Los Angeles Times - 01.08.2019

SPORTS

T HURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 2019::L ATIMES.COM/SPORTS

D

DENVER — The Dodgers

and Colorado Rockies were

scoreless at Coors Field in

the fourth inning and would,

somehow, remain that way

until the ninth inning of the

Dodgers’ 5-1 win, when the

trade deadline passed. A

thousand miles and a time

zone away, Andrew Fried-

man, the Dodgers’ president

of baseball operations, and

his crew were camped at

Dodger Stadium, light on

sleep and heavy on stress.

The Dodgers’ front office

executed trades for two play-

ers before the 1 p.m. PDT

deadline hit, but neither was

the one the organization and

fans, in an ideal world, envi-

sioned. The Dodgers

emerged without the elite

shutdown reliever they had

sought to bolster their

bullpen, unwilling to pay the

steep prices teams stamped

on those pitchers. Instead,

they acquired infielder Jedd

Gyorko from the St. Louis

Cardinals and left-handed

reliever Adam Kolarek from

the Tampa Bay Rays — two

minor moves that might im-

prove the club but just incre-

mentally.

“Our focus each deadline

I’ve been here was to be ag-

gressive,” Friedman said in a

conference call with report-

ers. “And, more often than

not, that has resulted in an

aggressive move. Today, it

did not. But we had various

conversations going up until

1 o’clock and feel like we’ve

got a team and depth in

place to win a champi-

‘Fresh

Prince’

delivers

for L.A.

Dodgers strike out at

making deal, but

three-run homer by

Smith beats Rockies.

DODGERS 5

COLORADO 1

By Jorge Castillo

[SeeDodgers,D5]

They played it

safe. They

checked their

swing. They

held the ball.

It’s strange

to say that

about a Dod-

gers organiza-

tion that has

been so fearlessly bold in

winning six consecutive

division championships and

advancing to consecutive

World Series, but Wednes-

day was the strangest of

days.

Given a chance to take a

trade deadline leap that

could have added the final

championship piece to their

best team in three decades,

the Dodgers stayed on the

ledge, feet rooted to the

precipice, looking down,

shaking their heads.

BILL PLASCHKE

PITTSBURGH CLOSERFelipe Vazquez would have filled the
Dodgers’ big need, but price was too high for Andrew Friedman.

Justin BerlGetty Images

Dodgers blow deadline

Friedman

passes on

chance to

add relief

[SeePlaschke, D5]

TOP PROSPECTGavin Lux, currently tearing up triple-A

pitching, could be the Dodgers’ starting second baseman next year.

Christian PetersenGetty Images

The first game of the 2019
World Series has begun in
Dodger Stadium, and the
home team is in a bit of a
jam. Hyun-Jin Ryu gives up
a single to the Cleveland
Indians’ Francisco Lindor, a
Jose Ramirez hit puts two
on with one out, and coming
to bat is cleanup man ...
Yasiel Puig?
Can you imagine?
The odds of the mercuri-
al slugger, a fan favorite in
Los Angeles and a constant
source of consternation for
Dodgers coaches, making a
World Series appearance in
his old stamping grounds
improved dramatically
when Puig and San Diego’s
Franmil Reyes were offi-
cially dealt to Cleveland in a
three-way trade Wednesday.

ADDITIONof Zack Greinke gives Houston a formidable pitching rotation.

Sarah StierGetty Images

INDIANSland out-

fielder Yasiel Puig.

John MinchilloAP

METSdon’t let go of

pitcher Zack Wheeler.

Corey SipkinAP

GIANTSkeep pitcher

Madison Bumgarner.

Orlando RamirezAP

Astros’

Greinke

caper tops

all trades

MIKE DiGIOVANNA
ON BASEBALL

[SeeDiGiovanna,D5]

A year away

from new venue

The NFL likes what it

sees in the Inglewood

stadium for the Rams,

and Chargers, Arash

Markazi writes. D2

They’re playing

with fire

Bruins, Trojans risk

losing fans’ interest if

they don’t improve

soon, J. Brady

McCollough writes. D3

Hall of Fame

linebacker dies

Nick Buoniconti, who

starred on only 17-0

team in NFL history

with the Miami

Dolphins, was 78. D6

Nick Buoniconti

Associated Press

CHICAGO — There’s a
reason why Peyton Manning
was named the NFL’s most
valuable player a record five
times, and it went beyond
what he accomplished on
the field as quarterback of
the Indianapolis Colts and
Denver Broncos.

Manning was also an un-

compromising leader who

demanded the most of his

teammates, particularly the

young offensive players. He

didn’t want to have to stop

and explain everything.

They needed to be able to

speak his language.

So he assigned them ex-

tra film study.

“It was a new genera-

tion,” he said. “It was Austin

Collie, Curtis Painter, the

2009 [Colts] rookie class. I

sent them on a homework

assignment. I said, ‘I want

you to go watch “Cad-

dyshack,” “Stripes,” “Vaca-

tion,” “Fletch” and “The

Jerk.” Watch them so you

kind of know what I’m say-

ing.’ ”

History, with an audible

Manning’s documentary series on the 100 years

of the NFL will be delivered with his light touch

By Sam Farmer

PEYTON MANNINGinterviews Chicago Bears owner Virginia Halas McCaskey.

Sam Farmer Los Angeles Times

[SeeNFL, D7]

Eric Henderson’s face

lighted up as the tackling

sled the Rams’ defensive line

coach was standing on jolted

backward.

The padded metal barri-

cade was no match for rook-

ie nose tackle Greg Gaines,

giving way to 312 pounds of

strength.

“I see you, Greg,” Hen-

derson shouted, a devious

grin crossing his face just

minutes into the first prac-

tice of training camp Friday.

“Let’s go, newbie,” a

nearby fan echoed, leaning

over the railing in excite-

ment, equally inspired by

the flash of freakish force.

Gaines, a fourth-round

pickfrom the University of

Washington, is still adjust-

ing to his new domain. His

eyes were wide as he walked

through a human tunnel and

onto the field for the first

time earlier that afternoon.

Following two veterans, he

high-fived a line of fans and

humbly gazed at thousands

more ringing the pair of

practice fields at UC Irvine.

“In college, it felt like all of

our practices were super se-

cret,” Gaines said. “Nobody

was allowed.”

That’s not the case any-

more. Instead, eyeballs have

followed Gaines’ every

move. His position, an all-

important role between de-

fensive tackle Aaron Don-

Gaines has eyes

on starting role

Rams rookie is in

contention for nose

tackle spot between

Donald and Brockers.

By Jack Harris

GREG GAINESwas a

fourth-round draft pick

out of Washington.

Jayne Kamin-OnceaGetty Images

[SeeGaines, D6]

DETROIT 9, ANGELS 1

Minormove made

at trade deadline

Angels get catcher Max

Stassi from Astros but

don’t address rotation. D3