Daily Clips

April 14, 2017

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2017

DODGERS.COM: Roberts: Cold bats 'trying to do too much'- John Jackson Swipe-of-home statue ideal image of Jackie— Richard Justice Offense can't get going in finale vs. Cubs— Carrie Muskat and John Jackson Kershaw set to clash with ex-teammate Greinke- Steve Gilbert Baez set to rejoin Dodgers this weekend- John Jackson LA TIMES: Dave Roberts ruminates on life, the death of his father and mixing things up in the bullpen- Dylan Hernandez Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw to face former teammate Zack Greinke for the first time—Andy McCullough Dodgers fall to the Chicago Cubs, 4-0, as struggles on offense continue- Andy McCullough OC REGISTER: Dodgers shut out, 4-0, by Brett Anderson, Cubs—Bill Plunkett Dodgers Notes: They say it’s too early to measure themselves against Cubs—Bill Plunkett On deck: Diamondbacks at Dodgers, Friday, 7 p.m.- Bill Plunkett ESPN: Rumor Central: Dodgers, Brewers still in contact about Ryan Braun?- Doug Mittler Clayton Kershaw not looking forward to facing Zack Greinke- ESPN.com news services An oral history of the night baseball stopped to retire No. 42 forever- Jayson Stark Anderson's arm, Almora's glove lead Cubs over Dodgers 4-0- AP TRUE BLUE LA: Yusniel Diaz has 3 hits in Quakes win—Craig Minami Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks pitching probables, game times & TV info—Eric Stephen Dodgers come up short again in road trip finale—Eric Stephen Dodgers vs. Cubs: Former southpaw teammates face off on getaway day- Eric Stephen DODGERS INSIDER: Five Takeaways: Runners get on, not across—Rowan Kavner On the Farm: OKC’s Dickson and Rancho’s White continue to dominate—Cary Osborne Dodgers see familiar face against Cubs’ Anderson—Rowan Kavner DODGERS PHOTOG BLOG: 4/12/17-Something Current-LAD-2,CHC-0 at Wrigley Field by Jon SooHoo/©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2017- Jon SooHoo 4/13/17-Something Current-LAD-0,CHC-4 at Wrigley Field by Jon SooHoo/©LA Dodgers- Jon SooHoo USA TODAY: As MLB honors Jackie Robinson, can it reverse a trend?- Bob Nightengale NBC LA: Cubs Return The Favor, Shutout Dodgers 4-0, to Win Series at Wrigley—Michael Duarte THE NEW YORK TIMES: Latest Series Against Cubs Reminds Dodgers of World Series Drought—Tyler Kepner TMZSPORTS.COM: JACKIE ROBINSON, WIFE, KIDS AND DODGER LEGENDS... to Attend Statue Unveiling- TMZ SPORTS LOS ANGELES POST-EXAMINER: Dodgers will unveil the Jackie Robinson Statue at Dodger Stadium Saturday- Los Angeles Post-Examiner Staff THE WASHINGTON POST: Dodgers’ exceptional depth gives them an arm — and often a bat — up on the competition—Dave Sheinin LA TIMES: Dodgers Dugout: All these years, and they still can’t hit lefties-Houston Mitchell

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2017

DODGERS.COM

Roberts: Cold bats 'trying to do too much' By John Jackson CHICAGO -- During the three-game series at frosty Wrigley Field, the Dodgers managed a total of four runs. The wind blew in off Lake Michigan, and several balls that appeared headed out of the ballpark were knocked down. Still, manager Dave Roberts doesn't believe the conditions -- as tough as they were -- were the sole reason for the Dodgers' offensive woes in Thursday's 4-0 loss to the Cubs. "I think there's a little of trying to do too much with runners in scoring position," Roberts said. "I think if you look at aggressiveness in the count, we're a little bit aggressive with balls out of the zone and expanding too much. "I know it's early, but it's a little bit of guys wanting to do too much." There was no better example of that than the at-bat by right fielder Yasiel Puig with the bases loaded and two out in the top of the fifth inning. Two walks and a single had sparked the rally, and Cubs starter Brett Anderson -- who spent the past two seasons with the Dodgers -- was perhaps a base hit away from being yanked. But after taking the first pitch for a ball, Puig swung at a ball well out of the strike zone, took a strike and then popped out to first baseman Anthony Rizzo in foul territory. "That was a big at-bat of the game," Roberts said. "He knows Brett. He takes a ball down below the zone, and he gets a 1-0 fastball and takes a big swing at a ball out of the zone. That changed that sequence right there. You get the bases loaded, we've got him on the ropes a little bit. If that count runs to 2-0, then it could be a different at-bat." That was the final pitch for Anderson, but it was enough to get him his first win in a Chicago uniform. "It was a grind, it was a huge grind," Anderson said. "I was happy with the way I battled with what I had." Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu didn't fare as well. He battled through 4 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits -- including home runs by Rizzo and Addison Russell. "The velocity was a little bit down today," Roberts said. "He touched 91 [mph] but pitched at 87, 88. I thought he left a couple of fastballs out over [the plate], one to Rizzo and one to Russell. I thought the changeup was really good.

"If we had gotten a couple of runs early, it might have been a different game for him." And certainly a better game for the Los Angeles offense. "We missed the big hit all day," shortstop Corey Seager said. "A credit to them, a credit to Brett for us not doing our job, whatever it is. Pretty much all series, we needed a big hit to kind of separate or give ourselves the lead. We missed it this series." Swipe-of-home statue ideal image of Jackie By Richard Justice From the beginning of the process, sculptor Branly Cadet wanted an image of Jackie Robinson stealing home during his rookie season with the Dodgers. He thought it captured how the man lived his entire life, both symbolically and literally. Something else Cadet thought was important: the beginning of a stolen base. In that way, he could capture both Robinson's fearlessness and the symbolism of the hard work still ahead. Cadet's finished work -- a bronze Jackie Robinson, eight feet tall, with cleats up and arms outstretched -- will be unveiled Saturday afternoon at Dodger Stadium on the 70th anniversary of his breaking baseball's color line. Dodgers owner Mark Walter initiated the project -- the first sculpture ever at Dodger Stadium -- on Jackie Robinson Day in 2015. Jackie's widow, Rachel, and children, Sharon and David, will attend the ceremony. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson will also be there, along with Dodgers icons Tommy Lasorda, Sandy Koufax, Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin. For Cadet, the project has been a labor of love, both in researching Jackie Robinson's remarkable life and in seeking input from members of Robinson's family. "Just meeting the family was a great honor," Cadet said. "As an African-American, I feel they are a family whose actions and choices have made an impact on my life. It's not every day you actually meet the people who are on the front line of those kinds of social changes. "I certainly knew Jackie Robinson had broken the color line in baseball. I didn't realize he'd been an activist before his baseball career. In the military, he was a leader. After baseball, he became involved in politics and various civil rights causes." Rachel Robinson opened her treasure trove of photographs to Cadet, but it was his idea to make the depiction of Robinson stealing home plate during his rookie season. "I thought it captured Jackie Robinson's significance in American history," Cadet said. "It takes courage and focus and timing to steal home. Similarly, those qualities were required of anyone breaking the color line. My title was 'Stealing home and the point of no return.'

"He was a first. We wanted to represent him in an earlier part of his career when the color line was broken. Historically, that's what was most important. The day he stepped on that baseball field was an important day, not just in baseball, but in American history. We wanted to honor that." The Dodgers will place the 800-pound finished product at the Left Field Reserve Plaza entrance, which is used most games by nearly 20 percent of fans -- the highest percentage of the 13 entrances. "You have both the ceremonial and grand views of downtown Los Angeles in one direction and Elysian Park in the other," said Dodgers senior vice president of planning and development Janet Marie Smith. Three of Jackie Robinson's most memorable quotes will be embedded in the base of the statue to tell a fuller story of the man's social activism. Interestingly, when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962, he asked that his plaque refer only to his playing career. Robinson died in 1972, and his plaque was rewritten in 2008 to reflect the totality of the man's contributions to both baseball and to being a critical figure in advancing the American civil rights movement. "He was in his 40s when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame," Smith said. "He was still a young man. His baseball career may have been over, but he was still a young man. His place in history may not have been known at that time. The family permitted the Hall of Fame to alter the plaque, and our goal was to honor both aspects of his life. "Our goal was to both celebrate Jackie as an athlete and to acknowledge the important role he played in civil rights and social change in America." Offense can't get going in finale vs. Cubs By Carrie Muskat and John Jackson CHICAGO -- The wind blew in Anthony Rizzo's favor on Thursday, while Addison Russell launched the first home run of the season onto the street outside of Wrigley Field to power the Cubs to a 4-0 victory over the Dodgers, who continued to struggle against left-handed pitchers, including a familiar one. Brett Anderson, making his Wrigley Field debut, picked up the win against his former team, scattering three hits over five scoreless innings. The Dodgers, who had problems against lefties last season, now have lost four of five games against a southpaw starter this year, including two in this series. Anderson got a huge boost from the Cubs' defense, including two solid catches in center field by Albert Almora Jr., who robbed Corey Seager twice. "I think I owe Almora my paycheck for the day," Anderson said. "Today was a weird scenario. If [Almora] doesn't make those plays, it's a different ballgame." Their bunting was still up, but there were no pregame celebrations on Thursday as the Cubs attempted to turn the page on the 2016 World Series championship. On Wednesday night, after getting their championship rings, Rizzo had hit ball to right field that, according to Statcast™, had an exit velocity of

105 mph and launch angle of 28 degrees but stayed in the park because of a 14-mph easterly wind. In the first on Thursday, Rizzo hit a ball to right with the same exit velocity (105 mph) but a launch angle of 21 degrees, and it landed in the right-field bleachers. The wind was only blowing from the east at 7 mph. "It's just Wrigley for you," Kyle Schwarber said. "There are going to be those days when you don't know what's going to happen with the ball, and you have to approach your at-bats the same." Russell gave the ball hawks outside Wrigley Field their first souvenir when he led off the fourth with his first homer, driving a 2-0 pitch from Hyun-Jin Ryu onto Waveland Avenue behind the left-field bleachers. Russell had a little more oomph to his homer. The exit velocity was 110 mph, and the ball traveled 429 feet. "That ball was mangled," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. Ryu, making his third Major League start in more than 2 1/2 years because of shoulder and elbow injuries, took the loss. He has not won a game since Aug. 31, 2014. "The velocity was a little bit down today; he touched 91 [mph] but pitched at 87, 88," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Ryu. "I thought he left a couple of fastballs out over [the plate], one to Rizzo and one to Russell. "If we had gotten a couple of runs early, it might have been a different game for him." • Roberts: Cold bats 'trying to do too much' MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Puig popout ends threat: Anderson got into a mess in the fifth. The Dodgers loaded the bases with two outs as Anderson walked Ryu, gave up a single to Seager and then walked Justin Turner. But Anderson got Yasiel Puig to pop up to Rizzo in foul territory and end the inning. Puig came into the game 0-for-13 with three strikeouts against lefties this season. "Today, Brett didn't have his best stuff," Roberts said. "In that fourth and fifth inning, we had a couple of opportunities to scratch a couple across, and we didn't get that big hit." Two (almost three) insurance runs: The Cubs added two more runs in the fifth, and they nearly had a third, but Schwarber was thrown out at home. Chicago had two on when Schwarber hit a ball that first baseman Scott Van Slyke deflected. Javier Baez scored on the hit to extend the lead to 3-0. One out later, Rizzo singled to right to drive in Jon Jay. Schwarber tried to score on the play as the throw in sailed to left. But Enrique Hernandez threw home, and Schwarber was out at the plate. It was a little painful as Schwarber sustained a small cut above his right eye. He stayed in the game. QUOTABLE "A lot of envy, especially now being the only guy on the active roster without a World Series ring. That's not fun. It gives me, personally, that much more incentive to do my part and fill the holes going forward." -- Anderson, on his motivation. He's the only player on Cubs active roster who has not won a World Series

"I thought we played 'em pretty tough for the three games. They walked us off … when was that, a week ago Monday? We beat 'em yesterday and had a lot of opportunities to be right in the game today. Whenever they come to us -- I don't know when that is -- we'll end up on the right side of it." -- Turner, on the series SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS The Cubs have won three straight series to start the season for the fourth time in the expansion era. They also did so in 1969, '85 and last season. GLOVEWORK Joc Pederson singled to open the Dodgers' seventh, but Carl Edwards Jr. got pinch-hitter Chase Utley to hit a liner to second baseman Baez, who caught the ball in the air and fired to Rizzo at first to get Pederson in time. "We played the heck out of defense," Maddon said. UNDER REVIEW In the Dodgers' third, Schwarber did a juggling act in left. He caught Hernandez's fly ball, but it came out of his glove, bounced off the wall, bounced off Schwarber's right hand, and then landed in his glove. Center fielder Almora signaled a catch, as did Schwarber, but the Dodgers asked for a review. After a three-minute, 55-second review, the call was overturned, and Hernandez was given a double. "I thought he really made the play," Almora said. "He started bobbling it, and I thought he got around it." The replay official determined the ball made contact with the outfield wall prior to Schwarber demonstrating firm and secure possession of the ball. WHAT'S NEXT Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, who allowed four runs on eight hits Saturday at Colorado, will look to bounce back from his first defeat of the season when the Dodgers open a four-game home series against the D-backs on Friday night. The left-hander is 12-8 with a 2.75 ERA against Arizona in his career. First pitch is 7:10 PT. Cubs: Kyle Hendricks will make his first start at Wrigley Field on Friday when the Cubs open a three-game series against the Pirates. Hendricks was the Major League ERA leader last season, but in his first start of the season, he gave up four runs over six innings. First pitch is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT. Kershaw set to clash with ex-teammate Greinke By Steve Gilbert D-backs right-hander Zack Greinke is looking forward to facing off against his friend and former teammate Clayton Kershaw on Friday night when the D-backs open a four-game series with the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. "I want to face him," Greinke said, "just to see how nasty he is."

Kershaw and Greinke pitched together in Los Angeles from 2013-15 before Greinke signed a six-year, $206.5 million free-agent deal with the D-backs prior to last season. Greinke is coming off a impressive start against the Indians where he allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings. "He's so competitive that if I started taking it lightly, it would be a bad game plan," Greinke said of Kershaw. "He has a great mindset. A great work ethic. He does everything as perfect as you'd want a pitcher to do." "I'll just try and block it out," Kershaw said of the matchup. "It's not fun to pitch to people you know. I'm not good at separating that. I'm just going to have to focus and really think about it like he's another guy. Then the next day I can talk to him." Things to know about this game • Kershaw has started 24 games in his career against Arizona and is 12-8 with a 2.75 ERA in those contests. Last season, he faced the D-backs once and struck out 11 in 7 1/3 innings. • Greinke has started seven games against the Dodgers and is 3-2 with a 3.80 ERA. • Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager hit Greinke hard last year, going 5-for-8 with a pair of homers. Meanwhile, D-backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt is 10-for-39 (.256) with a pair of homers in his career against Kershaw. • In Greinke's last start, he held the Indians to one run despite allowing an average exit velocity of 92.5 mph, tied for his fourth-highest average velocity in a start since joining the D-backs. But it was the right type of contact: 11 of the 18 batted ball against him were hit on the ground, a 61.1-percent rate that ranks as Greinke's third-highest in a start with Arizona. Baez set to rejoin Dodgers this weekend By John Jackson CHICAGO -- Right-hander Pedro Baez (right thumb) had a successful rehab outing on Wednesday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, and he is set to rejoin the Dodgers this weekend for the four-game series with the D-backs. The Dodgers wanted to see Baez get "up and down" in a game. He pitched a perfect eighth, sat down as the offense batted and then came back to get the first out of the ninth. "He ... threw 15 pitches, so he's good to go," manager Dave Roberts said. On Wednesday, Roberts said Baez would be activated from the 10-day disabled list on Friday if all went well, but the manager was noncommittal before Thursday's finale of the three-game series with the Cubs. "He's flying to L.A. today," Roberts said. "What day he's activated, we're not sure, but he's on his way."

LA TIMES

Dave Roberts ruminates on life, the death of his father and mixing things up in the bullpen By Dylan Hernandez As bleary-eyed players marched into Wrigley Field’s cramped visiting locker room Thursday morning, they were welcomed to work by a cheerful voice from inside the manager’s office. The voice belonged to Dave Roberts, the highly energetic and highly caffeinated manager of the Dodgers. Yasiel Puig stuck his head into Roberts’ office. Roberts told Puig about how MLB Network mentioned the outfielder’s foundation. “I like it,” Roberts told him. Watching Roberts interact with his players this week, you never would have imagined he was in mourning. You never would have guessed he was less than month removed from the death of his father, Waymon. “I think about him a lot,” Roberts said. Two days earlier, the Dodgers didn’t have a game to play. The 44-year-old Roberts was alone in his luxury hotel room and started thinking about his father. “I just wanted to hear his voice,” Roberts said. “I didn’t even know if my sister turned off his phone or not, but I just called his number.” When Roberts shared the story, a silence fell over the office. He placed the tip of his index finger on his lips and stared into the space in front of him. He wasn’t down for long. He couldn’t be. The game was calling. And the game requires the full commitment of a manager’s intellectual and emotional resources, as Roberts learned last year in his successful maiden season with the Dodgers. As a player, he was conditioned to visualize positive outcomes. That was still his mentality at the start of last season. So, if he went into a particular game, he counted on the starting pitcher lasting six innings. His task was to figure out who would serve as the seventh- and eighth-inning links to closer Kenley Jansen. The state of the Dodgers rotation forced him to rewire his brain. Injuries and substandard performances meant Roberts couldn’t take anything for granted. It wasn’t uncommon for him to be making his first change in the fourth or fifth inning.

“I think I’ve learned quickly as a manager that you can’t just expect good things to happen,” he said. “You always have to caution for the worst case. I’m very cognizant of various exit strategies.” And this was how he learned to use his bullpen. No relievers had designated roles outside of Jansen. Anyone in the bullpen could come in at any time. The idea wasn’t new in baseball. How successfully the idea was implemented was. Players have routines. Disrupt their routines and you threaten their performances. “I think it’s the consistency of conversations with me and our players, about eliminating noise, being accountable and not making excuses because that’s an excuse,” Roberts said. “It’s challenging guys to back up what they say. If they’re here for the team and to be unselfish, then the out in the fifth inning is just as big as the out in the ninth inning.” The Dodgers bullpen topped the major leagues last season in innings pitched and earned-run average. The pitchers in the group have changed this season, but the results haven’t. Through 10 games, Dodgers relievers have posted a combined 1.34 ERA. The team dropped its series finale against the Chicago Cubs, 4-0, but the bullpen contributed another 3 1/3 scoreless innings. Roberts said this is in part because he has learned to better utilize the data provided to him by the front office, which he studies before every game. Was Roberts a good student? “When I wanted to be,” he said. Roberts has a degree from UCLA, but it’s in history. The school will give one of those to pretty much anyone. I know. My degree from UCLA is also in history. Roberts laughed. “You’re right,” he said. “I wasn’t econ at UCLA.” As important as his aptitude is the confidence he gained last year in the playoffs, particularly in what was his managerial magnum opus in Game 5 of a National League division series against the Washington Nationals. Roberts’ starting pitcher in that game, Rich Hill, failed to complete the third inning. Joe Blanton recorded the final out of the third inning and pitched the fourth. Julio Urias pitched the fifth and the sixth. Jansen entered the game in the seventh inning and pitched 2 1/3 innings. Clayton Kershaw, who started the previous day, registered the last two outs. The Dodgers won, 4-3, and advanced to the NL Championship Series, where they fell to the Cubs.

When the season ended, Roberts was named the league’s manager of the year. He shared those triumphs with his father, a former Marine and disciplinarian. He won’t have his father alongside him for his future victories. Roberts reflected on how their relationship evolved over the years. “He was completely different than when he raised me,” Roberts said. “He softened. He just became a fan.” Roberts nodded and forced a smile. Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw to face former teammate Zack Greinke for the first time By Andy McCullough Clayton Kershaw shared a clubhouse with Zack Greinke for three seasons. The two became close friends as the Dodgers strung together a trio of National League West championships. Kershaw felt disappointed when his team allowed Greinke to depart after the 2015 season for a six-year, $206.5-million contract with Arizona. Never before has Kershaw faced Greinke as an opponent. That will change Friday evening at Dodger Stadium, when the Diamondbacks arrive for a four-game series. Kershaw admitted he did not relish the opportunity to face his friend. “I don’t really look forward to it,” Kershaw said. “You almost just try to block it out. It’s not fun to pitch to people that you know. I’m not good at separating that. I think I’m just going to have to really focus and think about it like he’s another guy, and then, the next day I can talk to him.” The duo went 104-34 during their three seasons together. Greinke finished second in National League Cy Young award voting in 2015, while Kershaw finished third. Kershaw won the award in 2013 and 2014. Last season featured challenges for both men. Kershaw herniated a disk in his back and missed nearly three months. Greinke saw his fastball velocity diminish, dealt with shoulder issues and finished the season with a 4.37 earned-run average. Greinke, for his past, sounded more eager for the matchup. “I’ve been wanting to face him just to see how nasty he is,” Greinke told reporters in Arizona. “I like seeing when someone is just so good and you can see how it’s really tough to hit.” Hill handles bullpen session Rich Hill (blister) completed a 35-pitch bullpen session at Dodger Stadium to test his readiness for returning from the 10-day disabled list. The Dodgers shut down Hill for a start to avoid aggravating the blister on his left middle finger.

If Hill is cleared to pitch, he would start Sunday against Arizona. Short hops Pedro Baez (right wrist bruise) is expected to rejoin the team this weekend, manager Dave Roberts said. Roberts would not say who in the bullpen will lose a roster spot to make room for Baez, but he indicated Ross Stripling was not at risk. The team could option Josh Fields. Dodgers fall to the Chicago Cubs, 4-0, as struggles on offense continue By Andy McCullough The numbers do not inspire confidence. They do not foretell doom, but they do dampen the thought of a rematch between these two clubs at this park in October. In dropping two of three to the Chicago Cubs, including a 4-0 loss Thursday at Wrigley Field, the Dodgers operated at an obscene rate of offensive inefficiency. The coming weeks will tell if the output this week was an anomaly or a harbinger. On 24 occasions during these 27 innings, a Dodger came to bat with a runner in scoring position. Only once did a Dodger supply a hit. The team stranded 26 runners and managed only four runs in all. The Cubs combine elite defense with a diverse, stingy pitching staff. The Dodgers (5-5) could not solve the puzzle during these three games and could not handle the stress of high-leverage opportunities Thursday. “We missed the big hit all day,” shortstop Corey Seager said. Manager Dave Roberts noted how his players often swung at pitches outside the strike zone Thursday. The affliction is common for teams mired in a slump. The tendency to “do too much,” a dreaded phrase for hitters, creeps up as innings pass without offense, Roberts explained. Roberts and several of his players saw little reason to draw conclusions from the first three series of the season. But one stubborn pattern from 2016 has carried into 2017: Four of the Dodgers’ five losses this season have come when they’ve faced a left-handed starting pitcher. The grumbling about the Dodgers’ futility against these foes will continue “until we prove otherwise,” Roberts said. On Thursday, the team fell to a former member of their 2016 roster. Brett Anderson and Hyun-Jin Ryu combined for 16 innings last season. Anderson blew out his back in spring training, developed a blister upon his return in August and injured himself fielding a bunt. Ryu stumbled in his rehabilitation from labrum surgery in 2015 and pitched only once. Yet both men broke camp in 2017 as rotation members for championship contenders. Anderson took a $3.5-million deal with the Cubs and won the fifth spot during spring training. The Dodgers’ Ryu never wavered in his readiness for the start of the season, and exceeded the expectations of his employers. After his debut last week, Ryu (0-2, 5.79 ERA) chastised himself for failing to complete five innings. He saw no need to celebrate his return from the abyss. Ryu had missed nearly two full seasons because of his torn labrum, but he still held himself to the standard he set in 2013 and 2014. He felt a similar frustration after allowing four runs in 4 2/3 innings Thursday.

“As a starting pitcher, I feel like five innings is the minimum you need to pitch,” Ryu said. “And for two games straight, I wasn’t able to.” Ryu reached 89 mph on his fastball with a 2-1 pitch to first baseman Anthony Rizzo in the first inning. The ball was headed toward the outer edge of the plate, but Rizzo still clobbered it. His solo homer gave the Cubs an early lead. The Dodgers had less luck with their fly-ball placement. Seager will curse the name of Cubs center fielder Albert Almora Jr. Almora leaped at the wall to bring down a drive by Seager in the first inning. Two innings later, Almora robbed Seager once more. With a runner at second, Anderson tried to handcuff Seager with a curveball down the middle. Seager was not fooled. He unleashed a drive that forced Almora to sprint toward the bricks in center. Anderson crouched and waited. The ball landed in the heel of Almora’s glove. Anderson pumped his fists. Wrigley Field erupted. “Every time you barrel up a ball, you’re hoping for the best,” Seager said. “It happens, though.” Another eruption occurred in the bottom of the fourth, when shortstop Addison Russell launched a solo homer onto Waveland Avenue beyond the left-field bleachers. Down two runs, the Dodgers stoked their best opportunity in the top of the fifth, when Ryu led off with a walk, Seager singled to left and Justin Turner walked to load the bases with two outs. Up came Yasiel Puig. He passed on a curveball at the knees, but chased a chest-high fastball. “That changed that sequence right there,” Roberts said, allowing Anderson to keep Puig off balance. Anderson sneaked a second strike on a fastball down the middle. Puig swung late at an inside fastball, managing only a harmless pop-up to first base. “That was a big at-bat in the game,” Roberts said. The Dodgers would not advance a runner to third base again. And the Cubs broke through for a pair of runs off Ryu in the bottom of the inning. The Chicago bullpen held the line after Anderson departed following the fifth. Anderson “did not have his best stuff,” Roberts said. But still he kept the Dodgers off the board. After three games at Wrigley Field, the club did not exit the friendly confines boasting about a rematch in October. The group understood the work necessary to reach that stage again. “It’s a long season,” Turner said. “A lot of stuff happens. We can’t worry about anyone else. We’ve got to make sure we take care of our business, and make sure we get there first.”

OC REGISTER

Dodgers shut out, 4-0, by Brett Anderson, Cubs By Bill Plunkett CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs have spent this week celebrating their recent past. The Dodgers seem doomed to relive theirs. It all seems very familiar. They are not hitting left-handed pitching. Ryan Braun trade rumors have bubbled up again. Their starting pitchers rarely go past the fifth inning, and they don’t quite measure up to the Cubs. Former Dodger Brett Anderson is the latest lefty to smother the Dodgers, combining with three relievers – all right-handed – on a six-hit shutout Thursday afternoon as the Dodgers lost, 4-0, at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers lost two of three in both Chicago and Colorado and return home having gone 2-4 on their first trip of the season. Three of the four losses (and four of their five losses overall) came in games started by left-handers for the opposing team. “Yeah, until we prove it otherwise,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the familiar themes being raised. “I think Brett competed out there, but I don’t think he had his best stuff. We’ve got to change it.” Through their first 10 games, the Dodgers are batting .211 (31 for 147) with 39 strikeouts against left-handed pitchers – numbers painfully close to the major-league worst .213 average last season that was paired with MLB lows in on-base and slugging percentage as well. “I feel like we’ve done a better job this year than last year,” catcher Yasmani Grandal said. “I know the numbers don’t prove it but it’s a different game. We’re hitting balls hard. We’re taking good at-bats. The at-bat quality is completely different than last year. “I feel like it’s just a matter of time.” They had ample opportunities to prove that against Anderson, even though he held the Dodgers to just three hits in his five scoreless innings. The Dodgers stranded seven runners on base during that time including five in scoring position by going 0 for 7 with RISP including a bases-loaded pop out by Yasiel Puig that ended a fifth-inning threat. “That was a big at-bat of the game,” Roberts said. The Dodgers trailed just 2-0 at the time. “He knows Brett. He takes a ball that’s down below the zone. He gets a 1-0 fastball and takes a big swing at a pitch out of the zone. That changed that sequence there. “You get the bases loaded. We’ve got him on the ropes a little bit. If that count runs to 2-and-0, that could be a different at-bat.” Corey Seager had the best at-bats against Anderson and two of them ended in Albert Almora Jr.’s glove.

In the first and third innings, Seager hit deep drives to straightaway center field. Almora caught the first one with a leap at the wall and ran down the second one on the warning track with an over-the-shoulder catch. “We missed the big hit all day,” Seager said. “Credit to them. Credit to Brett. Us not doing our job, whatever it is.” Whatever it is, it wasn’t limited to Thursday’s loss. The Dodgers were 1 for 24 with runners in scoring position during the series – Seager’s RBI double off Jon Lester in the sixth inning Monday the lone success. “We’ve seen what the winds have done to the ball several times this series,” third baseman Justin Turner said of Seager’s two unrewarded drives. “It’s just one of those things you kind of have to hang with it. You hit a ball good. You feel good about it for a half-second then you realize the wind is blowing and you get pissed off for a little bit.” The Cubs cut through the wind against Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu. Anthony Rizzo hit a solo home run into the right-field bleachers in the first inning. In the fourth, Addison Russell hit a 429-foot drive over the bleachers in left field onto Waveland Ave. The Cubs chased him with two more runs in the fifth inning. “I thought the velocity was a little down today,” Roberts said of Ryu. “I think he touched 91 (mph) but pitched at 87, 88. I thought that he left a couple fastballs out over. “If we’d got a couple runs early, it might have been a different game.” It certainly looks like this Ryu might be a different pitcher than the pre-surgery version, one more prone to watching his mistakes become souvenirs. In his first two seasons with the Dodgers, he allowed 0.6 home runs per nine innings. Since returning (one start last year and two this season), he has given up four home runs in just 14 innings and has yet to complete five innings in any of those three starts. “Just like when I was pitching well, there were days when the velocity just wasn’t there,” Ryu said through an interpreter. “But even on those type of days, I should minimize damage. I didn’t do that today.” Dodgers Notes: They say it’s too early to measure themselves against Cubs By Bill Plunkett CHICAGO – The series at Wrigley Field this week had an October feel – and it wasn’t just the 40-degree temperatures or the constant reminders of last year’s postseason. There is also a sense that the Chicago Cubs and Dodgers will be eyeing themselves across the National League standings all season long with a reunion in another October inevitable. “I think you’re thinking too much,” Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal said.

Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner wasn’t ready to make too much of an April series either, regardless of the matchup. “It’s a long season. A lot of stuff happens,” Turner said. “We can’t worry about anyone else. We have to make sure we take care of our business and make sure we get there first.” If the Dodgers were not willing to put too much weight on the matchup with the Cubs, they did take solace from a series that could have swung either way. Only one earned run was scored off either bullpen in the three games (the decisive score in the ninth inning of Monday’s Cubs walk-off win). The Dodgers went a miserable 1 for 24 with runners in scoring position – but the Cubs weren’t much better at 3 for 25 while winning two of the three games. “I thought we played them pretty tough for the three games,” Turner said. “They walked us off on – when was that, a week ago? Monday? We beat them yesterday and then had a lot of opportunities to be right in the game today. Hopefully whenever they come out to us – I don’t know when that is – we’ll end up on the right side of them.” The Cubs will come to Dodger Stadium for a three-game series on Memorial Day weekend. Then they can spend four months measuring themselves against each other only in theory. “You look at our club and we know we’re evenly matched,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think they know it as well. We’ll get them at our place. I think they know we’re not going anywhere. “It’s a series we’d like to have won (this week). But I think we’re two evenly-matched clubs.” PITCHING CHOICES Reliever Pedro Baez retired all four batters he faced for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday night (two on strikeouts), completing his rehab from a hand injury suffered this spring. He traveled to Los Angeles on Thursday and will be activated from the DL this weekend. Left-hander Rich Hill was scheduled to throw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Thursday in Los Angeles to test the status of the blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand. If he comes through the throwing session well enough, he will be activated from the DL to start Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. That means the Dodgers could need to create two vacancies on their pitching staff with roster moves this weekend. No one on the current staff has done more to increase his value and solidify his standing in the relief hierarchy over the first two weeks of the season than Ross Stripling. The former starter has allowed one run on four hits while striking out 10 in 6 1/3 innings over four relief appearances. Three of those came on the first trip of the season and he retired 13 of the 14 batters he faced. The only baserunner reached on an error and Stripling stranded all five inherited baserunners as Roberts used him in surprisingly high-leverage situations. “If you look at his outings, I’ve put him in some tough spots. … He just doesn’t feel pressure,” said Roberts, who used Stripling against Colorado’s Nolan Arenado with runners at the corners and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant with the bases loaded.

“I think when we talked, before Rich went on the DL, about having Ross and Woody (Alex Wood) as our long guys I planned on using them in high-leverage situations. It’s about the trust I have in those two pitchers, regardless of the inning, the leverage. I’ve shown that and those guys have responded. Ross – the ability to get guys out right or left, he’s shown that.” Roberts was asked if Stripling had demonstrated enough value to survive this weekend’s anticipated roster moves. “Yes,” he said. GRIEVING PROCESS It has been just about a month since Waymon Roberts, father of Dave Roberts, died unexpectedly. His son acknowledged he is still grieving. “You think about him,” Roberts said. “There was two days ago where I called his voice mail. I just wanted to hear his voice. I think about him a lot. “I just was sitting in my room in Chicago and I just said, ‘I want to hear his voice.’ So I called his number on speed dial. I didn’t even know if my sister had turned off his phone. But I heard his voice. That was it.” On deck: Diamondbacks at Dodgers, Friday, 7 p.m. By Bill Plunkett DIAMONDBACKS at DODGERS When: 7:10 p.m. Where: Dodger Stadium TV: SportsNet LA (where available) THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP CLAYTON KERSHAW (1-1, 3.46 ERA) Vs. Diamondbacks: 12-8, 2.75 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 71-29, 1.99 ERA Hates to face: A.J. Pollock, 7 for 24 (.292), 1 double, 1 triple Loves to face: Nick Ahmed, 0 for 5

DIAMONDBACKS RHP ZACK GREINKE (1-0, 2.31 ERA) Vs. Dodgers: 3-2, 3.80 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 29-6, 2.19 ERA Hates to face: Corey Seager, 5 for 8 (.625), 1 double, 2 home runs Loves to face: Logan Forsythe, 0 for 6, 1 strikeout

ESPN Rumor Central: Dodgers, Brewers still in contact about Ryan Braun? By Doug Mittler The Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers have “remained in contact” about a possible blockbuster deal involving outfielder Ryan Braun, reports Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com, citing sources. Morosi did not say if any talks had picked up in intensity but noted the Dodgers are one of the six clubs that can acquire the 2011 National League Most Valuable Player without his permission. A key date in trade talks is not only the non-waiver deadline of July 31 but also May 24, when Braun will attain 10 years of major-league service and five years with the same team, giving him the right to veto any deal. Braun, however, stressed the veto power will not be a major factor since he has a strong relationship with Brewers owner Mark Attanasio and general manager David Stearns. "Obviously, things can change. Circumstances can change. Who knows where the future takes us? But I don't foresee [the no-trade protection] having much of an impact on anything moving forward,” Braun told Morosi. The rebuilding Brewers nearly traded Braun last summer and have a financial incentive to complete a deal. The six-time All-Star has at least four years and $76 million left on his contract, including this season, and any transaction would involve the Dodgers absorbing a large chunk of salary. The Dodgers are looking for an offensive upgrade against left-handed pitching and one option would be the 33-year-old Braun, who owns a .336 career batting average with a 1.029 OPS against southpaws. Morosi also lists the San Francisco Giants, who have hit a meager .105 against lefties, as a team that could be a fit for Braun.

Clayton Kershaw not looking forward to facing Zack Greinke By ESPN.com news services While Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zack Greinke is pumped up to be facing ex-teammate Clayton Kershaw on Friday night, the same can't be said of the Los Angeles Dodgers' ace. "I don't really look forward to it," Kershaw told reporters. "You almost just try to block it out. It's not fun to pitch to people that you know. I'm not good at separating that. I think I'm just going to have to really focus and think about it like he's another guy, and then, the next day I can talk to him. "Guys that you became pretty good buddies with, it's not easy for me. I wouldn't say I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm definitely going to have to block it out a little bit." Kershaw and Greinke were the Dodgers' 1-2 punch for three seasons, before Greinke signed a six-year, $206.5 million deal with the Diamondbacks in 2016. Together, the two posted a combined 104-34 record with a 2.09 ERA and 1,327 strikeouts in 1,269 2/3 innings as the Dodgers won three NL West titles from 2013 to 2015. While Kershaw has reservations about pitching to his friend, Greinke is eager to see what's coming from the three-time Cy Young Award winner. "I've been wanting to face him, just to see how nasty he is," Greinke told reporters. "... He does do everything as perfect as you would want your pitcher to do. Great mindset, great work ethic. I learned more about that than the actual pitching part of it. He's pretty special." An oral history of the night baseball stopped to retire No. 42 forever By Jayson Stark Twenty years ago, a baseball game froze in time. And out onto the lush green grass of Shea Stadium, in the middle of the fifth inning, walked three people. One was Rachel Robinson, wife of the late, great Jackie Robinson. One was the commissioner of baseball, Bud Selig. The third? It was merely the president of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton. They were there to do something that had never been done before: retire a number, Jackie Robinson's 42, across an entire sport. And to do their part to ensure that the power of Robinson's major league debut, 50 years earlier to the day, would keep resonating through history. This is the story of that night, April 15, 1997 -- and its aftermath -- through the eyes of the men and women who lived it. The lightning bolt

BUD SELIG (commissioner for 22 years, now commissioner emeritus, making his stunning announcement to the crowd that night): Major League Baseball is taking the unprecedented step of retiring uniform No. 42 in perpetuity. ... No. 42 belongs to Jackie Robinson for the ages. LEN COLEMAN (then the National League president, later the chairman of the Jackie Robinson Foundation for 18 years): I actually got put in charge of orchestrating the festivities for the 15th, and I was struggling in thinking about what we were going to do to capture the moment ... that would be totally distinctive, that would separate Jackie from every other ballplayer and capture the significance of his accomplishment. I was driving on the Garden State Parkway, and it was like a lightning bolt hit: "Retire his number from the whole game." I thought about it as I was driving, and I said, "That's it. I'm going to go to Bud and say: 'Let's retire the number.'" SELIG: You know, there's always pressure on [retiring] numbers. And you've got to be so careful, and I really mean that. But this one, to me, there was just no question about it. This Jackie Robinson thing was really special, and so it just appealed to me greatly. ... In the [college] course I teach -- which is "Baseball in American History, 1945 to the present" -- I start with Jackie Robinson. He's my first lecture every September. I really believe [his first game] was the most powerful and important moment in baseball history. COLEMAN: When Bud agreed to retire the number, there were only a few of us who knew about it. That's one time we actually kept a secret. At the time, secrets lasted about two seconds in baseball. But that one held. SHARON ROBINSON (Jackie's daughter, now MLB's educational consultant and the manager of Breaking Barriers: In Sports, In Life): Len called us first and gave us the heads-up that this was going to happen, just a few days in advance. And my mom and I were like, "Is that a good thing? Is that a bad thing?" What about Mo Vaughn? What about all the players that we knew at the time were wearing No. 42? Some of them were wearing it to honor my dad. ... So when they walked out on that field, I remember sort of holding my breath, because we had anxiety over how the retirement of the No. 42 would be received. We weren't sure how the fans were going to take it. But when Bud announced it, they jumped out of their seats. We just couldn't believe it. The fans jumped out of their seats and stood up and cheered. So we knew it was the right decision. SELIG (to the crowd that night): Throughout its long history, Major League Baseball has operated under the premise that no single person is bigger than the game -- no single person other than Jackie Robinson. CLAIRE SMITH (who covered the ceremony for The New York Times): When he announced it, there was a collective gasp in the stadium, and around baseball. I was stunned. Obviously, it had never been done before in Major League Baseball to universally retire one number. And in the four major sports, it had not been done. ... Jackie Robinson is my hero. He's why I write. And that was the most moving thing I'd ever seen on a baseball field. And the game stopped PA announcement following the top of the fifth inning that night: Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States, Rachel Robinson and Bud Selig.

BERNARD GILKEY (former New York Mets outfielder): The whole country was watching. And time just stopped in the middle of the baseball game. ... You'll never see it again. GENE ORZA (former COO of the players' association): I approached [former commissioner] Peter Ueberroth in 1986 about celebrating the 40th anniversary [of Robinson's debut]. My idea was to stop all play on April 15 of 1987 and play only one game. And it would be the Dodgers against the Braves because [Robinson's] first game was played against the Boston Braves. And we would invite the president, who was Ronald Reagan, and Tip O'Neill and anybody else. He said he would talk about it with the clubs. He got back to me and said there wasn't much enthusiasm for stopping play in the middle of a game. ... Then, in 1995, when Cal Ripken made his 2,131st official game appearance [in a row], that took place, obviously, after 4½ innings -- and they stopped the game in the middle of the game. So now they couldn't tell me any longer that you can't interrupt play. So I renewed the request. I said, "In '97, we should do something like have the president of the United States come out to second base, stand on it and give a speech." COLEMAN: I remember at the time, President Clinton had injured his [knee]. But I remember he went right out and he addressed the crowd. It was just a totally dramatic moment. PRESIDENT CLINTON (to the crowd that night): It is hard to believe that it was 50 years ago at Ebbets Field that a 28-year-old rookie changed the face of baseball and the face of America forever. Jackie Robinson scored the go-ahead run that day. And we've all been trying to catch up ever since. BRANCH B. RICKEY (president of the Pacific Coast League and grandson of Branch Rickey, who signed Robinson): You know, I don't remember as much of the specifics [of the ceremony] as I remember the aura and the emotion of the fact that this was a celebration that was much larger than the normal old, "Here we are awarding a certificate to so and so for the accomplishment of such and such." ... This man, and what he represented and portrayed, is a hero, but not of athletic proportion. He transcends anything athletic. We weren't celebrating an athletic event on that night. We were celebrating in an athletic stadium. COLEMAN: For Jackie and what he did for all of America in integrating America's pastime, it just elevated him to another level. And I felt particularly pleased because his relationship with Rachel was a total partnership. Rachel was a force in her own right. So she was standing right there, and I remember that smile on her face. SHARON ROBINSON: I think part of why he remembers that smile so well is that my mom often kind of protects her emotions. But when President Clinton arrived, and the three of them went out, it was her moment, as well as a moment for my dad. LANCE JOHNSON (former Mets outfielder, who drove in the first two runs minutes after the ceremony ended and the game resumed): There was an aura. A presence. Kind of like a godly presence. A special feeling. You just don't walk around with that feeling all the time. ... Emotionally, it was like this: Remember when Jose Fernandez died and then [Dee Gordon] came up and hit the home run, and he never hit home runs? His heart and his soul was into that game because he was playing for Fernandez. I know it's not the same thing, but it was like that. I put my everything into that historical moment. It was emotional like that. More than just a number

RACHEL ROBINSON (on the field that night): This anniversary has given us an opportunity as a nation to celebrate together the triumphs of the past and the social progress that has occurred. It has also given us an opportunity to reassess the challenges of the present. COLEMAN: I look at that No. 42 every time I walk into a ballpark. What it signifies to me is, I'm a kid of the civil rights movement. So I lived through all of that. So in a way, when I look at that number, it takes me back. And it symbolizes what we've come through as a country, thanks to people like Jackie. And it also symbolizes hope for the future. SHARON ROBINSON: I remember the years I used to travel. ... I just remember sitting in the stands, listening to people -- they didn't know who I was -- and hearing them talk about No. 42: Why is it up there? Why is it a different color? I'd hear them talking to their children, sharing the experience. And I remember not saying anything, just because I wanted to hear people's reaction to it. It made me feel so good that it opened up discussion, because that's what you really want. It's symbolic of social change. And it's not just a moment. It's an ongoing change. It's a reflection on history, and how the past informs the present. And what does this tell us about the future? And what lessons can we learn that can be carried forward? SELIG: I really believe that on April 15, 1997, we really changed the culture. So with that number retired now and [every player wearing it] every April 15, it's important, because life is funny. People forget. They're there. They're gone. They forget. That may be why the culture change was the most meaningful thing. Now every player ... should never forget what Jackie Robinson did and what Branch Rickey did. FRED CLAIRE (then the Los Angeles Dodgers' GM): The key thing for baseball, in 1997 and now -- even more so now -- is the continuation of Jackie's message. It was not enough then, and it's not enough now to simply be about a number. 'We can do better' PRESIDENT CLINTON (on the field that night): I can't help thinking that if Jackie Robinson were here with us tonight, he would say that we have done a lot of good in the last 50 years, but we can do better. GILKEY: The small percentage of African-American players in the major leagues now bewilders me. I mean, 8 percent? JOHNSON: I don't think Jackie would be happy with the numbers of blacks that are playing in baseball. He'd be disappointed. SMITH: I think that it would probably have broken Jackie's heart that there was not a lot of proactive recruiting and selling of the sport done by the folks that picked up the glove and supposedly picked up his legacy. ... When it became obvious that these numbers were dwindling, where was baseball's LeBron James? We probably had a lot of Michael Jordans who were just making a lot of money, but they were selling their brand. They weren't selling their own game. CLAIRE: In 1972, it wasn't enough for Jackie just to throw out the first ball of the World Series. He wanted to speak because he wanted to continue the message. And what resonates with me is that when you go through Jackie's words, they are so powerful. And they need to be carried on within baseball and

within society. And the one that resonates most is this quote: "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." PRESIDENT CLINTON (that night): Today, I think we should remember that Jackie Robinson's legacy did not end with baseball. For afterward, he spent the rest of his life trying to open other doors and keep them open for all kinds of people. SMITH: When the president is out there and he's talking about Jackie Robinson and equality and the occasion being something bigger than baseball, you're hanging on every word. And you know you're witnessing something that in the moment is bigger than anything you've probably ever seen. And now, 20 years later, it's kind of a melancholy feeling, knowing that it probably was in the moment. And there's a little letdown, knowing that in 2017, not a lot has changed. CLAIRE: It's so disappointing to me, because when you see that [8 percent] figure -- and this gets right to the heart of what Jackie was trying to say -- of young blacks not entering the game and not having the opportunities in the game; we have so much to do. There's an obligation here that goes so far beyond a salute to Jackie Robinson one day a year. SHARON ROBINSON: I think [that 8 percent] really reflects once again on the fact that struggle is ongoing. All struggle is ongoing. And that's what my dad told me when I was 13: "You don't change something and everything's fine. You have to stay on it and be vigilant and conscious and be willing to stand up for what you believe in -- for the rest of your life." Anderson's arm, Almora's glove lead Cubs over Dodgers 4-0 By Associated Press CHICAGO -- Brett Anderson said he owes Albert Almora Jr. his paycheck from Thursday. The center fielder said a high-five or a fist bump will do. Anderson beat his former team with five solid innings, and Almora made two outstanding catches against the ivy as the Chicago Cubs blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0. Anderson (1-0) won in his Wrigley Field debut for the Cubs. The lefty lowered his ERA to 0.84 through two starts with his new club. Anderson, the only member of the Cubs without a World Series ring after Wednesday's celebration, allowed three hits but walked four. He stranded seven runners, helped by Almora's defense. "Those are plays that you don't expect to be made behind you and he made two web gems," Anderson said. "You don't ever want to have to have those guys make those plays behind you, but it was one of those days where it was a grind from pitch one." Almora went high and hard into the ivy to rob Corey Seager, the second batter of the game, of extra bases.

Kyle Schwarber tried to match him in the third inning, but his bobbled catch of Kiki Hernandez's fly to deep left field was overturned after replay showed the ball hit the vines before he controlled it. The replay took 3 minutes, 55 seconds before it was reversed and Hernandez was awarded second base. Almora later prevented Seager of another extra-base hit, stranding Hernandez with a running catch on the warning track with his back to home plate. Earlier this season, Almora made a leaping catch at the wall in St. Louis at a key moment. Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell hit long solo home runs, their first of the season. Both came off Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-2). Rizzo's drive to right field in the first inning opened the scoring and sent a fan's beer all over the bleachers. Russell's homer to left in the fourth landed on Waveland Avenue. "That ball was mangled," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "That came out hot." This was a rematch of last year's NL Championship Series and produced three entertaining games, with the Cubs taking took two. "We look at our club and we know we're evenly matched," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I think they know it as well. They won the series. We'll get them at our place. They know we're not going anywhere." The teams will conclude the season series May 26-28 in Los Angeles. Carl Edwards Jr. threw two scoreless innings in relief, and Koji Uehara and Wade Davis threw one apiece for the Cubs. Anderson's last scoreless outing of at least five innings came on May 3, 2015 when as a member of the Dodgers he blanked the Arizona Diamondbacks in six innings of a no-decision. FINDING THE FORMULA Maddon has tinkered with the top and bottom of the lineup this season, leading off Schwarber -- an unconventional choice -- and sliding the pitcher between eighth and ninth. "The season will teach us a lot of lessons, but I think he's going to be fine there all year," Maddon said of Schwarber, who has an on-base percentage of .381, including eight walks in nine games. TRAINER'S ROOM Dodgers: 3B Justin Turner returned to the starting lineup after missing Wednesday's start with a quadriceps injury. . RHP Pedro Baez was headed back to Los Angeles on Thursday after throwing one scoreless inning for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. "What day he is activated, we're not sure. But he is on his way," Roberts said of Baez, who injured his hand during spring training and missed the entire Cactus League. . LHP Rich Hill (blister) threw a 35-pitch bullpen session on Thursday but his status for Sunday was still undetermined. He's on the 10-day disabled list.

Cubs: RHP Hector Rondon was not available Thursday after he underwent a precautionary MRI on his left knee after being pulled from Wednesday's game after a collision at home plate. Maddon said Rondon will likely be ready Saturday. UP NEXT Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (1-1, 3.46 ERA) will take on RHP Zack Greinke (1-0, 2.31) in a battle of former Cy Young winners and teammates as the Dodgers open a four-game series Friday at home against Arizona. Cubs: RHP Kyle Hendricks (1-0, 6.00) opens on the mound Friday as the Cubs host the Pirates and RHP Gerrit Cole (0-1, 6.55) for the first of three games this weekend.

TRUE BLUE LA

Yusniel Diaz has 3 hits in Quakes win By Craig Minami Oklahoma City and Rancho Cucamonga won while Tulsa and Great Lakes fell short on Thursday. Player of the day Rancho Cucamonga outfielder Yusniel Diaz went 3-for-4 with a double. Diaz has eight hits in his last three games. Triple-A Oklahoma City OKC beat the Nashville Sounds (Athletics) 8-1 on Thursday. Justin Masterson held the Sounds scoreless in his five innings of work and he picked up the win. Masterson gave up two hits, walked one and struck out five. The bullpen was almost as efficient, Patrick Schuster, Jacob Rhame and Brandon Morrow combined to give up one run, five hits and struck out five. Alex Verdugo had three hits, Rob Segedin and Chris Taylor each had two hits. Cody Bellinger hit his second home run of the season. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers saw the Midland RockHounds (Athletics) hit a pair of two-out three-run homers and that was enough for the RockHounds to win 7-5 and ruin the Drillers’ home opener. The Drillers started the game well with three runs in the first inning. Isaac Anderson started for the Drillers but he did not get past the third inning before giving up the first of those three-run home runs.

Michael Johnson came in to start the fourth inning for the Drillers and he struck out the first two batters. Then an error and a single preceded the second three-run home run. Edwin Rios hit his second home run of the season to make it 7-5 but that was when the scoring ended. Tim Locastro and Rios each had three hits, Kyle Farmer was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes had their home opener on Thursday and they gave their fans a good game beating Lake Elsinore Storm (Padres) 6-3. Pitching has been a strong point for the Quakes in the early season and in this game, the five Quakes pitchers struck out 15. Caleb Ferguson started and in his three innings, he gave up a run, two hits, one walk and struck out five. Alex Hermeling got his third win as he pitched three scoreless innings and struck out three. The last three pitchers — Kevin Brown, Gavin Pittore and Shea Spitzbarth — each pitched an inning. Brown struck out the side while the other two each struck out two. Besides Diaz, Drew Jackson had two hits and two RBI, Ariel Sandoval was 1-for-2 with two runs scored and a walk. Class-A Great Lakes The Loons had the lead through six innings but then the Dayton Dragons (Reds) scored six runs in the last three innings to comeback and win 6-3. The key inning was the eighth where a hit, two walks, an error, two wild pitches and a hit-by-pitch led to three runs and the lead changing hands. Prior to that, Dustin May had a good start, going four innings, allowing no runs, two hits and striking out two. The first five hitters in the Great Lakes lineup were held hitless. Moises Perez was 3-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk. Transactions Class-A: Outfielder Mitchell Hansen assigned to Great Lakes from extended spring training; outfielder Shakir Albert assigned to extended spring from Great Lakes. Thursday scores Oklahoma City 8, Nashville 1 Midland 7, Tulsa 5 Rancho Cucamonga 6, Lake Elsinore 3 Dayton 6, Great Lakes 3 Friday schedule 3:05 p.m.: Great Lakes (Devin Smeltzer) vs. Dayton (Ryan Olson) 4:35 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Jair Jurrjens) at Nashville (Cesar Valdez)

5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (Tim Shibuya) vs. Midland (Kyle Friedrichs) 7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Dennis Santana) vs. Lake Elsinore (Pedro Avila) Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks pitching probables, game times & TV info By Eric Stephen The Dodgers return home for a weekend series against the Diamondbacks, but this is no ordinary get together at Dodger Stadium. The two teams will actually play a four-game wraparound series that begins Friday and ends Monday night in Los Angeles. Here is a look at the probable pitching matchups plus the schedule and television information for these four games between National League West division rivals. Friday, 7:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA) The series begins with one of the most attractive pitching matchups of the season, and the first time that former teammates Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke will face each other. It is the highest-priced pitching matchup of all-time, with Greinke ($34 million in 2017, including his $31 million salary and $3 million of his signing bonus) the only pitcher in baseball making more than Kershaw ($33 million). Kershaw (1.98) and Greinke (2.19) have the second and fourth-best ERA, respectively, in Dodger Stadium history, with a minimum of 30 starts. "I want to face him," Greinke told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com, "just to see how nasty he is." Saturday, 6:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, MLB Network) Jackie Robinson Day is always special, and this year is even more intriguing with the unveiling of the new Jackie Robinson statue at Dodger Stadium before the game. During the game, with the preferred Saturday start time of an hour earlier than normal, Kenta Maeda makes his third start of the season for the Dodgers, while left-hander Patrick Corbin starts for Arizona. Sunday, 1:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, KTLA) Rich Hill is eligible to be activated off the disabled list on Sunday, but that requires the blister on his middle finger to cooperate. If he isn’t ready yet to be activated, Alex Wood will get another start. Taijuan Walker is a product of Yucaipa High School, about 71 miles east of Dodger Stadium. This is his second career start at Chavez Ravine. He lost here with the Mariners on Apr. 15, 2015, allowing five runs in four innings. Monday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)

Brandon McCarthy starts on Monday night against one of his former teams. The Diamondbacks in the series finale will counter with Robbie Ray, the seventh left-hander the Dodgers will face in their first 14 games of the season. In 2016, the Dodgers faced their seventh southpaw starter on May 1, in their 26th game. Dodgers come up short again in road trip finale By Eric Stephen The Dodgers offense completed a terrible road trip on Thursday afternoon, failing to score against Brett Anderson in a 4-0 loss to the Cubs, dropping the three-game series at Wrigley Field. In six games on the road trip, the Dodgers scored all of 17 runs, and hit .222/.309/.333 as a team, winning just twice against the Rockies and Cubs. The Dodgers put runners on base in four of their five innings against Anderson, who had more walks (four) than strikeouts (two). But they had nothing to show for it. Corey Seager hit a pair of 400-foot rockets to center field in his first two at-bats, but also came up empty thanks to Albert Almora Jr. making two outstanding catches, the last one better than the first. Things were going so well for Anderson on Thursday that he even fielded a tapper up the third base line, retiring Yasmani Grandal with a nice throw to first base. Had that happened last year, Anderson most likely would have likely ended up on the disabled list, or at least missed a start or two. That tapper by Grandal came with two runners on base, two of the seven runners left on base in five innings against Anderson. The Dodgers were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position on Thursday, and just 8-for-54 (.148) in six games on the road trip, with six of those hits coming in one game, on Sunday in Colorado. If there is any silver lining, the Dodgers did enter Thursday with the 11th-most plate appearances with runners in scoring position per game in baseball (10.11). Last year, they were 24th in the majors in PA with runners in scoring position, so it was the dual problem of not hitting well in those situations (21st in OPS) and not having enough opportunities. This year, the opportunities have mostly been there, but they haven’t seen many results from it. Another short start Hyun-jin Ryu kept the Dodgers relatively close for a while, until things fell apart in the fifth inning. After allowing a pair of solo home runs in the first four innings, Ryu saw the 2-0 deficit double in the fifth with three singles and a hit batter. Ryu lasted exactly 4⅔ innings and threw exactly 77 pitches for a second straight start, but also fell short on the radar gun.

After averaging 90.4 mph on his four-seam fastball in his first start, per Brooks Baseball, Ryu was sitting 87-89 for most of the day on Thursday per Gameday, and hit 90 mph just three times, maxing out at 91.7 mph. One of those three pitches came in the fifth inning, a 90.0 mph fastball to strike out Kris Bryant looking. Granted, Ryu’s first two starts haven’t been in ideal spots — at Coors Field, and facing the defending champion Cubs at Wrigley Field — and the offense didn’t give him any margin for error in either start. But he’ll need to improve to remain in the rotation, and perhaps with his next start at home can do just that. Up next It might take a while for the Dodgers offense to get back on track, since Friday night features an extraordinary pitching matchup at Dodger Stadium. With the Diamondbacks in town, Zack Greinke starts for Arizona against Clayton Kershaw for the Dodgers in the first of a four-game wraparound series. Thursday particulars Home runs: Anthony Rizzo (1), Addison Russell (1) WP - Brett Anderson (1-0): 5 IP, 3 hits, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts LP - Hyun-jin Ryu (0-2): 4⅔ IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts Dodgers vs. Cubs: Former southpaw teammates face off on getaway day By Eric Stephen The Dodgers go for their third win on as many getaway days in the series finale against the Cubs on Thursday afternoon at Wrigley Field in Chicago, a game featuring a pair of southpaws back after missing nearly all of last season. Hyun-jin Ryu starts for the Dodgers, looking to last longer than the 4⅔ innings he pitched last Friday at Coors Field. He has a tall task ahead, as the Cubs have punished left-handed pitchers in the early going, hitting .373/.479/.542 in all of 71 plate appearances. Brett Anderson gets the call for the Cubs, coming off a season that saw him pitch 11⅓ innings for the Dodgers, 6⅔ more than Ryu. Anderson and Ryu combined for 16 major league innings in 2016, and with 10⅓ combined innings this season the duo will likely pass last year’s total on Thursday. Anderson, who missed four months after back surgery then battled a left wrist sprain and a blister after that, allowed just one run in 5⅔ in his first start of 2017, striking out four in a no-decision against the Brewers. The Dodgers so far this season are hitting .217/.289/.333 against southpaws, not seeing the results they had hoped for so far, though through just 144 plate appearances.

They will certainly get more opportunities to try to improve those numbers, with left-handed starters set to face them in three of their next five games — after Anderson, the Dodgers are scheduled to face Diamondbacks left-handers Patrick Corbin and Robbie Ray in the four-game weekend wraparound series at Dodger Stadium. Streaky start Logan Forsythe walked twice on Wednesday, and has reached base at least twice in each of his last three games. After starting the season 3-for-5 with a walk and two hit by pitches, Forsythe went in an 0-for-14 slump. Forsythe snapped that skid on Sunday, and in his last three games is 5-for-12 with a double and three walks. He has batted first, third, and fifth this season. What a relief The Dodgers bullpen has a 1.48 ERA through the first nine games of the season, with 36 strikeouts and five walks in 30⅓ innings. Game info Time: 11:20 a.m. PT TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network

DODGER INSIDER

Five Takeaways: Runners get on, not across By Rowan Kavner The early-series struggles knocking in runs came back to bite the Dodgers in Thursday afternoon’s finale at Wrigley Field. Here are five takeaways from the Dodgers’ 4–0 loss to the Cubs (6–3). 1. Getting on base not a problem — The Dodgers mustered six hits and four walks against the Cubs, including three hits and four walks against former Dodger and current Cubs starter Brett Anderson. But by the time Anderson left after 90 pitches through five innings, no damage had been done. The first opportunity came after much ado on a Kiké Hernández fly ball in the third inning, which was initially called an out before being overturned, after video showed Kyle Schwarber used the ivy in left field to help him catch the ball, which grazed off the wall. The leadoff double had the Dodgers in business, but three straight outs followed, which was a sign of things to come. “That fourth, fifth inning we had a couple opportunities to scratch a couple across and didn’t get that big hit,” said manager Dave Roberts.

2. Getting runs across another story — The fourth inning Roberts referred to ended with a groundout with men on second and third to end the inning. The fifth inning Roberts referred to ended with a bases-loaded pop-out. It was a continuation of struggles with men on base that existed for both teams throughout the three-game series. The Dodgers finished Thursday 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position with nine runners left on base, bringing their total for the series to 1-for-24, leaving 26 runners stranded. The Cubs weren’t much better in that regard, going 3-for-25 with runners in scoring position and leaving 21 runners on base. But as strong as the pitching was on both sides, one or two hits meant the difference in a game. 3. Bullpen still blanking — The Cubs’ series win had nothing to do with the Dodger bullpen, which continued mowing down everything it saw. A night after striking out six in three scoreless innings, the Dodger relievers followed Hyun-Jin Ryu’s 4 2/3 innings with 3 1/3 scoreless innings. For the season, the Dodger bullpen’s only allowed five earned runs in 34 2/3 innings (1.32 ERA, 0.85 WHIP). 4. Robbery in center — Corey Seager had thoughts of extra bases on each of his first two at-bats, with nothing to show for either. Albert Almora Jr. and the Chicago defense removed multiple would-be hits from happening, including twice to Corey Seager, whose blasts to deep center somehow ended up in Almora’s glove, much to Seager’s frustration. Seager still ended up with one of the Dodgers’ six hits on the day. 5. A little too antsy — With the number of runners left on base rising throughout the series, Roberts said he started to see his hitters trying to do too much. That led to chasing. “If you look at aggressiveness in the count, we were a little bit more aggressive with balls out of the zone and expanding too much.” Quote of the Day: “When you’ve got to have that hit to push a couple across, we haven’t got it yet. I know it’s not for lack of effort. Maybe a little (wanting it) too much.” — Dave Roberts Starting Pitching Stats: LAD — Hyun Jin Ryu (L, 0–2): 4 2/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K CHC — Brett Anderson (W, 1–0): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 2 K Up Next: The Dodgers return home Friday, as Clayton Kershaw (1–1, 3.46) looks to bounce back from his first loss of the season against former Dodger Zack Greinke (1–0, 2.31) and the Diamondbacks. On the Farm: OKC’s Dickson and Rancho’s White continue to dominate By Cary Osborne One week into the Minor League season, and there’s already much to highlight on the Minor League side of the Dodger organization. The Triple-A Oklahoma City Dodgers are swingin’ it. O’Koyea Dickson had a monster season in 2016 — OPSing .994 and clubbing 18 home runs in 377 plate appearances for OKC last season. And the 27-year-old outfielder had a monster first week. He homered twice on Saturday and added another homer on Sunday. He is 11-for-20 with a .550/.571/1.050 line.

Outfielder Brett Eibner has a similar line. He is 8-for-17 with three homers and is slashing .471/.500/1.059. Dodgers’ top prospect Cody Bellinger is 10-for-24 with a homer and three doubles, slashing .417/.440/.667. Julio Urías started on Monday and went 3 2/3 innings, allowing two hits, four walks and two earned runs while striking out five. In Double-A Tulsa, 28-year-old Cuban infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez has hit safely in all six Drillers games. He is 10-for-27. Dodgers 2016 second-round pick Mitchell White was some kind of special in a short sample size last season — 22 innings, seven hits, no runs and 30 strikeouts. He has picked up where he left off. White and Alex Hermeling (a 2011 43rd-round pick) combined for a seven-inning no-hitter last Friday for the High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. White pitched on Wednesday night and went five innings, allowing one hit. In nine innings thus far, he has allowed the lone hit with 11 strikeouts and four walks. Opposing batters are now 8-for-94 (.085) against White in his professional career. The Low-A Midwest League is not a haven for home run hitters, but Dodgers №24 prospect and outfielder Carlos Rincon already has four homers in his first six games for the Great Lakes Loons. Rincon, a 19-year-old from the Dominican Republic, hit 13 home runs in 201 plate appearances in Rookie ball last season — his pro debut. The Loons’ home run leader last season was Ariel Sandoval, who hit 11. Dodgers see familiar face against Cubs’ Anderson By Rowan Kavner 04/13 Dodgers at Cubs, 11:20 a.m. Logan Forsythe 2B Corey Seager SS Justin Turner 3B Yasiel Puig RF Scott Van Slyke 1B Yasmani Grandal C Trayce Thompson CF Kike Hernandez LF Hyun-Jin Ryu P Dodger batters will have a familiar face staring back at them when they step up to the plate Thursday afternoon. Cubs starter Brett Anderson, who pitched for the Dodgers each of the last two seasons, will be on the mound against Dodger starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, which is significant in its own right. This will be the first time Ryu makes two starts in a season since 2014, after appearing in just one game the last two seasons.

It’s also just Ryu’s second career appearance at Wrigley Field, after winning, 6–2, on Aug. 2, 2013. Manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers are familiar with Anderson’s mix of pitches and knows if he executes them, it could be a long day. On one hand, Roberts said it helps to know Anderson. On the other, it hurts that he knows the Dodger lineup, too. Anderson went 10–9 in 31 starts for the Dodgers in 2015, but only threw 11 1/3 innings last year after coming off back surgery and dealing with a blister on his left hand. Re-Turner Justin Turner is back in the starting lineup Thursday after pinch-hitting Wednesday night. Turner was dealing with quad discomfort late in Monday’s game, but felt considerably better in the following days. Roberts said he expected Turner and Trayce Thompson, who was recalled for the injured Franklin Gutierrez (hamstring) on Wednesday, to be in Thursday’s starting lineup, and both are there. Scott Van Slyke also makes his second start of the year, hitting fifth at first base. Injury Updates Pedro Báez (right wrist contusion) allowed no hits while striking out two in 1 1/3 innings on 15 pitches at Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Roberts said Báez is flying back to Los Angeles, but isn’t sure what day he’ll be activated yet. The Dodgers will have some decisions to make there, as the bullpen has been lights out to start 2017. Ross Stripling, Luis Avilan and Kenley Jansen combined to throw three scoreless inning Wednesday while striking out six, and the bullpen has now allowed just five earned runs in 30 1/3 innings. The Dodger relievers’ combined 0.82 WHIP leads the National League, and Roberts said Stripling, who’s allowed just four hits while striking out 10 with no walks in 6 1/3 relief innings, shouldn’t be nervous about being sent down. On the bullpen note, Rich Hill (blister) will throw a 35-pitch bullpen in LA, which could determine his readiness to come off the 10-day disabled list in time to make his start. On This Day Today’s the eight-year anniversary of Orlando Hudson’s cycle, when he became the first Dodger to accomplish the feat at Dodger Stadium. It’s also the five-year anniversary of Aaron Harang’s nine consecutive strikeouts to start the game against the Padres.

DODGERS PHOTOG BLOG 4/12/17-Something Current-LAD-2,CHC-0 at Wrigley Field by Jon SooHoo/©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2017 By Jon SooHoo https://dodgersphotog.mlblogs.com/4-12-17-something-current-lad-2-chc-0-at-wrigley-field-by-jon-soohoo-los-angeles-dodgers-llc-2017-ee72f00d14c0 4/13/17-Something Current-LAD-0,CHC-4 at Wrigley Field by Jon SooHoo/©LA Dodgers By Jon SooHoo https://dodgersphotog.mlblogs.com/4-13-17-something-current-lad-0-chc-4-at-wrigley-field-by-jon-soohoo-la-dodgers-3d0f9fd5174f

NBC LA

Cubs Return The Favor, Shutout Dodgers 4-0, to Win Series at Wrigley By Michael Duarte You win some, you lose some. Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell both homered for the Cubs and Chicago shutout the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-0, on Thursday afternoon to win the rubber match at Wrigley Field. After a barn burner on Monday night, the Dodgers held the Cubs scoreless on Wednesday night, before Chicago returned the favor in the finale of the three-game series. Rizzo homered off Hyun-Jin Ryu in the bottom of the first to give Chicago the early lead. Rizzo's no-doubter landed in a fan's beer in the bleachers located in right-center. In the bottom of the fourth inning, it was Addison Russell's turn to send Ryu deep as he teed off on an 88 MPH fastball from the Korean national. Ryu (0-2), allowed four runs on six hits, with two walks and five strikeouts on the day. Brett Anderson was on the hill for the Cubs and defeated his former team with five strong innings of scoreless ball. Anderson (1-0) played the last two seasons with the Dodgers, and won in his Wrigley Field debut on Thursday allowing just three hits with four walks and two strikeouts. It was his first scoreless outing since May 3, 2015 with the Dodgers.

The Dodgers had plenty of chances in the game, and the series for that matter, but were incapable of delivering with runners in scoring position. One such example occurred in the top of the third inning when Kiké Hernandez appeared to have been robbed of an extra-base hit by left fielder Kyle Schwarber. After a lengthy review, it was ruled that Schwarber trapped the ball against the roots of the ivy and Hernandez had himself a leadoff double. However, two straight ground outs kept Kiké at second base, and Corey Seager flied out to center to end the inning. The Dodgers left 26 men on base during the three-game series in the Windy City, and were a combined 1-for-24 with runners in scoring position, stranding the bases loaded without scoring a run, four different times. The Cubs did not have the same problem as the Dodgers as they converted most of their opportunities in the game. Schwarber and Rizzo each delivered RBI singles with runners in scoring position to extend the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. L.A. concluded their six-game road trip with back –to-back series losses and finished 2-4 overall. Up Next: Fans are in for a treat on Friday night at Dodger Stadium as Clayton Kershaw goes head-to-head with old friend Zack Greinke in a matchup of former Cy Young Award winners. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10PM PST.

USA TODAY

As MLB honors Jackie Robinson, can it reverse a trend? By Bob Nightengale CHICAGO — They gathered in two dugouts in Chicago this week, representing not only every component of the game but also perhaps the hope and future to help heal Major League Baseball’s ongoing shortcoming: the scarcity of African Americans playing baseball. While baseball celebrates the 70th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier Saturday with glorious ceremonies and a statue unveiling at Dodger Stadium, it will only camouflage the harsh reality that there are fewer African Americans in baseball than at any other time in the last 60 years. African Americans comprise just 7.1% of players on this year’s opening-day rosters, the lowest percentage since 1958, according to a study by USA TODAY Sports. There are 62 African-American players among the 868 on active rosters and disabled lists. Eleven teams have no more than one African American on their roster, and the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies have none.

“That’s unbelievable,” says the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, who with the Washington Nationals’ Dusty Baker are baseball’s only African-American managers. “You ask yourself, ‘Why is this happening?’” There are a litany of reasons why the African-American population in MLB has dwindled from 17.2% in 1994, according to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), but there are signs of optimism. Six of the top 30 prospects in this year’s draft, according to ESPN and MLB .com, are African American — including perhaps the top three picks. Five of the top 12 high school prospects, Baseball America reports, are African American. Baseball also is starting to see results from the millions of dollars it has poured into youth programs, urban initiatives and showcases. This will be the third consecutive year that an alumnus from the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program and Breakthrough Series will be selected among the top five picks, with Los Angeles high school pitcher Hunter Greene likely one of the the first two players chosen. Yet if baseball really wants to make inroads, there’s no reason to look any further than five men in uniform this week during the Dodgers-Chicago Cubs series. You had an African-American manager in Roberts, who could not even get an interview from his own team in San Diego but became the National League manager of the year in 2016. You had Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward, a childhood prodigy out of Atlanta who is the highest-paid position player among African-American players. You had Cubs reliever Carl Edwards Jr., one of only 13 African-American pitchers in all of baseball and one of five relievers. You had Dodgers first-base coach George Lombard, the grandson of the former dean of Harvard, whose mother marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights movement. And you had Andrew Toles, who two years ago was making $7.50 an hour working in the frozen foods section of a grocery store in Peachtree City, Ga., and is now the Dodgers’ starting left fielder. These five might be young, but they will embrace the challenge of ushering in a new generation of African-American players and managers. “I’d love to make a difference,” says Edwards, 25. “I actually love being a minority in this game as one of the few black pitchers. I know everybody wants to hit homers and be on the field making great plays, but I love pitching. You’re the center of attention. “In my hometown (Prosperity, S.C), I see all of these kids wearing No.6 on social media like me. Hopefully, by them watching more, more minority kids will want to become pitchers, too.” Just 1.5% of all players in the game today are African-American pitchers, and, according to Mark Armour’s research with SABR, there are 10 times as many Latino pitchers as African Americans. Toles, the son of former NFL linebacker Alvin Toles, was released by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2014, but after being out of the game for a year he made the meteoric rise from Class A to the Dodgers.

“It’s tough to get where I’m at obviously, and when you’re an African American, depending on your upbringing,” Toles says. “But the way I was raised, I’m not a quitter. Once I start something, I finish it. I definitely consider myself a role model now.” Says Roberts: “I think a lot of young African Americans can relate to him. Hopefully he can inspire others with his story.” Roberts, who had the most famous stolen base in Boston Red Sox history in the 2004 playoffs, spent 10 years as a player and five in front offices and coaching staffs. He wasn’t even considered for the managerial opening of his own San Diego Padres and was considered a long shot when interviewed by the Dodgers. Yet he dazzled the Dodgers ownership and front office with his intelligence and charisma in the interview process and was hired as the club’s first minority manager. Now, he wants to help those behind him and see a greater representation of African-American managers, and minority managers, in the game. Of the 30 major league managers, 27 are white. “I’ve tried to motivate and inspire these coaches who potentially have the ability to manage and hopefully get that opportunity like I did,” Roberts says. “Having more African-American leaders would be a good thing in this game. “It’s like when I came up, there were so many guys you looked up to. You need veterans who have that presence and leadership that can impact a clubhouse.” The most impactful African-American leaders among position players these days are Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles, Curtis Granderson of the New York Mets, Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Dexter Fowler of the St. Louis Cardinals. Heyward, who signed an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs before the 2016 season, certainly could join that group. He is just 27 but showed leadership skills by calling a team meeting during the infamous rain delay in Game 7 of the World Series, helping the Cubs to the championship. “I know the game is trying to get younger, and you’re already seeing a trend,” Heyward says, “so I think that will help with so many young, athletic guys. I’d love to make a difference, too. “The big thing to me is we could get colleges to give more baseball scholarships. If you want to go to school and get your education, baseball is not going to pay for it. They don’t have enough scholarships (111/2). So you have to play football and basketball to get a chance for a college education if you don’t have the money for school. “If we could ever change that, that would really help.” And, of course, it would be huge simply to educate kids on the benefit of playing baseball compared to football. Sure, the bus rides are long in the minors, and it might take years to reach the big leagues, if at all. But once you arrive, the average salary is about $3.5million. And, unlike football, the contracts are guaranteed. Every single penny.

“That’s the biggest thing is just educating and teaching the kids at a young age,” says Lombard, who was a USA TODAY All-America high school running back in Georgia. “I think the Urban Youth Academies are outstanding, bringing the sport to some of these inner cities. There are so many great athletes that come out of Miami, where I live, but they don’t grow up playing baseball because they don’t think it’s a cool thing to do. “We’ve got to change that and tell them the benefits of playing the sport. I had seven or eight surgeries in my career, and I played 16 years. If you had one of those injuries in football, they just move on to the next guy. “I know I want to help. I think all of us do. And I really believe we can help make a difference.” In the name of Jackie Robinson, baseball can only hope.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

Latest Series Against Cubs Reminds Dodgers of World Series Drought By Tyler Kepner CHICAGO — The cruelty of the schedule was clear to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their new second baseman, Logan Forsythe, noticed at spring training that his teammates were buzzing about it. Of all teams, they would be the guests when the Chicago Cubs raised their World Series championship flag at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers’ season had ended here last fall when the Cubs stormed past them on their way to glory. “It’s good for a team to talk about it,” Forsythe said. “It leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and it’s good to see that. You see guys feel bad, and it’s like: You don’t like it, but that’s pretty sweet. That’s where we want to be.” Not all of the Dodgers cared. Infielder Enrique Hernandez saw the schedule and said he had thought only of the weather. Clayton Kershaw, the sublime left-hander, said that as long as his team didn’t win the title, he didn’t really care who did. Those two did not watch the Cubs’ ceremony on a frigid and rainy Monday night, but some did, like outfielder Andrew Toles, who dropped a fly ball here in the final game of the National League Championship Series. “It’s a salty feeling,” Toles said. “Just the fact that they beat us, and it could have been us. I just want to win, just to see what it’s like. That feeling they got, I want to have that same feeling.” The Cubs drew out their coronation this week, waiting until Wednesday to present their World Series rings in another round of on-field catharsis. A few minutes later, Toles jolted them back to reality, smashing a leadoff homer to send the Dodgers on their way to a 2-0 victory. After falling, 4-0, on Thursday and losing the three-game series, the Dodgers returned home with a 5-5 record but a sense that things could be different this fall.

“They’re still the reigning champions,” Manager Dave Roberts said, “but I think that we’ve closed the gap.” The Dodgers won their fourth N.L. West title in a row last season but have not reached the World Series since 1988. Their major winter moves were re-signing closer Kenley Jansen, third baseman Justin Turner and starter Rich Hill for a combined $192 million. Forsythe arrived in a trade with Tampa Bay for a pitching prospect, and outfielder Franklin Gutierrez and reliever Sergio Romo signed as free agents. Otherwise, these are mostly the same Dodgers, back for another try. “I think on paper you could say that we are better, for sure,” Kershaw said. “We’ve just got to go prove it now. We’ve got a lot of guys back. Really we’re the same team with guys healthy, and the addition of Forsythe and Gutierrez and Romo.” Hill is not healthy at the moment; he is on the disabled list with a blister problem that cost him almost two months last season. But Kershaw, the game’s best pitcher, is healthy, and so are starters Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu. McCarthy, who is 2-0, made just nine starts last season, and Ryu made one. Kershaw made 21, and most were dazzling; he had a career-low 1.69 E.R.A., with more than 15 strikeouts for every walk. But a herniated disk in Kershaw’s back cost him nearly 11 weeks, the longest absence of his career. “Every time I do get to pitch now, in the back of my head I’m a little bit more grateful, knowing it’s not just a given that I’m going to be out there every fifth day,” Kershaw said. “I’m thankful for that, but my mind-set hasn’t changed. One of these days I’ll maybe not fail and win a World Series.” Kershaw smiled as he said it. He had some highlights last October — a save to clinch the division series in Washington, then seven shutout innings here in Game 2 of the N.L.C.S. But the Cubs battered him in their Game 6 clincher, and a championship eluded him again. That pursuit defines the Dodgers, who are in the midst of the longest stretch in franchise history without a World Series appearance. They know their season can be considered a success only if they break through when it matters most — a fact that obscures how well they have played to annually have the chance. “You could definitely have a tendency to be impatient with it and just try to hurry up and get to October,” Kershaw said. “But baseball’s a sport where it’s a big accomplishment to make it to the postseason. It’s a long season, and you can’t take for granted that you’re going to be there. The good thing is we have a lot of experience in here, and a lot of guys that embrace the grind.” Three of the Dodgers’ best hitters — Adrian Gonzalez, Joc Pederson and Corey Seager — are left-handed, making the lineup vulnerable to left-handed pitchers. But Roberts has a deep and versatile roster, and two of the minors’ best prospects are waiting at Class AAA Oklahoma City. One, the 20-year-old left-hander Julio Urias, made 16 starts in the majors last season, including one in the N.L.C.S. The other, the 21-year-old outfielder and first baseman Cody Bellinger, was ranked as

baseball’s No. 7 overall prospect by Baseball America. He was 10 for 24 with a homer in his first six minor league games this season. “He’s an incredibly talented player who has been young for his level throughout, which he’s handled as well as you could possibly ask,” said Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations. “His aptitude is great, his work ethic is great, so I’m confident we’ll get him to the point where he can help us. Exactly when that is, I don’t know.” The Dodgers have steadily welcomed high-impact young players to the roster lately, with Pederson, Seager and Urias. They have found undervalued regulars like Turner and catcher Yasmani Grandal, re-signed homegrown stars like Kershaw and Jansen and changed managers seamlessly, with Roberts earning widespread acclaim last season in his first year replacing Don Mattingly. Only one thing is missing, and the Dodgers know what it is. Their trip this week was just another powerful reminder.

TMZSPORTS.COM

JACKIE ROBINSON, WIFE, KIDS AND DODGER LEGENDS... to Attend Statue Unveiling By TMZsports.com Jackie Robinson's wife and children are among the special guests committed to attend the statue ceremony at Dodger Stadium this weekend honoring the MLB legend ... the team says. Rachel Robinson, along with Jackie's daughter, Sharon, and son, David, will be front and center on Saturday ... the 70th anniversary of Robinson breaking MLB’s color barrier on April 15, 1947. The 10 foot tall bronze statue will be the very first one installed at Dodger Stadium. The first 40,000 fans will receive a smaller replica. Several Dodgers legends will also be in attendance including Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, Sandy Koufax, Don Newcombe and Dodgers owner Magic Johnson. The Dodgers play the Diamondbacks that day. Someone better try to steal home.

LOS ANGELES POST-EXAMINER

Dodgers will unveil the Jackie Robinson Statue at Dodger Stadium Saturday By Los Angeles Post-Examiner Staff The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they will unveil a Jackie Robinson statue on Saturday, to mark the 70th anniversary of Robinson joining the (Brooklyn) Dodgers, thereby breaking the color barrier in major league baseball — April 15, 1947.

They will join all of major league baseball in celebrating Jackie Robinson Day. Since that historic day, baseball, more than any other U.S. team sport, has become multi-ethic and multi-cultural in every team. The World Baseball Classic, which featured teams from around the world boasting major league players, is a great example of how far baseball has come in the past 70 years. On hand will be his wife Rachel Robinson and daughter Sharon Robinson, along with his son David Robinson. Joining the Robinson Family will be Dodger Owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Dodger President and CEO Stan Kasten, Vin Scully, Sandy Koufax, Tommy Lasorda, Don Newcombe, Frank Robinson and Kevin Frazier. There will be a dedication ceremony at 3 p.m. Saturday for invited guests and then the Dodgers will take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at 6:10 p.m. Patrick Corbin is scheduled to start for the Diamondbacks and Kenta Maede will take the mound for the Dodgers. The first 40,000 ticked fans will receive a replica Jackie Robinson Statue, presented by Bank of America. Tickets are still available online.

THE WASHINGTON POST

Dodgers’ exceptional depth gives them an arm — and often a bat — up on the competition By Dave Sheinin CHICAGO — When the Los Angeles Dodgers needed a starting pitcher this week to fill in for injured Rich Hill, they turned to Alex Wood, a lefty with a career 3.39 ERA as a starter who was pushed to the bullpen at the start of this season. When they needed an outfielder, after Franklin Gutierrez went to the disabled list, they called up Trayce Thompson, who hit 13 homers in just 236 at-bats for them in 2016. When Justin Turner needed a day off to rest a sore quadriceps, they plugged into their lineup Chase Utley, a six-time all-star with borderline Hall-of-Fame credentials. When it comes to major-league-ready players, the Dodgers’ organizational depth is the best in the game, and maybe the best in recent history. On a given night, you wouldn’t always choose the Dodgers’ best nine players over their opponents’ best nine — as, for example, during their three-game series this week against the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field — but when you compare 40-man rosters, no one can touch the Dodgers. Their stockpile includes not only an active roster stacked with stars such as Clayton Kershaw and Corey Seager, and useful pieces everywhere, but also a disabled list whose current occupants include pitchers Hill and Scott Kazmir, who won a combined 22 games in 2016, and a Class AAA roster full of players who would undoubtedly be big leaguers in almost any other organization — plus a 20-year-old phenom, Julio Urias, who made the Dodgers’ postseason roster last October, and who is being brought along slowly to keep his innings total down. Amassing this much talent took plenty of effort and money, as the Dodgers’ estimated payroll of $225 million leads the majors by a significant margin. But simply managing it on a day-to-day basis is its own massive task, one that falls largely to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and General Manager Farhan Zaidi.

“It’s certainly challenging,” Friedman said Wednesday, “but we’d rather have it this way than the alternative.” At the end of spring training, Friedman and Zaidi, along with Manager Dave Roberts, had the unenviable task of calling a parade of players into an office and informing them they would not be getting the Opening Day assignment they were hoping for, simply because there wasn’t room for everybody in a five-man rotation, a three-man outfield or a seven-man bullpen. “That moment felt kind of clumsy, and there were some awkward conversations,” Friedman said. “But we knew at that time that our future selves would be happy about it. And it plays out in ways where a lot of different guys will have their fingerprints on the success of this team. We don’t know exactly who and how it will play out, but we know it will.” One of those awkward conversations at the end of the spring was with Wood, a 26-year-old starting pitcher who won 11 games in 2014 and 12 in 2015, but was injured for most of last season. The Dodgers told him he would open the season in the bullpen, but would be among the first options should a starter go down — which, as it turned out, came just a week into the season when Hill developed a blister on his throwing hand. “It’s out of your control. They tell you what they want you to do, and you have to go and do it,” Wood said, “or else one of those guys that are behind you on the depth chart will come up and do it for you. … Since I’ve been around I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s pretty remarkable, the amount and the quality of depth we have.” Thompson, called up Wednesday to replace Gutierrez, was another of those awkward conversations at the end of spring training. “Not being with the team from the start — that stung,” he said. “I understood [the reasoning] — but it stung.” Roberts credited his players with “buying into” an organizational philosophy of more is more, even when it means less playing time for everyone. “With our depth, they’re going to concede some at-bats and some innings, but they understand the long view of the six months of a major league season.” Last year, the Dodgers used 55 players, including 31 pitchers — both marks tying franchise records — in winning the National League West and advancing to the NL Championship Series. Twenty-eight different players made trips to the disabled list, believed to be another franchise record (though record-keeping is spotty before the mid-1980s). This year, with baseball having reduced the minimum DL stay from 15 days to 10, the Dodgers may be even more active in shuttling players on and off. Already, they have sent seven players to the 10-day disabled list since April 2, tied with Boston for the most in the majors. Friedman acknowledged the shorter DL time benefits teams with exceptional depth, since they can more readily replace an injured player. With a 15-day minimum stay, teams were more inclined to rest a player with a minor injury for a few days, and play short a player during that span, rather than lose him for two weeks. With a shorter minimum stay, it’s easier to absorb the temporary loss of a key player, as long as you have solid reserves with which to replace him.

“If you have really good replacements,” he said, “it’s easier to play at full strength throughout the season.” By August of each season, most teams look significantly different than they did in April, as injuries, trades and the Darwinian nature of sporting performance remake rosters. But if the 2017 season comes down to which organization has the best 25th-, 30th-, 35th- and 40th-best players — as a season sometimes does — the Dodgers, perhaps more than any other team in baseball, like their chances.

LA TIMES

Dodgers Dugout: All these years, and they still can’t hit lefties By Houston Mitchell Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and if you see a 6-foot tall bunny in your front yard Sunday morning, go out and ask him if he can hit left-handers. Left out again After starting off the season 3-1, the Dodgers hit the road for six games, and the come back home with a 5-5 record. What happened? Let’s look at the opposing pitcher to get the decision in each win: Dodgers 10, Colorado 6. Decision: Tyler Anderson (left-handed) Dodgers 2, Colorado 0. Decision: John Lackey (right-handed) Each loss: Colorado 2, Dodgers 1. Decision: Kyle Freeland (left-handed) Colorado 4, Dodgers 2. Decision: Mike Dunn (left-handed) Chicago 3, Dodgers 2. Decision: Wade Davis (right-handed. Game was started by a left-hander, Jon Lester). Chicago 2, Dodgers 0. Decision: Brett Anderson (left-handed). Basically, the Dodgers went 1-4 against lefties in the series. They got shut down by Brett Anderson. Yeah, the former Dodger. For the season, the Dodgers numbers against righties are .260/.374/.463. Against lefties, .211/.293/.320. How is this still a problem? I'd like to say it is still early, so you can't read much into it, but the Dodgers haven’t hit left-handers well for two or three seasons. They tried to address it by bringing in Logan Forsythe (who is hitting .353 against lefties this season) and Franklin Gutierrez (.250). But it looks like it will continue to be a problem.

I wonder if the Brewers would still be up for trading Ryan Braun. His career slash numbers versus lefties: .336/.404/.625 Chase Utley is the man With the Dodgers leading the Cubs, 1-0 on Wednesday, Chase Utley was on first base with two out and Andrew Toles at the plate. The count was full, so Utley started running when the pitch was delivered. Toles swung and missed but the ball got away from the catcher. Instead of assuming the out, Utley continued running hard, and was able to score from first when the throw got past the first baseman. A lot of runners would have been jogging in that situation, but not Utley. And that is why he is on the team. A young player must find it hard to be lackadaisical when the oldest man on the team hustles on every play. You can watch the play here. This isn't good The Nos. 5 and 6 hitters on the Dodgers are hitting a combined .103 this season (seven for 68). Next series Friday, 7 p.m. PDT, Dodgers (Clayton Kershaw) vs. Arizona (Zack Greinke) Saturday, 6 p.m. PDT, Dodgers (Kenta Maeda) vs. Arizona (Patrick Corbin) Sunday, 1 p.m. PDT, Dodgers (TBA) vs. Arizona (Taijuan Walker). This game will be on KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles. KTLA games There will be seven more games on KTLA this season: April 16, 1 p.m., vs. Arizona April 18, 6:30 p.m., vs. Colorado April 19, 7 p.m., vs. Colorado April 23, 1 p.m., at Arizona April 30, 1 p.m., Philadelphia May 3, 6 p.m., vs. San Francisco May 7, 1 p.m., at San Diego