When Clayton Kershaw signed a one-year cope with the Dodgers final February, it regarded prefer it might have marked the beginning of a goodbye tour. The left-hander would take yet one more journey across the league, then settle right into a rocking chair and await the Corridor of Fame to name.
As a substitute, Kershaw has proven flashes of the pitcher who gained three Cy Younger Awards in 4 seasons, although now he will get by on guile and guts greater than curveballs and sliders. On Sunday, nonetheless, he was undone by his protection in a 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
It was the Dodgers’ third loss in as many video games for the reason that All-Star break and tenth in a dozen video games total, the crew’s worst 12-game droop since 2018.
And the losses hold mounting in different methods as effectively, with first baseman Freddie Freeman sustaining a left wrist contusion after being hit by a José Quintana pitch within the sixth inning. Freeman is amongst the Dodgers’ leaders in batting common (.292) and is third in runs (47) and hits (95). With the crew already lacking third baseman Max Muncy and utility participant Kiké Hernández, the potential of dropping Freeman for any stretch could be a major blow.
The sport ended with the slumping Mookie Betts lining out to middle subject with the bases loaded.
The Dodgers’ rotation has additionally been battered by damage, which is why Kershaw’s performances have been so necessary. Regardless of lacking the primary seven weeks of the season, he ranks third on the crew with 11 begins and has given up two or fewer earned runs in eight of them — together with Sunday, when he scattered 5 hits over 4 1/3 innings, exiting the sport with the rating tied 3-3 within the fifth.
Dodgers beginning pitcher Clayton Kershaw delivers within the first inning Sunday in opposition to the Brewers.
(Mark J. Terrill / Related Press)
Kershaw, who left with out a choice, would have pitched longer had a throwing error by third baseman Tommy Edman and a misplayed fly ball by middle fielder Andy Pages not prolonged the Brewers’ fourth inning twice, forcing Kershaw to throw 29 pitches within the inning. And he battled to get that far, working with a fastball that hardly ever topped 90 mph and a curve he bounced to the plate greater than as soon as.
“It just speaks to the guy,” mentioned Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts earlier than the sport. “Even when he doesn’t have his best on that particular day, he does what’s called of him each time out.”
“He has adjusted, as far as using his whole pitch mix more,” Roberts continued. “He’s incorporating a lot more pitches and trying to keep guys more off a particular set, attacking guys differently.”
The Dodgers (58-42) gave Kershaw an early lead with a three-run third. Pages led with a double to left, then scored on a line-drive sacrifice fly by Dalton Dashing. After Betts adopted with a single, Shohei Ohtani sliced a 2-0 sinker over the left-field wall for league-leading his thirty fourth residence run.
The protection gave all three runs again within the fourth with a two-out throwing error by Edman letting in a run and Pages misplaying a ball that bounced off his glove close to the warning monitor in middle for a tying double.
Esteury Ruiz’s first residence run for the Dodgers put them again in entrance within the fifth, however the Brewers (59-40) went in entrance to remain in sixth, scoring 3 times off relievers Alex Vesia and Lou Trivino (3-1) on a double, three singles and a stroll.
The Dodgers’ bullpen earned-run common of 4.38 ranks twelfth within the 15-team Nationwide League. The crew hasn’t gotten a scoreless sport from its bullpen since July 3.
After Dashing’s bases-loaded infield single pulled the Dodgers to inside a run within the ninth, Betts, who was elevated to the leadoff spot within the order in an effort to finish a droop that had seen him begin July hitting .174 with as many strikeouts as hits, lined out to middle. He completed one for 5, dropping his common to .240.
Notes: Pitchers Blake Snell and Blake Treinen made rehab appearances for triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis on Sunday. Snell, who has been on the injured record since April 6 due to left shoulder irritation, made 58 pitchers over 4 innings, giving up a run on 4 hits whereas hanging out six. It was his third rehab look. Treinen, out since April 19 with a forearm pressure, adopted with an ideal fifth inning wherein he struck out two. He might return to the Dodgers’ roster this week.
