Sasaki

Tanner Scott struggles and Phillies make him pay in Dodgers’ loss

Philadelphia’s Edmundo Sosa sauntered out of the box, motioning with one hand in a pump-wave in front of 51,794 Dodgers fans. The left fielder, who had taken over for Brandon Marsh in the top of the sixth, connected on a four-seam fastball that Dodgers reliever Tanner Scott left too far over the plate for a two-run home run that put the Phillies ahead.

The Dodgers had been playing with fire all night, but they couldn’t regain momentum after Scott’s struggles, losing to the Phillies 4-3 to set up a Sunday series rubber match.

The Dodgers (37-21) started strong, with pitcher Roki Sasaki giving up just three hits and one earned run over 5⅓ innings.

Sasaki’s elevated velocity posed early concerns for the Dodgers as he struggled more with his command. The right-hander crossed the 100-mph threshold for the first time this season on two pitches: a 100.4mph four-seam to J.T. Realmuto and another fastball, this time 100.1mph, to Kyle Schwarber.

Three of his four pitches — the four-seam, slider and splitter — averaged at least 1.2 mph faster than his yearly average. As a result, he struggled with location. Neither his slider and splitter hit the zone more than 45% of the time. Even his fastball hit the strike zone a mere 55%.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts warned about this scenario when Sasaki’s fastball had only reached an upper limit of 99.5 mph.

“I think now the velo is certainly in a good spot,” Roberts said before the game. “I do believe that if he wanted to throw 100 miles an hour, he could do that, but it wouldn’t be where he needed to throw it.”

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers during the first inning Saturday against the Phillies.

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki delivers during the first inning Saturday against the Phillies.

(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Still, the Phillies (30-28) struggled to generate consistent momentum despite Sasaki’s location problems. Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm hammered a four-seam fastball that skimmed the top of the strike zone over the center field wall. The rest of the Phillies lineup ended most of their at-bats with little luck, striking out seven times and walking only once.

Roberts pulled Sasaki with runners on first and second in the sixth. Left-hander Alex Vesia walked Bryce Harper but escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam by striking out Sosa and forcing Alec Bohm into a ground out to third.

By then, the Dodgers had already established a lead. Alex Call put them on the board in the second on a poked single through the gap between second and short. In the fourth, Call reached third on a double and throwing error from Adolis García. Santiago Espinal hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, driving in Call.

Mookie Betts also found his footing after he went 0 for 3 on Friday. The shortstop struggled in the first four games of the Dodgers’ homestand, batting .200 across 15 plate appearances. Against the Phillies on Saturday night, Betts laced two singles and a double.

Andy Pages scored on a close play at the plate after Betts singled to shallow right field in the seventh. Although catcher J.T. Realmuto missed tagging Pages’ foot, the Dodgers center fielder’s cleat didn’t appear to touch the plate. After a long review, the safe at home call stood.

But the Dodgers’ good fortune didn’t last. Scott gave up an RBI single to Bryce Harper, and it was like the Phillies could sense exactly when the reliever’s pitches crossed over the zone. Scott (1-2) then gave up the home run to Soto before going down in order on three groundouts in the ninth.

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Teoscar Hernández drives in six runs, helps Dodgers rout Brewers

Teoscar Hernández backpedaled up the line as he watched the flight of his deep fly ball down the left-field line.

It clanged off the left-field foul pole to give the Dodgers the lead for the first time in a game they’d win 11-3.

“It was big,” Hernández said after going three for four with six RBIs, tying a career high. “We took the lead, and that was the best thing. We put less pressure on [starter Roki] Sasaki, so he could keep pitching the way he was pitching after the first inning. So it was a great [fourth] inning.”

The Dodgers’ offense, led by Hernández, came alive after a quiet first game of the series.

His heroics in the comeback victory — which also included a record-setting performance from the bullpen — were a high point in his offensive turnaround the last two weeks.

“I just think that he’s heightened his focus,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that his at-bat quality has been considerably better. I don’t think he’s wasting at-bats.

“For me personally, early on, I think that there was a couple of at-bats per night that he was just giving away. And now the last eight days, something like that, I don’t see him giving away any at-bats. And the production has reflected that.”

Hernández’ first hit of the game was made all the more dramatic by the rut the Dodgers started in.

Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki throws during the first inning of a win over the Brewers Saturday in Milwaukee.

Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki throws during the first inning of a win over the Brewers on Saturday in Milwaukee.

(Jeffrey Phelps / Ap Photo/jeffrey Phelps)

Sasaki, coming off his best start of his MLB career against the Angels last week, ran into trouble right away against the Brewers.

Six pitches in, he’d already given up back-to-back doubles en route to the first run. To make matters worse, his own error extended the inning. He got the Brewers’ Andrew Vaughn to chase a low splitter for a swinging bunt up the third-base line. Sasaki barehanded it cleanly but threw behind Vaughn. As the ball caromed off the retaining wall in foul territory, another run scored.

A fielder’s choice and a walk later, pitching coach Mark Prior strode out of the dugout for a mound visit. The Brewers played “Message in a Bottle” over the loudspeakers.

Sasaki answered his own SOS, with some help from his defense. He struck out Jake Bauers. And then in a 2-2 count to Sal Frelick, Sasaki threw a fastball up and out of the zone. Frelick got on top of it to line a single off the end of shortstop Mookie Betts’ glove as he leaped after it.

The single drove in a third run, but center fielder Andy Pages scooped up the ball and caught Gary Sánchez trying to go from first to third on the play, ending the inning.

Then Sasaki held the Brewers scoreless for the next four innings, retiring 10 straight as he bided time for the offense to make up the deficit.

The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman slides safely past the Brewers' Gary Sánchez to score a run during the eighth inning.

The Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman slides safely past the Brewers’ Gary Sánchez to score a run during the eighth inning Saturday in Milwaukee.

(Patrick McDermott / Getty Images)

“It seemed a little like Groundhog Day that first inning, how it started,” Roberts said. “But for Roki to find a way to get out of it with three runs, and then settle in, settle down — his stuff got better in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and I told him that. Young pitchers, to understand that even if you get hit in the mouth early, you gotta find a way to keep going, so you don’t blow up your bullpen.”

Freddie Freeman got the Dodgers’ fourth-inning rally started with a leadoff double. Then Pages drove him in by roping his own double into the left-field corner, trimming the Brewers’ lead to two runs.

When Kyle Tucker drew a one-out walk, he gave Hernández the chance to put the Dodgers ahead with one swing. He took it.

“I’m just hitting the ball in the air, hitting it hard,” Hernández said. “That’s what you want as a hitter, and I think that’s what’s been the difference between the last two weeks [versus] the weeks before.”

He entered Saturday with a 1.001 OPS since the beginning of last homestand, compared to a .667 OPS up to that point.

Going into a three-city road trip last week, Hernández said refusing to dwell on poor results, especially in big situations, had been key.

“It was more like getting confidence and getting to trust myself again,” Hernández said. “And then just go out there and trust my swing, trust the work, and just trying to select better pitches to hit.”

In addition to coming up in the big situation, Hernández also contributed to the Dodgers’ late rallies, as they batting through the order in both the eighth and ninth innings to tack on seven runs.

The Dodgers’ bullpen shut down the Brewers for four innings. The performance from Alex Vesia, Kyle Hurt, Tanner Scott and Jonathan Hernández extended the bullpen’s scoreless streak to 36 consecutive innings, eclipsing the Dodgers’ previous record of 33 innings in 1998.

“The biggest thing is that they’re attacking in the hitters, they’re pounding in the strike zone, and when they need a pitch for a double play, they executed really well,” Teoscar Hernández said. “In ‘24 they helped us a lot, ‘25 too, and this year is not going to be different. They’re built for this, and they’re ready for it.”

Injury update

Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy’s right wrist was sore Saturday, as expected after he was hit by a 95.5-mph sinker the night before.

“We’re going to kind of give him a rest day to try to get that swelling out, and then see where he’s at [Sunday],” Roberts said. “And like I said, he’ll be down for the weekend, and then we’ll kind of see where we get to on Monday.”

Depending on how he’s recovering, the Dodgers could send Muncy to get a CT scan when they’re back in Los Angeles.

Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández (left elbow surgery recovery) is expected to join the team Monday in Los Angeles. Roberts plans to write him into the starting lineup when Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland starts against the Dodgers.

Taylor returns

A day after word spread former Dodger Chris Taylor had opted to retire, he reportedly changed his mind and joined the Minor League Baseball injury list with a left forearm fracture.

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Dodgers fall to Cardinals, losing streak hits four games

Time is running out for the pitchers at the back end of the Dodgers’ rotation to prove that they should stay once left-hander Blake Snell returns from the injured list.

Right-hander Roki Sasaki strengthened his case Saturday with a quality start, despite some hiccups, as the Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Cardinals, extending their losing streak to four games.

Sasaki not only recorded an out in the sixth inning for the first season, but finished the inning to tie the deepest start of his MLB career, as he limited the Cardinals to three runs and five hits.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Sasaki labored early. But despite issuing two walks and hitting a batter in the first two innings, he escaped both unscathed.

No such luck in the third. Sasaki gave up back-to-back doubles to Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson, and a home run to Jordan Walker — who’s been swinging the hottest bat of any hitter this series — for a quick three runs.

Sasaki rebounded to throw three perfect innings to finish his outing.

The Dodgers’ offense, however, didn’t score until the ninth inning. Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernández hit back-to-back infield singles, testing Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn’s range to both sides.

Then Max Muncy shot an RBI single over the head of second baseman JJ Wetherholt. And Andy Pages drove in another run with a ground ball just past the glove of diving third baseman Ramón Urías. but their late rally stalled there.

The star-studded Dodgers lineup hasn’t scored more than two runs in a game since Monday.

Sasaki is one of three young pitchers at the back end of the rotation, along with right-hander Emmet Sheehan and left-hander Justin Wrobleski, who are competing for two spots once Snell returns.

Snell (left shoulder fatigue) is scheduled to make his third minor-league rehab start on Sunday for triple-A Oklahoma City. He’ll likely need at least a fourth before returning, manager Dave Roberts said Friday.

Sheehan gave up four runs in 4 2/3 innings Friday, his velocity wavering as his delivery fell out of sync.

Wrobleski is scheduled to start Sunday, as the Dodgers try to avoid a three-game sweep. He’s pitched the best out of all three pitchers, but his proven ability as a long reliever as well could actually work against him as the Dodgers decide how to free up a spot in the rotation.

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Dodgers Dugout: Should the Dodgers move Roki Sasaki to the bullpen?

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and how amazing is it that the Dodgers are 19-9, on pace to win 110 games, and are still just barely in first place?

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So the Dodgers’ bullpen imploded for a couple of days, costing the team. Most recently was Friday against the Cubs, when Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott coughed up a four-run lead in a game the Dodgers lost, 6-4.

This brought renewed pleas from fans on social media and some readers of this newsletter to move Roki Sasaki to the bullpen. After all, he has been no great shakes as a starter this season, while he was “lights out” as a closer at the end of last season. But was he, or are we remembering it a bit more fondly than it deserves, After all, the Dodgers were in no hurry to bring him in during Game 7 against the Blue Jays.

Let’s take a look at each of Sasaki’s relief outings at the end of last season and in the postseason.

Sept. 24 at Arizona
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 3-1
Seventh inning
James McCann grounds to third
Tim Tawa strikes out
Ildemaro Vargas strikes out

Sept. 26 at Seattle
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 3-1
Seventh inning
J.P Crawford grounds to third
Cole Young strikes out
Randy Arozarena doubles to left
Cal Raleigh strikes out

Postseason

NL wild card Game 2
vs. Cincinnati
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 8-4
Ninth inning
Spencer Steer strikes out
Gavin Lux strikes out
Austin Hays lines to short

The game against the Reds was when fans got excited, because he looked dominant.

NLDS Game 1
at Philadelphia
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 5-3
Ninth inning
J.T. Realmuto strikes out
Max Kepler doubles to right
Nick Castellanos grounds to second
Bryson Stott pops to third
Sasaki gets the save

NLDS Game 2
at Philadelphia
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 4-3
Ninth inning, two out, runners on first and third
Trea Turner grounds to second
Sasaki gets the save

NLDS Game 4
vs. Philadelphia
Score when entering game: Tied, 1-1
Eighth inning
Kyle Schwarber flies to right
Bryce Harper pops to third
Alec Bohm grounds to second
Ninth inning
Brandon Marsh grounds to second
J.T. Realmuto strikes out
Max Kepler pops to third
10th inning
Nick Castellanos grounds to third
Bryson Stott strikes out
Trea Turner lines to right
Dodgers win game, and series, in 11th inning

NLCS Game 1
at Milwaukee
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 2-0
Ninth inning
Caleb Durbin pops to third
Isaac Collins walks
Jake Bauers doubles to right
Jackson Chourio sacrifice fly to center
Christian Yelich walks
Blake Treinen replaces Sasaki, gets final out, Dodgers win. First bad relief outing by Sasaki

NLCS Game 3
vs. Milwaukee
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 3-1
Ninth inning
Andrew Vaughn grounds to short
Sal Frelich pops to short
Caleb Durbin strikes out
Sasaki gets the save

NLCS Game 4
vs. Milwaukee
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 5-1
Ninth inning
William Contreras singles to center
Andrew Vaughn flies to deep right
Sal Frelick grounds to second
Caleb Durbin flies to deep right
Dodgers win game and sweep NLCS

World Series Game 3
vs. Toronto
Score when entering game: Tied 5-5
Eighth inning, men on first and second, one out
Ty France grounds to third
Nathan Lukes grounds to the pitcher

Ninth inning
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. flies to right
Isiah Kiner-Falefa walks
Daulton Varsho singles off Freeman’s glove, Kiner-Falefa out trying to advance to third
Alejando Kirk walks
Myles Straw grounds to second
Dodgers win game in 18th inning

World Series Game 6
at Toronto
Score when entering game: Dodgers, 3-1
Eighth inning
George Springer singles to right
Nathan Lukes flies to center
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walks
Bo Bichette pops to short
Daulton Varsho grounds to second

Ninth inning
Alejando Kirk hit by a pitch
Addison Barger ground-rule double
Sasaki replaced by Tyler Glasnow, who gets the final three outs

Sasaki wasn’t fooling anyone against Toronto

In the postseason, Sasaki pitched 10 2/3 innings, gave up six hits and walked five while striking out six. His ERA was 0.84. However, his big success came in the first two rounds. In the NLCS and World Series, his numbers were: 5 1/3 IP, five hits, five walks, one hit batter, one strikeouts, one run.

All of this is to say: Don’t expect Eric Gagne 2.0 if they move Sasaki to the bullpen. He won’t be a miracle cure.

Let’s look at where they rank in ERA in the NL:

Starting pitching
1. Dodgers, 2.79
2. Atlanta, 3.12
3. Pittsburgh, 3.47
4. Milwaukee, 3.59
5. Chicago, 3.98
15. Philadelphia, 5.80

Relief pitching
1. Cincinnati, 2.91
2. San Francisco, 2.93
3. Atlanta, 3.14
4. Pittsburgh, 3.17
5. Miami, 3.60
11. Dodgers, 4.26
15. Washington, 5.27

Inherited runners that scored %

1. Colorado, 13.6% (six of 44)
2. Cincinnati, 20% (nine of 45)
3. Dodgers, 26.7% (eight of 30)
4. San Francisco, 27.8% (10 of 36)
5. Atlanta, 28% (seven of 25)
15. Washington, 48.9% (23 of 47)

It looks like 2025 all over again.

Colleague Bill Plaschke wrote about this a couple of weeks ago. You can read that here.

Injury Updates

Will Smith is day to day (aren’t we all?) with tightness in his lower back. He is not expected to go on the IL. Luckily, Dalton Rushing is hitting like he is.

Mookie Betts, sidelined by an oblique injury, is swinging the bat now. He could go on a rehab assignment in the next couple of weeks and be back soon after that.

Tommy Edman still has some soreness in his ankle and isn’t running the bases fully yet. Dave Roberts said he probably won’t return until the end of May or the beginning of June.

Reliever Brock Stewart is in a rehab assignment with Class-A Ontario, so he could be back in a couple of weeks.

When Betts returns, the Dodgers will have to decide what to do. It seems unlikely they send Hyeseong Kim down as long as he is playing this well, so that leaves either Alex Freeland or Santiago Espinal as the most likely candidates to be removed from the roster.

More complaints about Ohtani

It seems more people are getting on board the “Why do the Dodgers get to have an extra pitcher just because they have Shohei Ohtani” bandwagon. Teams can carry up to 13 pitchers on the roster. The Ohtani two-way player rule basically allows the Dodgers to carry 14 pitchers, since as a two-way player Ohtani only counts once on the roster.

And I respond with what I always say: Why didn’t these people complain when he was on the Angels and they did the same thing? Why is it now suddenly a problem?

The other complaint: Umpires allow extra time for Ohtani to get ready to pitch when he makes the last out of an inning, or is on base when the last out was made.

Response: Did these people never watch the NL before the DH rule was added? Umpires always gave the pitcher extra time to get ready when they made the last out or were on the bases when the last out was made. Quite often a pitcher would make the last out, walk over to the dugout, sit for a moment, towel off, grab their glove then make a leisurely stroll to the mound. This is nothing new. And I have a feeling if the Dodgers hadn’t won the last two World Series, no one would be complaining about either of these things.

Obscure stat of the week

All the recent talk about Davey Lopes had me wondering who were the best at stealing bases in Dodgers history. A look at the top 10 in stolen base %, minimum 50 stolen bases:

1. Eric Davis, 89.7% (52 for 58)
2. Shohei Ohtani, 89% (81 for 91)
3. Kirk Gibson, 88.5% (69 for 78)
4. Freddie Freeman, 86.4% (51 for 59)
5. Davey Lopes, 83.1% (418 for 503)
6. Dave Roberts, 82.5% (118 for 143)
7. Cody Bellinger, 81.6% (62 for 76)
8. Mookie Betts, 81.4% (70 for 86)
9. Chris Taylor, 81% (81 for 100)
10. Mariano Duncan, 80% (100 for 125)
21. Maury Wills, 74.1% (490 for 661)

The 10 worst:

Babe Herman, 54.3%, (69 for 127)
John Roseboro, 55.7% (59 for 106)
Steve Garvey, 57.5% (77 for 134)
Duke Snider, 57.9% (99 for 171)
Harvey Hendrick, 59.8% (61 for 102)
Gil Hodges, 60% (63 for 105)
José Offerman, 61% (61 for 100)
César Izturis, 61.4% (51 for 85)
Dusty Baker, 61.9% (73 for 118)
Wes Parker, 63.8% (60 for 94)

Up next

Monday: Miami (Chris Paddack, 0-4, 6.38 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2-2, 2.48 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Tuesday: Miami (Janson Junk, 1-2, 3.67 ERA) at Dodgers (Shohei Ohtani, 2-0, 0.38 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

Wednesday: Miami (Sandy Alcantara, 3-2, 3.05 ERA) at Dodgers (Tyler Glasnow, 3-0, 2.45 ERA), 12:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020

*-left-handed

In case you missed it

‘They started it:’ Pete Crow-Armstrong won’t apologize for mocking Dodgers fans

Dave Roberts has a sharp reply to Cubs manager Craig Counsell’s criticism of ‘Ohtani roster exception’

Shohei Ohtani homers, Justin Wrobleski shines as Dodgers shut out Cubs for series win

Dodgers rediscover their offense, scoring 12 runs to end Cubs’ 10-game win streak

Bullpen meltdown squanders Emmet Sheehan’s strong start in Dodgers’ loss to Cubs

And finally

Vin Scully recalls a story about Pearl Harbor. Watch and listen here.

Until next time….

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

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Ryan Ward has solid Dodgers debut, bullpen blows it again at Rockies

What do you know? The once-stampeding Dodgers have been caged by the Colorado Rockies.

With a 9-6 loss Sunday at Coors Field, the two-time defending World Series champions lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Dodgers again couldn’t hold a lead, letting the Rockies tee off for 15 hits.

Nor could the Dodgers keep up offensively at the hitter-friendly park — though they put some pressure on in the ninth inning, when Shohei Ohtani led off with a ground-rule double and the Dodgers scored twice to cut the lead to three runs. Then the new guy, Ryan Ward, made the final out in his big league debut, robbed of a hit and a chance to keep chipping away by a diving Troy Johnston in right field.

Before that, the Rockies — who beat the Dodgers twice in 13 meetings all of last season — chased starter Roki Sasaki from the game in the fifth inning and then ruffled the Dodgers’ relievers. That included closer Edwin Díaz, who came on in the eighth and promptly gave up three singles, a walk and two runs before being pulled with the Dodgers trailing 8-4.

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki follows through on a throw during a game in Denver.

Dodgers starting pitcher Roki Sasaki gave up three runs on seven hits in 4-2/3 innings Sunday against the Rockies in Denver.

(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

He and Blake Treinen combined to face eight batters without getting an out.

“They both weren’t sharp,” said manager Dave Roberts, who had theories but not many answers — though he did have real concern, especially about Díaz, who recently had his right knee checked out by the medical staff.

Roberts said the closer wanted to pitch after nine days off, even though it wasn’t a save situation. But his velocity was slightly down (95.4 mph vs. 95.8) and so, “today was a tough evaluation,” the manager said.

“It really was,” Roberts said. “Because, you know, I know what it’s supposed to look like, and when it doesn’t look like that, it gets a little concerning, really.”

And losing for the second time to the Rockies, who are now 9-13? Being in danger of losing their four-game series, after arriving in Denver without having lost to a National League opponent, against a club that hasn’t made the postseason since 2018?

It’s well below the bar the Dodgers have set, and it added a bitter note to Ward’s otherwise sweet debut.

Ward punched a big league clock for the first time wearing No. 67 and cranked his first hit off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen in the fourth inning, lining a changeup to right field for a single that scored Andy Pages, made it 3-0 and got the 20-some members of Ward’s party up, jumping in place, hugging and high-fiving.

“When I was on first base, I got to see them all jumping around up there,” Ward said. “That was a pretty special moment.”

He also singled in the sixth and swung on the first pitch in his first at-bat, a fly out in the third inning.

The Dodgers gave Sasaki a 2-0 lead in the third. Alex Freeland drove in Hyeseong Kim, and Shohei Ohtani doubled in Freeland — and extended his career-best on-base streak to 51 games, moving past Willie Keeler into third place in Dodgers history.

Sasaki went 4-2/3 innings, threw 78 pitches and gave up three runs on seven hits, striking out two and walking two. His ERA after his fourth start: 6.11, worst in the six-man rotation.

The Dodgers fell behind 6-4 in the seventh when Treinen — who was cleared Friday after he was struck in the head by a batted ball during batting practice — gave up four consecutive hits, including a two-run home run by Mickey Moniak.

The result likely will be a minor detail when Ward tells the story years from now about getting the call after first baseman Freddie Freeman was placed on the paternity list.

The Dodgers’ No. 19 prospect and reigning Pacific Coast League MVP spent the last seven years in the minors. Last season, he hit 36 home runs and drove in 122 runs with a .937 on-base-plus-slugging percentage for triple-A Oklahoma City, and he has a 1.020 OPS and four homers this year.

Ward made it a point to improve his chase rate, draw more walks and get on base more frequently, everything the Dodgers asked of him. He also passed the broadest patience test.

“The plate discipline, being a better hitter … he’s done all that,” Roberts said. “He’s improved his defense. But honestly, for me, just not to let his lack of opportunity in the big leagues deter him. That’s easy when you get frustrated and let it affect performance, and he hasn’t done that.”

If anything, Ward said, the waiting made him better.

“I used it to keep going. ‘OK, if I’m not there yet, what do I have to do to get there?’” he said. “‘What part of my game do I need to work on to keep getting better?’

“I used it as fire to keep working.”

That will be the Dodgers’ assignment too.

In the finale of the four-game series Monday, the Dodgers are expected to start left-hander Justin Wrobleski (2-0, 2.12) against Colorado left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1, 5.63).

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