Three-Inning Save: A Los Angeles Dodgers Podcast

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, with hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch, Clayton Kershaw is at front of mind, both regarding his shoulder injury and timing of his 2023 return, as well as his pending decision this offseason. Kershaw is on the injured list with shoulder soreness and has been prescribed rest, and won’t join the Dodgers rotation until at least the first week of August. But he also talked about his upcoming offseason in an interview with USA Today, at the very least retirement is on the table. After five days off during the All-Star break, Dodgers pitchers looked rested and allowed only three runs to the Mets, winning two of three games. Mookie Betts remains on fire at the plate, putting together what Dave Roberts is touting as an MVP campaign. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Produced by Brian Salvatore. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, with hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch, we talk the first-place Dodgers and the very busy All-Star and MLB Draft week. Clayton Kershaw is on the injured list but will be back soon, but the Dodgers got terrible pitching news last week. Dustin May will have elbow surgery, out until midseason 2024 at least. Daniel Hudson returned after missing a year for his left knee, then suffered an MCL sprain in his right knee. Still, the Dodgers won five out of six to move into first place in the National League West. The MLB Draft started Sunday and the Dodgers took four high school players in their first 10 rounds, an aggressiveness thanks to a larger signing bonus pool this year compared to recent years. Also, Mookie Betts’ mom was right about the Home Run Derby, and three Dodgers in a row batting in the National League All-Star lineup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, with hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch, we talk about the Dodgers selected to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and J.D. Martinez were voted by fans to start for the National League, the first time the Dodgers have had three starting position players in the All-Star Game since 1980. Clayton Kershaw made his 10th All-Star Game and catcher Will Smith made his first. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on The Three-Inning Save podcast, Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch look back at infielder Billy Grabarkewitz, who was a surprise All-Star in 1970 at third base for the Dodgers, but injuries slowed him down in other years. The Three-Inning Save podcast is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch catch up on a rollercoaster two weeks of Dodgers baseball. After getting swept at home by the Giants and a week of bullpen woes, Dodgers pitching was at the forefront in winning four of five against the Angels and Astros. We take stock of where the Dodgers roster stands, plus the pending returns of Julio Urías, Max Muncy, and Daniel Hudson from the injured list. Also, we pour one out for Andre Jackson, the patron saint of the three-inning save with the Dodgers, who was traded to the Pirates for cash. This week’s food topic is figuring out which pizza toppings work for us, and we find out why Jacob doesn’t really eat popcorn. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Three-Inning Save podcast, we look back at the longest save in Dodgers history, a five-inning save in 1970 by Charlie Hough, pitching in only the second game of what would be an illustrious 25-year career. Plus, Eric tells the story of his favorite spring training game ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch celebrate yet another three-inning save by Andre Jackson, and try to navigate the tough road ahead for a Dodgers pitching staff taxed to its limit. In the last week alone, Noah Syndergaard reached the end of his rope, unable even to eat innings during his turn in the rotation. He was placed on the injured list, nominally for the blister in his finger, but also for a major reset to figure out how to recapture any of his former self on the mound. And just when Julio Urías was set to return, his left hamstring flared up again, pushing him back a few more weeks. The Dodgers are asking a lot of the starters they have, but the burden on the entire staff as a whole showed itself with three walk-off losses in four days, and the need of a bullpen game to finish off the series against the Phillies. We look ahead at how the Dodgers might manage their pitching staff for the remainder of June, which is helped somewhat by four off days in an upcoming 15-day stretch. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look back at left-handed pitcher Kemp Wicker, one of only eight players in major league history to play for only the Dodgers and Yankees. Wicker pitched four years in the majors and his teams made the World Series each time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch are amazed at how good Bobby Miller has been in his first three major league starts for the Dodgers. Miller, the Dodgers top pitching prospect, is the ninth different starting pitcher the Dodgers have used this season amid a season of injuries, and even his own year was delayed by shoulder soreness in spring training. But so far, Miller has allowed only two runs in 17 innings, including shutting out the Yankees for six innings. He’s been the best pitcher on the Dodgers since joining them two weeks ago. Also this week, Freddie Freeman won National League player of the month, J.D. Martinez has caught fire since returning from the injured list, a trio of relievers – Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, and Caleb Ferguson – have emerged atop the bullpen hierarchy, and Jonny DeLuca is now in the major just three weeks after playing in Double-A. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A look back at Wayne Belardi, a power-hitting first baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the early 1950s who was stuck behind Hall of Famer Gil Hodges on the depth chart. Belardi hit a memorable grand slam in 1953. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch recap one of the most taxing weeks for Dodgers pitching in recent memory. Dustin May injured his elbow and will miss at least 4-6 weeks, Julio Urías is out two weeks with a strained hamstring, and the Dodgers had a spate of short starts for a full week plus a 12-inning game that put tremendous strain on the pitching staff. The Dodgers brought up four different pitchers in a four-day span, and jettisoned two of them the next day because they needed another fresh arm. And that doesn’t even include Justin Bruihl, who pitched three straight days, got optioned, but returned the next day. Also in the last week, The Phil Bickford Game, a walk-off walk by streaking Trayce Thompson, and Freddie Freeman reached the 300-home-run club. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special episode of The Three-Inning Save, part of the Fans First Sports Network, we talk to Kris Willis from Battery Power to preview the National League showdown between the Dodgers and Braves in Atlanta. The series features the teams with the two best records in the NL, but both are juggling pitching injuries at the moment. Perhaps the Dodgers and Braves will have to rely more on their offenses, scoring the most and second-most runs per game in the league. It should be a fun series between two teams who played against each other in the postseason three times in the last five years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, a look at what's next after Dustin May injured his elbow in a start on Wednesday. The Dodgers right-hander is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. May suffered a flexor pronator strain in his right elbow, and is expected to receive a platelet-rich plasma injection, per multiple reports. Wednesday was his 15th start since returning from Tommy John surgery. Gavin Stone seems likely to replace May in the short-term, but there's more to deal with on the Dodgers pitching staff. Noah Syndergaard is dealing with a blister on his right index finger, and hasn't pitched well enough or deep enough into games. The Dodgers bullpen was unusually taxed this week, throwing 21 innings in three games against the Twins, with several relievers pushed to their limits. We discuss the roster fallout on this podcast. Plus, an update on Walker Buehler, who aims to return from his own Tommy John surgery by starting in September, just over a year after his procedure. That timetable was deemed aggressive, but Buehler also talked about his rehab and the nature of his surgery. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch reconvene to talk about the red-hot Dodgers, after Jacob and his wife welcomed a new baby. The Dodgers beat the Padres in a series for two straight weekends, including a sweep in Los Angeles over Mother’s Day weekend to open up a seven-game lead in the National League West over third-place San Diego only about a quarter into the 2023 season. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are heating up, and both Will Smith and J.D. Martinez are back in the lineup, putting the Dodgers formidable offense back at full strength. With Tony Gonsolin back in the rotation, Dodgers pitching has stabled somewhat, including Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, and Dustin May, plus a bullpen that started slow but had pitched well the last few weeks, specifically the higher-leverage pitchers. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, host Eric Stephen and guest Jon Weisman catch up on the Dodgers, who rode a winning streak into first place in the National League West. With catcher Will Smith and third baseman Max Muncy back in the lineup, the Dodgers won seven of their first eight games back together to streak into first place. A look at accolades for Clayton Kershaw and James Outman for their strong Aprils, Gavin Stone making his major league debut, our expectations for the 2023 Dodgers, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch recount the up and down Dodgers, who end a third straight week at .500 Max Muncy had a breakout week with a pair of two-home-run games, and the Dodgers scored nine and 10 runs in wins in San Francisco. But they were also shut out by the Giants and scored only six runs in three games against the Cubs at home, for a 3-3 week. Catcher Will Smith took a handful of foul tips off his face mask against the Giants then missed all three games against the Cubs after experiencing concussion symptoms. Smith was placed on the concussion injured list, the first roster move since opening day for the Dodgers, who signed catcher Austin Wynns as a temporary backup to Austin Barnes behind the plate. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch take stock of a brutal Dodgers weekend in Phoenix, with three straight losses to the Diamondbacks. The Dodgers are back to .500 at 5-5, and the pitching was terrible over the weekend, with Clayton Kershaw giving up back-to-back home runs to lose on Friday, then bad and short starts from Noah Syndergaard and Michael Grove. LA’s bullpen has also been shaky to open the season, striking out batters at a low rate, in the lower third of the league. The bad pitching overshadowed what has otherwise been a pretty good Dodgers offense, especially from Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, James Outman, J.D. Martinez, and Jason Heyward. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The latest Three-Inning Save podcast looks back at Nate Oliver, one of only nine Los Angeles Dodgers to make their major league debut with an opening day start. Oliver started at second base on opening day in 1963, a year the Dodgers won the World Series. Oliver played five years with the Dodgers, was a key part of a possibly apocryphal story about bunting, and later managed the Palm Spring Angels. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch review the Los Angeles Dodgers’ season-opening series against the Diamondbacks, with all the various highlights from opening day and more. What better way to start the Three-Inning Save podcast than with a three-inning save, this one by designated three-inning saver Andre Jackson, who has pulled off the feat three times in his eight major league games, dating back to 2021. Not bad for someone who didn’t even know three-inning saves existed when he first got one. The Dodgers offense was up and down in the first weekend, combining for 18 runs in the two wins, and falling 2-1 in both losses. Trayce Thompson hit three home runs and drove in eight in one game, and Will Smith was the offensive hero on opening day, driving in four. Dodgers pitching was excellent, allowing only seven runs in four games. But two late blips by the bullpen contributed to both losses. We go over the first four games of the weekend, plus thoughts from the series and highlights from opening day. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With opening day nearly here, hosts from Fans First Sports Network’s National League West teams gather together for a roundtable about the division, digging deep into strengths and weaknesses of the Dodgers, Padres, Giants, Rockies, and Diamondbacks. Come get to know hosts from the Dodgers podcast (Three Inning Save), Rockies podcast (Rocky Mountain Rooftop), Giants podcast (Giants Chroncast), and Padres podcast (Talking Friars), all available RIGHT NOW on the brand new Fans First Sports Network (FFSN). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, hosts Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch discuss the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into opening day. The final pieces of the roster are set in place, with rookie James Outman making his first opening day roster by forcing himself onto the team with a strong spring training, after a strong 2022. Rookie Ryan Pepiot won the fifth starter spot, taking over for Tony Gonsolin, who is out with a sprained ankle. Rookie Andre Jackson won the final bullpen spot. Julio Urías gets the first opening day start of his career, on the mound for the Dodgers on March 30 against the D-backs. Urías will be followed in the rotation by Dustin May, Clayton Kershaw, Noah Syndergaard, and Pepiot to begin the season. Also on this episode, we make some predictions for the season, including how many wins for the Dodgers and where they’ll finish in the National League West. We also look at some over/unders for specific players. The Three-Inning Save is part of the Fans First Sports Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the very first episode of the Three-Inning Save podcast, in which Eric Stephen and Jacob Burch will talk about the Los Angeles Dodgers, as part of the Fans First Sports Network. If those names sound familiar to you, it’s because we podcasted about the team for over 10 years at True Blue LA. It will be more of the same on the new network, including questions from Craig Minami, plus Dodgers rewind episodes every so often. On this episode, we take a look at the dwindling decisions left for the Dodgers to finalize their opening day roster. Tony Gonsolin will open the season on the injured list with a sprained left ankle, leaving a competition between Ryan Pepiot, Michael Grove, and Andre Jackson for the final spot in the starting rotation. Outfielder Jason Heyward, a non-roster invitee in spring training, is likely to make the Dodgers. With recent roster cuts, the Dodgers only have healthy 13 position players on the 40-man roster. Adding Heyward essentially means that the final position player roster spot is between outfielder James Outman and infielder Yonny Hernández. Outman has been impressive all spring, and played well enough to earn a roster spot, but it’s in question whether he will make the opening day roster. In the bullpen, Daniel Hudson will open the season on the injured list with ankle tendinitis, though he’s not expected to miss too much time. Jimmy Nelson, signed to a major league deal after missing the last year and a half due to Tommy John surgery and flextor tendon repair, hasn’t found his command this spring, walking eight of his 17 batters faced, with no strikeouts. We do know at least two left-handers will be on the opening day roster, with Dave Roberts saying Alex Vesia and Caleb Ferguson will be on the team, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. This week’s questions from Craig look back at Dodgers Cy Young Award winners, and St. Patrick’s Day food traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The final episode of the True Blue LA podcast, after 10 years of talking about the Dodgers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux tore the ACL in his right knee during spring training, and will miss the entire 2023 season. A look at the domino effect and how Lux’s injury affects Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, the outfield, and the roster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With spring training now upon us, we look at the busy last week for the Dodgers, agreeing to terms with outfielder David Peralta plus pitchers Alex Reyes and Jimmy Nelson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices