is Joel Matip? We profile the Schalke defender w

LOS ANGELES -- Down three runs after five innings, the Los Angeles Dodgers werent worried. Fake Soccer Jerseys . They rarely are these days.Yasmani Grandal homered twice, including a grand slam in the seventh inning, to rally them past the Colorado Rockies 7-4 on Thursday night.We always believe were going to win and that belief comes because weve done it before, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.Their 50th home victory reduced the Dodgers magic number for clinching their record fourth consecutive NL West title to four. Their division lead remained at six games after San Francisco beat San Diego 2-1.Lets get this thing over, said Grandal, who was 4 for 4. Lets clinch this and win the division.Luis Avilan (3-0) got the win in relief, pitching a scoreless seventh with one strikeout.Kenley Jansen retired the side in the ninth for his 46th save in 52 chances.Its probably the most resilient team Ive been on, Dodgers starter Brett Anderson said. Were never out of it.Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood, who came in with a 7-1 road record, pitched Colorado to a 4-2 lead before leaving after six innings. Then the Rockies bullpen imploded.Jordan Lyles gave up a ground-rule, pinch-hit double to Andre Ethier to open the seventh. Boone Logan (2-4) took over and loaded the bases on two consecutive one-out walks. He then walked Adrian Gonzalez, forcing in a run and leaving the Dodgers trailing 4-3.Grandal followed with his second career grand slam, sending a 2-2 pitch into center field and giving the Dodgers their first lead of the game, 7-4.Logan gave up four runs and one hit in one inning, walked three and struck out none.We havent seen that from Boone all season, Colorado manager Walt Weiss said.Grandal hit a solo shot in the second for the sixth homer given up by Chatwood in his last four games.Weiss and third baseman Nolan Arenado were ejected in the seventh for arguing balls and strikes. Carlos Gonzalez lined into an unassisted double play at first base, where DJ LeMahieu was doubled off to end the inning.Making his first start since Aug. 20, Anderson gave up four runs and six hits in five innings. The left-hander struck out two and walked one after coming off the disabled list with a blister on his left index finger.Its finally good not to be a full detriment to the team, Anderson said. I feel good and my body feels good. I kind of look at this as my first actual start with everything being OK.The Rockies took an early 2-0 lead on an error by right fielder Josh Reddick and Daniel Descalsos sacrifice fly.LeMahieu extended his consecutive on-base streak to 38 games with a homer in the fifth, extending Colorados lead to 4-1.TRAINERS ROOMRockies: 1B Gerardo Parra was scratched an hour before the game because of illness and was replaced by Stephen Cardullo. ... 3B coach Stu Cole, hit by a ball during batting practice on Tuesday and taken to a Denver hospital, was back on the field Friday.WHAT A PLAYChase Utley made an amazing play on Chatwoods groundout to second base in the fourth. Utley went to field the ball and it escaped his glove as he spun around. Utley somehow grabbed the ball and flipped it with his right hand and his back turned toward first base, where Adrian Gonzalez was fully stretched to make the play that ended the inning.The legacy of Chase continues to grow, Roberts said. He makes this crazy no-look pass to first base. He said, `I cant believe I missed the ball.Utley called the play pretty lucky.VISITING VINIt was Weiss turn to visit Vin Scully. The team presented the 88-year-old Hall of Fame broadcaster with the letters `LAD from the Rockies scoreboard.His intellect and recall of the game is amazing, Weiss said. I didnt even think he would know who I was, but he knew everybody, even the guys who werent in jersey.Weiss played shortstop for Oakland against the Dodgers in the 1988 World Series. He told Scully he still has nightmares when he hears the call from Game 1 in which hobbled Dodgers pinch-hitter Kirk Gibson slugged the winning home run.Vin told me Gibsons home run was the most theatrical, Weiss said, and that (Hank) Aarons home run was the biggest moment of his career.HAPPY BIRTHDAYFormer Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda celebrated his 89th birthday Friday. With 68 years in the organization, he is the longest tenured employee with Scully second in seniority at 67 years. Lasorda serves as special adviser to the chairman. He was presented with a huge cake on the field before the game and the crowd sang Happy Birthday. Lasorda and wife Jo shared a kiss before the current Dodgers greeted him.UP NEXTRockies: RHP Jon Gray (10-8, 4.42 ERA) is coming off a franchise-record 16 strikeouts in his first career complete-game shutout, an 8-0 win over San Diego. He is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers.Dodgers: LHP Scott Kazmir (10-6, 4.59) starts for the first time since Aug. 22 after missing 28 games on the disabled list with neck inflammation. He is 4-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 13 home starts this season. Wholesale Soccer Jerseys .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. Stitched Soccer Jerseys . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. https://www.soccerjerseyschina.us/ . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play.Its fair to say Jurgen Klopp was delighted to complete a deal to bring Schalke centre-back Joel Matip to Liverpool this summer. The Cameroon international will switch to Anfield on a free transfer at the end of the season, when his contract with the German club runs out.Im very happy, said the Reds boss. Everybody who knows him would have been interested. However, Klopp conceded Matip was not the most famous player in England, despite playing over 150 Bundesliga games for Schalke.To find out more about Liverpools new signing, we caught up with Sky reporters in Germany Dirk große Schlarmann and Torben Hoffmann - who both insist Matip can thrive under Klopps coaching. Matip top class Jurgen Klopp discusses the defenders qualities He is a good defender. Hes young and will make the next step under Jurgen Klopp, Hoffmann told Sky Sports.Hes not currently at the level of the best defenders in Germany, such as Mats Hummels or Jerome Boateng, Holger Badstuber or Javi Martinez. But after these top guys hes in the next group.The big point is Jurgen has known him for five or six years, has played a lot against Schalke, and knows his strengths. Its a good decision. This season he made a big step and reached another stage in his development. Now he is the boss in the defence. Dirk gro?e Schlarmann Schlarmann agrees and says, after a season in which Matip has taken on the role of leader of the Schalke defence, the centre-back is rapidly improving.This season he made a big step and reached another stage in his development, Schlarmann said. He got a lot of responsibility because of injuries to Matija Nastasic and Benedikt Howedes. Now he is the boss in the defence.He has also moved into the top 10 defenders in the Bundesliga and has potential for further development. Joel Matip has become Schalkes top defender, says Schlarmann Both point out Matip is just as comfortable playing in midfield as in defence and Hoffmann says the 24-year-old will be an improvement on current Liverpool centre-backs Kolo Toure and Mamadou Sakho when it comes to distribution. Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic. He plays very good passes - he can do short passes and long crosses, said Hoffmann. That will be good for the play from defence to midfield or direct to the striker. I think it will be an advance on Toure or Sakho, for example. Matip is strong in the air - and an asset in both boxes Hoffmann also believes Matip could be a solution to Liverpools recurring problems with defending set-pieces.At 6ft 4in, the Cameroon international is dominant in the air - a bonus in both boxes.Hes tall and hes scored a lot from corner-kicks and free-kicks, said Hoffmann. Hes a very good header of the ball, in the defence and also in the offence. Who is Joel Matip? We profile the Schalke defender who will join Liverpool If theres one area where Matip can improve, its communication - Schlarmann describes Matip as a conservative guy, not known for talking much - but it seems Schalke are sorry to see him go, especially on a free transfer.Its really hard for Schalke because hes young, has potential and they do not get any money for him, said Schlarmann. He is better than their other centre-backs, Howedes and Nastasic.Schalkes loss will be Liverpools gain, though. And the view from Germany is the Reds appear to have landed themselves a bargain. Do you think Joel Matip will be a success at Liverpool? Let us know using the message boards or by tweeting @SkyFootball Also See: Who is Joel Matip? Klopp: Matip top-class ' ' '