Norris hopeful, Stripling does something new, other postgame notes

LOS ANGELES ---  Dave Roberts thinks whatever happens or doesn't happen regarding the trade deadline, his team will be prepared.

"We lost a tough one last night and came back and had a chance to win the series and responded," Roberts said, "I think there is a lot of things going on outside this clubhouse that are out of our control, our guys are focused on playing well, you saw the at bats today, you saw the conviction behind each pitch pitched from who took the ball today."

The Dodgers are 18-10 since Clayton Kershaw last pitched.

"Since Clayton went down, I don't know our record, we have made a concerted effort to do a little bit more," Roberts said, "that's 25 guys in the clubhouse, the results have been great but mindset, to me, has been most important."

Roberts reiterated his confidence in the front office and what they are trying to do to improve the team.

"I know that they are going to best thing for our club and for our organization so outside of that, my job is to get the 25 guys ready to play baseball games and whatever our team looks like," Roberts said, whether "it is different or the same on Tuesday, we'll be ready to win."

Bud Norris is hopeful to be back for his next start

After the game, Bud Norris talked about how he felt and what will happen in the next few days.

"[The pain has] definitely subsided a little bit, it is just an achy dead pain right now, I felt a lot better after I iced and did some massage stuff, we stretched a few more times as well," Norris said, "I'm just hopeful a couple good nights of sleep will help out and we'll throw in a couple of days."

Norris said he should be ready to go but wants to throw his side session first.

"I don't want to speculate too much, that's obviously my goal is to get out there in five, six days," Norris said, "but I really got to see how the next couple go and hopefully get a good healthy side session in and get that out of my head.

Dave Roberts also gave an update after the game.

Ross Stripling does something new

Ross Stripling had not replaced an injured pitcher before today so this was a new experience for him.

"Yeah that was kind of crazy, I was in [the clubhouse], I was in the training room doing my normal shoulder stuff, my pregame routine and just getting ready," Stripling said, "and I see [Norris] kind of tweak something and see Doc walking out there and i start wondering should I get out there."

Even warming up was a new thing for Stripling.

"They tell you, you have all the time you need but it is kind of a goofy way to warm up," Stripling said, "i was ready and I felt ready, it was just something you have never done before like okay, I guess I'm good, let's just do this."

"Yeah it was different, certainly can check that off my baseball bucket list and move on."

Stripling said today was different than how he approached his last bullpen outing.

"When I came in against the Rays, that adrenaline was much different because I got ready super fast in the pen and had to run out," Striping said, "today was kind of I gotta take my time, I played catch back of second base with Yas and then got on the mound and threw all my pitches."

The play no one had seen before

The play where the ball was caught up in Grandal's equipment was new for all involved.

Grandal thought he had seen a similar play involving a first baseman but today's incident was new to him.

"First time," Grandal said, "I asked the umpire, he said after 21 years in the majors, that was the first time he had seen it."

When it happened, Grandal's first instinct was to look where the ball always goes.

"I kind of started looking down, Grandal said, "I knew it hit my mask and it went down and should have been right under me, I knew it was somewhere here and then I started bouncing around and I feel something on my chest"

Stripling threw the pitch and then he wasn't sure what was going on.

"Yeah I didn't know what that was," Stripling said, "I was yelling at Yas, 'it's in there' and he's trying to get it."

"And then the umpire calls time whatever, and all right. dead ball," Stripling said, "and then he says runner advance, and I was like, what?"

"He called it lost ball or something," Stripling said, "and I was like I never heard of that, and he goes yeah, and I say, all right, let's go with that."

Roberts was glad that the play just cost a run and nothing more.

"That was a big play but fortunately didn't prove to be the difference in the game," Roberts said, "I had not seen that personally."

The Curse?

Corey Seager is a Rookie of the Year and maybe an MVP candidate, but he also has a dry sense of humor.  When asked about if he had thought about not hitting a home run since the All-Star break, he said he had not thought about it.

"Home run derbies are apparently a curse for not being able to hit and I was doing everything but hit home runs, I guess," said Seager, "Yeah, it really killed me."

Since the All-Star break, Seager is hitting .396/.418/.547 in 55 plate appearances.

Up next

The Dodgers are off on Monday and return to play on Tuesday in Denver against the Colorado Rockies.  A pair of right-handers, Brandon McCarthy and Jon Gray are scheduled to pitch the opener of a three-game series.