Editorials

Recap: Clayton Kershaw Earns 100th Career Win, Kenley Jansen Impresses

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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The Rockies didn’t have any success in the fourth inning as Kershaw struck out two of the three batters he faced. Rollins hit a leadoff double in the bottom half of the inning and it was followed by a Kendrick single.



Gonzalez grounded into a double play, but Rollins scored and the Dodgers lead grew to 5-0 before Flande managed to get out of the inning. LeMahieu drew a walk in the fifth inning and moved into scoring position by stealing second base with two outs. He was then stranded as Kershaw caught Blackmon looking for called strike three.

Ethier hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the fifth and appeared to limp as he made his way out of the batter’s box. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly and a trainer checked on the outfielder, who remained in the game. Kershaw’s sac-bunt attempt was thwarted as Ethier was thrown out at second base.

Perhaps wanting to makeup for his unsuccessful bunt, Kershaw got on his horse and went first to third on Pederson’s base hit. The hustle paid off as the reigning NL MVP then walked home on Rollins’ RBI single to right field; the RBI was Rollins’ 900th of his career.

Flande retired the side in order in the bottom of the sixth as the Dodgers continued to lead, 6-0. Carlos Gonzalez reached on a leadoff bloop single in the seventh and reached second base on Nick Hundley’s comebacker that Kershaw stopped but fell down and thus only had a play at first base.

After getting his 10th strikeout of the game, Kershaw allowed a two-out RBI single to LeMahieu that made the score 6-1 in the Dodgers’ favor. Michael McKenry pinch hit for Flande, worked a full count and drew a walk on Kershaw’s 110th pitch of the game.

McKenry was the last batter Kershaw faced as Paco Rodriguez came on in relief and promptly gave up a single to Blackmon that loaded the bases. Rodriguez’s night got worse as Descalso cleared the bases with a double off the right field wall and the Dodgers’ lead was cut to 6-4.

Mattingly called on a second reliever in the inning, next tapping Yimi Garcia, who had blown consecutive save opportunities; Friday was the first time Garcia entered a game in the seventh inning since April 23. Garcia walked Arenado to bring the go-ahead run to the plate in Rosario, but he went down swinging on a high fastball.

Christian Friedrich took over for the Rockies in the bottom of the seventh and retired the side in order, including pinch-hitter Alex Guerrero. Jansen made his 2015 debut in the eighth and got off to a rough start as he struck out Carlos Gonzalez, but the Rockies outfielder reached safely on a passed ball.

Jansen proceeded to strikeout the next three batters to complete the rare four-strikeout inning and emphatically announce his return. The Dodgers managed a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth and nothing else. Adam Liberatore allowed a pair of one-out singles in the ninth and was replaced by Juan Nicasio.

The ninth-inning appearance was just the second on the season for Nicasio, who struck out the first batter he faced. The Rockies then successfully pulled off a double steal before Nicasio wrapped up the Dodgers’ 6-4 victory over the Rockies. Nicasio became the fourth Dodgers pitcher to convert a save this season and at last gave Kershaw his 100th career win.

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Dodgers Closer Kenley Jansen Discusses Needing To Get Comfortable On The Mound


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One Comment

  1. You can’t get enough pitching and a healthy Kenley Jansen is just what we need. Welcome back Kenly.

    I haven’t used Disquss to use as a message board, but a little back ground I was moved to L.A. when I was 3 months old in 1953 and somewhere along the line my father took me to the Coliseum and said son, you will become a Dodger Fan. I have followed them the majority of my life.

    MLB.com will not allow me to to read post on my Chomebook, wil let me read them on my iPad and phone and will not let me comment on the post. I’m pretty honest, if you’re bs I’ll call you on it and there is not a single Giant fan anywhere in the world that I like. I switched my eye doctor when he told me he was a Yankee fan. Nice knowing you.

    And I’m being kind today.

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