How can I watch Game 3 of the Dodgers-Nationals division series?

MLB Network is carrying Game 3 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and Washington Nationals. A free preview of the network has been offered to video customers of AT&T U-verse, Cablevision, Comcast XFINITY, Cox, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Frontier, RCN and Verizon FiOS through Tuesday.

A spokesperson for MLB Network said that, with the free preview and existing distribution, the channel will be available to more than 90 million homes across the country today.

MLB Network’s local channel listings are available at www.FindMLBNetwork.com.

NLDS Game 5: This is it. The season is over. One last blog entry before we all go home.

Andre Ethier

Andre Ethier makes a diving catch to rob New York Mets left fielder Michael Conforto of a hit in the second inning. (John McCoy/Staff photographer)

In a winner-take-all Game 5, Daniel Murphy and the Mets struck a dagger through the heart of the Dodgers’ pitching staff. The box score is here. The photo gallery is here.

A sold-out Dodger Stadium was denied its chance to celebrate, writes David Montero.

The Dodgers were doomed by some familiar mistakes, writes Vincent Bonsignore. One was a stolen base on which nobody covered third. Murphy was great, but some of the Dodgers’ wounds were self-inflicted, writes Mark Whicker.

Andre Ethier and Don Mattingly both said after the game that their nationally televised screaming match was merely a continuation of Ethier’s argument with home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom (but, as Ethier told me after the game, “if that’s what you want to hang the game on, that’s what you can hang the game on.”). As Tom Hoffarth writes, the explanation didn’t need to wait that long.

I’m told the Dodgers will not be making any announcements tomorrow, so try to sleep this one off and enjoy the rest of the playoffs. I’ll have some follow-up stories from tonight.

If you’re made it this far, a personal thank-you for sticking with me all season. A common question I get is “what do you do during the off-season?” The answer: I write about the Dodgers.

So keep coming back. There’s always news with this team.

A.J. Ellis watched video to prepare to catch Zack Greinke in Game 5.

Zack Greinke

Yasmani Grandal has caught all but six of Zack Greinke’s 33 starts this season, including Game 2 of the National League Division Series. (Associated Press photo)


Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday that both A.J. Ellis and Yasmani Grandal, who has a sore left shoulder, would prepare to catch Game 5 today.

Grandal is in the starting lineup. Did Ellis do anything extra today compared to a typical day he isn’t starting?

“I came in yesterday knowing what was going on with Yas and how he was feeling and made sure I went over to Zack and watched his game, Game 2 against these guys and how he matched up against the Mets throughout the season,” Ellis said.

“But talking to Yas last night and talking to Yas today, he looks great. He feels great, and I’m excited to watch him go out there and compete with Zack (Greinke). They have a great chemistry together. It’s no secret how well they’ve worked, and it’s all about Zack being comfortable. I think Yas has got some big swings in him tonight too.”

Grandal has caught all but six of Greinke’s starts this season. He has one hit and four striekouts in eight at-bats this series. Ellis has been swinging the hotter bat. He has one hit in each of his two starts this series, extending his postseason hitting streak to 12 games.

Clayton Kershaw out of the bullpen? ‘Even though the moment is huge, what is right?’


We enjoy ribbing Dodgers manager Don Mattingly here for concealing even the most commonplace details of his game-to-game bullpen strategy. (Is Bronson Arroyo available tonight? Who knows?) This time, we get it.

Mattingly wouldn’t say whether or not Clayton Kershaw would be available out of the bullpen for Game 5 of the National League Division Series, two days after Kershaw pitched the Dodgers to a season-extending victory in Game 4.

“He’s here,” Mattingly said of Kershaw. “I’m not sure what we’ll do with him.”

Continue reading “Clayton Kershaw out of the bullpen? ‘Even though the moment is huge, what is right?’” »

Yasmani Grandal (shoulder) will catch Zack Greinke in Game 5 of NLDS.

Yasmani Grandal

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal is 1-for-8 in the National League Division Series. (Associated Press photo)

Yasmani Grandal’s sore left shoulder will not keep him out of the Dodgers’ starting lineup in Game 5 of the National League Division Series on Thursday. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday that Grandal was even money to catch starting pitcher Zack Greinke.

The Dodgers are keeping their lineup intact from Game 1 of the series, the last time they faced Jacob deGrom, with one exception:  Kiké Hernandez, not Carl Crawford, is starting in left field.

Here is the Dodgers’ full lineup for the 5 p.m. game:

Continue reading “Yasmani Grandal (shoulder) will catch Zack Greinke in Game 5 of NLDS.” »