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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers have not gone totally hip. They are allowing their regular starting pitchers to actually pitch the first inning, contrary to trend.

But they did see two different fellows handle the first two innings Wednesday night. It was Walker Buehler in the second through sixth, after an identity stealer who resembled Walker Buehler stumbled through the first.

Buehler gave up two runs in the first inning and threw 36 pitches. Although Buehler claimed he didn’t notice, lefty Zac Rosscup was warming.

“You don’t want him going into the 40s there,” Manager Dave Roberts said. A strikeout of Ryan McMahon got Buehler through it, and it could have been far worse: The first three Rockies were all on base, and after two outs Ian Desmond cracked a first-pitch, two-run single.

“I was trying to be Superman, doing a bit too much,” Buehler said. Apparently, the phone booth works in reverse, too. Capeless and earthbound, Buehler overwhelmed the Rockies for the next five innings, and Yasiel Puig boomed a three-run shot off Scott Oberg in the eighth.

The Dodgers won 5-2, swept the three-game series, nailed down a 2½-game lead with nine games left, and began to anticipate the championship month.

“We’re playing our best baseball at the right time,” Roberts said, knowing that last year’s Dodgers didn’t need to do that and got to Game 7 of the World Series anyway.

“I’d rather give up two runs in the first inning of a game like this than have it happen in the playoffs,” Buehler said.

Given the intermittence of this season, it’s hard to imagine the Dodgers will float into October without a bump. If they make it, they will be as well-armed as they’ve been since they started winning this division in 2013.

They can roll out Buehler, Clayton Kershaw, Hyun-jin Ryu and Rich Hill, with any number of Plan Bs behind them. And Buehler keeps ascending as his gas gauge keeps descending. He struck out a career-high 12 in this game and didn’t give up a hit after David Dahl’s single in the third.

Buehler actually had to deal with two-on-and-no-out situation in that inning because he had erred on D.J. LeMahieu’s grounder to lead off. “I punted it to the third-base line, which was a little embarrassing,” he said.

But he struck out the struggling Nolan Arenado with high-90s stuff on the outside half, and then fanned Gerardo Parra and handled Desmond’s comebacker cleanly.

Buehler was pitching similarly in the first half of the season. Then he hurt a rib on June 8 and didn’t pitch again until June 28. He said it took another month to feel like a bird or a plane again, and he had to readjust mechanically and get in sync with his catchers.

Starting on July 31, Buehler has made 10 starts and exceeded 100 pitches in six of them, including Wednesday’s. In that span, he is 4-2 with a 1.86 ERA and has 67 strikeouts in 62-2/3 innings.

In the first inning Arenado came up with bases loaded and no out, and Buehler got behind 2-and-1. He threw 98 for a strike, threw 99 for a foul ball, and then locked up the MVP candidate with an 86-mph slider.

“I was just a little too excited in that inning,” Buehler said. “The later you get into the series, the bigger the games get. They always talk about a team getting hot at the right time, and it’s always somebody. I’m glad that we’re playing like that team right now.”

Since the Dodgers were swept at home by St. Louis in late August, they are 18-7. They have won their past four series against contending teams. They gave the Rockies six runs in these three games.

They also continue to flaunt their numbers. In the seventh inning, they used Puig, Joc Pederson, Max Muncy and David Freese as pinch-hitters. Colorado manager Bud Black had Oberg pitch to Puig with first base open, even though Puig is a .301 hitter against right-handers like Oberg and a .216 hitter against lefties. But Oberg had given up one home run to a right-handed hitter all season.

And Oberg made a nice pitch here. It was sliding down and out of the strike zone when Puig reached out and muscled it. It was Puig’s 22nd homer of the year and sixth in six days.

But it was almost as significant that Dozier, flailing to find his legs in the National League, came up in the fifth inning and stroked a double that scored Kiké Hernandez from first. That tied it at 2-2.

“This was emblematic of our ballclub,” Roberts said. So was the S on Buehler’s chest, which, for the moment, still means September.

Buehler’s dozen. pic.twitter.com/HUj7VHyUEE

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2018

LOS ANGELES — It took a while for the playoff race to get the Dodgers’ full attention.

It has now.

The Dodgers completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night as Yasiel Puig hammered a pinch-hit three-run home run in the seventh inning, breaking open a tie game and sending the Dodgers to a 5-2 victory.

The win – the Dodgers’ fifth in six head-to-head matchups with the Rockies over the past two weeks – swelled the Dodgers’ lead in the National League West to 2½ games. They have won 18 of their last 25 games and now have their largest lead in the division this season.

With nine games to play, their magic number to clinch their sixth consecutive division title is eight and they hold a half-game edge over the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves for home-field advantage in a best-of-five Division Series matchup.

“This year, we really have to earn this,” Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen said. “People can say they turn it on. That’s not true. We had to grind this year. It’s been such a grind for us this year with injuries and that terrible April.

“Everything is happening at the right time. That’s what we wanted.”

The home run Wednesday was Puig’s sixth in his past 18 at-bats including a five-homer burst in two games in St. Louis over the weekend. It’s a power surge he says he has enjoyed before.

“Yeah – at my house, playing video games,” he said.

No word on whether that video game player was stolen during a burglary at Puig’s home Tuesday night. It was the second time in the past month and the fourth time in the past two years that Puig’s home has been burglarized.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts let Puig leave Dodger Stadium during Tuesday’s game when word of the burglary reached Puig. He was home dealing with that when Chris Taylor hit a 10th-inning walk-off home run for the Dodgers.

“I tried to come back … he hit it before I could come back,” Puig joked. “There was too much traffic and my brother wasn’t home. He’s on vacation. I didn’t want to drive back.”

So Puig staged his own dramatics Wednesday night.

“I was so excited because, finally, I did something good for my team from the dugout,” Puig said. “It was great. I didn’t sleep too much yesterday. I came here early today and really didn’t work too much. I just talked with my teammates. When it was 2-2, I was just saying, ‘Come on, we can do it.’”

It was 2-2 thanks in part to another strong outing from Walker Buehler. He allowed two unearned runs in the first inning but just three hits in six innings while striking out a career-high 12.

The six innings put Buehler past 140 for the season (including 18 in the minor leagues). But he only seems to be getting stronger. Over his past 10 starts, he has a 1.58 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while holding opposing hitters to a .163 batting average with 79 strikeouts in 62-2/3 innings.

“I threw 140 innings at age 19 (in college) so it’s not something that’s super-new to me,” Buehler said. “At some point, it’s just about winning games. Yeah, they could limit me now. But I wouldn’t take it very well.”

The Dodgers cut the Rockies’ early lead in half with a solo home run by Matt Kemp in the second inning. It was Kemp’s 20th home run of the season, making him the seventh Dodger with at least 20 home runs this season. They are the first National League team to have that many 20-homer hitters in a season.

They tied the score in the fifth on Kiké Hernandez’s leadoff single and Brian Dozier’s RBI double.

It was still tied in the seventh when pinch-hitter Max Muncy drew a walk and Yasmani Grandal doubled into the right-field corner, bringing up Dozier against Rockies reliever Scott Oberg.

Roberts called Dozier back and sent Puig up to pinch-hit. Puig was not in the starting lineup Tuesday or Wednesday against the Rockies because they started left-handers – and Puig is in a two-year slump against left-handed pitching.

Rockies manager Bud Black had four left-handed relievers in his bullpen – but he left in the right-handed Oberg and did not walk Puig even with first base open.

“I was prepared to have Yasiel face (lefty reliever Chris) Rusin, yes,” Roberts said. “I’m sure Bud had his reasons. But I’m glad they pitched to him.”

Puig sent an 0-and-1 slider into the seats. It was his 50th home run in the past two seasons. Forty-four have been hit off right-handed pitchers.

“It’s tough to catch fire at the right time,” Buehler said. “Everybody wants to be that team and right now we’re doing it.”

Puig, you’re clutch. #SeptemberBaseball pic.twitter.com/ARytD5fD78

— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2018

.@alannarizzo caught up with @YasielPuig to discuss his game-changing three-run homer that helped to seal a #Dodgers series sweep against the #Rockies. pic.twitter.com/2eZzhC7e8Z

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 20, 2018

Buehler’s dozen. pic.twitter.com/HUj7VHyUEE

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2018

Dave Roberts recaps @YasielPuig’s at-bat & a strong outing from @buehlersdayoff in tonight’s 5-2 #Dodgers win. pic.twitter.com/mWyudajE27

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 20, 2018

Editor’s note: Manny Alvarez is writing for OCVarsity about the loud, proud, outrageous, innovative and dedicated high school student sections during the football season. If you have suggestions for topics, please let us know: preps@ocregister.com or tweet @MAlvarez02.

The Student Section Report will be online each Wednesday during the football season.

OK, we need to change it up a bit.

It seems like we know the same four or five powerhouse student sections that are going to make it each Friday night as a finalist for the OCVarsity Student Section of the Week competition. We know this because we seemingly have picked the same group almost every week.

Villa Park Black Pack, Servite Asylum, Santa Margarita Eagles Nest, La Habra Clan and JSerra Lions Den.

We need some other student sections to step it up.

One way to show off your student section is by using the hashtag #ocvfans and sending videos and photos our way via Twitter. Also, send them early in evening. The earlier you send them, the better chance you have to get picked. I should know, I pick them.

One student section I wish I had seen earlier in the night last week is the Northwood Den. They not only showed their school spirit, but they wore purple for Domestic Abuse Awareness.

PURPLE OUT: DOMESTIC ABUSE AWARENESS#ocvfans #northwood pic.twitter.com/hnme09SLzT

— Sophie (@GrossmanSophie) September 15, 2018

A win-win and a tip of the hat to the Den.

Keep the photos and videos coming with the hashtag #ocvfans.

Now, how can you get your student section recognition? I’ll give you five examples from this past Friday from our Student Section of the Week Finalists.

LAST WEEK RECAP

I got to see the El Dorado Hawks Nest when the Golden Hawks took on Valencia a few weeks back. The Nest rocked it, but a tough loss to their rival is hard and the student section got quiet.

That happens, but they bounced back and so did their football team.

El Dorado took El Modena to the end last Friday and won the game with a field goal in the finals seconds. The Nest was loud and wild. We hope to see them here again and often.

The La Habra Clan took a dub and so did their team.

The Highlanders got their first win and we should expect them to eat a whole bunch of Ws from here on out.

The Clan has been consistent and loud. They have also been supportive during the four tough weeks for their football team. The tough part of the schedule is over and The Clan will start to roar more so than usual as Freeway League play begins next week.

JSerra made their return from their Los Angeles County road trip. A month away from their home, the Lions were welcomed by The Den. The Den didn’t disappoint. A loud and rowdy student section.

Good news for JSerra, they have one more trip to Los Angeles, well Bellflower to be exact, but they have three home games and a road game in Mission Viejo. Expect The Lions Den to be talked about more often.

The Servite Asylum showed up to Fred Kelly Stadium to cheer their Friars against Villa Park. Road Warriors! It was a sea of white and there was a special appearance by Clipper Darrell.

Win or lose, we always grind @clipperdarrell @MAlvarez02 @SoCalSections #ocvfans pic.twitter.com/7EzQhvqiKq

— The Asylum (@ServiteAsylum) September 15, 2018

The Asylum did their usual work. Now, they may not be thrilled about falling short for Student Section of the Week last week, but they will take the award again soon. It’s almost certain.

I like to share the wealth, so I try to avoid repeated winners, but it would have been tough to select a section over the Villa Park Black Pack, which mixed in the right ingredients.

The loud noise, the cheers, the large student section and the fantastic work on social media. They not only deserved it, they earned it.

Our BLACK PACK brought the SPIRIT AGAIN!! We are soooooo proud of our football team for the tremendous WIN over Servite tonight!!! Dance and Band had AMAZING performances tonight!! WE LOVE VP!!! #BLUEisBACK #ocvfans @MAlvarez02 pic.twitter.com/w9zn58TfXc

— Villa Park HS (@VPSpartan) September 15, 2018

In return, the Black Pack won the OCVarsity Student Section of the Week for the second straight week in a row.

It was a fantastic night for Villa Park, which defeated Servite 28-14.

Can The Black Pack make it three weeks in a row as Student Section of the Week?

It is possible. Yes, Villa Park has a road game this week, but it’s at El Toro. The Black Pack has traveled much farther than Lake Forest.

The Black Pack took a good number of students to Yucaipa, in San Bernardino County, on a Friday afternoon, on Labor Day Weekend.

To the student sections not feeling that I’m giving you recognition or OCVarsity is giving love, just follow what the Black Pack does and you’ll get noticed, I promise you.

THIS WEEK’S STUDENT SECTION BATTLES 

One game this week appears to be the top student section battle on both sides of the stadium – Villa Park at El Toro.

The Black Pack will be invading El Toro, but The El Toro Freak Show will look to protect their house.

We haven’t heard much from The Freak Show this season, so we hope to hear some noise from these Freaks.

San Clemente vs. Edison at Huntington Beach High (Thursday): Charger Nation will be roaring as San Clemente will be looking to end that awful losing streak. Edison will look for some motivation from the stands. Hopefully, the Charger faithful will deliver.

IMG Academy (Fla.) vs. Mater Dei at Santa Ana Stadium: How often do you get to see IMG Academy play your team? The Mater Dei Den should be rocking. For once, their football team will need them to cheer and send the Ascenders back to Florida with a loss.

Mission Viejo vs. Orange Lutheran at Orange Coast College: I wish I heard more about OLu Code Red, but in a big game against Mission Viejo, I’m expecting them to arrive. Code Red is a loud and insane student section when they show up in full. Hopefully that’s the case Friday.

Los Alamitos at Tesoro: It is a homecoming game for Tesoro, so the Titan Army should show up and rock the stadium, just like old times. The Titan Army was always a favorite of mine. The good news is that the Titan Army will show up and go crazy. The bad news is entering the parking for the game. Home field advantage for Tesoro.

Cypress at Capistrano Valley: The Cougar Den opened the Student Section season by being named the Student Section of the Week in Week 0. Capo Valley has been on the road for awhile, so the Den will break out of their cage for ther team’s return.

Also, my bosses at OCVarsity think it would be a great idea for a student section enter a stadium by breaking out of a cage. I’m giving you the idea Capo Valley. Just saying.

THE best intro in football.
The Tiger Cage pic.twitter.com/0CcemB5jSK

— Kyle (@KyleSports757) August 25, 2018

Bishop Diego at St. Margaret’s: I’m trying to think which condiment is going to win the halftime race. My choice is the bottle of ketchup. The Kitchen will be going nuts on Friday. This student section gets loud and shows their school spirit, but they also get very weird. I like weird, so win-win for the Tartans.

OAKLAND — Felix Peña’s performance on Wednesday night was Exhibit A about how difficult it is to pitch in the big leagues.

For three innings, Peña was as good as could be, but in the fourth inning he gave up six runs, which was more than enough to send the Angels on their way to a 10-0 loss to the Oakland A’s.

Peña retired the first nine Oakland hitters on 25 pitches, with barely even a ball hit hard. At that point, he looked like the guy who had a 2.76 ERA in his previous eight starts.

“In the first three innings he was doing a lot of the same stuff he’s been doing,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “I thought he had a nice mix of pitches. In the fourth, he had trouble commanding counts and putting guys away and those guys, when they got a fastball to hit, hit it hard.”

Peña fell behind Nick Martini, 2-and-0, and then gave up a single. Peña’s first pitch to Matt Chapman was over the inner half of the plate, and Chapman shot it up the middle for a single.

Next, Peña actually threw a good changeup, down and away to left-handed hitting Jed Lowrie, who was still able to get good enough wood on it to drive it the opposite way, off the wall, for a two-run double.

Khris Davis then reached on an infield hit and Matt Olson walked, loading the bases.

Like he did to Lowrie, Peña went away to the right-handed hitting Stephen Piscotty. and he cranked it off the right-field fence, for a two-run double.

Peña then left a fastball over the middle to Ramón Laureano, who whacked it up the middle for an RBI single. After a sacrifice fly, the A’s had taken a 6-0 lead.

“The pitches weren’t quite exactly where he wanted them to be, and those guys got too much barrel on them,” Scioscia said.

The game spoiled a good streak for Peña, who is trying to establish a role for himself for 2019.

After being a reliever for the past few years, the Angels moved him into the rotation and he’s flourished. He’s switched from a four-seam fastball to a two-seamer, used his changeup more and at times flashed a dominant slider. Coming into the game, hitters had swung and missed at his slider 49.7 percent of the time, making it the 11th toughest slider to hit in the majors.

One night’s poor results notwithstanding, he’s still opened eyes with his 16 starts. He still has a 4.01 ERA in those games. He gave up 13 runs in two of his 83 innings as a starter.

Peña gave up seven runs in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners on July 29, and he bounced back and pitched well after that, which he took as encouragement after this outing.

“It was just a bad outing,” Peña said through an interpreter. “I put it behind me. The idea is to keep working hard and keep making progress.”

After Peña came out, another pitcher trying to get himself onto the 2019 depth chart had a rough inning.

Parker Bridwell gave up a three-run homer to Piscotty. Bridwell has now allowed 22 earned runs in 8-2/3 innings in his career against the A’s, while posting a 3.07 ERA in 120-1/3 innings against everyone else.