LOS ANGELES DODGERS CLIPS
MONDAY, MAY 28, 2012
Dodgers.com
Capuano stellar vs. Astros to earn seventh win
Treanor's homer, Hairston's career-high five hits propel offense
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 5/27/2012 8:55 PM ET
LOS ANGELES -- It's not hard to explain how the Dodgers have the best record in baseball, it's just hard to believe.
Sunday's 5-1 win over the Astros was another example. Chris Capuano, signed to be the fifth starter and now deserving
of All-Star consideration, ran his record to 7-1 with a two-hitter for seven innings. Sidekick Matt Treanor, Capuano's
personal catcher the past six starts, homered, singled, walked and scored two runs.
Jerry Hairston Jr. -- just off the disabled list and subbing at third base for injured third baseman Juan Uribe while batting
in Matt Kemp's third spot in the lineup -- was a career-high 5-for-5.
Tony Gwynn, subbing in center for the rehabbing Kemp, singled twice, drove in two runs and stole two bases. He's 12for-25 with runners in scoring position.
"We are a resilient bunch," Gwynn said. "Guys aren't afraid of the moment and they step right in and nobody is thinking
about Matt or Juan being gone."
Dee Gordon, back from a benching, singled twice and stole two bases.
"I don't think anybody expected some of the guys to do as well as they have," said Capuano, who fits in with that group,
being six years and two Tommy John operations removed from his lone All-Star appearance.
But here they are, even after losing half their starting lineup to the disabled list, racing out to a 7 ½-game lead in the
division, a 32-15 record, a 21-5 home mark, with the second-best team batting average and team ERA in the National
League.
Although the injuries haven't let up -- indications are that Ted Lilly could miss a start Tuesday and maybe more -- neither
have the Dodgers let up, not even in this game with hitters 4-5-6 (Andre Ethier, Scott Van Slyke and Jerry Sands) going 0for-11 with six strikeouts.
"We gave ourselves a lot of chances today," manager Don Mattingly said after the Dodgers went a wasteful 3-for-18
with runners in scoring position, stranding a dozen and still winning.
The biggest reason was Capuano, who allowed a first-inning run and not another hit until the sixth inning.
"He really didn't get behind to any of us today," said Astros center fielder Justin Maxwell.
Capuano also made a run-saving defensive play on a Carlos Lee comebacker. He has a share of the league lead in wins
and his ERA is down to 2.14. He struck out eight.
"The strike zone today [of plate umpire Mike Everitt] was pretty generous down and that helps me throwing a good, low
fastball for strikes," he said.
Mattingly said he doesn't try to match up Capuano and Treanor, but the schedule and opposing pitchers have made it
logical to do. No need messing with success.
"He has a good feel for what I want to throw," Capuano said. "And he's raking."
The home run was glove-aided, as the ball glanced off the glove of a leaping Maxwell in center field and over the fence.
Still, Treanor's .290 average is more than the Dodgers expected from a backup to A.J. Ellis, whose .317 is way more than
the Dodgers expected at a position that has gone from questionable to formidable.
"Guys come in and look at the lineup card and it's not like, 'Hey we're going to have to battle today,'" Treanor said.
"We're just going to go out there and play good baseball. Then it's out of your hands. We are confident with whatever
lineup Donnie puts out there that we have a chance to win."
Mattingly has considerably more flexibility in the lineup with Hairston, 7-for-9 since returning Friday night from the
disabled list and a left hamstring strain.
"Especially the teams I've been on that have won, you have to have a contribution from everybody," said Hairston, now
hitting .381. "You need your role players. You need your stars. You need everybody to contribute their role. So far, so
good, doing that. But we have a long way to go."
Hairston also showed his toughness, remaining in the game after taking an elbow from hefty first baseman Lee as he
came off the bag for a throw.
"I got elbowed in the jaw and he got me pretty good," said Hairston, who needed a moment to regroup. "Obviously
when you are running down the line you don't expect a guy that big to elbow you in the jaw. He got me pretty good. He
said his elbow his hurting from my face. I was definitely stunned. I haven't been punched that hard since eighth grade.
That's why I fight people in my weight class and he's not in my weight class. [To come back with four more hits], I guess
he knocked some sense into me."
Aggressive third-base coaching by Tim Wallach helped the Dodgers tie the game in the second after singles by Treanor
and Gordon off Houston starter J.A. Happ. With two out, Gwynn lined a single to left field and Wallach sent Treanor as
left fielder J.D. Martinez's throw wasn't close to the plate.
"I'm not exactly Dee Gordon out there, but we challenged the defense and that's another thing we've been doing,"
Treanor said.
The Dodgers added to the lead in the seventh on a bases-loaded walk by pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu, who appreciated the
praise from Mattingly for his patient approach at the plate.
"I know it was a great at-bat, something good for the team to keep the rally going," Abreu said. "I've always been patient
at the plate, since I was a kid. I've been doing that all my career."
Kemp, Rivera homer in first rehab game
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 05/28/12 10:02 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers outfielders Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera -- both on the disabled list -- homered Sunday night in
the first game of their two-game injury rehab assignments with Triple-A Albuquerque.
Kemp, playing center field, went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a strikeout. Rivera, playing right field, went 1-for-2 with two
RBIs and a strikeout.
Both are scheduled to play in Albuquerque again Monday, then return to Los Angeles. Kemp is expected to be activated
for Tuesday night's Dodgers game, while Rivera might play more rehab games for Class A Rancho Cucamonga as
Albuquerque goes on the road.
Eovaldi will start in place of injured Lilly
By Alex Angert and Ken Gurnick / MLB.com | 05/28/12 12:51 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- Ted Lilly will be disabled with a shoulder injury and replaced as the Dodgers' Tuesday night starting
pitcher by Nathan Eovaldi, who will be promoted from Double-A Chattanooga.
It is not known if Lilly will need surgery, but the Dodgers are concerned enough that they were looking for a long-term
solution by negotiating with free agent Roy Oswalt before bowing out over his financial demands. Lilly is in the second
year of a three-year, $33 million contract.
The initial sign that Lilly's start was in jeopardy was the sudden audible of Eovaldi from a Saturday night start to a oneinning relief tune-up. Eovaldi was called up briefly this year, but did not pitch.
Manager Don Mattingly remained noncommittal when asked if Eovaldi's Saturday appearance (he struck out all three
batters he faced) could be a sign of an imminent roster move.
"I guess it could be," he said.
The club's vague explanation on Lilly's situation apparently was to allow negotiations with Oswalt without compromising
its leverage by confirming a problem with any current starters, especially if the problem is a serious injury. Oswalt hasn't
pitched all year and would need the equivalent of Spring Training.
Lilly's injury explains his first loss, and worst start, of the season Wednesday night in Arizona, where he allowed eight
runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.
Mattingly did shoot down the suggestion that Eovaldi would move into Chad Billingsley's spot in the rotation. Billingsley
battled through five innings Saturday night, allowing two runs with three walks, but also striking out eight. He was in
position for his third win until the bullpen let an eighth-inning lead get away.
"Nate's one inning has nothing to do with Bills," said Mattingly. "We've got five guys in the rotation. I don't know why
we single out Bills so much."
Mattingly went on to defend Billingsley for "continuing to work on things to be more consistent. Sometimes it's easier
said than done.
"I saw in the stats he's one of three pitchers to win 10 games for so many years. Not a lot of guys can say that. It
depends where you put the mark. Is he supposed to win 20 games every year? Is it 14, 12?"
Ellis in clubhouse for first time since surgery
LOS ANGELES -- Disabled Dodgers second baseman Mark Ellis Sunday made his first appearance in the clubhouse since
injuring his left leg nine days ago. He was walking with a limp but without crutches.
Ellis had emergency surgery last Saturday to relieve swelling pressure in the leg and also suffered a sprained medial
collateral ligament in his left knee and a bone bruise below the knee from a take-out slide by St. Louis' Tyler Greene.
"When I got hit I thought my leg was broken," said Ellis, who initially was relieved to hear that X-rays were negative, only
to be unable to sleep that night because of intense pain. "The next day the leg was hard and didn't feel right, way more
pain than there should have been for a take-out slide."
He was taken to a hospital for an MRI, but in the emergency room it was determined that a muscle had been cut,
causing bleeding that was trapped by the muscle sheath. Doctors who performed the emergency surgery said he could
have lost the leg without it.
"I read that, but never realized it was that bad," he said. "The surgery was something that just had to be done."
Ellis said still unresolved is a slight cartilage tear in the knee. He said even if arthroscopic surgery is performed, it would
not seriously lengthen the recovery period that currently is estimated at two months. He has an 8-inch incision down the
outside of his leg that is taped and must heal completely, along with the deep bruise.
Gwynn taking advantage while filling in for Kemp
LOS ANGELES -- With Matt Kemp expected to be activated from the disabled list for Tuesday's game, Tony Gwynn's
playing time will decrease considerably in the near future. Until then, the center fielder is making the most of his
opportunity in the lineup.
Gwynn did just that Saturday night when he delivered a key two-run single off Astros starter Bud Norris with two outs in
the fourth to give the Dodgers a one-run lead.
"He made some tough pitches early, but in this game we have to be able to capitalize on mistakes and he left a breaking
ball over the middle of the plate," Gwynn said. "Although I was coming out and pulling off, my hands stayed on it and I
hit it hard enough through the hole."
Gwynn admitted he wasn't his best mechanically Saturday, as he went hitless in four other at-bats. But his two RBIs
were pivotal in the 6-3 victory.
The center fielder has gotten a hit in his last nine starts and he has hit .304 in May. As for his future in the lineup once
Kemp returns, Gwynn said he's not worried about it and he's simply living his life day to day.
"I'm not trying to put too much pressure on myself," he said. "I'm just trying to have good at-bats every day and
sometimes I get one hit and sometimes I get a couple. It's been working out for me so far."
Gordon heats up after return to lineup
LOS ANGELES -- Dee Gordon's bat has come alive recently since returning to the lineup on May 22 against Arizona. The
shortstop has gotten a hit in each of his four games since being benched because of struggles through the beginning of
the season.
He hit a double in the fourth inning Saturday night against the Astros, scoring the go-ahead run at the time on a Tony
Gwynn single. Gordon finished the night 2-for-4 as the Dodgers won in walk-off fashion, 6-3.
Hitting in the eighth spot instead of leadoff, Gordon has gone 6-for-16 since being benched, and he has raised his batting
average 17 points. He was in a 2-for-31 slump, while hitting .200 on the season, before the benching.
He said he's been working on getting his rhythm back and finding ways to get on base since being taken out of the
lineup.
"I still have a lot of work to do, but I'm feeling a little better," Gordon said.
Loney delivers after being lifted in key spot
LOS ANGELES -- One night after manager Don Mattingly opted to pinch-hit rookie Ivan De Jesus with the bases loaded
and one out in the eighth inning in place of James Loney, the first baseman delivered offensively to help the Dodgers
snap their two-game skid.
Loney collected three hits and two runs in the 6-3 walk-off win against the Astros, as the Dodgers remained the only
team in the Majors without a three-game losing streak.
He started things off with a leadoff two-strike single in the fourth inning and scored four batters later on a two-RBI single
by Tony Gwynn. He scored again in the ninth on A.J. Ellis' three-run walk-off homer after being intentionally walked with
one out and Andre Ethier on second.
As to whether he was shaken the night before after being pinch-hit for with the bases loaded, Loney said: "There's
nothing that could ever do that."
Braun's Brewers head to Los Angeles
By Jake Kaplan / MLB.com | 5/27/2012 9:00 PM ET
Don't expect a lot of love for Ryan Braun from Dodgers fans when the Los Angeles native steps to the plate Monday at
Dodger Stadium.
What's his expected reception from L.A. fans?
"I'm not even going there," Braun said Sunday.
The last time the Brewers' star left fielder played in front of Dodgers fans, in a Spring Training game on March 30 in
Glendale, Ariz., there was no shortage of jeers from those who believe Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp should have
been named the 2011 National League MVP over Braun.
For the first time this season, Braun and the Brewers (19-28) visit the Dodgers (32-15), who have the best record in
baseball, in a four-game series.
Braun, whose 50-game suspension for a failed drug test was appealed and overturned in February, boasted a .332
average with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs last season. Meanwhile, Kemp hit .324 with 39 home runs and 126 RBIs.
"The best thing I can do to move forward is to have success, hope our team gets back to the postseason, continue to do
the things I've done over the last five years," Braun said after that Spring Training game. "That's what I plan on doing. I
don't know if I've definitely lost [the fans]. I don't sit here and analyze what people think or have to say when the
opinions are based on a lack of information."
There's a common sentiment that Braun was voted MVP over Kemp because the Brewers had much more success than
the Dodgers last season.
"That's probably the one thing that separates us," Braun said then. "If you honestly assess our seasons individually, his
numbers are probably slightly better than mine. I just feel fortunate to have been on the better team."
This season, Kemp started off on a tear before going on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain on May 14, snapping
his Major League-leading streak of 399 consecutive games played. Kemp, who was hitting .359 with 12 home runs and
28 RBIs before the injury, is expected to be activated from the DL on Tuesday.
Braun is hitting .312 with 13 home runs and 34 RBIs this season.
Brewers: Ishikawa heads to disabled list
Milwaukee first baseman Travis Ishikawa was placed on the DL with an injured left rib-cage muscle on Sunday, adding to
the club's laundry list of shelved players. Six Brewers are on the DL, while some others are managing bumps and bruises.
Though Ishikawa is not sure how the injury occurred, the discomfort on his left side began during the Brewers' stop in
Houston on May 16-17.
"We're banged up," manager Ron Roenicke said.
Dodgers: Gwynn filling in nicely for Kemp
Tony Gwynn has been trying to make the most of his playing time filling in for the injured Kemp. The center fielder was
hitting .304 with two extra-base hits and six RBIs in 10 starts since Kemp went on the DL, then added two hits and two
RBIs on Sunday.
"It's pretty much been a 25-guy effort to make up for Matt's absence, but we've done a good job," Gwynn said. "We've
battled through some tough times and lost a couple games in a row there. We were able to bounce back and get that
win [Saturday]. We just try to keep pushing forward and go day by day, and hopefully we can keep improving as the days
go on."
• Kemp and Juan Rivera began a two-day rehab stint on Sunday with Triple-A Albuquerque. Rivera also has a strained
left hamstring but has been on the shelf longer than Kemp.
"You know it's on the horizon to get guys back," manager Don Mattingly said. "We'll get one, and a couple days after
that we'll get another guy back. But it's tough coming back. Jerry [Hairston, who returned Friday night] is back, but you
know it takes a couple days to get the rhythm back. It's hard to say Matt will come off and be on fire again."
Worth noting
• The Brewers took two of three games against the Dodgers in the clubs' series in Milwaukee in April. Each game was
decided by one run.
• Shaun Marcum (2-3, 3.93 ERA) will start for the Brewers on Monday. In three career starts against the Dodgers, the
right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA.
• Aaron Harang (3-2, 4.36 ERA) will take the mound for the Dodgers on Monday. The veteran right-hander lasted only 4
1/3 innings against the D-backs in his previous start, allowing nine hits and five earned runs. Harang earned the win in
his April 19 start against the Brewers, surrendering three runs on eight hits in six innings.
Dodgers senior director of security to retire
Hillmann to replace Wemmer, effective this Thursday
By Doug Miller / MLB.com | 05/27/12 8:44 PM ET
The Dodgers announced on Sunday that their senior director of security, Rich Wemmer, is retiring.
Wemmer, who joined the Dodgers in April 2011, retired from the Los Angeles Police Department in '08 after a near-40year career in law enforcement and now will step down from his latest post, effective this Thursday. Former LAPD
Deputy Chief Michael Hillmann will take over Wemmer's post for the remainder of the season.
"We want to take this opportunity to thank Rich for his service to the city of Los Angeles and to the Dodgers and to wish
him and his family all the best during his retirement," said Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten in a club statement.
"Through his efforts, Rich has helped us maintain the level of security at Dodger Stadium that one would expect at a
premier sports and entertainment venue. We also know that our security efforts will be in very good hands with chief
Hillmann. The security of Dodger fans is paramount in our thinking, and we will continue to work to provide a safe
family-friendly environment for our fans to enjoy Dodger baseball."
Wemmer stepped into the Dodgers position less than a month after the severe assault of Giants fan Bryan Stow at
Dodger Stadium on Opening Day 2011. Another incident took place under his watch May 20, when a stadium parking-lot
collision led to a beating of a man in his 20s that resulted in the arrest of four men, according to the LAPD.
The club statement did not mention either incident as having to do with Wemmer's retirement, and Wemmer said the
decision was family-related.
"I want to thank the Dodgers for the wonderful opportunity to work with the team for the past year," Wemmer said in
the team statement. "I have been planning for this day for quite some time, and I am excited at the prospect of being
able to spend more time with my wife, children and grandchildren."
Wemmer likely concludes a long and distinguished career that included a position as commanding officer of Rampart
and Northeast Patrol Divisions, Central Traffic, Training Division, as well as the Van Nuys, West Los Angeles and Wilshire
Area Community Police Stations.
He also served as the officer in charge of the Anti-Terrorist Division's Investigation Unit during the 1984 Olympic
Summer Games in Los Angeles. In addition to those duties, Wemmer served as a law enforcement trainer and received
the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training "2010 Excellence in Training Award for Lifetime
Achievement."
Hillmann retired in September 2008 as deputy chief of police after 42 years of service with the LAPD. Following
retirement, he served as assistant sheriff of the Orange County Sheriff-Coroner Department until May 2010.
Hillmann, too, had nothing but praise for the man he is replacing.
"Rich has done tremendous work to ensure that the Dodgers security department is one of the finest in American
sports," Hillmann said in the statement. "I am looking forward to working closely with the Dodger family and the
community."
ESPN.com
Jerry Hairston Jr. collects five hits as Dodgers top Astros
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES -- The injury-riddled Los Angeles Dodgers haven't missed a beat, thanks to a formidable bench that has
more than compensated for recent injuries to regulars Matt Kemp, Mark Ellis, Juan Uribe and Juan Rivera.
Utility infielder Jerry Hairston Jr. and reserve outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr., whose fathers gave them first-hand experience
on how to be major leaguers, helped lead the Dodgers in their latest win.
Hairston had the first five-hit game of his career and Gwynn added a pair of RBI singles in Chris Capuano's 5-1 victory
over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
"Matt's arguably the best player in the game, and you hate to lose a guy like that because it can be pretty devastating
for the team. But we feel we have a complete team," Hairston said. "And even with Matt in the lineup, we're going to
need everybody to contribute to be successful. Everybody's been doing that, and it's been fun."
Hairston had a double and four singles, one of which drove in a run. He raised his average to .381 in his second start
since coming off the disabled list Friday.
"It feels good, but the bottom line is that we won," Hairston said. "As a player, I try not to be result-oriented. I know it's
a result-oriented business, but you just try to have good at-bats. If you do that, the results will be there."
The Dodgers' sixth victory in eight games -- all minus Kemp, Ellis, Uribe and Rivera -- improved the best record in the
majors to 32-15 and enabled Los Angeles to maintain its 7 1/2-game lead over San Francisco in the NL West.
NL RBIs leader Andre Ethier was 0 for 5 with three strikeouts, but his teammates picked up the slack considerably with
12 hits.
"We're a resilient bunch. Guys aren't afraid of the moment, and they step right in," Gwynn said. "We're not thinking
about Matt being gone or Juan being gone. Everybody's just doing their part. When you've got a bunch of guys pulling
the rope in the same direction, you're going to have some positive results.
"We knew coming into this year that we had to have guys stepping up in addition to Matt, 'Dre and (Clayton) Kershaw.
And for the most part, everybody from one to 25 has been able to come up with a big hit or a big defensive play."
Matt Treanor put the Dodgers ahead for good with a home run in the fourth inning that deflected off center fielder
Justin Maxwell's glove as he made a leaping attempt in left-center field.
Capuano (7-1) pitched two-hit ball over seven innings and struck out eight. It was the eighth time in his last nine starts
that he allowed fewer than three runs. The 33-year-old left-hander improved to 5-0 at home with a 1.36 ERA.
"The guy's good, man. He's been pitching good all year and he's one of the better pitchers you're going to face," said
Astros third baseman Chris Johnson, who struck out twice in going 0 for 3. "His changeup's nasty. I would consider him
an ace on a lot of teams."
Capuano is displaying the form that earned him an All-Star nod with Milwaukee in 2006, and convinced the Dodgers'
front office to sign the free agent to a two-year, $10 million contract in December.
"I try not to get caught up with that. I just try to focus on what I can control, which is making pitches," Capuano said.
"Sometimes I feel bad for guys who are in that one or two slot. Even if they're pitching well, because of their slot, there's
all that pressure and nothing slides."
J.A. Happ (4-4) tied a career high by striking out 10. He gave up two earned runs and nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, and fell to
0-3 with a 2.82 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers.
"He was in trouble a lot," Houston manager Brad Mills said. "Out of his 10 strikeouts, nine were with runners in scoring
position. That tells you right there that he was in trouble almost every inning."
Jose Altuve lined Capuano's first pitch of the game past a diving Gwynn in center field for a triple, and scored when
shortstop Dee Gordon made a diving stop of Jed Lowrie's grounder up the middle and threw him out.
"Lowrie hits that ball up the middle and Gordon makes a nice play to stop the inning from continuing to move on. That
was a huge play of the game right there," Mills said. "We had something going, and Capuano was still trying to find
himself."
The Dodgers tied it in the second on a two-out single by Gwynn, then went ahead on Treanor's homer.
Altuve's triple was Houston's only hit until Lowrie's two-out single in the sixth. Capuano's reflexes took over in the sixth
when he knocked down Carlos Lee's liner with his glove while diving to the third-base side of the mound and threw him
out to strand runners at first and second with the Dodgers leading 2-1.
Johnson made errors on routine grounders by Scott Van Slyke in the fifth inning and Ethier in the seventh. Ethier made it
all the way to second base on the second miscue, putting two runners in scoring position with one out. Hairston scored
the Dodgers' third run on Xavier Cedeno's bases-loaded walk to pinch hitter Bobby Abreu.
Game notes
Kemp (hamstring) went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in the first game of his rehab assignment for the
Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque. He started in center field, batted third and left after five innings. Kemp is
expected to play for Albuquerque on Monday night, too. ...This was Houston's final regular-season game against the
Dodgers before the 51-year-old franchise shifts to the American League next season. Organist Nancy Bea Hefley played
"Yellow Rose of Texas" while the Astros' starting lineup was announced. ... Cedeno's contract was purchased earlier
Sunday from Triple-A Oklahoma City after lefty Fernando Abad was placed on the 15-day disabled list with an
inntercostal strain on his right side.
3 up, 3 down: Dodgers 5, Astros 1
By Tony Jackson | ESPNLosAngeles.com
LOS ANGELES -- Chris Capuano continued to dazzle over seven strong innings, limiting the Houston Astros to a run on
two hits, and the Los Angeles Dodgers stayed on a roll, defeating the Houston Astros 5-1 before 33,306 on Sunday at
Dodger Stadium.
Capuano, the veteran left-hander whom the Dodgers signed last winter to fill the fifth spot in their starting rotation but
who instead has become arguably their most reliable starter thus far, improved to 7-1 and shaved his ERA to 2.14 -- less
than half the career mark of 4.39 he brought into the season.
This time, Capuano gave up a leadoff triple to Jose Altuve on his first pitch of the game -- Altuve subsequently scored on
a groundout by Jed Lowrie -- and then didn't allow another hit until the sixth inning, retiring 17 of the next 18 batters.
Meanwhile, infielder Jerry Hairston went 5-for-5 with a double and a run scored and an RBI and now is 7-for-9 since
being activated on Friday from the 15-day disabled list, where he had been nursing a strained left hamstring.
The Dodgers improved baseball's best record to 32-15 and maintained their 7 1/2-game lead over the second-place San
Francisco Giants in the National League West.
The good
Still streaking. Dodgers second baseman Elian Herrera, who was playing in just his 11th major league game, extended
his hitting streak to nine games with a bloop single over the head of Astros second baseman Jose Altuve in the first
inning.
Heating up. Don't look now, but Dee Gordon suddenly has a five-game hitting streak, an indication his colossal hitting
woes might be behind him. Another encouraging sign -- proving once again that you can't steal a base without getting on
base -- came in the bottom of the second, when Gordon swiped third on the front end of a double steal with Tony
Gwynn. It was Gordon's 13th steal of the season, but his first since May 5 and his first attempt since May 7. He stole
another one in the eighth.
No dropoff. Backup catcher Matt Treanor singled to start a game-tying rally in the second inning, extending his hitting
streak to six games, then broke the tie with a solo homer to straightaway center leading off the fourth, the second
consecutive start for Treanor in which he has homered. Although Treanor isn't going to supplant A.J. Ellis, a potential AllStar, as the Dodgers' primary catcher, there hasn't been much of a dropoff lately whenever Treanor has started behind
the plate. Between the two of them, Ellis and Treanor are hitting .358 in May, with a five doubles, a triple, six home runs
and 20 RBI.
The bad
Opportunity knocks. The Dodgers went 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position -- including 1-for-13 through the first
seven innings, with nine strikeouts and a doubleplay grounder. They stranded at least one runner in scoring position in
six of the first seven innings, a point in the game when Capuano might have benefited from a little more breathing room.
Ethier, Gwynn and Herrera were among the biggest culprits, Ethier striking out three times with a runner in scoring
position and Gwynn and Herrera doing so twice each -- although Gwynn did get two of the three hits in those situations,
a two-out single through the left side that brought in Treanor from second to tie the game in the second and a one-out
liner to center to bring home Dee Gordon with the Dodgers' final run in the eighth.
Letdown. Scott Van Slyke's offensive performance has fallen off the proverbial table in the week since his game-winning,
three-run, pinch-hit home run against the St. Louis Cardinals. In six subsequent games, Van Slyke now is 0-for-13 with six
strikeouts and likely will be headed back to Triple-A Albuquerque sometime this week, either when Matt Kemp comes
off the disabled list on Tuesday or when Juan Rivera follows Kemp, probably on Thursday.
Not streaking. Ethier's six-game hitting streak ended in spectacular fashion, the Dodgers right fielder going 0-for-5. He
struck out with runners on first and second in the first, struck out again with a runner on second in the third, grounded
into a double play following a leadoff bunt single by Hairston in the fifth. Ethier would have grounded into another
double play in the seventh, but the ball went right through the legs of Astros third baseman Chris Johnson. Finally, Ethier
struck out a third time, again with a runner in scoring position, in the bottom of the eighth.
Mark Ellis drops by to say hello
By Tony Jackson | ESPNLosAngeles.com
LOS ANGELES -- Mark Ellis stopped by the Los Angeles Dodgers clubhouse on Sunday morning, his first appearance there
since undergoing emergency surgery to relieve severe swelling in his left leg May 19. He said he may undergo
arthroscopic surgery to repair the meniscus in the knee now that the swelling in the lower leg has healed.
"The knee is something we have to address,'' Ellis said. "We will talk more about it in the next couple of days. They say
it's nothing worse than a meniscus, so it wouldn't add more than a couple of weeks onto what I'm already going to
miss.''
Ellis, the Dodgers' second baseman, was hurt when he was taken out on a doubleplay pivot by what by all accounts was
a clean slide by St. Louis Cardinals' Tyler Greene on May 18. Ellis said he initially thought he had broken his leg when he
landed hard on it after Greene flipped him in midair.
Ellis played the rest of that inning and batting in the bottom half before taking the rest of the game off and undergoing
X-rays, which were negative. It was later that night and the following morning when he figured out something was
definitely wrong. Ellis now says doctors never told him the injury was as serious as "some of the things I read,'' but the
media was told the day after the surgery that Ellis might have been in danger of losing the leg if he hadn't undergone the
surgery as soon as he did.
Dodgers trainer Sue Falsone said last week Ellis likely will miss about eight weeks, so a possible arthroscopic procedure
apparently would push that to about 10 weeks.
Here is the Dodgers' lineup for Sunday's series finale with the Houston Astros:
Tony Gwynn, CF
Elian Herrera, 2B
Jerry Hairston, 3B
Andre Ethier, RF
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
Jerry Sands, LF
Matt Treanor, C
Dee Gordon, SS
Chris Capuano, LH
L.A. Times
Dodgers' Jerry Sands finds there's no substitute for experience
Utility player Jerry Sands has been a substitute teacher in the off-season, partly because he needed the money. But if his
major league 'day job' works out, well, he'd rather be doing than teaching.
By Baxter Holmes
May 28, 2012
Second in a series on minor league call-ups who have helped fuel the Dodgers' early-season surge.
Students have long pegged substitute teachers for saps, powerless figureheads who reign with kid gloves rather than an
iron fist. A "sub" means "fun," the tradition goes.
Well aware of this perception, Jerry Sands lays out the ground rules before they try to walk all over him.
"Hey guys, I might look old, but I was here a few years ago," the 24-year-old will tell students when he fills in as a
substitute teacher near his hometown in Smithfield, N.C. "I know a lot of the tricks, so don't even try them."
But he'll also offer an incentive:
"If you get your work done," he'll say, "I'll give you an autograph at the end of class."
That's a ploy few others could use in that situation, but as an outfielder/first baseman for the Dodgers, and one of the
unlikely cogs in their early-season surge, Sands can.
"It's pretty easy," Sands said of the job he's had for a few off-seasons. "I can start getting into some baseball stories if
they get out of hand."
It might seem like an odd part-time gig, but Sands, who was drafted by the Dodgers in the 25th round in 2008, needed
something to help pay bills in the off-season when he started out in the minor leagues.
Substitute teaching was ideal: a flexible schedule, 8-to-3 workdays, weekends off. The pay was low — about $70 a day,
far short of the minimum wage in the major leagues ($480,000) — but he enjoyed it.
"I wanted to work with the kids instead of going and sitting behind a desk and doing something I wouldn't enjoy," he
said.
He has taught about 100 days, sixth grade through 12th, usually up to 30 students in a classroom, on a variety of
subjects — he enjoys math the most — at Corinth Holders High, Archer Lodge Middle School and Smithfield Selma High,
of which he is an alumnus.
He'd even work out with the varsity baseball teams, from time to time.
"It kind of got me in shape and I could give back to them," he said.
In 2010, Sands was named the Dodgers' minor league player of the year after hitting a combined 35 home runs with lowA Great Lakes and double-A Chattanooga. He hit 29 home runs last season for triple-A Albuquerque and also hit .250
with four home runs and 25 runs batted in in 61 games with the Dodgers.
This season Sands is batting .200 with one RBI in 20 at-bats with the Dodgers.
He said he's trying to find a more consistent swing.
"He looks a lot more comfortable than in spring training," Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly said. "He's been a lot more
solid with his at-bats."
Sands said some of his teammates know about his substitute teaching.
"Most of them were wondering why I'm still doing it," he said, adding that he might continue to do it in the future.
But during spring training this year, the Johnston County School District in North Carolina rang to see if Sands was
available.
He was busy. His "other job" was in session.
Jerry Hairston leads Dodgers' 5-1 win the old-fashioned way
Versatile 35-year-old veteran has a career-high five hits against Houston to back up 33-year-old left-hander Chris
Capuano, who is 7-1. Catcher Matt Treanor, 36, hits a home run.
By Kevin Baxter
May 27, 2012, 10:15 p.m.
It was old-timers' day at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.
What else could you call a game that featured five hits from 35-year-old Jerry Hairston Jr., a home run from 36-year-old
catcher Matt Treanor and seven innings from 33-year-old left-hander Chris Capuano?
And they weren't even the oldest players the Dodgers used, since 38-year-old Bobby Abreu came off the bench to
contribute a run-scoring walk in the seventh inning, cementing a 5-1 win by the Dodgers over the Houston Astros.
So although the Dodgers have survived a recent spate of injuries thanks to a handful of 20-somethings called up from
the minors, Sunday they turned to a quartet that has played 47 seasons for 22 big league teams.
"We do have a mix of old and young," said Treanor, who had two hits and scored twice, putting the Dodgers ahead to
stay with a home run in the fourth inning. He is helping to bridge the generation gap in the clubhouse.
"When you come into a clubhouse as a young player, and now you're feeling part of the group, it's going to ease some of
that outside anxiety," he said. "Now you can just concentrate on the game. It's a good clubhouse. So it's a good situation
to be in."
For a number of reasons, starting with the fact the Dodgers (32-15) have the best record in the majors, the winningest
home mark (21-5) in the majors — the team's best start at Dodger Stadium in more than 30 years — and have lost only
four of 16 series.
And now, Hairston said, it's up to the veterans to provide something else: perspective.
"We've kind of been there. We know what to expect," said Hairston, who has played in the postseason twice, winning a
World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009. "We know not to get ahead of ourselves. We've got a long way to go.
"The veterans will stay on top of that. That's the main thing veterans talk about, playing good baseball all the way
through."
Hairston certainly played good baseball Sunday. Batting third in the order for the first time in his 15-year career, he had
four singles and a double, scoring a run and driving in another and raising his average 53 points. And that helped make a
winner of Capuano (7-1), who gave up two hits and leads the majors in victories and is tied for fourth in the National
League with a 2.14 earned-run average.
Not bad for a pitcher who three organizations gave up on before the Dodgers came calling. But then that description fits
a lot of the Dodgers veterans.
Abreu was released by the Angels with nearly $9 million left in his contract and has hit .327 in 21 games. Hairston was
signed as a free agent when Milwaukee didn't bring him back and has played excellent defense at five positions and
batted .381 in 22 games. And Treanor, signed to an $850,000 contract to back up A.J. Ellis, is hitting a career-high .290
after hitting a home run in consecutive games for the first time.
As Hairston said, there's a long way to go. But if the Dodgers continue at this pace, they could truly wind up being a team
for the ages.
"We're going to need everybody to contribute," Hairston said. "The pickups that we've had … have been huge for us. We
know that we have the talent to do something special."
Nathan Eovaldi to start for Dodgers in place of Ted Lilly
Pitching coach at double-A Chattanooga says the right-hander will replace Lilly for the Dodgers' game against Milwaukee
on Tuesday.
By Kevin Baxter
May 27, 2012, 8:00 p.m.
The Dodgers are recalling pitcher Nathan Eovaldi from double-A Chattanooga to start in place of Ted Lilly on Tuesday
against Milwaukee.
Although Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly coyly deflected questions about Eovaldi on Sunday, Chattanooga pitching
coach Chuck Crim later confirmed that the pitcher is headed to Los Angeles and said he was told the right-hander would
take Lilly's place in the rotation.
Lilly, who started the season on the disabled list because of neck stiffness, gave up eight runs and nine hits in 31/3
innings in a season-worst outing in Arizona his last time out.
And speculation that Eovaldi might take Lilly's place for at least one start surfaced Saturday when his scheduled
Southern League start was shortened to a one-inning relief appearance in which he struck out the only three batters he
faced.
Eovaldi is 2-2 with a 3.09 earned-run average in 35 innings at Chattanooga. He spent three days with the Dodgers in April
but did not appear in a game.
Although the Dodgers have the second-best ERA in the majors behind the Washington Nationals, there is growing
concern about their rotation beyond Lilly's health. Right-hander Chad Billingsley is 0-2 with a 5.85 ERA in four starts in
May.
Last week, the Dodgers inquired about free-agent right-hander Roy Oswalt but decided his contract demands were too
high.
Mark Ellis pays a visit
Mark Ellis, his left leg wrapped in a bandage, was limping around the Dodgers' clubhouse a week after undergoing
emergency surgery that doctors say may have saved his leg.
"It feels good, just being able to move around," Ellis said. "It's getting a lot better."
Injured on a take-out slide at second by the St. Louis Cardinals' Tyler Greene, Ellis spent five days in a Los Angeles
hospital after the operation. And he may need an additional procedure because of knee cartilage damage.
Mattingly guessed Ellis could be out six to eight weeks, but the infielder said there is no timetable for his return.
"It's good to be back in the clubhouse, just to see everybody," said Ellis, who was batting .273 and was errorless in 37
games at second base. "You feel you're part of the team again."
Matt Kemp plays in minors
Center fielder Matt Kemp made his first minor league rehabilitation appearance for triple-A Albuquerque.
Kemp, who went on the disabled list May 14 because of a left hamstring strain, will play another minor league game
Monday and, if that goes well, is expected to return to the Dodgers' lineup Tuesday. Outfielder Juan Rivera, who has sat
out 17 games because of a hamstring strain, also played for Albuquerque, starting in left field. He is expected to
continue his rehab assignment at Class-A Rancho Cucamonga this week.
Work pays off for Andre Ethier
Among the reasons for Andre Ethier's improved performance against left-handers this season — he's batting .324
against them, 82 points above his career average entering the season — is his regular work with batting practice pitcher
Pete Bonfils.
Last year, Ethier did much of his pregame hitting against bullpen catcher Rob Flippo, a right-hander. But the outfielder
has been paired with Bonfils this season on days the Dodgers face a left-handed starter and Ethier said seeing the ball
from a different angle has made a difference.
"It's all Andre," said Bonfils, a former Angels minor league player who celebrated his 60th birthday Sunday, 43 years
after he first put on a Dodgers uniform as a batboy. "He's got a mindset that no matter what happens … he's going to get
two hits. He's totally focused."
Michael Hillman to replace Rich Wemmer as Dodgers security chief
By Steve Dilbeck
May 27, 2012, 6:38 p.m.
Security at Dodger Stadium remains an evolving operation.
The Dodgers said they will replace their new head of security, Rich Wemmer, on Tuesday with another former Los
Angeles Police Department honcho, Michael Hillman.
Dodgers President Stan Kasten said Wemmer was retiring and the new ownership knew that coming in. Wemmer was
only hired in April 2011 following the security controversy borne of the parking lot beating of Bryan Stow on opening day
last spring.
Wemmer, 64, will have served as the stadium’s senior director of security for only 14 months.
“He waited for the [ownership] changeover,” Kasten said. “And we knew that coming in.”
Hillman is actually a year older than Wemmer and comes to his new position with a reputation as an intense hard-liner,
who ran into trouble during his recent two-year stint at the Orange County Sheriff's Department as the assistant sheriff.
He was laid off from that position in 2010 after previously serving for 42 years with the LAPD.
Hillman was accused of police-state tactics for filling an Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting with uniformed
officers in anticipation of a protest and was caught mocking supervisors via text at another meeting; he later apologized
to the supervisors.
Hillman also ran afoul of Times columnist Steve Lopez, who dubbed him Iron Mike, after a photo circulated at Parker
Center that showed him holding “bullhorn in one hand and a citizen's neck in the other” at a war protest at the 2003
Academy Awards while the LAPD deputy chief.
Lopez said one protester, 22-year-old Regina Clemente, was with a group that was trying to move from one permitted
demonstration area to another when a police car raced up and Hillman bolted out.
"He launched out of that car so fast, I don't think the car even stopped," said Clemente's boyfriend, Eric Kessler.
Wrote Lopez: She said she hadn't done anything to single herself out, and wasn't even waving a sign, but Hillman picked
her up and dumped her to the ground.
"I scraped my arms against a wall on the way down and hit my head on the pavement," she said.
After the national uproar following the Stow beating, then team owner Frank McCourt went from having an interim
security chief to almost being overrun with security advisors.
He hired former LAPD chief William Bratton to act as a security advisor. Meanwhile, current LAPD Police Chief Charlie
Beck essentially took over stadium security as the Dodgers announced the hiring of Wemmer.
Hillman was apparently involved in the security evaluation for Bratton and his Kroll Associates as an outside consultant.
“Mike was also involved last year in the review post-opening day,” Kasten said. “So he’s well equipped and he’s been
working with us this weekend, even though he doesn’t formally take over until Tuesday.
“He will be working directly with me, because it’s obviously something very important to us.”
At the last homestand there was another fight in the parking lot and officers arrested four men, though the district
attorney is not planning to file felony charges.
Nathan Eovaldi expected to be called up to start for Ted Lilly
By Steve Dilbeck
May 27, 2012, 5:50 p.m.
Nathan Eovaldi appears headed back to the Dodgers to make at least one start for left-hander Ted Lilly.
Lilly was off to a brilliant start this season, going 6-1 with a 1.79 earned-run average in his seven starts before getting
knocked around for eight runs in 3 1/3 innings in Arizona on Wednesday during his eighth start.
The Dodgers would not confirm that he was injured, but Lilly is not expected to make his next scheduled start Tuesday
against the Brewers.
[Updated, 9:01 p.m., May 27: Chattanooga pitching coach Chuck Crim later confirmed to The Times' Kevin Baxter that
Eovaldi is headed to Los Angeles and said he was told the right-hander would take Lilly's place in the rotation.]
Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly was unusually coy about Eovaldi, who was scheduled to start Saturday night for
double-A Chattanooga but instead pitched one inning of relief, striking out all three batters.
“I guaranteed you he won’t be here Monday,” Mattingly said.
He did not, however, guarantee Eovaldi would not be at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday when Lilly is supposed to start. Lilly
began the season on the disabled list with a strained neck.
Eovaldi, 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA at Chattanooga, appeared in 10 games for the Dodgers last season (six starts), going 1-2
with a 3.63 ERA. As a starter he went 1-2 with a 3.09 ERA.
Dodgers put it all together in dropping Astros, 5-1
Catcher Matt Treanor breaks a tie with a solo home run and pitcher Chris Capuano runs his record to 7-1 with another
quality start.
By Steve Dilbeck
May 27, 2012, 5:15 p.m.
Another day, another home-run hero catcher. Also five hits from Jerry Hairston Jr., another superb pitching performance
by Chris Capuano and, yeah, the Dodgers won again.
One day after catcher A.J. Ellis hit a walk-off, three-run homer, it came to catcher Matt Treanor to break open a tie game
with a solo homer to spark the Dodgers to a 5-1 victory over the Houston Astros on Sunday in front of an announced
crowd of 33,306.
With Capuano holding the Astros to one run and two hits in his seven innings, it proved more than enough for the
Dodgers to raise their home record to 21-5, their best start at Dodger Stadium since 1980.
Capuano’s record went to 7-1, after he allowed only a first-inning run to the Astros.
And Houston’s lone run only came after Tony Gwynn Jr. misplayed Jose Altuve’s leadoff hit, diving and missing, before
the ball rolled to the wall and Altuve ended up with a gift triple. Altuve scored on a Jed Lowrie groundout. Gwynn,
however, would make amends later.
Otherwise, Capuano was in complete control, making his eighth consecutive quality start and holding the Astros to one
other hit over his last six innings. Capuano struck out eight and walked two.
The Dodgers got Houston’s run back in the second inning against J.A. Happ (3-4) after Treanor singled with one out,
advanced to second on a Dee Gordon base hit and scored when Gwynn bounced a hit into left.
It remained a 1-1 game until Treanor led off the bottom of the fourth with his solo home – a drive that probably would
have stayed in the ballpark if it had not bounced off the glove of center-fielder Justin Maxwell and ricocheted over the
top of the wall.
It was Treanor’s second home run of the season, and combined with Ellis, the two catchers are hitting .311 with seven
home runs and 28 RBIs.
The Dodgers extended their lead with another run in the seventh inning after Hairston singled for his fourth hit. A twobase error by Chris Johnson and an intentional walk loaded the bases, and pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu drew a walk to
force in a run.
The Dodgers added two more in the eighth inning against Houston reliever Enerio Del Rosario. Gordon singled, stole
second base, advanced to third on an Adam Kennedy grounder to second and scored on a Gwynn hit.
Gwynn stole second base, Elian Herrera walked and Hairston blooped his fifth hit of the afternoon to score Gwynn.
Hairston, just off the disabled list, had only 19 hits entering the game.
The victory raised the Dodgers’ record to 32-15, the best in the major leagues, and maintained their 7 1/2-game lead
over the Giants.
Mark Ellis makes first visit to Dodgers' clubhouse after surgery
By Steve Dilbeck
May 27, 2012, 2:35 p.m.
Second baseman Mark Ellis, his left leg fully attached, dropped by the Dodgers clubhouse Sunday for the first time since
having emergency surgery May 19.
“It feels good, just being able to move around,” Ellis said. “It’s getting a lot better.”
Ellis spent five days in the hospital following surgery to release severe swelling on his lower left leg that was in danger of
killing the muscle. Manager Don Mattingly said Dr. Neal ElAttrache believed that Ellis was within hours of possibly losing
the leg.
“I was told that I was getting surgery. Nobody ever mentioned that to me,” Ellis said. “I knew it was a serious thing that
had to be taken care of. I’m glad that I was in good hands.”
Ellis’ leg was injured when the Cardinals’ Tyler Greene slid in hard, but cleanly, at second to break up a double play.
Ellis might not be done with the operating room, however. He also suffered some meniscus damage to his knee on the
play, and may yet have arthroscopic knee surgery.
Mattingly said Ellis could be out six to eight weeks, which is two weeks longer than originally expected and could
incorporate the time he would be out for possible knee surgery.
Ellis had yet to make an error this season. He was hitting .273 while batting second and was second on the team in runs
when he injured his leg.
“It’s good to be back in the clubhouse, just to see everybody,” Ellis said. “You feel you’re part of the team again. Being in
the hospital for five days, it’s tough.”
Andre Ethier's great start is somehow getting little notice
By Steve Dilbeck
May 27, 2012, 8:50 a.m.
And now for a sentence you probably thought would never be written.
Andre Ethier is quietly having a terrific season.
It’s not the terrific part that is much of a surprise, of course, but the quiet part. Ethier has been overshadowed by Matt
Kemp’s audacious start to the season, by the legend ofA.J. Ellis, by the kiddie corps that has been making an almost
nightly impact.
But Ethier has been the solid rock throughout it all, the one steady hand in the Dodgers’ 31-15 start.
Ethier continues to lead the National League in RBI with 42, second in the majors only to the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton. He
is batting .323, ninth in the N.L., and his slugging percentage of .579 is eighth.
Some raised eyebrows when he received a gold glove last season, but he’s probably playing even better defensively
now. He made a very nice diving stop of a J.D. Martinezsinking line drive Saturday night with the bases loaded and ran
down a Jose Altuve liner in the gap in the ninth. He also went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI.
The season is slightly past the first-quarter mark and he has been consistent throughout. He has only missed one game,
Wednesday in Arizona.
He’s done this all without raising any skeptical eyebrows, without saying anything inflammatory, without giving the bird
to a photographer, smashing the bat rack, questioning management or generally acting like he’s about to have a temper
tantrum. OK, he was thrown out of one game.
And sure, it’s still pretty early and Ethier is just kinda aware it’s a contract year.
But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve credit for his play, for acting like a team-orientated veteran, for helping – if
not leading – the Dodgers to the best record in baseball. He's the lone dangerous bat in the lineup with Kemp on the
disabled list, and the Dodgers have gone 8-4 with Kemp out.
A little appreciation for Ethier is due, though just to keep it rolling, you might want to keep it on the queit side.
Daily News
DODGERS 5, HOUSTON 1: Dodgers play name game in victory over Houston
By J.P. Hoornstra Staff Writer
Posted: 05/27/2012 09:56:12 PM PDT
Updated: 05/27/2012 10:21:50 PM PDT
Matt Treanor dropped Elian Herrera's name. Jerry Hairston Jr. dropped Bobby Abreu's name.
The Dodgers' clubhouse turns into the Beverly Hills Hotel when you ask about everyone who has stepped up since Matt
Kemp went on the disabled list May 14.
"With the amount of injuries, you (usually) find some gaping hole that somebody's looking for an answer for," Treanor
said. "That's not the case here."
Hairston played the hero Sunday against the Houston Astros by going 5 for 5 for the first time in his 15-year majorleague career in a 5-1 win.
His four singles and a double, combined with another strong outing from starting pitcher Chris Capuano (7-1) helped the
Dodgers improve to 8-4 since Kemp was shelved with a strained hamstring.
These days, a random generator would go just as far predicting which Dodger is swinging the hottest bat at any moment.
"Make no mistake, Matt's arguably the best player in the game," Hairston said. "You hate to lose a guy like that. It could
be pretty devastating to our team.
"We feel we have a complete team. Even with Matt, we're going to need everybody to contribute to be successful."
Kemp usually bats third, which is where Hairston found himself for the first time Sunday. In his first 1,290 major-league
games, Hairston made just 11 plate appearances as the No. 3 hitter, but never as a starter.
"Hopefully," Hairston joked, "Matt doesn't mind hitting second."
Capuano allowed one run and two hits and struck out eight. The left-hander's seventh win of the season put him in a
five-way tie for the major-league lead, and his 2.14 ERA ranks sixth in the National League.
The game began auspiciously. On the first pitch, Houston's Jose Altuve tripled to center field - his fourth extra-base hit of
the series. He scored on an RBI groundout by the next batter, Jed Lowrie.
But Capuano faced three batters above the minimum the rest of the way.
The final score was a bit deceiving. The Dodgers got single runs in the second inning when Tony Gwynn Jr., singled home
Treanor and in the fourth inning when Treanor hit his second home run of the season to left field off J.A. Happ (4-4).
Not until Capuano left the game did the gap widen. A bases-loaded walk by Bobby Abreu scored one run in the seventh
inning, and the Dodgers tacked on two more in the eighth off the Astros bullpen.
Happ finished with a career-high 10 strikeouts, a meaningless stat in his second loss to the Dodgers this season.
Gwynn, who finished with two RBIs and two stolen bases, is hitting an incredible .480 (12 for 25) with runners in scoring
position. Herrera has a nine-game hitting streak. Treanor has a six-game hitting streak that dates to April 29, appropriate
for a backup catcher who plays roughly once a week. Hairston is batting .381.
The surprising superlatives seem too many to count.
All month, it's been taken for granted that the Dodgers would hold the National League's best record (32-15) and a
comfy gap on the second-place team (7 1/2 games).
So before the game, Mattingly manager Don Mattingly was asked the perfectly reasonable question of whether his team
is overachieving.
"When you look at us on paper and the experts tell us where we're going to end up, how many games we're supposed to
win, at this point they're going to say you're overachieving," he said. "But for us, we just can't be concerned with what
somebody thinks or says. We have to find a way and keep putting it up somehow."
DODGERS NOTEBOOK: Infielder Ellis still facing long recovery
By J.P. Hoornstra Staff Writer
Posted: 05/27/2012 09:07:11 PM PDT
Updated: 05/27/2012 10:20:50 PM PDT
This time, Mark Ellis came to visit his teammates.
Ellis, who was hospitalized five nights after undergoing an emergency fasciotomy last weekend, was back in the Dodgers
clubhouse Sunday.
He seemed to be in good spirits but isn't out of the woods; his left leg no longer was swollen but was heavily wrapped
below the knee.
The 34-year-old second baseman said that's the longest he has ever been in a hospital.
"That was not something that was very much fun," he said. "Some teammates and coaches stopped by, so it was good. I
don't remember saying much to any of 'em.
"It's been impressive to see all the people in this organization, all the medical staff, the way they've treated me."
Ellis was rushed to the hospital one day after St. Louis Cardinals runner' Tyler Greene slid into his leg during a May 18
game. It was a clean slide, Ellis conceded, but the impact was enough to cause severe swelling in the leg and necessitate
a fasciotomy, in which an incision is made in the leg to drain fluids and relieve pressure on the muscles.
When the swelling went down, Ellis was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament as well as a contusion on
the outside of his knee. Head athletic trainer Sue Falsone said Friday it will take eight weeks "for everything to heal."
However, that timetable does not include the possibility of arthroscopic surgery on Ellis' knee.
"We're going to talk about it a little bit more in the next couple days," he said. "If it is, it's nothing major in the knee.
"Worst-case scenario with that is a week to two weeks, on top of what I was going to miss anyways."
An eight-week timetable projects to July 20, about a week after the All-Star break.
Compared to what might have been, that's a minor inconvenience.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was told earlier this week Ellis might have lost his left leg if the team had waited longer
to take him to the hospital. While fans fretted, Ellis rested.
"I read some things, but I was never led to believe that it was that bad," he said. "The doctors were good about it. They
said, 'This is something you have to get done.' So we did it."
Oswalt on the radar
Add the Dodgers to the list of teams free agent Roy Oswalt has thrown for.
The Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox also reportedly have auditioned the 34-year-old righthander, who is seeking a one-year deal. Contract value is the sticking point. Different rReports have placed Oswalt
seeking anywhere from $7.5 million to $10 million.
Oswalt has made 35 starts the past two seasons for the Phillies. Last year, he went 9-10 with a 3.69 earned-run average.
His .631 career winning percentage ranks 10 th among active pitchers and his 1,759 strikeouts rank 11 th.
The Dodgers have a couple compelling reasons not to overpay for Oswalt. Their five starters have not missed a game to
injury this season and are allowing 3.49 runs per start, third-lowest in the majors.
Oswalt reportedly wants to begin pitching in June, so teams waiting for his price tag to come down might not have much
time.
Also ...
Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera played five innings apiece in their first rehabilitation game for the Triple-A Albuquerque
Isotopes. Kemp went 2 for 3 with a two-run home run and an RBI single. He struck out in his final at-bat. Rivera also hit a
home run and struck out in his final at-bat. He was hit by a pitch in the second inning but remained in the game. ...
Mattingly would not confirm or deny Double-A starter Nate Eovaldi pitching one inning Saturday had any bearing on an
impending call-up. Eovaldi, the Dodgers' "sixth starter," has previously pitched out of the Double-A Chattanooga
Lookouts' bullpen twice this season, both times because of injury concerns at the major-league level. The only hint
Mattingly gave: "Nate's one inning has nothing to do with Bills," he said in reference to Chad Billingsley, the starter
Saturday. ... Elian Herrera's hitting streak reached nine games when he singled on a flare into right field in the first
inning. ... Rich Wemmer, who was appointed senior director of security at Dodger Stadium in April 2011, announced his
retirement effective May 31. Former Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Michael Hillmann will step into the
role for the remainder of the season. Wemmer took over the vacant position after a San Francisco Giants fan was beaten
in the stadium parking lot on Opening Day last season.
BASEBALL: Dodgers playing name game in win
By J.P. Hoornstra, Staff Writer
Posted: 05/27/2012 07:37:26 PM PDT
Updated: 05/27/2012 07:38:51 PM PDT
LOS ANGELES - Matt Treanor dropped Elian Herrera's name. Jerry Hairston Jr. dropped Bobby Abreu's name.
The Dodgers' clubhouse turns into the Beverly Hills Hotel when you ask about everyone who has stepped up since Matt
Kemp went on the disabled list May 14.
"With the amount of injuries, you (usually) find some gaping hole that somebody's looking for an answer for," Treanor
said. "That's not the case here."
Hairston played the hero Sunday against the Houston Astros by going 5 for 5 for the first time in his 15-year majorleague career in a 5-1 win.
His four singles and a double, combined with another strong outing from starting pitcher Chris Capuano (7-1) helped the
Dodgers improve to 8-4 since Kemp was shelved with a strained hamstring.
These days, a random generator would go just as far predicting which Dodger is swinging the hottest bat at any moment.
"Make no mistake, Matt's arguably the best player in the game," Hairston said. "You hate to lose a guy like that. It could
be pretty devastating to our team.
"We feel we have a complete team. Even with Matt, we're going to need everybody to contribute to be successful."
Kemp usually bats third, which is where Hairston found himself for the first time Sunday. In his first 1,290 major-league
games, Hairston made just 11 plate appearances as the No. 3 hitter, but never as a starter.
"Hopefully," Hairston joked, "Matt doesn't mind hitting second."
Capuano allowed one run and two hits and struck out eight. The left-hander's seventh win of the season put him in a
five-way tie for the major-league lead, and his 2.14 ERA ranks sixth in the National League.
The game began auspiciously. On the first pitch, Houston's Jose Altuve tripled to center field - his fourth extra-base hit of
the series. He scored on an RBI groundout by the next batter, Jed Lowrie.
But Capuano faced three batters above the minimum the rest of the way.
The final score was a bit deceiving. The Dodgers got single runs in the second inning when Tony Gwynn Jr., singled home
Treanor and in the fourth inning when Treanor hit his second home run of the season to left field off J.A. Happ (4-4).
Not until Capuano left the game did the gap widen. A bases-loaded walk by Bobby Abreu scored one run in the seventh
inning, and the Dodgers tacked on two more in the eighth off the Astros bullpen.
Happ finished with a career-high 10 strikeouts, a meaningless stat in his second loss to the Dodgers this season.
Gwynn, who finished with two RBIs and two stolen bases, is hitting an incredible .480 (12 for 25) with runners in scoring
position. Herrera has a nine-game hitting streak. Treanor has a six-game hitting streak that dates to April 29, appropriate
for a backup catcher who plays roughly once a week. Hairston is batting .381.
The surprising superlatives seem too many to count.
All month, it's been taken for granted that the Dodgers would hold the National League's best record (32-15) and a
comfy gap on the second-place team (7<MD+,%30,%55,%70>1/<MD-,%0,%55,%70>2 games).
So before the game, Mattingly manager Don Mattingly was asked the perfectly reasonable question of whether his team
is overachieving.
"When you look at us on paper and the experts tell us where we're going to end up, how many games we're supposed to
win, at this point they're going to say you're overachieving," he said. "But for us, we just can't be concerned with what
somebody thinks or says. We have to find a way and keep putting it up somehow."
Also ...
Matt Kemp and Juan Rivera played five innings apiece in their first rehabilitation game for the Triple-A Albuquerque
Isotopes. Kemp went 2 for 3 with a two-run home run and an RBI single. He struck out in his final at-bat. Rivera also hit a
home run and struck out in his final at-bat. He was hit by a pitch in the second inning but remained in the game.
O.C. Register
Dodgers Dogs for $1!!!
May 28th, 2012, 7:50 am · · posted by JEFF MILLER, OCREGISTER.COM
While the surging Angels host the always popular/unpopular New York Yankees starting Monday, the Dodgers will be
staging a real draw at Chavez Ravine.
Dodger Dogs for a buck!
In promotion sure to be a hit, the Dodgers will be offering $1 dogs when they host Milwaukee starting at 5:10 p.m.
So, take your pick local ball fans. Either way, the possibilities are delicious.
Fox Sports West
A.J. Ellis' new approach benefitting Dodgers
Joe McDonnell
LOS ANGELES — Heading into the Dodgers’ spring training, it was hoped that A.J. Ellis would be part of a really good
platoon at catcher. Matt Treanor would be the other receiver, and if one or the other played well enough to earn the
majority of the playing time, even better.
Ellis, a .262 career hitter coming into the season, took stock of himself and his abilities and ended up with the starting
job. And to say his emergence as a team leader and potential All-Star is remarkable would be a serious understatement.
"(I) made the decision that I was going to come in and be who I was; lock in my identity as a player," said Ellis, whose
three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth Saturday beat Houston 6-3. “(I was) going to be who I was as a person and
who I was as a player, and quit trying to do things I wasn't physically capable of doing. Just kind of relax and free the
game up.
"I also wanted to have a more outward focus, to focus on my teammates and mainly my pitching staff. I wanted to focus
on them and what they're trying to do, and help them get through the tough spots in a game. I want to push them and
encourage them, and it kind of takes the pressure off myself and frees me up to make my own game happen."
So far, that's been exactly the case for the 31-year old from Cape Girardeau, Mo., who in 37 games is hitting .317 with
five home runs, 23 RBI and a phenomenal .442 on-base percentage. In his previous 87 games in the majors, he
accounted for two homers and 28 RBI.
At 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Ellis looked like a prototypical home run hitter — big build, big swing. But he finally realized
that not all physically strong hitters are created equal, and that it was time to concentrate on driving in runs and doing
other things.
"And I've suddenly started hitting home runs," he said with a laugh.
"For a long time, people wanted me to find a way to tap into my size and strength and hit for more power. And it
(became) one of those things where you try and do something more powerfully, you're not going to be able to do it. You
try to hit a golf ball harder and you're going to slice it or fade it deep into the trees. You try to hit a baseball harder, and
your swing's going to slow down and you're not going to be consistent.
"So for me, stepping away from trying to hit for more power has enabled me to drive the ball more. (I've) focused on
hitting line drives, focused on having good at-bats and competing at the plate. I'm trying to have the same at-bat every
time up — no matter who I'm facing or what they're throwing."
Hitting coach Dave Hansen says the change in Ellis isn't all that surprising because of the work ethic and desire to
improve that he brings every day.
"This guy is relentless," Hansen said. "All the guys on this team are hard workers, and A.J. knows what he's trying to do
out there and what he wants to accomplish and he works toward that every single day. He has a plan for everything he
does on the field and he sticks with it.
"He's out there in the cage for the early (hitting) work, focusing on getting his mind right for the game. And he does it
while playing the most grueling position on the field at catcher. Those guys are working on blocking balls; they come out
early to throw to make sure their arm and footwork is right. And if they're not in the lineup, they're catching two or
three bullpens, which means another 45 minutes in a crouch. That's why it's not unusual to see a catcher with great
defensive skills, but their hitting lacks; or vice-versa.
"To see (Ellis) put it all together is incredible."
And the pitchers he has to work with every day are thankful that Ellis is willing to put in the hard work and focus on their
needs to be successful as well as his own.
"He studies the game more than anybody I've ever seen," closer Kenley Jansen says. "He's always the first one here at
the ballpark, and he's studying the team we're playing and also the team we're playing next, getting ready for their
hitters. He's just so good, man. He so much knows what he's doing.
"That makes the game a whole lot easier (for pitchers). We've still got to throw the pitch, but you know he's on the same
page with you as far as a hitter's weakness. If I have a doubt about how to pitch a certain guy in a certain situation, it's
great to have him back there with a plan on how to get the guy out. The trust factor is very good — and very important."
The individual accolades that might come Ellis' way if he continues playing at an All-Star level would be nice, but it would
mean more to him if the Dodgers are the team getting the last out in the final game of the World Series.
"The team hardware definitely means more to me than any individual awards ever will," Ellis says. "I was never caught
up in the individual thing, winning awards and stuff like that. I guess that's one good part of not being a highly-rated
prospect when I first showed up. I just kind of grinded away, enjoyed being on the field with my teammates.
"For me it's always been about being part of a winning team. This year I'm an everyday guy and it's great, but if they
thought there was a guy who could do a better job helping the team win games, I'd be comfortable with that, too.
"I realize there probably won't be many lasting individual accolades for me personally in my career, so I want to be
remembered for being part of a winning team. Especially a winning Dodger team that brings a World Series back to
Dodger Stadium."
Ellis acknowledges being humbled by the success he's had this season, and his teammates and coaches have no trouble
making sure he knows how much they respect him and his team-oriented efforts.
During a postgame interview Sunday, backup catcher Treanor, whose home run helped the Dodgers to a 5-1 win over
the Astros, deferred his moment of glory to remind everyone that the Dodgers wouldn't be where they are without their
unselfish catcher.
"Everybody, please vote for A.J. for the All-Star team,” Treanor said. “He deserves it. He's having a great year."
Dodgers hire ex-LAPD deputy chief
LOS ANGELES (AP)
The head of security at Dodgers Stadium is retiring and will be replaced by a former Los Angeles Police deputy chief.
The Dodgers said Sunday that Rich Wemmer's last day will be Thursday, and Michael Hillman will oversee security at the
stadium for the rest of the 2012 season.
Wemmer took the job in April 2011 after security became an issue when San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow was
severely beaten in the stadium parking lot. Wemmer, who retired from the LAPD in 2008 after nearly 40 years in law
enforcement, said he had been planning for his retirement for quite some time.
Dodger President Stan Kasten said he believes the team's ongoing efforts to provide a safe, family-friendly environment
to its fans will be in good hands with Hillman.
True Blue LA
Dodgers 5/27/12 Minor League Report - Kemp and Rivera Homer for Isotopes
by Brandon Lennox on May 28, 2012 8:00 AM PDT in Los Angeles Dodgers Minor League Report
Minor League Player of the Day – Matt Kemp - 2 for 3 - 1 HR, 3 RBI's, 2 Runs. Kemp as the minor league player of the
day? I guess that make sense when you send Matt to a hitters' haven like Albuquerque. The outfielder is apparently
healthy given his offensive outburst, so hopefully he'll be back with the big league club by Tuesday.
AAA – The Isotopes used major league bats on Sunday to defeat the RedHawks (Astros) 11 to 9. Matt Kemp went 2 for
3 with a 2-run homer and 3 RBI's, while Juan Rivera also took one deep in his rehab debut. Josh Bard also had 2 hits and
went yard, while Trent Oeltjen and Alex Castellanos also had two base knocks in the 18 hit-attack. Starter Fernando
Nieve allowed just 3 hits and 1 run over 5 innings, and even though he had 7 K's his ERA is still an ugly 9.53. Cole St. Clair
and Ramon Troncoso both allowed 4 runs in relief, and luckily Scott Rice was able to shut the door for his 5th save of
the season.
AA – Ethan Martin allowed just 4 hits over 6 frames and struck out 7, but he still recorded his first loss of the year in a 4
- 3 defeat to the Suns (Marlins). Martin gave walked just 2 and didn't give up a homer, but he had an unlucky outing
which resulted in the defeat. After Ethan left the game Javier Solano threw a hitless inning of relief, and then Allen
Webster made hist 5th consecutive appearance out of the bullpen and was perfect over 2 frames. At the plate Nick Buss
went 2 for 5 with a triple, while Blake Smith had the only only other multi-hit game and stole a base.
HiA – The Quakes managed just 4 hits on Sunday as they lost to the Nuts (Rockies) 6 to 1. The 4 hits came from just 2
players as Chris Jacobs went 2 for 3 with a homer while C.J. Retherford had a pair of singles. Garrett Gould was the
starter for Rancho and he got touched up for 9 hits and 4 runs, and he fell to 1 - 5 for the season. New addition Carlos
Frias allowed the other 2 runs in relief, while Ryan Acosta gave up just a single hit over the final 1.2 frames.
LoA – After enduring a lengthy in game rain delay, the Loons used a clutch 8th inning rally to ground the Silver Hawks
(Dbacks) 6 to 4. Shortstop Delvis Morales had a big game at the plate as he went 2 for 3 with 2 runs batted in, and it was
his RBI triple in the 8th that sparked the comeback. There were no other extra base hits in this game and nobody other
than Morales had more than one base knock, although Jesse Bosnik reached based twice via the walk, scored two runs,
and stole a pair of bases. Arismendy Ozoria started the game for Great Lakes, but threw just 2 innings because of the 1
hour and 59 minute rain delay. Juan Noriega took over once the skies cleared and gave up a pair of runs in two frames,
but Raydel Sanchez saved the day with 4 solid innings of relief work. Yimi Garcia allowed two singles in the 9th, but was
able to bare down and record his 8th save of the season.
Coming up – All of the teams will play early games on Memorial Day Monday with the exception of Chattanooga who
will likely send Aaron Miller to the mound in an evening affair. Jarrett Martin and Brandon Martinez will throw for the
Loons and Quakes, respectively, while veteran Mike Parisi will take the ball for the Isotopes.
Minor League Transactions – LoA: Some significant moves were made by the Loons on Sunday as both Angelo Songco
and Ralston Cash were added to the team, while Nick Akins and Arismendy Ozoria were removed from the roster.
Dodgers Week 8 In Review: Catchers If You Can
by Eric Stephen on May 27, 2012 7:30 PM PDT in Dodgers Weekly Reviews
The Dodgers completed their second full week without Matt Kemp, and continued to thrive despite the adversity of
missing their superstar and three other starting position players. Just about everyone stepped up during the week on
offense in one way or another, but the backstops brought the power.
Catchers A.J. Ellis and Matt Treanor each hit two home runs on the week, and if Jerry Hairston Jr.'s 7-for-9 performance
after getting activated off the disabled list, the Dodgers will be in for quite a treat on Tuesday when Kemp returns.
The Dodgers won both of their series on the week, one in Arizona and one at home against Houston, the last time they
faced the Astros as National League opponents. The Dodgers are now 9-4 without Kemp.
Dodger Batter of the Week: This was a close one, but Matt Treanor narrowly edges out A.J. Ellis and Jerry Hairston Jr.
for the honor. Treanor homered in both of his starts, while Ellis hit a walk-off bomb on Saturday, and Hairston had his
first career five-hit game on Sunday. Treanor and Ellis combined for four home runs on the week, while the rest of the
team had two.
Dodger Pitcher of the Week: Chris Capuano continued his great start to the season, with two more starts and two more
wins on the week, thanks to just two runs allowed.
Week 8 Record: 4-2
30 runs scored (5.00 per game)
26 runs allowed (4.33 per game)
.565 pythagorean winning percentage
Season Record: 32-15
213 runs scored (4.53 per game)
164 runs allowed (3.49 per game)
.617 pythagorean winning percentage (29-18)
Transactions:
 Friday: The Dodgers activated Jerry Hairston Jr. from the disabled list, and placed Justin Sellers on the 15-
day DL with a bulging disc in his lower back.
Game Results:
 Monday: Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 1
 Tuesday: Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 7
 Wednesday: Diamondbacks 11, Dodgers 4
 Friday: Astros 3, Dodgers 1
 Saturday: Dodgers 6, Astros 3
 Sunday: Dodgers 5, Astros 1
Upcoming Week: The Dodgers run the Jeff Cirillo Gauntlet this week, finishing up their homestand with Milwaukee
before heading to Colorado.
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
28
vs Mil
5:10pm
29
vs Mil
7:10pm
30
vs Mil
7:10pm
31
vs Mil
7:10pm
1
at Col
5:40pm
2
at Col
1:10pm
3
at Col
12:10pm
Harang v.
Lilly-valdi? v. Kershaw v. Billingsley v. Capuano v. Harang v.
(R) Marcum (R) Fiers
(R) Gallardo (R) Greinke (L) Moyer
(R) Nicasio
Lilly-valdi? v.
(R) White
Previous Weeks In Review: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7
Week 8 Stats
Player
PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SB/CS
BA/OBP/SLG
OPS
Hairston
10
9
1
7
1
0
0
2
1
0/0
.778/.800/.889 1.689
Ellis, A.J.
17
14
4
4
0
0
2
4
3
0/0
.286/.412/.714 1.126
Gordon
20
18
3
8
1
0
0
1
1
2/0
.444/.474/.500
.974
Loney
18
16
3
5
0
0
1
3
2
0/0
.313/.389/.500
.889
Ethier
24
20
2
6
1
0
1
3
2
0/1
.300/.375/.500
.875
Abreu
18
11
1
3
0
0
0
2
7
0/0
.273/.556/.273
.828
Herrera
29
25
4
8
2
0
0
1
4
0/0
.320/.414/.400
.814
Gwynn
26
26
3
8
0
0
0
6
0
2/1
.308/.308/.308
.615
Treanor
8
6
3
3
0
0
2
3
2
0/0
.500/.625/1.500 2.125
Sellers
5
5
1
2
0
1
0
1
0
0/0
.400/.400/.800 1.200
DeJesus
12
10
2
3
1
0
0
3
1
0/0
.300/.333/.400
.733
Sands
13
12
2
2
1
0
0
1
1
0/0
.167/.231/.250
.481
Kennedy
14
13
1
2
0
0
0
0
1
0/0
.154/.214/.154
.368
Van Slyke 14
13
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
.000/.000/.000
.000
Pitchers
14
12
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0/0
.083/.083/.083
.167
Totals
242 210 30 62 7
1
6
30 25
4/2
.295/.370/.424 .794
Pitcher
G W-L Sv
Capuano
2 2-0
-- 13.0 6
2
2
3 13 1.38 0.692 1.89
Kershaw
1 0-1
--
7.0
5
3
2
3
6
2.57 1.143 4.63
Billingsley 1 0-0
--
5.0
5
2
2
3
8
3.60 1.600 1.80
Harang
1 0-0
--
4.1
9
5
5
0
6 10.38 2.077 3.43
Lilly
1 0-1
--
3.1
9
8
8
5
3 21.60 4.200 9.80
Starters
6 2-2
-- 32.2 34 20 19 14 36 5.23 1.469 3.48
Guerra
4 0-0
--
4.2
3
0
0
1
1
0.00 0.857 3.41
Jansen
2 1-0 1/2 2.1
2
0
0
1
2
0.00 1.286 2.77
Coffey
1 0-0
--
1.0
0
0
0
0
1
0.00 0.000 1.20
Belisario
4 0-0
--
3.2
3
1
1
3
4
2.45 1.636 3.47
Elbert
3 0-0
--
3.0
2
1
1
0
4
3.00 0.667 0.53
Lindblom 3 1-0
--
3.0
2
1
1
2
4
3.00 1.333 6.87
Wright
--
2.2
5
3
3
1
2 10.13 2.250 8.83
Relievers 6 2-0 1/2 20.1 17 6
6
8 18 2.66 1.230 4.04
Totals
2 0-0
IP
H R ER BB K
ERA WHIP FIP*
6 4-2 1/2 53.0 51 26 25 22 54 4.25 1.377 3.69
*FIP is estimated
Chris Capuano Continues Great Run For Dodgers
by Eric Stephen on May 27, 2012 5:51 PM PDT in Dodgers Postgame Reaction
A host of contributors helped on offense in the Dodgers' 5-1 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday, but the man on the
mound was Chris Capuano, who continued his resurgence with another quality outing. He gave up a leadoff triple, but
then 21 of the next 24 men who came to the plate were retired.
"Cappy was excellent. He's a smart guy. I say this every time and I sound like I'm repeating myself," said catcher Matt
Treanor, who has caught each of Capuano's last six starts and also homered on Sunday. "They got their run, but Cappy
did a great job coming back the next inning with a shutdown inning, and kind of steamrolled from there."
Capuano got into some trouble in the sixth inning, allowing a hit and a walk with two outs in what was then a one-run
contest, a spot earlier in the season that might have caused manager Don Mattingly to bring the hook. But not Sunday.
"Cap was great again. He attacked the strike zone. His pitch count was down early and was able to stay in the game,"
Mattingly said. "He always seems to have a batter or two where he kind of backs off and gets less aggressive, but he got
past that and gave us another big inning."
Capuano pitched seven innings for the fourth time this season, and Sunday was his eighth consecutive quality start, the
most on the team. He is 7-1 with a 2.14 ERA through his first 10 starts as a Dodger and has 58 strikeouts in 63 innings.
Not bad for a guy signed as the fourth or fifth starter on the staff.
But Capuano isn't concerned with such labels.
"I try not to get caught up with the numbers on the staff, but sometimes I feel bad for guys in the one and two slots and
they're pitching well but because of those one and two slots there's always pressure and nothing slides," said Capuano.
"I'm not really worried about the outside perception of me. I try to focus on what I can control, which is making pitches."
Making pitches has been what Capuano has done well, and his last 599 pitches, over his last six starts, have been thrown
to Treanor. Mattingly has long derided the concept of a "personal catcher," but he also doesn't mind when it happens to
work out in his favor, even if that wasn't his plan.
"I haven't tried to match them up, it just worked out, with day games and travel days," Mattingly said. "Those guys have
worked well together and I don't mind it at all."
Up Next
The Dodgers welcome the Milwaukee Brewers to town for four games beginning Monday. Aaron Harang starts the
opener, facing Shawn Marcum.
Matt Treanor, Chris Capuano Team Up To Top Astros
by Eric Stephen on May 27, 2012 4:17 PM PDT in Dodgers Game Recaps
The dynamic duo of Chris Capuano and Matt Treanor wreaked havoc on the Houston Astros on Sunday, lifting the
Dodgers to a 5-1 win in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.
Capuano pitched seven strong innings, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks, while striking out eight. Treanor
went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and a home run, his second in as many starts. The A-Team of Capuano and Treanor
have hooked six straight times, and have produced these results:
 Capuano: 40 innings, seven runs (six earned), 10 walks, 38 strikeouts, 1.35 ERA
 Treanor: 8-for-19 (.421) in a six-game hitting streak, two home runs, five runs, four RBI, two walks
Capuano allowed a triple to Jose Altuve to lead off the game, then proceeded to retire 17 of his next 18 batters faced.
Capuano allowed only a hit and two walks the rest of the way, and now shares the National League lead with seven
wins.
Capuano has pitched eight consecutive quality starts, and has allowed five runs in five starts this season at Dodger
Stadium, where the Dodgers are now 21-5.
Jerry Hairston Jr. batted third for the first time in his major league career on Sunday, and played the part well, going 5for-5 with a double, the first five-hit game of his career. Hairston scored the Dodgers' third run in a seventh inning rally,
and is now 7-for-9 in three games since returning from the disabled list.
Dee Gordon went 2-for-2 with a walk, extending his hitting streak to five games, and stole two bases, his first stolen
bases in 22 days and his first stolen base attempts in 20 days. He scored the Dodgers' fourth run on a single in the eighth
inning by Tony Gwynn Jr., his second RBI single of the day.
Gwynn, who also stole two bases on the day, is 12-for-25 (.480) with runners in scoring position this season. He scored
the Dodgers' fifth run of the day on Hairston's fifth hit.
The Dodgers as a team stole three bases and were caught six times in their previous 20 games. Today, they had four
steals.
Here is Exhibit Z in just how crazy this season has been for the Dodgers. On Friday night, they lost to Lucas Harrell,
against whom they had no swings and misses and no strikeouts. But on Sunday, J.A. Happ struck out 10 Dodgers in a
quality start and got hung with the loss. Welcome to Chavez Ravine.
Today's Particulars
Home Runs: Matt Treanor (2)
WP - Chris Capuano (7-1): 7 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
LP - J.A. Happ (3-4): 6 1/3 IP, 9 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 2 walks, 10 strikeouts
Could Nathan Eovaldi Be Headed Toward Relief Role With Dodgers?
by Eric Stephen on May 27, 2012 12:00 PM PDT in Dodgers Pregame Notes
Saturday night in Chattanooga, Nathan Eovaldi was scheduled to start for the Lookouts but instead pitched an inning in
relief, striking out all three batters he faced in the sixth inning of their 13-10 loss to the Jacksonville Suns. The switch to
relief is notable as Eovaldi is sixth on the depth chart among Dodgers starters.
The Dodgers have often with their top pitching prospects either skipped a start or had them throw an inning as a way to
limit innings, but it seems too early for Eovaldi to have such a start, as he has essentially done the same thing three
times already this season.
Eovaldi pitched one inning on April 19 as a precaution as Chad Billingsley was dealing with a groin issue a few days
before a scheduled start in Houston, and then six days later Eovaldi again pitched one inning two days before getting
recalled as an extra bullpen arm for a series against Atlanta, though Eovaldi ended up not pitching during his three days
with the Dodgers.
Manager Don Mattingly played coy when asked if Eovaldi's switch to the bullpen Saturday night was related to anything
with his 25-man major league roster.
"I guess it could be," Mattingly said.
With his starting staff presumably healthy, as there have been no reports of any injuries to the starting pitchers, might
Eovaldi find a quicker path to the Dodgers in the bullpen? On this topic, Mattingly had an answer.
"Long term we definitely look at him as a starter," Mattingly said. "There is a possibility he could pitch out of the pen
too. we tried it a little bit last year. I know Rick believes you can bring a guy up and help him grow as he is in the pen. It's
an option to be able to do that."
As for when that would happen, that is the great unanswered question. With Matt Guerrier out until after the All-Star
break, the bullpen could use an extra arm, especially one like the 22-year old Eovaldi. Todd Coffey would seem to be the
odd man out with his 8.53 ERA in nine appearances, but it might be too early to cut bait. Then again, the Dodgers ate $1
million in cutting Mike MacDougal after just seven games.
Coffey has a 3.38 ERA in his six sporadic relief appearances since returning from the disabled list on April 30, but
opposing batters have hit .316/.417/.526. Coffey is owed $1 million this season, and has a $300,000 buyout of a $2.5
million club option next year
Moving Eovaldi to the bullpen would leave the Dodgers with a sixth starter spot filled with hope and wishful thinking at
this point, but that is an issue the club is reportedly trying to rectify. Peter Gammons of MLB Network reported that the
Dodgers worked out Roy Oswalt on Friday, and Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported Oswalt's asking price of a pro-rated
$7.5 million salary was deemed "excessive" by the Dodgers.
Starting Lineups
Today could be the last hurrah for the right-handed mashing duo of Scott Van Slyke and Jerry Sands, as one of them will
likely return to Triple A Albuquerque when Matt Kemp returns Tuesday, and Juan Rivera will likely be activated by the
end of the week. Both Van Slyke and Sands are in the lineup against the lefty J.A. Happ of the Houston Astros.
Today is the sixth straight Chris Capuano start caught by Matt Treanor.
Game Time: 1:10 p.m.
TV: Prime Ticket
Astros
Dodgers
2B
Altuve
CF Gwynn (L)
SS
Lowrie (S)
2B Herrera (S)
LF
Martinez
3B Hairston
1B
Lee
RF Ethier (L)
RF
Downs
1B Van Slyke
CF
Maxwell
LF Sands
3B
Johnson
C
C
Snyder
SS Gordon (L)
P
Happ (L)
P
Treanor
Capuano (L)
MLB Gameday
Yahoo! Sports
Bark in the Park’ will let Dodgers fans take dogs to game: A fan’s report
By F. Michael Sherman, Yahoo! Contributor Network Wednesday, May 25, 2011
On Saturday, May 28, Dodger fans like me will be able to actually take our dogs to the game as the Los Angeles Dodgers
present their "Bark in the Park" promotion. The event takes place before and during the game against the Florida
Marlins, as a section of the Dodger Stadium bleachers will be dog-friendly.
The team is actually selling separate dog tickets, allowing owners to take their dogs with them to the game. It's a great
promotion and I'll be going with my friend and her 170-pound American Bulldog, Mojo. The event is sponsored by Dick
Van Patten's Natural Balance Pet Foods and team is donating a portion of the game's proceeds to the Los Angeles
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (spcala.com).
The festivities start off at 5 p.m., with a "Pup Rally" in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium. The pup pep rally includes a
contest for biggest dog, smallest dog and dog that shows the most Dodger spirit. The best part, the part I'm most excited
about, is that after the contest, we will be able to take our dogs and walk them around the warning track on the field of
Dodger Stadium. After parading the dogs on the field, owners and their dogs will be able to watch the game together
from the stands in a special section for the event. The parade starts at 6:15 p.m. and the game starts at 7:15 p.m.
Like with anything fun, there are rules. You can't just show up with your dog; you need to bring a copy of your dog's
current rabies vaccination document and the dog needs an ID tag. Your dog (and you) needs a separate ticket, which
costs $30. Humans needs tickets, too; you must buy a $30 special ticket, that includes a seat in the RF pavilion bleachers
(with your dog) and all the food and drinks (which includes unlimited Dodger Dogs, nachos, peanuts, popcorn, soda and
water) you can eat during the game. The dog gets a goody bag, but the rules aren't clear as to whether dogs get all the
food they can eat, too, nor are they clear about feeding the free hot dogs to the real dogs.
The "Bark In The Park" tickets must be purchased online, (dodgers.com) in advance, no dog tickets will be sold the day of
the game. It's a fun promotion and I'm going to have a lot of fun that day, as will other Dodger fans who are dog owners.
If everything goes well, I can imagine the team doing a "Feline for Nine" promotion, allowing fans to bring their cats. It's
all in good fun and a nice distraction from some of the serious off-field drama surrounding the team lately.
I also think it's a great promotional idea and like that it supports a great animal charity. But for the sake of of the
Dodgers outfielders, I do hope the Dodger Stadium grounds keeping staff has a large arsenal of pooper-scoopers.
Los Dodgers.com
Dodgers logran victoria redonda sobre Astros
Associated Press
05/27/12 8:22 PM ET
LOS ANGELES -- Jerry Hairston Jr. bateó cinco imparables en un partido por primera vez en su carrera, Chris Capuano se
apuntó otra victoria y los Dodgers de Los Angeles superaron el domingo por 5-1 a los Astros de Houston.
Matt Treanor le dio la delantera definitiva a los Dodgers con un cuadrangular en la cuarta entrada que el jardinero
central Justin Maxwell estuvo a punto de atrapar con un salto pero la pelota rebotó en su guante.
Capuano (7-1) lanzó pelota de dos hits en más de siete episodios y consiguió ocho ponches. El zurdo de 33 años elevó su
foja a 5-0 en casa con un promedio de 1.36 en efectividad.
Tony Gwynn Jr. aportó dos sencillos productores al tiempo que los líderes de la división Oeste en la Liga Nacional
acumularon seis triunfos en ocho encuentros pese a las ausencias por lesiones de sus titulares Matt Kemp, Mark Ellis,
Juan Uribe y Juan Rivera.
Hairston bateó de 5-5 con un doble, una anotada y una remolcada.
J.A. Happ (4-4) empató su marca personal de ponches con 10. Admitió dos carreras, merecidas, y nueve inatrapables en
seis entradas y un tercio.
Por los Dodgers, el dominicano Elián Herrera de 4-1. El venezolano Bobby Abreu de 0-0 con una empujada.
Por los Astros, el venezolano José Altuve de 4-1 con una anotada. El panameño Carlos Lee de 4-0.
ESPN Deportes
Nuevos protagonistas en el juego azul
por Rigo Cervantez
LOS ÁNGELES -- La estafeta de la victoria sigue pasando de mano en mano entre la novena de los Dodgers, que van
buscando en cada juego a nuevos protagonistas, espontáneos que suben a encender el pebetero que ilumina el sendero
para cada triunfo, como el de este domingo en Chávez Ravine, por 5-1 sobre Astros de Houston, para llevarse la serie.
Porque en apoyo de una magnífica labor monticular por parte de Chris Capuano (7-1), quien lanzó pelota de dos
imparables y abanicó a ocho bateadores rivales, para asegurar su séptimo triunfo de la campaña, la mejor marca del
cuerpo de lanzadores de los Dodgers, aparecieron los bates de Jerry Hairston Jr. y de Matt Treanor, que jugó la
receptoría.
Es que con Astros adelante en la pizarraa desde el primer acto, los dueños de casa igualaban la cuenta en el segundo
episodo, para que en la cuarta entrada tomaran una ventaja que ya no perderían y la produce el receptor Treanor, con
su segundo batazo de vuelta completa de la campaña, una pelota que se fue a perder cerca de las gradas del pabellón
izquierdo, sin corredores en base.
"La crencia es que los batazos de poder deben venir de los receptores. Ellis es un gran líder y yo tan solo trato de seguir
sus pasos y lograr que algo bueno suceda, cuando me toca jugar," destacó Treanor, recordando que su colega A.J. Ellis
había sido el héroe la noche anterior.
"Como equipo, tenemos una buena sensación al venir al parque de pelota cada día, es como un acuerdo no escrito que
tenemos, no para que sea alguien el que haga el trabajo, sino que todos ponen de su parte," agregó Treanor.
La labor, con el madero y como recepetor de Treanor, era también reconocida por Capuano.
"Sé que a él, generalmente, le toca jugar los domingos y formamos una buena batería. Nos conocemos bien y eso le dió
flujo al juego, no tuve que negarle mucho de lo que él me pedía que lanzara," señaló un serpentinero satisfecho de su
labor monticular.
"En algunos innings, perdí un poco la zona de strike, pero, en general estuve colocando bien mis lanzamientos. Traté, la
mayor parte del tiempo, de mantener la bola abajo," dijo Chris Capuano.
MARCA PARA JERRY HEIRSTON JR.
El otro que se destacó en la ofensiva azul, fue el antesalista Jerry Hairston Jr., quien impuso una marca personal con una
tarde de 5 hits, además de anotar una carrera e impulsar otra.
"Es algo que no voy a olvidar. He tenido otros juegos con múltiples hits y yo siempre trato de no pensar en lograr tal o
cual cosa, salgo siempre a trtar de tener un buen turno al bate y cuando hago eso, las cosas llegan solas," confió
Hairston.
Los Dodgers anotaron nuévamente en el séptimo acto y redondearon su triunfo con dos carreras más en el octavo, en
una tarde aciaga para su cuarto bate, Andre Ethier, quien se fue en blanco en cinco turnos, se poncho tres veces y dejó a
siete de sus compañeros echando raíz en las almohadillas.
La derrota cayó a la cuenta de J.A. Happ (4-4), a pesar de que estuvo siempre en la pelea, ponchando a 10 bateadores
azules, aunque, en sus 6 entradas y un tercio de trabajo, lo castigaron con 9 inatrapables, para un total de 3 carreras,
una de ellas inmerecida.
VICTOR ORTIZ, EL LANZADOR
El simbólico primer lanzamiento del juego, fue encargado al excampeón mundial welter Víctor Ortíz, un derecho, que
mandó bola alta y cerrada, a un receptor de lujo: Javy Guerra.
Luego de la ceremonia, el relevista de los Dodgers y el pugilista, posaron junto al home plate para la foto de rigor.
Préviamente, Ortiz se había presentado en el festival "Viva Los Dodgers," donde firmó autografos a centenares de
aficionados.
CUATRO CON LOS CERVECEROS
A partir de este lunes, con un juego que inicia a las 5:10 de la tarde, Dodgers arranca una serie de cuatro
confrontaciones ante los Cerveceros de Milwaukee, que mandan a la lomita al derecho Shawn Marcum (2-3), mientras
que por la novena de casa, recibe la pelota el también diestro Aaron Harang (3-2).
Los Angeles Wave
Memorial Day observances planned throughout Los Angeles County By Wave Wire Services
Memorial Day will be observed in Los Angeles County on Monday with events honoring those killed in combat and a
walk benefiting an organization assisting veterans making the transition to civilian life.
Organizers expect a crowd of 5,000 for the 27th annual Memorial Day Observance at Green Hills Memorial Park in
Rancho Palos Verdes, billed as the Southland's largest annual Memorial Day observance.
The two-hour program will begin at 10 a.m. The keynote speaker will be retired Navy Lt. Michael Thornton, who was
awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award, for saving the life of a fellow SEAL during a firefight on
a reconnaissance mission during the Vietnam War.
Thornton also helped establish and serve on the elite SEAL Team Six.
The observance will also include aerial fly-overs, including a C-17 Globemaster transport, skydivers displaying American
and military flags, a parade of colors from all branches of the armed forces, musical performances by the country music
duo of Rogers & Bos, bagpipers and military bands; wreath-laying and a 21-gun salute and the release of 100 doves.
The Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Owensmouth Avenue and Sherman Way. It will then head
east on Sherman Way until De Soto Avenue, then south one block to Quimby Park.
The parade's theme is "All Gave Some, Some Gave All.'' It will include military marching units, bands, floats, classic and
antique cars, youth groups and equestrian units. The grand marshal will be Constantine Salvalas, a 91-year- old World
War II veteran.
A festival will follow from 1:30-4 p.m. in Quimby Park, including a ceremony honoring troops killed in battle, live music,
entertainment and food.
The annual Memorial Day Celebration at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills will begin at 10 a.m.
Councilman Tom LaBonge will deliver the keynote address, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilwoman Jan Perry will
read a presidential proclamation and Controller Wendy Greuel will participate in a wreath-laying presentation.
Observances will also be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks in Covina Hills and Long Beach, beginning at 10 a.m., and
Glendale, beginning at 1 p.m.
Villaraigosa is also scheduled to speak at the 123rd annual Memorial Day Program at the Los Angeles National Cemetery
in Brentwood, which will begin at 10:30 a.m. Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. James W. Comstock will be the keynote
speaker.
Lakewood's annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Del Valle Park will begin at 11 a.m. and include a reading of the poem
"The Boys of Del Valle Park,'' a tribute to the children who grew up in Lakewood's early days in the 1950s, then served in
the Vietnam War.
The poem will be read by John and Teri Kelsall, parents of Navy SEAL Lt. Cmdr. Jonas Kelsall, who was among 30
American troops killed in a helicopter shot down in Afghanistan in August in the largest single loss of American lives
during the war.
This is the 20th anniversary of the placement of the poem at Lakewood's Veterans Memorial, located under a jet fighter
at the park.
The keynote speaker will be Navy Rear Adm. Garry J. Bonelli, the deputy commander of the Naval Special Warfare
Command, which develops strategy, doctrine and tactics for naval special warfare forces.
A plaque remembering the El Monte residents killed in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars will be dedicated at the city's
annual Memorial Day Celebration at Tony Arceo Memorial Park, which begins at 9 a.m. The keynote speaker will be
Army Spc. Agustin Gomez, a Silver Star recipient.
Ceremonies will also be held at the Memorial Obelisk Monument at Inglewood's City Hall, City Memorial Park in
Montebello and San Fernando Pioneer Memorial Cemetery in Sylmar, all at 11 a.m., and Veterans Park in Redondo
Beach at 1 p.m.
The second annual Memorial Day Walk for Warriors will begin at 8 a.m. at the West Los Angeles Veterans' Affairs
Campus.
The five-kilometer walk raises funds for New Directions, which provides housing, job training and placement, adult basic
education classes and family reunification services for returning veterans.
The Los Angeles Dodgers will honor the military during ceremonies before their 5:10 p.m. game against the Milwaukee
Brewers at Dodger Stadium.
Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Mejia will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He served two deployments in Iraq and one in
Afghanistan and has returned to full duty as a platoon sergeant after stepping on an improvised explosive device in
combat operations and spending seven months in a hospital.
The national anthem and "God Bless America'' will be performed by Air Force Reserve Staff Sgt. DeJon Fruga from March
Air Reserve Base.
Army Sgt. Luis Garcia of Orange will be honored as the Veteran of the Game. Garcia enlisted in 2005 and served two
tours in Iraq. His honors include the Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Army Service Ribbon and Overseas Service Ribbon.
Marine Corps Cpl. Ernest Aleman of South Gate, Lance Cpl. Nathaniel Boldt and Sgt. Christopher Johnson of the Marine
Crops Air Ground Center in Twentynine Palms will make the "It's time for Dodger baseball'' announcement.
Like all major league teams on Memorial Day, the Dodgers will wear Stars & Stripes caps, with a digital camouflage
applique filling the logo on the front of the cap.
The cap is available for purchase on Major League Baseball's website, MLB.com. All net proceeds will be donated to
Welcome Back Veterans, a program which addresses the needs of returning American veterans and their families.
A federal law adopted in 2000 designates 3 p.m. local time as the time for all Americans, in their own way to observe the
National Moment of Remembrance. All managers at Stater Bros. stores will make an announcement at that time to
pause for 60 seconds to honor Americans who died to defend freedom.
"Memorial Day was originally established to commemorate America's fallen men and women,'' Stater Bros. Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer Jack H. Brown said.
"Stater Bros. would like to do our part to remind our customers and employees that this is still a sacred and noble
holiday and a time when we can all connect as Americans.''
In his Memorial Day proclamation, President Barack Obama declared, "On Memorial Day, we honor those who have
borne conflict's greatest cost, mourn where the wounds of war are fresh and pray for a just, lasting peace.
"The American fabric is stitched with the stories of sons and daughters who gave their lives in service to the country they
loved. They were patriots who overthrew an empire and sparked revolution. They were courageous men and women
who strained to hold a young Union together.
"They were ordinary citizens who rolled back the creeping tide of tyranny, who stood post through a long twilight
struggle, who saw terror and extremism threaten our world's security and said, 'I'll go.'''
What became Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868 as Decoration Day, a time for the nation to decorate
the graves of the Civil War dead with flowers.
It was established 25 days earlier by Maj. Gen. John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, an
organization of veterans who fought for the Union in the Civil War. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers
would be in bloom all over the nation.
By the end of the 19th century, Decoration Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation. After
World War I, the holiday was changed to honor Americans who died fighting in all wars.
The term Memorial Day was first used in 1882, became more common after World War II and declared the official name
by federal law in 1967.
Memorial Day had been observed on May 30, until being moved to the last Monday in May in 1971 under terms of the
Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which became law in 1968.
LAist
L.A. Celebrates Memorial Day
Los Angeles celebrates Memorial Day with parades and observances throughout the city.
More than 5,000 people are expected to honor fallen soldiers at Green Hills Memorial Park in Rancho Palos Verdes,
according to City News service.
The event is billed as the largest annual Memorial Day observance in the Southland. The two-hour program begins at 10
a.m. and will feature aerial fly-overs, including a C-17 Globemaster transport, skydivers displaying American flags, a
parade from all branches of the armed forces, musical performances, a 21-gun salute and the release of 100 doves. The
keynote speaker will be Navy Lt. Michael Thornton who received the Medal of Honor in the Vietnam War.
Other Memorial Day events throughout Los Angeles County, according to the report, include the annual Forest LawnHollywood Hills celebration, which begins at 10 a.m. Councilman Tom LaBonge will deliver the keynote address, Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilwoman Jan Perry will read a presidential proclamation and Controller Wendy Greuel will
participate in a wreath-laying presentation.
The Canoga Park Memorial Day Parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Owenmouth Avenue and Sherman Way. The parade,
themed "All Gave Some, Some Gave All," will feature military marching units, bands, floats and classic cars. The grad
marshal is 91-year-old World War ii veteran Constantine Salvalas.
Lakewood's annual Memorial Day Ceremony at Del Valle Park begins at 11 a.m. and will include a reading of the poem
"The Boys of Del Valle Park,'" a tribute to the children who grew up in Lakewood in the 1950s and then served in the
Vietnam War.
Tonight, the Dodgers will honor the military during ceremonies before their 5:10 p.m. game against the Milwaukee
Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Mejia will throw out the ceremonial first pitch. He served two
deployments in Iraq and one in Afghanistan and has returned to full duty as a platoon sergeant after stepping on an
improvised explosive device in combat operations and spending seven months in a hospital.