LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPSSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

DODGERS.COM

Kershaw's ERA to 1.83 with gem in final start

By Austin Laymance

LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw doesn't like the comparisons to Sandy Koufax, but there's really no other pitcher who matches what Kershaw means to the Dodgers.

With six easy innings on Friday night in an 11-0 win over the Rockies at a sold-out Dodger Stadium, Kershaw finished the 2013 campaign with a 1.83 ERA to join Koufax as the only Dodgers starters to end a season with a mark under 2.00.

"It's been an amazing season," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "I think he had one or two games where he was a little rough. Other than that, it seemed like it was like this every time."

Carl Crawford launched a three-run homer, A.J. Ellis homered and drove in three runs, Adrian Gonzalez added a solo shot and Juan Uribe and Mark Ellis each had three hits and two RBIs in support of Kershaw, who notched his 16th victory in his final start before Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Thursday.

About the only thing that went wrong for the Dodgers was Yasiel Puig twice fouling pitches off his left shin and coming out of the game after five innings. But X-rays were negative of major injury, and Mattingly said he thinks the rookie will be OK.

Kershaw struck out eight and walked none, putting the finishing touches on a memorable season that more than likely will result in the left-hander's second NL Cy Young Award in three years. He has the lowest ERA in baseball, leads the Majors with a 0.92 WHIP and is first in the NL with 232 strikeouts.

"I don't think there's a whole lot of doubt there," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Kershaw's bid for a second NL Cy Young. "He's had a great year. Command and stuff, he puts them both together. And there's some deception. He's the complete package, and he's left-handed on top of it. He's as good as there is in our league."

Kershaw isn't ready to reflect on his outstanding regular season, though.

"Enjoy this one tonight, and tomorrow it's all about the playoffs," Kershaw said. "I'm looking forward to it. It's where we've wanted to go and time to get prepared for it. It's what you play for."

By virtue of the Cardinals' win over the Cubs on Friday, the Dodgers will open the NLDS on the road against either Atlanta or St. Louis, whichever finishes with the second-best record. No matter where they play, the Dodgers like their chances with Kershaw and Zack Greinke leading the rotation.

"You're as good as you can be going in with these guys," Mattingly said. "You never know what's going to happen in the playoffs, but you feel pretty good when you're putting those guys out there in Game 1 and Game 2."

Kershaw set a career-high with 236 innings pitched this season. But after making 82 pitches on Friday, Kershaw said he "feels great" heading into October.

Koufax had three seasons with an ERA below 2.00, but was 27 years old and in his ninth year in the Majors when he first accomplished the feat in 1963. Kershaw is 25 and in his sixth season in the big leagues.

In addition to joining Koufax in Dodgers history, Kershaw is the first pitcher to lead the Majors in ERA for three straight years since Greg Maddux (1993-95). Kershaw posted a 2.53 ERA last season and had a 2.28 mark in 2011.

"I definitely try not to take that lightly," Kershaw said. "It's a huge honor, obviously. But right now, there's not that much time to think back. You've just got to keep going and keep pushing forward. There will be a time to look back on everything. But now is definitely not the time."

Kershaw even flashed a rare smile during a curtain call in the bottom of the sixth, when he was removed for a pinch-hitter and the video board in right field displayed his 1.83 ERA, the lowest for a Major League starter since Pedro Martinez (1.74) in 2000.

"I didn't know what was going on," Kershaw said. "By the time I figured it out, Uribe had pushed me up the steps. It was definitely a nice gesture."

In another rare occurrence, Kershaw had a four-run lead after one inning.

"If we could get this guy some runs, he may have won 25, 26 games this year," Mattingly said. "If we would have done anything for him offensively early on, he would have been winning every time out it seemed like."

The Dodgers increased their lead with homers in three straight innings.

Gonzalez went deep to right in the third to reach 100 RBIs for the sixth season in his career, joining Tigers sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder as the only players to drive in at least 100 runs six or more times in the last seven years.

Crawford roped a three-run blast to right in the fourth, his sixth homer of the season and first since May 6.

A.J. Ellis continued the barrage with a two-run shot to left-center in the fifth, becoming the sixth Dodger with at least 10 homers this season.

Carlos Marmol, Chris Capuano and Brandon League each tossed scoreless innings in relief of Kershaw. For Capuano, it was his first appearance in a game since coming out of a start Sept. 6 with a strained left groin.

X-rays negative, Puig to test leg Saturday

By Austin Laymance

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig twice fouled pitches off his left shin and was removed from Friday night's game against the Rockies after five innings at Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he thinks Puig is OK, and the rookie's X-rays were clear of major injury.

Puig fouled pitches off his leg in the first and fifth innings, and did not appear to be moving well. The Dodgers training staff worked on Puig in the dugout between innings on more than one occasion.

"He hit that second one off the same spot," Mattingly said after the Dodgers won, 11-0. "I just wanted to get ice on that. He was standing in line at the end of the game, so I'm assuming he's good."

Mattingly said he'll wait to see how Puig responds on Saturday before determining if the outfielder could play.

"We're just going to see how his body feels tomorrow," the manager said. "I want him to play the last game [Sunday]."

Scott Van Slyke replaced Puig in right field in the top of the sixth with the Dodgers in front, 10-0.

Ethier trying to get healthy in time for playoffs

By Austin Laymance

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier is rehabbing his injured left ankle at the club's Spring Training facility at Camelback Ranch-Glendale and will work out in Arizona through Monday, according to manager Don Mattingly.

Ethier had 15 at-bats in a simulated game on Friday and ran on an anti-gravity treadmill, Mattingly said."We're basically trying to get him as many at-bats as we can so he can get the timing part without the running part," Mattingly said before Friday night's game against the Rockies. "That's really the main reason for going there, to be able to get 10-15 at-bats a day."

Ethier's availability for the National League Division Series, which begins on Thursday, remains in doubt. Mattingly said Ethier will return to Los Angeles Monday night and join the club for Tuesday's workout at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers are calling the injury a left ankle sprain. Ethier said the discomfort he has is believed to stem from the periosteum, the sheath that covers the bones of the leg, with pain similar to shin splints.Ethier initially injured his left ankle on a swing in Colorado on Sept. 4 and aggravated it on a double against the Giants on Sept. 13, the last time he started. After more than a week of treatment, he encountered increased pain trying to round the bases in a workout on Tuesday in San Francisco, leading to an MRI exam and CT scan on Wednesday in Los Angeles, which showed his lower left leg had

improved but not completely healed. Drs. Neal ElAttrache and Phillip Kwong, a foot and ankle specialist, cleared Ethier to return to games when he is able to run the bases without pain.

"The thing that's hurt him is the turns, so they really don't want to do any turns until they have to," Mattingly said. "Just trying to allow maximum time for this thing to let it keep healing. I don't think anybody is afraid of letting him have at-bats."

Punto sits with in-grown toenail

By Austin Laymance

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers shortstop Nick Punto was scratched from Friday night's starting lineup against the Rockies because of an in-grown toenail on his right foot. Dee Gordon replaced Punto in the field and hit eighth against Colorado right-hander Juan Nicasio.

In other injury news, utility man Jerry Hairston reported improvement in his stiff lower back, which prevented him from pregame workouts Thursday night in San Francisco.

Hairston said he would probably stay off the field and receive treatment over the weekend in hopes of being fully healthy by the time the National League Division Series begins on Thursday. Hairston is on the bubble to make the postseason roster due to the acquisition of Michael Young.

Lee, Schebler take home Minor League hardware

By Austin Laymance

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers named starting pitcher Zach Lee and outfielder Scott Schebler as the Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher of the Year and Player of the Year on Friday.

Lee, ranked by MLB.com as the Dodgers' No. 3 prospect, won 10 games and posted a 3.22 ERA in 28 appearances this season for Double-A Chattanooga. The right-hander was a Southern League midseason All-Star and was third in the league with 131 strikeouts and a 1.17 WHIP. A first-round pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, Lee issued just 35 walks in 142 2/3 innings.

Schebler, ranked 16th among Dodgers prospects, led Class A Rancho Cucamonga with a .296 batting average and was second in the California League with 27 home runs. The outfielder also had 13 triples, 91 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, a .581 slugging percentage and scored 95 runs in 125 games this season. Schebler, a left-handed hitter, was the only Dodgers Minor Leaguer with at least 20 doubles, 10 triples and 20 homers this year. He was named to the California League's postseason All-Star team.

Both Lee and Schebler will be honored in an on-field ceremony before Sunday's regular-season finale against the Rockies.

Worth noting• Chris Capuano was available out of the bullpen Friday after dealing with a strained left groin for three weeks, manager Don Mattingly said.

"We're not going to do anything special to force him into a game or anything like that," Mattingly said. "If the situation calls for it, we'll use him."

• Hanley Ramirez was not in Friday night's starting lineup, but Mattingly said he expects the shortstop to start on Saturday.

LA TIMES

Clayton Kershaw aces final in win over Rockies

By Bill Shaikin

The game had three innings to go, but Clayton Kershaw was done. In his final tuneup for the playoffs, he had pitched six shutout innings, and he was about to retreat to the clubhouse.

The Dodgers would have none of it. The video board promptly flashed a statistical comparison to Sandy Koufax, the crowd erupted in applause, and Juan Uribe pushed Kershaw up the dugout steps and toward the field. Kershaw took in the standing ovation, and headed inside, and into October.

Kershaw wrapped his Cy Young campaign with a flourish Friday night, pitching six shutout innings to lead the Dodgers to an 11-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies. His next start: Game 1 of the National League division series Thursday, in either Atlanta or St. Louis.

"Now is the time I'm going to start thinking about it," Kershaw said. "It's all about the playoffs. It's all about Game 1 for me."

Let that not obscure a spectacular regular season. Kershaw finished with a 16-9 record and a 1.83 earned-run average — and that with the worst run support of any Dodgers starter. In his 33 starts, he gave up zero or one earned run 19 times.

"It's been an amazing year," Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said. "If we would have put up some runs, he might have won 25 or 26 games."

Kershaw became the first pitcher since Greg Maddux (1993-95) to lead the major leagues in ERA for three consecutive seasons.

"I don't want to take that lightly," Kershaw said. "That is a huge honor. There will be time to look back at everything. But now is definitely not that time."

Kershaw became the first starter to finish with an ERA below 2.00 since Roger Clemens in 2005, and the first Dodger to do so since Koufax did it in 1963, 1964 and 1966.

Koufax, who won the Cy Young Award in 1963, '65 and '66, is the only Dodger to win the award multiple times. Kershaw won the award in 2011 and finished second last year.

On a raucous night at Dodger Stadium, the home team had one bit of worry, when Yasiel Puig left the game after fouling a ball off his left foot. The Dodgers sent him for X-rays, which were negative, and listed him as day-to-day.

Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis all homered for the Dodgers. For Crawford, the home run was his first since May 6.

Gonzalez hit the 100-RBI mark for the sixth time in seven years. He drove in 99 runs the other year.The postseason is a little bit of a blemish on Kershaw's record, at least so far. He has a 5.87 ERA in five postseason appearances, two of them starts.

Of course, in his last appearance, he was 21, and a middle reliever working two innings between George Sherrill and Hong-Chih Kuo in 2009 against the Phillies. Kershaw has blossomed since then, and this is his chance to shine.

"Nobody remembers second place, who won the American League or who won the National League," Kershaw said. "Getting to the playoffs is nice. It's definitely a huge accomplishment.

"At the end of the day, unless you win the whole thing, no one remembers. That's what you play for."On Friday afternoon, Ellis came across a tweet from Hall of Fame baseball writer Peter Gammons, who noted that the Braves and Cardinals are fighting for the best record in the NL.

The winner would get what Gammons whimsically dubbed "the Kershaw Bowl." The loser gets Kershaw himself, twice in the best-of-five division series.

Ellis, the Dodgers' catcher, smiled. To have home-field advantage in the first round would be good. To have Kershaw is better.

"I'm a little biased," Ellis said, "but I think I have the best seat, catching the best pitcher in baseball."Hey, Game 1, here he comes.

Dodgers' Hanley Ramirez set to play consecutive days in the playoffs

By Bill Shaikin

When the Dodgers play the first two games of the playoffs next week, they will ask shortstop Hanley Ramirez to do something he has not done in two weeks: start on consecutive days.

Ramirez, the Dodgers' cleanup hitter, has played in barely half the team's games. He has been on the disabled list twice this season, because of thumb and hamstring injuries, and the Dodgers now are trying to manage him through nerve irritation in his back.

He has not started consecutive games since Sept. 12 and 13. He did not start Friday. Manager Don Mattingly said Ramirez would start Saturday but made no commitment about Sunday.Mattingly said he was confident Ramirez would be able to play every game in October.

"I don't think there's any doubt, unless something goes wrong," Mattingly said. "I'm sure he's not going to want to come out once we get there. He'll accept all of this knowing this gives him the best chance to play every day" in the postseason.

Giants ring

The San Francisco Giants delivered a 2012 World Series championship ring to Brian Wilson late Thursday night, after the Dodgers reliever confronted Giants President Larry Baer in the on-field owners' box following Thursday's game at AT&T Park.

"I got my ring," Wilson said Friday at Dodger Stadium. "It's of no one's concern. It was handled."I'm not asking America to understand. I don't play games. I handled the situation. It's over with. It's squashed."

Baer told San Francisco radio station KNBR that Wilson had declined the Giants' invitation to the ring ceremony in April and had traded messages with the team officials who had tried to arrange delivery since then.

"He didn't want anything other than to take the ring on the bus with him," Baer said.

Ethier updateOutfielder Andre Ethier is testing his sore left ankle with extended workouts at the Dodgers' Arizona training facility. Mattingly said he expects Ethier to rejoin the team Monday, after which he would be evaluated for possible inclusion on the Dodgers' National League division series roster.

The Dodgers will take Monday off, then fly to either Atlanta or St. Louis on Tuesday. The Dodgers need not set their division series roster until Thursday, the day of Game 1.

Andre Ethier returns to Dodgers' training facility to get at-bats

By Steve Dilbeck

The Dodgers are going the Matt Kemp rehab route with Andre Ethier’s ankle injury.

Ethier has returned to the team’s training facility in Phoenix so he can continue hitting against live pitching while the team crosses its fingers and hopes the ankle heals.

Manager Don Mattingly said Ethier had about 15 at-bats Friday. Ethier is not expected to rejoin the team until Monday night, confirming his regular season is over.

“It’s a similar situation with what we were trying to do with Matt, basically trying to get him as many at-bats as we can timing-wise,” Mattingly said. “Without the running part, he can kind of get the timing part the next two or three days.”

Ethier is suffering from what the team described as shin split symptoms in his left ankle. He has not started a game since Sept. 13.

Mattingly said Ethier is doing some straight-ahead running in Arizona. The most severe pain, however, strikes Ethier when he is running the bases and having to turn.

“The thing that’s hurt him is the turns, so they really don’t want to do any turns until they have to,” he said. “Just allow the maximum time for it to heal.”

Kemp spent weeks at the team’s training facility while coming back from an ankle and then a hamstring issue.

Mattingly also said Chris Capuano is now available following a groin injury, though he didn’t sound like someone eager to get him into a game to determine whether he can pitch out of the bullpen in the postseason.

“Cap’s available, depending on the game,” Mattingly said. “We’re playing pretty much normal, we’re not going to do anything special to try and force him into a game or anything like that. But if a situation calls for it …”

DA lacks evidence to charge man in killing after Dodgers-Giants game

By Joseph Serna and Lee Romney

SAN FRANCISCO — The man jailed in connection with the fatal stabbing of Dodgers fan Jonathan Denver after a confrontation triggered by team rivalry was released from custody late Friday, after the San Francisco district attorney said there was not enough evidence to charge him.

Michael Montgomery, 21, of Lodi was booked into jail just before 5 p.m. Thursday, after San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr announced that he had made "implicating statements" during questioning. However, Montgomery's father, Marty Montgomery, told media outlets that his son had phoned him sobbing from police custody to say he had committed the act in self-defense.

Police detained Montgomery and an 18-year-old man for questioning not long after the Wednesday night post-game slaying, but released the younger man Thursday. Although they had booked Montgomery, they said earlier Friday that they were still eager to speak to two other people who were part of Montgomery's group, as well as to any witnesses to the fight.

Police were also seeking any video of the incident spurred by a "back and forth" over the Dodgers-Giants rivalry.

The dearth of any independent evidence, however, led Dist. Atty. George Gascon to reject the case hours after receiving it from police investigators.

In a 6 p.m. statement, Gascon said his office had an obligation to "prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in lawful self-defense. It is vital for our office to have independent corroboration of the incident in order to meet our ethical obligation to charge this case."

Although police had "provided us an initial investigation" Gascon said, "not all witnesses have been interviewed, nor have any independent witnesses of the incident been interviewed. We have requested this and other evidence be collected before we can make an assessment on whether charges should be filed."

Montgomery was released from jail shortly after 9 p.m. Friday. A spokesman for Gascon said the timing was the purview of the Sheriff's Department. A sheriff's spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.

In his statement, Gascon extended "deepest and most heartfelt condolences" to Denver's family and said his office was "extremely concerned about the loss of life and want to make sure justice is served." However, he said, "in order to meet our ethical obligation in charging this case, we must have a good faith basis to believe we can prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt."

Denver, his brother, father — an avid Dodgers fan who works ballpark security in Los Angeles — and two others left the game in the eighth inning and went to a bar before encountering Montgomery's group, police said.

According to Suhr, an initial fight broke out after a verbal "back and forth" about the Giants-Dodgers rivalry, but ended without serious injuries. Soon after, Denver was stabbed during a second altercation after one group — it was not clear which — followed the other.

Marty Montgomery, 47, told the Lodi News-Sentinel that his son told him the altercation began when Denver, wearing Dodgers gear, yelled "Giants suck!" at Montgomery's friend, who was wearing a Giants cap. The dispute soon escalated, and Montgomery told his father that Denver threw a chair at him before Montgomery stabbed Denver to defend himself.

"He's freaking out," Marty Montgomery said of his son. "He's like, 'I saw [Denver] die in his dad's arms.' "Gascon's decision to send the case back for further investigation reflected lingering questions that many are asking.

Denver's grandparents released a statement that described Denver and his father, who was present, as "calm, level-headed personalities and ... not the type to initiate an altercation."

In their statement, Robert Preece Sr. and Anne Marie Preece asked for privacy and said that, "until we have some time with our son, we will not have clear details on what ensued — only that everything went bad very quickly."

Their son is Denver's father, Robert Preece, who with Denver and Denver's brother had planned Wednesday's get-together at the Giants-Dodgers game as a celebration of Preece's 49th birthday.It had taken a while to plan, the grandparents said, but the reunion finally came together. Preece traveled north from Alhambra, the boys south from Fort Bragg, in Mendocino County.

"They had a great time at the game, sending pictures to family and friends throughout the evening," Denver's grandparents wrote, saying that the group "walked a few blocks from the stadium for a birthday drink."

The Preeces described their grandson as "a gentle, kindhearted soul who loved his brother and his family very much.… Jon was our grandson, a son to Robert, a nephew to our five daughters, a cousin to many, and an uncle."

He was "always smiling, and that is how is we will forever remember him," they continued, adding that the incident reveals "a symptom of a society whose values seem to have deteriorated over time. There is a loss of respect for human life, of family values, honesty and of the benefit of differing opinions."Marty Montgomery had his own questions.

"How do you explain the loss of somebody else?" Marty Montgomery asked in the interview with the Lodi newspaper. "I don't know what happened for real. All I know is what [my son is] telling me. But just the whole situation of [Denver] dying over just a few words — it just doesn't make sense."

Dodgers: Yasiel Puig OK after fouling ball off foot, leaving game

By Steve Dilbeck

They can give you pause in a hurry these days, one sudden wrong turn or foul ball or pitch thrown a tad awkwardly.

The Dodgers start their postseason Thursday and their primary focus this last week of the regular season has been health.

So when star rookie Yasiel Puig fouled a pitch off his left foot in the fifth inning Friday night and limped away from the plate, you could almost sense everyone on the team, in the front office and in the stands, take a sudden sharp breath.

Puig completed his at-bat, but then did not return to right field. This time of year –- the postseason assured, home-field advantage lost –- there is absolutely no reason to take any chances.Puig left the game and had X-rays, allowing all to exhale when they came back negative.

Manager Don Mattingly said Puig came out later and was in the team postgame line to shake hands after the 11-0 victory over the Rockies.

“I’m assuming he’s good,” Mattingly said.

Mattingly said he would wait until Saturday to see how Puig was feeling before determining whether he would play.

The Dodgers are already down one outfielder, with Andre Ethier out because of shin splint symptoms above his left ankle.

Infielder Nick Punto was also a late scratch with an ingrown toenail. Punto said after the game he could play Saturday, but will probably wait another day.

Clayton Kershaw does his Cy Young thing in Dodgers' 11-0 win

By Steve Dilbeck

For his finale, Clayton Kershaw might have just shut the door on the 2013 National League Cy Young Award.

In his final appearance of the regular season before pitching the playoff opener, Kershaw was again dominant Friday in the Dodgers’ way-too-easy 11-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 52,367.

Kershaw threw six scoreless innings before exiting the game and the season with a baseball-best 1.83 earned-run average. That goes along with his 16-9 record and National League-best 232 strikeouts. It’s the third consecutive season he’s had the lowest ERA in the major leagues. He also leads the majors in WHIP -- walks and hits allowed per innings pitched -- at 0.92.

Those numbers are likely to earn Kershaw his second Cy Young Award. He won his first in 2011 and came in second in the voting last season.

Kershaw, 25, is the first pitcher to lead the majors in ERA three consecutive seasons since Greg Maddux (1993-95).

Friday's game was no contest against a Rockies team that, to be honest, did not look all that interested. In his six innings, Kershaw struck out eight and did not walk a batter. All four hits he gave up were singles, and he picked off one baserunner.

Just a little in control.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers were lining drives all around and out of the ballpark. They finished with 15 hits, including home runs by Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford (his first since May 6) and A.J. Ellis.

The only possible setback for the Dodgers was when rookie Yasiel Puig left the game in the sixth inning after fouling a ball off his left foot. He completed the at-bat and then did not return to his position, right field.

Crawford and Ellis each had three RBIs, and Juan Uribe had three hits and two RBIs.

Chris Capuano made his first relief appearance after suffering a groin pull Sept. 6. He may be a longshot to make the playoff roster this late, but he pitched an impressive eighth inning. He retired the side in order, striking out two. He needed only 12 pitches, throwing nine for strikes.

Dodgers will open playoffs on the road

By Steve Dilbeck

That playoff picture is clearing in small increments, but it is clearing.

After Friday the Dodgers know one new thing for certain: They will open the 2013 playoffs on the road.Still to be determined is where – either Atlanta or St. Louis – but the Dodgers do know their first two playoff home games will be Game 3 on Sunday, Oct. 6, and Game 4 on Monday, Oct. 7, assuming there is no sweep in the best-of-five series.

The Dodgers will open on the road in Game 1 on Thursday, with Game 2 on Friday.

“We don’t care who we play and we don’t care where it is,” Manager Don Mattingly said before the Dodgers' game against Colorado.

Mattingly said the team’s confidence on the road was buoyed by their mid-summer run, when they won 15 consecutive road games.

“I don’t think any of our guys is really afraid of it,” he said. “What we did on that little stretch on the road gave these guys a lot of confidence.

“And honestly, it still about the pitching. You throw Kersh (Clayton Kershaw) and (Zack) Greinke out there, you pretty much like your chances.”

Dodgers' Brian Wilson gets his Giants' World Series ring

By Bill Shaikin

Brian Wilson said he got his World Series ring late Thursday, after one of the weirdest confrontations in baseball history.

After the Dodgers concluded their series in San Francisco on Thursday, as his teammates retreated to the visiting clubhouse, Wilson walked across the field to a box adjacent to the Giants' dugout. Wilson, still in his Dodgers uniform, asked Giants President Larry Baer why he had yet to receive his 2012 championship ring.

"I got my ring," Wilson said Friday at Dodger Stadium. "It's of no one's concern. It was handled."I'm not asking America to understand. I don't play games. I handled the situation. It's over with. It's squashed."

Wilson had no other comment.

Baer told KNBR, the Giants' flagship radio station, that he immediately contacted Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti to arrange for the ring to get to Wilson.

"He didn’t want anything other than to take the ring on the bus with him," Baer said.

Baer said he was a bit taken aback, saying Wilson had declined the Giants' invitation to the ring ceremony in April and had traded messages with team officials since then. Baer said he did not fault Wilson for an emotional reaction, since the series marked his first appearance as a visiting player in San Francisco.

"It was the heat of the moment," Baer said. "I think he had been heckled by the fans when he was warming up."

Dodgers name Zach Lee, Scott Schebler as top minor leaguers

By Steve Dilbeck

Seems passing on that chance to be an LSU quarterback might have been a wise decision for right-hander Zach Lee. On Friday the Dodgers named Lee as their Minor League Pitcher of the Year.Scott Schebler, an outfielder who hit 27 home runs for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, was named the Minor League Player of the Year.

Lee was a first-round draft pick in 2010 who had fallen to 28th overall because he had enrolled at LSU to play quarterback. Most figured he could not be signed.

In his third season in the minors, Lee went 10-10 with a 3.22 ERA at double-A Chattanooga. Lee, 22, had 131 strikeouts in 142 2/3 innings with a 1.17 WHIP.

Schebler may prove a late bloomer. He was taken on the 26th round in the same draft as Lee, out of Iowa’s Des Moines Area Community College.

In his fourth minor league season, Schebler led Rancho with a .296 batting average, and had 91 RBI, 95 runs and 13 triples. He was the only Dodgers’ minor leaguer to hit 20 or more doubles, 10 or more triples and 20 or more homers.

Schebler, who turns 23 next month, had an 18-game hitting streak and 16 stolen bases.

Lee and Schebler are scheduled to be honored with their Branch Rickey awards prior to Sunday’s regular-season finale at Dodger Stadium.

Dodgers and Giants -- rivals, not enemies

By Patt Morrision

What a paradox that as the NFL barrels into its season with the reputation as the sport of violent plays and player concussions, it is the gentleman’s game, baseball, that death visited -- not on the field but far afield, among the fans.

The Dodgers and the Giants have a deep and rivalrous history, one that survived the trip from the East Coast to the West Coast, when the Brooklyn Dodgers uprooted themselves to became the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Giants became the San Francisco Giants. A crosstown sports feud, Ebbets Field versus the Polo Grounds, became a cross-state one, Southern California versus the Bay Area, palms versus pines.

Now the two cities have latched onto the tragic symmetry between the near-fatal 2011 attack on Giants fan Bryan Stow, a firefighter whose life will never be the same, and the fatal stabbing this week of Jonathan Denver, a plumber’s apprentice and the son of a Dodgers security guard, whose life is over.Denver was killed several blocks from the Giants' ballpark about 90 minutes after a game the Dodgers lost. They lost again to the Giants on Thursday night, in a game that followed a moment of silence in Denver’s memory. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly reminded folks once again that it’s a game, just a game, and to leave the hostility there, on the field.

Every sport has its rivalries, some of them good natured, others more vehement. Mercifully, we haven’t had the killer melees that prompted some soccer stadiums around the world to erect chain-link fences between seating areas in the stands, to separate one team’s fans from another’s.

With any of these feuds, it’s hard to tell how much is sports showmanship, like the posturings of professional wrestling, and how much is real antipathy.

Maury Wills, the Dodgers shortstop who later coached base runners for the Giants, once said that “it’s as intense as any rivalry that ever existed in baseball.”

“Willie Mays said the rivalry was not as strong when both teams moved to the West Coast (in 1958), but I disagree … it was like war.”

The sentiment did not go unshared. A onetime Giants pitcher named John Montefusco believed that a lot of his teammates “really hate the Dodgers. You hear guys here say, ‘We don’t care who wins the pennant, as long as it’s not the Dodgers.’ We’re sick of the Dodgers and Hollywood.”

In 1981, in Candlestick Park, Dodgers player Reggie Smith charged toward the stands to get at a fan who had thrown a batting helmet at him. Smith was marched off the field by cops, who also dragged away a couple of fans.

In 1978, a “bellicose” San Francisco crowd threw nails, rocks, beer cans, golf balls and tomatoes at Dodgers outfielders. One fan burned a Dodgers pennant in the stands. The announcer warned them that if their antics didn’t stop, the game would.

These may be just differences in degree, not in kind, from other baseball rivalries. It never seemed to approach the mayhem associated with the Oakland Raiders fans. In 1990, during the Raiders’ mercifully brief incarnation as the Los Angeles Raiders, a Pittsburgh Steelers fan who happened to be walking through the cheap seats at the Coliseum in the fourth quarter got severely kicked and beaten by a Raiders fan. The Raiders and the Coliseum didn’t send so much as a get-well card, the victim’s father said. But the Coliseum did reduce the size of the cups of beer it sold.

There was an air of menace about the Raiders, and frankly, that may have been a selling point for some of their fans.

Yet the L.A.-S.F. enmity predates the baseball teams’ move west. L.A. surpassed San Francisco as the state’s most populous city nearly 100 years ago, and while San Francisco, thanks to journalists like the late Herb Caen, tried to keep up the feud, L.A. long ago set itself against its fitter rival, New York, and began to regard San Francisco with affection and bemusement, like a scrappy little brother trying bravely to punch above his weight.

The baseball diamond, though, is a great equalizer, and it’s there that two great cities can take on each other, and join forces to quote the Dodgers’ Vin Scully, a baseball game observation that can serve as an admonition for the fans too: “Good is not good when better is expected.”

And we do expect better.

After fatal fan stabbing, Dodgers coach says, 'Leave it on the field'

By Dylan Hernandez and Lee Romney

In the hours leading up to the Thursday night matchup against the San Francisco Giants, Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly reminded his team's supporters that baseball was a game and nothing more.Like many of his players, Mattingly woke up to news that a Dodgers fan was fatally stabbed near AT&T Park on Wednesday night.

"It's a game, you know?" Mattingly said. "Leave it on the field."

Less than 24 hours earlier, Jonathan Denver was stabbed to death just blocks from the ballpark in a run-in with another group with whom there was a "back-and-forth about the Giants-Dodgers rivalry," police said.

In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, the Dodgers said they were "shocked and saddened" to learn of Denver's death. They called him "the son of one of our security guards.”

“There is no rational explanation for this senseless act which resulted in Jonathan's death," the statement continued. "The pain that this has caused his family and friends is unimaginable. Words are not enough to describe our sadness. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family during this extremely difficult time.”

Both teams observed a moment of silence before the Dodgers' 3-2 defeat to the San Francisco Giants, which was decided on an eighth-inning solo home run by Angel Pagan.

Denver was wearing Dodgers apparel when he left the game early with his father, brother, his father's girlfriend and another friend to go to a bar a few blocks from AT&T Park.

While on 3rd Street, they encountered a group of people who were going to a club, authorities said. One of the men in the other group may have been wearing a Giants cap, police said, and there was some jawing between the groups over the rivalry.

The encounter became physical. It ended when Denver realized that he had been stabbed. He died a short time later at San Francisco General Hospital.

Michael Montgomery, of Lodi, will be charged in the slaying of Denver, 24, San Francisco police said Thursday.

The deadly encounter left fans on both sides baffled and saddened.

“Every time I go to a game, there’s always a friendly banter between fans,” said J Wheeless, a 34-year-old San Francisco chef. “I’ve personally never encountered any hatred… I think this is a bunch of meatheads and ignorant individuals.”

OC REGISTER

Kershaw gets support in Dodgers' 11-0 win

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES – Juan Uribe had to push him up the top step, but he did it.

Clayton Kershaw took a loud curtain call for the Dodger Stadium faithful Friday night, after the latest – and last – in his remarkable string of dominant regular-season starts helped the Dodgers to a runaway 11-0 win over the Colorado Rockies.

Kershaw’s next start will be Thursday, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series.

“It's one thing to have individual success on a losing team,” he said. “To have it on a team going into the playoffs is special.”

The Dodgers (92-68) scored early and often Friday. They put up four runs in the first inning off Rockies starter Collin McHugh on five hits and an error, then another run on an Adrian Gonzalez homer in the third, three more on a Carl Crawford homer in the fourth and two more on an A.J. Ellis homer in the fifth, before Mark Ellis capped the night with an RBI single in the sixth.

The total output was the Dodgers’ highest since Aug. 7, when they put up 14 on the road at St. Louis, where they could be beginning their playoff run Thursday.

With his six-inning, eight-strikeout effort, nicely closing up his likely NL Cy Young-winning campaign, Kershaw finished with a 1.83 ERA, the lowest for an major league starter since Pedro Martinez’s 1.74 mark in 2000.

He also became the second Dodger to post a sub-2.00 ERA since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1958. The first? Sandy Koufax.

“It's just been an amazing season,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “If we could have got this guy some runs, he might have won 25, 26 games.”

Instead, Kershaw won 16, which teammate Zack Greinke could tie in his final start today. Nine other starters have won 16 or more games this season, including Baltimore’s Chris Tillman, who has nearly doubled Kershaw’s ERA at 3.62.

Rookie sensation Yasiel Puig left Friday’s game early after he fouled two balls off his left foot, one in the first inning and one in the fifth.

X-rays on his left shin were normal, and he is expected to start one of the team’s final two games.

Miller: Fashion trends selling us a bill of goods

By Jeff Miller

It is timeless in its simplicity and style, with colors that, over the years, have remained as unchanged as the infield fly rule.

If the Dodgers uniform could talk, it would sound just like Vin Scully.

Traditional. Classy. Classic.

It is the sort of baseball outfit royalty would favor, even more regal than what the Royals themselves wear.

So does Edinson Volquez really have to model the crown of a clown?

Volquez isn’t the only major leaguer to prefer a flat-billed cap. But the Dodgers right-hander is the only one we’ve seen who actually will bend the bill upward, looking like a duck that just walked into a brick wall.

What’s he trying to do, exactly? Collect sunshine?

In his start last week in San Diego, Volquez’s cap must have set a major league record for ridiculous. He appeared to be wearing it – if not his entire head – upside down.

He was easily the oddest-looking pitcher in recent Dodgers history, and that’s saying something since the current staff includes Brian Wilson, he of the painted and pigtailed beard.

Volquez has described himself as “kind of old school,” and, as such, we could understand him trying to emulate, say, a Grover (Alexander). But does he also have to try to look like a Gomer (Pyle)?Volquez’s fashion statement – sartorial to him, satirical to us – is just one of the recent notable developments in the world of sporting attire, where the clothes can make the man, yes, but also make fun of the man.

For example, what are the Jacksonville Jaguars wearing on their heads this season? Are those two-tone helmets or just the result of a team that ran low on black spray paint?

Either is possible for this ailing franchise, which is so desperate to fill its stadium that spectators are now being lured with the promises of free beer. Alcohol seems like a significant obligation when simply signing one teetotaler – Tim Tebow – would be more effective.

Speaking of offering the public booze, the Seattle Seahawks have been known to wrap themselves in the colors of a lime margarita. Their shades of radioactive green could be pulled right from the pages of a comic book or the lyrics of a Jimmy Buffett song.

“It’s a great color combo,” Fashion Television host Jeanne Beker once said. “It certainly tells little boys the Hulk is alive and well.”

College football is now filled with unfortunate uniforms, particularly at Iowa State, where they remain committed to advancing a look first seen on the backs of Burger King employees, and at Maryland, where the players look like unsolved Rubik’s Cubes.

Several schools today have more combinations of pants and jerseys than games on their schedule. More and more, these outfits seem to be less about uni and more about form.

No discussion of college football fashion would be complete without mention of the University of Oregon, a program that changes clothes more often than Lady Gaga does. Regardless of the effort put forth Saturday afternoon, there isn’t a team that tries harder when laying out its wardrobe Friday night.Do appearances really matter? Of course not. Otherwise Michigan’s football team would never lose. Neither would the Yankees, Canadiens or Packers. See, there really is something appealing about teams that insist on dressing like their yesterday as opposed to dressing like there’s no tomorrow.Yet, once the game begins, it makes absolutely no difference. In that regard, uniforms could be like tattoos, the one way for athletes to express their fierce independence and unique individuality by looking just like everyone else.

This week also brought word that the NBA is considering having some teams – the Heat and the Nets have been identified – wear jerseys for selected games with the players’ nicknames rather than last names on the back.

Miami guard Ray Allen said the move “shows growth in our league,” while we’d counter that what it really shows is the NBA’s undying commitment to squeeze every possible dollar from its fans by attempting to sell more replica jerseys.

Who knows? Maybe the league will unveil a charity component connected with the nickname campaign, which would be fantastic. If not, just remember the truth behind “The Truth.”

Volquez explained that his flat-bill obsession stems from an appreciation for former major leaguer Dontrelle Willis, who often wore his cap in a similar manner when pitching for Florida. For some reason, though, a dorky, flattened bill looks worse now in Dodger blue than in once did in Marlin teal.Must have something to do with tradition.

Let’s be honest here. There never will be anything traditional, anything classic, about a Dodger taking the mound looking like a duck.

Dodgers' Ethier rehabbing in Arizona

By Pedro Moura

LOS ANGELES – Andre Ethier is on the Matt Kemp rehab plan.

The Dodgers sent Ethier to their training facility in Arizona on Friday to get at-bats in a simulated game setting while he remains unable to get live action because of a sprained left ankle.

Ethier, who hasn’t started a game since Sept. 13, had roughly 15 at-bats and did some straight-ahead running at the team’s complex in Glendale, and he’ll remain there this weekend.

“It’s a similar situation to what we were doing with Matt,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “We’re basically trying to get him as many at-bats as we can so he can get the timing part without the running part.”

Ethier’s status for the National League Division Series remains in serious question, but the Dodgers have not officially ruled him out. Mattingly said the team plans on having him return to Los Angeles on Monday night.

Ethier had one at-bat last weekend in San Diego and struck out on three pitches, hobbling after one of his missed swings. He has yet to be able to successfully run the bases.

“The thing that’s hurt him is the turns,” Mattingly said. “So they really don’t want to do any turns until they have to. Just trying to allow maximum time for this thing to let it heal.”

Other injury concerns include left-hander Chris Capuano, who had missed three weeks nursing a groin strain before appearing in Friday’s game, and shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

Ramirez rested Friday, as the Dodgers continue to monitor his health, and is likely to sit Sunday’s finale, too.

“I think he'll accept all of this knowing that it gives him a chance to play every day (in the playoffs),” Mattingly said.

PACO’S STRUGGLESLeft-hander Paco Rodriguez entered September holding an 11-inning scoreless inning spanning a full month.

But in September, he has permitted four runs in just 42/3 innings, including the winning homer in Thursday night’s loss to the San Francisco Giants.

That has prompted a lot of workload questions, as Rodriguez has made 75 appearances in his first full professional season.

He downplayed those Friday, saying the worsening results are a product of a minor mechanical issue, not overuse.

“In the beginning, I was throwing a lot, and I was doing good, so nobody really said anything,” he said. “Now that I’m struggling a little bit, everybody wants to change everything up, and that’s fine, because I felt it myself. It was a matter of making adjustments, and I think they’ve helped out a lot. My arm feels good.”

MINOR LEAGUE STARSThe Dodgers selected Double-A right-hander Zach Lee and High-A outfielder Scott Schebler as their Branch Rickey Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Year.

They’ll be honored in an on-field ceremony before Sunday’s regular-season finale.

Lee was the Dodgers’ high-profile 2010 first-round pick and is a rotation candidate for 2014. Schebler was drafted in the 26th round the same year but only recently emerged as a top-20 prospect in the organization.

NOTESMattingly, asked how he feels about the first-round series being best-of-5 instead of best-of-7, said: “Five’s short. But it's better than the wild card, and better than Russian roulette.”…

Infielder Nick Punto was scratched Friday because of an ingrown toenail on his right foot. He was replaced by Dee Gordon, who Mattingly said is under consideration for the playoff roster as a pinch-runner. …

Dodgers co-owner Mark Walter released a statement on Commissioner Bud Selig confirming his January 2015 retirement: “Speaking as a lifelong fan of the game, Bud Selig's love of baseball, its players and fans had always been obvious,” Walter said. “Now, as an owner of one of the sport's most storied franchises, I can see that his respect for the integrity of the sport, its beauty and nuances are even more evident in every carefully considered decision he's made.”

Kershaw continues to lead the conversation

By Pedro Moura

Clayton Kershaw is making his 33rd -- and final -- start of the regular season Friday night against the Colorado Rockies, and that prompted a rehashing of the usual discussion with his manager about the pitcher's status in baseball.

This time, though, Don Mattingly went a little further. Asked if he thought Kershaw, who appears headed for his second NL Cy Young Award in three seasons, deserves to be termed as the best pitcher in baseball, Mattingly reasoned it out.

Each season, there is a pitcher or two who emerges as a contender for that title. This year, it was Matt Harvey, Mattingly said, and probably Max Scherzer. Last year it was Stephen Strasburg. But Kershaw has remained in that conversation for three or four years now, without ever falling back, and that's meaningful to his manager.

"Every year, Kersh is right there," Mattingly said. "If he's not the best, you're gonna have to really sell me on who's better."

Kershaw's 1.88 ERA is the best in baseball, and his durability can't be questioned. This will be his third straight season with 33 starts and at least 227 innings pitched. The year before that? A measly 32 starts and 204 1/3 innings, with a 2.91 ERA. He hasn't posted an ERA above 3 since his rookie season.While that discussion continues, here are Friday's lineups for a 7:10 p.m. start at Dodger Stadium, reflecting the late scratch of Nick Punto at shortstop with an in-grown toenail and Dee Gordon replacing him:

ESPN.COM

Kershaw completes epic regular season

By Dan Arritt

LOS ANGELES -- When Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for his next start Thursday in the opening round of the NL Division Series, he’ll have that same youthful-looking appearance.

He’ll just be a completely different-looking pitcher.

Kershaw has evolved into one of the top hurlers in baseball, proving so once again Friday night while throwing six shutout innings in an 11-0 victory against the visiting Colorado Rockies.

Kershaw improved to 16-9, but the stat that’ll likely stand out for years to come is his ERA. He dropped that mark to 1.83, the lowest in the major leagues since Pedro Martinez posted a 1.74 as a member of the Boston Red Sox in 2000, and the lowest by a southpaw since Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees in 1978 (1.74).

Kershaw also became the first pitcher since Greg Maddux of the Atlanta Braves (1993-95) to lead the

majors in ERA for three consecutive seasons and just the second member of the Dodgers to finish with a sub-2.00 ERA. Sandy Koufax accomplished that feat three times in the 1960s.

The Dodgers made things easy on Kershaw by scoring four runs in the first, another in the third and three more in the fourth on Carl Crawford’s three-run blast. Kershaw had a hand in that, too, singling with one out before Crawford launched his sixth home run of the season.

Adrian Gonzalez and A.J. Ellis also homered for the Dodgers, and Juan Uribe had three hits and two RBIs.

Kershaw showed he was on his game right from the start, striking out Charlie Blackmon on three pitches to open the game. He twice struck out soon-to-be-retired first baseman Todd Helton. Kershaw allowed four hits among his 82 pitches, struck out eight and didn’t walk a batter.

Of course, the Dodgers can’t seem to take two steps forward without taking one back this season. Yasiel Puig left the game in the top of the sixth after fouling a pitch off his left foot for the second time in the game. He returned to the batter’s box and hit the next pitch in the air to right field, limping noticeably as he jogged to first.

The injury brought back memories of the last weekend series at Dodger Stadium, when the hosts lost Puig, fellow outfielders Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford and shortstop Hanley Ramirez to injuries. Ethier remains sidelined with a lower left leg injury.

The other downside Friday night was the St. Louis Cardinals' beating the Chicago Cubs, assuring the Dodgers of a road game Thursday when they open the playoffs against either the Cardinals or Atlanta Braves.

But on this night, once again, it was all about Kershaw.

“He’s still the same kid who was tough and worked hard and was hard-headed, in a sense, with his stuff, but he’s come so far from the standpoint of his willingness to get better,” said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who played five seasons with Guidry in New York.

Kershaw didn’t hold runners on base very well when he first joined the Dodgers. Now he does. He had only two pitches in his arsenal, a fastball and a curve, but has since added a slider and changeup. He dominated just one side of the plate. Now he owns both corners. He’s even become a better hitter.

“He has just evolved,” Mattingly said. “He’s a total different matchup for you as a hitter than he used to be. This is obviously the same guy, the same person, but you probably wouldn’t recognize him if you looked at the games he pitched then versus now.”

Kershaw was a wide-eyed 20-year-old when he made his first postseason appearance five years ago, pitching two innings of relief in a five-game loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the NL Championship Series. He returned to the postseason the following year and made three starts before the Dodgers were again cut down in the NLCS.

Four years later, Kershaw gets another shot at winning a World Series. Just getting to the playoffs is no longer good enough.

“Nobody remembers second place,” Kershaw said. “Nobody remembers who won the American League or who won the National League, they remember who won the World Series. So getting to the playoffs is nice, it’s definitely a huge accomplishment, but at the end of the day, unless you win the whole thing, no one remembers.”

Kershaw adds his name to the record booksBy Kenton Wong

Clayton Kershaw finished off an incredible 2013 season with six scoreless innings.

The Elias Sports Bureau tells us that this is Kershaw’s seventh start of six or more innings this season with no runs allowed and at least eight strikeouts, tying a personal best for a single season in his career (he also had seven starts of this type in 2011). Four other pitchers have accomplished this in a single season in the past 30 years: Tim Lincecum in 2009 (7), Pedro Martinez in 2000 (8) and 2002 (7), Randy Johnson in 2001 (7), and Dwight Gooden in 1985 (8).

Friday’s start lowered Kershaw’s ERA to 1.83 for the season. Sub-2.00 ERA By Lefty StarterDivisional Era (since 1969)2013 Clayton Kershaw 1.831985 John Tudor 1.931978 Ron Guidry << 1.741972 Steve Carlton << 1.971971 Wilbur Wood 1.911971 Vida Blue << 1.82<< Won Cy Young AwardThe last left-handed starter to post a sub-2.00 ERA was John Tudor of the St. Louis Cardinals back in 1985. In the divisional era (since 1969), there are now six lefties to break that barrier, and three of the previous five ended up taking home Cy Young honors. The exceptions were Tudor, who had the best season of his career during Gooden’s sensational sophomore season and Wilbur Wood, who was beaten out for the award by another lefty with a sub-2.00 ERA in the 1971 season: Vida Blue.

Lefties have a harder time posting consistently low ERAs compared with righties. More information on that can be found here.

Kershaw also becomes just the third pitcher in National League history to win three straight ERA titles. The others are Greg Maddux, 1993-95, and the Los Angeles Dodgers' own Sandy Koufax, who did it five straight seasons from 1962 to 1966.

Dodgers starting to get healthy

By Dan Arritt

LOS ANGELES -- With the start of the postseason less than a week away, getting all the Los Angeles Dodgers in a row continues to be management's primary focus.

Most of the Dodgers lined up for the team picture Friday at Dodger Stadium and then prepped for their series opener against the visiting Colorado Rockies, but injured outfielder Andre Ethier was at the team’s spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz.

Ethier, who’s been sidelined the last two weeks with shin splits near his left ankle, took 15 at-bats during a simulated game earlier in the day, manager Don Mattingly said. The Dodgers sent Ethier to Camelback Ranch to keep his timing sharp at the plate, though he continues to be limited to straight-ahead running.

“That’s the main reason for going there, to get 10 to 15 [at-bats] a day,” Mattingly said.

It’s the same regimen the Dodgers used for Matt Kemp as he worked his way back from ankle and hamstring injuries earlier this month. Kemp is hitting .355 since his Sept 16 return.

The other player who’s being monitored closely is shortstop Hanley Ramirez. He’s in the starting lineup for Friday’s opener against the Rockies, but likely won’t play in Saturday’s game and Sunday’s status is still to be determined, Mattingly said.

Ramirez has battled hamstring injuries this season and, more recently, an irritated nerve in his back that has caused hamstring tightness. The goal is to have Ramirez as fresh as possible for Thursday’s playoff opener against either the Atlanta Braves or St. Louis Cardinals, likely to be played on the road.

“He’s not going to want to come out once we get there,” Mattingly said. “He’ll accept all of this, knowing that gives him the best chance of playing every day [in the opening round].”

Left-hander pitcher Chris Capuano is also available to pitch out of the bullpen, Mattingly said. Capuano is coming off a strained groin muscle and hasn’t pitched since Sept 6. He made 20 starts for the Dodgers this season, but his best chance of making the postseason roster is as a reliever.

Capuano, a nine-year veteran, has never pitched in the postseason.

DAILY NEWS

Kershaw, Dodgers sizzle with playoffs looming

By Jill Painter

Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers can call that a brilliant tuneup for the postseason.

Kershaw pitched a four-hit gem, and Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis all homered to lead the Dodgers to an 11-0 lead Friday through seven innings at Dodger Stadium.

Fans beckoned for a curtain call from their ace, and Kershaw obliged after he shut out the Rockies through six innings. He struck out eight and walked none in a masterful 82-pitch outing. This was the last regular-season start for Kershaw, but if this had been the regular season, he probably could’ve thrown a complete game shutout.

Kershaw will start Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Thursday against an undetermined opponent. He enters the postseason with a 1.83 ERA and maybe a Cy Young Award on the horizon. The Dodgers scored four runs in the first inning as Gonzalez started things with a two-run homer to right-center field off Colorado starter Collin McHugh. The Dodgers continued to sizzle offensively and take advantage of the hapless Rockies pitching staff.

Perhaps of concern is that star rookie Yasiel Puig was hobbling around after fouling a pitch off his left leg in the fifth inning. His night was done after the at-bat. X-rays on his shin were negative. Puig is not likely to be in the lineup for Saturday’s game but is expected to play in the regular-season finale on Sunday. Honoring Denver

There was a moment of silence before the game to honor Jonathan Denver, 24, who was stabbed to death in an alleged fight over the Dodgers-Giants rivalry in San Francisco over the weekend. Denver is the son of a Dodgers security guard. During the moment of silence, the JumboTrons faded to black. Afterward, fans applauded as a sign of respect.

LGBT nightNBA player Jason Collins, who has yet to sign a free-agent contract with a team, and former Dodger Billy Bean threw out the ceremonial first pitch on LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi,transgender) night. Amber Riley of “Glee” sang the National Anthem along with the Gay Men’s Chorus of L.A.

Collins was the first athlete in the four major sports to announce he was gay while still playing.“I was amazed and humbled at the tremendous support I received,” Collins said in a one-question on-field pre-game interview on the Dodgers JumboTron.

This was the first LGBT night of its kind at Dodger Stadium.

Injury reportAndre Ethier (ankle) took 15 at-bats at the Dodgers training facility in Arizona … Hanley Ramirez (pinched nerve in back) still was out of the lineup Friday but is in Los Angeles. He might not play the remaining two games of the regular season, either, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said he’s not worried about timing issues at the plate … Nick Punto was scratched from Friday’s lineup with a right in-grown toenail.

Walter weighs inDodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter issued a statement about MLB commissioner Bud Selig’s recent retirement announcement. He is set to retire after the 2014 season.

“Speaking as a life-long fan of the game, Bud Selig’s love of baseball, its players and fans had always been obvious. Now, as an owner of one of the sport’s most storied franchises, I can see that his respect for the integrity of the sport, its beauty and nuances are even more evident in every carefully considered decision he’s made.

“Baseball’s popularity, sweeping economic growth, labor peace and unity are a direct result of Bud’s tireless efforts and leadership, which have had a significant impact on franchise values in every market ...”

TRUE BLUE LA

NL playoff standings: Cardinals win NL Central, Pirates inch closer to home game

By Eric Stephen

The Cardinals won the National League Central on Friday with a drubbing of the Cubs, and the Pirates took a step toward home field advantage in the wild card with a win over the Reds in Cincinnati.Here are Friday's relevant results.

Dodgers 11, Rockies 0: Clayton Kershaw was magnificent, but with the St. Louis win the Dodgers are locked into the No. 3 seed in the National League. Whichever of Atlanta or St. Louis doesn't claim the top spot will host the Dodgers in the NLDS beginning Thursday.

Cardinals 7, Cubs 0: Lance Lynn pitches six scoreless innings and Yadier Molina drove in three runs to give the Cardinals their seventh divisional crown in the last 14 seasons.

National League standings

Div Team W-L Pct GB

NLE Atlanta 95-65 .594 --

NLC St. Louis 95-65 .594 ---

NLW Dodgers 92-68 .575 3

WC1 Pittsburgh 92-68 .575 3

WC2 Cincinnati 90-70 .562 5

Pirates 4, Reds 1: A.J. Burnett was brilliant for eight innings, Marlon Byrd hit a two-run single, and Pedro Alvarez hit a two-run home run as Pittsburgh captured the opening salvo in their weekend series in Cincinnati. If the Pirates win Saturday or Sunday, they will host the Reds in the wild card game on Tuesday in Pittsburgh.

Braves 1, Phillies 0: Kris Medlen lost his no-hitter with two outs in the sixth inning but settled for eight scoreless innings and his 15th win. Cliff Lee struck out 13 and walked none in his eight innings for Philadelphia but he had the gall to allow a run so he lost.

The Braves hold the tiebreaker over the Cardinals by winning four of their seven head-to-head games during the regular season. Atlanta can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win Saturday and a Cardinals loss. The magic number for St. Louis to clinch the top spot is three, so the earliest they could do so is Sunday.With the Dodgers locked into the No. 3 seed, we are down to three meaningful games in the National League on Saturday (all times PT):

10:05 a.m. - Pittsburgh (Charlie Morton) at Cincinnati (Bronson Arroyo) 1:15 p.m. - Chicago (Edwin Jackson) at St. Louis (Adam Wainwright) 4:10 p.m. - Philadelphia (Ethan Martin) at Atlanta (Mike Minor)

Chris Capuano returns to mound, vying for spot on playoff roster

By Eric Stephen

LOS ANGELES -- It was only one inning of work, in the final stages of the Dodgers' blowout 11-0 win over the Rockies at Dodger Stadium, but for Chris Capuano the eighth inning on Friday night was of paramount importance.

It was the first game for Capuano in exactly three weeks, since suffering a groin injury in his Sept. 6 start against the Reds in Cincinnati. He struck out Josh Rutledge looking, then did the same to Jordan Pacheco. Chris Dickerson hit a line drive, but it was right at shortstop Dee Gordon to end the inning, a 1-2-3 frame for Capuano.

"It was really fun to get out there again. Just feeling 100%, knowing that the groin is behind me, is good peace of mind," Capuano said. "At this time of the year you just want to contribute, you just want to play. For me there were two sides of it. I also wanted to get back out there any way I could after this groin injury to at least finish the season strong and throwing well."

Capuano has had an up and down season, mostly as a starter as Friday was his third relief appearance of the year. He is 4-7 with a 4.30 ERA but he has performed at the extremes all season. In eight of his starts he allowed one run or fewer (not counting his five-out, injury-shortened start on Sept. 6), and in seven starts he allowed five or more runs.

But through it all Capuano has held left-handed batters to hitting just .250/.276/.295 against him, giving the Dodgers another option for the bullpen if they decide to carry three southpaws in relief — along with Paco Rodriguez and J.P. Howell — for the playoffs.

Capuano is vying for a spot in the bullpen against the likes of Carlos Marmol, Brandon League and starter Edinson Volquez.

"With Cap, just getting him out there gives us options. It gives us a chance to see him," manager Don Mattingly said after the game. "He's one of the guys who have been here all year."

Capuano had an injection of platelet-rich plasma into his groin while rehabbing, just as he had in his calf earlier in the season. He said the groin feels fine after Friday's outing. He was able to test it out with a 40-pitch bullpen session on Tuesday in San Francisco that he called "max effort," and followed that up with aggressive fielding drills on Wednesday.

If all goes well, Capuano could get another audition of sorts on Sunday with another relief appearance in the regular season finale. After putting in the work during rehab, the left-hander is happy he was able to get back into the mix for October action.

"Whatever happens with the postseason rosters I just wanted to be available and strong in case they need me in any way," Capuano said. "We've got a lot of arms, and a lot of power arms. There is a lot of talent vying for those few spots. It will be interesting to see what happens, but at least I accomplished my goal of being there as an option."

2013 NLDS schedule: Dodgers open playoffs on road in St. Louis or Atlanta

By Eric Stephen

LOS ANGELES -- The Cardinals wrapped up the National League Central title with a 7-0 win over the Cubs on Friday night, which means the Dodgers are locked in as the No. 3 seed in the NL playoffs and will open on the road.

The Dodgers began play on Friday at 91-68. Both the Braves, who beat the Phillies 1-0, and Cardinals are tied at 95-65. The Dodgers will open the NLDS on Thursday, Oct. 3 at the home of the No. 2 seed. Games 3 and 4 will be held at Dodger Stadium on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 6-7.

2013 NLDS schedule

Game Date Site

Game 1 Thu., Oct. 3 St. Louis or Atlanta

Game 2 Fri., Oct. 4 St. Louis or Atlanta

Game 3 Sun., Oct. 6 Dodger Stadium

Game 4* Mon., Oct. 7 Dodger Stadium

Game 5* Wed., Oct. 9 St. Louis or Atlanta

*if necessary

Manager Don Mattingly said on Friday with Clayton Kershaw ready for Game 1 and Zack Greinke for Game 2 his team is prepared to play anywhere.

"If we have to start on the road I don't think any of our guys are really afraid of it. That stretch on the road gave these guys a lot of confidence. It's all about pitching. When we throw Kersh and Greinke out there, we like our chances."

The Dodgers are tied with the Rangers for the best road record in baseball at 45-36, and won 15 straight road games in July and August.

"Obviously we would like to be at home, to have that home field advantage if there is a deciding game. But honestly I don't think it matters," Mattingly said. "I don't really care, and I don't think our team really cares. We don't care who we play, and we don't care where it is. I really think it's as simple as who plays the best."

The Braves own the head-to-head tiebreaker with St. Louis by winning four of their seven matchups this season. But no matter which team the Dodgers play, Mattingly is glad his team won a division and gets to play a five-game NLDS without the one-and-done wild card game first.

"It's definitely a momentum series. Five is short," Mattingly said. "But it's better than the wild card. Better than Russian Roulette."

Dodgers owner Mark Walter issues statement on Bud Selig's retirement

By Eric Stephen

LOS ANGELES -- Major League Baseball comissioner Bud Selig announced on Thursday, formally, his plans to retire once his term runs out on January 24, 2015. Dodgers owner and chairman Mark Walter issued a statement regarding Selig on Friday.

"Speaking as a life-long fan of the game, Bud Selig's love of baseball, its players and fans had always been obvious," Walter said. "Now, as an owner of one of the sport's most storied franchises, I can see that his respect for the integrity of the sport, its beauty and nuances are even more evident in every carefully considered decision he's made.

"Baseball's popularity, sweeping economic growth, labor peace and unity are a direct result of Bud's tireless efforts and leadership, which have had a significant impact on franchise values in every market. While the Commissioner has said he will retire after the 2014 season, we are hopeful that he will continue to lend his wisdom and support to our great game for many years to come."

Without Selig and MLB pushing to get Frank McCourt out of the game, who knows if Walter would even be a Major League owner now. Walter heads Guggenheim Partners, which purchased the Dodgers from McCourt for a record $2.15 billion in 2012.

Hanley Ramirez plan: Rest in September, play every day in October

By Eric Stephen

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are sticking to their plan of resting Hanley Ramirez in the final two weeks of the regular season, in hopes of having him ready to play every day in the playoffs. Ramirez is out of the lineup Friday night against the Rockies, but manager Don Mattingly said Ramirez would start on Saturday.

Sunday's regular season finale, however, is another story.

"On Sunday we'll see, if he really wants it," Mattingly said. "He's just not a guy for me that needs the timing, for any reason. I'll have him as healthy as he can be through the playoffs."

Ramirez has battled a dislocated thumb, a strained hamstring, and now an irritated nerve in his back. But when healthy he has been the Dodgers' best player, hitting .346/.401/.641 with 20 home runs and 25 doubles in 85 games.

But with a division in hand pretty much since the beginning of September, Ramirez has had time to rest. He has started just five of the last 14 games. But in October, Ramirez has been medically cleared to play every day, even if it means occasionally running at 70%.

"I don't think there is any doubt, unless something just totally goes wrong. He's played enough to know," Mattingly said. "He's pretty good about knowing what he can and can't do out there. I'm sure he's not going to want to come out once we get there. He'll accept all of this [resting in September] knowing this gives him the best chance to play every day [in October.]"

Notes Andre Ethier had 15 at-bats in simulated games against Dodgers minor league pitchers at

Camelback Ranch in Arizona on Friday, and will continue to get 10-15 at-bats per day through

Monday before rejoining the team in Los Angeles. "It's a similar situation to what we were doing with Matt [Kemp], basically trying to get him as many at-bats as we can timing wise. Without the running part," Mattingly said.

Chris Capuano is healthy and available to pitch this weekend, though Mattingly said he wouldn't do anything special to force the left-hander into a game. He last pitched on Sept. 6.

The Dodgers will hold a workout at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday morning before flying to either St. Louis or Atlanta later that day (unless they happen to nab the No. 2 seed, of course).

Zach Lee, Scott Schebler named Branch Rickey minor league pitcher, player of year

By Eric Stephen

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers on Friday named pitcher Zach Lee and outfielder Scott Schebler as the 2013 Branch Rickey minor league pitcher and player of the year, respectively, an honor given to top Dodgers minor league performers annually since 1989.

Branch Rickey minor league POTY

Year Player Pitcher

2004 Joel Guzman Chad Billingsley

2005 Andy LaRoche Billingsley

2006 James Loney Mark Alexander

2007 Chin-Lung Hu James McDonald

2008 Ivan DeJesus Jr. McDonald

2009 Dee Gordon Scott Elbert

2010 Jerry Sands Rubby De La Rosa

2011 Scott Van Slyke Shawn Tolleson

2012 Joc Pederson John Ely

2013 Schebler Lee

Both players were drafted by the Dodgers in 2010, and will be honored on the field at Dodger Stadium in a ceremony before Sunday afternoon's regular season finale against the Rockies.

Lee was a first-round pick in 2010 and signed for $5.25 million, the largest draft bonus ever given by the Dodgers. The right-hander, who turned 22 on Sept. 13, was 10-10 with a 3.22 ERA in 28 games, including 25 starts with Double-A Chattanooga this season, with 131 strikeouts and 35 walks in 142&frac13; innings. Lee was named a Southern League All-Star.

On Friday, Lee was ranked as the No. 71 prospect in baseball by John Sickels at Minor League Ball.Schebler, who turns 23 on Oct. 6, was drafted by the Dodgers in the 26th round three years ago. He hit .296/.360/.581 with 27 home runs, 29 doubles and 13 triples in 125 games with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2013, and was named to the California League postseason All-Star team.Schebler hit 11 of his home runs in July and caught fire in a 35-game stretch from June 13 to Aug. 3 that saw him hit .362/.411/.750 with 18 home runs, 50 RBI and 47 runs scored in 47 games.

Joc Pederson, who was named the Dodgers minor league player of the year in 2012, is 18 months younger than Schebler and put up a .278/.381/.497 line with 22 home runs, 24 doubles and 31 stolen bases in a tougher hitting environment and against better competition in Double-A Chattanooga.The only three players to be named minor league player of the year twice are Billy Ashley (1993-94), Paul Konerko (1996-97) and Joe Thurston (2000, 2002). Chad Billingsley (2004-05) and James McDonald (2007-08) are the only two pitchers to win multiple honors.

Joc Pederson, Corey Seager among Minor League Ball top 75 prospects

By Eric Stephen

ohn Sickels at Minor League Ball has named his end-of-year top prospects for 2013, and four Dodgers made the list. Outfielder a Joc Pederson, shortstop Corey Seager, and pitchers Zach Lee and Julio Urias all were named top 75 prospects in baseball by Sickels.

Pederson heads the list at No. 35 after hitting .278/.381/.497 with 22 home runs, 24 doubles and 31 steals in 123 games in Double-A Chattanooga. Sickels wrote that Pederson "needs to solve lefties," as the outfielder hit just .200/.299/.269 with two home runs against southpaws in 2013.

Seager, who many have ranked above Pederson, is ranked No. 45 by Sickels, who noted, "Really struggled after moving up to High-A, but still one of the top infield prospects around." Seager hit .160/.246/.320 in 27 games in Class-A Rancho Cucamonga but he doesn't turn 20 until April and will be one of the youngest players in the California League to start 2014.

Rounding out Sickels' list was Zach Lee, ranked No. 71 and called "a reliable strike thrower," and Julio Urias, ranked No. 72. Sickels called his ranking of Urias a placeholder and wrote, "he looked great in the Midwest League at age 16/17, which is amazing."

FOX SPORTS

Kershaw caps regular season in only way he knows how

By Michael Martinez

LOS ANGELES -- It's not that the postseason awards and statistical accomplishments don’t have meaning. They do. But in Clayton Kershaw's world, the only thing that really matters is what happens from now on. It’s all about October. In the aftermath of his final start of the regular season, an 11-0 rout of the Colorado Rockies on Friday night in which he threw six shutout innings, Kershaw stood in the near-empty Dodgers clubhouse and made it clear what he's playing for. "Nobody remembers second place," he said. "Nobody remembers who won the American League or who won the National League. They remember who won the World Series. "Getting to the playoffs is nice; it's definitely a huge accomplishment. But at the end of the day, unless

you win that whole thing, no one remembers. That's what you play for. That's why we're here." The Dodgers' playoff run begins next Thursday, and they learned it will start on the road, either against the Atlanta Braves or St. Louis Cardinals. But they have the best road record in the N.L. (45-36) this season, so losing home-field advantage isn't a major concern. Before the game, manager Don Mattingly said, "We don't care who we play, and we don't care where it is." The only significant development to come out of Friday's game was that right fielder Yasiel Puig fouled two balls off his left foot and left the game after the second one in the fifth inning. He hobbled back to the dugout and disappeared with a trainer for some ice and X-rays. The Dodgers said X-rays were negative, although Puig probably won't play Saturday as a precaution. The night otherwise belonged to Kershaw, who lowered his ERA to 1.83, the lowest mark in the major leagues since Pedro Martinez's 1.74 in 2000. Kershaw, who essentially locked up his second Cy Young Award, became just the second Dodgers pitcher to finish the season with an ERA below 2.00, joining fellow left-hander Sandy Koufax, who did it three times. Kershaw will lead the majors in ERA for a third consecutive season and also leads the NL in strikeouts (232) and walks/hits per inning pitched (0.92). "It's been amazing," Mattingly said. "There was maybe one game in there, one or two, that he was a little rough. Other than that, it seemed like it was like this every time. If we had (given) this guy some runs, he might've won 25, 26 games this year." Kershaw (16-9) gave up more than two earned runs just once in his final 13 starts. He didn't allow a run over his final 13 innings, and when it was clear he was through for the night, teammate Juan Uribe pushed him to the top step of the dugout for a curtain call from a sellout crowd of 52,367 at Dodger Stadium. "Before I knew what was happening," he said, "Uribe was already pushing me out the door." It was a deserved ovation. On a night when Adrian Gonzalez drove in his 100th run and the Dodgers exploded for three homers (Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and A.J. Ellis), Kershaw enjoyed his final start before the second season begins. Winning a third ERA title is something to relish, he said, but he's not ready to consider his milestones yet. "I definitely try not to take that lightly," he said. "It's a huge honor obviously. But right now, there's not that much time to think back. You've just got to keep going, keep pushing forward. There will be a time to look back on everything, but now is definitely not the time."

LAIST

Clayton Kershaw Ends Regular Season with 1.83 ERA

\By Jimmy Bramlett

Clayton Kershaw pitched six innings tonight against the Colorado Rockies. He gave up four hits and struck out eight batters as the Dodgers walloped on the Rockies 11-0. But that's not the story. Kershaw lowered his earned run average to 1.83.

That ERA is the lowest in the National League since Greg Maddux recorded a 1.63 in 1995 for the Atlanta Braves and the lowest in the Majors since Pedro Martinez had a 1.74 in 2000 with the Boston Red Sox.

"If he's not the best, then you'll really have to sell me on it," manager Don Mattingly said. There's no need to bother. Clayton Kershaw should win the Cy Young Award easily for the second time in three years.

More facts and figures: Became second LA Dodger pitcher with a sub-2.00 ERA. Sandy Koufax did it three times in 1963,

1964 and 1966. Wins the ERA title three consecutive seasons, last done by Maddux (1993-95). Lead the National League with 232 strikeouts. Pitched a career-high 236 innings.

"All year it's been amazing," Mattingly said. "Maybe one or two that he was a little rough. Other than that it seemed like it was like this every time. If we had given this guy some runs, he might have won 25, 26 games this year."

Kershaw ends the season with a 16-9 record for whatever that statistic is worth.

After he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the sixth inning, the camera panned to him in the dugout eliciting a roar from the sellout crowd of 52,367.

"To get recognized like that is special," Kershaw said. "It shows the fans are appreciating what you're doing. It means a lot whenever that happens."

But Kershaw is not one to rest on his laurels. "It's all about the playoffs," he said. "It's all about Game 1 for me."

With everything Kershaw has accomplished this season, the fact that he's been consistent has been pretty remarkable. His secret: he ignores it. "It's too hard to think about all of that and continue to pitch," he said. The perfect time to think about it? "I can look back on this in the offseason for a week or two."

Some final notes about the game. This is the Major League leading 22nd shutout for the Dodgers this season, their most since 1988 when they posted 24 shutouts. This was also their largest home shutout since an 11-0 win over the D-Backs on July 7, 2004.

Suspect in Stabbing Death of Dodger Fan ReleasedBy Jimmy Bramlett

The San Francisco district attorney released the man arrested in connection with the stabbing death of Dodger fan Jonathan Denver late Friday night for lack of evidence.

The 21-year old Matthew Montgomery of Lodi was booked Thursday evening after giving implicating statements during questioning. Montgomery and an 18-year old man were detained following the fight late Wednesday night that took the life of Denver. The 18-year old was released on Thursday.

Denver attended the Dodgers-Giants game Wednesday night at AT&T Park along with his father Robert Preece, a security guard at Dodger Stadium, his brother Rob Preece, his father's girlfriend and another friend. They left the game in the eighth inning to go to a nearby bar.

As they got to Third Street and Harrison Street, about four blocks north of AT&T Park, they encountered the group from Lodi. A back-and-forth ensued, a couple of altercations ensued which ended in Denver's death.

Details are fuzzy on what exactly occurred during the altercation. Montgomery's father Marty Montgomery told media outlets that his son phoned him from jail in tears saying he acted in self defense protecting himself from being attacked by a chair.

In a statement, District Attorney George Gascon noted that they had to "prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in lawful self-defense. It is vital for our office to have independent corroboration of the incident in order to meet our ethical obligation to charge this case."Gascon requested the police interview more witness and collect more evidence.

ESPN DEPORTES

Afinan detalles rumbo a los playoffs

Rigo Cervantez

LOS ÁNGELES -- Una vez concluida su última gira de la temporada regular, con la visita a San Francisco, donde perdieron dos de tres duelos, Dodgers de Los Ángeles regresan a sus dominios en las colinas de Chávez Ravine, para dar el cerrojazo final, en lo que se refiere al calendario de juegos convencional en el 2013, con una ronda de tres desafíos ante los Rockies de Colorado, a celebrarse durante el fin de semana, iniciando todo a partir de este viernes.

Se trata de la última parada que realizan las huestes de Don Mattingly, antes de embarcarse en la aventura de octubre, que despega el próximo jueves, en condición de visitante, si es que los de azul no logran superar a los Bravos de Atlanta y a los Cardenales de San Luis, con la mejor marca en el Viejo Circuito.

Y justamente, los tres duelos con el equipo de Colorado significan la posibilidad final para el timonel del equipo de Los Ángeles, de poner a punto a una máquina que necesita llegar a todo vapor a la serie divisional.

Los tiempos se van acortando para el momento de la verdad y una de las mayores interrogantes que tiene en sus manos Don Mattingly, se relaciona con el tobillo de su jardinero Andre Ethier y saber si el

nativo de Arizona logrará recuperarse a tiempo para intervenir en la disputa de la serie inicial dentro de la postemporada.

La otra, es saber cómo se encuentra el parador en corto Hanley Ramírez del nervio que le molesta en su espalda.

La buena noticia, es que el timonel ha recuperado al estelar guardabosques Matt Kemp, quien en sus recientes juegos ha lucido físicamente a tono, para patrullar el bosque central, pero, además, se le ha visto muy recuperado en cuanto a su capacidad como bateador.

Don Mattingly, por otra parte, utilizará esta serie ante el equipo que tiene su sede en Denver, Colorado, para tonificar los brazos de sus tres lanzadores abridores para los primeros duelos de la postemporada: Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke y Hyun-Jin Ryu.

Y le corresponde precisamente al as del cuerpo de lanzadores de los Dodgers, al zurdo Clayton Kershaw, iniciar la contienda de este viernes, en la que lucirá su foja de 15-9 y su efectividad de 1.88, para su salida al montículo número 33 de la temporada.

Los Rockies de Colorado, por su parte, han optado por darle la responsabilidad de salir al montículo, al derecho Collin McHugh 0-2, con promedio de carreras limpias permitidas de 7.80.

Nacido hace 26 años en Georgia, debutó durante la pasada temporada en grandes ligas, el 23 de agosto de 2012, con los Mets de Nueva York, logrando marca de 0-4, por lo que sigue en busca de su primer triunfo en la gran carpa.

En la presente campaña ha realizado 6 apariciones en el montículo para los Rockies, incluyendo 4 como abridor.

Durante su más reciente presentación, el 21 de septiembre, enfrentó a los Diamondbacks de Arizona , lanzó 5 entradas completas permitiendo 11 imparables y 6 anotaciones.

DODGERSSCRIBE.COM

A season in the books, the maestro takes a bow

By Tony Jackson

Having dispensed with the business of pitching six shutout innings in his final regular-season start, cementing as best he could what very well might be his second National League Cy Young Award in the past three seasons, taking his curtain call to acknowledge the standing ovation he received when it was clear he was done for the evening, showering, dressing and answering the last postgame interview question from the last reporter, Clayton Kershaw left the clubhouse quickly. Leaving the clubhouse quickly is something Dodgers players routinely do after Friday night home games as opposed to home games any other night of the week, when they tend to wait out the traffic leaving the parking lot. On Fridays, when there are postgame fireworks, they try to actually BEAT the traffic out of the parking lot.And so, Kershaw walked briskly through two sets of double doors and down a long hallway leading to the elevator, a few paces ahead of a handful of my colleagues and me. Eventually Kershaw disappeared around a bend as we turned to head into a stairwell, and you suddenly heard a loud roar down the hall.

It was coming from the foyer outside the Dugout Club, a foyer players have to walk through to get to the elevator that takes them up to the lot where they park their cars.

It was yet another ovation on an evening that was all about ovations for Kershaw, in a season and a career that has become increasingly about ovations — and mere days before he takes the ball in either St. Louis or Atlanta for the first game of what the Dodgers hope will be a postseason full of ovations for him and for them, as well.

Take a bow, Clayton. You are the best pitcher in all of Major League Baseball.

Some of the voters will have to think hard before putting Kershaw at the top of their ballots, and some may actually put someone else there. They will point to the low win total. But the recent trend among Cy voters has been to ignore low win totals because a pitcher’s win totals probably tell less of the story of his season than any other statistic — and let’s face it, Kershaw’s run support this year has been rather lacking.

Three years ago, Seattle’s Felix Hernandez won the A.L. award with a record of 13-12, and the reason was that it was absolutely obvious he was the best pitcher in the league. In light of that precedent, I don’t think I’m being too bold in predicting with some certainty that is there is another Cy Young in Kershaw’s immediate future. And while I don’t think he’ll win the N.L. Most Valuable Player award, he’ll show up on most of the ballots, each of which carry 10 names. And he’ll be high on some of them.The numbers that will go into that balloting are complete now — the postseason doesn’t factor in, and the deadline for casting those ballots is Wednesday, before the start of the first wildcard game.

Besides, Kershaw didn’t go 13-12. He went 16-9. His 1.83 ERA not only is a career-best, but will lead the majors for a third consecutive season, something no pitcher has done since Greg Maddux two decades ago. He’ll lead the N.L. in strikeouts, as well, with 232, well ahead of second-place Adam Wainwright of St. Louis, the man who very likely will oppose Kershaw in the Dodgers’ playoff opener on Thursday. And to the extent that this has a bearing on the minds of voters, Kershaw also eeked out a new career high for innings pitched with 236, three more than two years ago, when he won his first Cy.And then, there is what might be the most astonishing of all of Kershaw’s numbers.Twenty-five.

Yes, he is 25 years old. Which means that as long as he stays healthy, it is highly unlikely he will do anything in the next five or so years other than get better.

Mostly because he is a left-handed guy who strikes out a lot of batters, is the anchor of the Dodgers rotation and has this habit of dominating hitters, Kershaw gets compared a lot to Sandy Koufax. Personally, I have always been kind of dismissive of this notion. I prefer to just think of him as Clayton Kershaw. People always want to compare this pitcher to that pitcher or whatever. It’s fun to do that sometimes, but it’s also kind of unnecessary and irrelevant. Twenty years from now, Dodgers fans aren’t going to reminisce about what a privelege it was to see that guy pitch who reminded everybody of Koufax. They’re going to reminisce about seeing Kershaw pitch, at the height of his career and at the front of the pack of all major league starters.In an organization that has a long, rich history of great starting pitchers, Kershaw isn’t any of those guys. He is one of those guys. And one day, he may just go down as the best of them.

“Honestly, I try not to think about (that),” he said. “You know, no disrespect to the history that it is, and I understand about those guys who came before me, and this organization has a lot of pride and tradition. I’m not trying to take anything away from that. But for me, it’s too hard to think about all that and continue to pitch. I just try to enjoy every start I get and try not to screw things up too badly.”

Before the game today, Don Mattingly talked about Kershaw when he first came up compared to Kershaw now. That’s funny, because back in those days, whenever Joe Torre would get ejected from a game and Donnie would have to manage the rest of it, Donnie was never comfortable taking media questions about pitching after the game because he was the hitting coach. But apparently, he was paying attention even then, because he confidently ticked off details of the 20-year-old kid the Dodgers rushed to the big leagues in 2008.

“Back then, he was a two-pitch pitcher,” Mattingly said. “He was fastball-curveball. In this league, it’s tough to get a curveball called. Umpires miss those more than any other pitch, for me. And so when that would happen, he would become a one-pitch guy in the hitter’s mind, and he also was a one-side-of-the-plate guy.

“So he has just evolved.”

Evolved into a guy who now uses both sides of the plate, changes speeds, mixes pitches more effectively. A guy with a tough slider and, now, just in time for the playoffs, a big league-ready changeup.

Something else Kershaw was asked after the game — you can see it on the video I posted earlier — was whether he takes the time to appreciate what he has done. He basically said he does it at the beginning of the offseason, while he takes a couple of weeks to decompress before he starts working out for the following season. Kershaw and the Dodgers are hoping that time isn’t coming for a while yet.

Kershaw’s run to a likely second Cy Young Award is complete now. But the real work, treading through the minefield of baseball’s postseason against the game’s toughest, deepest lineups, is about to begin.But maybe, just maybe, there are few more ovations coming soon for baseball’s best starting pitcher.

Game No. 160: Dodgers vs. Colorado … and some notes

By Tony Jackson

The New York Daily News is reporting that the Dodgers already have opted out of the Robinson Cano sweepstakes. The Yankees second baseman is expected to be one of the premier, if not THE premier, free agent on the market this winter, and the Dodgers could use an upgrade at the position, where Mark Ellis is reliable and solid but also is a potential free agent with a $5.75 million club option for 2014 and a $1 million buyout. This article seems to suggest that the Dodgers’ interest in free-agent second baseman Alexander Guerrero, a Cuban defector with whom they may or may not have had an agreement in principle before he switched agents and announced he was open to offers from all 30 teams, may be playing into the team’s unwillingness to pursue Cano.Andre Ethier, by the way, has been dispatched to Camelback Ranch to continue rehabilitating his severely sprained left ankle — which I’m sure he doesn’t mind, given that he lives in Phoenix. He can do everything fine except turn corners while running bases, so he got 15 at-bats in simulated games there today in the Instructional League. Ethier won’t play in any of this weekend’s season-ending games with the Rockies, but if he can run the bases, he’ll be on the NLDS roster.

The Dodgers have a schedule now for what they’re going to do during the three days between Sunday’s season finale and Thursday’s National League Division Series opener. They’re going to take Monday completely off, which is kind of understandable. They’re then going to hold a workout on Tuesday morning at Dodger Stadium. We can assume at this point the Dodgers won’t open at home — right now, St. Louis is beating Chicago 4-0 in the fourth inning, and if the Cardinals win that game, it makes it mathematically impossible for the Dodgers to open at home. So immediately after Tuesday’s workout, the Dodgers will fly either to St. Louis or to Atlanta. And then, on Wednesday, there will be the usual, official workout day-media availability that is standard for both teams on the eve of a playoff series.And finally, the grandparents of Jonathan Denver spoke to the San Francisco Chronicle and provided the paper with an eery photo of Denver with his father and brother at the Dodgers-Giants game on Wednesday night, no more than two or three hours before Denver’s life ended when he was stabbed on a downtown San Francisco street corner near the ballpark.

SPORTING NEWS

MLB Network's Bill Ripken: 'Dodgers have to be the team to beat'

By Jesse Spector

Sporting News: What has stood out to you the most this year in baseball and what are you going to remember this season for?

Bill Ripken: There's a lot, isn't there? I think the story that stands out in my mind is the Pirates making the postseason after all these years. I think that's a great story. Looking at the American League side of things, you've got Cleveland and Kansas City still in the wild card hunt right now, which is pretty special. You're looking at three teams, that it looks like two will be in the playoffs that we weren't really expecting at the beginning of the year. So, it's maybe the influx of the new teams in the postseason. SN: You've also got the Braves in there, a team that we've seen in the postseason before, but with a new twist, and it's familiar to you, of having two brothers on the team. I know you and Cal didn't get to play in the playoffs together, but how cool would that have been?

BR: It would have been good. In '96, I was back in Baltimore, and I didn't have any appearances in games in that run, but we went through it going into it and celebrating that. But my role in '96 was diminished compared to the first time I was there. You look at Atlanta, it brings up another story to me, which is I don't know, without going into percentage, I know the vast majority of baseball analysts had the Washington Nationals winning the NL East for sure, and I know I had them going to the World Series. You look at that team on paper, and the Braves came out of the gate so strong and just kept going. The Nationals didn't play well early, and nobody else in the National League East seemed to want to take hold of that. You look at the Braves, they're one of the more interesting stories of the year simply because they took advantage of a team in the Washington Nationals that didn't play up to their potential. SN: Having the Nationals as your pick at the beginning of the season, obviously they're out now, so if you have the chance going into these playoffs to make a new pick, who's it going to be?

BR: On the National League side of it, I don't think you can dismiss what the L.A. Dodgers put together. They were certainly right there with the Nationals as one of the disappointments of the game, and then they went on this unbelievable tear. When you think about the postseason, you think about the guys

that stand out there on the mound, and there's no reason to think that (Clayton) Kershaw and (Zack) Greinke can't match up with anybody else's No. 1 and No. 2 and be able to dominate. You look at the Dodgers and think about what they have on the bump, I think they have enough to do a lot of damage in the postseason. I think we've learned over a period of time that you can't count the Cardinals out because they absolutely get things done when they have to. I don't think of them in the same light as the Dodgers on the National League side of things — the Dodgers have to be the team to beat. PHOTO GALLERY: Rare images of Ebbets Field from Sporting News archives

SN: With Kershaw, he seems like he's just about a lock for the Cy Young. Is he an MVP candidate to you as well, in a year when the field of position players is kind of up for grabs?

BR: I guess the way it's defined, you're not excluding him. I've never been a fan of having a pitcher be the MVP. I believe the Cy Young is basically the pitchers' MVP award. I think the most valuable player should be reserved a little bit more. That said, under all the criteria, sure, you could look at Kershaw and make that case, but on the position player side of things, I would have to make a strong argument maybe for Andrew McCutchen. Here's a guy over the past couple of months that has seemed to turn up his game, and under the definition of the way the MVP is worded, value to his team, where would the Pirates be without Andrew McCutchen? I would certainly make the argument that they wouldn't have popped corks (on Monday). They would be in a much different place as far as their win-loss record is concerned. I'm still going to hold out for a position player to get that, but I can certainly understand the point because Clayton Kershaw has been that dominant. He's been a force, he is a force when he goes out there and takes the ball — the Dodgers feel like they've got a really good chance to win that ballgame when he's on the bump. He's a pretty special player, but I think Cy Young is him and I'm leaning McCutchen MVP.

SN: How about the American League side?

BR: In the American League, I can't ignore what Max Scherzer has done and the success that he's had. I'm not one of the guys who just looks at wins and losses like some people may claim. Scherzer's other numbers are very comparable to the other top pitchers in the league, and then you look at the 20-3 on top of that, you go "Damn! That's pretty special." The Chris Davis argument is there (for MVP). The woes of the Orioles in the last week, that might hurt him and his situation because if they made the playoffs, you could make the argument. I may have to go back to Detroit again for the MVP and look at Miguel Cabrera. This dude doesn't cease to amaze me when he's out on the field. I know his health has not necessarily been right the last three weeks or a month, but the numbers he throws up, it seems to be Miguel Cabrera and everybody else, as an offensive threat. When he steps up in the batter's box, it's just different than when anybody else does. So, I would have to lean toward him.

SN: What about Mike Trout and his candidacy? I know the Angels have been out of it for a while, but without him, this season could have been just an outright disaster for that team.

BR: An outright disaster, but they still would finish ahead of the Houston Astros. So, when you're thinking about Mike Trout, do I think Mike Trout is the best overall player in the game of baseball? The answer is probably yes. But under the way the MVP is written and the way it's defined as value to the club, unless Mike Trout was superseding everybody else, the entire field, by huge numbers, I'd look at a guy who's on a team that's going to the postseason. I just believe that's the way it works. So, with Mike Trout, the Angels are gonna finish third. Without Mike Trout, they'd probably be finishing third. There's not much of a jump there. You can make the argument that if you take Miguel Cabrera's numbers out of

the Detroit Tigers, as strong as they are and as good as their pitching is, is Cleveland in first place? Is Detroit tied with Kansas City? You can make those arguments. I still look at the MVP as value to the club and winning percentage and going to the postseason means something to me. Like I said, is Mike Trout the best overall player in the game? Probably so, but that's not the way that award is written. SN: Looking forward to the playoffs, and you being in the studio, when you're watching to do the postgame stuff, what kind of stuff do you look for, to break out and analyze?

BR: I try to find something that's a little bit different than the obvious. When you get to the postseason, or any game for that matter, you're looking at 27 outs a side, 54 for the game, if it goes regulation, and a lot is made of the eighth inning and the ninth inning, and the heroics that go on. The closer, the hitter that gets the big hit or the walk-off home run. But during the game itself, there are an awful lot of little things that happen in a baseball game that actually get you to that point. I would hate to see those things overlooked. If something happens in the third inning of a game, the game is completely one-sided or different the way it turns out. You want to celebrate the ninth-inning heroics, you want to see (Craig) Kimbrel and (Aroldis) Chapman in the game, closing people out, blowing them away. That's all good. But there was something that happened during the course of that game to allow it to happen, and it should not be ignored.

SN: In the playoffs, it all comes down to this one month — best-of-five, best-of-seven, best-of-seven, and really anything can happen. Is there too much emphasis on that, as far as how teams then get built, instead of the 162 games?

BR: You mentioned the Atlanta Braves earlier, and I still think the Atlanta Braves, when they did their 14 division titles in a row, still don't get enough credit for that. A lot of people say, "Well, they only won one world championship," but for 14 straight years, they were the best in that division, and when you look at the 162 and how you're constructed to do that, you have to have depth, you have to have talent, skill and execution. All that plays out, and in a short series, one little thing can happen and it can all go away. So, I still look at the Braves, when they had those 14 straight division titles, it was pretty impressive. If you would ask me, as an executive of a club, would I rather have 14 division titles and one world championship in that 14 years, or make the playoffs six times in 14 years and maybe win two world championships? I think I"m leaning toward the 14 division titles and one World Series, because I know we did our job over the long haul better than everybody else, and it wasn't a fluke — 14 division titles in a row is not a fluke. I'm not saying that teams that have won the World Series are necessarily fluky, I'm just saying that in a short series, something can happen where a break goes your way or doesn't go your way, and the next thing you know, you advance or you don't. Over the 162, you prove that you're the best team, and the Atlanta Braves in that run were pretty impressive.

SN: The other thing I wanted to ask you about is two baseball cards. One is pretty well documented, but it's going to be 25 years since that '89 Fleer card with the bat handle. What are your memories of that, and do people still, especially people in their 30s, still remember you for that? BR: I don't think so and I would certainly hope not. There's a certain amount of people that come up and say, "Hey, I have that card!" Okay, good. It's 25 years, and the majority of folks that turn on the tube and watch MLB Tonight have no idea of that card's existence. Sometimes it comes around and goes full circle, where it's, "Oh, that was you!" Yeah. It's a long time ago, and what we try to do here at the network is try to reach and shape a new generation of baseball fans, and I don't think they really know a lot about that, and that's A-OK with me.

SN: What happened to the bat?

BR: I have no idea. It was certainly an accident that it ever got in the picture. It was a heavy bat that could not be used in a game. Why that phrase ever got on there, I can't tell you why. As far as the picture itself and how it got on there, that was purely by accident. But the bat is MIA. At one point, I thought about getting a series of a dozen or two dozen R-161s and writing on the bottom of all of them. Then we'd know where one of them would be. It had to have wound up in a dumpster or something, gotten broken in some way, shape or form. It never surfaced. I've been through my stuff a number of times, trying to find it, but I have no idea where that thing ended up.

SN: The other card, as memorable for a different reason, was the year before — it was you, Cal, and your dad on the '88 Donruss card. That one's got to be pretty cool to have your family on a baseball card — did they ask you to do that, or what happened?

BR: The picture was taken in spring training, and when you're sitting there and we were making history at the time, with the fact that a manager had two sons on the same team and it had never happened before. Everybody got the idea to take a picture of the three of us, there were one or two cameras. It was a long time ago. Can you imagine today how many pictures there would be, with the coverage the way it is today? I really can't remember, but I do know it's one of the better pictures taken of the three of us. It's a shame our cameras weren't that good way back then to be clearer and better looking, but the fact of the matter is, history was made, you think about how long baseball's been played, and you've got two brothers playing in the big leagues, which is rare enough, and then the father there, and how it all played out. It's one of the most memorable things in my career. You look at your career in different ways —you have a couple of cool moments on the baseball field, but having that, being around each other as much as we were, we can really look back on it for how special it was.

NY DAILY NEWS

Exclusive: Dodgers not interested in Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano: source

By Mark Feinsand

HOUSTON — As Robinson Cano approaches free agency next month, many expect a fierce bidding war to erupt between the Yankees and Dodgers.

Everybody other than the Dodgers, that is.

According to a high-ranking National League executive with knowledge of the situation, the Dodgers have no intention to bid on Cano this winter, leaving the second baseman without one of the sport’s richest teams in the sweepstakes for his services.

“They’re not interested in Cano,” the executive said.

The Dodgers opened the season with a payroll of about $220 million, second only to the Yankees among the 30 big-league clubs.

According to the Cot’s Baseball Contracts website, Los Angeles has already committed more than $163 million in salaries to 14 players for 2014, although the Dodgers have six players eligible for arbitration and more than a half-dozen free agents.

Cuban second baseman Alexander Guerrero was linked to the Dodgers earlier this season, reportedly agreeing to a seven-year, $32 million deal — $10 million less than the Dodgers paid Yasiel Puig in June of 2012.

Without the Dodgers in the mix, Cano’s market could be thin, given the parameters of the contract he’s seeking.

Cano is reportedly looking for a 10-year contract worth $305 million, more than twice the total money the Yankees offered him earlier this season when they discussed parameters of a six-year, $144 million pact.

The second baseman made a point to say those reported figures were “not coming from us,” although he wasn’t accusing the Yankees of any leaks, either.

“I know a lot of things are going to come out. ‘He said,’ ‘a source,’ ‘friends of Robbie,’ ” Cano said. “But I know what we’re doing and what we’re not doing.

“I just want to go on vacation, sit down and enjoy, not be watching the news or anything because it’s going to be crazy.”

Cano remained mum on any contract talk beyond that, choosing to focus on his final weekend with Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte instead of his own free-agent future.

“I haven’t said that I’m leaving, I haven’t said that I’m staying,” Cano said. “I’m going to be a free agent, so I’ll just wait for that day, see what my family and I decide. We have a lot of time. Just trying to enjoy Mo and Pettitte, especially after (Thursday) night. We got to see Mo, now we get to see Andy pitch his last game at (his Houston) home. That’sunbelievable; something really amazing.”

Big-market teams such as the Phillies (Chase Utley), Red Sox (Dustin Pedroia), Rangers (Ian Kinsler), Angels (Howie Kendrick) and Giants (Marco Scutaro) have their second-base situation sewn up for at least the next couple of years, leaving the Tigers, Nationals and Orioles among the Yankees’ potential competition for Cano, who turns 31 next month.

Cano hasn’t sought out any advice from his veteran teammates who have gone through the free-agent process, although he plans to pick some of their brains this weekend.

“We were fighting, trying to make it to the playoffs,” Cano said. “In the next three days, I’ll ask some guys, get some advice from guys here that weren’t on the team and came here, from guys that have been here a long time. I’ll try to get advice, go from there and decide what I’m going to do.“Don’t get me wrong; I love this organization, I love the Yankees fans and the way they have treated me since I came up.”

According to the L.A. Times, the agent representing the 26-year-old Guerrero was not certified by the players union, prompting the infielder to hire Scott Boras.

Boras told the newspaper this week that Guerrero could sign with a big-league team soon, noting that the Dodgers were among the clubs that had had him work out for them about a half-dozen times.

If Guerrero signs with Los Angeles as expected, that would close up the Dodgers’ need for a second baseman. Even if Guerrero winds up signing elsewhere, the Dodgers don’t appear interested in shelling out the type of deal it will take to sign Cano.

“I’m not hoping for anybody,” Cano said when asked about the Dodgers. “Teams are going to come. I don’t have anything in my mind, don’t have anybody in mind. I haven’t thought about anything.”

CBSSPORTS.COM

Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig leaves game with bruised foot

By Matt Snyder

Dodgers rookie phenom Yasiel Puig had to leave Friday night's game with a bruised left foot, the Dodgers announced. This came after two foul balls off the foot.

It should be noted, however, that Puig left in the fifth inning of a 10-0 (at the time) Dodgers lead in a meaningless game, as the Dodgers are locked into the third seed in the NL playoffs. He was hobbling a bit, yes, but that tends to happen immediately after taking a blow to the foot.

So, for now, let's just expect this to end up a precautionary move.

Puig, 22, is hitting .322/.393/.538 with 21 doubles, 19 homers, 42 RBI, 66 runs and 11 steals in 102 games this year.

USA TODAY

Giants, Dodgers shocked over stabbing death of fan

By Jorge L. Ortiz

SAN FRANCISCO - The memory of Bryan Stow's brutal beating has been rekindled, with an even more tragic twist.

A 24-year-old son of a Los Angeles Dodgers security guard clad in the team's gear was stabbed to death near AT&T Park late Wednesday night following a fight sparked by an argument over the Dodgers and their longtime rivals, the San Francisco Giants.

San Francisco Police Department Chief Greg Suhr identified the man as 24-year-old Jonathan Denver, who the Dodgers later confirmed is the son of one of their security guards. Sgt. Danielle Newman said Michael Montgomery, 21, of Lodi, Calif., was arrested on murder charges. Police were seeking information on two other suspects.

The fatal stabbing took place 2½ years after Stow, a paramedic from Santa Cruz and a Giants fan, was beaten unconscious during an attack in the Dodger Stadium parking lot on Opening Day 2011. He sustained permanent brain damage and remains under constant home supervision.

"We've all heard about the Bryan Stow (attack) down in L.A. and you'd think people would learn from stuff like that,'' Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis said. "If they're arguing about the teams, it's great to be a passionate fan, it's awesome. But to take it that far, it's crazy. You get alcohol involved and nothing good ever happens."

Suhr said Denver attended Wednesday's Dodgers-Giants game with his father, girlfriend, two brothers and a male friend, and they left in the eighth inning around 10 p.m. to go to a nearby bar.

Some 90 minutes later, they had a street confrontation with four Giants fans who did not attend the game but came into town for an event at a bar about half a mile from the ballpark. Suhr said the groups had an exchange about the teams' rivalry and it turned into a fight, but was broken up without serious injuries.

Shortly afterward, he added, the parties engaged in a second altercation that resulted in Denver's fatal stabbing on Stillman Street, located under a freeway overpass around the corner from several bars and restaurants. Police were looking for the murder weapon and seeking help from anybody who may have taken video of the events.

"There is no place at these games for violence,'' Suhr said in a news conference Thursday. "Nobody's life should be at stake, whether they're at the game, or six blocks away and an hour and a half after the game.

"That anybody got into any sort of beef over the Giants and the Dodgers and somebody lost their life, it is just senseless.''

Police presence at and around the ballpark, already enhanced under what the SFPD calls the "Rivalry Package,'' was boosted even more, with some officers dressed in Dodgers attire.

"I thought about not wearing my gear tonight, but then I thought that it'll probably be the safest night of the year, what with all the extra security," said Clay Brust, a 44-year-old lawyer from Reno who wore a Dodgers cap and brought his 11-year-old son to the game. "I've been to Raiders games, and those are scary. I've never seen it get bad in the Giants-Dodgers rivalry. There are verbal jabs, but they always end with joking."

Giants third base coach Tim Flannery, also a musician who has played benefits concerts and recorded an album to raise money for Stow's medical costs, has noticed a change in the ballpark culture.

"It's such a tragic, tragic piece of humanity that we even have to discuss something like this happening," Flannery said. "I don't consider this to be something that happened between fans—it's a hate crime. These aren't rivalries, these aren't fans—they're thugs. It comes from a place of anger and rage."There's no way I believe that fans come to a baseball game to fight. This is something thugs do. People of hate just use the game as a place to have that happen. To ruin lives over a nine-inning baseball game is just crazy.

"From my third-base coaching box, I've watched the rage in the stands escalate over the last five or six years. It's greater now than I've ever seen it. That's society. I really don't know what's going on."

The Giants issued a statement denouncing the violence and announced they would hold a moment of silence before Thursday night's game.

"We're here to provide entertainment and a release from people's everyday lives—not to incite violence," said Giants reliever Javier Lopez. "When you hear these stories, your heart just goes out to the victim."