Dodgers Way Quick Hits: Kershaw, Standings, Diaz, Ruiz

The Dodgers won the series finale against the Angels and ultimately took two games of three against the Halos. Clayton Kershaw took the mound in this game and his start was well worth noting, so too were other events from Saturday, July 15.

Clayton Kershaw’s fifth start since returning from the disabled list was filled with both positives and negatives before he and his teammates headed into the All-Star break. Kershaw threw six and two-thirds innings on Sunday, July 15, where he struck out eight and gave up three runs, all of which came on a three-run shot by Jefry Marte in the fourth inning. The home run was a low point in the game for Kershaw but so to were his uncharacteristic four walks. While there were some discouraging numbers, Kershaw was able to make it through 108 pitches and his fastball got up to 93 miles per hour. His slider and curveball also moved really well throughout the game. The All-Star break should be a nice rest for the staff ace and he should be able to return from the four day weekend well rested and ready to win the division.

Other notes…

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• The Dodgers finished the first half of the season in first place in the NL West and with the fifth best record in the Nation League. The Diamondbacks are just a half-game behind the Dodgers but it is encouraging to see the Boys in Blue back atop the division and ten games above .500.

• The Dodgers’ fourth overall prospect and 85th overall prospect in the majors, according to the most updated version of MLB Pipeline, had a monstrous day at the 2018 Futures Game in Washington DC where the All-Star break festivities kicked off. Diaz, an outfielder known for his solid bat, good defense, and good speed, hit two home runs in the game of prospects. Diaz’s two moonshots were measured at well over 400 feet a piece and they made him the second prospect since Alfonso Soriano in 1999 to hit two homers in the Futures Game.

Next: Dodgers Arizona Rookie League Scouting Reports

• One of the Dodgers prized prospects, Keibert Ruiz, was hurt during the Futures Game while he was catching for the World team. Ruiz took a foul tip off of his throwing hand and was removed from the game to go for X-rays on the hand that was quickly swelling. The results were negative for the 19-year old Venezuelan backstop and that is great news for the Dodgers who have expressed their affinity for the young catcher. Ruiz’s hand will almost certainly be monitored so if there should be any updates on the situation you can easily find it in a Quick Hits Article.