Blog Kiosk: 5/5/2014 - Dodger Links - Puig, Pederson and Carl Crawford

Puig and his bulldogs: Jacob and Princess.  Check out Yvonne Carrasco's story at Dodger Insider as she writes, "Morning at Casa Puig."  Take a look at his home in Miami.  Pic above via @Dodgers on twitter.

• Via Christopher Jackson at Examiner.com, "Isotopes Notebook: Southpaws are no concern for Pederson."

“He’s had some good ABs against lefties and struggled a little bit on some nastier lefties,” Berryhill said. “But we’re not really concerned with him facing lefty-lefty. It’s something that you know the more opportunity he gets, the better he’s getting.

• Via Ken Gurnick at MLB.com, "Crawford frustrated with prolonged slump."

"It's frustrating," he said. "I've had slumps, but nothing like this. I have to dig real deep, no other choices."

• Also from Gurnick, "Puig day to day after passing concussion test."
• Daniel Brim at Dodgers Digest writes about, "Dee Gordon’s Plate Discipline."
• Via Kevin Baxter at the LA Times, "Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis making progress in rehab."

Ellis has begun catching bullpen sessions and is stepping up his running program, sprinting hard from first base to third Sunday morning. Ellis said the running is the last box to check off in his rehab.

• Baxter also tells us that the, "Dodgers send Hyun-Jin Ryu home for shoulder exam."

"Hopefully there's nothing major there," pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said Sunday. "Hopefully just this little time off will correct itself and get him back in the rotation. We'll find out in the next few days about that."

• Via Charlie Wilmoth at MLB Trade Rumors, "Athletics Claim Nick (Chili) Buss."  This is too bad.  Of course, we are a bit heavy on outfielders.
• Jon Weisman at Dodger Insider, "Shrine of the Eternals honors Rachel Robinson, Don Zimmer."
• Blue Skinny Fan shares his day at Harry's Dugout meeting Pedro Guerrero.

Robinson has been called “arguably the most important woman in baseball history” by the Reliquary and Jackie’s “tower to lean on” by former Dodger executive Branch Rickey.  “She kept her husband’s legacy alive after his premature death in 1972 by founding the New York-based Jackie Robinson Foundation, a nonprofit with the mandate of providing college scholarships and leadership training to promising and talented young people,” the Shrine added.

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Welcome to the Blue, Red Patterson!

The Dodgers add a 26th man to the roster.  Using the rare "26-Man Roster Rule" the Dodger add right-handed starting pitcher Red Patterson due to the unexpected doubleheader today.  He will start the 2nd game this evening against the Twins, and it'll be his Major League debut.  BTW, Dan Haren will start the 1st game today.  Per a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Red Patterson from Triple-A Albuquerque and designated Albuquerque outfielder Nick Buss for assignment. Patterson, who will wear No. 51, was added to the roster as the 26th man for today's doubleheader at Minnesota and will make his Major League debut in the second game.

Patterson has gone 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts this season with the Isotopes, last pitching on April 24 at Fresno and allowing five runs on nine hits in 5.1 innings in a loss. The 26-year-old has gone 33-12 with a 3.40 ERA in 132 games (58 starts) in five minor league seasons after he was selected in the 29th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Patterson has 432 strikeouts, while walking only 148, in 440.0 career minor league innings.

The Texas native made his first appearance in Major League camp this year as a non-roster invitee and allowed only one run in 11.2 innings (0.77 ERA), going 0-1 and limiting opponents to a .146 batting average (6-for-41).

I always love watching new Dodger prospects on the mound for the first time.  He has quietly rose up the Dodgers ladder, and is considered a sleeper pick among prospect hounds.  Patterson throws a fastball in the low-90's and a "spike" curveball - a combination slider/curve.  Per an interview with Hugh Bernreuter at mlive.com:

“I’ve never been able to throw a real curve, so I came up with the spike, basically digging my fingernail into the ball,” Patterson said. “It doesn’t move 12-to-6, but more 3-to-9, but even then it sometimes moves different ways.

The above quote is from 2011, so I am unsure if this pitch is still in his repertoire.  

In celebration of Patterson officially becoming a Dodger and playing in his first Major League game later today, I made the above fantasy card for him.  I used a photo grabbed from Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014 taken during his appearance in an exhibition game against the Australian National team in Australia and the 1962 Topps Baseball card design.

Below are Red Patterson's career stats, via Baseball Reference:

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Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Pitchers & Catchers Workout #2

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

--------------------------

(pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

ALL IN: Today was the second day of workouts for pitchers and catchers at Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Thursday, position players report with the first full-squad workout of 2014 scheduled for Friday.

• A number of position players have reported to camp early for voluntary workouts, including Matt Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Alex Guerrero, Scott Van Slyke, Nick Buss, Justin Sellers and Mike Baxter. Non-roster invitees Justin Turner and the club’s No. 1 ranked prospect of 2014 according to Baseball America, Joc Pederson, are also here at Camelback Ranch – Glendale in advance of Thursday’s report date.

  

  (Alex Guerrero, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

BACK AT IT: Today marked the second group of pitchers to throw bullpen sessions as Zack Greinke, Josh Beckett, Chad Billingsley, Jamey Wright, Paul Maholm, Stephen Fife, Brandon League, Chris Withrow, Paco Rodriguez, Yimi Garcia and Pedro Baez threw off the mound on the backfields of Camelback Ranch – Glendale. Also throwing their first ‘pens of the spring were non-roster invitees Red Patterson and Carlos Frias.

• Beckett officially reported to Spring Training today after having undergone season-ending surgery on July 10 to remove his right first rib to relieve pressure on his nerves caused by Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. In 2013, Beckett posted a 5.19 ERA in eight starts before being placed on the disabled list. The three-time All-Star and 2003 World Series MVP ranks sixth among active pitchers (min. 1,500 IP) with an average of 8.34 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in his career and ranks 12th in the Majors with 106 wins since the start of the 2005 season.

• Billingsley, who also underwent season-ending surgery (Tommy John) on April 24 of last season, continued his rehab by throwing his first official bullpen of the spring today. Billingsley, the longest-tenured Dodger, made two starts before eventually being lost for the season in 2013, failing to post a double-digit win total for the first time since 2006.

(Josh Beckett, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

DO IT FOR THE KIDS: Outfielder Matt Kemp joined President Bill Clinton, Los Angeles Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant and other sports luminaries in a powerful conversation about the role of sports in the lives of children and the health of the nation through a town hall event on the topic, “Kids and Sports.” The event, which was originally taped two weeks ago in La Quinta, CA, was moderated by Mike Greenberg of ESPN Radio’s Mike & Mike, and aired last night on ESPN2.

(Kemp in the cage, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2014)

ROME: Clayton Kershaw joined Jim Rome (via satellite) today for a sit-down interview that will air on Showtime on Wednesday, February 12 at 9:00 p.m. EST. Other guests on Wednesday’s episode include Dodger Partner Peter Guber, in addition to comedian Kevin Hart, Portland Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge and Syracuse Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jim Boeheim.

AMATEUR HOUR: College baseball takes center stage at Camelback Ranch-Glendale this weekend when Seth Rosin’s Minnesota Golden Gophers face Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti’s alma mater, the Northern Illinois Huskies, in a three-game series to open their 2014 seasons. The Gophers and Huskies will meet in the Camelback Ranch main stadium at 1:00 p.m. Friday-Sunday, February 14-16. Fans are invited to arrive after 9:00 a.m. to watch the Dodgers and White Sox morning workouts and stay for bonus college baseball in the afternoon. Admission is free and food and beverages will be available for purchase during workouts and the college games.

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Dodgers Outfielder Nick Chili Buss Makes Topps 2013 AAA All-Star Team

With the winter season upon us all we can do is speculate about future deals, and count the awards that will be coming the Dodgers way.  

Fortunately, after years of practice I've become practically immune to the inane rumblings of the chattering class.  So, unsubstantiated rumors and potential trades hardly cause the heartburn it did when I was a younger lad - with exception of the recent Price rumors that had me quivering from the stupidity.  

As for year-end awards, all I can do is wait for their announcements.  We got shut out on the Gold Glove front, but that's small potatoes compared to whats coming down the pike.  (Cy Young, anyone)  From here on, we are likely to see a progressive number of awards and accolades that could make a grown man blush.

This morning we find out that Dodgers AAA outfielder Nick Buss, who was called up late this season for the first time in his career, was named to the MiLB and Topps 2013 AAA All-Star Team.  Per a report at MiLB.

Nick Buss (27) of Southfield, Mich., finished the season as the Pacific Coast League's leader in RBIs (100). He also finished in the top 10 in hits (139), runs (84), slugging percentage (.525) and OPS (.888). The Albuquerque Isotopes outfielder also hit 11 triples, good for second in the PCL. The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Buss in the eighth round of the 2008 Draft.

Congrats, Nick... Or is Chili more appropriate?

Nick is more affectionately known as Chili.  Not because it's a nickname, but because it's his actual real name.  Really, his middle name is Chili, and he was named after ballplayer Chili Davis.

Below are his professional stats, via Baseball Reference.  He recorded his first MLB hit in his 2nd at-bat on Saturday, September 14th in a game against the Giants.  It was a single through the hole between 1st and 2nd base against Tim Lincecum.

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Blog Kiosk: 10/3/2013 - Dodgers Links - Vin Scully, Schumaker and Buss

The final workout before tonight's game.  Pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.

• Vin Scully Tweets collects the 16 best Scully moments of the 2013 season.  Check them all out here.

• Via Tom Hoffarth at Farther Off the Wall writes, "Q and A: Scully, on McCain, champange and, really, when you’re calling games in October, how can you complain?"

I have never, in all my years, have had champagne poured on me. I’m usually on the air, and way back, I would throw it to Jerry Doggett in the clubhouse, and he’d be drowned in all of that.  The closest I’ve ever come to that was the 1963 World Series. 

• Ben Bergman at KPCC writes that Vin may hang it up after next season.

“Right, I’m pretty well sure – and I don’t want to go back and forth with it – but I’m looking to next year and thinking that should be about it,” Scully told KPCC in a recent interview.

• I was a little worried.  "Vin Scully refutes the idea that he'll retire after next season," via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times.

“I look at each year as possibly my last,” Scully said. “Next year will be no different. It all boils down to come July or August, how I feel physically. I’ll look at how many mistakes I’ve made and if they’re coming for me yet, and how I feel.”

• "With Dodgers' offense hurting, Carl Crawford could be key in playoffs," via Dustin Nosler at Feelin' Kinda Blue.
• "Dodgers counting on Schumaker," via Mark Saxon at ESPN.

“Actually, I thought he was our best outfielder in St. Louis. He definitely has the strong arm. He’s very, very accurate and he battles out his at-bats,” McGwire said. “He does his homework, he does his studying. I’ve just got to keep him relaxed.” 

• Ron's been on a roll.  "Nick Buss – living the dream," via Ron Cervenka at Think Blue LA.

“Getting an understanding of what it’s like up here and how things are done, there’s something to it,” said Buss. “It’s been a ton of fun up here, it’s a great team to come up with and be a part of.”

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Blog Kiosk: 9/16/2013 - Dodgers Links - Uribe Loves to Dance, Puig Injured and Kemp Coming Back

Juan Uribe decided to have some fun with a photojournalist over the weekend.  He grabbed her as she was taking some photos and wanted to dance, in the photo above.  Watch a video of the event at the very bottom of this post.  Pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2013.

• "Charley Steiner shares thoughts on the McCourts, Vin Scully and love," via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times.
• "Dodgers bring smile to son of slain police officer," via Brian Rokos at the Press Enterprise.
• "Yasiel Puig is fine, Carl Crawford is not," via Tony Jackson at Dodger Scribe.  Please... Just hold it together for another month or so.
• "Dodgers have trust issues -- in Yasiel Puig not annihilating them," via Steve Dilbeck at the LA Times.

Teammates have visions of their bodies being splattered to all parts of the outfield after being steamrolled by Puig.

“Those infielders, I know they don’t trust him,” said Manager Don Mattingly. “He comes in — and the outfielders are the same way — it’s hard to trust him because he runs into people. And he doesn’t stop and back off of balls.”

• Matt Kemp is coming back?  "Matt Kemp injury: Dodgers CF could return Monday, might be healthiest outfielder," via Eric Stephen at True Blue LA.  Hopefully he's ready to rake!

"We'll see him tomorrow. He'll be at the ballpark tomorrow working out early with us, running, doing the bases and doing all that," Mattingly said. "I've been told that depending on where he's at, it could be tomorrow. I don't know. Obviously we want him to be healthy."

• "Dodgers' Nick Buss a hit in major league debut," via Kevin Baxter at the LA Times.  See my blog post from Saturday about Nick's nickname.
• "Actor Wheaton describes life as a die-hard Dodgers fan: Former Trekkie, who has bled blue since birth, takes part in 'Express Written Consent'," via Alyson Footer at MLB.com.  There's a video to watch.  Wheaton is a huge LA area sports fan.  When the LA Kings won their recent championship his wife recorded him going crazy at his home.  It's a classic and well worth the watch.  See that video here.

"I pretty much grew up in this stadium," he said. "It wasn't until I was 10 or 11 years old that I figured out that Vin Scully came out of all the radios that were all over the place. I just figured 'Oh, that's the voice of baseball.' The way that someone growing up in Chicago would think of Harry Caray as the voice of baseball, Vin Scully is very much the voice of baseball for me."

• "Vin Scully video of the night: 'It Takes Two' opening," via Kevin Roderick at LA Observed.  Check out a fun vintage video they share of Vin in a silk-style robe. 
• Watch this very funny video of Juan Uribe grabbing a Korean photojournalist (I think) for a dance in the dugout.

Video Link:

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Chili Buss Isn't Nick's Nickname - It's his Real Name!

Josh Suchon, the current Albuquerque Isotopes play-by-play announcer (and former Dodger Talk host) shares something about recently called-up outfielder Nick Buss that we all should know. 

His real name is Chili Buss.  It's not his nickname, it's his real actual name.  Per Josh Suchon on his blog Out of Ink:

The name on the birth certificate is Nicholas Chili Buss. His dad always wanted unique middle names for his kids. The first three kids had normal middle names. Nick was the last chance for something different. His dad once played in a charity golf tournament with former major leaguer Chili Davis and always liked the name Chili.

So, there you have it.  It's almost like Nick's (ahem, Chili's) Dad always knew he'd be in the Major Leagues.  After all, you don't pick the name Chili unless it's tied in some way to the ballplayer and you've got dreams of big league diamonds on your mind.

Be sure to read Josh's full story.

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Welcome to the Blue, Nick and Alex!

As the Dodgers struggle with keeping their outfielders healthy, they decide to call up a couple of extra farmhands to help them out.  Announced today, both Alex Castellanos and Nick Buss have been sent to the Dodgers.

Nick Castellanos first came up to the team in 2012, and Nick Buss is joining the Major League roster for the very first time in his career.

In celebration of this announcement I made the above two fantasy cards for them.

From a Dodgers press release:

The Los Angeles Dodgers today recalled outfielder Alex Castellanos and selected the contract of outfielder Nick Buss from Triple-A Albuquerque and, in a corresponding move, transferred right-handed reliever Jose Dominguez to the 60-day disabled list.

Buss, 26, will be making his Major League debut and batted .303 with 17 homers and 100 RBI in 131 games with Triple-A Albuquerque this season to earn selections as both a midseason Pacific Coast League All-Star and a spot on the postseason All-PCL Team. The Michigan native led the circuit in RBI and ranked among the league leaders in hits (139, T-10^th), runs (84, 6^th), triples (11, 2^nd), total bases (241, 3^rd), steals (21, T-13^th) and slugging percentage (.525, 4^th). Buss, who was primarily a corner outfielder, ended the season on a roll by hitting .323 with five home runs and 29 RBI in 43 games after the All-Star break. Buss, who bats left handed, is in his sixth professional season and was originally selected by the Dodgers in the eighth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of USC.

Castellanos batted .257 with 19 home runs and 61 RBI in 105 games with Triple-A Albuquerque and also appeared in four games with the Dodgers, going 2-for-9 (.222) during a June big league stint. The 27-year-old stole 19 bases in 24 attempts with the Isotopes this season, while having success against right-handed pitchers with a .282 batting average (75-for-266), a .378 on-base percentage and a .519 slugging percentage. Castellanos made his Major League debut in 2012, has gone 6-for-32 (.188) with a home run and three RBI in 20 MLB games and was originally acquired by the Dodgers in the Rafael Furcal trade with St. Louis on July 31, 2011.

Dominguez has been on the disabled list since July 23 with a left quad strain and posted a 2.16 ERA (2 ER/8.1 IP) in nine appearances with the Dodgers this season.

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Here are August's Dodger Pride Award Winners - Minor League Players of the Month for August

The Dodgers just announced their August Dodger Pride Award Winners.  This award celebrates the franchises best performers in the Minor Leagues.  

Check them out below.

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes

(pic via Milb.com)

Pitcher – RHP Red Patterson posted a 1-1 record with a 1.57 ERA (5 ER/28.2 IP), which was the second-best mark in the Pacific Coast League in August, and allowed just 17 hits in five starts in the month. Patterson capped off the season with three consecutive quality starts, while allowing two runs or less in all five of his starts in the month. The 26-year-old, who was originally selected by the Dodgers in the 29th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, finished the year at 7-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 39 games (12 starts).

(pic via MILB.com)

Player – OF Nick Buss posted a .321 batting average (36-for-112) with two home runs and 19 RBI in 29 August games. His nine doubles tied for the fourth-best total in the Pacific Coast League in the month and on the season, Buss batted .303 with 17 home runs and a PCL-best 100 RBI. Following the season, the 26-year-old was honored with a selection to the All-PCL Team, as elected by the league’s field managers and media representatives. Buss was originally selected by the Dodgers in the eighth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern California.

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts

Pitcher – RHP Ross Stripling posted a 1-3 record with a 1.67 ERA (6 ER/32.1 IP), the fourth-best in the Southern League, in six August starts. Stripling, 23, limited opposing hitters to a .238 batting average (29-for-122) during the month, while striking out 24 and walking only 10. On the year, Stripling combined to go 8-4 with a 2.82 ERA in 27 games (22 starts) with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Chattanooga in his second professional season. 

Player – OF Joc Pederson ranked among the monthly Southern League leaders in home runs (7, T-3rd), walks (19, 4th) and on-base percentage (.387, 11th) in 26 August games. He was named the Southern League Player of the Week for the period of August 12-18, batting .435 (10-for-23) with three home runs and eight RBI in six games. Pederson, 21, finished the season with a .278 batting average and 58 RBI in 123 games, while leading the Southern League with a .497 slugging percentage and ranking among the league’s best in home runs (22, T-2nd), stolen bases (31, T-3rd), on-base percentage (.381, 3rd) and runs scored (81, 2nd).

Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

Pitcher – RHP Lindsey Caughel posted a 0-1 record with a 2.20 ERA (8 ER/32.2 IP) in five starts during the month of August. Through the end of the regular season, Caughel led the Quakes with both 116.2 innings pitched and 112 strikeouts, while ranking seventh among California League qualifiers with a 4.01 ERA. Caughel, who is slated to start tonight’s decisive Game 3 of Rancho Cucamonga’s first-round playoff series against Inland Empire, combined to go 4-10 with a 3.63 ERA in 25 games (24 starts) with the Quakes and Single-A Great Lakes this season.

Player – INF Chris Jacobs posted a .363 batting average (29-for-80) with seven home runs and 15 RBI in 21 August games. He led the California League with a .738 August slugging percentage, tied for the monthly lead in homers and ranked among the circuit’s best in batting average (4th), extra-base hits (15, 7th) and on-base percentage (.433, 8th). The 24-year-old batted a combined .261 with 17 homers and 52 RBI in 102 games this season with Rancho Cucamonga and Double-A Chattanooga in his seventh professional season.

Single-A Great Lakes Loons

Pitcher – RHP Ralston Cash posted a 2-0 record with a 0.71 ERA (1 ER/12.2 IP), while striking out 11 batters against four walks in six August relief appearances. Cash finished the season strong and allowed just two runs (one earned) in 13.2 innings (0.66 ERA) in seven second-half appearances. Overall, in 16 games with the Loons this season, Cash posted a 3.19 ERA and limited opposing hitters to a .206 batting average, while striking out 56 in 53.2 innings. The 22-year-old was originally selected by the Dodgers in the second round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.


Player – OF Aaron Miller posted a .314 batting average (32-for-102) with six doubles, four home runs and 18 RBI, which tied for 10th in the Pioneer League in August. Miller recorded multi-hit games in 11 of 26 August games, while posting hitting streaks of seven (Aug. 22-29) and eight games (Aug. 11-19) during the month. Miller finished the season with a .263 batting average with 13 doubles, nine homers and 48 RBI in 88 combined games with the Loons and Double-A Chattanooga.

Rookie-level Ogden Raptors

(via MiLB)

Pitcher – RHP Scott Barlow posted a 3-1 record in six August starts, posting three quality starts and striking out 22 against just nine walks in 28.0 innings. The 20-year-old finished the campaign with a 4-3 record and a 6.20 ERA in 15 starts for the Raptors in his second professional season after being selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Golden Valley High School.

Player – C Kyle Farmer batted .333 (22-for-66) with seven doubles and 15 RBI in 15 August games, including a season-ending nine-game hitting streak. Farmer finished the season with a .342 overall batting average, a .383 on-base percentage and a .532 slugging percentage in 39 games, while hitting .368 (21-for-57) with runners in scoring position.

Arizona League Dodgers

Pitcher – RHP Lenix Osuna finished the season with a 7.0-inning scoreless streak in his last four games and posted a 3.38 ERA (4 ER/10.2 IP) in six relief appearances in August. On the season, Osuna went 2-1 with one save and a 1.82 ERA in 17 relief appearances, while limiting opponents to a .202 batting average. The 17-year-old was signed by the Dodgers on June 10, 2012 out of Los Mochis, Mexico.

(Pic via Bleacher Report)

Player – OF Theo Alexander was selected as the August Dodger Pride winner for the AZL Dodgers as he closed out the campaign with a .392 on-base percentage. During the course of the season, Alexander excelled with runners on base, hitting .292 (14-for-45), and finished the season with a .253 overall batting average, five homers and 20 RBI in 27 games. The 19-year-old was originally selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers

(Pic via Coquivacoa Television)

Pitcher – LHP Jairo Pacheco posted a 0.57 ERA (1 ER/15.2 IP) in four August starts, including closing the season by pitching 12 consecutive scoreless innings in his last three starts. The 17-year-old limited opponents to a .132 batting average (7-for-53) in August and held hitters to a .169 batting average overall, including just a .075 mark (3-for-40) against left-handed hitters. On the season, Pacheco posted a 1-1 record with a 1.24 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 43.2 innings in 17 games (six starts) for the Dodgers after he was signed as a free agent on January 26, 2013.

Player – OF Ariel Sandoval posted a .339 batting average (21-for-62) with seven RBI in 16 August games, including seven multi-hit efforts during the month. Sandoval stole seven bases during the month and finished the season ranked second on the club with 19 stolen bases. Overall, the 17-year-old batted .255 with 16 RBI in 63 games.

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Here are June's Dodger Pride Award Winners - Minor League Players of the Month for June

The Dodgers just announced their June Dodger Pride Award Winners.  This award celebrates the franchises best performers in the Minor Leagues.  

Check them out below.

Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes

(pic via Milb.com)

Pitcher – RHP Red Patterson posted a 2-1 record with a 2.13 ERA (6 ER/25.1 IP), striking out 21 batters against six walks in eight appearances (four starts) in June. The McKinney, Texas, native held opposing batters to a .269 batting average and ranked among the Pacific Coast League leaders in ERA (2.13, 5th) in the month. The 26-year-old was selected by the Dodgers in the 29th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

(pic via MILB.com)

Player – OF Nick Buss posted a .289 (28-for-97) batting average, three home runs, nine doubles (T-4th, PCL) and 29 RBI in June. On the season, Buss has been a consistent hitter, batting .279 with 11 home runs and 62 RBI and was recently named a Pacific Coast League All-Star. The Michigan native was selected by the Dodgers in the eighth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts

(pic via his twitter)

Pitcher – RHP Ross Stripling posted a 4-1 record with a 2.29 ERA (9 ER/35.1 IP), striking out 29 against four walks in six June starts. The Pennsylvania native yielded just one home run in his 35.1 innings and held the opposition to a .206 batting average, while his four wins ranked atop the Southern League leaderboard in the month. Stripling has posted a 5-1 record with a 2.21 ERA (13 ER/53.0 IP) in 11 games (nine starts) this season for Chattanooga and will be one of seven Lookouts to represent the Southern League North Division in the All-Star Game. The 23-year-old was selected in the fifth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Texas A&M University.

(pic via MILB.com)

Player – OF J.T. Wise posted a team-leading .351 batting average (20-for-57) with 20 hits, six doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI and a .422 on-base percentage in 21 June games. The 27-year-old is the great nephew of former Yankee second baseman Bobby Richardson, an eight-time All-Star who was also the Most Valuable Player of the 1960 World Series. Wise, who attended the University of Oklahoma, was selected in the fifth round of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft.

Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes

(pic via MILB.com)

Player – RHP Jon Michael Redding went 1-1 in June with a 2.70 ERA (5 ER/16.2 IP) in nine games (two starts) for the Quakes. In the month, the 26-year-old did not surrender a home run while striking out 12 in his 16.2 innings and as a starter (last three appearances), has allowed only one run in 12.2 innings. On the year, the Valdosta, Georgia, native has posted a 2.00 ERA (10 ER/45.0 IP) in 22 games (three starts). Redding was selected by the Dodgers in the fifth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of Florida Community College at Jacksonville.

(pic via MILB.com)

Player - OF Scott Schebler batted .341 (29-for-85) with six homers and 17 RBI in 22 June games, ranking among the California League leaders in batting average (9th), homers (T-6th), extra-base hits (14, T-9th) and slugging percentage (.647, 5th). On the year, the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has a .308 batting average (7th, Cal League), 15 home runs (T-7th, Cal League) 46 extra-base hits (1st, Cal League), a .616 slugging percentage (1st, Cal League), and a league-leading 10 triples. Schebler has hit safely in 22 of his last 23 games since June 12 and is hitting .415 (39-for-94) during that span. The 22-year-old was selected by the Dodgers in the 26th round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft.

Single-A Great Lakes Loons

Player - RHP Scott Griggs went 2-0 and did not surrender a run in nine June relief appearances (16.2 IP), limiting opposing hitters to a .111 batting average with 25 strikeouts, while only yielding six hits. On the year, the La Jolla, California, native has a 2.61 ERA (11 ER/38.0 IP) with 61 strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .161 batting average. As a senior at UCLA in 2012, Griggs established the school’s single-season saves record with 15 in 17 opportunities. Griggs was selected by Los Angeles in the eighth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

(pic via MILB.com)

Player – INF Leo Rodriguez batted .341 (30-for-88) with nine RBI and 16 runs scored in 24 games in June, recording eight multi-hit performances and a seven-game hitting streak from June 11-16, in which the infielder batted .444 (12-for-27). On the season, the 21-year-old is batting .306 with 49 hits and 14 walks in 47 games. Rodriguez has also excelled against right-handed pitching, posting a .325 batting average with five doubles and eight RBI. A native of the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez was signed as a non-drafted free agent on June 1, 2009.

Rookie-advanced Ogden Raptors

(pic via MILB.com)

Pitcher – RHP Jonathan Martinez posted a 1-0 record with a 0.75 ERA (1 ER/12.0 IP) in his two starts for the Raptors, ranking atop the Pioneer League leaders in ERA and also ranking 14th in the league in with a 1.25 WHIP in June. Overall, Martinez has appeared in 11 games (seven starts) this season between Single-A Great Lakes and Rookie-level Ogden, combining for a 2-3 record with a 4.47 ERA (22 ER/44.1 IP). The 19-year-old was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on May 31, 2011.

(pi via MILB.com)

Player – OF Gerson Nunez batted a team-high .364 (12-for-33) with three homers and seven RBI in the first eight games of the season (June), stringing together a seven-game hitting streak to kick off the year in which he hit .429 (12-for-28). The Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, native has excelled against right-handed pitching, hitting .448 (13-for-29), with all three of his home runs coming against righties. Nunez was signed by Los Angeles as a free agent on Feb. 9, 2012.

Rookie-level Arizona League Dodgers

(pic via Keystone Giants)

Pitcher- RHP Robert Rogers posted a 0-0 record with a 1.50 ERA (1 ER/6.0 IP) in his four June appearances, notching three saves, which tied for the league lead. In his 6.0 innings of work for the month, opposing hitters batted .227 against the right-hander, while striking out four and not allowing a walk. While at Keystone College in Pennsylvania, Rogers set the school record with 245 strikeouts and his career 1.72 ERA is fourth-best in school history. The 22-year-old was drafted in the 32nd round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft by the Dodgers.

Player- INF Justin Chigbogu batted a team-high .342 (13-for-38) in nine June games for the Arizona League Dodgers. The infielder started the season on a nine-game hitting streak that stretched from June 20-30, batting .342 (13-for-38) with all five of his home runs coming during the streak. Chigbogu was recently promoted to Rookie-advanced Ogden, where he is batting .357, 5-for-14in four games. The 18-year-old out of Kansas City, Missouri, was signed by Los Angeles in the fourth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Dodgers

Pitcher- LHP Wellington Serrano posted a 2-1 record with a 1.17 ERA (3 ER/23.0 IP) and 15 strikeouts against eight walks in five June starts. Serrano has limited right-handed hitters to a .159 batting average (10-for-63) with 14 strikeouts and was signed by Los Angeles on June 2, 2012 as a free agent.

Player- INF Jose Javier batted .296 with 8 RBI in 21 games in June. Javier has been clutch on the season, batting .350 with six RBI with runners in scoring position. The 20-year-old was signed by Los Angeles as a free agent on March 22, 2011.

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