May 17, 2017
Clayton Kershaw pitched 7 shutout innings on Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Park, and the Dodgers avoided getting swept with a 6-1 victory. The game featured a heated exchange between Yasmani Grandal and Johnny Cueto, resulting in both benches emptying in the 3rd inning.
Kershaw (7-2) allowed just 3 hits while throwing 89 pitches. It was his 9th career scoreless start against San Francisco,. The Dodgers snapped a 3-game losing skid, while their ace struck out five and walked none for his seventh win of the season, and third straight.
LA started quickly with a 2-run double from Grandal in the 1st inning. While the Dodger catcher was standing at 2nd base, he and Cueto exchanged words.
In the 3rd, Chase Utley and Corey Seager started things off with back-to-back singles. Justin Turner sacrificed to move Utley and Seager into scoring position. After Cody Bellinger lined out, Grandal came to the plate. On a 1-0 pitch, Cueto tried to pitch up and in to Grandal, but the ball sailed to the backstop. Utley scored on the play with Seager moving to 3rd, and it was 3-0 LA. However, the drama continued just after Grandal flied out to end the inning.
While Grandal was running back to the dugout and Cueto was coming off the mound, both continued their heated exchange. That prompted both benches to clear, although no physical altercation occurred between either side. Later, Cueto reveled that he was upset that Grandal was relaying signs to hitters when he was on base after his 1st inning double.
Afterwards, Turner explained that stealing signs happens all the time. “Their guys try to get pitches, the Rockies try to get pitches, every team does it,” he said.
Despite Cueto’s anger, the Dodgers apparently didn’t know what the Giants’ signs were. “We didn’t actually have the pitches,” Turner said. “We had no idea what his cadence was.”
LA would add to the lead in the 6th, when Yasiel Puig came through with a 2-run single, scoring Turner and Cody Bellinger.
In the 7th, Bellinger joined the party, driving in Seager with an RBI double. That made it 6-0, which was plenty of run support for Kershaw.
Kershaw improved to 20-9 in his career against the Giants with a 1.62 ERA. He is now tied for the MLB lead in wins with 7.
Pedro Baez pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Despite giving up a solo homer to Eduardo Nunez in the 9th, former Giant Sergio Romo recorded the final 3 outs of the game to secure the victory.
The Dodgers now leave San Francisco trailing the 1st place Rockies by 2.5 games in the NL West. Up next will be a four-game series with the Miami Marlins beginning Thursday night at Chavez Ravine. Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-5; 4.99 ERA) goes to the mound for LA, while the Edinson Volquez gets the ball for the Marlins.