Kershaw, Dodgers Breeze To 8-0 Win Over Braves
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw combined with two relievers on a five-hitter and capped a six-run fourth inning with an RBI single, Adrian Gonzalez notched his 1,000th RBI with a two-run homer, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Atlanta Braves 8-0 on Tuesday night.
Kershaw (3-3) allowed four hits, struck out 10 and walked none while lowering his ERA to 3.86. The reigning NL MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner is 16-0 with a 1.21 ERA in his last 20 starts against NL East teams.
Julio Teheran (4-2) gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings against the two-time defending NL West champions, who have won four of five after getting swept in a three-game series at San Francisco by a combined margin of 10-0.
One night after they hit three home runs in the eighth inning against reliever Nick Masset in a series-opening 6-2 win, the Dodgers gave Kershaw plenty of support with their most productive inning of the season. It included RBI doubles from Howie Kendrick and A.J. Ellis, a two-run double by Andre Ethier, and a run-scoring single by Justin Turner in addition to Kershaw's first RBI of 2015.
Gonzalez became the 12th active player with 1,000 RBIs, when he hit his 10th homer of the season into the pavilion in left field on Teheran's 85th and final pitch after Kendrick's one-out single in the fifth.
Kershaw retired his first 12 batters -- including Pedro Ciriaco and Jace Peterson, who tried to bunt their way on leading off the third and fourth innings, respectively.
Ciriaco was a late addition to the Braves' lineup, after third baseman Alberto Callaspo was scratched for the second straight night with the Braves trying to engineer a multiplayer trade with the Dodgers for third baseman Juan Uribe. According to MLB.com, Callaspo told the Braves that he was willing to accept the trade, which is awaiting the approval of Commissioner Rob Manfred.
UP NEXT:
Braves: LHP Alex Wood (2-2) will be pitching on 10 days' rest after missing Friday's scheduled start against Milwaukee because of a stomach virus. In his eight starts, he has allowed two home runs in 47 innings -- but will be facing a Dodgers offense that leads the NL with 61 homers. Wood allowed one earned run over seven innings in his previous start, a 5-3 win at Miami on May 16.
Dodgers: RHP Zack Greinke (5-1) has allowed just three earned runs in 28 1-3 innings over his last four starts, lowering his ERA to 1.48, but is winless in his last three outings.
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