The Astros took a 3-0 lead in the third after JD Martinez homered off  Kershaw, scoring Jed Lowrie.

From there  Kershaw cruised, pitching seven innings, allowing three runs, two earned, raising  his ERA to 1.97.

Meanwhile, Lucas Harrell had the longest outing of his career, pitching 7.1 innings, allowing one run and picking up his fourth win of the season.

The Dodgers mounted a rally in the eighth inning, but Ivan De Jesus struck out after pinch-hitting for James Loney and AJ Ellis lined out to center field with the bases loaded, stranding the tying run at second base.

Brett Myers pitched a scoreless ninth for his 12th save of the season.

WOODLAND, Mich. (CBS/AP) — Former major league outfielder Chad Curtis was arrested Thursday on accusations he inappropriately touched two students at a Michigan high school where he was in line to become football coach.

Curtis, 43, is charged with five counts of criminal sexual conduct, said Barry County Undersheriff Robert Baker.

Curtis was arraigned Thursday in Delta County District Court and was freed after posting $25,000 in cash on a $250,000 bond, Baker said.

The charges are based on complaints from two teenage girls, according to Barry County Prosecutor Tom Evans. He told WZZM-TV that he authorized the charges against Curtis.

Curtis was volunteering at Lakewood High School in Woodland, about 50 miles southeast of Grand Rapids. The Lake Odessa resident was in line to become the school’s football coach before the accusations emerged.

David Dodge Sr., whose firm is representing Curtis, said he couldn’t say much about the case at this point.

“Chad Curtis … denies any criminal wrongdoing,” Dodge said.

Curtis broke into the big-leagues with  the then-California Angels (1992-1994),  played 43 games for the Dodgers in 1996 and won two World Series rings with the New York Yankees. He also had stints with the Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians  and Texas Rangers.

In 1996, Curtis appeared in 43 games for the Dodgers.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

ELYSIAN PARK (CBS) — Still haunted by the relentless punches to the face, the Dodgers fan who was beaten in the parking lot at Dodgers Stadium tells CBS2’s Suraya Fadel in an exclusive interview that he feared for his life.

“I was being beat up severely by these guys,” said the 33-year-old man whose name we are withholding at his request. “I was pleading for my life. To be left alone and it was scary.”

The incident Sunday night occurred after the Dodgers game at Parking Lot C.

A 17-page police report says a minor collision led to a yelling match between the man and another driver which escalated into a four-against-one fist fight.

“I was being held and choked for all of them to take their punches and kicks at me. I was just thinking I need to get up and stay alive.”

He says he will never forget hearing the emotional screams for help from his girlfriend who is 8 months pregnant.

“Regardless of who started it, I don’t think some guy needed to be beat up by four men.”

All four suspects have not been charged. He feels it sends the wrong message and wants them to be held accountable and punished.

“They’re telling them it’s OK, four against one is alright. You can beat somebody up, four people to one, and walk away with a slap in the hand.”

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office tells Fadel the case has been handed to the City Attorney’s office for misdemeanor consideration because the office says the injuries are minor and the altercation doesn’t fall under a felony crime.

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Willie Bloomquist had three hits, including an RBI triple, and Aaron Hill had two hits and two RBIs as the Diamondbacks won for only the second time in their last 11 home games.

Joe Saunders (3-3) struck out a season-high seven. He also recorded his first hit of the year, a single in the fifth that stopped his 0-for-13 skid at the plate.

Ted Lilly (5-1) went 3 1-3 innings, his shortest outing since September 16, 2010, at San Francisco. He gave up eight runs on nine hits and five walks.

A.J. Ellis hit a solo homer in the fourth for the Dodgers, who only have swept Arizona at Chase Field once in the Diamondbacks’ 14-plus-season existence.

Arizona, which entered the game averaging 3.5 runs per game in its past 17 home games, scored in each of the first four innings against Lilly.

Roberts gave the Diamondbacks a 1-0 lead two batters into the bottom of the first, hitting his third home run just over the left-field wall. Hill added a two-out RBI single for a 2-0 lead.

The Diamondbacks made it 4-0 in the second when Bloomquist tripled home Henry Blanco, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Roberts.

Gerardo Parra had an RBI single in the third, Jason Kubel hit a two-run triple in the fourth and Hill added his second run-scoring single of the game, also in the fourth, to put the Diamondbacks ahead 8-0 and chase Lilly.

Roberts recorded his third RBI on a grounder in the fifth, just ahead of Upton’s home run that extended Arizona’s lead to 11-1.

Los Angeles pieced together two hits and three walks to score three runs in the seventh against Saunders.

NOTES: Dodgers 3B Justin Sellers was a late scratch with numbness in his right leg and replaced by Adam Kennedy. Sellers will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday. … The Diamondbacks’ multirun first inning was their first since April 28, a span of 23 games. … Bloomquist is riding an eight-game winning streak, with six multihit games in his past seven. … Dodgers RF Andre Ethier was given his first day off after appearing in Los Angeles’ first 43 games. … Arizona RHP Daniel Hudson, out since April 21 with a right shoulder impingement, is on track to start Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers. … After an off-day on Thursday, RHP Ian Kennedy will take the mound for the Diamondbacks against Yovani Gallardo and the Brewers. Kennedy is 0-4 with a 5.92 ERA in his past four starts after posting a 9-0 mark in his previous 12 dating back to last season. … NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw will face Houston RHP Lucas Harrell on Friday at Dodger Stadium. Kershaw is coming off his fourth career shutout on Saturday against St. Louis.

The Diamondbacks, who squandered a five-run lead going into the seventh, took a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the eighth on Lyle Overbay’s homer off Josh Lindblom (2-0).

J.J. Putz (0-3) couldn’t close it for Arizona, allowing De Jesus to drive a double to center and make it 8-7.

With runners on first and third in the bottom of the ninth, Kenley Jansen got Jason Kubel to ground to second and Gordon leaped over a late sliding Justin Upton to make a one-hop throw and complete the double play.

PHOENIX (AP) — Matt Treanor, Andre Ethier and James Loney homered to power Chris Capuano to his sixth victory, and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their fifth straight by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Monday night.

Capuano (6-1) allowed one run on four hits in six innings, striking out five and walking one. Treanor gave the Dodgers left-hander all the support he needed with his first home run of the season, a two-run shot off Patrick Corbin (2-3) in the second.

Ethier’s solo home run into the swimming pool area in right-center came off reliever Craig Breslow in the seventh and raised his NL-best RBI total to 38.

Loney added a two-run homer deep into the right-field seats off Bryan Shaw in the eighth.

Kershaw was a perfect 2-0 in two starts last week, leading the Majors with 16.0 innings pitched and tied for the
lowest earned run average (0.00) among qualifying starters. Over his two outings, the 2011 N.L. Cy Young Award winner
added 10 strikeouts with three walks and 10 hits while not allowing a home run.

On Monday, May 14th, the Dallas, Texasnative tossed 7.0 shutout innings, striking out six and allowing just four hits in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the visiting Arizona
Diamondbacks.

On Saturday night, Kershaw outdueled St. Louis Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook in a 6-0 shutout at Dodger
Stadium.

The seventh overall selection in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft doubled and scored a run in the Dodgers’ four-run
seventh inning, which broke a 0-0 tie.

The opposite-field two-bagger was the first extra-base hit of Kershaw’s career after
collecting 28 singles in five Major League seasons.

The 24-year-old needed 116 pitches to dispatch the defending World
Champions, striking out four and not allowing a walk en route to his first complete-game shutout of the 2012 campaign. The
shutout extended Kershaw’s scoreless innings streak to 22.0, dating back to his May 8th start vs. San Francisco.

With his twovictories during the week, Kershaw improved his record to 4-1 on the season. The left-hander currently ranks second in the
National League with 61.2 innings pitched, and is third among qualifying pitchers with a 1.90 ERA and 0.88 WHIP.

This is his second career weekly award, having won previously for the period of June 20-26, 2011.

Other noteworthy performances last week included Pittsburgh’s Rod Barajas (.471, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 1.059 SLG, .474 OBP), Andrew McCutchen (.320, 4 HR, 7 RBI, .800 SLG, 6 R) and Joel Hanrahan (0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 SV, 3 SO, 3.0 IP); Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun (.444, 2 2B, HR, 7 RBI, 12 H, .483 OBP), Jonathan Lucroy (.400, 2 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .800 SLG) and Zack Greinke (2-0, 0.66 ERA, 13 SO, 13.2 IP); Matt Holliday (.308, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R) of the St. Louis Cardinals; Philadelphia’s
Hunter Pence (.393, 3 HR, 11 H, 6 R, .750 SLG, .469 OBP) and Carlos Ruiz (.476, HR, 7 RBI, 10 H, 6 R, .560 OBP); David Wright (.500, 6 2B, 8 H, .875 SLG, .652 OBP) of the New York Mets; Atlanta’s Tim Hudson (2-0, 1.23 ERA, 6 SO, 14.2 IP); Miami’s Josh Johnson (2-0, 1.93 ERA, 10 SO 14.0 IP); Arizona’s Wade Miley (2-0, 0.66 ERA, 8 SO 13.2 IP); and San Francisco’s Ryan Vogelsong (1-0, 0.64 ERA, 8 SO, 14.0 IP).

In recognition of his National League Player of the Week Award, Clayton Kershaw will be awarded a watch courtesy of Game Time, the leader in licensed sports watches, available at MLB.com.

Kyle Lohse allowed three runs and 11 hits over 5 2-3 innings with four strikeouts and left with a 5-3 lead. But rookie Elian Herrera started the Dodgers’ winning rally with a one-out single against Victor Marte, and Bobby Abreu greeted Mark Rzepczynski (0-2) with a single.

Van Slyke, whose father is former All-Star Andy Van Slyke, got the green light from manager Don Mattingly on a 3-0 pitch and drove it into the left field bullpen after Andre Ethierstruck out.

Javy Guerra (2-3) got the win, which completed a three-game sweep for the Dodgers and improved the best record in the majors to 28-13.

Justin Sellers triggered a four-run seventh inning with his first home run of the season for the NL West-leading Dodgers, who improved the best record in the majors to 27-13.

Kershaw (4-1) got the seventh complete game of his career, striking out four and not allowing a runner past second base against an offense that came in leading the NL in team batting average, runs, homers, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. He did not walk a batter for the third time this season while lowering his ERA from 2.22 to 1.90.

Westbrook (4-3) was charged with four runs — three earned — and six hits in 6 1-3 innings

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A.J. Ellis drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night in the opener of a series between the NL West and Central Division leaders.

Los Angeles’ Adam Kennedy had four hits against his former team and James Loney drove in two runs.

Cardinals first baseman Lance Berkman, 3 for 31 with 10 strikeouts against Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly, was not in St. Louis’ starting lineup despite having led the NL with 22 road home runs last season. He came up with two outs in the ninth as a pinch-hitter for Shane Robinson and drove an 0-1 pitch from closer Kenley Jansen into the pavilion seats in right-center for his first homer in 41 at-bats this season — ending the longest season-opening drought of his 14-year career.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Aaron Harang held his former team to four hits in seven shutout innings and had one of Los Angeles’ 12 hits as the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres 8-1 Thursday night to split a two-game series.

The Dodgers (25-13), who have the best record in the majors, are 1-2 since Matt Kemp went on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

The Padres (14-25), who have the worst record in the NL, still haven’t won three straight games this season. They came in having won at Washington on Tuesday and against the Dodgers on Wednesday.  San Diego committed two more errors and has 39, second-most in the majors.

Harang (3-2) struck out six and walked none to beat the Padres for the first time in three starts against them this year.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Richard and two relievers combined on a five-hitter as the Padres beat L.A. for only the second time in eight games this season. The Dodgers have lost two straight since Matt Kemp went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.

Dodgers lefty Chris Capuano (5-1), who had won his previous four starts, took a two-hitter and a 2-1 lead into the sixth. Cameron Maybin and Chris Denorfia opened the inning with singles before the switch-hitting Headley doubled into the gap in left-center to bring them both in.

Capuano loaded the bases in in the seventh with a single, his throwing error and a walk. Javy Guerra came on and walked Maybin on four straight pitches to make it 4-2.

Headley homered to left with two outs in the first, his fifth of the season.

Capuano allowed four runs, three earned, and six hits in 6 1-3 innings, struck out six and walked three. He was trying for the best start to a season in his career. He went 5-0 in 2007 with Milwaukee and then went 0-10 in his final 18 starts. He finished 5-12 after losing two games out of the bullpen.

Richard (2-5) had lost his previous five starts. It was his first win since beating the Dodgers 8-4 at home on April 8, helping the Padres avoid a season-opening, four-game sweep. He held the Dodgers to two runs and four hits in seven innings Wednesday, struck out six and walked none. Dale Thayer pitched the ninth for his fourth save in as many chances after Andrew Cashner struck out the side in the eighth.

Richard is 6-1 in 10 career starts against the Dodgers.

Elian Herrera had an RBI double for his first big league hit as the Dodgers took a 2-0 lead just four batters in. After Gwynn’s leadoff single, Herrera brought him in with a double that landed just inside third base and rolled all the way into the left-field corner. Herrera advanced on Bobby Abreu’s groundout and scored on Andre Ethier’s sacrifice fly.

Herrera was recalled Monday from Triple-A Albuquerque and made his big league debut as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night. He made his first start Wednesday, at second base.

It was Ethier’s 27th RBI in his last 24 games against San Diego.

NOTES: Padres manager Bud Black said LF Carlos Quentin had a cortisone shot in his right knee on Thursday. Quentin has been out since having arthroscopic surgery during spring training. …. Jimmy Jones, the pitching coach at Double-A San Antonio, is filling in as bullpen coach with the Padres while Darrel Ackerfelds undergoes treatment for pancreatic cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation. … Richard committed his fourth error, one off the team lead, when he spiked a short throw to first on Gwynn’s grounder leading off the third. Gwynn was then caught stealing. … The two-game series concludes Thursday night when L.A.’s Aaron Harang (2-2, 4.46 ERA) is scheduled to face San Diego’s Edinson Volquez (2-2, 2.79). On April 13 at Dodger Stadium, Harang set a Dodgers record with nine consecutive strikeouts, one short of the major league mark, and tied his career high with 13 strikeouts. Harang was with the Padres last year, leading them with 14 victories.

The powerful righty was hitting .359, 12 HR’s and 28 RBI’s before injuring his hamstring Sunday

Mattingly said he wants to have Kemp play a minor-league game before his return to the Dodgers.

Kemp had the longest consecutive games streak end on Sunday at 399, which was the longest by any active player.

Miley (4-1) yielded eight hits and walked one in 6 2-3 innings, but managed to limit Los Angeles to just one run on Mark Ellis’ homer. The 25-year-old left-hander is 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in five starts since being inserted into the rotation on April 23 to replace Daniel Hudson, whose right shoulder impingement won’t allow him to return until May 27 at the earliest.

Ellis finished with three hits in the Dodgers’ first game since star center fielder Matt Kemp went on the 15-day disabled list because of a left hamstring strain.

(CBS) – The Los Angeles Dodgers have announced OF Matt Kemp has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring and recalled Jerry Sands from Albuquerque.

“Hopefully going on the DL, I can come back and get back to running fast and doing the things I’ve been doing this past month.” Kemp said.

Kemp missed Monday’s victory over Arizona, snapping his consecutive games streak at 399.

Also on Monday, third baseman Juan Uribe was sent to the disabled list and replaced by Elian Herrera.

The Dodgers center fielder was placed on the 15-day disabled list following the game because of a strained left hamstring. Kemp had played 399 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors. Andre Ethier homered in Kemp’s absence as the Dodgers won their fifth straight.

Kemp missed his first game since Aug. 18, 2009. Third baseman Juan Uribe, who was in manager Don Mattingly’s original lineup, also was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of an injury to his left wrist.

Kershaw (3-1) scattered four hits over seven innings, struck out six and walked three, helping the Dodgers improve the best record in the majors to 24-11. The reigning NL Cy Young winner bounced back from winless starts against Colorado and San Francisco in which he gave up four home runs.

Josh Lindblom gave up a home run to Aaron Hill in the eighth inning and Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in five attempts.

Kemp was replaced in center by Tony Gwynn Jr., who prevented a run in the third inning with a perfect one-hop throw to A.J. Ellis after A.J. Pollack tried to score from second base on a single to right-center by Willie Bloomquist. In Sunday’s win over Colorado, Gwynn shifted from left field to center after Kemp aggravated his hamstring injury while robbing Carlos Gonzalez with a diving backhanded catch in left-center.

Kennedy (3-3) was charged with three runs — two earned — and six hits in six innings, after going 12-0 with a 2.28 ERA in his previous 17 starts against NL West opponents. The right-hander, coming off back-to-back losses against Washington and St. Louis, has lost three straight starts for the first time since June 15-July 5, 2010, when he lost four in a row while allowing 20 earned runs over a span of 23 2-3 innings.

The Dodgers scored their first run when Dee Gordon led off the first inning with a single, advanced two bases on Kennedy’s errant pickoff throw and scored on Mark Ellis’ groundout. In the sixth, Ethier drove a 2-1 pitch deep into the right field pavilion for his eighth homer and Adam Kennedy made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly three batters later.

Kershaw faced the Diamondbacks for the first time since his 3-2 victory on Sept. 14 at Dodger Stadium, when he was ejected by umpire Bill Welke for hitting Gerardo Parra with a pitch on the right elbow after Parra doubled his previous time up. One night earlier, Parra had taken an extra second or two to leave the batter’s box on his tying home run against Hong-Chih Kuo, who had thrown an earlier pitch at his head.

On Monday night, Kennedy threw a 2-1 pitch behind Kershaw and to the backstop before walking him. Kershaw returned the favor in the fifth, making Kennedy bail out of the batter’s box on a first-pitch fastball before walking him. Umpire Marvin Hudson immediately issued a warning to Kershaw and both dugouts.

NOTES: The Dodgers recalled OF Jerry Sands from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace Kemp on the roster. During Kemp’s streak, he was used nine times as a pinch-hitter, twice as a designated hitter — and once as a pinch-runner and defensive replacement — after Manny Ramirez injured his hamstring. … Ethier’s homer was the first given up by Kennedy in his last seven starts on the road — a stretch that spanned 45 2-3 innings and 168 batters. The last one he had allowed away from Chase Field was a two-run shot by John Mayberry Jr. on August 18, 2011 at Philadelphia.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aces Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ian Kennedy of the Arizona Diamondbacks exchanged brush-back pitches Monday night during their first head-to-head matchup of the season.

Kershaw faced the Diamondbacks for the first time since his 3-2 victory on Sept. 14 at Dodger Stadium, when he was ejected for hitting Arizona outfielder Gerardo Parra with a pitch on the right elbow.

In the third inning Monday night, Kennedy threw a 2-1 pitch behind Kershaw and to the backstop before walking him.

Kershaw returned the favor in the fifth, making Kennedy bail out of the batter’s box on a first-pitch fastball before walking him. Umpire Marvin Hudson immediately issued a warning to Kershaw and both dugouts.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Kemp is not in the starting lineup on Monday night, but may be available to pinch-hit.

Kemp has played in 399 consecutive games, the longest active streak in MLB.

Dodger Owner Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Dee Gordon all recorded messages wishing the Kings well that have been played at Staples Center during the club’s playoff run.

Uribe was hitting .250 with a homer and 10 RBI in 25 games, all at third base.

The switch-hitting Herrera was on fire for the first-place Isotopes, batting .358 (43-for-120) with two homers, nine doubles, 14 RBI and nine stolen bases in 28 games.

The native of the Dominican Republic had an on-base percentage of .381 and saw time at shortstop, third base, second base, center and left field. The 27-year-old was hitting .404 against left-handers and was batting at a .409 clip (18-for-44) during the month of May.

Herrera, who will wear No. 37, was originally signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent on May 14, 2003. He is expected to arrive prior to the start of the game on Monday.

To make room for Herrera on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers designated outfielder Trent Oeltjen for assignment.

The Dodgers broke things open in the fifth inning, scoring six times, starting with Bobby Abreu’s bases clearing double, and Ellis’ three-run shot to left field.

Earlier in the fifth, Andre Ethier and Don Mattingly were tossed for arguing a called third strike.

Matt Kemp left the game in the third inning with an irritated left hamsting. He will have a MRI on Monday.

The Dodgers swept the Rockies for the first time in Los Angeles since 2009.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp was removed after the third inning from Sunday’s game against the Rockies after his left hamstring apparently tightened up.

Kemp has been bothered by his hamstring recently, but has yet to miss a game, appearing in 399 consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Andre Ethier and Don Mattingly were thrown out of the game for arguing a strikeout call in the fifth inning.

Live Score

]]> http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/05/13/kemp-ethier-and-mattingly-make-early-exit-from-dodgers-rockies-game/feed/ 2 http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/05/11/dodgers-cruise-past-rockies-7-3/ http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/05/11/dodgers-cruise-past-rockies-7-3/#comments Sat, 12 May 2012 05:01:14 +0000 Brad http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/?p=227961 Chris Capuano pitched seven innings, allowing one run and Andre Ethier got three hits including his seventh homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 7-3 on Friday night. ]]> LOS ANGELES (CBS) – Chris Capuano pitched seven innings, allowing one run and Andre Ethier got three hits including his seventh homer as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 7-3 on Friday night.

Capuano took a shutout into the seventh when Michael Cuddyer slugged his fourth homer of the season, snapping Capuano’s  string of  over 24 consecutive scoreless  innings.

Meanwhile, things didn’t go too well for the 49-year-old Jamie Moyer, the veteran lasted five innings, giving up five runs.

Mark Ellis and Juan Uribe also hit homers for the Dodgers.

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

By Christian S. Kohl

Starting pitching in the National League is off to a ferociously hot start. The days of inflated home run totals and offensive power statistics appear well behind us, as a 2.01 ERA in the National League is currently good for tenth place among starters with 30 IP or more. Yet, which starters are the true elite standouts in the early going?

A special note for individual performance vs. actual results should go to Chicago’s Ryan Dempster. Don’t be deceived by his 0-1 record: Dempster is pitching to a league leading 1.02 ERA over 35 innings without managing to record a win. He also sports 36 K’s in 5 starts in addition to a .85 WHIP. The wins will come soon if he continues at that rate.

Dodgers lefty Ted Lilly finds himself off to a red hot start this season, sporting a 4-0 record and a phenomenal 1.41 ERA. The former Yankee prospect has performed expertly so far in the early going, striking out nearly twice as many hitters as he walks.

Twenty-six year-old stud Johnny Cueto is also turning heads for Cincinnati early in the year. Fresh off a CG against the Pirates, Cueto sports a 4-0 record along with a 1.23 ERA. He has been a model of consistency so far, with each of his six starts going at least 5, and allowing more than one run only once.

Even though he’s not lighting up the leaderboard just yet, phenom Steven Strasburg is always lighting up the radar gun. With an absolutely electric and overpowering fastball in addition to an array of devastating offspeed pitches, Strasburg finds himself pitching to a 1.66 ERA, striking out one batter for every inning he has pitched so far. The biggest issue with Strasburg will be his health, and whether or not his thunderbolt of an arm can endure the strain of the first one, and ultimately multiple full major league seasons.

With over a month of the major league season behind us, the early favorite for Cy Young consideration would have to be the St. Louis machine Lance Lynn. The 24 year-old righty is off to a blazing 6-0 start with a 1.40 ERA and 37 K’s. St. Louis has scored 4 or more runs in all of his starts, and he has yet to allow more than 2 in an outing. With that much run support from the offense and that much dominance on the mound from Lynn, so far this year, a Lynn outing is synonymous with a Cardinal win.

One would think that pitchers like Roy Halladay and other elite mainstays of the NL starting pitcher’s guild will begin to warm with the summertime. For the time being however, the names above are setting the pace for pitching dominance in the National League. The years where the 50 home run season felt pedestrian may be well behind us, but that doesn’t mean there’s not endless amounts of excitement to be felt in this current era of pitching prowess. After watching Strasburg throw 99 on the black for strike two and then buckle kneecaps with a putaway 12-6 hook, it really is hard not to be a baseball fan. Stay tuned to see which starter reigns supreme by season’s end.

<em>Christian S. Kohl is a writer and filmmaker based in New York City. Find out more about him at  http://dailyspew.com.

Starting pitching in the National League is off to a ferociously hot start. The days of inflated home run totals and offensive power statistics appear well behind us, as a 2.01 ERA in the National League is currently good for tenth place among starters with 30 IP or more. Yet, which starters are the true elite standouts in the early going?

The Dodgers have won six of their past seven series at home heading into a day off Thursday before Colorado arrives for a weekend series.

Jamey Wright (2-2) pitched two perfect innings and struck out two for the victory.

Lincecum (2-3) gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out eight, including NL home run leaderMatt Kemp three times, and walked two in losing for the first time since April 16 against Philadelphia.

The right-hander extended his winless streak against the Dodgers to 0-4 dating to last season. The two-time NL Cy Young winner has been especially hard-hit in the first inning, but he got out of that having allowed just two hits.

Kemp, who came in batting .500 in his 11 previous home games against the Giants, went 0 for 5.

The Dodgers struck for four runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. Lincecum gave up a leadoff double to Andre Ethier and Bobby Abreu followed with a single. Juan Uribedrove in Ethier with a single to third that Joaquin Arias, who fell down before he could get off the throw to first. A.J. Ellis walked one out later and Gwynn cleared the bases with a drive into deep right field while batting for Chad Billingsley.

Buster Posey‘s RBI single in the third extended the Giants’ lead to 2-0. Brandon Belt reached on a fielder’s choice grounder and Schierholtz singled him to second. Arias had a single to center, and Kemp charged the ball, throwing to second baseman Adam Kennedy for the tag on Schierholtz, who had rounded the bag and was tagged out before Belt could cross the plate.

Lincecum drove in the Giants’ first run with a single to shortstop in the second.

Billingsley lasted just four innings for the Dodgers, allowing two runs and seven hits while striking out five and walking four.

Notes: Dodgers OF-1B Juan Rivera was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with what the team called a significant strained left hamstring. Manager Don Mattingly said Rivera would be out longer than two weeks. OF-1B Scott Van Slyke was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque and got his first major league hit with a RBI single in his first major league at-bat in the sixth. He is the son of former major leaguer Andy Van Slyke. … Dodgers INF Jerry Hairston was set to have a MRI on his strained left hamstring after missing his third straight game. … Giants OF Angel Pagan was held out of the starting lineup although he felt well enough to play. He had a cramp in his left hamstring while beating out an infield single Tuesday. Gregor Blanco replaced him.

Rivera, 33, injured his hamstring Tuesday against the San Francisco Giants after sliding into third base in the seventh inning.

Dodgers will call up Andy Van Slyke from Triple-A Albuquerque to fill in for Rivera’s spot in the outfield.

25year-old Van Slyke will be making his major league debut  with the Dodgers and was hitting .336 with 8HR’s and 25 RBI’s in 32 games with the Isotopes.

Rivera is hitting .247 with 2 HR’s and 13 RBI’s. The Dodgers will finish their 3-game series against the Giants on Wednesday with Chad Billingsly(2-2) on the mound.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Dodger Clayton Kershaw is arguably the best starting pitcher in baseball.

But his relief work off the field is even more impressive – using his celebrity to help others.

Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, are working to save orphans halfway around the world.

He and Ellen spent some of the off-season in the slums of Africa to help children orphaned by the AIDS epidemic.

“I think that you understand that Africa is third world and that you’re going to see some poverty and things like that. But, until you walk the streets and see how these people’s living conditions are, it puts things in perspective and lets you know how blessed you are. At the same time, you see how joyful these people are, especially the kids,” Clayton said.

The dusty streets of Zambia are almost 9,000 miles away from the glitz of Los Angeles.

“I was tentative to go over there. I was nervous about it. Twenty-hour flights and sleeping in places I’ve never seen or heard about,” the pitcher said.

“But then you get over there and it makes sense. You understand why you’re there and understand the good you can do,” he said.

Kershaw credits his wife with inspiring his good deeds.

The couple, childhood sweethearts, married in 2010. A few days after their wedding, they made their first trip to Africa together.

“I knew early on in our marriage that I wanted Clayton to experience this part of my heart. It was so cool to see sort of my two worlds collide. Clayton was over there and teaching the kids how to play baseball. We were in the middle of Zambia, kind of where my heart beat is. I love those kids,” Ellen said.

On the streets of Africa, the 24-year-old had a captive crowd. No fancy team jerseys or Dodger Dogs there — only hungry, barefoot children awed by the American who could make the ball dance in the air.

One child, Hope, especially captured their hearts.

“She’s our girl! We love her so much. I met her when she was nine or so and she’s HIV positive and that was just a gut punch for me,” Ellen said.

Hope is now 12 years old and healthy. She’s the Kershaw’s inspiration for Hope’s Home, an orphanage the Kershaws help sponsor in Zambia. Hope will live there, along with a dozen other children whose parents died of AIDS.

“We believe that with intense mentoring and discipleship and a high education that these kids can really make a difference in their country. So we’re starting small, but we hope to grow and who knows we’re we’ll go from here,” Ellen said.

Ellen is convinced Clayton’s experience in Africa made him a better person and a better ball player. A few months after his first visit, he won the pitching Triple Crown and the National League Cy Young Award.

The Kershaws have written a book about their life experiences, “Arise”, that is meant to inspire others.

“That’s the cool think about this. So many people have gotten on board and heard about the cause. And they want to help and that’s awesome!” Clayton said.

Kershaw now is back in L.A., starting his fifth season with the Dodgers.
But he’s left something behind in Zambia. In the village of Lusaka, Kershaw’s blue pitching tarp is a reminder of the athlete who threw his heart into something bigger than baseball and a big blue promise that Clayton will be coming back again.

For every strikeout he pitches, Clayton Kershaw donates $100 to his charity, “Kershaw’s Challenge”. To learn more about “Kershaw’s Challenge” click here.

Kershaw hadn’t lost at home since April 16, 2011, against St. Louis. The Giants snapped an 0-6 skid against the left-hander with their first win since Aug. 1, 2010.

Vogelsong (1-2) allowed one run and eight hits in 7 1-3 innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out one.

The Dodgers loaded the bases against Vogelsong in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu walked, Dee Gordon reached on a bunt single to Vogelsong, and Mark Ellis had a sacrifice bunt. Vogelsong intentionally walked Matt Kemp before turning it over to Javier Lopez, who got Andre Ethier to ground into a double play — one of four the Giants’ defense turned a night after committing three errors.

Lopez got the first two outs in the ninth and Santiago Casilla retired Juan Uribe for his sixth save in seven attempts.

Kershaw (2-1) had his career-best 10-game overall winning streak end. He gave up two runs and five hits in eight innings, struck out seven and walked one.

Pills homered over the left field wall on his first pitch from Kershaw in the second inning, scoring Buster Posey who led off with a single. Pill’s homer ended a six-game drought for the Giants, and was just their second in their last 10 games.

The Dodgers’ run came on James Loney’s RBI double in the bottom of the second. It was the fewest runs they scored in a loss since a 12-0 defeat at Houston on April 22.

NOTES: Kershaw came within a win of tying Carl Erskine for the longest home winning streak in franchise history. … Former Dodgers 3B Casey Blake retired Tuesday. The 38-year-old spent spring training with Colorado, but was released in late March and attracted little interest from other teams. Blake played parts of four seasons in Los Angeles, although last season was interrupted by three stints on the DL and neck surgery. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly says he could see Blake working as a major league coach. … Dodgers INF Jerry Hairston missed his second straight game with a strained left hamstring.

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The Dodgers played at home Monday night for the first time since the new owners took over marking a new era for the team and their fans.

Fans lined up early to watch the Dodgers take on the Giants.

“She loves it, I love it. We love the pavilion. It’s just our family tradition,” said fan Tony Hernandez.

Fans first noticed the changes when they paid for parking. The price went from $15 down to $10.

New team president, Stan Kasten, said that he plans on walking the concourse during games to talk with fans, to see what they like and don’t like.

Kasten said that fans will also notice a big price drop in the team store.

“It is the cheapest any place in town, because of the prices we have here. So you’ll want to wait until you get to the ballpark to buy your Dodgers stuff,” he said.

The price break was as much as 50 percent on store merchandise.

“The reception we have gotten has been super, just super. And this is all part of it. So we need all the fans we can get,” Kasten added.

Another noticeable improvement was shorter lines at the concessions.

“You can already feel that it’s like a breath of fresh air around here. You know, obviously they lowered the ticket prices. You know, coming out greeting and talking to us. That’s a good faith gesture that goes a long way with myself. And now we’ll just see what happens,” said fan Tony Iovino.

Affordability for fans seemed to be a priority to the new management. They said that they were also lowering some food prices and introducing some new menu items.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ted Lilly outpitched Barry Zito through six innings and Los Angeles beat error-prone San Francisco 9-1 on Monday night in the Dodgers’ first home game since changing ownership last week.

Lilly (4-0) allowed a run and four hits, walked two and struck out six. It’s the first time the 36-year-old two-time All-Star has won his first four decisions of a season in a big league career that began in 1999 with the Montreal Expos.

Dodgers first baseman James Loney, 2 for 28 with seven strikeouts against Zito, wasn’t in the starting lineup on his 28th birthday. But he came in for defense in the eighth, replacing Juan Rivera with the Dodgers ahead 4-1, and made a brilliant diving stop of Hector Sanchez’s grounder up the line before tossing to Josh Lindblom at the bag to strand runners at the corners.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Jansen has 11 career saves, and an ERA of 2.70 this season.

Guerra has struggled in 2012, allowing eight runs in 12 1/3 IP.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers lost in unwanted fashion on Sunday, and they may also be down another infielder.

Third baseman Jerry Hairston left the game in the second inning with a strained left hamstring and the Dodgers went on to lose to the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on a bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning.

Cubs right fielder David DeJesus drew the winning walk to give Chicago the win after the teams waited out a 2-hour, 41-minute rain delay, and a ninth-inning comeback by the Cubs.

Hairston, playing in place of injured Juan Uribe, pulled the hamstring after he singled off Cubs starter Travis Wood.

“Jerry doesn’t sound very good,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “I’m not 100 percent sure, but he couldn’t walk down the stairs. I’ve seen enough of those and Jerry’s doesn’t look very good.”

No immediate postgame report on Hairston’s condition was available.

Uribe has been out with a sore left wrist and hasn’t played since April 30, although he pinch-hit on Friday against Chicago.

Chicago’s winning rally began with Darwin Barney’s leadoff double off Jamey Wright in the 11th. Wellington Castillo was intentionally walked and pinch-hitter Jeff Samardzija was hit by a pitch to load the bases. DeJesus then walked on a 3-2 pitch.

“It was an interesting game,” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. “It took almost all 25 guys to do it, let alone the sick guys (suffering from flu) coming off the couch and doing the job, too. It’s a nice little team effort there.”

With the Cubs trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth, pinch-hitter Ian Stewart singled, and Dodgers closer Javy Guerra walked DeJesus. Tony Campana hit a tying double, but DeJesus, who would have been the winning run, was thrown out at home.

It was Guerra’s third blown save in 11 chances. Rafael Dolis (2-2) got the win, while Wright (1-2) took the loss.

“Physically, everything was there,” Guerra said. “It was bad at-bats and bad pitches. (Stewart) had a great at-bat and did what he was supposed to do.”

Dodgers slugging center fielder Matt Kemp was a late scratch due to tightness in his left hamstring. He pinch hit in the seventh inning and flew out to right field.

“I don’t want to be stupid,” Kemp said. “Maybe it just needs to be rested one day and I could go out and do something stupid and could end up being two weeks. I just want to take my time and see how it feels tomorrow.”

The Dodgers were in position early to win, thanks to Juan Rivera’s two-run homer in the third inning and a quality start from Aaron Harang. Rivera’s second homer of the year into the left-field bleachers gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead that held up — until the ninth.

Harang posted his best start of the season, going six innings and allowing two runs, and outdueled Wood, who allowed three runs in six innings in his first start of the season. Wood was called up from Triple-A Iowa to fill in for Matt Garza, who was suffering from the flu.

The Dodgers scored first in the second inning. Hairston reached on an infield single and A.J. Ellis and Tony Gwynn Jr. drew back-to-back walks, before Harang drove in a run on a forceout.

The Cubs cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the third when Wood led off with a double, DeJesus walked and Starlin Castro hit a two-out, two-run single.

The Cubs had chances to tie it before the ninth, but could not deliver a clutch two-out hit. Chicago left runners in scoring position in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth — twice by Castro.

The bullpens combined to allow two runs in nine-plus innings. Cubs relievers allowed just three hits in five innings.

Chicago first baseman Bryan LaHair continued his torrid start to the season, going 3 for 4 and raising his batting average to .390.

Notes: The Cubs designated Blake DeWitt for assignment before the game to make room for Wood. … Uribe did not start for the fifth straight game because of a sore left wrist. … The Cubs host Atlanta on Monday with Samardzija (3-1) taking on Tommy Hanson (3-2). Meanwhile, the Dodgers return home to play San Francisco with Ted Lilly opposing Barry Zito.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

Capuano (4-0) held Chicago to three hits and struck out seven, extending his scoreless innings streak to 18 2-3. His two-run double in the second gave him his first RBIs since Aug. 24, 2007.

Cubs starter Chris Volstad (0-4) fell to 0-9 over 17 starts dating to July 10. He allowed four hits and five runs over five innings, walking three and striking out one.

The first-place Dodgers avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season. It’s just the second time since 1988 that Los Angeles has won at least 18 of its first 27 games.

Los Angeles started 19-8 in 2009, the last year the Dodgers won the NL West.

During Volstad’s long winless streak, his Achilles’ heel has been an inability to avoid big innings. The problem surfaced again on Saturday when his leadoff walk to Andre Ethier in the second led to a sacrifice fly.

Later that inning, Volstad left a pitch up to Capuano, who laced it into the gap in right-center for a two-run double.

Capuano, who was a capable hitting pitcher before missing two seasons with an elbow injury, had gone just 5 for 79 without an RBI since returning to the majors in 2010.

Capuano is off to his best start since winning his first five decisions in 2007. He’s hoping this season turns out better after he lost his final 12 decisions that year. The lefty has won seven of his last nine starts against the Cubs, who barely threatened him on Saturday.

Chicago loaded the bases with one out in the first, but Capuano struck out Alfonso Soriano and Ian Stewart looking. The Cubs got just three base runners against Capuano over his last six innings and didn’t get another runner past first base.

Matt Kemp went 0 for 3 but drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Kemp’s batting average dropped below .400 for the first time since April 10. The major-league home run leader hasn’t gone deep in the Dodgers’ last four games, his longest drought of the season.

Dee Gordon doubled home Matt Treanor in the fifth. Gordon also singled and stole his 12th base of the season.

Starlin Castro singled three times for the Cubs, but committed his eighth error, the most in the majors.

Bryan LaHair walked twice, extending his streak of reaching base to 23 straight games, but his career-best 10-game hitting streak was snapped.

Notes: Volstad started in place of Matt Garza, who is battling a virus. Garza’s start was pushed back to Sunday, though Cubs manager Dale Sveum said that possibility is “pretty iffy.” Garza’s start may be skipped altogether. If Garza can’t pitch Sunday, LHP Travis Wood will be recalled from Triple-A Iowa to take his turn in the rotation. Wood was in the Cubs’ clubhouse on Saturday. … Sveum said that utility player Jeff Baker has the same illness as Garza and was unavailable for Saturday’s game. … LHP Ted Lilly was ejected from the Dodgers’ dugout by home plate umpire Tim Timmons during the top of the fifth.

Abreu signed with the Dodgers on Friday, insisting he was OK with a reserve role after years as a regular with the Angels, Philadelphia and the New York Yankees. The move gives Los Angeles another seasoned lefty bat on the bench to use late in games.

“I’m just happy to be here,” Abreu said before the Dodgers’ 5-4 loss to the Chicago Cubs. “It’s all about the guys we have here. I heard about it, but now that I’m here, you can see all the young guys — we have such a good talent. It’s good to be here and good to be back in the National League.”

The 38-year-old Abreu didn’t have to wait very long for his Dodgers debut, making his first plate appearance with runners on the corners in the seventh inning. He struck out on four pitches but stayed in the game in left field.

He came up again with a runner on first in the ninth and hit a liner into the gap in right-center that David DeJesus chased down to end the game.

“It’s tough for a guy to just show up in a locker room and then all of a sudden be in there, and then the game’s on the line,” Mattingly said. “When he first hit it I thought it was in the gap. Obviously they’re playing no doubles and guarding the seams. I thought it was good, though.”

Jerry Hairston hit a solo homer and a run-scoring triple for Los Angeles, which has dropped three of four. Chad Billingsley (2-2) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings.

“I felt good, I just made some mistakes over the plate,” Billingsley said. “As far as everything else, I still felt pretty good out there.”

Paul Maholm (3-2) pitched six crisp innings for his third consecutive win as the Cubs bounced back from a difficult loss in Cincinnati that led manager Dale Sveum to remove Carlos Marmol from the closer’s role. Rafael Dolis worked the ninth for his second save.

The 38-year-old Abreu had been relegated to part-time duty with the Angels and hit .208 in 24 at-bats before he was let go last Friday. He didn’t have to go very far to find another job, joining the surging Dodgers after they won 17 of their first 25 games for their best start since 2009.

“Bobby’s a guy, obviously, who’s been a great hitter his whole career, and kinda makes us, we feel like, incrementally a little bit better,” said Mattingly, who was on the Yankees’ coaching staff for part of Abreu’s stint in New York. “He gives us a chance to be a little bit better.”

The Dodgers will pay $401,311 of Abreu’s $9 million salary for this year, leaving the Angels with the remaining part of the final season of a $27 million, three-year contract. Infielder Justin Sellers was optioned to the Triple-A Albuquerque to make room on the roster.

Abreu is a career .293 hitter with 284 homers, 1,330 RBIs and 393 stolen bases. He made his major league debut with Houston in 1996 and is returning to the National League for the first time since he was traded by the Phillies to the Yankees in 2006.

Mattingly was New York’s hitting coach when Abreu joined the Yankees and served as Joe Torre’s bench coach for the 2007 season. So when Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti asked him about adding Abreu, Mattingly felt he had a good idea of how the veteran would fit in with the team.

“You hear the rumors Bobby’s bad in the clubhouse. I’ve never seen any of that,” Mattingly said. “To me, he was the opposite. With Melky (Cabrera) and Robby (Cano) over in New York, he’s the guy that helped both of those guys with the strike zone, helped those guys out. I never saw him be a bad teammate, so that was one of the things I wasn’t worried about.”

NOTES: Dodgers president Stan Kasten spent some time in Los Angeles’ dugout before the game, and said owner Mark Walter would be at the ballpark this weekend, too. Kasten was still fired up after the new ownership group officially took over the team earlier this week. “We expect to build a winning organization from top to bottom,” he said. … Dodgers RHP Ronald Belisario was in the bullpen for the first time since he was reinstated from the restricted list on Thursday after he served a 25-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy. Los Angeles designed reliever Mike MacDougal for assignment to make room on the roster. … Cubs 1B Bryan LaHair singled in the seventh inning to extend his streak of reaching safely to 22 consecutive games. … Sveum was ejected in the ninth inning for arguing balls and strikes with plate umpire Marty Foster.

Maholm (3-2) allowed one run and three hits while improving to 1-5 with a 4.91 ERA in nine career starts against Los Angeles. The left-hander has won his last three outings after dropping his first two, allowing three runs over 18 1-3 innings during the streak.

Matt Kemp hit a run-scoring triple and scored on Andre Ethier’s sacrifice fly to get Los Angeles within one in the eighth. But Kerry Wood got Juan Rivera to fly out to end the inning. Rafael Dolis then finished for his second save in three chances, taking advantage of his first opportunity since Carlos Marmol was removed from the closer’s role.

David DeJesus and Alfonso Soriano each had three hits to help the Cubs bounce back from a disappointing loss at Cincinnati. Pinch-hitter Joe Mather homered in the sixth.

Jerry Hairston hit a solo homer and a run-scoring triple for NL West-leading Los Angeles, which has dropped three of four. Chad Billingsley (2-2) gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings.

Cubs manager Dale Sveum announced Friday he had decided to try a committee of relievers in the closer spot, making the move one day after Marmol walked three and failed to record an out while blowing a save opportunity in a 4-3 loss to the Reds. The erratic right-hander has two blown saves in four chances this season and a 6.23 ERA in 12 games overall.

“It just got to that point where we got to get him productive in some role and he was fine with it and understood,” Sveum said. “Hopefully we can get him going to where give him another chance and get him going to where he can get back in that role.”

The new approach worked out on the first day, but just barely.

The Cubs carried a 4-1 lead into the seventh but Ethier greeted James Russell with a leadoff double and scored on Hairston’s two-out rope into right field. Hairston hustled around to third and A.J. Ellis followed with a walk against Shawn Camp, leaving runners on the corners.

But Camp responded by striking out pinch-hitter Bobby Abreu on four pitches in the veteran’s first plate appearance with Los Angeles.

Maholm  struck out four and walked none in his third consecutive sharp outing. Dee Gordon’s sixth-inning comebacker appeared to plunk him on the right leg, but he remained in the game after a few warmup pitches.

Maholm became the first big league starter to win three straight games after a winless stretch of nine or more starts since Houston’s Brett Myers last season, according to STATS, LLC. Maholm was 0-7 with a 7.03 ERA in nine previous starts before he beat Cincinnati on April 21.

Abreu signed with the Dodgers on Friday, insisting he was OK with a reserve role after years as a regular with the Angels, Philadelphia and the New York Yankees. He played left field.

NOTES: Dodgers president Stan Kasten spent some time in Los Angeles’ dugout before the game, and said owner Mark Walter would be at the ballpark this weekend, too. Kasten was still fired up after the new ownership group officially took over the team earlier this week. “We expect to build a winning organization from top to bottom,” he said. … Dodgers RHP Ronald Belisario was in the bullpen for the first time since he was reinstated from the restricted list on Thursday after he served a 25-game suspension for violating baseball’s drug policy. Los Angeles designed reliever Mike MacDougal for assignment to make room on the roster. … Cubs 1B Bryan LaHair singled in the seventh inning to extend his streak of reaching safely to 22 consecutive games. … Infielder Justin Sellers was optioned to the Triple-A Albuquerque to make room for Abreu on the roster.

Abreu hit .208 in 24 at-bats before the last-place Angels let him go last Friday. He didn’t have to go very far to find another job, opting for a reserve role with the NL West-leading Dodgers.

The 38-year-old Abreu is in the last season of a $27 million, three-year contract and is due $9 million this year. He is a career .293 hitter with 284 homers, 1,330 RBIs and 393 stolen bases. He previously played for Houston, Philadelphia and the New York Yankees.

Infielder Justin Sellers was optioned to the Triple-A Albuquerque to make room on the roster.

Belisario served a 25-game suspension for violating baseball’s substance abuse policy was out of options, so the team had to activate him or risk losing him to another club through waivers.

Belisario, who missed all of last season because of visa problems, last appeared in a regular season game in 2010, where he posted an ERA of 5.04.

Settling on a selection from rapper Lil Wayne, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger gave the volume a big boost as he began singing and bounding along.

All right, so maybe he’s not the world’s best singer. And maybe he won’t be appearing on the stage of “American Idol” anytime soon.

But once he steps into the batter’s box, he’s in perfect harmony as he’s steadily become one of the game’s top hitters.

Kemp is crushing pitchers again this season, leading the majors in hitting (.411) and homers (12), along with ranking second in RBIs (25).

He’s simply picking up right where he left off in 2011, when he made a bona fide run at a Triple Crown.

His secret?

Easy: study, study, study.

Kemp has been watching more video than ever to learn the tendencies of opposing pitchers. The revelation came after a tip from coach Davey Lopes, who basically told Kemp that he could go from All-Star to elite by just spending more time looking at footage.

Boy, was Lopes ever right.

“I listened,” said Kemp, who has the Dodgers off to a torrid start as they get set to open a three-game series in Chicago against the Cubs on Friday. “I became more of a student of the game and took my game to another level.”

Kemp turned in an opening month that put him in the Dodgers record books. His 12 homers in April set a new team mark, as did his total bases (75) and slugging percentage (.893).

For all of that — surprise, surprise — he was picked the NL player of the month.

“He’s gone to that next level, of being a superstar ballplayer,” infielder Mark Ellis said.

This year, the contrast is even more dramatic because of the star slugger playing a bit down the freeway. Three-time NL MVP Albert Pujols did not hit a single home run in April during his first month with the Los Angeles Angels.

Pujols attracts attention wherever he goes, and there were billboards featuring him around his new home.

Kemp, meanwhile, is far less recognized outside of LA.

On the road, Kemp can easily float in and out of restaurants without fans so much as batting an eye. Maybe there’s a little hint of recognition, but not enough to approach him and say, “Hey, you’re Matt Kemp.”

“I like to walk on the street and just have my moment to myself where nobody knows who I am,” the 27-year-old said.

Once he settles in at the plate, he’s hard to miss.

All it took was getting accustomed to some lofty expectations. After a prodigious career in the minors, Kemp was regarded as the next big thing for the Dodgers.

He was off to a stellar start in his career, but in 2010 took a step back and hit only .249. Sure, he showed his power potential — launching 28 homers — but his average and 170 strikeouts were concerns.

Turns out, there really was nothing to fear.

Last season, he was back in rhythm at the plate and led the NL in homers (39) and RBIs (126). He also wound up third in hitting (.324) as he finished second in the NL MVP voting behind Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun.

This year, he’s only gotten better, which begs this question: So what exactly happened in 2010?

“I don’t even talk about 2010 no more,” Kemp said. “I guess you call it growing pains — something I learned from. I turned the page from that. We don’t even need to talk about that.

“As long as I’m hitting the ball good and having good at bats, I’m going to be successful.”

Kemp is a creature of habit, following the same basic routine each day. He begins with some light stretching, then rides the stationary bike. A quick round of weights, some swings in the cage, a sneak peek at video and he’s ready to face any ace of any staff.

“You’re going to know Matt,” manager Don Mattingly said of his outfielder’s burgeoning star status. “It’s going to keep growing.

“A lot of guys have had good seasons. You start to put them together over a long period of time is when it really turns into a great career. You can’t go, `I’m going to put a year together.’ You’ve just got to put a day together. If he continues like that, the sky’s the limit. You’ll end up seeing this guy somewhere special.”

This may come as a little bit of a surprise, but Kemp patterns his game in part after former Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas. Although they have different body types, Thomas was Kemp’s boyhood hero, along with Gary Sheffield and Ken Griffey Jr.

“Not a bad list to try to be like when you’re growing up playing baseball,” chuckled Kemp, who’s from Oklahoma and was actually recruited by the Sooners to play hoops.

Watch Kemp carefully and this is clear: He takes bits and pieces from all three of his idols:

– From Thomas, he took patience at the plate.

– From Sheffield, he learned how to be aggressive.

– From Griffey, he saw how to be a complete player.

“Ballers,” Kemp explained. “To be a power hitter and hit for average and to be successful in this game, you have to learn to be patient at the plate.”

It doesn’t hurt to have Andre Ethier hitting behind him, either.

With Ethier protecting him, teams can’t afford to walk Kemp. Until Wednesday, Kemp hadn’t been issued an intentional pass all season, because Ethier is hitting .287 and has knocked in a league-leading 27 runs.

“There’s no doubt Andre swinging the bat the way he has been is helping Matt,” Mattingly said. “It seems like every run that Matt hasn’t driven in, Andre has.”

About the only thing missing from Kemp’s repertoire this season are stolen bases. He had 40 of them last season, but has been held in check.

So far — and maybe it’s because he’s hitting so many homers — he has just two this season.

Kemp drew some raised eyebrows before the season when he claimed he could be a 50 homer and 50 stolen base caliber of player.

Still have those aspirations?

“I have my aspirations set on making it to the playoffs and winning a World Series,” Kemp said. “That’s my main goal. That’s what I’m focused on.”

With first base open and one out, the Dodgers elected to pitch to Giambi. Carlos Gonzalez was waiting on deck – he’d hit two home runs off NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw earlier in the game.

The Rockies took a 2-1 lead into the late innings before it turned wild at Coors Field.

The Dodgers scored twice in the eighth, but Colorado bounced back for three in the bottom half for a 5-3 lead. Los Angeles tied it with two runs in the ninth.