The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history.

Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA — a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego.

 To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the first of 29 players who wore the No. 20 jersey for the Warriors.

That player would be Golden State wing alum Kent Bazemore. After ending his college career at Old Dominion, Bazemore would go unselected in the 2012 NBA Draft, instead signing with the Dubs for the first of two stints.

The Kelford, North Carolina native would play parts of the first two seasons of his pro career with Golden State, coming to an end when he was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014. In between, he also played for the Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Sacramento Kings.

His second stint began in 2020 when he signed with the Dubs, and ended in 2021 with a return to the Lakers. During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Bazemore wore only jersey Nos. 20 and 26 and put up 4.1 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Warriors Wire: Warriors jersey history – No. 20 – Kent Bazemore (2012-14)

It was another disappointing game for the Mets on Thursday afternoon, losing to the Washington Nationals, 9-3, and dropping the series in the process.

After winning the final two games against the Seattle Mariners over the weekend to win their first series since late July, things were looking up for New York following a series-opening win against the Nationals on Tuesday that made it three in a row. 

Perhaps the tide was finally turning for a team that had been saying for the last two months it needed to play better. What followed, however, didn’t inspire much confidence as the Mets let the final two games in Washington slip away and were left in the same exact spot they’ve been in for the last two months.

“We just got to be better, bottom line,” said manager Carlos Mendoza after the game.

Thursday’s culprit was Sean Manaea, who began the game by dominating the Nationals lineup, striking out seven in the first three innings as his offense gave him a quick lead. But after such a strong start, Manaea unraveled in the fourth before completely falling apart in the fifth.

The left-hander lasted 4.2 innings and allowed four earned runs — the fourth straight outing that he’s given up four or more as part of a terrible month of August in which he has a 7.91 ERA in 19.2 innings.

“I just lost feel for my sweeper right there and then just lost control of my fastball at the end there, too,” Manaea said.

It’s becoming a trend lately for the 33-year-old to pitch well in the first few innings before hitting a wall during the second time through the lineup. In fact, as a staff, the Mets entered Thursday with a 7.14 ERA in the fourth inning over their last 61 games — second-highest behind the Miami Marlins (7.65 ERA).

Citing that he feels good physically after his late start to the season with a right oblique strain and a left elbow setback, Manaea had a hard time explaining why that’s been the case for him.

“I wouldn’t say fatigue. I feel good,” he said. “I really have no explanation for why I’m hitting that wall.”

When asked what he could do to counter it, Manaea’s answer was equally concerning.

“I don’t know. I think that’s key. I think I’m doing everything in between starts, so I just gotta execute,” the lefty said.

As for his skipper, Mendoza was clear in his message to Manaea, and the rest of his starters for that matter, who have not gotten the job done as one of New York’s front-line starters.

After all, the Mets’ streak of starters not named David Peterson unable to pitch six innings is still active.

“It starts with our starters. They set the tone,” Mendoza said. “When they go, the whole team pretty much goes. And it’s been hard for these guys the past two months basically, dealing with injuries, getting guys back. 

“But at this point, with everybody pretty much healthy, we need to be better. We need to be better. And they know that — talking about [Kodai] Senga, Manaea tonight. We need those guys. And they know they’re capable of giving us a chance to win baseball games and right now we’re not doing that. It’s frustrating, they are frustrated.”

With the calendar getting ready to flip to September, time is running out for New York to figure things out, which is why the message continues to be the same as it has been for the last two months: Just play better.

At some point, though, words aren’t enough.

“We gotta get going. We gotta see results,” Mendoza said. “We’ve seen it from this group, especially from the guys that I mentioned. It starts right there. We don’t have much time left, so we gotta play better.”

“It ain’t late, but it ain’t early either,” said Juan Soto about having enough time to turn it around. “We have to win today. We don’t have to be focused on what is gonna happen in the future or what has happened in the past, we gotta focus on what we can do today.”

Craig Kimbrel has his latest MLB home, courtesy of a rough month for the Houston Astros.

The Astros are signing the veteran closer straight to their big-league team, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The right-hander is reportedly on his way to Baltimore, where he’ll join the team as it plays a four-game series against the Orioles this week.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

At 37 years old, Kimbrel is far removed from his days as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. He remains fifth on the MLB all-time saves list but holds a 4.00 ERA over the past four seasons, a span of time in which his laborious and inconsistent performances have soured multiple fan bases on him.

After a particularly bad season with the Orioles last year, Kimbrel managed to land only a minor-league deal in a reunion with the Atlanta Braves for 2025. He failed to make the MLB team out of spring training, didn’t get called up until the start of June and was designated for assignment after a single scoreless appearance. 

He later landed with the Texas Rangers but was released Thursday after 24 appearances with Triple-A Round Rock. He posted a 3.86 ERA while in the Rangers organization.

Kimbrel could still be an upgrade for the Astros, given how they’ve performed lately. The team ranks 27th in bullpen ERA over the past 30 days and will be without closer Josh Hader until about the end of the regular season. 

After leading the AL West by as many as seven games, Houston was 14-23 since July 7 entering Thursday and is currently attempting to keep the Seattle Mariners at bay.

Craig Kimbrel has his latest MLB home, courtesy of a rough month for the Houston Astros.

The Astros are signing the veteran closer straight to their big-league team, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The right-hander is reportedly on his way to Baltimore, where he’ll join the team as it plays a four-game series against the Orioles this week.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]

At 37 years old, Kimbrel is far removed from his days as one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. He remains fifth on the MLB all-time saves list but holds a 4.00 ERA over the past four seasons, a span of time in which his laborious and inconsistent performances have soured multiple fan bases on him.

After a particularly bad season with the Orioles last year, Kimbrel managed to land only a minor-league deal in a reunion with the Atlanta Braves for 2025. He failed to make the MLB team out of spring training, didn’t get called up until the start of June and was designated for assignment after a single scoreless appearance. 

He later landed with the Texas Rangers but was released Thursday after 24 appearances with Triple-A Round Rock. He posted a 3.86 ERA while in the Rangers organization.

Kimbrel could still be an upgrade for the Astros, given how they’ve performed lately. The team ranks 27th in bullpen ERA over the past 30 days and will be without closer Josh Hader until about the end of the regular season. 

After leading the AL West by as many as seven games, Houston was 14-23 since July 7 entering Thursday and is currently attempting to keep the Seattle Mariners at bay.

Shane Bieber strolled back in from the bullpen on Monday at PNC Park, offering head nods and fist bumps to a handful of teammates and Blue Jays staff members on his way to the dugout.

On the surface, it was a familiar pregame scene, one featuring a veteran starting pitcher going about his business, completing the necessary work in the days between outings to ensure he’s prepared to compete at the highest level. But for Bieber, who is still getting used to his new threads after being acquired by Toronto from the only organization he’d ever known in Cleveland, these seemingly banal moments carry notably more weight.

Monday’s session was a final tune-up for a day he’s been working toward for quite some time. ]

Without the ability to overwhelm opponents with pure power, Bieber deftly deploys his four-seamer around the zone to set up his two primary whiff-inducing weapons, a low-80s knuckle-curve and a sharp, mid-80s slider. Add a cutter and a change-up to assist in neutralizing left-handed batters, and Bieber wields a deep array of offerings that makes for an ultra-uncomfortable at-bat.

“He gave us fits from the other side, always a tough matchup for us,” Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said. “He’s got tremendous stuff, he’s got a repeatable delivery, he executes his fastball and his breaking stuff with the best of them. Very cerebral, smart pitcher who recognizes swings and has a good game plan. And I think you recognize that right away when you watch him pitch.”

Bieber has yet to throw an inning for the Blue Jays, but Toronto’s coaching staff has already gained a deeper appreciation for the pitcher and the person.

“I’ve admired him from afar for a number of years,” Schneider said. “And just in talking to him, you can see why he is as accomplished as he is.”

“He’s got an easy personality, an easy way about him. He’s an intellect, but he also finds a way to keep things simple,” Walker said. “He’s thrown some really good bullpens here. We’ve watched all of his rehab games. He’s executing his pitches well. He just carries himself like a pro.

“And you know when you watch him pitch, even in Triple-A, he looks like an elite big leaguer.”

‘These guys, they’re animals’

Beginning Friday, Bieber joins a Blue Jays rotation that is in an interesting spot. It’s a unit with five established and (currently) healthy hurlers but also one that ranks 20th in ERA and 27th in fWAR on the season. It’s a group that includes four accomplished right-handers in Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios and Max Scherzer, plus a surprise contributor in lefty Eric Lauer. For as effective as he has been since joining the rotation in mid-June (3.05 ERA in 62 innings across 12 starts), Lauer appears to be the most obvious candidate to return to his prior role as a swingman, but the Blue Jays insist that roles could be fluid in the coming weeks as the team figures out the best way to accommodate Bieber’s schedule while covering as many innings as possible.

However the rotation shakes out over the next few weeks — and, even more intriguingly, once October arrives — Bieber is eager to give his new team a boost, albeit in a different role than the one he filled with the Guardians. In Cleveland, Bieber had comfortably achieved veteran status — “old and salty,” he joked — and would’ve been rejoining the starting staff as the most senior member at the age of 30. Instead, with the Blue Jays, not only will Bieber be the new guy, but he’ll also be the young gun of sorts, even as his return marks his eighth major-league season. Berrios (31, 10th season), Gausman (34, 13th), Bassitt (36, 11th) and Scherzer (41, 18th) have combined to pitch 7,608 ⅓ innings across 1,265 regular-season starts in their careers. It’s an astonishing wealth of experience to draw upon and share, an advantage that is not lost on Bieber.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “I’ve had the pleasure of competing against them from the other dugout, so now I get the privilege of getting to know them as teammates and friends. And then also on top of that, just picking their brains on how they like to do things. … I’m eager to ask questions and learn from them as much as I can.”

It’s a dynamic that Toronto’s coaching staff has seen manifest in positive ways even before Bieber’s arrival.

“When it comes together like that and you got some of the names that we have right now, and the experience, it’s a luxury,” Walker said.

“We’ve got different personalities … but the one variable that’s the same is, between the lines, these guys, they’re animals,” he continued. “It’s very competitive, a controlled aggression. … They’re coming after you. And that rubs off on the teammates. Max [Scherzer], in a way, has rubbed off on his teammates in that aspect. And we expect Shane to do the same.”

Beyond the staggering track record of pitching at the highest level, there’s an ambitious mentality that separates this group even after all the years — and that’s a trait that Bieber clearly exhibits.

“Sometimes guys can be around a long time and lose a little bit, or become a little complacent. This group has zero complacency,” Walker said. “And you can tell they’ve all turned it up a notch. In a way, it’s a healthy competition. They want to pick each other up. They want to pitch just as well the next time out as the previous starter. And I think that’s contagious, and it’s very healthy.”

‘He’s looking forward to Friday as much as we are’

Yet for all the justified excitement about Bieber joining the fold, it’s quite possible this will be a temporary partnership. If he pitches well down the stretch, it seems likely he’ll opt out of the $16 million he’s slated to make in 2026, becoming a free agent for the second winter in a row; a fully healthy Bieber would surely secure a more lucrative deal on the open market. On the other side, the Blue Jays’ aging rotation faces some long-term questions, with Bassitt and Scherzer both also set to hit free agency.

But regardless of the duration of Bieber’s run as a Blue Jay, what matters is the here and now. Friday at loanDepot Park marks the first step in his personal quest to regain ace status and the first opportunity for him to make an impact for a team that bet big on his resurgence in the thick of a pennant race.

“He’s been chomping at the bit,” Schneider said of his new starter. “Pitchers know how they feel, and I think especially pitchers of his caliber, they know what their stuff is doing. So he’s excited, and I think that he’s looking forward to Friday as much as we are.

“It’s a long road to get back from that injury — days at the complex, minor-league game after minor-league game on such a strict schedule. He’s enjoyed just being in the dugout and being part of it now, not even pitching. I’m sure getting back on a big-league mound will be good for him.”

As his return to a big-league mound has neared, Bieber’s confidence has only increased. But he fully understands the challenge that lies ahead — and that looking sharp in rehab outings can tell you only so much.

“As great as being built up to 90 pitches in the minor leagues is,” he said, “big-league innings are different.

“So it’s exciting to be able to experience that here soon.”

Shane Bieber strolled back in from the bullpen on Monday at PNC Park, offering head nods and fist bumps to a handful of teammates and Blue Jays staff members on his way to the dugout.

On the surface, it was a familiar pregame scene, one featuring a veteran starting pitcher going about his business, completing the necessary work in the days between outings to ensure he’s prepared to compete at the highest level. But for Bieber, who is still getting used to his new threads after being acquired by Toronto from the only organization he’d ever known in Cleveland, these seemingly banal moments carry notably more weight.

Monday’s session was a final tune-up for a day he’s been working toward for quite some time. ]

Without the ability to overwhelm opponents with pure power, Bieber deftly deploys his four-seamer around the zone to set up his two primary whiff-inducing weapons, a low-80s knuckle-curve and a sharp, mid-80s slider. Add a cutter and a change-up to assist in neutralizing left-handed batters, and Bieber wields a deep array of offerings that makes for an ultra-uncomfortable at-bat.

“He gave us fits from the other side, always a tough matchup for us,” Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker said. “He’s got tremendous stuff, he’s got a repeatable delivery, he executes his fastball and his breaking stuff with the best of them. Very cerebral, smart pitcher who recognizes swings and has a good game plan. And I think you recognize that right away when you watch him pitch.”

Bieber has yet to throw an inning for the Blue Jays, but Toronto’s coaching staff has already gained a deeper appreciation for the pitcher and the person.

“I’ve admired him from afar for a number of years,” Schneider said. “And just in talking to him, you can see why he is as accomplished as he is.”

“He’s got an easy personality, an easy way about him. He’s an intellect, but he also finds a way to keep things simple,” Walker said. “He’s thrown some really good bullpens here. We’ve watched all of his rehab games. He’s executing his pitches well. He just carries himself like a pro.

“And you know when you watch him pitch, even in Triple-A, he looks like an elite big leaguer.”

‘These guys, they’re animals’

Beginning Friday, Bieber joins a Blue Jays rotation that is in an interesting spot. It’s a unit with five established and (currently) healthy hurlers but also one that ranks 20th in ERA and 27th in fWAR on the season. It’s a group that includes four accomplished right-handers in Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios and Max Scherzer, plus a surprise contributor in lefty Eric Lauer. For as effective as he has been since joining the rotation in mid-June (3.05 ERA in 62 innings across 12 starts), Lauer appears to be the most obvious candidate to return to his prior role as a swingman, but the Blue Jays insist that roles could be fluid in the coming weeks as the team figures out the best way to accommodate Bieber’s schedule while covering as many innings as possible.

However the rotation shakes out over the next few weeks — and, even more intriguingly, once October arrives — Bieber is eager to give his new team a boost, albeit in a different role than the one he filled with the Guardians. In Cleveland, Bieber had comfortably achieved veteran status — “old and salty,” he joked — and would’ve been rejoining the starting staff as the most senior member at the age of 30. Instead, with the Blue Jays, not only will Bieber be the new guy, but he’ll also be the young gun of sorts, even as his return marks his eighth major-league season. Berrios (31, 10th season), Gausman (34, 13th), Bassitt (36, 11th) and Scherzer (41, 18th) have combined to pitch 7,608 ⅓ innings across 1,265 regular-season starts in their careers. It’s an astonishing wealth of experience to draw upon and share, an advantage that is not lost on Bieber.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “I’ve had the pleasure of competing against them from the other dugout, so now I get the privilege of getting to know them as teammates and friends. And then also on top of that, just picking their brains on how they like to do things. … I’m eager to ask questions and learn from them as much as I can.”

It’s a dynamic that Toronto’s coaching staff has seen manifest in positive ways even before Bieber’s arrival.

“When it comes together like that and you got some of the names that we have right now, and the experience, it’s a luxury,” Walker said.

“We’ve got different personalities … but the one variable that’s the same is, between the lines, these guys, they’re animals,” he continued. “It’s very competitive, a controlled aggression. … They’re coming after you. And that rubs off on the teammates. Max [Scherzer], in a way, has rubbed off on his teammates in that aspect. And we expect Shane to do the same.”

Beyond the staggering track record of pitching at the highest level, there’s an ambitious mentality that separates this group even after all the years — and that’s a trait that Bieber clearly exhibits.

“Sometimes guys can be around a long time and lose a little bit, or become a little complacent. This group has zero complacency,” Walker said. “And you can tell they’ve all turned it up a notch. In a way, it’s a healthy competition. They want to pick each other up. They want to pitch just as well the next time out as the previous starter. And I think that’s contagious, and it’s very healthy.”

‘He’s looking forward to Friday as much as we are’

Yet for all the justified excitement about Bieber joining the fold, it’s quite possible this will be a temporary partnership. If he pitches well down the stretch, it seems likely he’ll opt out of the $16 million he’s slated to make in 2026, becoming a free agent for the second winter in a row; a fully healthy Bieber would surely secure a more lucrative deal on the open market. On the other side, the Blue Jays’ aging rotation faces some long-term questions, with Bassitt and Scherzer both also set to hit free agency.

But regardless of the duration of Bieber’s run as a Blue Jay, what matters is the here and now. Friday at loanDepot Park marks the first step in his personal quest to regain ace status and the first opportunity for him to make an impact for a team that bet big on his resurgence in the thick of a pennant race.

“He’s been chomping at the bit,” Schneider said of his new starter. “Pitchers know how they feel, and I think especially pitchers of his caliber, they know what their stuff is doing. So he’s excited, and I think that he’s looking forward to Friday as much as we are.

“It’s a long road to get back from that injury — days at the complex, minor-league game after minor-league game on such a strict schedule. He’s enjoyed just being in the dugout and being part of it now, not even pitching. I’m sure getting back on a big-league mound will be good for him.”

As his return to a big-league mound has neared, Bieber’s confidence has only increased. But he fully understands the challenge that lies ahead — and that looking sharp in rehab outings can tell you only so much.

“As great as being built up to 90 pitches in the minor leagues is,” he said, “big-league innings are different.

“So it’s exciting to be able to experience that here soon.”

The Mets dropped the rubber game against the last-place Washington Nationals on Thursday afternoon, losing 9-3.

Here are the takeaways…

-For the first time since late July, it looked like Sean Manaea was poised to have a good day on the mound. The left-hander began his outing by retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced, including seven via strikeout. The only hit Manaea allowed over the first three innings was a ground-rule double by Brady House that got stuck in the left-field wall padding and barely missed being a home run. 

Still, after the first hard-hit ball against him and the first Nationals chance to score, Manaea came back to strike out two to end the inning and leave the runner stranded at second.

-From then on, though, things got tricky for the lefty. The fourth inning began with another strikeout, Manaea’s eighth of the game, but catcher Hayden Senger couldn’t stop the sweeper and CJ Abrams reached safely on the wild pitch charged to Manaea. After a lineout, a single and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, Abrams came around to score on Dylan Crews‘ groundout to second base. Brett Baty made the play going to his right, cutting off Francisco Lindor who might have had a chance to step on second and double up Crews even with his speed.

-After surrendering just the one run in the fourth, Manaea was back out for the fifth and paid for another defensive misstep. Following a single to start the inning, Jacob Young laid down a sacrifice bunt which was handled by Pete Alonso. Instead of getting the sure out at first base, Alonso threw to second to try and get the lead runner out, but his throw was too late. Alonso’s aggressiveness put runners on first and second with nobody out and had Manaea in some more hot water.

The left-hander got one out before hitting his second batter of the game to load the bases once again. Met killer Paul DeJong hit a sacrifice fly to get Washington closer, but Manaea was one out away from escaping further damage. However, he was unable to close the door and walked Andrés Chaparro to end his outing and left with the bases loaded.

-Up by one, manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Tyler Rogers to get the final out of the inning and hold onto the lead, but the submariner came in and immediately gave up the lead on a two-run single by Riley Adams. Both runs were charged to Manaea, who went 4.2 innings and gave up four earned runs on three hits, a walk, two HBPs and a wild pitch. 

It’s the fourth consecutive outing that Manaea has allowed four earned runs or more after coming off the IL and pitching to a 2.08 ERA in July in four games (three starts). Manaea has an ugly 7.98 ERA in four August starts. His season ERA now sits at 5.15 in 36.2 innings.

-On the other side, pitching for the Nationals, MacKenzie Gore lasted just 4.1 innings and was touched up for three runs, including Lindor’s leadoff home run to start the game — the shortstop’s eighth time leading off a game with a homer, a new franchise single-season record. Starling Marte also tagged Gore for a solo shot in the third to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.

-But against Washington’s bullpen, which has struggled all season, New York couldn’t get anything going. Five pitchers held the Mets scoreless for 4.2 innings and before Lindor’s two-out single in the ninth, their last hit was a single in the fourth inning by Cedric Mullins. 

Instead, it was New York’s bullpen that let the game get away. 

-After Rogers failed to bail out Manaea in the fifth, the roof caved in on Ryne Stanek in the eighth. The right-hander allowed four runs on three hits and two walks. The big blow came off the bat of the struggling James Wood, who unloaded on a three-run bomb to break the game open and give the Nationals a 9-3 lead. Stanek now has a 5.65 ERA this season and an 18.56 ERA over his last seven appearances (5.1 innings).

-Senger notched his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly in the fourth that put New York ahead 3-0 at the time.

Game MVP: Riley Adams

He finished 2-for-3 and his two RBI in the fifth gave his team the lead that it would not relinquish.

Highlights

Leadoff homer for Francisco Lindor!

His eighth leadoff home run of the season is a franchise record! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GCYbdeigmb

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025

Sean Manaea is up to 5 strikeouts through two innings 💪 pic.twitter.com/2GyEbkNmsZ

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025

Starling Marte solo homer! 💣 pic.twitter.com/z2jXtI0ob5

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025

Hayden Senger’s first MLB RBI! pic.twitter.com/nqjzREWtF5

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 21, 2025

What’s next

The Mets continue their road trip with a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves starting on Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

RHP Nolan McLean (1-0, 0.00) will make his second career start after a superb outing in his MLB debut and will face off against LHP Joey Wentz (4-3, 4.72 ERA).

When the Dodgers arrived in Colorado on Sunday night they had a golden opportunity to pad their narrow division lead against with the worst team in the majors. Unfortunately, even with Thursday’s 9-5 win over the Rockies, the Dodgers only managed a split of the four-game series.

They now head to San Diego for a crucial three-game-series against the San Diego Padres with the division lead once again up for grabs.

“I wish we had won all four, but it just didn’t happen,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “That’s just the way baseball is. So we’ve got to go out there and regardless of the standings, we’ve got to beat those guys.”

The standings, however, loom large. On July 7, the Dodgers led the division by six games. The margin is now just a game.

Read more:Rocky, and painful, outing for Shohei Ohtani as Dodgers lose to Colorado

The Padres, who have won 12 of 19 games in August, are the third-hottest team in the National League this month. The Dodgers are a game over .500.

“It is what it is,” Roberts said. “It’s where we’re at right now and I can’t change it. I feel good about our club going into San Diego.”

His club will have a bit of momentum on its side after scoring 20 runs on 30 hits in the two wins at Coors Field. Thursday’s matinee saw four players finish with multiple hits, including third baseman Alex Freeland, who was a career-best three for five with a run scored and another driven in. Freeland had six hits in the final three games in Denver.

“It’s just like I’m building confidence now,” said Freeland, who entered Thursday hitting .180 since his call-up from triple-A Oklahoma City three weeks ago. “I’ve kind of spent a little time here now and I’m getting comfortable.”

The Dodgers also got a fourth straight strong effort from starter Clayton Kershaw (8-2), who gave up three runs in 5⅔ innings. Kershaw has allowed just five runs over 23 2/3 innings this month, dropping his season ERA nearly 50 points to 3.13.

That was also good enough to keep his team in first, something he noted afterward.

“You can’t take anything for granted in Colorado, obviously,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we’re [one] up going in [to San Diego]. So we feel good about it.”

Freeland agreed.

“We definitely could have produced more. But you know what? We’re going to take this one today and take this momentum and bring it into San Diego,” he said.

After Kershaw won the opener of a three-game series with the Padres at Dodger Stadium a week ago, the teams were even atop the N.L. The Dodgers wound up sweeping that series and have won eight of 10 with the Padres overall this year.

“We’ve played well against those guys this year,” Roberts said. “They’re going to give us everything they have this weekend.”

The Dodgers got started early Thursday with Mookie Betts, who reached base four times, opening the game by walking on five pitches. Freddie Freeman followed with a two-run home run, his 16th of the season, to center field.

Read more:Plaschke: The ‘legend’ Clayton Kershaw is legendary again for Dodgers

The Rockies cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning on a popup that got lost in the sun, a sacrifice bunt, a balk and an RBI groundout. But they would get no closer, with the Dodgers scoring in each of the first five innings to take an 8-2 lead.

Freeland had his first career triple along with a double and single, falling a homer shy of the cycle. He had six hits in the final three games in Denver. Betts finished two for three with two walks and two runs scoring while Freeman, who was two for five, raised his season average to .304 and is hitting .328 for August.

Shohei Ohtani feeling fine

Roberts said pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani is fine after taking a line drive off his right thigh in Wednesday’s game. Ohtani was scheduled to have Thursday off and Roberts said he’ll be back in the lineup Friday.

Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates set to return

The Dodgers will activate reliever Tanner Scott before Friday’s game in San Diego and reliever Kirby Yates on Saturday. Scott has been out a month with inflammation in his left elbow while Yates has missed three weeks with lower back pain.

Roki Sasaki making progress

Right-hander Roki Sasaki made progress in his second rehab start Wednesday, going 3⅓ innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits. He walked three and struck out two before leaving after 60 pitches. He will make another rehab start next week before the Dodgers make any decision on his role in September. The team had talked about using Sasaki in a relief role.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.