The Dodgers’ rotation might suddenly be off life support.
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Yasmani Grandal, part of the package the Padres sent to Los Angeles for the since-departed Matt Kemp, hit a home run for the second straight game against the Pads to help the Dodgers to a 7-4 win on Sunday at Chavez Ravine.
“I think it’s a big lift”, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“He’s going to be good for a long time”, said Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes, who caught De Leon nine times in the minors.
But his third attempt to progress back to a major league mound was successful, as Kershaw looked sharp over 34 pitches in a rehab start at Class A Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.) on Saturday. The left-hander threw 23 pitches and finished with another 11 in the bullpen.
“I think I’m pitching in four days, or five days”, he said.
Before he went to the DL – and even while pitching with a mild herniation of a disk in his lower back – Kershaw might have been having the best season of his career.
“That was the inning I executed all my pitches”, he said, “so I was excited”.
Kershaw’s only other trip to the DL (with a strained muscle behind his left shoulder in April 2014) was followed by one of the most dominant stretches of his career – but not immediately. “It really hurt us when he was out”.
Solarte gave the Padres took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. “Those types of things are nearly unfair at times”.
Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 41st save.
The Padres 3rd baseman had three hits, including his 15th home run of the year, and drove in three runs but the rest of the lineup could only manage five singles. The right-hander tossed a complete game against Miami in his previous start.
With 26 games remaining in their season, the Dodgers undoubtedly set their sights on a fourth consecutive division title. Corey Seager singled on the first pitch, Justin Turner singled on a 1-2 offering and Adrian Gonzalez singled on the first pitch, scoring Seager.
Twins 11, White Sox 3: Minnesota hit four homers, two in an eight-run third inning.
The Illinois native, who has dropped each of his last eight decisions, gave up five runs over 5 1/3 innings to the Chicago Cubs on August 23 before bouncing back with a scoreless relief frame at Atlanta on Tuesday. If that goes well, Kazmir (who has been receiving treatment for neck inflammation) could rejoin the Dodgers’ rotation during their three-game series in NY next week.
The Padres’ lone run came on Wil Myers’ single in the eighth for his team-leading 76th RBI.
Dodgers: X-rays on the index and middle fingers of LHP Julio Urias’ left hand were negative. The 25-year-old nicknamed the “Wild Horse”, proved this specific skillset when he sent left-hander Christian Friedrich deep in the third inning.
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The Dodgers entered Sunday’s action in first place in the National League West, two games ahead of the Giants.
