Strong Offensive Effort Backs Incredible Kershaw, As Dodgers Escape Milwaukee With a Win

If this series against the Brewers could be explained by referencing a movie, then it would probably be weekend at Bernie’s. Let me explain. For the first two games of this weekend set at Miller Park, the Dodger offense was lifeless. A corpse if you will. So manager Don Mattingly and company tried to prop up the offense like a stiff body.

They decorated the corpse with new clothes, and put a hat on it, and garnished it with designer sun glasses. Yet the offense was still lifeless. It didn’t matter how they dressed the corpse, it still showed no signs of life. A corpse is a corpse, no matter what fancy clothes you dress it up in.

Dodgers  5 14 0

Brewers  1 6 2

WP-Kershaw-14-2

LP-Nelson-2-3

HR-A.J Ellis-1

But in the third and final game of the series, the lifeless corpse that is the Dodger offense finally sprang back to life. Almost as if there was some type of party on the beach with beautiful women and exotic drinks. And Mattingly and Tim Wallach were both propping it up on each side and telling everyone that the corpse was alive and well. Making the hands wave like a puppeteer.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers pounded out five runs on 14 hits in their 5-1 win over Milwaukee. Almost every player in the Dodger lineup had at least one hit. Miguel Rojas had three hits, and Crawford, Gonzalez, Kemp and Uribe all had two each.

Gonzalez had two doubles and a sacrifice fly. There was an RBI single from Kemp, and even Kershaw himself contributed with an RBI single in the eighth inning.

Of course having the best pitcher in the world on the mound normally helps end a losing streak. Kershaw was incredible once again. The Ace left hander pitched eight innings, allowing just one earned run on six hits, whiffing six and walking two. He made 100 pitches and won his NL leading fourteenth game of the season. His ERA now sits at 1.78, which of course leads all of Baseball.

The only run he did allow came in the first inning. It was the first time all season that Kershaw has allowed a first inning run. Seems to be an irritating habit these days for the Dodgers, and now even Kershaw is doing it.

Carlos Gomez walked, and stole second as Lucroy was whiffing. Then Ryan Braun’s RBI single gave the Brewers an early lead.

But the Dodgers would get to rookie right hander Jimmy Nelson in the third. There was a bunt single from Rojas, and Kershaw was hit in the foot with a pitch. Then after a Gordon force out, Crawford singled to load the bases. A sacrifice fly from Gonzalez tied it up.

The Dodgers took the lead by scoring a run in the top of the fifth. Gonzalez doubled and Kemp’s single brought him home. That made it 2-1 Dodgers.

Uribe makes the tag-Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Kershaw made a spectacular play in the bottom of the fifth, to keep the Dodger lead intact. After Weeks doubled and advanced to third on a ground ball, tried to score on another squeeze play. But Segura popped up the bunt allowing Kershaw to come in and make an incredible diving catch and turn a double play. You have to see it, so check it out below.

Milwaukee made two errors on one play in the seventh to help the Dodger’s cause. One was an errant pick-off throw, and then Gonzo doubled in the run. The Dodgers added another run in the seventh, and two more in the eighth to go up 5-1. A.J. Ellis hit his first home run of the season, and Kershaw’s RBI single gave the Dodgers an extra run.

Kenley Jansen finished it off in the ninth, and the Dodgers salvage a win before leaving town. The Dodgers win by a score of 5-1. Let’s go over the highlights. Grab a beer if you like……

The Dodgers go down 123 in the top of the first as usual. Dee Gordon lines out to left. Carl Crawford lines  out to shortstop Jean Segura, who makes a leaping catch. Adrian Gonzalez whiffs like an old man.

So after Jimmy Nelson retires the side in the top of the first, Calyton Kershaw takes the mound in the bottom of the first. Carlos Gomez walks. That’s the first time all season Kershaw has walked a batter in the first inning. Then as Jonathan Lucroy is whiffing, Gomez steals second base. Then as predictable as it can be, Ryan Braun’s slicing single to left scores Gomez to put the Brewers ahead 1-0. Not only is that the first time Kershaw has allowed a first inning run this season, it’s the seventh time in the Dodger’s last ten games they’ve allowed run or runs in the first inning. The disease has gotten to Kershaw.

Kershaw settles down and retires Aramis Ramirez on a fly to left, and Khris Davis on a force out. The Dodger offense was listless as usual in the top of the second. Matt Kemp singles, but Ethier flies out to center. Uribe and A.J. Ellis whiff. Kershaw retires Milwaukee in order in the bottom half of the second.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Weeks is bummed-Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The Dodgers finally break through for a run in the top of the third. Miguel Rojas reaches on a bunt single. Then as Kershaw is attempting to bunt, he gets hit in the foot by a pitch. With first and second now, the buntathon continues as Gordon tries to bunt, but hits into a force out. Milwaukee erases the lead runner (Rojas) at third.

Then Carl Crawford’s sharp single to right loads the bases. Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly to center scores Kershaw, and the Dodges tie the game at 1-1.

Kershaw gets into some more trouble in the bottom of the third, but gets out of it. Opposing starter Nelson doubles down the first base line to lead-off the frame. Gomez grounds to short, and the Dodgers erase Nelson trying to advance to third. Then Gomez is picked off of first base by Kershaw for the second out. Lucroy flies out to deep right to end the inning.

The Dodgers threaten in the top of the fourth. After Ethier grounds out, Uribe singles to center. Aramis Ramirez bobbles A.J.’s easy grounder, allowing Uribe to go to second. Segura can’t make the play on Rojas’s slow dribbler, and Kershaw walks to load the bases. But as you know, the Dodgers stink with the bases loaded, and Gordon grounds into a force out. The Dodgers get nothing. Shocking.

Two wild pitches by Kershaw nearly sink the Dodgers in the bottom of the fourth, but Uribe saves the day. Braun leads-off with a single. Then with Ramirez at the plate, a wild pitch sends Braun to second. With the Ramirez at-bat still going, there is the second wild pitch, but A.J. fires to third, and Uribe makes a great swipe tag on Braun’s butt to get the out. The call is originally ruled safe, but the replay clearly showed that Uribe tagged Braun on the butt. The Dodgers challenge, and the New York office overturns the call on the field. He’s out! Ramirez then grounds to first, and Davis whiffs.

The Dodgers take the lead in the top of the fifth. Gonzalez doubles down the right field line with one out, Then Kemp’s soft single to left scores him to give the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. The Dodgers almost give u the lead in the bottom of the fifth, but Kershaw bails the Dodgers out once again.

A Ricki Weeks double gives Milwaukee a runner in scoring position with none out. Weeks advances to third on Mark Reynold’s ground out. Segura tries to squeeze in the tying run, but fouls it off. Remember the Brewers squeezed in a run Saturday. Then Segura tries the squeeze again, and this time he pops it up around the plate. Kershaw comes running in and makes a diving leaping catch. He then fires to third to double off Weeks, and somehow the Dodgers get out of it. Incredible play!

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

After both hurlers exchange scoreless sixth innings we move to the seventh. Left hander Tom Gorzelanny is brought in to relieve Nelson. The rookie right hander goes six frames, allowing two runs on eight hits with three whiffs. He made 81 pitches.

The Dodgers pick up another run in the seventh, thanks to some sloppy fielding from the Brewers. Crawford singles. Then there’s an errant pick-off attempt that allows Crawford to go to second. Error number 1. Then Reynold’s throw to second is wild and Crawford goes to third. That’s two errors on the same play peoples. Then Gonzo doubles off of Gomez’s glove, as Crawford easily scores. The Dodgers lead 3-1.

Kershaw limits Milwaukee to nothing in the bottom of the seventh. He whiffs Ramirez. Davis singles, but Weeks whiffs as well. Reynolds pops out and we’re through seven frames, with the Dodgers leading 3-1.

The Dodgers add two more runs in the top of the eighth. A.J. Ellis finally hits his first home run of the year off of Marco Estrada. The solo shot puts the Dodgers up 4-1. Then Rojas doubles down the line, and Kershaw’s single scores him. The Dodgers lead 5-1!

Segura singles in the bottom of the eighth, but Kershaw whiffs Martin Maldonado, and gets Gomez to fly out. Lucroy lines out to center, and the Dodgers go to the ninth leading 5-1. This is Kershaw’s final inning of work.

Move to the bottom of the ninth. Kenley Jansen is on to finish the game. Braun whiffs. Ramirez flies out. Davis whiffs for the last of the game. Ballgame, set match. Dodgers win! The boys in blue now improve to 67-52. With a Giant’s loss at Kansas City, the Dodgers will be 4.5 games up in the NL West.

Things don’t get any easier, as the Dodgers will fly to Atlanta for a big four game series. Newly acquired Kevin Correia will counter Julio Teheran at 4:10 PM. Get ready for the annoying chant. Bring your ear plugs. Go Blue.