Kershaw Strikes Out 11, Then Dodgers Battle Back After Losing Lead
Despaigne attempted to reach on a bunt single, but Kershaw quickly got off the mound to field the ball as it rolled up the first base line and he threw to Gonzalez in time for the first out. After striking out Wil Myers, the reigning National League MVP got Derek Norris to pop out to Kendrick in shallow right field, ending the inning.
Kershaw struck out Upton and Kemp in the sixth before Solarte ripped a two-out double down the left field line. Nothing would come of it however, as Middlebrooks grounded out to end the inning. With Ellis standing on second base following a leadoff single and Kershaw sacrifice bunt, Frank Garces came on in relief.
Garces immediately got himself in trouble by issuing back-to-back walks to Pederson and Puig with the latter loading the bases with one out. The left-hander worked out of the jam by getting Gonzalez to hit into an inning-ending double play. Gonzalez was then ejected for arguing balls and strikes, which brought in Alberto Callaspo to play third and moved Turner over to first base.
Kershaw opened the bottom of the seventh by striking out Melvin Upton Jr. swinging on his 111th pitch of the game, which momentarily set a new season-high. Two pitches later, Clint Barmes cut the Dodgers’ lead in half with a solo home run to left field. Kershaw got pinch-hitter Corey Spangenberg to ground out and was lifted after 117 pitches and 11 strikeouts.
Yimi Garcia entered and his first pitch was popped in front of the mound that Callaspo, Garcia and Turner all converged on. Callaspo appeared to call for it but gave way to Turner, who collided with Garcia and Myers reached on a two-base error.
Garcia’s next pitch was crushed by Norris to the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field for a two-run home run that gave the Padres a 3-2 lead. Garcia finally put an end to the inning by striking out Upton. Dale Thayer took over for the Padres in the eighth and gave up a leadoff double to Kendrick down the right field line.
Kemp’s throw to second base rolled into left field, which allowed Kendrick to take third. Turner tied the game with an RBI single to center and Ethier knocked Thayer out of the game with a base hit to right. With Shawn Kelley the next Padres reliever on the mound, Turner was picked off second base on a pitch Rollins squared around to bunt but pulled back on.
After Rollins flied out, Ellis worked a full count and drew a walk. Alex Guerrero pinch-hit for Garcia and hit a flare RBI single to give the Dodgers a 4-3 lead. However, Ellis was thrown out attempting to go first to third on the base hit. Luckily for Los Angeles, Ethier scored before the final out was recorded at third.
Chris Hatcher gave up a two-out single in the third and was replaced by Adam Liberatore. The left-hander faced pinch-hitter Yonder Alonso and got him to fly out to end the inning with the Dodgers still leading, 4-3. Kenley Jansen bounced back from a blown save in his last outing to shut the door on the Padres in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win.
[divide]Yasiel Puig On Nearly Hitting For The Cycle
Whats it gonna take to cut our losses on Jimmy Rollins….he STINKS. Thats that.
That Garcia dude should be cut! First, he doesn’t understand that, as a pitcher, you get out of the way of the fielders in a pop-up situation, then he blows Kershaw’s win! Nice knowing you!