The Los Angeles Dodgers will visit Rogers Centre this weekend in interleague play.
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Saturday marked the first time that Clayton Kershaw faced the Toronto Blue Jays.
But all three starters got no-decisions and on Tuesday and Wednesday, it was the Ranger bullpen who let them down with the Jays winning both nights via a walk-off.
A lack of run support isn’t helping. Kershaw also struck out 10 and walked none, while Toronto starter R.A. Dickey, who picked up his third quality start in his last four games, also went seven innings and gave up only six hits, but one of them was a home run to outfielder Joc Pedersen in the fifth.
The Seattle Mariners edged the Houston Astros 3-2, Bartolo Colon homered in the New York Mets’ 6-3 win over the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Angels were downed 4-2 by the Tampa Bay Rays.
“Against a guy like Clayton, the margin for error, it’s really small”, Dickey said. The Blue Jays have scored two runs or fewer in each of Dickey’s past three outings, and have scored more than three runs twice in his seven starts.
Chris Sale improved to 7-0 this season, guiding the Chicago White Sox past the struggling Minnesota Twins 7-2. “I try to pitch well every time regardless of who is on the other side of the field”. Blanton entered the game to face Donaldson, who fouled out to first on the first pitch.
It would be nice to to tell you this game was better than it looked, but sometimes a 12-2 blowout loss is just that. My stuff wasn’t great at times and it was OK at other times. “I just thought I hit it good enough to get it over his head”. Kershaw on the season has a ridiculous 64 strikeouts against three walks, including 34 strikeouts since his last walk. He tossed 112 pitches, 78 for strikes. It was the second time this season that a player has hit a go-ahead homer after an intentional walk.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the frame on an Edwin Encarnacion single and walks to Justin Smoak and Kevin Pillar.
Maeda allowed two runs and two hits in six innings. “He gave us a good chance to win the game”.
With Chad Girodo on to pitch in the eighth, Turner added to the Dodgers lead going deep of the Blue Jays reliever for his first home run of the season.
With the Jays down 5-2 in the top of the ninth, Pillar ranged back to his right to track down a Carl Crawford fly ball and dove through the air, fully extended, to haul in the catch. Thole scrambled to retrieve the ball and threw to Dickey at home plate as Chase Utley tried to score from third. “I have a little rug burn”, Pillar said.
Right-hander Pedro Baez replaced Kershaw for the eighth inning and pitched a ideal inning.
“I feel like that’s what I’m out there to do is make plays”, he said afterward. Dodgers RHP Mike Bolsinger (oblique) was scheduled to begin his minor league rehabilitation assignment Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City….
The 28-year-old Kershaw matched his season-high with 10 strikeouts and allowed eight hits while improving to 4-1 on the season.
Rangers: LHP Cole Hamels (3-0, 3.30) gets the start against Tigers RHP Jordan Zimmermann (5-0, 0.54) as the Rangers wrap up their seven-game road swing with a three-game set in Detroit.
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In his past six road starts against American League teams, Kershaw is 3-0 with a 1.20 ERA.
