Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – Clayton Kershaw pitched eight dominant frames, as the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a four-game sweep by blanking the New York Mets, 6-0.
Kershaw (9-4) scattered five hits with nine strikeouts and just two walks, missing a fourth straight double-digit strikeout performance by just one. He has given up one run in 14 1/3 frames against the Mets this season.
Matt Kemp and Aaron Miles each had two runs batted in for the Dodgers, who snapped a five-game losing streak.
“It felt really good with the stadium packed,” Kemp said. “We’ve seen a lot of yellow seats this season. It was a great atmosphere. Kershaw pitched a great game.”
Dillon Gee (8-3) was firmly locked in a pitchers’ duel until it all unraveled in the Dodgers’ five-run sixth frame. The young right-hander gave up six runs — five earned — on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk over 5 2/3 frames. The Mets also received bad news before the game as star shortstop Jose Reyes was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring.
The Dodgers got on the scoreboard in the second, as Juan Uribe was hit by a pitch and raced to third when Gee’s wild throw to first allowed James Loney to reach base on his slow roller. Miles’ sacrifice fly plated Uribe for the early edge.
Tony Gwynn started the watershed frame with a single to right, stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by the catcher Ronny Paulino and scored, along with Andre Ethier, when Kemp smoked a double into the left-field corner. Uribe followed suit with a two-bagger that one-hopped over the short porch in right field, scoring Kemp for the frame’s third run. After Loney struck out, Miles doubled to score Uribe, and Dioner Navarro legged out a triple when his grounder tight to the line hugged the first-base bag and skipped into the corner as Carlos Beltran lost his footing while chasing after the ball.
“The key point in that inning was leaving the changeup up to Kemp,” Gee said. “It was a bad pitch and he made me pay for it.”
The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but pinch-hitter Lucas Duda struck out and Angel Pagan grounded out to end the game.