Dodgers win, eye Rays pitcher Chris Archer

LOS ANGELES — All of those page views on the trade-rumor aggregating sights are coming from somewhere. But, if the players are to be believed, it’s not from the Dodgers clubhouse.

“No, I don’t (follow it). I don’t really care,” said Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen, more conceed with his own problems — ongoing mechanical issues that made closing out Tuesday night’s 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays more difficult than it should have been.

“Whatever the front office thinks we need to do, that’s up to them. I really don’t care about all that drama out there.”

Tuesday’s starter Bud Norris should care. His immediate future in the Dodgers’ starting rotation could depend on the front office’s success or failure in acquiring a front-line starting pitcher – like, oh, Norris’ opposite number with the Rays Tuesday, Chris Archer — before Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline arrives.

“I’m not worried about it, no,” Norris said. “I just have to go out there and pitch when they give me the ball. Even with me this year, I spent a month in the bullpen so I know how you can still help a team win games.

“That being said, what we go out and do or don’t do that’s up to them. I think they’re looking at the collective group we have in here right now and they’re pretty excited. … If something happens, great. If something doesn’t happen — oh, well.”

An early-responder when the Dodgers’ need for starting pitching became acute earlier this month, Norris allowed just two hits in his 6 1/3 innings, taking a shutout into the seventh and outpitching one of the rumored objects of the Dodgers’ affection.

If they indeed are trying to acquire Archer, they didn’t do much to drive Archer’s cost down. Just one of the three runs he allowed in seven innings was eaed — the kind of unfortunate outing that has left him with a 5-14 record (and the Rays with just seven wins in their past 36 games).

Archer retired the first seven Dodgers before first baseman Steve Pearce mishandled a throw, allowing Joc Pederson to reach on a ground ball. Norris bunted him to second and Pederson went to third when Archer made a poor throw to first base on Chase Utley’s dribbler up the third-base line.

The Dodgers promptly cashed in both errors on two-out RBI singles by Corey Seager and Justin Tuer. Four innings later, Yasmani Grandal launched a solo home run 411 feet into the visitors’ bullpen.

That was the last of the four hits Archer allowed in seven innings that might or might not be the 27-year-old right-hander’s last for the Rays.

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“He’s very good. Very good,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, implicitly acknowledging the trade rumors linking Archer and the Dodgers. “He’s a young kid who repeats his delivery, a plus-plus slider, he punches (strikes out) a lot of guys.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen him up close and now it makes sense. It really does. In talking to our guys, the ball’s got true life. He pitches at both the top and bottom of the zone. He’s a (No.) 1.”

Grandal’s home run became decisive when the Dodgers’ bullpen tued it into a one-run game in the eighth. Joe Blanton gave up three consecutive hits to start the inning. One run scored on an RBI double by Brad Miller and another scored on a wild pitch by Luis Avilan. Avilan was pitching in such a high-leverage role because fellow left-hander Adam Liberatore twisted his knee on a play at first base on Sunday.

“Obviously we’ve used Joe a lot. We’ve counted on him and he’s delivered,” Roberts said. “Tonight, it just didn’t seem like the fastball had life or location and the breaking ball wasn’t sharp. It’s very uncharacteristic of Joe. But fortunately we were able to get out of that jam.”

That made it a one-run lead for Jansen who was unable to hold it the previous two times he was given such a slim advantage. He had blown saves in Arizona and St. Louis on the recent trip.

This time, he gave up a leadoff single and hit a batter before eventually stranding the tying run at second.

“I’m not happy with the way I’m pitching right now,” Jansen said. “I just have to find my rhythm. It’s a timing issue (with his delivery) right now. Everything is just off. But I will get it back.”

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