The lefthander allowed only an infield hit, struck out five and walked none. I threw a couple good ones, but a few of them got away from me.
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My guess is Kershaw will make one more minor league rehab start, stretch his pitch count to 65-70 or so, then rejoin the Dodgers after that.
San Diego Padres relief pitcher Luis Perdomo throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, in Los Angeles.
Posted: Sep. 4, 2016 8:00 am Updated: Sep.
The Dodgers countered with three runs in the bottom of the third, Turner drawing a one-out walk, Adrian Gonzalez beating the shift with a bunt single to third and Puig cracking a three-run homer to left off Friedrich, a shot that carried significance for both the mercurial right fielder and the Dodgers.
“I’m not okay with it but I understand the situation”, Kershaw said, via MLB.com.
Kenley Jansen struck out the side in the ninth for his 41st save in 47 chances.
If Kershaw starts Friday, and then is able to pitch every five days (knock on wood), he lines up as the opening starter in both the home and away series with the San Francisco Giants that likely will decide the victor of the division.
Cincinnati used four walks by Jerome Williams to score five times in the eighth, capped by Tucker Barnhart’s bases-loaded double. The under is also 4-0 in the Dodgers’ last four home games, is 6-1 in their last seven games overall and is 4-1 in their last five games versus a team with a losing record.
San Diego third baseman Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run homer and finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs.
Roberts demurred on that one, but Kershaw certainly appears ready to rejoin his team after being sidelined for over two months with a herniated disk in his back. The 28-year-old left-hander pitched for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers’ Class-A affiliate, and required just 34 pitches to complete three innings against the Modesto Nuts.
Assuming the Dodgers are able to get by their first-round opponent (as the standings now sit, the Dodgers would square off against the Washington Nationals in the NLDS, with the Cubs playing the victor of the wild-card game), their chances of bouncing the Cubs depend heavily on stealing at least one game when Jake Arrieta is on the mound.
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PADRES: Veteran shortstop Alexei Ramirez was released by San Diego. De Leon is slated to make his much-anticipated big-league debut Sunday after proving himself in 16 starts at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, going 7-1 with a 2.61 ERA and 111 strikeouts over 86 1/3 innings.
