Dodgers have leads in the 10th and 11th, but can’t hang on and lose to Chicago.
Cubs sweep the Dodgers, 6-5
CHICAGO — Close games, for a variety of reasons, have tormented the Dodgers this season. The offense flops or the defense falters or the bullpen implodes. Most times it’s a combination that ends with disappointment in extra innings. It’s been a maddening wrinkle since the middle of April for the defending champions.
On Wednesday, all those ingredients produced a numbing loss amid a brutal stretch of stunning defeats. The Dodgers cracked in all departments and blew four leads in a 6-5, 11-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs on Anthony Rizzo’s two-out walk-off single.
They were swept out of Wrigley Field and return to Southern California 1-6 after two legs of their three-city, 10-game road trip, which continues in Anaheim on Friday. They’re 4-13 — the second-worst record in the majors during the stretch — after starting the season a major-league-best 13-2.
The Dodgers (17-15) fell to 4-9 in one-run games and 1-6 in extra-inning contests. They’ve dropped three extra-inning games on this trip despite being one out from a win in all three.
Watch Joc Pederson think he hit a walkoff homer
Former Dodger Joc Pederson thought he had hit a walkoff home run to beat his old team Wednesday night, but it was not to be. Take a look:
Cubs tie it in bottom of the 10th
Dodgers: Right-hander Alec Mills now pitching for the Cubs. Bryant to center. Anthony Rizzo in the game to play first. Gavin Lux is the runner at second. Betts grounded to third. Seager grounded to second, Lux to third. Dodgers are 0 for 20 this series with runners in scoring position. Turner walked on four pitches. Muncy doubled to left-center, Lux scoring, Turner was thrown out at the plate. They reviewed to see if catcher Contreras was illegally blocking the plate and he wasn’t. Somewhere, Steve Yeager smiled.
Cubs: Right-hander Kenley Jansen is now pitching for the Dodgers. Marisnick is the runner at second. Rizzo walked. With Pederson up, the runners moved up on a passed ball. Which became important when Pederson flied to right, deep enough to score Marsinick and move Rizzo to third. Bryant was walked intentionally. Baez was walked intentionally to load the bases with one out. Contreras grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
Score after 10 innings: Dodgers 4, Cubs 4
We go to extra innings, 3-3
Dodgers: Right-hander Craig Kimbrel now pitching for the Cubs. Beaty struck out swinging. Lux popped to third. Sheldon Neuse, batting for Treinen, struck out looking.
Cubs: Right-hander Dennis Santana now pitching for the Dodgers. Bote flied to left-center. Duffy struck out looking. Marisnick lined to second.
Score after nine: Dodgers 3, Cubs 3
Cubs tie it in the eighth
Dodgers: Left-hander Rex Brothers now pitching for the Cubs. Seager was hit by a pitch. Turner struck out swinging. Muncy flied to right. Smith singled to center, Seager to second. Taylor struck out swinging.
Cubs: Right-hander Blake Treinen now pitching for the Dodgers. Pederson walked. Bryant hit a grounder to short. Seager made a backhand stop, then threw the ball past Lux at second for an error. First and third, nobody out. Baez grounded to second, forcing Bryant at second, Pederson scoring. It’s tied, 3-3. Man on first, one out. Contreras grounded to first. Muncy grabbed it and forced Baez at second. Man of first, two out. Heyward struck out swinging.
Score after eight: Dodgers 3, Cubs 3
It’s 3-2 Dodgers after seven (and free Jumbo Jacks throughout the land!)
Dodgers: Lux lined to right. Keibert Ruiz, batting for Buehler, struck out swinging. The final line for Buehler: 6 IP, five hits, two runs, no walks, eight strikeouts. He threw 92 pitches, 65 for strikes. Betts struck out looking.
Cubs: Left-hander Victor Gonzalez now pitching for the Dodgers. Bote struck out swinging. Duffy walked on six pitches. Marisnick struck out swinging. That’s 10 strikeouts, which means free Jumbo Jacks throughout the land! Eric Sogard, batting for the pitcher, grounded to second. Nice inning by Gonzalez.
Score after seven: Dodgers 3, Cubs 2
Dodgers retake the lead in top of sixth, 3-2
Dodgers: Left-hander Kyle Ryan now pitching for the Cubs. Seager beat out a roller to third. Turner singled to right, Seager to second. Muncy walked on four pitches. Right-hander Ryan Tepera replaces Ryan. Smith hit a sacrifice fly to deep center, everyone moving up a base. Dodgers retake the lead, 3-2. Second and third, one out. With the infield in, Taylor grounded to third. Beaty flied to center.
Cubs: Pederson bunted up the third-base line. With the shift on, no one was there and he got an easy single. Where was that when he was with the Dodgers? Bryant flied to center. Baez doubled to left-center, Pederson to third. Contreras struck out swinging at a slider off the plate. Great pitch. Heyward grounded to Seager, who was on the right side of the infield for the shift.
Score after six: Dodgers 3, Cubs 2
Cubs tie it in fifth on Jake Marisnick’s homer
Dodgers: Taylor singled to right. Beaty popped to second. Lux doubled to deep left, scoring Taylor. It is Lux’s first extra-base hit since April 3. Buehler grounded to second, Lux to third. Betts flied to right.
Cubs: Heyward struck out swinging. Bote flied to center. Duffy singled to right. Marisnick hit the next pitch over the fence in left-center, tying the score. Ildemaro Vargas, batting for the pitcher, grounded to second.
Score after five: Dodgers 2, Cubs 2
This date in Dodger history: Tommy Lasorda makes his first and only start in the majors
On this date in 1955, in his first major league start, Dodger rookie starter Tommy Lasorda ties a record, throwing three wild pitches in the first inning of the team’s 4-3 victory over St. Louis at Ebbets Field. During his one inning of work, the future Dodgers’ Hall of Fame skipper will be spiked by Wally Moon, covering a play at home plate after uncorking one of his errant pitches.
Exactly 45 years later, Lasorda, 72, was named manager of the United States Olympic baseball team. He will lead the team to a gold medal when Team USA beats heavily-favored Cuba in the contest known as the Miracle on Grass.
Dodgers take 1-0 lead on Max Muncy’s homer
Dodgers: Seager struck out swinging. Turner struck out swinging. Muncy homered to left. Smith fouled to first.
Cubs: Bryant grounded to short. Nice scoop by Muncy. Baez grounded to short. Contreras struck out swinging.
Score after four: Dodgers 1, Cubs 0
Listen to the L.A. Fire Dept. awards during the Dodger game
If you are watching the Dodger game via Sportsnet LA (or, via illegal livestream, how dare you!) you’ll notice some noise in the background.
Dodger announcers Joe Davis and Orel Hershisher aren’t traveling with the team during the pandemic restrictions. They call the games from Dodger Stadium while watching the game on TV. Today, Dodger Stadium is hosting the L.A. Fire Dept. awards, so if you listen closely, you can hear Mayor Eric Garcetti give a speech, various other speeches, and all the awards being handed out. In fact, Davis and Hershiser lowered their voices and then remained silent while the national anthem was being played.
It’s scoreless after three
Dodgers: Gavin Lux grounded to first. Walker Buehler struck out swinging. Betts struck out swinging.
Cubs: Matt Duffy hit a bouncer down the third-base line for a double. Jake Marisnick grounded to second, Duffy to third. Alzolay grounded to the pitcher, Duffy holding at third. Pederson grounded to short.
Score after three: Dodgers 0, Cubs 0
Walker Buehler has five strikeouts through two innings
Dodgers: Will Smith flied to center. Chris Taylor struck out looking. Matt Beaty grounded to first.
Cubs: Willson Contreras struck out swinging. Jason Heyward grounded to second. David Bote struck out looking.
Score after two: Dodgers 0, Cubs 0
Walker Buehler strikes out the side in the first inning
Dodgers: Right-hander Adbert Alzolay gets the start for the Cubs. Mookie Betts struck out looking after getting ahead of the count 3-0. Corey Seager flied to center. Justin Turner walked on four pitches. Max Muncy struck out swinging.
Cubs: Walker Buehler pitching for the Dodgers. Joc Pederson struck out looking. Kris Bryant struck out looking. Javier Baez struck out swinging.
Score after one: Dodgers 0, Astros 0.
Dodgers place Edwin Ríos on injured list; recall Edwin Uceta
CHICAGO — The Dodgers placed reserve corner infielder Edwin Ríos on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation Wednesday. Right-hander Edwin Uceta was recalled from the taxi squad to take his place on the active roster.
The Dodgers’ offense has scuffled as a whole in recent weeks, but no one has struggled more than Ríos.
The 27-year-old left-handed hitter is 4 for 51 (.078) with one home run, seven walks, a hit by pitch and 18 strikeouts this season. He is 0 for his last 32 with 12 strikeouts, four walks and a hit by pitch.He recorded his last hit — an infield single — on April 13. His last hit to the outfield came on April 6.
He managed to score a run in Game 2 of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Cubs after starting at second base in extra innings. At the plate, he went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and grounded into a double play.
Roberts said Ríos isn’t “an excuse maker,” but he believes the shoulder injury affected Ríos’ performance. He added that the IL stint could double as a mental break.
“To get away from this hot box and not have to see what the scoreboard says and hear about things, just to take a breath,” Roberts said. “I think it’ll be good for him mentally, physically, emotionally, just to get a reset.”
Ríos will be eligible to go on a rehab assignment after his stint on the injured list, giving him a chance to find a rhythm in the minors before returning to the Dodgers.
Uceta will rejoin the active roster after making his major league debut Friday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The 23-year-old Dominican started the Dodgers’ bullpen game and allowed two runs on four hits across two innings.
More pregame notes:
—Roberts said he expects right-hander Joe Kelly to return “soon” from the injured list. Kelly hasn’t yet pitched this season after undergoing surgery in November to remove a cyst from his right shoulder. There’s a chance Kelly is activated this weekend in Anaheim.
—Cody Bellinger still hasn’t run at full speed on his fully weight, according to Roberts. Bellinger hasn’t played since fracturing his left fibula April 5. He is rehabbing at the club’s alternate training site in Arizona. He is expected to complete a rehab assignment with a minor-league affiliate once he can run 100%.
—David Price recently started throwing off a mound. The left-hander was placed on the injured list with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain April 26. Roberts said he’s expected to miss four to six weeks total.
—Right-hander Brusdar Graterol will travel to Arizona after the team returns to Los Angeles on Wednesday night to rehab from his forearm injury. An MRI exam didn’t reveal any structural damage, but Roberts said Graterol hasn’t thrown a baseball since he was placed on the injured list last Thursday. His return doesn’t appear imminent.
Peter O’Malley will answer reader questions
Every season we do a feature in our free Dodgers Dugout newsletter (sign up here) where readers can send in questions for Dodgers of the past. We’ve done “Ask Orel Hershiser” and “Ask Jerry Reuss” and “Ask Tom Niedenfuer” and “Ask Fred Claire” among others.
Now we move on to perhaps the biggest name so far: Peter O’Malley, who owned the Dodgers from 1979-98 and was team president from 1970-98.
Many Dodger fans still wax nostalgic for the days when O’Malley owned the team. It seemed more like visiting your local family store when going to games back then, instead of visiting one of those megamarts when you visit today. Not a knock on how things are currently, just a different feeling.
O’Malley has agreed to answer selected questions from Dodgers Dugout readers. So, start thinking of your questions and send them to me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. I will select the best and the ones most frequently asked and send them to him, and get his answers. Then those will be printed in a future newsletter.
Matt Beaty back in Dodgers lineup against Cubs
CHICAGO — Matt Beaty is back in the Dodgers lineup in Wednesday’s series finale against the Cubs for the first time since erupting for seven RBI in Milwaukee on Sunday.
Beaty will start in left field and bat seventh.
Despite his career day Sunday, Beaty didn’t appear in either one of the Dodgers’ two losses Tuesday. He was announced as a pinch-hitter in the second game but he was replaced before stepping into the batter’s box when the Cubs switched to a left-handed pitcher.
Beaty is 6 for 12 with three runs scored, one homer and seven RBI on the road trip. He’s 9 for 17 with one home run, five runs and 11 RBI since he was recalled from the alternate training site April 24. He’s reached base in 15 of his last 23 plate appearances
He started the season 1 for 11 before being optioned to the alternate training site.
Beaty will play left field Wednesday over AJ Pollock, one of the Dodgers’ few other hot hitters, against Cubs right-hander Adbert Alzolay. Pollock is 11 for 32 (.344) with three home runs and 10 RBI over his last nine games.
Walkler Buehler will take the mound for the Dodgers, who are an NL-worst 4-12 since starting the season 13-2. They’re 1-5 on the current road trip and have lost four straight series.
DODGERS (17-14)
Mookie Betts RF
Corey Seager SS
Justin Turner 3B
Max Muncy 1B
Will Smith C
Chris Taylor CF
Matt Beaty LF
Gavin Lux 2B
Walker Buehler P
CUBS (14-16)
Joc Pederson LF
Kris Bryant 1B
Javier Báez SS
Willson Contreras C
Jason Heyward RF
David Bote 2B
Matt Duffy 3B
Jake Marisnick CF
Adbert Alzolay P
Betting lines and odds for Dodgers vs. Cubs on Wednesday
Following a pair of losses
The Dodgers will turn to starter Walker Buehler against the Chicago Cubs to get the team out of a rut in which they have lost 12 of their last 16, and provide length for a bullpen that was used for nine innings Tuesday.
Buehler has not been quite the same pitcher away from Dodger Stadium as he has been at home, posting a lifetime 3.84 ERA with a 3.37 strikeout-to-walk rate on the road as compared to a 2.54 ERA and strikeout-to-walk rate of seven at home.
The Cubs will turn to Adbert Alzolay, who has a 3.83 ERA with 5.3 hits and 0.9 home runs issued per nine innings since the start of the 2020 season with the Cubs going 4-6 in games he’s appeared in.
Despite scoring a combined four runs in Tuesday’s doubleheader, the Dodgers are third in the National League in runs per game and averaging five runs per game on the road while the Cubs average of 5.3 runs per game at home ranks fifth in MLB.
The Dodgers have played 10 of their last 12 games over the total but covered the run line in just two of their last 16 games while the Cubs have played six of their last seven games over the total and are 11-7 on the run line as an underdog.
VSiN, the Sports Betting Network, offers more expert sports betting content in a free daily email at VSiN.com/email.
Cubs sweep doubleheader with 4-3 win in second game
CHICAGO — Clayton Kershaw, his hair wet on a frigid afternoon, blankly stared ahead from his seat in the Dodgers’ dugout Wednesday at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers and Chicago Cubs were about to begin the second inning and — for the first time in his 14-year career — Kershaw’s start wouldn’t continue beyond the first.
Kershaw’s outing ended after a disastrous inning in the Dodgers’ 7-1 loss in the first game of a seven-inning split doubleheader. He gave up four runs and threw 39 pitches in his shortest start of his career.
“It’s embarrassing,” Kershaw said. “No excuses. That was horrible.”
It was the first chapter in another forgettable day, perhaps the lowest in a recent series of low ones, for the skidding Dodgers. Their offense finally came to life late in the second game, but the Cubs rebounded to win 4-3 on David Bote’s walk-off single in the ninth inning to take both games from the Dodgers with Kershaw and Trevor Bauer on the mound.
The sweep plummeted the Dodgers to 17-14. They are 4-12 since starting the season since 13-2. That’s the worst record in the National League during the stretch.
“I think if you look at how they’re playing baseball, it’s just not all-around, all-facets-of-the-game executing,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So that’s what happens when you don’t do that.”
The Dodgers were, on paper, set up to continue where they left off from their rout of the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday. Kershaw and Trevor Bauer, the Dodgers’ starter in the second game, have been two of the best pitchers in the majors this season. But the starters didn’t provide length, the defense was sloppy and the offense floundered again.
“It just starts with taking care of the little details,” Bauer said, “and trusting that if you do the little things right then ultimately the whole picture will look a lot better.”
Dodgers take 3-1 lead on Turner homer, Cubs tie it on Baez homer
Dodgers: Right-hander Dillon Maples now pitching for the Cubs. Rios will be the runner at second. Lux grounded to third, Rios taking third. With Justin Turner batting for Jansen, Rios scored on a wild pitch. Turner homered to left. 3-1 Dodgers. Betts walked. With Seager batting, Betts stole second. Seager struck out swinging. Taylor struck out looking.
Cubs: Turner in at third. Right-hander Mitch White now pitching for the Dodgers. Vargas is the runner at second. Marisnick grounded to short. With Wolters batting, Vargas took third on a wild pitch. Wolters struck out swinging. Baez homered to left, tying the score. Willson Contreras hit for Maples and walked. Bryant popped to first.
Score after eight: Dodgers 3, Cubs 3
Dodgers tie it on Max Muncy’s home run
Dodgers: Bryant to left. Marisnick to center. Baez to short. Craig Kimbrel now pitching. Smith struck out looking. Muncy homered to right, tying it up. Pollock fouled to first. Rios struck out looking.
Cubs: Kenley Jansen now pitching for the Dodgers. Bote flied to center. Hayward walked. Vargas grounded into a 4-3 double play. We go into extra innings.
Score after seven: Dodgers 1, Cubs 1
We go to the seventh, 1-0 Cubs
Dodgers: Matt Beaty was announced for the pitcher, which means a pitching change for the Cubs, as left-hander Andrew Chafin comes in. And that means Sheldon Neuse bats for Beaty. Which means that arguably the Dodgers’ hottest hitter got no at-bats in this doubleheader. Neuse struck out swinging. Betts flied to right. Seager singled to center. Taylor grounded to third. Remember, this game only goes seven innings.
Cubs: Blake Treinen now pitching for the Dodgers. Sogard hit a bouncer to third, but with the shift on, no one was there, so he got a hit. Live by the shift, die by the shift. Jake Marisnick ran for Sogard. Wolters singled to left-center, Marisnick to second. Baez, batting for Chafin, grounded to third, but it bounced in and out of Rios’ glove for an error, loading the bases with nobody out. Pederson popped to short. Bryant struck out swinging. Rizzo struck out swinging. Some nifty pitching by Treinen.
Score after six: Cubs 1, Dodgers 0
It’s 1-0 Cubs after five innings
Dodgers: Right-hander Ryan Tepera now pitching for the Cubs. Pollock grounds the first pitch into the hole at second, but the diving play is made for the out. Rios grounded to short. Lux grounded to short.
Cubs: Rizzo tripled off the wall in center. Bote flied to right, not deep enough to score Rizzo. And that’s it for Bauer, with left-hander Victor Gonzalez coming in to pitch. Heyward grounded to first. Rizzo was going on contact and was easily thrown out at home. Vargas struck out swinging.
Score after five: Cubs 1, Dodgers 0
Cubs take 1-0 lead on Jason Heyward’s homer
Dodgers: Seager grounded to first. Taylor walked. Smith flied out to deep right, down the line near the fence in foul territory. Heyward made a nice catch and Taylor took second. And that’s it for Thompson, he is replaced by Rex Brothers. Related to Dr. Joyce Brothers? Seems unlikely. Muncy struck out looking.
Cubs: Heyward homered to right. Vargas walked. Sogard singled to right, Vargas to third. Wolters sacrificed Sogard to second, Vargas holding. Matt Duffy, hitting for Brothers, struck out looking. Pederson was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with two out. Bryant struck out looking.
Score after four: Cubs 1, Dodgers 0
Dodgers 0. Cubs 0 after three innings
Dodgers: Gavin Lux grounded to short. Trevor Bauer struck out swinging. Betts popped to second.
Cubs: Pederson struck out swinging. Bryant doubled to left. Rizzo popped to third. Bote grounded to first.
Score after three: Dodgers 0, Cubs 0
Still scoreless after two innings
Dodgers: Max Muncy struck out looking. AJ Pollock singled to left. Edwin Rios grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
Cubs: Ildemaro Vargas walked. Eric Sogard grounded to short. With the shift on, the only play was to first, Vargas to second. Tony Wolters struck out swinging. Keegan Thompson struck out swinging.
Score after two: Dodgers 0, Cubs 0.
No score after the first inning
Dodgers: Keegan Thompson on the mound for the Cubs. Mookie Betts doubled to left. Corey Seager walked on six pitches. Chris Taylor grounded into a 5-3 double play. David Bote at third fielded the ball almost directly on the bag and then threw to first. Man on second, two out. Will Smith grounded to third.
Cubs: Trevor Bauer pitching for the Dodgers. Former Dodger and big fan favorite Joc Pederson leads off for the Cubs and walked on nine pitches. Kris Bryant walked on four pitches. Anthony Rizzo struck out swinging. David Bote flied to center, Pederson to third. Bryant stole second. Jason Heyward struck out swinging. Bauer threw 26 pitches in the first inning.
Score after one: Cubs 0, Dodgers 0
Dodgers get good news on Brusdar Graterol’s MRI
CHICAGO — The Dodgers dropped Game 1 of their doubleheader against the Cubs on Tuesday, but they got some good news off the field.
Manager Dave Roberts said the MRI exam on Brusdar Graterol’s right arm didn’t show any structural damage.
“It just came up negative, which was great news,” Roberts said after his team’s Game 1 loss. “So now we’re just treating it as such. Don’t know when he’ll pick up a baseball and play catch, but just want to make sure the soreness, the uncomfortableness of the arm dissipates. But the findings, or lack thereof, was good news.”
Graterol was placed on the 10-day injured list with forearm tightness Thursday. Graterol appeared in three games after starting the season on the injured list for COVID-19-related reasons.
The 22-year-old Venezuelan has a notable injury history.
The Dodgers acquired him from the Minnesota Twins as part of the package for Kenta Maeda in February 2020 only after the Boston Red Sox nixed a trade for Graterol at the last minute after reviewing his medical information. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2016 and had a shoulder impingement in 2019.
Justin Turner not in Dodgers’ Game 2 lineup; Joc Pederson leading off for Cubs
CHICAGO — Justin Turner isn’t in the Dodgers’ lineup for Game 2 of their doubleheader against the Cubs after going 0 for 3 with a walk in his team’s 7-1 loss in Game 1.
Edwin Ríos will start at third base and bat seventh for the Dodgers. He grounded out in a pinch-hit at-bat in Game 1. He is 4 for 47 (.085) this season. He is 0 for 28 since recording his last hit on April 13.
Matt Beaty isn’t in the Dodgers’ lineup again after posting seven RBI in Sunday’s win over the Milwaukee Brewers.
Joc Pederson will start in left field and lead off for the Cubs after not playing in Game 1. It’ll be Pederson’s first appearance against his former team since he signed a one-year deal with the Cubs during the offseason.
DODGERS (17-13)
Mookie Betts RF
Corey Seager SS
Chris Taylor CF
Will Smith C
Max Muncy 1B
AJ Pollock LF
Edwin Ríos 3B
Gavin Lux 2B
Trevor Bauer P
CUBS (13-16)
Joc Pederson LF
Kris Bryant CF
Anthony Rizzo 1B
David Bote 3B
Jason Heyward RF
Idelmaro Vargas 2B
Eric Sogard SS
Tony Wolters C
Keegan Thompson P
Clayton Kershaw on his rough start against Cubs: ‘It’s embarrassing’
CHICAGO – Clayton Kershaw stared into space, his hair wet on a chilly afternoon, bent over in his seat in the Dodgers’ dugout Wednesday at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers and Chicago Cubs were about to begin the second inning and — for the first time in his career — Kershaw’s start wouldn’t continue beyond the first.
Kershaw’s outing ended after a disastrous first inning. He gave up four runs and threw 39 pitches in what became the shortest start of his career. The Dodgers went on to lose 7-1 in seven innings for their 11th loss in 15 games to begin a split doubleheader.
“It’s embarrassing,” Kershaw said. “No excuses. That was horrible.”
Kershaw had given up four runs in his previous four starts. It was the first time he’s given up four runs in an inning since he yielded four runs in an inning on Sept. 18, 2017, against the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the second time he’s given up at least four runs in the first inning; he surrendered five runs against the Nationals on Aug. 28, 2008.
The dreadful performance came on the 11th anniversary of him logging 1 1/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in 2010. That had been the shortest outing of his career.
After the inning, Kershaw and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had a lengthy conversation in the dugout. Kershaw, a jacket draped over his left arm, didn’t plead his case to stay in the game.
“Obviously that’s Doc’s decision,” Kershaw said. “And when you’re not pitching well, you don’t really have much skin in the game to make that call. Obviously, I would’ve liked to continue to go and try and be better, but when you’re that bad, you really can’t stand up for yourself too much.”
Roberts said Kershaw is healthy. He didn’t believe there was any “upside” in having him continue. The manager replaced Kershaw with Dennis Santana. Jimmy Nelson and Alex Vesia followed out of the bullpen.
Santana gave up two runs in the third inning. He retired the first two batters before hitting Jake Marisnick with a pitch and giving up a single to Idelmaro Vargas. With runners on the corners, Vargas stole second base.
Santana then threw a fastball in the dirt that catcher Austin Barnes tried backhanding. It bounced away, allowing Marisnick to score. Barnes’ throw home ricocheted off Santana and Vargas raced around to score another run.
The Dodgers’ scored their only run on Keibert Ruiz’s pinch-hit home run off Kyle Hendricks in the seventh inning, ensuring that they wouldn’t get shut out for the first time this season.
Ruiz hit the home run on the first pitch in his season debut. Last season, he hit a home run with his first swing in his major-league debut.
Hendricks rebounded and threw a seven-inning complete game. His counterpart was long gone.
Kershaw’s first 12 pitches were strikes. Then he encountered control problems. He walked Javier Báez, who entered Tuesday with 39 strikeouts to one walk on his ledger this season, and threw six pitches in the dirt during the inning.
His defense didn’t help matters. Corey Seager’s backhand troubles at shortstop continued when he didn’t put leather on a groundball in the hole from Matt Duffy. The ball bounced into left field to load the bases with one out.
AJ Pollock then misplayed David Bote’s flyball off the wall in left field. It ended up as a bases-clearing double to give the Cubs the 4-0 lead.
Kershaw walked the next batter before retiring the next two to get out of the inning.
“Everything was bad so I’m not going to try and analyze it too much,” Kershaw said. “Just hope that this one was an outlier and get ready for the next one.”
Cubs win first game of doubleheader, 7-1
Dodgers: Barnes fouled to the catcher. Keibert Ruiz, batting for Vesia, homered to right. Betts singled to left-center. Seager grounded to short. Baez bobbled it and kicked it, allowing Seager to reach first, then he flipped the ball to no one at second, allowing Betts to take third. Two errors on the play for Baez. Turner grounded into a 6-4-3 double play.
Final score: Cubs 7, Dodgers 1
We head to the final inning, 7-0 Cubs
Dodgers: Muncy struck out swinging. Taylor singled to center. Pollock flied to left. Lux hit a grounder up the middle that Baez grabbed and made a sweet backhand flip to second for the force out.
Cubs: Marisnick homered DEEP to left. Vargas flied to center. Hendricks struck out looking. Contreras flied to left.
Score after six innings: Cubs 7, Dodgers 0
It’s still 6-0 Cubs after five innings
Dodgers: Betts flied to center. Seager grounded to third. Turner grounded to short.
Cubs: Alex Vesia now pitching for the Dodgers. Baez struck out swinging. Duffy grounded to third. Bote fouled to the catcher.
Cubs 6, Dodgers 0 after four innings
Dodgers: Taylor flied to center. Pollock struck out swinging. Lux singled to left. Barnes singled to right, Lux to second. Edwin Rios, batting for Santana, grounded to first.
Cubs: Jimmy Nelson now pitching for the Dodgers. Contreras struck out swinging. Bryant struck out swinging. Rizzo struck out looking.
Score after four: Cubs 6, Dodgers 0
Cubs take 6-0 lead after three innings
Dodgers: Santana struck out swinging. Betts singled to right-center. Seager flied to left. Turner walked. Muncy struck out swinging.
Cubs: Duffy grounded to first. Bote flied to left. Marisnick was hit by a pitch. Vargas singled to center, Marisnick to third. Vargas stole second. With Hendricks batting, Santana threw a wild pitch. The ball caromed right back to Barnes, who threw to Santana covering home. It ricocheted off of Santana, allowing both runners to score. Hendricks then grounded to the pitcher.
Score after three: Cubs 6, Dodgers 0
Clayton Kershaw gave up four runs in the first inning and didn’t get help behind him
CHICAGO — Clayton Kershaw’s first inning at Wrigley Field on Tuesday went down as one of the worst innings of his career.
The left-hander gave up four runs in an inning for the first time since he surrendered four runs in an inning September 18, 2017 against the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the second time he’s given up at least four runs in the first inning; he yielded five runs against the Nationals on August 28, 2008.
Kershaw had given up four runs in his previous five starts. He threw 39 pitches and didn’t throw another one.
Kershaw was pulled after the one inning, making it his shortest start of his career. His shortest start had been 11 years ago, when he went 1 1/3 innings against the Brewers on May 4, 2010.
Kershaw’s first 12 pitches were strikes. Then he walked....Javier Báez, who entered Tuesday with 39 strikeouts to one walk on his ledger this season.
The Dodgers’ defense then let Kershaw down. Corey Seager’s backhand troubles at shortstop continued when he didn’t put leather on a groundball in the hole from Matt Duffy. The ball bounced into left field to load the bases with one out.
AJ Pollock then misplayed David Bote’s flyball off the wall in left field. It ended up as a bases-clearing double to give the Cubs the 4-0 lead.
Kershaw walked the next batter before retiring the next two to get out of the inning.
Kershaw is out of game, Cubs lead 4-0
Dodgers: Max Muncy was hit by a pitch. Chris Taylor struck out swinging. AJ Pollock flied to center. Gavin Lux hit a slow bouncer up the middle for an infield single. Austin Barnes struck out looking.
Cubs: That’s it for Kershaw, as Dennis Santana comes in to pitch. It’s the shortest outing of Kershaw’s career. Remember, it’s a seven-inning game today (actually, both will be since it’s a doubleheader). Contreras walked on nine pitches. Bryant hit a grounder to third. Turner threw to Lux at second to force Contreras, then Lux threw the ball into the dugout to allow Bryant to reach second. Man on second, one out. Rizzo flied to left. Baez flied to center.
Score after two: Cubs 4, Dodgers 0
Cubs take 4-0 lead in first inning
Dodgers: Kyle Hendricks on the mound for the Cubs. Mookie Betts reached first on an error by Javy Baez at short. Corey Seager grounded into a 6-5-3 double play (the shift was on). Justin Turner grounded to short.
Cubs: Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the Dodgers. Willson Contreras struck out swinging. Kris Bryant hit a ground-rule double to left. Anthony Rizzo singled to right, scoring Bryant. Javier Baez walked. First and second, one out. Kershaw has gone 0-2 on all four hitters, but three of them reached base. Matt Duffy hit a grounder to short that went under Seager’s glove to load the bases. Seager needs to start making those play. Dive occasionally. You can’t backhand everything. David Bote doubled off the left-field wall, clearing the bases. It’s 4-0 Cubs. Jake Marisnick walked on a wild pitch, Bote taking third. Ildemaro Vargas struck out swinging and Marisnick stole second. Kyle Hendricks, the ninth batter of the inning, flied to center. Kershaw threw 39 pitches.
Score after one: Cubs 4, Dodgers 0
Dodgers recall Keibert Ruiz ahead of doubleheader
CHICAGO — The Dodgers recalled catcher Keibert Ruiz, their top prospect, ahead of their doubleheader Tuesday against the Cubs.
Ruiz was already with the club on the taxi squad for this road trip. He took Mike Kickham’s spot on the 26-man active roster. Kickham was designated for assignment Monday.
The Dodgers would’ve had left-hander James Pazos replace Kickham on the roster if they played Monday night. The transaction was never made and they pivoted to Ruiz on Tuesday.
Ruiz’s inclusion gives the Dodgers 13 position players and 13 pitchers after carrying 14 pitchers since last week. They’ll have three catchers, but Austin Barnes and Will Smith both have experience as infielders should the Dodgers face a shortage elsewhere. Barnes logged innings as the Dodgers’ second baseman in two games against the Brewers over the weekend.
Ruiz, 22, made his major-league debut last season and homered in his first career at-bat. He went 2 for 8 in two games.
The native of Venezuela is considered a bat-first catcher with premier bat control and strike zone discipline. He is more of a project on defense. He’s ranked as the 48th-best prospect across the minors by MLB.com. Baseball America lists him at No. 46 on their top 100 list.
Ruiz won’t start in Game 1 at Wrigley Field. It’ll be Barnes behind the plate, as expected, for Clayton Kershaw.
Former Dodger Joc Pederson would’ve started in left field and led off Monday, but he isn’t in the Cubs’ starting lineup for Game 1 against the lefty Kershaw.
DODGERS (17-12)
Mookie Betts RF
Corey Seager SS
Justin Turner 3B
Max Muncy 1B
Chris Taylor CF
AJ Pollock LF
Gavin Lux 2B
Austin Barnes C
Clayton Kershaw LHP
CUBS (12-16)
Willson Contreras C
Kris Bryant RF
Anthony Rizzo 1B
Javier Báez SS
Matt Duffy LF
David Bote 3B
Jake Marisnick CF
Ildemaro Vargas 2B
Kyle Hendricks RHP
Betting lines and odds for Dodgers vs. Cubs on Tuesday
The Dodgers will play a doubleheader Tuesday after Monday’s scheduled game against the Chicago Cubs was postponed because of rain.
The Cubs will start Kyle Hendricks, who leads the MLB in home runs allowed with 10 in 22.2 innings, against Clayton Kershaw in the first game of the doubleheader.
Game 2 will feature the Dodgers’ Trevor Bauer, who pitched in five seven-inning doubleheaders last season with the Reds. The Cubs haven’t announced who will be starting opposite Bauer.
Chicago is fourth in the National League in runs per game at home with 5.3, but just five of the Cubs’ 15 home games have gone over the total.
The Cubs’ 5.01 team ERA is the second-worst in the MLB with a bullpen that is third in the league in total innings. The Dodgers’ average of 5.4 runs in road games is the best mark in the National League.
The Dodgers have played eight of their last 10 games over the total but covered the run line in just two of their last 14 games.
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Dodgers-Cubs game postponed Monday; doubleheader scheduled for Tuesday
CHICAGO — Monday’s series opener between the Dodgers and Cubs was postponed because of rain in the forecast.
The teams will play a seven-inning split doubleheader Tuesday at Wrigley Field.
Game 1 is scheduled for 1:20 p.m. CT/11:20 a.m. PT. Game 2 is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. CT/4:40 p.m. PT.
The Dodgers haven’t announced their pitching plans. Walker Buehler was scheduled to start Monday followed by Clayton Kershaw on Tuesday.
If both starters pitch Tuesday then the Dodgers would need a starter by Saturday. A better option might be going with a bullpen game in one of Tuesday’s game since they’d just have to cover seven innings over a bullpen game Saturday when they’re scheduled to play nine.
Rain was scheduled to pound the region starting at 8 p.m. local time Monday, but it was dry as of 5:45 p.m. The Dodgers used the time to take batting practice, essentially making it a workout day.
Joc Pederson activated from IL, leading off against Dodgers (if it doesn’t rain)
CHICAGO — The first hitter Walker Buehler will face at Wrigley Field on Monday — should the rain hold off — is a familiar one.
Joc Pederson, fresh off the injured list, will bat lead off and start in left field in his first game against the Dodgers since signing with the Cubs over the offseason.
Pederson was on the injured list with left wrist tendinitis.
The 29-year-old slugger is batting .137 with one home run and a .498 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 16 games this season. He signed a one-year, $7.5 million deal with Chicago in February expecting to play every day after being used as a platoon player in Los Angeles in recent seasons.
Kris Bryant will make his second career start in center for the Cubs.
For the Dodgers, Matt Beaty won’t start after collecting seven RBI against the Brewers on Sunday. AJ Pollock, who recorded eight RBI Sunday, will start in left field instead.
DODGERS (17-12)
Mookie Betts RF
Corey Seager SS
Justin Turner 3B
Max Muncy 1B
Will Smith C
Chris Taylor CF
AJ Pollock LF
Gavin Lux 2B
Walker Buehler P
CUBS (12-16)
Joc Pederson LF
Kris Bryant CF
Javier Báez SS
Anthony Rizzo 1B
Willson Contreras CC
Jason Heyward RF
David Bote 2B
Matt Duffy 3B
Kyle Hendricks P
Dustin May to undergo Tommy John surgery, ending season
The Dodgers broke spring training this year with a somewhat surprising decision: Dustin May, not David Price or Tony Gonsolin, would assume the fifth spot in the starting rotation. They banked on May taking the next step in his development, on his ability to progress from a young kid occasionally making hitters look foolish with his nasty pitches to a dominant major league pitcher consistently shutting down lineups every five or six days.
He made strides in that direction in the season’s first month, culminating in setting a career high with 10 strikeouts against the San Diego Padres in his fourth start. He had command of his curveball. Batters swung and missed. He was taking the next step.
That development came to a disturbing halt Saturday in Milwaukee when he winced and signaled to the dugout after throwing his 28th pitch, a 94-mph fastball that went wide. It’ll be the last pitch he throws in 2021.
Betting lines and odds for Dodgers vs. Cubs on Monday
Is the Dodgers’ slump over? After losing six of seven games, the Dodgers’ bats finally came alive with a 16-4 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
They now travel to Chicago for a three-game series on Monday through Wednesday at Wrigley Field (anyone out there remember L.A.’s Wrigley Field?). The Cubs lost a 13-12 slugfest to the Reds on Sunday. Monday’s Over/Unders is set at 8.5 with added juice of -120 on the Over.
Walker Buehler (1-0, 3.16 ERA, 0.96 WHIP) gets the start for the Dodgers, who are up to -200 favorites after opening around -165. Buehler had his worst outing of the season last time out when he gave up five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings against the Reds, though he did strike out 10.
Kyle Hendricks (1-3, 7.54 ERA, 1.76 WHIP) takes the mound for the Cubs. He’s long had a reputation of being great at home and not so great on the road, but early this season he has also struggled at Wrigley with the lowlight April 18 against the Braves when he gave up seven earned runs in four innings. He also gave up seven earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in Atlanta, so maybe it’s just the Braves who are troublesome for him.
Either way, with both pitchers’ recent form, maybe the Over 8.5 is the way to go. Or it might not matter because heavy rain is forecast.
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ICYMI: Dodgers stage overdue eruption behind grand slams by AJ Pollock and Matt Beaty
Highlights from the Dodgers’ 16-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.
For the past two weeks, as their frustration mounted and the losses stacked, the Dodgers have looked around wondering when the tide would turn for longer than 24 hours. They’ve waited to catch the breaks and explode for runs and breathe not only a sigh of relief but replenish their lungs with a string of wins.
Sunday’s 16-4 thumping of the Milwaukee Brewers, an outburst that kept them from a demoralizing four-game series sweep, may be the spark.
Matt Beaty and AJ Pollock, the No. 6 and 7 hitters in the Dodgers’ lineup, fronted the offensive charge at American Family Field as the Dodgers avoided their first four-game losing streak since July 2019.
Both players clubbed grand slams in the first two innings. Pollock added a three-run home run and finished with eight RBIs. Beaty collected seven RBIs in the first four innings. They became the first Dodgers teammates to ever collect at least seven RBIs in a game.