LOS ANGELES — While the long ball is getting all the attention for the Los Angeles Dodgers of late Brett Anderson Jersey , they have also used an old reliable to get them in position to grab their sixth consecutive National League West title.Before the current series against the San Diego Padres began, Dodgers starters had a 3.06 ERA since the All-Star break, the best mark in the major leagues. That number had come in 57 starts and 332 innings.Then came a stumble Friday from right-hander Ross Stripling and the Dodgers fell 5-3 to the last-place Padres. Los Angeles’ lead in the National League West fell to 1 1/2 games with just over a week remaining in the season. Stripling lasted just 3 1/3 innings.Article continues below ...Carrying those Dodgers pitching expectations into Saturday’s game against the Padres is left-hander Rich Hill (9-5, 4.02 ERA), who has done his part during the team’s second-half pitching success. Hill is 7-1 since the All-Star break, posting a 3.55 ERA. In his 11 second-half starts, the Dodgers have gone 8-3.The Dodgers have not always had all aspects of their game firing at once until the last two weeks. The starting pitchers, though, had long since set an example for the rest of the team.The intensity has ramped up further as a Dodgers team that has played three National League Championship Series and one World Series over the last five years has that October look once again.“These are playoff games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think you can see the intent on every single pitch. We smell the finish line of the regular season. There’s a lot of sacrifice going on. The preparation hasn’t wavered. The bottom line is we have very good players.”That sounds good, but the Dodgers are actually 1-3 in their last four games against last-place teams. They lost two of three to the Cincinnati Reds on their most recent road trip.The Padres would like to see rookie right-hander Jacob Nix (2-3, 5.75) rise to the occasion amid all that Dodger Stadium energy Saturday, and against an opposing veteran starter who has been a key member in the Dodgers’ last three playoff runs.Complicating matters for Nix is a sore hip that might need surgery in the offseason Blake Treinen Jersey , although the right-hander is doing everything he can to avoid going down that route. He will not only be focused on the Dodgers on Saturday, but will have to be in lock step with his mechanics as well.“I don’t want to be compensating for something down the chain,” Nix said, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.Nix has just seven career starts, all since Aug. 10. His best outing came Aug. 28 against the Seattle Mariners, when he gave up just one run over 8 1/3 innings, but he has given up 14 earned runs in the three starts since then (6.19 ERA).Nix has never faced the Dodgers. Hill has two starts against the Padres this year, going 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA over 13 innings. He is 5-4 lifetime against San Diego with a 3.09 ERA over 10 starts. CHICAGO (AP) — In a dim season for the last-place Kansas City Royals, rookie Brad Keller has been one of the few bright spots.Keller pitched five solid innings, Alex Gordon homered and Jorge Bonifacio had a go-ahead RBI single in the decisive sixth inning for the Royals, who rallied past the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on Saturday night.Nicky Delmonico homered in the second inning off Keller (6-5), driving a changeup over the right-center field fence. That was the only blemish against the 6-foot-5 right-hander, who allowed seven hits http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-chris-hatcher-jersey , struck out five and walked none.“This was a battle game, honestly,” said the 23-year-old Keller, who has the only winning record on the staff. “I felt like I made my pitches. It was one of the games where you needed to keep the team in it.”The Royals won for the third time in their past nine games. The White Sox had their win streak stopped at three.Chicago had five hits combined in the fourth and fifth innings, but Keller got out of the jams.“He did a great job of really limiting the damage,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He made huge pitches when he needed to.”Dylan Covey (4-10) returned to the form he had displayed the first 2½ months of the season but remained winless in five starts since July 21. The right-hander allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings.Covey entered the game with a 1-8 record and 8.94 ERA in his last 10 starts. He was 0-5 with a 6.34 ERA versus Kansas City in his career.“Overall, I threw the ball pretty well,” Covey said. “Just the mistake to Gordon, and then even the pitch to Bonifacio was a pretty good pitch.”After Whit Merrifield opened the game with a single, Covey didn’t allow another hit until Gordon homered with one out in the sixth. One out later, Lucas Duda doubled and scored on Bonifacio’s hit to left field.Alcides Escobar provided an insurance run with a two-out RBI single off Juan Minaya in the ninth.“Keller did a good job of keeping us in the game,” Gordon said. “All we needed was a run to get us over.”Five Royals relievers combined for four scoreless innings. The last, Wily Peralta Sean Manaea Jersey , worked a perfect ninth for his eighth save in as many tries.HEAVEN HELP THEMSister Mary Jo Sobieck, of Marian Catholic High School in suburban Chicago Heights, dropped jaws with an impressive ceremonial first pitch.“I said, ‘Can you play for us?'” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “She said, ‘Sure.’ Seems to be a really nice lady.”NEWBIE IN THE HOUSEKansas City promoted RHP Jake Newberry from Omaha and optioned RHP Jason Adam to the Triple-A club. The 37th-round draft pick from 2012 is in line to become the lowest-round selection to debut for the team since OF Jarrod Dyson (50th, 2010).RHP Blaine Boyer cleared waivers and became a free agent. The veteran has a 12.05 ERA in 21 relief appearances.TRAINER’S ROOMRoyals: OF Brett Phillips (lower-body fatigue) returned to the lineup after a two-game absence.White Sox: OF Avisail Garcia will try to work through a balky right knee that’s likely to require surgery after the season. “He’s just going to have to deal with it and continue to move forward. And I think he’ll be able to,” Renteria said. … RHP Nate Jones (strained right arm) “is throwing the ball well and feeling good,” Renteria said, but there still is no timetable for his return. His last appearance came on June 12.UP NEXTRoyals: Rookie RHP Heath Fillmyer (1-1, 3.61 ERA) will close out the series Sunday.White Sox: RHP Reynaldo Lopez (4-9, 4.40) will take a 1.93 ERA in his last two home starts into the finale. He didn’t figure in either decision.