LOS ANGELES – Shortstop Willie Bloomquist walked through the dugout as Kirk Gibson was talking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, and the Diamondbacks manager mentioned how much Bloomquist’s mentality reminds him of his own. Like Gibson when he played, Bloomquist is hard on himself.

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“I can relate to him,” he said. “It’s almost comical that I’m the guy to tell him (to relax).”

But on Tuesday night it looked like the Diamondbacks finally did relax. For weeks, their lineup has been filled with hitters trying to make up for a bad month and a half with one big swing. But, on this night, at least, they seemed to realize that less is more.

In salvaging a split of this two-game series with a 5-1 win over the Dodgers, the Diamondbacks collected 13 hits. Only one went for extra bases.

They looked more measured, more composed in their approach at the plate. There were fewer out-of-control swings, fewer at-bats given away to over-aggressiveness.

The Diamondbacks have been saying for weeks that their offense will get back on track eventually. They’ve been saying it could be one little thing that might get them going.

Given the onslaught of singles, perhaps several little things will do the trick.

“They had a great approach,” Gibson said. “The guys have been loose here even though we’ve been going through tough times. They were loose all game today, and they got rewarded with some results. It feels good to win a game.”

With the win — just the Diamondbacks’ third in their past 13 games — they climbed to within 81/2 games of the Dodgers in the National League West.

Left-hander Wade Miley not only gave up one run in 62/3 innings, he also was involved in two different innings in which the Diamondbacks scored.

In the second, he reached base on a wild pitch after striking out to keep the inning alive. The Diamondbacks wound up scoring on a bases-loaded walk. He also singled to start the Diamondbacks’ three-run fifth.

The fifth belongs on an Internet dating site — it was nothing but singles.

After Miley’s single, Gerardo Parra lined a base hit into center. Bloomquist singled to left, loading the bases. Justin Upton hit a sharp grounder to the hole at short, an infield single that scored a run.

Miguel Montero and Jason Kubel followed with hits — the fifth and sixth consecutive singles to open the inning — giving the Diamondbacks a 4-0 lead.

“We executed a lot better,” Bloomquist said. “The big thing was getting the bases loaded and making things happen.

“It was certainly a step in the right direction. We had quite a few hits and were threatening virtually every inning to score. Not trying to look at the negative, but we left a lot of guys on base. The positive is we got a lot of guys on base.”

Miley made the lead stand. He gave up just one extra-base hit — a solo home run to Mark Ellis in the sixth — and scattered the other seven hits he allowed, getting a pair of double-play balls in the process.

He might not have made the Opening Day roster if not for an injury to reliever Takashi Saito, but he’s been important for the Diamondbacks as a starter and reliever. In five starts since moving into the rotation, Miley has a 2.35 ERA.

View from the press box

Wade Miley threw well Tuesday night, but his contributions at the plate might have been just as important. He not only started the fifth-inning rally with a single, but he also alertly hustled to first base on a third strike that got away from Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis. One batter later, the Diamondbacks drew a bases-loaded walk to score a run. “That’s just a little thing that probably won’t show up in the box score, but that’s what kept that inning going,” teammate Willie Bloomquist said.

Rewind

Walking home: The Diamondbacks broke out in the fifth inning thanks to six consecutive singles, but they needed a couple of breaks to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

With runners on first and second and two out, Dodgers right-hander Chad Billingsley got pitcher Wade Miley to strike out on a breaking ball in the dirt. Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis tried to block it, but the ball rolled away and Miley reached first on the wild pitch.

Gerardo Parra followed by drawing a five-pitch walk to force home a run.

Good indication: Closer J.J. Putz hasn’t had great location at times this season, and his velocity has dipped from previous years. Entering the game, he was averaging 91.8mph on his fastball, according to Pitch-f/x data. That’s a tick slower than his average last year (93 mph) and down more than 2mph from 2010 (94mph).

But he was throwing harder in the ninth inning Tuesday night, hitting 95mph several times, according to Pitch-f/x. The Dodger Stadium gun had him at 96mph.

Putz gave up a hit in working a scoreless inning.

Strike machine: A big component of Miley’s success Tuesday was his ability to throw strikes.

Of his 101 pitches, 72 were strikes. He walked just one batter in 62/3 innings.

“That’s how he’s been pitching all year,” manager Kirk Gibson said. “He’s got great tempo. You can tell (catcher Miguel Montero) and Wade are on the same page. He gets the sign and immediately starts into his wind-up.”

Read More: Jerry Hairston Jr. (SS – LOS), Jamey Wright (P – LOS), Tony Gwynn Jr. (LF – LOS), Chad Billingsley (P – LOS), Tim Lincecum (P – SFG), A.J. Ellis (C – LOS), Scott Van Slyke (RF – LOS), San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants at Los Angeles Dodgers, May 9, 2012 7:10 PM PDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning off Tim Lincecum to help defeat the San Francisco Giants 6-2 at Dodger Stadium Wednesday night in the final game of a three-game series between the two rivals. The key blow for the Dodgers was a bases-loaded triple by Tony Gwynn Jr. that turned a one-run deficit into a two-run Dodgers advantage.

Chad Billingsley had allowed two runs in four innings to that point, but was wild with four walks and had thrown 85 pitches. Manager Don Mattingly decided to pull his starter in favor of Gwynn, a move that paid off handsomely for the Dodgers.

“At that point, he’s at 85 pitches, it’s a 2-1 game. We’ve got a chance to score a run. At most he’s got one more inning,” Mattingly said.

Jamey Wright pitched two perfect innings, striking out three, for his second win of the season, and was able to bridge the gap to the back end of the Dodgers bullpen.

“We were able to grab that momentum there, and Jamey Wright came in and shut the door. His two innings were huge,” Mattingly said.

Scott Van Slyke, making his major league debut, picked up a pinch hit RBI single in the sixth inning to score A.J. Ellis, becoming the first Dodger in 51 years to pick up a pinch-hit RBI in his first major league at-bat.

“I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I’d be,” Van Slyke said. “Stepping into the box I wanted to get that first swing out of the way to calm my nerves.”

MRI results for Jerry Hairston Jr. showed a strained left hamstring that might land the utility man on the disabled list. The Dodgers will discuss what to do with Hairston on their off day Thursday, before the Colorado Rockies come to town on Friday. Hairston, who suffered the injury Sunday in Chicago, has missed the last three games.

“I’m holding out hope, but I want to be smart,” Hairston said after the game. “If it’s going to take 10 days to heal or 14-15 days, you’d rather take that especially this time of the year, than running the risk of blowing it out and missing two months.”

For more news and notes about the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.

CBSSports.com wire reports
May 10, 2012

LOS ANGELES — Tony Gwynn Jr. had just gotten into the batting cage and was starting to take swings when he heard his name called as a pinch-hitter.

He worked the count against Tim Lincecum before roping a go-ahead three-run triple one inning after San Francisco’s Nate Schierholtz ran into a critical out that helped kill a Giants rally and the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers went on to a 6-2 victory Wednesday night.

“I was sucking wind over there,” Gwynn said about his sprint around the bases with little warm-up. “He left a couple balls up and he was missing with his spots a little bit.”

The Dodgers have won six of their past seven series at home heading into a day off Thursday before Colorado arrives for a weekend series.

Jamey Wright (2-2) pitched two perfect innings and struck out two for the victory.

“That’s a key right there,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “His two innings were huge.”

Lincecum (2-3) gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings. He struck out eight, including NL home run leader Matt Kemp three times, and walked two in losing for the first time since April 16 against Philadelphia.

The right-hander extended his winless streak against the Dodgers to 0-4 dating to last season. The two-time NL Cy Young winner has been especially hard-hit in the first inning, but he got out of that having allowed only two hits.

“You got to force him to get the ball up,” Mattingly said. “He gets so many outs down in the strike zone.”

Kemp, who came in batting .500 in his 11 previous home games against the Giants, went 0 for 5.

The Dodgers struck for four runs in the fourth to take a 4-2 lead. Lincecum gave up a leadoff double to Andre Ethier and Bobby Abreu followed with a single. Juan Uribe drove in Ethier with a single to third that Joaquin Arias, who fell down before he could get off the throw to first. A.J. Ellis walked one out later and Gwynn cleared the bases with a drive into deep right field while batting for Chad Billingsley.

“It was nice getting through those first three, but dealing with that fourth wasn’t easy,” Lincecum said. “I didn’t put us in an easy spot. I just tried to pitch a little more aggressively and took my bullpen a little more seriously before the game as if it’s another inning.”

Buster Posey’s RBI single in the third extended the Giants’ lead to 2-0. Brandon Belt reached on a fielder’s choice grounder and Schierholtz singled him to second. Arias had a single to center, and Kemp charged the ball, throwing to second baseman Adam Kennedy for the tag on Schierholtz, who had rounded the bag and was tagged out before Belt could cross the plate.

“I read the ball in the gap and I thought I had a chance possibly to go to third, but I took one step too many and tried to get back, but he made a perfect throw,” Schierholtz said. “I was overaggressive, but that’s how I play the game. We’ve worked on going from first to third. It was just a lack of judgment on my part.”

The Dodgers recalled outfielder-first baseman Scott Van Slyke from Triple-A Albuquerque and he arrived minutes before the game began. The son of former major leaguer Andy Van Slyke got his first major league hit with a pinch-hit RBI single in his first major league at-bat in the sixth.

“My first at-bat I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I’d be,” he said. “As soon as I swung at the pitch, it was just another baseball game.”

Pitcher Aaron Harang walked past Van Slyke after the game and stuffed a towel full of shaving cream in his face.

“That burns,” Van Slyke said as he tried to remove the goop from his eyes.

“Got him!” Kemp shouted as he emerged from the shower. “That burns, huh?”

Lincecum drove in the Giants’ first run with a single to shortstop in the second.

Billingsley lasted only four innings for the Dodgers, allowing two runs and seven hits while striking out five and walking four. He slammed his glove down in the dugout after being yanked.

“I was mad at myself and I wanted to stay in the game,” he said. “I sort of beat myself up. Everything felt good, but my fastball command was kind of off. I fell behind the hitters and I wasn’t being aggressive when I should have been.”

Notes

• The Giants lost their first rubber game of the season, while the Dodgers won their first.
• Dodgers OF Alfredo Silverio, who was seriously hurt in an offseason car accident, had Tommy John surgery on his right throwing elbow and is out for the season.
• Dodgers OF-1B Juan Rivera was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with what the team called a significant strained left hamstring. Manager Don Mattingly said Rivera would be out longer than two weeks.
• Dodgers INF Jerry Hairston had a MRI on his strained left hamstring after missing his third consecutive game. He said he would be evaluated either Thursday or Friday.
• Giants OF Angel Pagan was held out of the starting lineup although he felt well enough to play. He had a cramp in his left hamstring while beating out an infield single Tuesday. Gregor Blanco replaced him.

Although I would really like to see the Los Angeles Dodgers offer a few free home games, as a gesture to the fans to make up for the two years of unpleasantness we’ve suffered under the reign of former owner Frank McCourt, the team hasn’t yet taken my suggestion.

The Dodgers do offer some cool promotions and giveaways for the fans. Here’s a look at what’s on the Dodgers promotional calendar for May:

May 11, May 18 and May 25 – Fireworks

After this (and every) Friday night game, fans at Dodger Stadium will be treated to a fireworks show.

May 13 – Mother’s Day Tote Bag

What better way to spend Mother’s Day than at Dodger Stadium with mom. Bring her and she’ll get a free tote bag, sponsored by Murad Skincare.

May 15 – Orel Hershiser Bobblehead

In this Tuesday night game against the Diamondbacks, fans will get an Orel Hershiser bobblehead, the second Dodgers’ bobblehead of the season. The team will release ten bobbleheads this season, all featuring Dodger greats. The Orel Hershiser bobblehead is sponsored by Coca-Cola.

May 19 – Dodger Stadium 50th Anniversary FanFest

The Dodgers FanFest presented by State Farm is a big event and has fun activities for the whole family, like a baseball carnival. The event will be held at Dodger Stadium Lot 6 and starts at noon. Dodger players, past and present will be on-hand for autographs along with rides and baseball-related games of skill.

May 20 – Kids Power Necklace

Fans attending this game against the Cardinals will get a power necklace, in this promotion sponsored by Wetzel’s Pretzels.

May 26 – Natural Balance Bark in the Park

This is one of the coolest events the Dodgers have all season. Dodger fans can bring their dogs to the game, and the team has a special dog section in the stands, complete with dog food and water. Then, after the game, canine Dodger fans (and their owners) get to walk around on the field.

May 27 – Kids Run the Bases

This is another great promotion, I think anything that gets you on the field at Dodger Stadium is a good thing. Kids under 14 can sign up to be able to run the bases on the field at Dodger Stadium after the game.

May 28 – $1 Dodger Dogs

For fans who love Dodger Dogs, this promotion sponsored by Dodger Dog maker Farmer John will feature them for $1. The game is against the Brewers.

May 29 – Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Ron Cey group Bobblehead

Fans attending this game against the Brewers will get Bobblehead #3: “The Infield,” sponsored by State Farm. This bobblehead features four of the greatest Dodgers ever, Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Ron Cey.

Freddy Sherman grew up in Philadelphia, which didn’t make being a Los Angeles Dodgers fan easy. He has lived in Los Angeles for twenty years, now able to follow the Dodgers openly and attends games frequently. You can follow him on Twitter -@thefredsherman.

More from this contributor:

3 Great Dodgers Hall of Famers: Fan’s Look

5 Most Controversial Characters in Dodgers History

Los Angeles Dodgers’ First Month of the 2012 Season: Fan’s Look

MIDLAND, MI — When Los Angeles assistant general manager DeJon Watson visits Dodgers prospects at Dow Diamond, he wants to see progress.

He liked what he saw after spending five days with the Great Lakes Loons.

“This is one of the youngest teams we’ve had here except for maybe the first one (2007), so everybody’s kind of at the same stage,” Watson said. “This is the first full season for a lot of them, and you can see them start to understand things, start to put things together.”

Some, however, have caught his eye.

“Jose Dominguez had a very good spring and has thrown very well here,” Watson said. “He’s been a bright spot for us. We’re going to try and stretch him out some and at some point get him into the rotation.”

Dominguez, 21, is in his fifth season with the Dodgers, but only his second in the United States. He spent the first three in the Dominican Summer League. After a brief appearance with Ogden last season, Dominguez returned to the Arizona Summer League.

With the Loons, however, the 6-foot right-hander has threatened to hit the 100-mph mark this season. In six relief appearances, Dominguez has pitched 19 2/3 innings and has 23 strikeouts, six walks, nine hits and four runs.

Watson also appreciates the progress made by starter Jarret Martin, a pitcher the Dodgers picked up from the Baltimore Orioles.

“The credit goes to our scouts, who saw a big-bodied pitcher with a strong arm,” Watson said. “Our coaches did some little tweaks with his delivery, and he really took a step forward. He’s been helped by being here. They’ve made him a better pitcher.”

Watson was optimistic about all the hitters, including Scott Schebler, Joseph Winker, James Baldwin and Noel Cuevas.

“They’re all kind of at that same spot, where they look like they’re turning the corner and making progress,” Watson said. “I really liked what I saw from Jan Vazquez. It’s taken some time, but he’s made a lot of improvement in his catching ability, how he receives the ball and calls the game.”

Vazquez, a swtch-hitting catcher, is in his fourth year in the Dodgers’ system after being taken in the sixth round of the 2009 draft. He is hitting .390, sharing time with catcher Pratt Maynard.

“But I’ve also been impressed by Noel Cuevas, who struggled at the plate at first here,” Watson said. “In the five days I’ve been here, he’s played all three outfield positions, covered a lot of ground, bunted, got some hits.

“He’s one of those guys who’s learning and making progress.”
 

DENVER (AP) Standing in the on-deck circle and with first base open, Carlos Gonzalez briefly wondered if the Los Angeles Dodgers would pitch around pinch hitter Jason Giambi to face him.

Sorry, CarGo. No chance.

Gonzalez had already hit two towering homers off NL Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw in the game and the Dodgers wanted no part of him at the plate.

So, they went after Giambi and he launched a three-run homer off Scott Elbert in the ninth inning, lifting the Rockies to an 8-5 win over the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Giambi was simply in an enviable spot.

With first base open and one out, the Dodgers really had no choice but to pitch to him with Gonzalez waiting in the wings.

”It’s a dream spot to be in – that situation with CarGo behind you,” Giambi said. ”It makes a tough decision for people. You’re not out of the woods walking me right there. You load the bases for CarGo? He’s been so hot. I figured I’d get something to hit.”

He did, too – a juicy four-seam fastball.

”He did what he’s supposed to do,” Elbert said. ”He got me. Tip your hat.”

The Rockies took a 2-1 lead into the late innings before it turned wild at Coors Field.

The Dodgers scored twice in the eighth, but Colorado bounced back with three in the bottom half for a 5-3 lead. Los Angeles tied it with two runs in the ninth.

It was the sixth multihomer game of Gonzalez’s career and helped the Rockies take two of three against the NL-leading Dodgers.

Gonzalez hit a solo shot in the fourth on a fastball from Kershaw and then lined an 85 mph slider just over the right-field fence in the eighth for a two-run homer. Backup catcher Wilin Rosario also hit a solo shot off Kershaw, who surrendered three homers in a game for the first time in his career.

Kershaw lasted 7 1-3 innings and gave up a season-high five runs. He was on the hook for his first loss since Aug. 7, but escaped with a no decision when the Dodgers rallied in the ninth off closer Rafael Betancourt (1-0).

Betancourt gave up a single to Adam Kennedy to start the inning and then struck out the next two batters. Rather than challenge big-hitting Matt Kemp, Betancourt intentionally walked him to face Dee Gordon.

The plan backfired as Gordon delivered a two-run double to right. Maybe earlier in the game, Gordon’s hit might have been just a single. But with Michael Cuddyer playing deep in right, a hustling Kemp was waved home by third base coach Tim Wallach and just beat the relay throw to score the tying run.

Given the chance to do it all over again, manager Jim Tracy wouldn’t change a thing.

Well, except the outcome.

”I certainly would not have slept very well tonight if I let Matt Kemp hit and if in fact he hits the ball out of the ballpark,” Tracy said. ”That’s on me. It didn’t work out.”

But Giambi came to the rescue.

Jamey Wright (1-1) walked the first two batters he faced in the Colorado ninth and Jonathan Herrera bunted them over. The Dodgers brought in an extra infielder from the outfield, but it didn’t matter as Giambi, batting for Dexter Fowler, met Elbert with a shot to center field.

It was the eighth pinch-hit homer of Giambi’s career and fifth as a member of the Rockies.

”I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Giambi said. ”That’s what I’m here for, try to get those big hits.”

Drew Pomeranz received a hard-luck no decision after the bullpen couldn’t hold a late one-run lead. Pomeranz gave up one run and four hits over 6 2-3 innings.

Relying on a four-seam fastball, Pomeranz struck out five before being relieved in the seventh with two on and two outs. Matt Belisle got former Rockies infielder Mark Ellis to fly out.

Belisle then started off the eighth and surrendered a single. Rex Brothers entered the game and gave up a single to Kemp, followed by Jerry Hairston’s two-run double down the left-field line.

The Rockies tied it in their half of the eighth when Marco Scutaro led off with a single and was bunted over to second. Fowler followed with an RBI single. Soon after, Gonzalez gave the Rockies the lead with his two-run shot. He has been locked in at the plate of late, hitting seven homers and driving in 18 runs since April 24.

As for two homers off Kershaw, one of the top pitchers in the game, Gonzalez said he was just trying to stay patient.

”He’s a great pitcher,” said Gonzalez, who struck out to end the game with a runner at third the night before. ”It’s a nice comeback.”

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly was livid with a call by Tim Welke at first that ended a threat in the sixth. With a runner on, Hairston sent a roller into the hole that third baseman Chris Nelson snared and came up throwing. But his throw was off target and clearly pulled Todd Helton well off the bag.

Welke called Hairston out and Mattingly ran from the dugout with his arms extended in exasperation. He had words with Welke, before pleading with plate umpire Paul Schrieber. The call stood and the inning was over.

”It really doesn’t matter at this point,” Mattingly said after the game. ”I think he knows he missed it. I think Helton told him he was off the bag. We had a chance to get a run there. I just don’t think he realized he came off the bag.”

The attendant at the umpires’ clubhouse said the umpires declined comment.

NOTES: Despite his prodigious offensive numbers, Kemp was walked intentionally for the first time this season in the third. … It was Colorado’s eighth comeback win of the season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have new owners and are off to their best start in 29 years.

Sending reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw to the mound could further the team’s positive momentum.

Kershaw looks to become the first Dodger since 1985 to win 11 straight decisions in the conclusion of this three-game road set against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

The $2 billion sale of the Dodgers (17-7) to Guggenheim Baseball Management – a group which includes former Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson – was finalized Tuesday, hours before they went out and beat Colorado 7-6 for their best start since 1983.

“I think the fans of L.A. are pretty excited about the new ownership and what it’s bringing. As long as L.A. is happy, I’m happy,” slugger Matt Kemp said. “As long as we’re winning, I’m happy.”

Kemp must surely be happy when Kershaw (2-0, 1.78 ERA) gets the ball. The left-hander is bidding to become the franchise’s first to win 11 consecutive decisions since Orel Hershiser from July 18-Oct. 2, 1985.

Kershaw’s 10-game winning streak over his last 14 starts includes a 1.22 ERA and 92 strikeouts, and it’s the longest such streak by a Dodger since Ramon Martinez did it from August 1995 through May 1996.

Kershaw matched Martinez on Friday, when he yielded two runs and three hits while fanning six in eight innings of a 3-2 win over Washington.

“Wins, for the most part, aren’t something I can control. The team has a lot to do with it,” Kershaw told the team’s official website. “The runs early are huge, and maintaining it throughout the game is huge. When you get early runs, it is important.”

Kershaw is getting plenty of help on the road during his streak, as Los Angeles has backed him with an average of 6.6 runs in seven starts. However, it doesn’t seem like he needs that much support since he’s 5-0 with a 0.78 ERA outside Chavez Ravine.

A visit to Coors Field may cause some problems. He’s split six decisions there with a 5.88 ERA in nine starts.

Kemp, though, has thrived in Denver of late, batting .395 with four homers and 10 RBIs during a 10-game hitting streak there. The center fielder has two hits in this series, including a solo shot in Monday’s 6-2 loss.

His .409 average and 12 homers lead the majors in both categories.

While the Dodgers are tied with Texas for the best record in baseball, the Rockies have dropped four of six, and manager Jim Tracy doesn’t appear concerned nor willing to praise the NL West rivals.

“You have to be mindful that the season isn’t one month long, it’s six,” Tracy said. “A good month does not a season make.”

Carlos Gonzalez has raised his average 54 points to .300 through the first five games of this nine-game homestand. The All-Star left fielder is 9 for 19 with three homers, 11 RBIs and two stolen bases in that stretch, including a two-run shot Tuesday.

Production against the Dodgers isn’t new for CarGo, who is hitting .509 with four homers and 16 RBIs in the past 13 matchups. Gonzalez, though, is just 3 for 18 with nine strikeouts versus Kershaw.

Drew Pomeranz (0-1, 5.40) is scheduled to get his first start against Los Angeles after forearm tightness cut his last appearance short.

The left-hander was pulled after four innings in Friday’s 18-9 win over New York, yielding two runs – one earned.

“It just scared me, because I didn’t know what it was,” Pomeranz told the team’s official website. “It could have just been a cramp, or it could have been anything. I just don’t like to feel (new) things.”

DENVER — Ted Lilly threw six solid innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers got home runs from Dee Gordon, Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis in a 7-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night.

Lilly gave up four hits and two runs while the Dodgers pounded out 11 hits off Rockies right-hander Jhoulys Chacin and then held on despite a shaky bullpen performance. The victory capped a big day for the storied franchise that marked the end to the tumultuous Frank McCourt era.

The $2 billion sale of the team to Guggenheim Baseball Management, a group that includes former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson, was finalized Tuesday, just hours before the Dodgers improved to an NL-best 17-7.

“I think the fans of L.A. are pretty excited about the new ownership and what it’s bringing. As long as L.A. is happy, I’m happy,” Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp said. “As long as we’re winning, I’m happy.”

The Dodgers were even happier after this latest display of pinpoint pitching and power at the plate that has propelled them to their best start since 1983.

Lilly (3-0) improved to 9-2 against the Rockies. He got all the run support he needed by the time the Dodgers had sent four batters to the plate in the first inning.

The only downer for Los Angeles was the bullpen that allowed four runs in two ugly innings before Javy Guerra shut the door in the ninth for his eighth save in 10 chances. He allowed a one-out single to pinch-hitter Wilin Rosario, who advanced on a passed ball and went to third on Marco Scutaro’s groundout.That brought up Carlos Gonzalez, who already had homered earlier in the evening. With first base open, the Dodgers decided to pitch to the Rockies’ slugger, and Guerra fell behind 2-0 before throwing three straight strikes to end it.

Gonzalez’s bat splintered as he smashed it into the ground in frustration.

Chacin (0-3) gave up an RBI double in the third to Ellis, who made it 7-0 with a two-run shot in the fifth, his second of the season. The seven earned runs Chacin allowed were a career worst.

Gordon led off the game with his first career homer, a no-doubt shot off the second deck in right field, and Ethier homered into the bullpen in right-center field following singles by Mark Ellis and Kemp to make it 4-0.

Lilly’s only mistake among his 79 pitches was a fat fastball that Gonzalez sent into the right-field seats for a two-run homer, his fifth, in the sixth inning that made it 7-2.

The Rockies tagged Josh Lindblom for three runs on four hits in the seventh.

Chris Nelson hit a run-scoring double and pinch-hitter Tyler Colvin a two-run homer to right that made it 7-5. In just two-thirds of an inning, Lindblom gave up as many hits as Lilly did. With the tying run at the plate, lefty Scott Elbert came on and retired Gonzalez on a groundout.

Troy Tulowitzki led off the eighth with a triple against Kenley Jansen, and Todd Helton drove him home with a sacrifice fly that left fielder Tony Gwynn Jr. tracked down at the wall in the power alley, making it 7-6. Jansen gave up a two-out single to Ramon Hernandez but struck out pinch-hitter Jason Giambi to end the threat.

Notable

LHP Josh Outman impressed the Rockies with his one inning of work Monday at Triple-A Colorado Springs as he inches closer to joining Colorado’s bullpen. Outman (oblique) hit 95 mph with his fastball, manager Jim Tracy said. … Tracy said Rosario is getting enough playing time at catcher to avoid stunting his development. Tracy noted the experience Rosario is gaining from watching and listening to Hernandez is as much a teaching tool as is playing. … The Rockies know about fast starts like the Dodgers are enjoying. They opened 17-8 last year only to fade fast. “You have to be mindful that the season isn’t one month long, it’s six,” Tracy said. “A good month does not a season make.” … The rubber game of the series Wednesday pits Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (2-0) against Drew Pomeranz (0-1).