SAN DIEGO – The Los Angeles Dodgers found another way to defeat the San Diego Padres this Saturday at Petco Park.
This time it was with a ball base that provoked his ace Clayton Kershaw to produce the first run and the most momentous to lead his Dodgers 2-0 victory over the Parents.
The “easel” race got Kershaw himself to take the best part of a tremendous pitching duel he held against the Japanese Yu Darvish and was seconded by the Los Angeles defense, which made the plays when more they were needed.
For example, the catch in the right yard of Mookie Betts to get the last out and sentence the game, when the Parents already felt they had the tie by stepping on the recorder, as happened the night before.
Earlier, Chris Taylor made almost just a double kill with full house that held the then 1-0 lead with the run produced by Kershaw.
Thus, the first two games of the series have met the expectations of two clubs that must be competing hand in hand during their remaining 17 games this regular season and most likely in the playoffs.
Both have been Dodgers triumphs in different modalities. On Friday they pulled off the best part of an offensive game, of little pitching relief by both clubs, which ended after 12 innings, 17 combined runs and an equal number of pitchers; four lead changes and three draws over five hours.
This time, there was only one leader, Los Angeles, as has been the case for almost more than a decade in which they have led the annual series between the two rivals in the Western Division of the American League.
This Saturday, it was the Dodgers ’eighth straight win since the previous campaign, including the sweep in the second round of the postseason and the first two of that series.
Kershaw (3-1, 2.19) scored the victory with six innings and a two-hit ball, not allowing a run, eight strikeouts and two walks, backed by three relievers, including Mexican Victor Gonzalez, who scored the rescue, hastened and with the jewel of field of Betts, but in the end saved.
Betts got the sliding throw on the right prairie, when Will Myers and Jurickson Profar were already almost celebrating the tie, reaching man from third and second, respectively.
Darvish (1-1, 2.55) offered his own chair of seven innings and an unstoppable, nine strikeouts and just that pair of bases for balls that cost him the game in the fifth inning.
Justin Turner only put up the lone home run to the ninth inning to tie the game, with his team’s ninth straight win, which continues with the best record in the Major Leagues (13-2) and the best for any champion reigning after the first 15 games of the season.
This Sunday will end this intense series with Blake Snell (0-1, 4.35), the new parent opener (9-7) facing the Dodgers for the first time since losing the World Series to him, when he pitched for the Tampa Bay rays .
Los Angeles will also put their new star Trevor Bauer in the San Diego showcase (2-0, 2.70).