The2013 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the 124th for the franchise inMajor League Baseball, and their 56th season in Los Angeles. The Dodgers dealt with a series of injuries to key players during the first half of the season and on June 21 were 31–42,9+1⁄2 games back in last place in the National League West Division. Beginning with a 6–1 win over theSan Diego Padres on June 22, the return of the injured players, and the emergence of rookieYasiel Puig, they went 46–10 through August 23 as the rest of the division collapsed. On September 19, they clinched theNational League West title. This was the earliest the Dodgers had ever clinched a title and the largest deficit they had ever overcome to win the division. They opened the playoffs by defeating theAtlanta Braves in theNLDS and advanced to theNLCS. In the NLCS, they lost to theSt. Louis Cardinals in six games.
The season also marked the end of the Dodgers games onFox Sports West/Prime Ticket, as they signed a lucrative contract withSpectrum to have an exclusive Dodgers-only channel calledSportsNet LA.
Mark McGwire became the Dodgers new hitting coach for 2013.
The Dodgers fired hitting coachDave Hansen after the 2012 season but retained the rest of their coaching staff for 2013.[1] On November 7, the Dodgers hiredMark McGwire (pictured at right) to be the new hitting coach.[2] On November 13, the Dodgers promoted bullpen coachKen Howell to assistant pitching coach and namedChuck Crim as the new bullpen coach. They also namedJohn Valentin as assistant hitting coach.[3]
Korean pitcherHyun-jin Ryu was signed by the Dodgers to a 6-year $36 million contractThe Dodgers signedZack Greinke to a 6-year $147 million contract, the richest ever for a right-handed starter to that point
The Dodgers began their offseason by re-signing closerBrandon League to a three-year, $22.5 million contract.[6] On December 9, the Dodgers signed pitcherHyun-jin Ryu to a six-year, $36 million contract after winning his rights from theHanwha Eagles in theKorea Baseball Organization.[7] The Dodgers, on December 10, signed the top free agent pitcher,Zack Greinke, to a six-year, $147 million contract, the largest ever awarded to a right-handed pitcher.[8] They signed left-handed relief pitcherJ. P. Howell to a one-year, $2.75 million contract on January 8.[9]
In theWBC Championship game, Ramírez injured his hand while diving for a ball. An MRI the next day revealed a torn thumb ligament that required surgery. The Dodgers announced that he would miss the first two months of the season while recovering.[13]
One of the big stories of spring training was the play ofCuban defectorYasiel Puig. He hit .526 inCactus League games and there was talk that he might be able to make the opening day roster, despite being a "very raw" talent who had only briefly played in Class-A the year before. However, the club sent him to AAChattanooga to start the season.[14]
The Dodgers began the regular season at home on April 1 against theSan Francisco Giants.Clayton Kershaw made the opening day start for the third straight season and pitched a complete-game shutout as the Dodgers won 4–0. Kershaw also hit his first career home run in the game, for the Dodgers' first run in the bottom of the 8th.[15] Korean pitcherHyun-jin Ryu made his Major League debut the following day, allowing three runs (one earned) on 10 hits in6+1⁄3 innings to pick up the 3–0 loss.[16] The Dodgers went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position in the series finale, andPablo Sandoval andHunter Pence hit homers offJosh Beckett as the Giants won 5–3.[17]Zack Greinke made his Dodgers debut on April 5, pitching a two-hitter for6+1⁄3 innings in the Dodgers' 3–0 win.Andre Ethier hit a solo homer in the game.[18] In his second start of the season, Kershaw pitched seven shutout innings while striking out nine and only allowing two hits in the 1–0 victory over thePittsburgh Pirates.[19] The Dodgers finished off their three-game sweep of the Pirates with a 6–2 win on April 7.Adrián González had four RBI and Ryu picked up his first Major League win in the game.[20]
The Dodgers began their first road trip of the season on April 9 atPetco Park against theSan Diego Padres. The bullpen allowed 5 runs to score in the bottom of the 8th and the team lost 9–3.[21] In Game 2 of the Padres series,Chad Billingsley made his first start of the season and allowed only one run in six innings.Carl Crawford andA. J. Ellis both homered in the 4–3 win.[22] The Dodgers won the third game of the series, 3–2, thanks to a go-ahead pinch hit home run byJuan Uribe. However, pitcher Zack Greinke injured his leftcollarbone whenCarlos Quentin charged the mound and tackled him to the ground after he was hit by a pitch.[23] Kershaw pitched well again in his next start, against theArizona Diamondbacks, but the offense failed to score and the team lost 3–0.[24] Ryu struck out nine in six innings in his next start and also went 3 for 3 at the plate as the Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks 7–5.[25] Josh Beckett struck out nine in the next game and pitched a complete game, but the offense failed to score and he allowed the game-winning hit byPaul Goldschmidt in the bottom of the ninth of the 1–0 loss.[26]
The Dodgers returned home on April 15 for aJackie Robinson Day game against the Padres.Eric Stults hit a three-run homer off Chad Billingsley and the Dodgers again were unable to get key hits and lost 6–3.[27]Chris Capuano made his first start of the season on April 16, replacing the injured Zack Greinke in the rotation. He struggled early, allowing four runs in the first inning and then left the game in the top of the third after suffering his own injury, a strained left calf. The Dodgers lost 9–2.[28] Kershaw picked up his 1,000th career strikeout when he fannedYonder Alonso of the Padres in the 2nd inning on April 17. He became the youngest Dodger pitcher to reach that mark sinceFernando Valenzuela. However, he struggled after that and the offense again failed to do much as the team lost 7–2. The Dodgers were swept at home by the Padres for the first time since2006.[29]
The Dodgers were rained out on April 19 atCamden Yards and forced to play a doubleheader the following day against theBaltimore Orioles. Their losing streak extended to six games after they lost both games of the doubleheader. In the first game, Andre Ethier hit a three-run homer in the first to stake the Dodgers to a 4–0 lead but Ryu allowed two home runs and the bullpen again failed as the team lost 7–5.[30]Manny Machado battered Beckett for a homer, double, single and 4 RBIs in the nightcap as the Orioles won 6–1.[31] The Dodgers woes continued when Chad Billingsley was scratched from his scheduled April 20 start and placed on the disabled list due to pain in his elbow.Stephen Fife was recalled from AAAAlbuquerque to make the start.[32] The Dodgers did manage to end the six-game losing streak with a 7–4 victory in the series finale.[33]Mark Ellis hit two home runs in the Dodgers 7–2 victory over theNew York Mets atCiti Field on April 23.[34]Ted Lilly made his first start of the season the following day and held the Mets to 1 run on 6 hits in 5 innings while striking out 7.Matt Kemp also hit his first home run of the season. However, the Mets tied the game in the bottom of the ninth and then won it with a walk-off grand slam byJordany Valdespin off ofJosh Wall in the bottom of the 10th.[35] The Dodgers got a two-run rally in the top of the ninth on the 25th to pick up a 3–2 win over the Mets in the final game of the road trip.[36]
Matt Magill made his Major League debut on April 27
The Dodgers returned home on April 26 to begin a three-game weekend series with theMilwaukee Brewers. Adrián González doubled twice and drove in 3 runs in the 7–5 victory. Mark Ellis left the game after five innings because of a strained rightquad.[37] Fife was placed on the disabled list the next day andMatt Magill was called up from the minors to make his Major League debut. Magill allowed only two runs in6+2⁄3 innings while striking out seven. However,Matt Guerrier allowed two home runs and they lost 6–4.[38] Clayton Kershaw struck out 12 while pitching 8 shutout innings and Carl Crawford hit two homers as the Dodgers beat the Brewers 2–0 to win the series.[39] Ted Lilly allowed five runs in the first three innings in his next start and Josh Wall allowed seven more in 2 innings of relief as the Dodgers were crushed by theColorado Rockies 12–2.[40] The Dodgers finished April with a 13–13 record after Ryu struck out 12 in 6 innings andHanley Ramírez homered in his first start of the season after coming off the disabled list.[41]
Josh Beckett fell to 0–4 on the season as the Dodgers lost to the Rockies 7–3 to start the month of May.[42]
The Dodgers injury epidemic continued asHanley Ramírez, after playing in just four games, injured his hamstring in the May 3 game against theSan Francisco Giants atAT&T Park.Clayton Kershaw allowed only 3 hits and 1 run in 7 innings but the Giants won 2–1 on a walk-off home run byBuster Posey.[43] The following day,Matt Magill got pounded in his second start, allowing 5 runs in only 1.1 innings. The Dodgers fell behind 6–1 but came back to tie the game, partially thanks toDee Gordon who tripled, stole two bases and scored two runs. However, they wound up losing 10–9 on a walk-off home run byGuillermo Quiróz in the 10th inning.[44] The Giants completed the sweep of the injury-riddled Dodgers the next day, 4–3.[45]
An eight-game losing streak to start the month of May had fans calling for ManagerDon Mattingly to be fired.
The team returned home to open a series against theArizona Diamondbacks.Chris Capuano came off the disabled list to allow six runs in 4+ innings,Carl Crawford misplayed two balls in the outfield and the losing streak hit 5 in a 9–2 loss.[46]Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run homer offBrandon League in the ninth on May 7 to send the Dodgers to their sixth straight loss 5–3. This was the second six-game losing streak of the season for the team, the first time that had happened since1912.[47] Goldschmidt hit two more runs the next day as the Diamondbacks won 3–2. This was the first time the Dodgers had been swept in consecutive series since2008.[48] The Dodgers combined for 10 hits on May 10 against theMiami Marlins, including a three-run homer byAdrián González in the first inning. But it wasn't enough as they lost 5–4 to run the losing streak to 8.[49]Hyun-jin Ryu pitched well the next day, allowing only 1 run in 6.2 innings, as the Dodgers snapped their 8-game losing streak with a 7–1 win over the Marlins.Andre Ethier had 4 hits in 4 at-bats and Dee Gordon hit his 2nd career home run in the win.[50] Chris Capuano picked up his first win of the season onMother's Day asScott Van Slyke went 2 for 4 with a home run in the Dodgers 5–3 win.Matt Kemp picked up his 1,000th career hit in the game, the fifth fastest Dodger to reach that mark.[51] Beckett struggled the next night, allowing 4 runs in only 3 innings of a 6–2 loss to theWashington Nationals.[52] Kershaw was back on the mound on May 14, striking out 11 in8+2⁄3 scoreless innings. Andre Ethier provided a two-run single for the 2–0 win.[53]Zack Greinke returned from the disabled list to allow only one run in5+1⁄3 innings to get a 3–1 win over the Nationals in the final game of the homestand.[54]
The Dodgers went back on the road on May 17 against theAtlanta Braves atTurner Field. Van Slyke hit two home runs in the first game butPaco Rodriguez allowed agrand slam home run toJustin Upton and the Braves won 8–5.[55] Chris Capuano pitched well the next day, taking a shutout into the 8th inning but relieverKenley Jansen allowed back-to-back homers toEvan Gattis andAndrelton Simmons and the team lost again, 3–1.[56] The bullpen surrendered the lead again the next night as the Braves completed the sweep with a 5–2 win.[57] The Dodgers traveled toMiller Park for a series against theMilwaukee Brewers next. After 3 straight days of bullpen meltdowns, Clayton Kershaw picked the team up by pitching his 10th career complete game and only allowing 3 hits in a 3–1 victory. Ethier and Kemp homered in the win.[58] The team reverted to form the next day as they stranded 14 runners in scoring position and Zack Greinke struggled in a 5–2 defeat.[59] The offense finally came alive as the Dodgers wrapped up the road trip with a 9–2 win over the Brewers on May 22.[60]
The Dodgers returned home on May 24 for a series against theSt. Louis Cardinals amid media speculation that ManagerDon Mattingly was in danger of losing his job.[61] The team didn't help his cause as they managed only 3 hits againstLance Lynn and lost 7–0.[62]Adrián González had a homer, double and three RBI in a 5–3 victory over the Cardinals the following day.[63] Gonzalez homered and drove in 3 more the next day, but Kershaw had a rough outing allowing four runs, his most all season, in a 5–3 loss.[64] Continuing his hot streak, Gonzalez was 4 for 4 on May 27 against theLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim as the Dodgers came back from a 6–1 deficit to win 8–7.[65] Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched a complete-game shutout andLuis Cruz hit his first home run of the year in a 3–0 win over the Angels the following day in the final game of the homestand.[66]
TheFreeway series continued the next night atAngel Stadium, asJered Weaver held the Dodgers offense in check and the Angels won 4–3.[67] The Angels took the finale to the series, 3–2, thanks to solid pitching byJason Vargas and an RBI infield single byChris Nelson.[68] The Dodgers concluded a tough month of May with a game atCoors Field against theColorado Rockies. Kershaw pitched seven plus solid innings butTodd Helton two-run homer off closer Brandon League tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Dodgers rallied to score two in the tenth for their first extra inning win of the season, 7–5.[69]
The Dodgers began June much the way they ended May.Ronald Belisario allowed a two-run homer toMichael Cuddyer in the seventh to blow the lead and thenDexter Fowler hit a walk-off single offMatt Guerrier in the 10th as the Rockies beat the Dodgers 7–6.[70]Matt Magill was called up from the minors to make a spot start on June 2 but he struggled. Magill became the first Major Leaguer since at least 1916 to allow at least nine walks and four homers in the same start as the Dodgers were crushed 7–2.[71]
Yasiel Puig made his debut in June and hit .436 with 7 home runs. His 44 hits in the month was second most all-time for a rookie in his debut month.
The Dodgers returned home to play theSan Diego Padres.Stephen Fife was the second straight spot starter, allowing one run in5+1⁄3 innings.Adrián González andScott Van Slyke each hit solo homers to account for all the Dodgers runs in the 2–1 win. The story of the game however, was the debut of top prospectYasiel Puig, who went 2 for 4 and threw out a runner at first from the warning track on a double play to end the game.[72] In the next game, Puig went 3 for 4 with a double and two home runs to lead the team to a 9–7 victory. He was the first Dodger player in history with a multi-homer game in one of his first two games and the first with five RBI in one of his first two games sinceSpider Jorgensen in1947.[73] However, he went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts in the series finale asJason Marquis no hit the Dodgers into the sixth inning and the Padres won 6–2 to keep the Dodgers in last place in the division.[74]Zack Greinke pitched seven scoreless innings on June 6 against theAtlanta Braves and Puig continued his hot start by blasting agrand slam home run in the eighth inning to blow open the Dodgers 5–0 win.[75] Puig homered again the next day, and became only the second player in the modern era with four homers in his first five games and he tied the Major League record with 10 RBI in his first five games.Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed one run on six hits in7+2⁄3 innings and the Dodgers won, 2–1, whenpinch runnerSkip Schumaker scored on a wild pitch byAnthony Varvaro in the bottom of the 10th.[76] The Braves won the next day, 2–1, asKris Medlen pitched6+2⁄3 scoreless innings and hit a solo homer. That was one of two homers allowed by Stephen Fife in the fifth inning.[77] Matt Magill made another emergency start on June 9 asTed Lilly went back on the disabled list. He walked six and allowed seven runs in3+2⁄3 innings as the Dodgers lost to the Braves 8–1.[78]Clayton Kershaw allowed only one run in seven innings on June 10 against theArizona Diamondbacks butBrandon League was tagged for four runs in the ninth and the Dodgers lost 5–4. Puig had three hits on the day to move his batting average to .500 on the season. He became the first Dodger in history with 16 hits in his first eight games and the first with six multi-hit games in his first eight.[79] The Dodgers beat the Diamondbacks the next day asTim Federowicz three-run double provided the difference in the 5–3 win. The game was marred by five hit batters, twobench clearing incidents, and six ejections of players and coaches.[80] The Dodgers ended their homestand with an 8–6 loss to the Diamondbacks in 12 innings on June 12.[81]
Major League Baseball on June 14 announced the discipline for the fight between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks that took place a few days prior. Diamondbacks pitcherIan Kennedy was suspended 10 games and utility playerEric Hinske 5 games, while Dodgers utility player Skip Schumaker and relief pitcherJ. P. Howell were suspended two games andRonald Belisario one. In addition managerDon Mattingly and hitting coachMark McGwire were suspended as well and several players were fined.[82]
The Dodgers began a roadtrip atPNC Park on June 14 but the woes continued asJeff Locke tossed seven shutout innings and thePittsburgh Pirates won 3–0.[83] The next day, Kershaw allowed only one run and three hits in seven innings, while striking out eight. However, the bullpen coughed up the lead yet again. This time the Dodgers managed to pull out the win 5–3 in 11 innings.[84] A three-run home run byPedro Álvarez off Greinke was the key to the Pirates' 6–3 win in the series finale.[85] The Dodgers were scheduled to begin a two-game series against theNew York Yankees on June 18, but a rain out forced the two teams to play a day-night doubleheader on June 19.[86]Hanley Ramírez had four hits, including a two-run homer in the first game, but the Dodgers committed four errors in the game and lost 6–4.[87]Chris Capuano came off the disabled list to pitch six shutout innings and Puig hit a home run to lead the Dodgers to a split of the doubleheader with a 6–0 win. Puig had 27 hits in his first 15 games, second most all-time.[88] After the game, they took a cross-country plane ride and opened a series against the Padres inSan Diego. They lost 6–3 as the Padres defenders made several highlight reel plays andPedro Ciriaco had an RBI triple and a two-run home run in the game.[89] The Dodgers committed two more errors the next day, tying theHouston Astros for the league lead. They lost 5–2.[90] Zack Greinke had his best start as a Dodger on June 22, holding the Padres to one run and four hits, while striking out eight in eight innings. Adrián González and Hanley Ramírez homered in the 6–1 victory.[91] González and Ramírez hit back-to-back homers the following day to help the Dodgers split the series 3–1.[92]
Hanley Ramírez came off the disabled list in June and had a 12-game hitting streak, during which he hit .477.
The Dodgers returned home on June 24, to open a series against theSan Francisco Giants. Yasiel Puig went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBI in the first game as the Dodgers won 3–1, their first three-game winning streak since they swept the Pirates on April 5–7.[93] They extended the streak to four games when they beat the Giants 6–5 the next day. Ramírez andMark Ellis homered andMatt Kemp came off the disabled list to make a game-saving catch to end the game and preserve the win.[94] The Dodgers finished off the three-game sweep of the Giants with a 4–2 win on June 26. Kershaw pitched 8+ innings and allowed only a two-run homer toBuster Posey, while striking out seven.[95] Puig delivered the go-ahead two-out, two-run single in the seventh inning as the Dodgers took the opener of a series from thePhiladelphia Phillies to stretch the winning streak to six games.[96] The streak came to an abrupt end on June 28 as the Phillies erupted for 21 hits and 16 runs in a 16–1 shellacking of the Dodgers. It was the team's worst home loss since1947 and the most runs allowed in a game since2003.[97] Hanley Ramírez was 3 for 4 with a 3-run homer the following day, and also scored the winning run on a walk-off single byA. J. Ellis as the Dodgers won 4–3.[98] The Dodgers finished out their first winning month of the season with a 6–1 victory over the Phillies. Stephen Fife pitched seven shutout innings but the real story was Yasiel Puig who was 4 for 5 with a double and a triple to breakSteve Sax's team record for most hits in a month by a rookie with 44. His total was also second most all-time among rookies in their first month, behind onlyJoe DiMaggio.[99]
In their first July game, the Dodgers moved out of last place for the first time since May 5.Clayton Kershaw struck out eight and pitched a complete-game shutout in the 8–0 victory over theRockies atCoors Field.[100] The Dodgers won again the next night asJuan Uribe,Adrián González,Hanley Ramírez andMatt Kemp all homered in the 10–8 win.[101] González was 4 for 5 with a homer in the series finale and Kemp also hit another homer, butChris Capuano allowed 5 runs in4+1⁄3 innings and the Rockies won the game, 9–5.[102] The Dodgers began a series with theGiants atAT&T Park on July 5. Uribe had a double, triple, homer and 7 RBI in the 10–2 win.[103] Three errors and an inability to mount any offense against Giants starterMadison Bumgarner led to the 4–2 loss the following day.[104]A. J. Ellis three-run double in the top of the ninth ofSergio Romo gave the Dodgers a 4–1 win on July 7.[105]Zack Greinke allowed only two hits and struck out seven in seven scoreless innings to lead the Dodgers to a 6–1 victory over the first placeArizona Diamondbacks atChase Field.[106]Ricky Nolasco made his first start as a Dodger on July 9, after having been acquired in a trade with theMiami Marlins a few days prior. He allowed only one run on four hits in seven innings of work and the Dodgers again won 6–1.[107] Also on July 9,Skip Schumaker switched uniform numbers from 3 to his more comfortable number 55 that he had worn for his first 8 seasons with theSt. Louis Cardinals from 2005 to 2012. Hanley Ramírez and A. J. Ellis hit back-to-back homers in the top of the 14th inning as the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks with a 7–5 win to climb back to .500 for the first time since April 30.[108]
The Dodgers returned home on July 11 and extended their winning streak with a 6–1 victory over the Rockies. Capuano pitched 6.1 scoreless innings, while striking out a season-high eight andMark Ellis was 3 for 4 with 4 RBI in the game.[109] The Dodgers' five-game winning streak came to an end whenJuan Nicasio shut them out 3–0.[110] The Dodgers returned the favor the next day as Zack Greinke struck out nine and allowed only two hits in a 1–0 complete-game shutout.[111] The Dodgers headed into the All-Star break with a 47–47 record after losing 3–1 to split the series with the Rockies.[112] Kershaw was the Dodgers only representative at the2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, and retired the three batters he faced in his one inning of work.[113]
After the break, the Dodgers traveled to thenation's capital for a three-game series against theWashington Nationals. Hanley Ramírez hit a two-run homer andAndre Ethier a solo shot to account for all the team's runs in a 3–2 win.[114] Ramírez's RBI double in the 10th inning capped a 3 for 5 night as the Dodgers took game 2 of the series, 3–1, on July 20.[115] Matt Kemp rejoined the Dodgers on July 21 after spending two weeks on the disabled list with a sore shoulder. In his return, he was 3 for 4 with a homer as the Dodgers drubbed the Nationals 9–2 to sweep the series.[116] The Dodgers moved into first place for the first time all season when they clobbered theToronto Blue Jays 14–5 on July 22. A. J. Ellis set career highs with five RBI, four hits (including a homer), and three runs.Skip Schumaker also hit a three-run homer in the game.[117] The following day, the Dodgers fell behind 8–3 after 6 innings but came back and won 10–9. Adrián González three-run homer in the eighth inning was the big blow.[118] They came from behind again the next day, closing out the road trip by scoring 5 runs in the top of the 10th with home runs by Mark Ellis andYasiel Puig to win 8–3.[119] With the win the Dodgers set an L.A. Dodger record with their 10th straight road win, something the Dodgers franchise hadn't done since1955. This was also the first time they had swept an interleague series (of three or more games) since2003 and the first time they had scored eight or more runs in four straight games since1985.[120]
The Dodgers returned home on July 25 and dropped the opener of a four-game series against theCincinnati Reds, 5–2.Mat Latos held the Dodgers to one run in7+2⁄3 innings, andJay Bruce andXavier Paul each homered to end the six-game winning streak.[121] Hanley Ramírez hit a two-run homer to back Clayton Kershaw's eight strikeouts in eight innings as the club won 2–1 in the second game of the series.[122]Hyun-jin Ryu dominated on July 27, striking out nine and allowing only one run on two hits in seven innings in the Dodgers' 4–1 victory over the Reds.[123] Puig hit a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 11th as the Dodgers took the series finale 1–0. A pitching duel between Chris Capuano andTony Cingrani kept the game tied heading into extra innings. The 20 strikeouts by Dodgers batters in the game set a franchise record, breaking the mark set during a 15-inning game on May 2,1995 against the Giants.[124] Greinke stuck out 7 in 7 innings and Mark Ellis hit a walk-off RBI single in the ninth as the Dodgers beat theNew York Yankees 3–2 on July 30.[125] Kershaw pitched eight shutout innings as the month came to a close, butHiroki Kuroda also did not allow a run and the Yankees won 3–0 after scoring all their runs off the Dodgers bullpen in the top of the ninth.[126]
The Dodgers traveled toWrigley Field and started the month of August with a 6–4 victory over theChicago Cubs, extending the road winning streak to 11.[127] The following day they won again 6–2, tying the all-time franchise record of 12 set by the1924 Brooklyn Robins.Hyun-jin Ryu became the first Dodger rookie to win 10 games in a season sinceKazuhisa Ishii in2002.[128] A two-run single byCarl Crawford keyed the Dodgers' 3–0 win over the Cubs on August 3 to extend the streak to 13, a new franchise record and the longest in the National League since the1976 Phillies also won 13.[129] The team finished off a sweep of the Cubs with a 1–0 victory.Stephen Fife came off the DL to pitch5+1⁄3 scoreless innings andKenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save, and 25th consecutive batter he had retired in a row. This was the Dodgers' first four-game sweep at Wrigley Field since1954.[130]Zack Greinke picked up his 100th career win in the Dodgers' 3–2 victory over theSt. Louis Cardinals atBusch Stadium. He pitched6+1⁄3 innings and drove in the eventual winning run with a single in the seventh.[131] A lack of clutch hitting led to the Dodgers first road loss in a month, a 5–1 loss to the Cardinals on August 7. The streak ended at 15, just two behind the all-time record set by the1984 Tigers and1916 Giants.[132] Cardinals starterShelby Miller had to leave the next game after only two pitches due to injury and the Dodgers erupted for 6 runs in the second inning on their way to a 13–4 win. Crawford had 4 hits from the leadoff spot and bothAndre Ethier andSkip Schumaker had 3 hits and 4 RBI in the win.[133] Ryu struck out seven in seven innings while not walking a batter and allowing only one unearned run as the Dodgers completed a 7–1 road trip with a 5–1 win.A. J. Ellis delivered the big blow with a 3-run homer.[134]
The Dodgers returned home on August 9 to begin aninterleague series against theTampa Bay Rays. In the opener, the Rays jumped out to a 6–0 lead andDavid Price allowed only one unearned run through his seven innings. However, the Dodgers rallied against the Rays bullpen with two runs in the eighth and four in the ninth to win 7–6.[135] Zack Greinke pitched6+1⁄3 scoreless innings,Adrián González homered, Skip Schumaker had four hits and the Dodgers won the second game of the series, 5–0.[136]Clayton Kershaw dominated in the series finale, striking out eight and allowing just 3 hits and 1 earned run in 8 strong innings, while driving in 2 runs on a second-inning single. The Dodgers won 8–2.[137] The next day, they beat theNew York Mets 4–2 asNick Punto homered and González had three hits and an RBI. The Dodgers record of 38–8 over their past 46 games was the franchise's best mark since the1899 Brooklyn Superbas.[138] Ryu pitched another good game the following day, beating Mets aceMatt Harvey to pick up his 12th win in the Dodgers 4–2 victory.[139] On August 14, the Dodgers fell behind early 4–0 after 3 innings but again fought their way back and tied it up on a two-run pinch hit homer by Andre Ethier in the bottom of the ninth. Back-to-back doubles byYasiel Puig and González in the 12th gave them a 5–4 walk-off win. This was the 12th straight victory for the Dodgers in one-run games, a franchise record, and their 40th win in 48 games, the best mark in the Majors since the1942 St. Louis Cardinals.[140]
The Dodgers traveled to the east coast to begin a road trip with thePhiladelphia Phillies atCitizens Bank Park. Greinke and the bullpen shut out the Phillies andHanley Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the 4–0 win.[141] Kershaw struck out 8 in 8 scoreless innings as the Dodgers shut out the Phillies again, 5–0 for their first 10-game win streak since2006. The record of 42–8 over the past 50 games was the third best 50 game stretch in Major League history, behind only the1906 Cubs and1912 Giants.[142] The streak was snapped the next day as Ramírez made two errors in the bottom of the ninth and the Phillies won 3–2.[143] The Dodgers lost consecutive games for the first time since June 20–21 when they dropped the opener of a series against theMiami Marlins 6–2 on August 19 atMarlins Park.[144] Yasiel Puig came off the bench and hit a solo homer to lead off the eighth inning as the Dodgers won the second game of the series, 6–4.[145] Greinke pitched another good game the next day, allowing only one run in eight innings as the Dodgers capitalized on 3 Marlins errors to win 4–1.[146] Kershaw followed that up by again pitching eight scoreless innings in the Dodgers 6–0 shutout of the Marlins to end the road trip.[147]
The Dodgers began a three-game series against theAmerican League East leadingBoston Red Sox atDodger Stadium on August 24.Ricky Nolasco andJohn Lackey both pitched eight strong innings, and only five hits were allowed combined. Hanley Ramírez two-run homer in the 4th was the only scoring in the 2–0 win for the Dodgers, which stretched their lead in the division to10+1⁄2 games, the largest since1977.[148] Ryu allowed 4 runs in the first inning the next day, with the big blow on a 3-run homer byJonny Gomes and the Dodgers never recovered, losing 4–2.[149] The Red Sox won the series finale 8–1, the Dodgers first series loss since June 14–16. They had won or tied 18 straight series, a franchise record.[150] Greinke got the Dodgers back on track after their two-game slide, pitching8+2⁄3 innings against the Cubs and also hitting an RBI single in the 6–0 win.[151] The Dodgers offense was stymied by Cubs pitcherTravis Wood the next night and they lost 3–2. The team moved past 3 million in attendance this night, the first team in the Majors to reach that mark.[152] Nolasco pitched eight shutout innings, while striking out 11, and Ramírez and Ethier both homered in the 4–0 win on August 28. The Dodgers 8 shutout wins in the month of August was the most by any MLB team in one month since the Dodgers did it in September of1988.[153] Yasiel Puig had four hits and Adrián González hit two homers as the Dodgers pounded theSan Diego Padres 9–2 on August 30, setting a new L.A. Dodgers record with 22 wins in a month, one shy of the franchise record set by the1953 and1957 Brooklyn Dodgers. Newly signedEdinson Vólquez made his Dodgers debut, the 26th pitcher the team used this season, setting a franchise record.[154] The Dodgers tied the franchise record for wins in a month the next day, as they finished August with a 2–1 win over the Padres.[155]
Clayton Kershaw had a rare poor performance in the opener of a road series against theColorado Rockies. He allowed 5 runs and a career-high 11 hits, but the Dodger offense picked him up and the team continued winning, 10–8.[157]Ricky Nolasco won his sixth straight decision, 7–4, on September 3 asNick Punto had four hits andCarl Crawford had three hits and two RBI.[158] The Dodgers dropped the series finale to the Rockies, 7–5, thanks to a poor first Dodger start byEdison Volquez, who allowed four runs in four innings of work.[159] The Dodgers next traveled toGreat American Ball Park to begin a weekend series with theCincinnati Reds.Chris Capuano left the game in the second inning with a groin strain and the Reds won 3–2.[160] A walk-off single byTodd Frazier in the 10th inning gave the Reds a 4–3 victory on September 7, sending the Dodgers to their first three-game losing streak since June 8–10.[161] The Reds completed the sweep, 3–2, thanks to two home runs byJay Bruce and a walk-off double byRyan Hanigan.[162]
A.J. Ellis's solo homer on September 19 against the Diamondbacks helped the Dodgers clinch the NL West championship.
The Dodgers returned home on September 9 and smacked theArizona Diamondbacks 8–1.Juan Uribe made 4 hits, including 3 home runs, in 4 at-bats. He was the first Dodger to hit three homers in a game sinceAndre Ethier on June 26,2009. The Dodgers as a team hit six homers in the game, the most since they hit seven against the Padres on September 16,2006.[163] The team won again the next night, asScott Van Slyke hit a pinch hit walk-off home run in the 11th inning to give the Dodgers a 5–3 win. This was the team's first walk-off homer by a pinch hitter sinceOlmedo Sáenz in2007.[164]Patrick Corbin kept the Dodgers offense in check the next day and the Diamondbacks won 4–1.[165] A walk-off single byAdrián González in the 10th inning gave the Dodgers a 3–2 win over theSan Francisco Giants on September 12.[166]Madison Bumgarner out pitched Kershaw as the Giants won the next game, 4–2.[167] The Giants pounded the Dodgers 19–3 on September 15. The 19 runs was the most ever scored by one team at Dodger Stadium, the most allowed by the Dodgers in a game since May 5, 2001, at Chicago, and the worst Dodger home defeat since a July 3, 1947, loss to the Giants inBrooklyn.[168]Hunter Pence hit two homers in the Giants 4–3 win in the series finale. He hit five home runs in total in the four game series, the first Giant to accomplish that feat against the Dodgers sinceWillie Mays.[169]
The Dodgers traveled toPhoenix to begin a four-game series against the Diamondbacks, needing to win just two of them to clinch the Western Division title. In the opener,Hyun-Jin Ryu allowed only two hits in a complete game effort; however, one of those hits was a two-run homer byPaul Goldschmidt and they lost again 2–1.[170]Matt Kemp andHanley Ramírez returned to the Dodgers' lineup on September 17 after missing time with injuries and both reached base four times as Uribe and González homered. The Dodgers snapped the four-game losing streak with a 9–3 win.[171] They failed in their first chance to clinch the division when spot starterStephen Fife didn't make it out of the third the next night andRonald Belisario was pounded for five runs in relief. The Diamondbacks won 9–4.[172] The Dodgers clinched theNational League West championship with a 7–6 win over the Diamondbacks on September 19. Ramírez hit two home runs andA. J. Ellis hit the game-winning homer in the eighth inning for the Dodgers' first West title since2009. The team's9+1⁄2-game deficit on June 21 was the largest the Dodgers had ever overcome to win a division, and they were just the fourth team in MLB history to ever accomplish that feat.[173] The next day, the Dodgers rested all the regulars in the opening of a series at the San Diego Padres. The backups could not generate any offense and the Padres won 2–0.[174] Clayton Kershaw was brilliant the next day, pitching seven shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out ten. Yasiel Puig and A. J. Ellis both hit two-run homers in the 4–0 victory.[175] Zack Greinke pitched five shutout innings as the Dodgers wrapped up their series with the Padres with a 1–0 win.[176] Hyun-jin Ryu allowed only one run in seven innings and Puig andMatt Kemp each hit solo homers as the Dodgers won the opener of their final road series of the season, 2–0, over the Giants.[177] Ricky Nolasco allowed six runs over5+2⁄3 innings in his last start of the regular season, a 6–4 loss to the Giants. It was his third straight poor start.[178] The Dodgers finished up their final road series of the regular season whenÁngel Pagán homered offPaco Rodriguez to give the Giants a 3–2 victory.[179]
Kershaw pitched six shutout innings in his final start of the regular season, an 11–0 win, on September 27. He finished the season with a Major League leading 1.83 ERA, making him the first pitcher to lead the league three years in a row sinceGreg Maddux in 1993–95. His ERA was the lowest for a starter sincePedro Martínez in 2000.[180] Greinke also pitched well in his final start, allowing only one run while striking out seven in six innings. However, the Dodgers were unable to score and lost the game, 1–0.[181] The Dodgers lost their final game of the regular season, 2–1, to the Rockies on September 29. They finished the season with a record of 92–70.[182]
As National League West champions, the Dodgers advanced to the 2013 National League Division Series to play the Eastern Division championAtlanta Braves. They suffered a blow on the last day of the regular season whenMRI results revealed thatMatt Kemp had a severe ankle injury and was not able to play in the postseason.[183]Andre Ethier was also dealing with an ankle injury and he was limited to pinch hitting in the division series.[184]
Dodger Stadium during Game 3 of the 2013 NLDS
In game 1 of the series, at Atlanta'sTurner Field,Clayton Kershaw struck out 12 batters in 7 innings. That was the third most strikeouts by a Dodger pitcher in the playoffs, behind onlySandy Koufax (15 in the1963 World Series) andCarl Erskine (14 in the1953 World Series). His six straight strikeouts in the game tied an MLB post-season record held by five pitchers. The Dodgers won the game 6–1.[185] The Braves tied up the series the next day, with a 4–3 win, as the Dodgers bullpen faltered.Hanley Ramírez homered and doubled twice in the game but it wasn't enough.Jason Heyward had a two-RBI single for the deciding runs.[186]
The Dodgers offense took over in game 3 as they took the lead in the series with a 13–6 win atDodger Stadium. Ramírez had two more extra base hits (a double and triple) in the game to tie the NLDS record and franchise record (Steve Garvey,Duke Snider) for most extra-base hits in the postseason. The 13 runs tied a franchise record set in the1956 World Series.[187] The Dodgers brought Kershaw back on short rest in game 4 and he pitched six innings, while allowing only two unearned runs (thanks to twoAdrián González errors).Carl Crawford hit two solo homers in his first two at-bats, the first Dodger to do so in the playoffs sinceShawn Green in the2004 National League Division Series. An RBI double byJosé Constanza offRonald Belisario in the 7th gave the Braves the lead, but the Dodgers went back up thanks to a two-run homer byJuan Uribe in the 8th offDavid Carpenter.Kenley Jansen closed it down in the ninth to preserve the 4–3 series clinching victory for the Dodgers.[188]
The Dodgers advanced to the NLCS for the first time since2009, where they faced off with theSt. Louis Cardinals. In the first game of the series atBusch Stadium,Zack Greinke allowed only two runs in eight innings, while striking out a season high 10 batters, the first pitcher to strike out 10 Cardinals in a postseason game sinceDenny Galehouse in the1944 World Series.Andre Ethier, making his first post-season start of the season after being limited to pinch hitting the previous round, just missed catchingCarlos Beltrán's double at the fence to allow the two runs to score in the third. The Dodgers also managed two runs, on a single byJuan Uribe in the top of the third. The game remained tied into extra innings until Beltran recorded the walk-off hit offKenley Jansen in the bottom of the 13th inning to give the Cardinals a 3–2 victory. This was the longest game in Dodgers post-season history since the1916 World Series.[189] In the second game,Clayton Kershaw and two relievers combined to allow only 2 hits and 1 run but that was enough as the Dodgers offense failed to score at all and they lost 1–0. Kershaw was the first starting pitcher in post-season history to lose a game while allowing no earned runs and two or fewer hits.[190]
Hanley Ramírez sat out game two after getting hit by a pitch in the first game and was diagnosed with a fractured rib. However, he was back in the lineup for Game three atDodger Stadium and had two hits and an RBI.Yasiel Puig snapped an 0 for 11 streak with an RBI triple andHyun-jin Ryu pitched seven shutout innings as the Dodgers picked up their first victory of the series with a 3–0 victory.[191]Ricky Nolasco got his first post-season start the next day and he allowed three runs in the third, on an RBI double byMatt Carpenter and a booming 2-run home run byMatt Holliday. Ramírez tried to play through the pain again, but struck out three times and was in noticeable pain when he was taken out in the seventh inning. The Dodgers offense again struggled to score runs and they lost 4–2 to fall to the brink of elimination.[192] Greinke responded with seven strong innings in Game Five and the Dodgers offense came alive. The team hit four home runs, including two byAdrián González and held on to win 6–4, sending the series back to St. Louis. The four homers tied a Dodger post-season record that had previously been accomplished in Game 2 of the1977 World Series and Game 1 of the1978 NLCS.[193]
In Game Six, Kershaw struggled from the start and he allowed seven runs on ten hits in four innings, his shortest start of the year.NLCS MVPMichael Wacha shut out the Dodgers for the second time in the series and the Dodgers season came to an end with a 9–0 blowout loss.[194]
Note: W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; H = Hits allowed; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts
On April 15, placed RHPShawn Tolleson on the 15-day disabled list with a lower back strain, retroactive to April 13, and recalled RHPJosh Wall from AAAAlbuquerque.[212]
On May 6, placed IFMark Ellis on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 27, with a strained rightgroin, and activated LHPChris Capuano from the 15-day disabled list.[221]
On May 15, placed RHPJosh Beckett on the 15-day disabled list with a leftgroin strain, retroactive to May 14, and activated RHPZack Greinke from the 15-day disabled list.[225]
On June 4, activated SSHanley Ramírez from the 15-day disabled list and placed LHPChris Capuano on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to May 30, with a left shoulderLatissimus Strain.[234]
On June 9, placed LHPTed Lilly on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 5, with a neck sprain and recalled RHPMatt Magill from AAAAlbuquerque.[235]
On July 8, placed OFMatt Kemp (acromioclavicular joint irritation in his left shoulder) and RHPStephen Fife (right shoulder bursitis) on the 15-day disabled list, recalled OFScott Van Slyke from AAA Albuquerque, and activated RHPRicky Nolasco.[250]
On July 24, placed OFMatt Kemp on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to July 22, with a left ankle sprain and activated LHPTed Lilly from the 15-day disabled list.[253]
On September 11, purchased the contract of LHPOnelki García from AAA Albuquerque and transferred RHPShawn Tolleson from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.[269]
On September 14, recalled OFAlex Castellanos from AAA Albuquerque, purchased the contract of OFNick Buss from AAA Albuquerque and transferred RHPJosé Dominguez from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.[270]
On September 16, activated OFMatt Kemp from the 15-day disabled list.[271]
The Dodgers selected 40 players in this draft. Of those, six of them played Major League Baseball.
Cody Bellinger
The first round draft pick was right-handed pitcherChris Anderson fromJacksonville University. He pitched in the Dodgers system through 2016 before he was released, accumulating a record of 23–26 with a 4.75 ERA in 104 games (three of them in theMinnesota Twins farm system in 2017) and 72 starts with a 4.75 ERA.
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