True Blue LA - May 18: Angels 8, Dodgers 1Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2016-05-18T23:11:01-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/115294612016-05-18T23:11:01-07:002016-05-18T23:11:01-07:00Van Slyke to start rehab assignment soon
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<figcaption>Kenny Karst-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>ANAHEIM -- <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> outfielder <span>Scott Van Slyke</span> is getting closer to a return to the team, currently working out at the club's facility at Camelback Ranch in Arizona in preparation for a minor league rehab assignment.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure what affiliate, but it will be a seven-day-<i>ish</i> rehab," manager <span>Dave Roberts</span> said on Wednesday.</p>
<p>The rehab assignment is slated to begin next week.</p>
<p>Van Slyke has been sidelined since the first week of the season with lower back tightness, having last played on April 9. He been one of the Dodgers' primary weapons against left-handed pitchers in recent years, a career .264/.371/.486 hitter against southpaws, with 16 home runs and 17 doubles in 348 plate appearances.</p>
<p>In 2016, Van Slyke is 1-for-9 with a double and a hit by pitch.</p>
<h4>White flag</h4>
<p>Down 8-1 after the sixth inning, the Dodgers mounted what amounted to their last real rally of the game, loading the bases with nobody out with the bottom of the order, with starter <span>Nick Tropeano</span>, a right-hander, on the ropes.</p>
<p>But with the left-handed <span>Chase Utley</span> due up, Roberts instead opted for the right-handed <span>Kiké Hernandez</span> (2 for his last 38) to pinch hit. The decision was made at the start of the inning.</p>
<p>"Down seven runs, we haven't scored eight runs since I can't remember when <i>[Ed. note: the Dodgers scored eight runs on Friday against the Cardinals]</i>. A guy that's playing every day, who's 37 years old, I didn't want him playing in a game that got away from us. At that point and time, I told him I'm going to give the at-bat to Kiké. As a player, when you hear that then mentally you check out," Roberts said. "It's a lot harder to gear back up to get a major league at-bat, and Kiké was ready to go."</p>
<p>Hernandez struck out and <span>Justin Turner</span> grounded into a double play to end the inning, with the Dodgers failing to score.</p>
<h4>Expect a roster move</h4>
<p>After using four relief pitchers to record the final 11 outs of the game, and with <span>Mike Bolsinger</span>'s shortened outing, expect the Dodgers to make a roster move as early as Thursday, with Bolsinger the likely one optioned back to Triple-A. Roberts was vague on the details after the game.</p>
<p>"Right now we're going to get together tonight and discuss some options, and figure out what we need to do," Roberts said. "Looking at the status of the bullpen, what gives us the best chance tomorrow and in the near future."</p>
<h4>Up next</h4>
<p>The Dodgers conclude their Freeway Series against the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> on Thursday night in Anaheim, with <span>Ross Stripling</span> on the mound. Roberts before Wednesday's game said the club would go back to five starters after this series, but downplayed any talk of competition between Stripling and Bolsinger for the final spot.</p>
<p>"We're just waiting to see how tonight plays out before we make that decision. Ross has done a lot of good things. He's continued to grow as a major league pitcher, and he's earned it," Roberts said. "After tonight we'll have a lot of clarity."</p>
<p><span>Jhoulys Chacin</span>, acquired in a trade from the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a> on May 11, starts the series finale for the Halos. The right-hander allowed two runs in seven innings in his Angels debut on Saturday at Seattle, and on the season has a 4.81 ERA in six starts, with 31 strikeouts and eight walks in 33⅔ innings.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/18/11710488/scott-van-slyke-minor-league-rehab-assignment-dodgersEric Stephen2016-05-18T22:21:03-07:002016-05-18T22:21:03-07:00Dodgers get spotty results in loss to Angels
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<figcaption>Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>ANAHEIM -- The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> got spotty results from their spot start, and the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> rallied for five runs in the fateful fifth inning to win 8-1 on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium in Anaheim.</p>
<p><span>Mike Bolsinger</span>, on a roughly 80-pitch limit, was pitching in and out of jams all night, allowing at least two runners to reach base in four of the five innings he started. In the one inning he allowed just one baserunner - the fourth - he pitched out of it by inducing two pop outs with Johnny Giovatella stranded 90 feet away from scoring the go-ahead run.</p>
<p>After a leadoff single in the fifth, Bolsinger one out later walked <span>Mike Trout</span>, who earlier lined a rocket 113 mph down the left field line and well into the seats for a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning. That was the end of the line for Bolsinger, who left at 69 pitches in a 1-1 tie, with two runners on base.</p>
<p>Then it all fell apart.</p>
<p><span>Louis Coleman</span> walked <span>Albert Pujols</span> to load the bases with one out, then induced two ground balls. C.J. Cron's grounder found its way to the hole at shortstop, where by the time <span>Corey Seager</span> came up with it there was no play to be made, scoring the go-ahead run.</p>
<p>Then, a slow grounder was bobbled by fill-in first baseman <span>Howie Kendrick</span>, scoring another run while still leaving the bases loaded and one out. <span>Rafael Ortega</span> then lofted a fly ball to short left field that got past a diving <span>Trayce Thompson</span> for two runs, followed by a sacrifice fly to complete the merry-go-round.</p>
<p>The Angels then added two <i>more</i> runs in the sixth to further blow the game even more wide open.</p>
<p>Trout was 3-for-4 with a home run and a walk. His fellow heart-of-the-order mates Pujols and Cron each had two hits, with the trio combining to go 7-for-10 with three walks, five runs scored and four driven in.</p>
<p>The single for Pujols in the sixth was his 2,700th career knock, the <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/H_career.shtml" target="_blank">67th player in MLB history to reach that milestone</a>.</p>
<p><span>Nick Tropeano</span> held the Dodgers without a hit until the fourth inning, retiring his first 10 batters faced. But a walk to <span>Justin Turner</span> was followed by a double from Seager, his team-leading 11th of the season. After a Kendrick ground ball to third that erased Turner at the plate, <span>Joc Pederson</span> pulled the Dodgers even with a single to left to score Seager. Hoping this catches on:</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Roomie run™</p>
— Eric Stephen (@truebluela) <a href="https://twitter.com/truebluela/status/733131891176398849">May 19, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<p>That was the only run Tropeano would allow in seven innings.</p>
<p>The Dodgers were held without a home run for the first time in 12 games, snapping their longest streak of games with a home run since Sept. 9-22, 2009.</p>
<p><span>Yasiel Puig</span> was 1-for-3 and walked in the ninth inning, his first free pass since April 24, snapping a string of 82 plate appearances in between walks.</p>
<p>The offense has scored three or fewer runs in 22 of their 41 games, and are 7-15 in such games.</p>
<h4>Wednesday particulars</h4>
<p><b>Home run</b>: Mike Trout (9)</p>
<p><b>WP - Nick Tropeano (2-2)</b>: 7 IP, 7 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts</p>
<p><b>LP - Mike Bolsinger (0-1)</b>: 4⅓ IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/18/11710370/angels-rally-dodgers-no-offense-recapEric Stephen2016-05-18T19:00:03-07:002016-05-18T19:00:03-07:00Freeway Series Game III chat
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<figcaption>Pepper games allowed. | <a href='http://www.truebluela.com'>Photo: Eric Stephen | True Blue LA</a></figcaption>
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<p></p>
<div class="read-more"> <br><h4>Starting Lineups</h4> <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><table cellspacing="2" cellpadding="2" border="0" align="center" class="sbnu-legacy-content-table"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="125" bgcolor="#1e90ff" align="center" colspan="2"><font color="#ffffff"><strong>Dodgers</strong></font></td> <td width="125" bgcolor="#ce1141" align="center" colspan="2"><font color="#ffffff"><strong>Angels</strong></font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>2B</td> <td>Utley (L)<br><br> </td> <td>3B</td> <td>Escobar</td> </tr> <tr> <td>3B</td> <td>Turner</td> <td>RF</td> <td>Calhoun (L)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>SS</td> <td>Seager (L)</td> <td>CF</td> <td>Trout</td> </tr> <tr> <td>1B</td> <td>Kendrick</td> <td>DH</td> <td>Pujols</td> </tr> <tr> <td>CF</td> <td>Pederson (L)</td> <td>1B</td> <td>Cron</td> </tr> <tr> <td>LF</td> <td>Thompson</td> <td>2B</td> <td>Giavotella</td> </tr> <tr> <td>C</td> <td>Grandal (S)</td> <td>LF</td> <td>Ortega (L)</td> </tr> <tr> <td>RF</td> <td>Puig</td> <td>C</td> <td>Perez</td> </tr> <tr> <td>DH</td> <td>Crawford</td> <td>SS</td> <td>Ryan</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br><span><strong>Location</strong>: Angel Stadium<br><strong>Time</strong>: 7:05 p.m. PT<br> <strong>TV</strong>: SportsNet LA, Fox Sports West<br><strong>Radio</strong>: AM 570</span><br> </div>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/18/11706308/freeway-series-game-iii-chatEric Stephen2016-05-18T15:46:30-07:002016-05-18T15:46:30-07:00Puig drops to 8th in batting order
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<figcaption>Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>ANAHEIM -- <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> outfielder <span>Yasiel Puig</span> is mired in likely the worst slump of his career, and on Wednesday was dropped to eighth in the batting order against the <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> in Anaheim.</p>
<p>It is the first time in Puig's career he is starting in the eighth spot, but that comes with the territory when you're hitting .232/.273/.373 with four home runs in 39 games.</p>
<p>This marks the seventh time in his last eight starts that Puig has batted seventh in the batting order or lower.</p>
<div class="sidebar">
<h4>Starting Lineups</h4>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#1e90ff" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#ce1141" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Angels</b></font></td>
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<td>2B</td>
<td>Utley (L)<br>
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<td>3B</td>
<td>Escobar</td>
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<td>3B</td>
<td>Turner</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Calhoun (L)</td>
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<td>SS</td>
<td>Seager (L)</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Trout</td>
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<td>1B</td>
<td>Kendrick</td>
<td>DH</td>
<td>Pujols</td>
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<td>CF</td>
<td>Pederson (L)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Cron</td>
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<td>LF</td>
<td>Thompson</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Giavotella</td>
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<td>C</td>
<td>Grandal (S)</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Ortega (L)</td>
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<td>RF</td>
<td>Puig</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Perez</td>
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<td>DH</td>
<td>Crawford</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Ryan</td>
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<span><b>Location</b>: Angel Stadium<br><b>Time</b>: 7:05 p.m. PT<br> <b>TV</b>: SportsNet LA, Fox Sports West<br><b>Radio</b>: AM 570</span>
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<p>Puig has swung at 38.4 percent of pitches outside the strike zone this season, sixth-most in the National League, and his 16.1-percent overall swinging strike percentage is tops in the NL.</p>
<p>Since his last walk, which came on April 24, Puig is 14-for-79 (.177) with three home runs, two doubles (.316 slugging percentage) and 16 strikeouts.</p>
<p>Puig is in right field, while <span>Trayce Thompson</span> gets the call in left field, batting sixth. <span>Carl Crawford</span> is the designated hitter on Wednesday, batting ninth.</p>
<p><span>Adrian Gonzalez</span>, dealing with back tightness since Monday, sits out, with <span>Howie Kendrick</span> starting a second straight night at first base and batting cleanup. Kendrick was 2-for-4 on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.</p>
<p>Manager Dave Roberts said Gonzalez felt better Wednesday than he did on Monday, when the back problems flared up, and that he hoped to have in back in the starting lineup on Thursday or Friday.</p>
<p><span>Mike Bolsinger</span> makes <a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/18/11702060/mike-bolsinger-dodgers-angels-preview">his season debut on the mound for LA</a>, while <span>Nick Tropeano</span> starts on the hill for LA of Anaheim.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/18/11705956/yasiel-puig-slump-8th-batting-order-dodgers-angelsEric Stephen2016-05-18T14:37:38-07:002016-05-18T14:37:38-07:00Culberson optioned to Triple-A
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<figcaption>Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Dodgers are likely to add a position player to the roster by Friday.</p> <p>ANAHEIM -- The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> activated <span>Mike Bolsinger</span> from the disabled list to make his spot start on Wednesday night against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.halosheaven.com/">Angels</a>, and to make room optioned infielder <span>Charlie Culberson</span> to Triple-A Oklahoma City.</p>
<p>Culberson was 7-for-27 with two doubles and a walk in 15 games this season for the Dodgers, hitting .259/.286/.333 in limited duty. He started five games at shortstop, two at third base, and even played an inning at second base and five innings in two games in left field.</p>
<p>But Culberson was the least utilized player on the bench, with just 28 plate appearances in 40 team games. He hasn't started since May 9, and has played in just two innings and had one plate appearance in the club's last eight games.</p>
<p>Twelve of the 13 Dodgers position players in May have at least 23 plate appearances. Culberson had seven.</p>
<p>"Playing in an American League game, it's a positional player with options," manager Dave Roberts said. "Culby did a lot of a good things for us, but that move made the most sense."</p>
<p>The move gives the Dodgers 13 pitchers and 12 position players on their roster at the moment, though Roberts said that would likely change once the Dodgers open their weekend series on Friday in San Diego. Culberson can't return until 10 days have past unless he's replacing an injured player.</p>
<p>"If you're looking at position players in the system, Micah Johnson is a guy that's on the roster, who makes the move easy. Austin Barnes too. Rob Segedin is a guy that's not on the roster that would force a move," Roberts said. "If we do go that route, those are some names. But we'll let tonight play out first."</p>
<p>Alex Guerrero, who moved his minor league rehab to Double-A Tulsa and played in left field on Wednesday night, is also an option to join the Dodgers. Otherwise the decision date on Guerrero will be May 30, the day after the 20 days of his rehab assignment are up. The Dodgers would have to add him to the active roster or release him, as he can't be sent to the minors without his consent.</p>
<p>"I have to call the coaches down there and see how he is doing," Roberts said. "But he's definitely an option."</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/18/11705722/charlie-culberson-optioned-dodgers-mike-bolsingerEric Stephen2016-05-18T12:21:50-07:002016-05-18T12:21:50-07:00Bolsinger starts opener with Angels
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<figcaption>Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> and <a href="https://www.halosheaven.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Angels</a> shift their Freeway Series to Anaheim, with <span>Mike Bolsinger</span> getting the start on Wednesday night at Angel Stadium.</p>
<p>Bolsinger actually won the fifth starter job in spring training but was <a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/3/20/11273046/dodgers-fifth-starter-chaos-mike-bolsinger-brandon-beachy-zach-lee">hurt on the very day of his anointment</a>, sidelined nearly seven weeks with a strained oblique. He made two rehab starts with Triple-A Oklahoma City, allowing two runs in eight innings while striking out seven.</p>
<p>He lasted four innings in both starts, throwing 47 pitches in the first game, then 63 in his last outing on Thursday at Round Rock. Bolsinger is expected to throw five innings with a limit of about 80 pitches on Wednesday, manager <span>Dave Roberts</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/732709096302862336">told</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/JFordBaer/status/732709093442347009">reporters</a> on <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/jphoornstra/status/732708850189533185">Tuesday</a>.</p>
<p>Inserting Bolsinger into the rotation for a start gives the rest of the staff some breathing room, with seven games remaining after Wednesday in their stretch of 20 games in 20 days. Dodgers starters this season on four days rest have a 3.68 ERA in 23 starts, and with five days rest have a 3.16 ERA in 14 starts.</p>
<p>It was a good decision to give Bolsinger the spot start in an American League park, as he was 1-for-38 (but with a double!) last year and is 3-for-57 (.053) in his career at the plate.</p>
<p>The Dodgers will need to make a corresponding move later this afternoon to add Bolsinger to the active roster.</p>
<p>The Dodgers have won four of their last five games in Anaheim, though still own just a 20-33 (.377) record there since interleague play began in 1997. The Dodgers are 3-2 in American League parks this season.</p>
<h4>Game info</h4>
<p>Time: 7:05 p.m. PT</p>
<p>TV: SportsNet LA, Fox Sports West</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/18/11702060/mike-bolsinger-dodgers-angels-previewEric Stephen