Friday the 13th Ushers in Good Luck for Dodgers in Second Half

 Dodgers- 2 6 0

Padres- 1 7 0

WP- Kershaw (7-5)

LP- Richard (6-10)

S- Jansen (16)

HR- M. Ellis (3)

The Dodgers waited until after batting practice and just before the game started to announce their corresponding roster moves after activating Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier from the disabled list. Scott Van Slyke and Elian Herrera were optioned down to AAA-Albuquerque. Unfortunately Juan Uribe, who has not had a hit since June 20th, was spared to all our dismay. Hopefully Elian can return to the big club sometime, and we will never forget his game-winning catches and hits this season which boosted the Dodgers while Matt Kemp was injured.

Clayton Kershaw perhaps didn’t have his most dominating stuff tonight, but he only allowed 1 run which was good enough to get him his lucky seventh win of the season. Mark Ellis must half threw some salt over his shoulder before the game, because his two-run homerun in the sixth inning was the pivot point in the game. Matt Kemp’s hamstring stayed intact, and he was welcomed back by the fans as he hit a double and a single in his return. A black cat must have walked past Andre Ethier today, because he went 0 for 2 and was hit by a pitch.

Clayton Kershaw goes to the mound to begin the second half. Last season Kersh was 12-1 in the second half of the season. Chris Denorfia grounds out to Uribe for the first out. Logan Forsythe lines out. Chase Headley, our trade target, proceeds to plop a single in front of Hairston in left field. Carlos Quentin hits into a force out to end the top of the first inning.

Clayton Richard goes to work for the Padres in the bottom of the first. Jerry HairstonJr. is leading off for the Dodgers tonight. JHair flies out to

the center field warning track to start off. Mark Ellis strikes out. Then the moment that we have all been waiting for since May 30th-the return of Matt Kemp. The Bison is back! He smacks a double to the center field gap! He jogs into second base. That’s his seventh double of the year. Andre Ethier hits a comebacker to end the inning.

Yasmani Grandal doubles to lead off the second inning for San Diego. Matt Kemp is kind of hesitant to slide to catch the shallow pop fly. Yonder Alonso draws a walk after a 10-pitch at bat. The Padres have two on with nobody out. Cameron Maybin hits a comebacker, and Kershaw chooses to throw to first allowing the runners to advance to second and third. Everth Cabrera‘s groundout brings in a run for San Diego as they take a 1-0 lead. Clayton Richard flies out to left to end the frame.

The Dodgers end up with a scoreless second inning versus Richard. Juan Rivera strikes out, and A.J. Ellis flies out. Juan Uribe comes up with a lucky infield double when the ball is deflected into center field off the glove of Cabrera. That’s Uribe’s first hit since June 20th. Luis Cruz grounds out.

Clayton Kershaw’s first strikeout victim is lead-off batter Denorfia on a slow arching curveball. Kersh  serves up yet another double, this time to Forsythe. Uribe moves wide to his left to get to Headley’s groundball to make a nice play for the second out. Quentin strikes out to give Kersh two whiffs in the inning.

The Dodgers go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third.

Grandal singles to begin the top of the fourth. Alonso walks, and once again the Padres have two runners on with nobody out. Maybin grounds into a force. Cabrera goes down on strikes swinging. Richard grounds out to first to end the threat.

Matt Kemp singles in his second at bat for the night. Ethier hits into a 6-4-3 double play, and Rivera grounds out.

In the top of the fifth, Denorfia whiffs against Kersh. Forsythe and Quentin both single, but Kersh pitches out of it without allowing any runs.

Cameron Maybin makes a diving catch to rob A.J. Ellis of a hit in the bottom half of the fifth. Uribe and Cruz both make out for a quick inning.

Kershaw walks Maybin for his third free pass of the night, and he now has passed the 100 pitch mark. Kershaw battles back to get the next two outs as he is tiring. Good job, Kersh!

Tony Gwynn Jr. comes into pinch-hit for Kershaw, and he singles on a bunted grounder to Chase Headley who is unable to handle the ball. Hairston hits a line drive right at Richard, who is only able to get the force out at second. Mark Ellis comes up and goes deep down the left field line for a two-run homerun! The Dodgers take a 2-1 lead! Matt Kemp grounds out. Ethier is hit by the pitch on his elbow. Rivera grounds into a force out to end the inning.

Clayton Kershaw pitched 6 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, and 6 strikeouts on 110 pitches.

Javy Guerra comes in to relieve Kershaw in the seventh. Alexi Amarista comes off the bench and singles. Amarista takes second on a wild pitch. Forsythe chases a bad ball and comes up empty for the first out. JHair who is now at third, makes a fine play to catch Headley’s pop up which was over his head in shallow left field. Quentin flies out, and their runner is stranded.

In the Dodger half of the seventh A.J. Ellis, Bobby Abreu, and Cruz all ground out consecutively.

Ronald Belisario comes in to pitch the eighth. Beli sends down the Padres in order for an easy inning.

Clayton Richards induces a groundout from Tony Gwynn Jr. before calling it a night. Richard pitched 7 1/3 innings, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, no walks, and 2 strikeouts on 96 pitches. Dale Thayer comes out of the bullpen for San Diego. Hairston comes up with a long single to right center field. Mark Ellis grounds out. Matt Kemp flies out, and he ends up going 2 for 4 on the night.

Kenley Jansen came in to shut down the Padres in the ninth inning. He gets the first two outs easily but walks Amarista. Rivera makes a really nice pick to save a Forsythe grounder from going down the line for the last out! That’s Jansen’s 16th save of the season.

The Dodgers improve to 48-40, and they remain 1/2 game ahead of the Giants. Arizona drops to 5 games back.

Tomorrow evening Aaron Harang will go up against Edinson Volquez in game two.