Dodgers lose Clayton Kershaw to injury but keep NL West race alive

3 years ago 368

LOS ANGELES — Endings tin beryllium messy.

The Dodgers rallied from 4 runs down with Trea Turner hitting 2 location runs including a game-tying expansive slam and bushed the Milwaukee Brewers, 8-6, delaying the extremity of the Dodgers’ streak of 8 consecutive part titles for astatine slightest different day.

The first-place Giants won again, keeping the Dodgers 2 games backmost successful the NL West with 2 to play. The lone mode the Dodgers tin triumph the part present is with 2 Giants losses (to the Padres) and 3 Dodgers wins – 2 much implicit the Brewers and 1 successful a Game 163 connected Monday successful San Francisco.

The archetypal transportation for the National League wild-card crippled is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. connected Wednesday with the Dodgers inactive apt to beryllium hosting the St. Louis Cardinals.

But it’s imaginable Friday volition beryllium remembered for a past pitch.

Clayton Kershaw faced conscionable 10 batters, giving up 5 hits and coming retired of the crippled with near forearm discomfort – the aforesaid contented that sidelined him for much than 2 months earlier this season.

“It’s a pugnacious blow, obviously,” Kershaw said. “Just felt thing determination successful my elbow successful the 2nd inning – forearm, elbow, I don’t cognize what it is. Kind of the aforesaid happening I’ve been dealing with and conscionable got atrocious capable to wherever I couldn’t support going tonight. I’ll get it looked astatine again evidently successful the adjacent mates of days. I haven’t rather wrapped my caput astir each that yet.

“The biggest happening was I conscionable wanted to beryllium a portion of this squad going done October. This squad is special. You saw tonight. You saw what Trea did. You saw what this squad is susceptible of doing and I’ve known that. I cognize that we’re going to bash thing peculiar this twelvemonth and I wanted to beryllium a portion of that.”

Kershaw acknowledged that was “my lone focus” arsenic helium sat connected the injured database from July 3 until aboriginal September with the forearm/elbow injury. Friday was his 4th commencement since returning.

He made it done the archetypal inning with lone a bloop azygous allowed. But successful the 2nd inning, the archetypal 3 Brewers had hits – 2 singles and a treble – earlier Kershaw got a crushed retired (that scored a run) and struck retired the opposing pitcher.

After Kolten Wong ripped a 3-and-1 slider into the close tract country for a two-out treble that drove successful the Brewers’ 3rd tally of the inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts came retired to the mound with caput diversion trainer Neil Rampe.

“In that Wong at-bat I saw a mates winces and I didn’t cognize if it was helium wanted a onslaught telephone oregon thing with pain,” Roberts said. “Obviously helium felt thing and didn’t consciousness similar helium could continue.

“Obviously erstwhile Clayton has to travel retired of the crippled it doesn’t bode well. What that means, we conscionable don’t cognize capable close now. … He couldn’t support pitching. So that’s beauteous telling.”

The Dodgers said successful July that examinations of Kershaw’s elbow showed nary structural damage. He volition acquisition further investigating now. But helium is astir surely done for the year.

“That was decidedly a pugnacious one. You ne'er privation to spot 1 of your guys spell down particularly an unbelievable teammate similar him,” Trea Turner said.

“He’s special.”

Kershaw near the mound having thrown 42 pitches (only 25 strikes) and retired conscionable 5 of the 10 batters helium faced. Five of those 10 batters deed balls with exit velocities implicit 95 mph (the Statcast modular for a “hard-hit ball”).

Kershaw took the shot with him arsenic helium near the mound – perchance for the past clip successful a Dodgers azygous – but brushed disconnected the value of that act.

“Probably conscionable shock. Honestly, I had nary thought I was holding connected to the ball,” helium said. “Probably should person fixed it to Doc.”

The three-time Cy Young Award victor (and 2014 National League MVP) is headed toward escaped bureau this wintertime astatine property 33. If Kershaw is incapable to transportation this postseason – oregon the Dodgers are eliminated earlier helium tin – and helium doesn’t re-sign with the Dodgers, Friday could person been his farewell show for the franchise helium carried connected his backmost for years, trying to pb it to a title done sheer unit of volition and tendency adjacent erstwhile helium was beset with injuries (and sick fortune).

Kershaw ends his 2021 regular play with a 10-8 grounds and 3.55 ERA successful 121-2/3 innings. If his 14th play with the Dodgers becomes his last, helium was 185-84 with a 2.49 ERA and 2,670 strikeouts for them. He ranks 4th connected the franchise’s all-time database successful wins, 5th successful innings, 3rd successful starts and 2nd successful strikeouts.

If Kershaw’s exit formed a pall implicit Dodger Stadium, it lone got heavier erstwhile Brusdar Graterol gave up 2 runs successful the 3rd inning to enactment the Dodgers down, 5-1, with the Giants connected their mode to yet different triumph up north.

But Trea Turner’s expansive slam successful the 5th inning tied the people and the Dodgers stole a leafage retired of the Giants’ 2021 playbook with a pinch-hit location run. Matt Beaty came disconnected the seat to springiness the Dodgers a pb successful the seventh inning and they piled connected with 2 much runs successful the inning.

Beaty’s location tally was the Dodgers’ 14th successful their past 3 games. Kenley Jansen (the past of 8 Dodgers pitchers successful the game) got the last 4 outs for the save.