True Blue LA - June 20: Dodgers 4, Nationals 1Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2016-06-20T22:44:08-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/117460432016-06-20T22:44:08-07:002016-06-20T22:44:08-07:00Jansen replaces Gagne atop Dodgers saves list
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<p><a href="https://www.truebluela.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Dodgers</a> closer <span>Kenley Jansen</span> made franchise history by finishing off Monday night's 4-1 win over the <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nationals</a>, earning his 162nd career save, one more than <span>Eric Gagne</span> for the most in franchise history.</p>
<p>"I was teammates with Eric, and to have Kenley break that Dodgers all-time saves record at home, to be a small, small part of it," manager <span>Dave Roberts</span> said after the game, on SportsNet LA. "I know Kenley is proud. He loves being a Dodger. To do it here in front of the home fans was special."</p>
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<p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Eric Gagné calls <a href="https://twitter.com/kenleyjansen74">@kenleyjansen74</a> to congratulate him on breaking his franchise record. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WeLoveLA?src=hash">#WeLoveLA</a> <a href="https://t.co/qijE2vkeUn">pic.twitter.com/qijE2vkeUn</a></p>
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/745120633923612672">June 21, 2016</a>
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<p>The save was also Jansen's 20th of the season, making him <a href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/nvgfC" target="_blank">the only Dodgers pitcher with five seasons of 20 or more saves</a>.</p>
<p>Jansen since his blown save on June 11 in San Francisco has retired 15 of his 16 batters faced, with 10 strikeouts in his last five games. He sports a 1.53 ERA with 35 strikeouts and just four walks in 29⅓ innings.</p>
<p>Opposing batters have hit .168/.200/.267 against Jansen this season, including just 5-for-45 (.111) at Dodger Stadium.</p>
<p>The save mark, and Jansen's career to date is remarkable considering he has only been pitching since 2009. He was signed out of Curacao in 2004 as a catcher, but couldn't hit. But he did have a great arm, and from the time he first pitched in a professional game it only took him one year to make the major leagues.</p>
<p>Jansen recorded <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2010/7/25/1587477/kershaw-jansen-put-up-zeroes" target="_blank">his first save on July 25, 2010</a>, one day after his major league debut, both against the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> at Dodger Stadium. That saved a win by <span>Clayton Kershaw</span>, as did Monday night. Of Jansen's 162 career saves, 33 of them have been wins by Clayton Kershaw.</p>
<p>Since the start of 2010, <a href="http://" target="_blank">Jansen's 162 saves rank seventh in baseball</a>, and the only one ahead of him on the list with a better ERA+ (166) or opponent's OPS (.518) is <span>Craig Kimbrel</span>, atop the list with his 241 saves, 232 ERA+ and .466 opponent's OPS.</p>
<p>There are still more than three months remaining in the season, and Jansen already <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/Anr0W">ranks ninth on the all-time list of most saves through the age-28 year</a>. It seems reasonable that Jansen will pass Ugueth Urbina (174) for seventh place, and to catch Mitch Williams (186) for sixth place would require a season of at least 44 saves for Jansen, who set a career high with 44 saves in 2014.</p>
<p>Jansen could have easily been fourth if not higher on the active saves list if not for inexplicably starting each of 2011, 2012 and 2013 in a setup role. But in each of those years, Jansen eventually found his way into the closer's role, because the cream or the crop almost always rises to the top.</p>
<p>Now it's Jansen at the top in Dodgers franchise history.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="und">⚾️ 1⃣6⃣2⃣ ⚾️ <a href="https://t.co/0HqhK5vIqi">pic.twitter.com/0HqhK5vIqi</a></p>
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dodgers/status/745125986681815040">June 21, 2016</a>
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<p>Gagne will be at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday in a pregame ceremony to honor Jansen.</p>
<h4>Up next</h4>
<p>The Dodgers try for a fifth straight win on Tuesday night, sending <span>Scott Kazmir</span> to the mound in the middle game against the Nationals, another 7:10 p.m. PT start. The Nationals will counter with right-hander <span>Tanner Roark</span>.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11986114/kenley-jansen-dodgers-franchise-save-record-eric-gagneEric Stephen2016-06-20T22:07:21-07:002016-06-20T22:07:21-07:00Kershaw, Turner lead Dodgers to 4th straight win
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<p>In a game that started at an oppressively warm 96 degrees in Los Angeles, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> were able to stay hot, with <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> and the usual suspects delivering a 4-1 victory over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> in the opener of a three-game series on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.</p>
<p>The win was the fourth straight for the Dodgers, who at 39-33 are six games over .500 for the first time all season.</p>
<p>Kershaw was his dominant self on Monday, not even allowing a Nationals runner to reach second base until the sixth inning. It was during that frame when <span>Michael Taylor</span> doubled with one out, but Kershaw struck out <span>Jayson Werth</span> and <span>Bryce Harper</span> to end the threat.</p>
<p>Harper found it especially tough against Kershaw, striking out all three times against him on Monday night. In his career, Harper is 1-for-15 with 10 strikeouts against Kershaw, though the one hit was a home run.</p>
<p>It was the seventh inning when the long, hot night began to exact its toll on Kershaw, and three of the first four hitters singled to score a run. One loud out later, a wild pitch put both runners — the tying runs — into scoring position. But before this could devolve into 2014 NLDS-like heat, Kershaw cooled off the rally by getting old friend <span>Chris Heisey</span> to fly out to end the threat.</p>
<p>Kershaw was able to beat Washington for an eighth straight start, allowing six total runs during that span.</p>
<p>Kershaw threw 106 pitches in his seven innings, allowing just the one run, with eight strikeouts and zero walks, the eighth time in 15 starts he hasn't issued a free pass this season. Kershaw added to his major league lead in strikeouts, now at 141, and with just seven walks on the season brought his absurd strikeout to walk ratio over 20-to-1 again.</p>
<p>In fact, even if you exclude all eight starts in 2016 in which Kershaw didn't issue a walk, his 59 remaining strikeouts and seven walks would give him the second best strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.43) in MLB, only narrowly behind Noah Syndergaard of the Mets (8.83).</p>
<p><span>Kenley Jansen</span> retired the side in order in the ninth inning for his 20th save of the year, and 162nd in his career, setting the Dodgers' all-time franchise record, surpassing <span>Eric Gagne</span>.</p>
<h4>Bat man Turner overdrive</h4>
<p>Nobody has been hotter at the plate for the Dodgers in the last two weeks or so than <span>Justin Turner</span>, and he continued that on Monday night. He hit a solo home run in the first inning, his seventh in his last 13 games. Those seven home runs set a new personal best for a single month for Turner, whose previous high was six home runs last June.</p>
<p>Turner also singled home a run in the fourth inning, and extended his hitting streak to eight games, including five multi-hit games. During the streak, Turner is 14-for-29 (.467).</p>
<p>Both hits came against fill-in starter <span>Yusmeiro Petit</span>, against whom Turner in his career is 4-for-6 with three home runs, a walk and eight RBI.</p>
<p>All things considered, Petit did an admirable job for someone who didn't now he would be starting until <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11984954/stephen-strasburg-back-injury-scratched-nationals-yusmeiro-petit" target="_blank">about an hour before game time</a>, subbing in for an injured <span>Stephen Strasburg</span>. a Petit allowed three runs but got through six innings, in his first start since May 23, 2015.</p>
<h4>Shortstop power</h4>
<p><span>Corey Seager</span> was the runner who scored from second base in the fourth inning, thanks to a ground rule double to left field. For good measure, Seager doubled again in the sixth inning, this one to left center.</p>
<p>Seager on the season now has 16 doubles to go with his 15 home runs, and through 72 team games the season isn't even half over. The Dodgers' franchise record for home runs hit as a shortstop in a season is 19, and only <a target="_blank" href="http://bbref.com/pi/shareit/uOWOX">six times (since 1913) has a Dodgers shortstop reached 30 doubles</a>.</p>
<h4>Joc's hot, too</h4>
<p>The Dodgers added another run in the fifth inning when <span>Joc Pederson</span> hit a towering home run down the right field line, nearly into the Loge level. The solo shot was the 13th of the season for Pederson, and his fifth home run in his last nine games, hitting 10-for-32 (.313) during that span.</p>
<h4>Monday particulars</h4>
<p><b>Home runs</b>: Justin Turner (10), Joc Pederson (13)</p>
<p><b>WP - Clayton Kershaw (11-1)</b>: 7 IP, 6 hits, 1 run, 8 strikeouts</p>
<p><b>LP - Yusmeiro Petit (2-1)</b>: 6 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts</p>
<p><b>Sv - Kenley Jansen (20)</b>: 1 IP, 2 strikeouts</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11985748/clayton-kershaw-justin-turner-dodgers-nationals-recapEric Stephen2016-06-20T20:05:11-07:002016-06-20T20:05:11-07:00Scully really wanted to call Kershaw-Strasburg
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<p>The pitching matchup between <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> ace <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> right-hander <span>Stephen Strasburg</span> was one of the most highly anticipated of the season, and not just for the fans. Vin Scully <i>really</i> wanted to call this game, too.</p>
<p>Scully has a sore throat, which is why the first three innings of his television broadcast on SportsNet LA wasn't simulcast on radio. In the second inning, Scully explained why he sounded differently on Monday, even apologizing for his raspy voice.</p>
<p>"I really knew I had a sore throat, but I wanted to see Strasburg and Kershaw <em>so badly</em> that I decided I'm going to go and somehow croak my way through the game. It will be so exciting. I'm going to see two of the great pitchers going head to head," Scully explained. "And about 45 minutes before the start of the game, Strasurg let me down."</p>
<p>Washington <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11984954/stephen-strasburg-back-injury-scratched-nationals-yusmeiro-petit" target="_blank">scratched Strasburg about an hour before game time with a strained upper back</a>.</p>
<p>Hearing Scully describe his anticipation for the matchup was a fascinating moment, and it's still amazing that Scully, who has seen just about everything in baseball, still has a sense of wonderment about the game in his 67th season on the job.</p>
<p>"So anyway, I'm sorry. We'll do the best we can," Scully continued. "Maybe I thought all of a sudden I'll feel 100 percent with Strasburg and Kershaw, something magical will happen. Dummy."</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11985502/vin-scully-stephen-strasburg-clayton-kershaw-sore-throat-dodgersEric Stephen2016-06-20T18:05:01-07:002016-06-20T18:05:01-07:00Strasburg scratched, Petit to start for Nats
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<p>The matchup of Clayton Keshaw and <span>Stephen Strasburg</span> seemed too good to be true, and that turned out to be true. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> scratched Strasburg a little more than an hour before Monday's series opener against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> with an upper back strain.</p>
<p><span>Yusmeiro Petit</span> gets rushed into starting duty. The all-purpose swing man has been effective in multiple roles in the last few years for San Francisco and now Washington, but since the start of 2015 had pitched almost exclusively in relief.</p>
<p>Petit's one start since the beginning of last season came on May 23, 2015. He last pitched on Friday night, pitching an inning in relief in San Diego for his first major league save.</p>
<p>The 31-year-old right-hander has a 2.81 ERA in 17 games in relief for the Nationals this season, with 25 strikeouts and seven walks in 32 innings. It is unclear just how long Petit will be able to pitch on Monday night, especially on short notice, but he has lasted at least two innings eight times this year, including relief outings of 4⅔, 4 and 3⅔ innings.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11984954/stephen-strasburg-back-injury-scratched-nationals-yusmeiro-petitEric Stephen2016-06-20T16:59:47-07:002016-06-20T16:59:47-07:00Monday night lineups
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<p><span>Clayton Kershaw</span> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> will face a test on Monday night with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> in town, with an offense that is clicking in June.</p>
<p>Washington is 11-6 so far this month and is averaging 5.82 runs per game. Key culprits for the month include left fielder fielder <span>Jayson Werth</span>, hitting .327/.424/.491 in June and in his career is 9-for-32 (.281) with two home runs and four walks against Kershaw; catcher <span>Wilson Ramos</span> (.358/.407/.679 in June), center fielder <span>Michael Taylor</span> (.390/.419/.634) and shortstop <span>Danny Espinosa</span> (.273/.365/.636).</p>
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<h4>Starting Lineups</h4>
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<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#ba122b" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Nationals</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#1e90ff" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
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<td>CF</td>
<td>Taylor</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Utley (L)</td>
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<td>LF</td>
<td>Werth</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Seager (L)</td>
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<td>RF</td>
<td>Harper (L)</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Turner</td>
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<td>2B</td>
<td>Murphy (L)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
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<td>1B</td>
<td>Zimmerman</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Thompson</td>
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<td>C</td>
<td>Ramos</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Pederson (L)</td>
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<td>3B</td>
<td>Rendon</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Kendrick</td>
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<td>SS</td>
<td>Espinosa (S)</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Grandal (S)</td>
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<td>P</td>
<td>Strasburg</td>
<td>P</td>
<td>Kershaw (L)</td>
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<span><b>Location</b>: Dodger Stadium<br><b>Time</b>: 7:10 p.m. PT<br> <b>TV</b>: SportsNet LA, ESPN<br><b>Radio</b>: AM 570</span>
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<p>Taylor is 2-for-6 with a double against Kershaw, while Espinosa (2-for-14, double, seven strikeouts) and Ramos (1-for-9, three strikeout) have struggled against the southpaw.</p>
<p><span>Bryce Harper</span> is 1-for-12 with a home run and seven strikeouts against Kershaw. Harper, who made his major league debut at Dodger Stadium on Apr. 28, 2012, is 9-for-31 in nine games at Chavez Ravine, hitting .290/.361/.419.</p>
<p>Only three Dodgers have faced <span>Stephen Strasburg</span> more than six plate appearances in their careers, and Wil Venable (4-for13, double, triple, walk) sits. <span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> is 4-for-9 with a double against him, while <span>Chase Utley</span> is 4-for-27 (.148) with a walk and seven strikeouts.</p>
<p>After making noise for the better part of a week that <span>Yasiel Puig</span> would probably be activated on Monday, manager <span>Dave Roberts</span> <a href="https://twitter.com/DodgerInsider/status/745036651341066241" target="_blank">said on Monday the outfielder would come off the disabled list on Tuesday</a>. Puig last played for the Dodgers on June 2, sidelined nearly three weeks with a left hamstring strain.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11982914/dodgers-nationals-starting-lineupsEric Stephen2016-06-20T13:09:54-07:002016-06-20T13:09:54-07:00Kershaw faces Strasburg in opener with Nationals
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<p><span>Clayton Kershaw</span> takes the mound for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> against <span>Stephen Strasburg</span> and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> in a blockbuster pitching matchup to open a three-game series on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.</p>
<p>Kershaw in his career has a 2.09 ERA against the Nationals, but since the start of 2012 he has been even better. Kershaw has won his last seven starts against Washington, allowing five total runs. He has lasted at least seven innings in all of those starts, including at least eight innings five times.</p>
<p>Kershaw leads the majors in innings (108) and innings per start (7.71) this season, which fits right in line with his two starts last year against the Nationals. In both starts Kershaw allowed just three hits and no walks in eight shutout innings, striking out 14 on July 18 in Washington and striking out eight on Aug. 12 in Los Angeles.</p>
<p>The left-hander has a 17-inning scoreless streak against the Nationals, and has allowed one total run in 31 innings in his last four starts against them.</p>
<p>Stephen Strasburg is off to a great start this season, 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA in his 14 starts, the kind of start that would have fueled a free agent frenzy this coming offseason had the right-hander not agreed to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension with Washington in May.</p>
<p>Strasburg had a 2.76 ERA in seven starts before inking the new deal, and since then his ERA in seven starts has ballooned <i>all the way to 3.07</i>, though he has a whopping 33.5-percent strikeout rate during that span.</p>
<p>The right-hander has a 1.71 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers, with 25 strikeouts and three walks, but he hasn't faced them since 2014. His only career start at Dodger Stadium came in 2012, with nine strikeouts in seven innings, allowing one run in a no-decision.</p>
<p>This is the first career meeting between Kershaw and Strasburg.</p>
<p>The Dodgers are 13-1 in Kershaw's starts in 2016, and the Nationals are 13-1 in Strasburg's starts. One of these teams gets a two on Monday night.</p>
<h4>Game info</h4>
<p>Time: 7:10 p.m. PT</p>
<p>TV: SportsNet LA, ESPN</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11980782/clayton-kershaw-stephen-strasburg-dodgers-nationals-previewEric Stephen2016-06-20T11:47:59-07:002016-06-20T11:47:59-07:00Dodgers-Nationals pitching matchups
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<figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> welcome the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> to town for three game starting Monday night. Here is a look at the pitching matchups, which start out about as strong as possible.</p>
<h4>Monday, 7:10 p.m. PT (SportsNet LA, ESPN)</h4>
<p>Just two starts after his duel with <span>Johnny Cueto</span>, <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> has another "matchup of the year" candidate with his showdown against <span>Stephen Strasburg</span> in the series opener. Kershaw, 10-1, leads the National League in strikeouts (133) ERA (1.54) and FIP (1.64), while Strasburg (10-0) is tied for third in strikeouts (118), seventh in FIP (2.83) and 13th in ERA (2.90).</p>
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<p>The ESPN broadcast is a full national telecast and will not be blacked out in Los Angeles.</p>
<h4>Tuesday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA)</h4>
<p><span>Scott Kazmir</span> looks to get back on track after totaling just 14 innings in his last three starts, though he has onlyallowed three runs in each of those three outings. <span>Tanner Roark</span> has thrived again now that he has a full-time rotation spot, with a 3.14 ERA in 14 starts, and 77 strikeouts in 86 innings.</p>
<h4>Wednesday, 7:10 p.m. (SportsNet LA, ESPN)</h4>
<p>After allowing four walks in his major league debut, <span>Julio Urias</span> has four walks total in his last four starts, one in each game, to go with 26 strikeouts during that span. The 19-year-old has allowed just three total runs in his last three starts, in 14⅓ innings. <span>Joe Ross</span>, brother of Tyson, has a 2.80 road ERA in eight starts this year, with a 21.9-percent strikeout rate, with 41 strikeouts in 45 innings away from home.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2016/6/20/11719272/dodgers-nationals-schedule-starting-pitchersEric Stephen