Dodgers cut it close
Norris outpitches Archer, then bullpen makes it interesting against Rays
Tampa Bay ace Chris Archer arrived at Dodger Stadium a few hours before Tuesday night’s game not completely sure if he would pitch for the Rays or get blown by trade winds to the home clubhouse.
Such are the zany scenarios that can play out in the week before the non-waiver trade deadline, as his Dodgers counterpart Tuesday, Bud Norris, knows well.
When Norris was traded from Houston to Baltimore in July 2013, he switched dugouts in Camden Yards, changed uniforms and pitched for his new team against his former team the following night.
There was some speculation that Archer, high on the list of trade targets for the pitchinghungry Dodgers, would blaze a similar path as Norris, perhaps even start against the Rays instead of for them Tuesday night.
But Archer stayed put and suffered the loss in a 3-2 Dodgers victory that featured a harrowing final three innings from a usually stout Dodgers bullpen that was nicked for two runs and needed five relievers to record eight outs.
Left-hander J.P. Howell replaced Norris and walked Kevin Kiermaier to put two on in the seventh. Pedro Baez re-
tired pinch-hitters Oswaldo Arcia and Logan Morrison to preserve a 2-0 lead.
Yasmani Grandal’s solo homer off Archer in the bottom of the seventh made it 3-0, but Joe Blanton gave up singles to Tim Beckham and Logan Forsythe and a runscoring double to Brad Miller to open the eighth.
Blanton struck out Evan Longoria and was replaced by Luis Avilan, who was pitching because lefthander Adam Liberatore was unavailable because of a sore right knee suffered Sunday in St. Louis.
Avilan’s wild pitch allowed Forsythe to score to make it 3-2. But the lefthander struck out Corey Dickerson and, after walking Steve Pearce intentionally to load the bases, got Kiermaier to pop to third. Kenley Jansen struck out Miller with two on to end the game and notch his 30th save.
“It’s huge — it shows the character of this club,” Manager Dave Roberts said. “Early in the year, we weren’t winning games like this. For those [bullpen] guys to band together and find a way to get some big outs ... for us, as a team, to win that one-run game is obviously a huge lift.”
Archer also made a compelling case for the Dodgers, who are without injured ace Clayton Kershaw, to pursue the right-hander despite his subpar 5-14 record and 4.42 earned-run average.
He gave up three runs — one earned — and four hits, struck out eight and walked none in seven innings, mixing a fastball that touched 97 mph with a slider and changeup. His most glaring mistake was a fat seventhinning fastball that Grandal crushed for his 14th homer.
“He was very good,” Roberts said. “There were a couple of errors behind him, but his pitch count [84] was still low, a lot of swing and miss, a kid who repeated his delivery, plus-plus slider, obviously, and he punches out a lot of guys.
“That’s the first time I’ve seen him up close and personal, and now it makes sense. In talking to our guys, the ball’s got true life. He pitches at both the top and bottom of the zone. He’s a one [an ace].”
Archer has been one of the American League’s best starters since 2012, with a 3.56 career ERA in five seasons, and he is in the third year of a team-friendly, six-year, $25.5-million contract that includes a $9-million option for 2020 and an $11-million option for 2021.
Archer retired seven in a row to start the game, but Joc Pederson reached on Pearce’s error at first base in the third, and Archer threw high to first on Chase Utley’s chopper that should have been the third out. Corey Seager and Justin Turner followed with RBI singles for a 2-0 lead.
Norris gave up two hits in 61⁄3 shutout innings, striking out six and walking two, his best start since his sparkling six-inning shutout of Colorado in his Dodgers debut on July 1. Norris, who had a 7.80 ERA in his three previous starts, didn’t allow a hit from the third through sixth innings.