodgers are targeting this weekend’s Colorado series. “Whether it be Friday, Saturday or Sunday, it’s all contingent upon Corey and his health,” Roberts said. Roberts: “The tide will turn” By Rowan Kavner Manager Dave Roberts isn’t reaching for a panic button. Starter Rich Hill, who kept things tight early before Arizona poured on runs late Monday night, doesn’t want anyone to change routines. The Dodgers have lost four straight and nine of 10 after Monday’s 13–0 loss to the Diamondbacks, but neither Roberts nor Hill, who allowed just two runs in six innings, has seen a lack of effort from a group that still has eight more wins than any team in baseball. “Like I’ve said from the beginning, as long as we play the right way and compete, I’ll bet on our guys,” Roberts said, “And we’re still doing that.” It was clear from Hill’s first few pitches this start would be a rebound from his last one, when he allowed five runs in the first inning last Tuesday in Arizona. Back at Dodger Stadium against the same team Monday, Hill started the day striking out two and retiring the Diamondbacks in order on 11 pitches in the first inning. He didn’t allow a hit his first three innings and kept the Dodgers within striking distance at the time he left after six innings.

“You win and go deep in the postseason with starting pitching, in my opinion,” Roberts said. “To have Rich reset our starters and have an outing like this tonight, I think that’s a good sign for all of us.” Roberts said he thought about giving Hill another inning, but the Dodgers needed to find a way to get something going against Arizona starter Robbie Ray, so he pinch-hit for Hill in the sixth inning. Ray had a perfect game until that inning, when Logan Forsythe delivered his first of two hits on the night. Forsythe has hit safely in 10 of 12 games against the Diamondbacks this season. But hits were tough to come by against Ray, who struck out 14 and allowed three hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings, becoming the first pitcher ever with four games of 10 or more strikeouts in a single year against the Dodgers. In what began as a starting pitcher duel, the only damage against Hill came off the bat of J.D. Martinez, who hit a two-run homer in the fourth. But that wouldn’t be the last time Martinez or the Diamondbacks struck on a night that avalanched late. Pedro Baez relieved Hill and allowed back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning, the first coming off the bat of Martinez for his second homer of the day. Martinez would go on to finish with four homers on the night, including one apiece in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings, as the Diamondbacks scored 11 runs in the final three innings and finished with six home runs on the night. “We haven’t had many games, if any, like that all year,” Roberts said. Roberts said he had a conversation with Baez after the game to make sure the reliever’s confidence doesn’t waver after the outing. “Pedro’s going to be big for us, has been big for us,” Roberts said. “We need him.” Roberts knows there’s a point where this skid will need to end, but he reiterated that he’s not reaching for any panic button. He said he hasn’t looked too closely at the standings, but he is aware of one fact despite the recent slide. “We’re still in first place,” Roberts said. “I do know that.” And that’s by a significant margin. The Dodgers still have a 12.5-game lead in the division on the surging Diamondbacks, and the Dodgers already have more wins than they did last year with almost a full month left to play. “Minus the record, minus where we are in the standings, we’re there for a reason,” Hill said. “That reason is because we’ve been able to put that effort in every single day.” Because that hasn’t waned, Roberts remains confident things will start to go back in the Dodgers’ favor soon. “The tide will turn,” Roberts said.

2016 hero Culberson set for 2017 debut By Rowan Kavner 09/04 Diamondbacks at Dodgers, 5:10 p.m. PT: Chris Taylor CF Kiké Hernández LF Justin Turner 3B Cody Bellinger 1B Austin Barnes C Yasiel Puig RF Logan Forsythe 2B Charlie Culberson SS Rich Hill P Charlie Culberson will forever be remembered for his contributions to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2016 season. Now, the infielder will have the chance to add to the memories of the Dodgers’ 2017 season for the first time this year. Culberson, whose lone 2016 Major League home run last year clinched the NL West division and came in walk-off fashion with Vin Scully calling his final home game, had his contract selected Tuesday. In addition, the Dodgers reinstated Josh Fields (lower back strain) from the 10-day disabled list, transferred Brandon McCarthy (blister) to the 60-day DL and released Brett Eibner, who underwent Tommy John surgery in August. Fields, who’s 5–0 with a 2.68 ERA in 47 relief appearances this year, returns after missing eight games. This year, Culberson has spent all season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he slashed .250/.299/.336. He started 97 games at shortstop with Oklahoma City, and that’s where he’ll be starting while hitting eighth as the Dodgers open their series at home Monday against the Diamondbacks. “You’re talking about a premium, arguably your most important, defensive position,” said manager Dave Roberts. “He’s had a nice year there, and he was a big part of what we did last year. When you have your starting shortstop go down and have a guy that you can pencil in against a left-handed pitcher … Charlie’s definitely a good option.” Home Sweet Home A return to Dodger Stadium comes just at the right time for the Dodgers, with this series determining the season series winner against the Diamondbacks. Each team has won eight games against the other in a tight season series between the NL West rivals. The last time the Diamondbacks were at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers swept. Conversely, on the seven-game road trip the Dodgers are returning from, the Diamondbacks swept. “It was a long one,” manager Dave Roberts said of the road trip. “To be back home is a good thing. There’s a lot of energy. Guys are excited to kind of sleep in their own beds. To have seven days at home, obviously we play well at home, it’s good.”

Playing at Dodger Stadium has been a significant advantage all year for the Dodgers, who hold the best home record in baseball at 52–16. The Dodgers have won 31 of their last 37 games at Dodger Stadium since June 7 and currently rank second among the franchise’s all-time best home records, trailing only the 1953 team (60–17) by home winning percentage. In addition, the Dodgers are 11–1 at home against NL West teams since June 1. Rich Hill will have to redeem his last start against Arizona to stretch that mark to 12–1 on Monday. Hill allowed six runs in 3 2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks last Tuesday, but that kind of performance has been a rarity. He’s held opponents to a .205 batting average in his last 10 starts and had allowed three runs or fewer in each of his previous 11 starts prior to last Tuesday. He’ll face Robbie Ray, who’s already made twice as many starts this year against the Dodgers than any other team. Ray is 2–0 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts against the Dodgers this season. “Ray’s had our number, so we’ve got to figure out a way to unlock the code,” Roberts said. “Tonight we expect to be the night.” The Dodgers enter the series 13.5 games ahead of the second-place Diamondbacks.

NBC LA Dodgers Nosedive Continues as They are Shutout by Snakes, 13-0 By Michael Duarte They're trapped in a nosedive. J.D. Martinez tied an MLB record with four home runs and Robbie Ray threw eight shutout innings as the Arizona Diamondbacks destroyed the Los Angeles Dodgers, 13-0, on Labor Day at Dodger Stadium. Martinez was acquired from the Detroit Tigers before the July 31st trade deadline in order to give Arizona another right-handed bat that could hit left-handed pitching like the Dodgers. Martinez did exactly what he was brought to the Diamondbacks to do on Monday as he homered off Rich Hill in the fourth inning, Pedro Baez in the seventh inning, Josh Fields in the eighth inning, and "It's definitely a blessing," Martinez said of his four home runs. "You work real hard to find that perfect swing and it was just one of those days where everything lined up. I was seeing the ball well and when I was swinging I was hitting them." Martinez became the 16th player in the modern era of MLB history to homer four times in a single game and the second one to do it this season, joining Scooter Gennett of the Cincinnati Reds. "I've gotten to three before," Martinez said. "In my last at-bat, I said to myself, 'just go up here and have a good at-bat,' keep doing what you've been doing all day. If it's meant to be, it's meant to be."

Additionally, according to MLB Random Stats Martinez is the first player since 1954 to hit a home run off four different pitchers in a game, and he did it in four straight plate appearances. Ray (12-5) was perfect through five innings and recorded a career-high 14 strikeouts against the Dodgers as the red-hot D-backs won their 11th consecutive game. "I was throwing the ball really well," Ray said. "Anytime you can keep this lineup in check like that, it's pretty special." Arizona's 11-game winning streak is tied for the longest in baseball this season, and they have not trailed 88 consecutive innings over the course of the streak, the longest since 1912. Ray became the first pitcher in MLB history to record four separate 10+ strikeout games in a single season against the same team, all against the division rival Dodgers as he scattered just three hits with no walks in 7 and 2/3 shutout innings. "They're a tough lineup, but I've stuck to my game plan," Ray said of the start. "I think getting ahead of guys and making them uncomfortable is the key. I was able to get ahead of guys and take advantage of that." The All-Star pitcher has been on fire this season and is 10-2 with a 1.94 ERA since May 20th. Hill (9-7) had a much better start than he did against the Diamondbacks last week in Phoenix when he allowed five runs in the first inning. Hill did not allow a hit through the first three innings on Monday before he surrendered the two-run blast to Martinez in the top of the fourth. Hill allowed two runs on two hits with one walk and nine strikeouts in six strong innings, but has yet to record a win over the Snakes this season as he fell to 0-4 with a 5.16 ERA in 2017. "He was great tonight," said Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts. "To have Rich reset our starters and have an outing like this tonight is a good sign for all of us." Brandon Drury and Adam Rosales also homered for Arizona as the Diamondbacks went deep a total of six times in the game. The six home runs allowed by the Dodgers were the most this season, and they most they've allowed in a game since June 24, 2009 against the Chicago White Sox. It was also the most home runs hit by a visiting team in Dodger Stadium as the Diamondbacks tied the Cincinnati Reds who also hit six at Chavez Ravine on Aug. 2, 2001. The Dodgers tailspin continues as they have lost nine of their last 10 games overall and four in a row to Arizona. "You just have to keep playing. We're doing the same thing we've been doing all year, just the results are different," said Roberts. "As far as a panic button, I don't see us pressing it yet. As long as we play the right way, and we compete, I'll bet on us."

They lost against an N.L. West opponent for just the second time at home this season, and now trail the Diamondbacks 9-8 in the season series. "Every team is beatable," said Martinez. "There's no team out there that's not beatable. This is baseball, it's about 162 games, not 100." The 13-run scoreless loss was the worst of the season for Los Angeles. "We got our butts kicked," conceeded Roberts. "We haven't had many games like that all year." Up Next: For the second time in a week, the Dodgers will face old friend Zack Greinke as the Diamondbacks look for an MLB-best 12-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Dodgers send Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound at 7:10PM PST.

LA TIMES

Dodgers Dugout: Some good and some strange suggestions to end the Dodgers downward skid By Houston Mitchell Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and after watching the Dodgers the last few days, I’m beginning to think I live in Oklahoma City. Random thoughts I’m not going to rant over how poorly the Dodgers have been playing lately. It seems when the offense plays well, the pitching is poor and when the pitching is great, the offense can’t hit. What’s the solution? Let’s take a look at some suggestions from experts on TV and from fans via email, with my thoughts on it. Suggestion: The Dodgers need to stick with one lineup and quit moving people around. Did you know that the Dodgers have used 122 lineups in 136 games this season? That they haven’t used any one lineup more than three times and they changed the lineup almost daily during their amazing run? Last season, the World Series champion Cubs used 130 lineups during the season. I don’t think this is the problem. Suggestion: Sending Joc Pederson down ruined the clubhouse chemistry and made all the young players nervous about their jobs. I think this says a lot more about the people who suggest it. Do you slack off at work when someone leaves or is let go? These players are paid millions of dollars. You really think they are underperforming because Pederson is gone? They go to bat thinking “Man, it’s just not the same without Joc. Whoops!

Strike one! I wasn’t even ready yet! Man, Joc would usually be cheering for me after a strike like that.” And it makes the young players nervous? Which young players? Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger are suddenly worried about their job because a guy who was underperforming was sent down? What if they had traded Pederson for Justin Verlander? Wouldn’t that have had the same effect? And why didn’t Joc and his great chemistry lead the team into the World Series the last couple of seasons? Suggestion: Curtis Granderson should not be hitting second in the lineup. I agree. Granderson has six hits and 19 strikeouts in 15 games. I’d rather see just about anyone else batting second. Suggestion: The Dodgers need better starting pitchers, they won’t win with what they have now. Setting aside the fact they went 91-36 with what they have now, this is the starting pitching we have. They have led the majors in ERA almost all season. Most teams would be very happy to have Clayton Kershaw, Yu Darvish, Alex Wood, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda and Hyun-jin Ryu as their starters. They are pitching poorly right now (other than Kershaw). They will hopefully figure it out. I see no reason to think they won’t. Suggestion: The bullpen is wearing down from overuse. You could be right. Josh Ravin has an ERA of almost six in his last six appearances. After pitching well all season, Pedro Baez is reverting to the Pedro Baez Dodgers fans remember and fear. Josh Fields is on the disabled list. Tony Watson and Tony Cingrani don’t look like answers as left-handed setup man. Kenley Jansen is great, and it looks like Brandon Morrow will replace Baez as primary setup man. And Luis Avilan has been solid. But all of these guys have made a lot of appearances, which doesn’t even take into account the number of times they have warmed up without getting into the game. The odds are that a couple of these guys are going to hit a wall. You just have to hope they don’t hit the wall in Game 5 of the NLDS. And by the way, I like Eddie Paredes. He has given up one hit and no walks while striking out nine in 6 1/3 innings. He may be the left-handed pitcher the Dodgers need. I’d at least audition him over the next four weeks. Suggestion: Yu Darvish hasn’t been the answer and shouldn’t even be in the postseason rotation. Darvish is 2-2 with a 4.50 ERA, a 4.67 FIP and a 1.538 WHIP. Rick Honeycutt works with him daily as they try to rebuild his throwing motion so it is more like the one he had before surgery. Maybe I’m crazy, but I think if you know you have to rebuild a guy’s motion, then perhaps he isn’t the best choice to acquire at the trade deadline. As of right now, Darvish will be starting Game 2 of the NLDS. But a lot can happen in a month. Suggestion: Wouldn’t it be nice to have Zack Greinke and his 16 wins on the team now? Well, setting aside the fact that rating judging pitchers by wins is a bit antiquated, and that Greinke would have had a different schedule with the Dodgers than Arizona, answer this: Would you rather give up Justin Turner or Jansen, because if you are going to pay Greinke $30 million a season, you aren’t going to be able to re-sign one or both of those guys before this season. You can’t just make Greinke

appear from thin air and put him on the team. Roster decisions the last two seasons would be much different. Suggestion: Justin Turner is overrated and should be benched…. Dave Roberts is a liar and will do anything to make best friend Adrian Gonzalez happy even if it means the team plays worse…. This team was so much better when Matt Kemp was with them. OK, all I can say here is that some people should just stop being baseball fans. Am I worried and concerned over this recent slide? Yep. But, I try to keep this in mind: This is the same team that went 81-24. Sandwiched around that they went 11-20. The truth is somewhere in between those extremes. But, and please trust me on this, if you find yourself losing sleep over this slide, or getting angry at the team or the front office, or holding on to the losses for more than 10 minutes after a game ends, remember one very important thing: It’s just a game. Take a breath and enjoy life. What do the players and manager think? Cody Bellinger: “I’m not worried. And I know no one in this clubhouse is worried [about] what’s happened in the last week.” Dave Roberts: I hope fans “don’t jump off the bandwagon” based on one terrible trip. “It’s the same team. We have the same goal. We’re going to be just fine. We can’t win every game.” Alex Wood: “I think it’s a statistical improbability to go an entire season without getting punched in the face, at any point. We’ve been so good for so long that we have a rough patch for a week and everyone is like, ‘Oh my God, what’s going on?’ It happens to everybody. The best teams in the world, this happens to. We’ve just got to keep our heads down and keep playing the baseball that we’re supposed to be, and we’ll be fine.” Dave Roberts, again: “I can assure you this won’t break us.” Here’s a word of advice for the team, particularly if they lose Monday to Arizona: You might want to start showing some anger, or some passion. Because it’s not like these last 10 games have been highly competitive. You look lackadaisical out there. You look like you think you are all that and a bag of chips. Very few people are jumping off the bandwagon, but some people on the bandwagon are pointing out that one of the tires looks like it’s going to blow. A “The way we’ve been playing has been unacceptable” would be nice to hear. The obscure Dodgers record of the week The Dodgers have 26 sacrifice bunts this season. A look at the Dodgers teams with the fewest sacrifice bunts in a season: 1. 2016 Dodgers, 30 2. 2014 Dodgers, 47

3. 2015 Dodgers, 49 4. 1994 Dodgers, 51 5. 2005 Dodgers, 57 5. 2001 Dodgers, 57 7. 1930 Dodgers, 58 7. 2007 Dodgers, 58 9. 1981 Dodgers, 62 10. 2008 Dodgers, 64 Next series Monday, 5 p.m. PT, Arizona (Robbie Ray, 11-5, 2.97) at Dodgers (Rich Hill, 9-6, 3.71) Tuesday, 7 p.m. PT, Arizona (Zack Greinke, 16-6, 3.08) at Dodgers (Hyun-Jin Ryu, 5-7, 3.71) Wednesday, 7 p.m. PT, Arizona (Taijuan Walker, 8-7, 3.42) at Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw, 16-2, 1.95) Note: Pitchers are subject to change. Magic numbers The Dodgers are on pace to finish with a 110-52 record. Their magic number to clinch another NL West title is 13. Reminder For those of you living in the L.A. area, four Dodger games will be on KTLA-TV Ch. 5 the rest of the season. All of them will be on a Tuesday. They are: Sept. 5, 7 p.m. vs. Arizona Sept. 12, 7:15 p.m. at San Francisco Sept. 19, 4 p.m. at Philadelphia Sept. 26, 7 p.m. vs. San Diego