Former Substitute Teacher Beats Kershaw, Dodgers Despite Late-Inning Heroics
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Richards outpitched Clayton Kershaw just months removed from working as a substitute elementary school teacher, and the Miami Marlins took advantage of a wild outing from the Dodgers' ace to beat Los Angeles 8-6 on Wednesday night.
Richards struck out 10 and pitched one-hit ball over 4 2/3 scoreless innings in his fifth major league start. The former independent league right-hander was pulled after throwing 100 pitches.
Richards' offseason jobs have included teaching and working for the MillerCoors brewery since going undrafted out of Drury University. He joined a Marlins' Class A affiliate in 2016 after being noticed while pitching for Gateway of the independent Frontier League for two seasons. He spent this winter working at a school in his hometown of Aviston, Illinois, according to the Miami Herald.
J.T. Realmuto homered twice and Miguel Rojas went deep to help Miami capitalize on an unusually wild night by Kershaw (1-4). The left-hander tied a career high with six walks, a mark he hadn't reached since 2010, and left after allowing three runs in five innings.
Kershaw had only allowed three walks all season.
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was checked on by trainers after slipping while chasing a pop fly. He remained in the game, and manager Dave Roberts said he expects Seager to be OK.
Relievers Merandy Gonzalez, Junichi Tazawa and Brad Ziegler were hit around a bit late but held on for Miami. Gonzalez (1-0) earned his first career win.
Kershaw (1-4), pitching against the Marlins for the first time since 2016, struggled with his control but was able to strand eight runners over the first four innings without yielding a run. His luck ran out in the fifth after he issued a pair of two-out walks. Rojas followed by drilling a three-run homer off the left field foul pole, giving the Marlins a 3-0 lead.
Realmuto hit a solo shot in the sixth to make it 4-0 and added a two-run blast — his fourth of the season — in the eighth. Realmuto has hit safely in all 19 career games against the Dodgers, the longest hitting streak versus the Dodgers to begin a career since 1900.
After losing five in a row, Miami has won two straight and clinched its first series victory of the season.
Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer for the Dodgers in the eighth, and Yasmani Grandal added a two-run homer in the ninth, but the Marlins held on to win. Chris Taylor went 0 for 5 and had his seven-game hitting streak snapped.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Miami: RHP Dan Straily (right forearm strain) and LHP Wei-Yin Chen (left elbow strain) both pitched this week and will continue their minor league rehab assignments.
Los Angeles: Injured 3B Justin Turner (left wrist fracture) started taking 'dry' swings. No firm date has been set for is return.
UP NEXT
Miami: After an off day on Thursday, the Marlins open a 6-game home stand starting with the Colorado Rockies on Friday. RHP Jose Urena (0-3, 5.88) will take the hill for the Marlins.
Los Angeles: The Dodgers are off Thursday and will begin a season-long 11-game, 10-day road trip starting on Friday at San Francisco. Hyun-Jin Ryu (3-0, 1.99) will take the mound to open the four-game series.
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