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Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman tracked Royals hitter Isaac Collins’ fly ball through foul territory to just outside the visiting dugout at Dodger Stadium.

He had a plan. With one out in the top of the eighth inning, Freeman was going to lean over the rail to make the catch.

He shuffled, shifted his weight, and the ground disappeared out from under him.

“Obviously there was no rail,” a sore but apparently not seriously injured Freeman said after the Dodgers’ 4-2 win against the Royals.

He pitched sideways, practically clearing the first set of steps and landing on the second flight. Freeman braced himself on his right side, which took the brunt of the impact. But thanks to the angle of the steps, he never hit his head, he said.

“Kneecaps are sore, shoulder is sore, hand is sore, wrist is sore,” Freeman said. “I mean, I fell. But I’m in good spirits. I’ve already cold tubbed. I’ve done everything I needed to do to put myself in a position to be able to hopefully play [Thursday].”

Manager Dave Roberts described Freeman’s status as “day to day” and noted that he’d already planned to give him a day off Friday, the second game of a four-game series against the Brewers. The Dodgers will monitor how Freeman is feeling Thursday morning.

“I think that we really dodged the bullet,” Roberts said. Freeman did not undergo any imaging on his various aches and pains, although he said head athletic trainer Thomas Albert asked if he felt like he needed any.

“I said, ‘Do you want to do a whole-body X-ray?’” Freeman recounted. “And he was like, ‘We can.’ But no, I’m OK.”

Read more:Eric Lauer shows his value as Dodgers sweep the Royals

Freeman was sore immediately after the fall but finished that half inning in the field. He said after the adrenaline wore off, he motioned to the dugout that he might need a pinch-hitter in the bottom half of the eighth. He was due up first.

Utility player Tommy Edman took the at-bat for him, and Kiké Hernández replaced him at first in the top of the ninth.

It wasn’t the first time Freeman has taken a tumble chasing after a foul ball, but he estimated the last time was about a decade ago, with the Braves in Arizona before they extended the netting.

“Actually went down probably like 10 feet,” Freeman said. “I hit seats and everything. So not my first time.

“I didn’t catch that one either.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Brent Headrick did not expect this. He did not envision his role being so significant.

Just one pitcher, left-handed reliever Mason Fluharty of the Blue Jays, has appeared in more games (63) than Headrick (62), and Fluharty likely won’t be asked to pitch into October like Headrick.

“If someone said you would have 60 appearances [at this point], I would say you’re crazy,” the lefty said Wednesday before pitching a scoreless eighth inning in the Yankees’ 10-5 win over the Mariners in The Bronx. “It’s awesome. It’s been a wild year, but it’s been a lot of fun.”

The Yankees reliever now has 52 scoreless outings this year, the most in MLB and a franchise record through 120 games. He’s showing no signs of slowing down, allowing three earned runs in his past 30 innings of work. On the season, he has a 1.47 ERA across 61 ¹/₃ innings.

Headrick could set a Yankees record for most pitching appearances in a season. Paul Quantrill owns the No. 1 spot (86) in 2004, and Scott Proctor is No. 2 (83) in 2006. Headrick is on pace to tie Proctor.

“He’s put in the work, the training, that starts in earnest in the winter. A lot of time your winter program sets you up for success during the year. He certainly put in the work,” manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday night’s win. “Even though he has worked a lot, we at the same time have tried to protect him in certain situations of being disciplined on certain days, of, ‘You’re not available today.’ So [we’re] trying to avoid those situations where he’s too spent and you have to recover too much.

“Ideally you have a slightly less games/innings projection, but we haven’t been afforded that luxury necessarily this year, and he’s taken that on well.”

Headrick said he feels good and isn’t concerned by the heavy workload. He prepared for this season — the first year of his career when he knew he would be a reliever — differently. The Yankees gave him a higher-intensity and higher-frequency workout plan to prepare him for shorter outings after he was often used for multiple innings last season.

“I tried to train with more bursts more often,” he said. “So I’m not building up to 50, 60 pitches like I would as a starter in the offseason. Now I build up to 15 or 20, and do it more often. You’re not throwing as many volume bullpens, so you can throw more often and feel good.”

It has been a remarkable rise for the 28-year-old. A ninth-round pick in 2019, he was put on waivers in February 2025 and picked up by the Yankees. When he arrived in Tampa, the Yankees told him they saw the southpaw’s future in the bullpen. He has since taken off.

Scattered throughout the year, in a thin bullpen that could’ve used an upgrade at the trade deadline but didn’t get one, the Yankees have uncovered some success with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre relievers.

Yerry De los Santos has pitched to a 1.00 ERA across six appearances.

For Kervin Castro, it was a 1.42 ERA in five appearances.

Until a dud in his last appearance before getting optioned, Angel Chivilli’s ERA sat at 0.57.

Enter Bradley Hanner, called up Tuesday after Castro landed on the injured list and tasked with becoming the next Yankees discovery.

A 27-year-old yet to make his MLB debut, Hanner was drafted in 2019 in the 21st round, which no longer exists.

In an era of velocity-driven pitchers, Hanner relies on arm angles and a four-seamer that averaged 93.7 mph in his last minor league outing to complement a sinker, cutter and sweeper.

His chance could be fleeting, something that could close when Castro returns. But Hanner, who Aaron Boone said has been in the mix for a call-up for over a month, still had a chance to soak in “everything I dreamed of” and avoided the temptation to look down the road.

“Just because a guy doesn’t light up the radar gun,” Boone said before the Yankees’ 10-5 win over the Mariners on Wednesday in The Bronx, “doesn’t mean he doesn’t have good stuff. … There’s a lot of things that make you good or nasty or whatever, not just power.”

Still, the presence of the unproven Hanner also captured the risk the Yankees took at the deadline.

They didn’t add a reliever. They even dealt away Camilo Doval.

They’ve banked on starters Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt getting healthy and current members of their rotation shifting to the bullpen. But formulating a plan around health can be a delicate strategy, one capable of quickly going awry.

Hanner has built a career without velocity, going from the Twins to the Guardians and then the Yankees in the winter on a minor league deal.

He triggered an opt-out clause July 15 that resulted in the Yankees selecting his contract, adding him to the 40-man roster and giving him his first jolt of belief that he could crack the majors this year.

• CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND YANKEES STATS

Hanner pitched to a 2.10 ERA across 40 appearances in Triple-A, recording a 29.0 strikeout percentage and an 11.4 walk percentage.

He knows, too, that he won’t overpower opponents but can rather attack and get ahead in counts.

“Velo is king now,” he told The Post, “but throwing strikes is also king.”

In 2026, right-handed hitters recorded just a .167 average against him in Triple-A — and the Yankees, Boone said, will try to find Hanner lanes with righties.

And for now, in the second week of August, with just over 40 games remaining in the regular season, one of the final spots in the bullpen belongs to Hanner.

“[Fernando] Cruz told me, ‘You only debut once,’ ” Hanner said. “Take everything in. Enjoy it. … The rest will take care of itself. I’m not looking down the road. Like, I’m looking to help this team win and whatever happens, happens.”

The Texas Rangers scored two runs but the Anaheim Angels scored five runs.

I’m a big baseball fan so when I see or meet anyone I always tell them, “If you ever get the chance, you gotta see George Klassen pitch.” He’s one of the greatest of all time and it’s a privilege and a pleasure to watch him ply his trade on the mound.

What’s that you say? George Klassen had a 7.27 ERA and hadn’t pitched into the fifth inning in any of his three career starts and had walked 14 batters in his 8 2/3 career innings? Well that simply cannot be true. After all, I just saw him shove over six innings with just one walk against a team that Jacob deGrom himself believes is a playoff contender. THE Jacob deGrom!

The Rangers scored two runs tonight, one in the top of the second and another one inning later when Corey Seager hit a solo home run. That gave them a 2-0 lead and then they never scored again against baseball’s worst franchise of the last like 20 years but especially this particular year.

Which, ok, fine. They had an early lead. That’s usually a good sign. Except, in a 2-1 game, the bullpen immediately imploded for a disastrous three-run inning the moment tonight’s start Cal Quantrill exited despite facing the bottom of essentially the league’s worst lineup.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Angels scored their fifth run on a ground ball that bounced off the first base bag. Don’t bemoan Texas’ poor luck, though. After all, they let a bunch of terrible Angels batters on base to open up the potential for something like that to happen.

So the Rangers are below .500 again. The Astros won. It’s basically a 2.5 game lead in the West because the Rangers also lost a bunch to Houston this season and don’t have the tiebreaker against them.

The Rangers are 1-5 at Anaheim this season. They’ve scored just eight runs in three games against the Angels this week, three of which came in Monday’s extra inning when they were gifted a free baserunner in scoring position. They cannot and will not win this series.

But at least we can tell our grandkids we got to see George Klassen pitch.

Player of the Game: Quantrill allowed a run in five innings as he stepped back into the rotation. If the Rangers had the ability to treat the Angels like any of the other teams in the league have, he’d have a win tonight.

Up Next: The Rangers and Angels close out this series as the Rangers turn to deGrom — who I’m pretty sure cared more about just not having to move mid-year than any belief in Texas — hoping for their second win in Orange County in their final game at the Big A this season. RHP Walbert Urena will pitch for Anaheim.

Despite it being a getaway game, the Thursday night first pitch from Angel Stadium is scheduled for 9:07 pm CDT and coverage will be back on the Rangers Sports Network.

Dodgers left-hander Eric Lauer adjusted his cap and glanced into the stands as he walked off the field to a standing ovation.

In the Dodgers’ 4-2 win against the Kansas City Royals, completing a sweep at Dodger Stadium, Lauer held the Royals to two runs (one earned) in 6 ⅓ innings.

“It was really nice,” Lauer said, noting how much more enjoyable it was to pitch well at Dodger Stadium for the home team, instead of the opposition. “It always makes you feel good walking off the mound and having people appreciate what you did out there.”

The Dodgers (73-48) got home runs from Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Hunter Feduccia.

The Dodgers, with a short bullpen after playing extra innings twice in four games, needed Lauer to pitch deep into the game.

That plan seemed to be in jeopardy as he labored through the first three innings, his pitch count climbing to 64. But the next three, he only gave up just one walk.

“Wasn’t getting a ton of swing out of zone,” Lauer said. “So mentally I just had to lock in a little bit more in-zone, make sure I was throwing quality pitches in zone, and not try to be so fine. Give myself more plate to work with and try to get some quick soft contact.”

By the time he exited with one out in the seventh, he’d thrown 112 pitches, the most he’d thrown in a game since September 2024 (114 in 6 ⅔ innings against the Mets) and just three shy of his career high (8 ⅔ innings against the Dodgers in 2018).

Read more:Sources: Mark Walter has no plans to sell Dodgers after unloading Lakers

“Eric’s a smart player, been around,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And I say smart in the sense of understanding where our bullpen was at, and we had essentially everybody down. … It didn’t look great early as far as pitch efficiency, but he just recalibrated and kind of righted the ship, and it was really good.”

Right-hander Landon Knack finished the game and got his first save of the season.

Home runs from Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Hunter Feduccia provided all the offense the Dodgers needed to secure the victory.

Lauer, as a pitcher the Dodgers acquired in May to help them weather injuries, has pitched through uncertainty about his future with the team all year. He acknowledged as much as the trade deadline neared.

Still, he’s remained, through the trade deadline and IL activations, and steadied the rotation in the process.

Lauer has given up three or fewer runs in all but one of his 11 outings for the Dodgers And the Dodgers have won every game he’s pitched other than that rare clunker (four innings, six runs, 11 hits) against the Cubs at Wrigley Field last week.

The Dodgers rotation, however, will continue to evolve down the stretch.

In the coming weeks, the Dodgers probably have to clear room for right-hander Tyler Glasnow’s (back) return from the IL. He’s set to make his third minor-league rehab start later in the week.

And Ohtani, who has been hitting but not pitching for over a month, has progressed to long toss, although Roberts said he’s not sure when he’ll move to throwing bullpens.

The Dodgers’ rotation is steadily evolving into its final playoff form. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been a steady presence at the top all season. Then they added left-hander Tarik Skubal before the trade deadline. And fellow two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell returned from the injured list to throw six innings of one-run ball Tuesday.

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (back) is set to make his third minor-league rehab start later in the week. And Ohtani has progressed to long toss, although manager Dave Roberts said he’s not sure when he’ll move to throwing bullpens.

The Dodgers still, however, have rotation questions to answer come October. Though they probably will have only four starting spots to fill in the postseason — and Yamamoto, Skubal, Snell and Glasnow can be penciled in when healthy — Ohtani’s build-up adds an interesting wrinkle.

Read more:Dodgers' Freddie Freeman appears to avoid serious injury in fall down dugout steps

If he runs out of time to build up to a full starter’s workload, will the Dodgers use him as an opener in the postseason? And if so, who will follow him?

And how do the rest of the Dodgers’ starters — Roki Sasaki, who has put together an impressive last month, left-hander Justin Wrobleski, a 2026 All-Star who has gone through a recent rough patch, and Lauer, who turned around his season with a change in scenery — fit into their plans?

In the coming weeks, the Dodgers will have to clear room for Glasnow’s return from the IL. If they don’t move a starter to the bullpen, or decide Wrobleski could use some time to work through the issues that have sprung up in his last three starts, Lauer’s lack of minor-league options could make him a DFA candidate.

If Lauer eventually does end up as the odd man out in a roster crunch, he’s done plenty in 11 appearances with the Dodgers to prove he can be an asset to a contending team looking to reinforce its pitching staff. So, he’d draw attention from other teams on the waiver wire or as a free agent.

But he’s appeared to be on the bubble before. And he’s still here, providing consistency every week.

Freeman exits

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman fell down the visiting dugout stairs while chasing a foul ball in the eighth inning. He remained in the game for the top of the eighth, but Tommy Edman hit for him in the bottom of the eighth and he was replaced in the ninth at first base by Kiké Hernández.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Los Angeles Dodgers star first baseman Freddie Freeman exited Wednesday's game against the Kansas City Royals after taking a hard fall in the top of the eighth inning.

Freeman was chasing a pop-up from Isaac Collins that veered into foul territory next to the first base dugout. He chased it onto the warning track as the ball continued to pull right before stopping and trying to lean over the gap, but the 36-year-old's momentum took him down the dugout steps.

Chasing a pop foul, Freddie Freeman falls down the stairs and into the dugout in a terrifying moment. Somehow he stays in the game. pic.twitter.com/SfM9IHssrZ

— Chad Moriyama (@ChadMoriyama) August 13, 2026

Freeman was immediately attended to by security, Royals players and Miguel Rojas as he took a moment to gather himself, but appeared to be OK and ran back onto the field to chants of his name and a loud applause from Dodger fans in attendance.

He finished out the frame on defense but Tommy Edman pinch-hit in his place in the bottom of the eighth.

The Dodgers went on to beat the Royals 4-2.

Freddie Freeman injury update

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Freeman's left hand and shoulder took the brunt of the fall and that he felt it would be difficult for Freeman to take the next at-bat, which is why he subbed in Edman.

"He's sore," Roberts told reporters. "Hand, knee, foot, shoulder a little bit. But I think we really dodged a bullet. Very scary visually."

Roberts added that Freeman did not need X-rays and is considered day-to-day. The plan was already for Freeman to take a day off on Friday, but Roberts said he'll talk with his first baseman and see how he feels over the next few days.

"We really dodged a bullet."

Dave Roberts speaks with the media after the #Dodgers 4-2 win over Kansas City, addressing Freddie Freeman’s exit from tonight’s game. pic.twitter.com/Q0tfOv9j2A

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 13, 2026

Freeman spoke with reporters later Wednesday night and described himself as being "sore" but "in good spirits."

He said he didn't hit his head but his playing status for Thursday will likely be determined by "how I feel tomorrow when I wake up."

"I'm ok; this one's not my ankle... Everything on my right side is pretty sore."

After the #Dodgers 4-2 win over the Royals, Freddie Freeman (1-2, BB) talks with the media after leaving tonight's game with body soreness. pic.twitter.com/TtpsFEWc23

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) August 13, 2026

This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Freddie Freeman exits Dodgers game after scary fall down dugout stairs

Wednesday night saw the Yankees offense explode for the first time in a long time.

The bats pushed across 10 runs, the most they've scored in almost a month, and they used that to grab victory after being down three runs early in their 10-5 win over the Mariners.

And while Trent Grisham's two home runs may steal headlines, rookie Spencer Jones put his stamp on this game in a big way. The outfielder drove in three runs on two hits (both doubles), but it was his first double in the third inning that shifted the momentum.

With the Yankees down 4-1, Jones came up against Bryce Miller with two outs and two runners on. Miller struck out Jones in his first at-bat, but the left-handed slugger battled, working a full count before driving a 97 mph fastball down in the zone off the left field wall to drive in two. While it didn't tie or give the Yankees the lead, manager Aaron Boone pointed out the hit as a turning point in the game.

"Miller beat him up with the fastball up with the punch in the first, but the more he saw in the second at-bat, laid off some tough ones," Boone said after the win. "Found his timing with the fastball….really big at-bat to get us back in the game and the guys took it from there."

Spencer Jones goes the other way off the wall to drive in a pair with a double! pic.twitter.com/aczJqVTLlK

— SNY Yankees (@snyyankees) August 13, 2026

"Feeling more comfortable, feeling better," Jones said of how he feels at the plate. "Better queues, kinda working through some stuff. And starting to do what I do."

Jones explained that those "queues" are what his body is doing at the plate: the stance, the swings and how his body feels. Since those have clicked, he's remembering how to move his body and his swing to mirror when he's seen success in his career.

And it has paid off.

While his overall numbers don't jump off the page -- a lot of that has to do with his first cup of coffee with the big league club in June -- with more starts and at-bats, Jones is becoming more comfortable facing major league pitching.

"Having professional at-bats every day," Boone said of what's different with Jones. "He understands some of his strengths and weaknesses. He’s done a good job of having a plan up there, and knowing what the pitcher’s strengths and weaknesses are. And he’s shown some adaptability at this level, which has been good."

The Yankees are trying to win without some of their top bats in Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge. Jones has stepped in and delivered production in their stead, especially in the clutch.

After his two doubles, Jones is hitting .282/.391/.590 (.981 OPS) in 46 PA with men on base this season, according to Katie Sharp.

He's also recorded 10 RBI over his last 13 games.

"I learned when I was young, when there’s runners on base, there’s really no pressure on you, the pressure is on the pitcher on the mound," Jones said of his ability to hit with RISP. "That’s how I always framed it. Guys are going to try and get you out; they’ll put stuff over the plate. And as long as you do your job and don’t go chasing, you’ll get a pitch to hit."

This stretch is the longest runway Jones has had in the majors. The injuries to Judge and Bellinger have facilitated more playing time for Jones, but earlier in the season, the young slugger didn't have that luxury, and he struggled and was eventually demoted.

So, what did the 25-year-old work on when he was back in Triple-A? Turns out, he needed to get back to being more relaxed.

"I need to slow things down. You try so hard to do a lot of things," Jones said. "For me, I’m a chill bird. I just need to relax and allow myself to do what I do and not force things. Settle into that mentality, not trying too hard, allowing things to happen has been the big difference." 

It started as a routine pop-up.

It ended in a frightening –– but, as of now, benign –– scene.

In the top of the eighth inning on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, first baseman Freddie Freeman was tracking a pop fly in foul ground when he lost his footing at the edge of the visiting dugout and went tumbling straight down a flight of stairs.

He was forced to leave the game early, but was hopeful he had come away with only general body soreness.

“I haven’t really seen the replay yet, but I went to lean, like I was gonna lean against the rail to catch the ball, and obviously there was no rail,” Freeman said afterward. “It was an opening.”

Immediately, concern descended from all parts of the ballpark as the 36-year-old disappeared from sight.

Several of Freeman’s Dodgers teammates came racing over to his aid. Several more Kansas City Royals players also leapt off the bench to check on the former MVP. 

For several moments, with Freeman sprawled on the ground beneath the concrete overhang, the entirety of the crowd also seemed to be holding its collective breath.

“It’s definitely scary,” shortstop Mookie Betts said. “Anybody going down like that is.”

The good news: Freeman had fallen in a strangely fortunate spot.

He didn’t hit any of the steps coming down, instead flying straight onto a rubber landing behind the camera well in the first-base dugout. Beyond that, just as importantly, was another set of stairs that led further down to the clubhouse. While Freeman landed with a thud on his right side, his head avoided what could have been a violent collision with the ground.

“I think that’s what kind of saved me,” Freeman said. “I landed on that, and that’s what gave leeway for my head.”

Thus, Freeman finally got back to his feet and re-emerged on the field –– getting seranded with chants of “Fredd-ie! Fredd-ie!” as he returned to his position and played out the rest of the inning.

“I am sore,” he said. “Kneecaps are sore, shoulder is sore, hand is sore, wrist is sore. I mean, I fell. But I’m in good spirits. I’ve already cold-tubbed. I’ve done everything I needed to do to put myself in a position to be able to hopefully play tomorrow.”

That did not mean Freeman finished Wednesday’s game, getting pinch-hit for in the next half-inning of the Dodgers’ eventual sweep-clinching 4-2 win.

“When the adrenaline started to wear off, I kind of motioned in [to the dugout] like, ‘Hey guys, you guys might need to hit for me. It’s getting sore,'” Freeman said.

Upon his exit, however, Freeman felt confident he hadn’t suffered anything more than “total body soreness,” as manager Dave Roberts put it.

“I didn’t hit my head, so that was the key part,” he said.

The veteran slugger didn’t even undergo X-rays, only laughing about the exchange in which head trainer Thomas Albert had asked him.

 “Thomas asked if I needed an X-ray, and I said, ‘Do you want to do a whole-body X-ray?’” Freeman quipped. “He was like, ‘We can.’ But no, I’m OK.”

Freeman’s fall came at the end of an otherwise encouraging night at Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers got home runs from Mookie Betts (who is heating up again, hitting 11-for-26 over the last week), Shohei Ohtani (on a go-ahead two-run blast in the third) and Hunter Feduccia (his first since being reacquired by the team at the trade deadline).

They got nine combined innings out of Eric Lauer (6 ⅓ innings, 2 runs, 1 earned) and Landon Knack (2 ⅔ scoreless on a night the bullpen was thin and he was called up from triple-A).

And after entering this homestand in a 1-8 tailspin, they leveled out their form with a narrow three-game sweep.

“Just a great sweep when we needed it,” Freeman said.

And one, the hope remains, that didn’t come at the cost of a freak injury to a star player in the dugout.

The Royals made Eric Lauer work and had the lead twice, but it was not enough as the Dodgers’ three long homers were enough to win 4-2.

The early game was back and forth. Neither offense was able to score in the first, but then it was all scoring for a bit. Daniel Lynch managed to strike out the side in the bottom of the first and looked like maybe the experiment to move him back to the rotation was bearing some fruit. In the second, the Royals got the scoring going with a two out rally. Tyler Tolbert battled for a walk and then promptly stole second base on the first pitch of Josh Rojas’ plate appearance. Josh rewarded Tyler’s speed by singling to right and giving the Royals a 1-0 lead.

That lead did not last very long. Lynch threw a decent bottom of the second, but he left one pitch middle middle to Mookie Betts who crushed it to left center for a solo home run and a tie ball game. Mookie has not hit well this year, but against the Royals in this series this got him to four extra base hits, so if he gets back on track it may be the Royals’ fault. To the third. The Royals first base runner was Jac Caglianone who hit a grounder up the middle. It looked like Betts would throw him out, but the throw went wide and into the dugout putting Cags on second base. Salvador Perez followed that by hitting the first pitch to the right side slowly but in just the right spot to clear both the first and second baseman. It went so slow to Kyle Tucker in right field that Jac was able to get home despite slowing up as he approached third. The Royals had the lead again 2-1.

In the bottom of the third, Lynch managed a groundout to start the inning, which brought up Miguel Rojas who slapped a ball down the third base line for a double. That brought it back to the top of the order and Shohei Ohtani, who struck out looking the first time up. He was ready this time as Daniel left a sinker up over the middle allowing Shohei to hit an opposite field blast and give the Dodgers their first lead of the night 3-2. This brought an end to Lynch’s night. Matt Quatraro called for Jose Cuas to come in from the bullpen. He got out of the inning with help of a caught stealing from Salvy. He would take care of the fourth as well.

Mason Black took the mound in the fifth for the Royals. The first batter he faced was Hunter Feduccia who got a pitch to his liking and hit the Dodgers’ third home run of the night and gave LA a 4-2 lead. Meanwhile, Eric Lauer had struggled to get through the first three innings had settled in and had a fairly easy 4th and 5th innings. Even pushing 90 pitches, he came back for the 6th and took care of Starling Marte and Carter Jensen with little drama. Isaac Collins managed to work a walk after the Dodgers lost their second challenge of the night leaving them without ABS help for the remainder. Another challenge quickly followed on a potential HBP for Tolbert, but Kansas City lost that challenge as well. Tolbert struck out and you would think Lauer’s day would end his day at 107 pitches with a solid six innings and a lead in the bank. He did come back out in the 7th to face Rojas and record one more out before being replaced by Landon Knack.

Luke Maile did take over for Salvy in the bottom of the 6th as the catcher and finished the rest of the game. It sounds like Salvador’s right elbow is barking and we will hopefully get more info over the next few days.

In the eighth inning, all the weird fly balls came out. Carter Jensen hit a ball sky high with one out and it was straight toward the mound. The pitcher, still Knack, thought someone would call him off, but no one did so it fell. Next up was Isaac Collins who also skied one this time toward the Royals dugout. Freddie Freeman tracked it and ended up falling down the dugout steps, though he seemed to be fine and stayed in the game. Regardless, the Royals managed to find no runs and continued with their two-run deficit.

Craig Kimbrel made his Royals debut in the 8th. Thanks to a double play, it was uneventful. It also did not matter. The Royals never mustered any more runs against Landon Knack who finished out the game. It was a sweep at the hands of the Dodgers. Hopefully, the team can have a better time in Anaheim before they wrap up this road trip.

The Dodgers have their first sweep of the second half, as they took care of business against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday with a 4-2 victory.

The early game jitters flared up again for Eric Lauer, as he left two men on in the top of the first inning. He was one out away from a perfect second inning, but he walked the speedy Tyler Tolbert before Josh Rojas drove him home with a single to right field.

Mookie Betts erased the Kansas City lead by smashing his second home run in as many games, tying the score at 1. It’s the first time Betts has hit home runs in consecutive games since doing so from June 24-27.

Lauer began the third inning by striking out Bobby Witt Jr., but a wild throw from Mookie Betts allowed Jac Caglianone to reach second. The error proved costly as Salvador Pérez attacked the first pitch he saw and drove home Caglianone on a single to give the Royals the lead again.

As quick as the Royals were to strike back, the Dodgers answered back against Lynch in the bottom of the third inning. Miguel Rojas put the tying run on base with a double before Shohei Ohtani took Lynch the other way for a go-ahead, two-run home run, giving the Dodgers the lead and knocking the southpaw out of the game.

The Dodgers wasted a leadoff single from Betts in the bottom of the fourth, but Hunter Feduccia helped pad the lead with a solo home run against Mason Black in the bottom of the fifth inning. It was just the third career home run for Feduccia, and his first hit in a Dodger uniform.

After allowing three consecutive baserunners in the top of the third inning, Lauer kept the Royals at bay the rest of the way. He retired 10 consecutive hitters until he allowed a two-out walk to Isaac Collins in the top of the sixth inning. He ended his night by striking out Josh Rojas to begin the top of the seventh inning while tossing a season-high 112 pitches, the first time his pitch count reached triple digits this year. After allowing six runs in his most previous start, Lauer allowed just two runs while striking out six, the most in any start as a Dodger.

Landon Knack nearly let the lead slip, as he allowed a pair of two-out singles, but he got Luke Maile to ground out to first to get out of trouble. Knack ended up getting the final eight outs in relief of Lauer, giving him the third save of his career.

Mookie Betts added a walk to his two hits in the bottom of the sixth inning, and he finished the three-game set with a batting average at .545 while smashing two home runs and driving in three.

The Dodgers still hold onto a 7 1/2 game lead over the San Diego Padres for the NL West lead, and with the Milwaukee Brewers having been swept by San Diego, the Dodgers are now just one game back for the best record in baseball.

Game particulars

• Home runs— Mookie Betts (15), Shohei Ohtani (27), Hunter Feduccia (3)
• WP— Eric Lauer (7-6): 6 1/3 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (1 earned run), 2 walks, 6 strikeouts
• LP— Daniel Lynch IV (4-4): 2 1/3 IP, 3 hits, 3 earned runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
• SV— Landon Knack (1): 2 2/3 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

Up next

The Dodgers continue their homestand on Thursday as they begin a four-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers (7:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Roki Sasaki faces Shane Drohan.

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman fell directly into the Kansas City Royals dugout in the top of the eighth inning trying to catch a foul popup, and left the game after the defensive inning.

Royals left fielder Isaac Collins lofted a pop up into foul territory on the first base side, and Freeman tracked it the whole way. He reached to try to catch the ball, but was right at the opening in the dugout with no railing, and tumbled directly down the steps. He did not catch the ball.

Amazingly, Freeman remained in the game, but only to finish the inning on defense.

In the bottom of the eighth, Freeman was set to lead off, but was pinch-hit for by Tommy Edman, as Freeman retreated to the clubhouse for treatment. Kiké Hernández took over at first base in the ninth inning.

Spencer Jones described himself as a “chill bird.”

In his first stint in The Bronx, though, he acted differently than that description.

“First time around, you try so hard to do a lot of things,” the outfielder said Wednesday. “For me, I’m a chill bird, I just need to relax and allow myself to do as I do, and not force anything.”

When he returned July 26, Jones was determined to be himself. The results have followed.

The latest example came in the Yankees’ come-from-behind 10-5 win over the Mariners at the Stadium. Jones had a pair of doubles and three RBIs as the Yankees won for the fourth time in five games.

Jones has been particularly effective with runners in scoring position, posting a .981 OPS in such situations spanning 46 plate appearances. He has a simple approach with men on base.

“I think something that I learned when I was young, that I’ve always liked, was that when there’s runners on base there’s really no pressure on you at the plate. It’s more so on the pitcher on the mound,” Jones said. “That’s kind of the way I’ve always framed it and just recognize that the guys are going to try to get you out, they’re going to put stuff over the plate. As long as you do your job and don’t go chasing, you’ll get a pitch to hit.”

Jones’ recent emergence — he had a big day in Saturday’s win over the Braves and ace Chris Sale, driving in two runs — has been significant as the injury-ravaged Yankees search for offense. He had one of the biggest hits Wednesday, a two-run double that cut a three-run deficit to one in the third inning. Two innings later, he pulled the Yankees even with another double.

“I feel like he has had some adjustability. You start with obviously his size and strength and speed, and real natural power. He touches it on the barrel, it’s getting hit hard,” manager Aaron Boone said.

“But I feel like he’s done a good job of having professional at-bats every day. He understands some of his strengths and weaknesses. He has been pretty good at having a plan going up there, and knowing what that pitcher’s strengths and weaknesses are and then making a plan for that. He has shown some adaptability at this level, which has been good.”