Padres Announce Search For New Manager

Outfielder Yasiel Puig has been on the disabled list since August. 28 with a torn right hamstring, but manager Don Mattingly said he looked good at the team’s spring training complex this week and could be available as early as Saturday’s contest against the visiting San Diego Padres.

Kershaw became the first pitcher in 13 seasons to reach the 300-strikeout mark, fanning seven Padres to finish with 301 strikeouts.

Murphy finished with a 42-54 record as the Padres struggled to a third-place finish in the National League West (74-88) ahead of only the Colorado Rockies, who lost 94 games. Murphy had been guiding the Padres’ Triple-A team in El Paso when he was promoted.

“Zack”, Kershaw said when asked who he thinks should win the award. “We just want to take all the positives out of this year and carry them over into next season”. In fact, he did it with room to spare – and became the only Dodger other than Sandy Koufax to strike out 300 or more batters in a season.

San Diego’s Frank Garces (0-1) gave up two runs and two hits in two innings of his first major league start. Despite clinching home field advantage over the New York Mets for the ALDS, the Dodgers still sent Kershaw out to pitch against the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Kershaw was removed from the game after he had thrown 60 pitches in 3 2/3 innings. Overall, these 14 players have hit the 300 K mark 33 times. Corey Seager added a solo shot on the first pitch by Jon Edwards leading off the sixth and then with two outs, pinch-hitter Chris Heisey had a two-run homer for a 5-0 lead. He alsois the fourth different pitcher to record at least 300 strikeouts in a season with fewer than 250 innings pitched.

He led off by striking out Melvin Upton Jr. and reached the 300-mark when he got Upton again in the third inning before he calmly walked back to the dugout to a standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd in Los Angeles.

Kenley Jansen allowed the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base with one out in the ninth when Jedd Gyorko singled and then Jansen hit Brett Wallace with a pitch. Koufax did it three times (1963, 1965 and 1966).