Can Yasiel Puig stay hot in cleanup spot?

Can Yasiel Puig stay hot in cleanup spot?

LOS ANGELES -- Luis Cruz got out a roll of masking tape and measured off a 6-by-4-foot box around two corner locker stalls -- his and phenom Yasiel Puig's.

Puig got down on his hands and knees and wrote on the tape with a Sharpie a tongue-in-cheek message for the media members who have descended on Puig en masse during his meteoric first week.

"No reporters," Puig wrote in Spanish. "No interviews. Cruz doesn't want it."

So far, it seems like the Los Angeles Dodgers' hottest prospect is handling everything the major leagues can throw at him with a smile. Monday, manager Don Mattingly threw him another one, moving him from the leadoff spot, where he batted .464 with four home runs in his first week, to the cleanup spot.

It's a temporary move, Mattingly said, and Puig likely will be moved further down in the lineup by next week, when Hanley Ramirez and Matt Kemp are expected to return.

"He's possibly one of the greatest players who ever lived, so I figure he can handle the 4-hole," Mattingly joked.

Even with Puig's torrid start, the Dodgers went just 4-3 last week and scored either one or two runs in five of their seven games, so it's clear that he can't do it alone. That's why Monday's news on Kemp and Ramirez was encouraging.

Both players had MRIs, and Mattingly said the tests showed no new damage to either player's hamstring. Kemp has been on the disabled list for a week and Ramirez hasn't started since June 5. Kemp likely will begin a minor league rehab assignment Thursday or Friday and could rejoin the Dodgers sometime over the weekend.

Ramirez said he has been told he won't be headed back to the DL. He said his discomfort has come from some fluid buildup behind his knee.

"The hamstring is good," Ramirez said.

Here are lineups for Monday night's game with the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks:

Arizona
1. A.J. Pollock CF
2. Willie Bloomquist 2B
3. Paul Goldschmidt 1B
4. Cody Ross LF
5. Miguel Montero C
6. Martin Prado 3B
7. Gerardo Parra RF
8. Cliff Pennington SS
9. Wade Miley LHP

Dodgers
1. Nick Punto SS

Bullpen makes few fans for Mattingly

LOS ANGELES -- The boos were loud for Brandon League, but they were thunderous for Don Mattingly.

Brandon League had his fourth blown save of the year Monday -- the third in his last nine appearances -- and took the loss for the Dodgers.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers manager walked back to the dugout after finally relieving League of the ball in the ninth inning, the damage well done in a costly 5-4 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a smallish but feisty crowd rained down their frustration from every corner of Dodger Stadium.

It was one of the louder bouts of home-team booing this season, perhaps a few decibels beyond what Matt Kemp was getting before he got hurt.

The crowd, of course, didn't have the information Mattingly had when he lifted Clayton Kershaw after seven innings and just 99 pitches. Kershaw didn't fight him as hard as he often does in those conversations, and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt agreed it might be the right time to make a move.

The crowd didn't know that the eighth and ninth innings were up for grabs before the game, that Kenley Jansen pitched the eighth because Arizona's hitters that inning feast on League (including Paul Goldschmidt, who was 3-for-3 with a home run) and the guys coming up in the ninth have hit Jansen hard (Martin Prado, 3-for-3 with two home runs).

But, what's that expression? The customer's always right?

So, it's difficult to fault Dodger fans for feeling so frustrated with this miserable season that they don't know what, or who, to boo.

"If [League] gets his outs, they're cheering for him. And if he doesn't get his outs, it's a bad decision," Mattingly said. "That's the way it is. I understand it. I basically try to put people in the best position to get the job done."

Kershaw was frustrated after the game, but it wasn't directed at Mattingly. Kershaw's spot in the lineup came up just before Arizona's best hitters were due up. When they talked, Kershaw didn't take a desperate stand to remain in the game.

"It made sense for Kenley to come in the game there, I understand that," Kershaw said.

A lot of the Dodgers' flaws would be far less apparent, maybe even invisible, if they had a lights-out bullpen. The pop-gun offense brought about by the carousel of injuries would seem barely sufficient rather than crippling. Just as this team seems to get to feeling good, a reliever spills a drink. Dodgers relievers collectively have a 3.94 ERA, 19th in the majors.

League's foibles have been the costliest and, for about the third time this year, his job as closer is under review.

He gave up three straight hits, walked a guy, then gave up a crushing two-run single off the glove of a diving infielder, Nick Punto. It's not that he's incapable of getting outs, but this was his fourth blown save of the year and third since May 19. He just doesn't give Mattingly, or Dodgers fans, a reason to feel he's a reliable security blanket late in games. And, really, that's all he's required to do.

"That's the story of the year," League said. "Inches away from getting out of it."

Sometimes, the last inch feels like a mile.

Quick take: Diamondbacks 5, Dodgers 4

LOS ANGELES -- Apparently, the Los Angeles Dodgers could still learn a thing or two about grittiness.

The Arizona Diamondbacks, the team that makes pluckiness an organizational philosophy, kept the Dodgers' season stuck on miserable with a ninth-inning comeback and a 5-4 win at Dodger Stadium on Monday night.

Not that the Dodgers didn't show some fight. They got the tying run to third with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth, but Nick Punto hit a shallow popup, Mark Ellis struck out and Adrian Gonzalez bounced back to the mound to end the game.

Clayton Kershaw, once again, was the innocent bystander.

Arizona rallied for four ninth-inning runs off closer Brandon League, who took the loss after suffering his fourth blown save of the year and third in his last nine appearances. That cost Kershaw his sixth win. The Dodgers fell to 8½ games back in the NL West. A loss Tuesday and they'd be in their deepest hole of the season.

The Dodgers were hoping to climb back to relevance with a good series here and had their top three starting pitchers lined up for the series. Instead, the only thing worth talking about right now is the white-hot start of outfielder Yasiel Puig.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, likely cognizant of Kershaw’s high pitch counts lately, lifted him after just 99 pitches in the seventh inning. Kershaw wasn’t at his most dominant, but he allowed just one run on six hits and struck out five. The Diamondbacks fouled off a lot of pitches from Kershaw in the second and third innings to drive up his pitch count.

The hottest player in the league kept it going. Puig had three more hits to raise his average after eight games to .500.

Of course, there will be some growing pains. Puig got thrown out trying to go from first to third on Jerry Hairston Jr.’s single to right field in the fourth. Gerardo Parra made a nearly perfect throw on the fly to get Puig, who dove in headfirst.

The problem for the Dodgers has been getting the other hitters to catch up to Puig. One of them finally did on Monday.

Mark Ellis, who entered the game batting .444 with three home runs in 18 at-bats against Arizona lefty Wade Miley, went 3-for-4 with a home run and scored twice.

The Dodgers got a bad break in the eighth inning. Hairston chopped one to third base. Martin Prado threw out Ellis and the catcher, Miguel Montero, threw to first to complete the double play. Replays showed that Hairston was easily safe. Mattingly argued briefly with umpire Clint Fagan.