Kershaw’s injury dampens Dodgers’ win
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are bracing for the worst after Clayton Kershaw’s latest back injury.
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said the All-Star ace was headed to the 10-day disabled list after Kershaw left 21 pitches into his start against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday because of tightness in his lower right back.
“Just felt a little something in my back that wasn’t normal,” a subdued Kershaw said.
The NL West leaders overcame a blown save by Kenley Jansen to beat the Braves 5-4 on Logan Forsythe’s bases-loaded single in the 10th inning and gain a split in the four-game series.
Roberts said Kershaw felt something on his last warmup pitch going into the second inning. Kershaw’s form didn’t look right from the dugout, so the team’s trainer came out to check on him. Kershaw said he was going to see a doctor on Sunday night and undergo scans.
“It’s a DL situation,” Roberts said. “It will take 10 days regardless.”
Also headed to the DL is starter Brandon McCarthy, who has a blister.
Kershaw declined to compare his current situation with last year, when he was limited to a 12-4 record in 21 starts and missed 2 1/2 months with a herniated disk in his back.
“Some of the symptoms aren’t as bad as they could be,” he said.
Kershaw is unbeaten in 15 consecutive starts and the team is 19-2 when he takes the mound.
Jansen entered with a 3-1 lead and got the final out of the eighth, but he gave up a threerun homer to Matt Adams in the ninth, tying the game at 4-all. It was Jansen’s first blown save since last Aug. 26 — he had converted 34 in a row, including 24 this season.
“He’s got that nasty cutter,” Adams said. “I was just telling myself to be on time and try to get the barrel out, not get jammed with it. I got a pitch I was able to do it with.”
Forsythe singled up the middle after Cody Bellinger was intentionally walked by Jim Johnson (6-2) to load the bases.
Brandon Morrow (3-0) got the win after retiring the side in the top of the 10th.
Atlanta starter Sean Newcomb gave up three runs and three hits in six innings. The left-hander struck out nine and walked five.
Atlanta took a 1-0 lead in the third on Brandon Phillips’ RBI double. Stripling retired the first two batters of the inning before walking Ender Inciarte, who stole second and scored.
The Braves won the first two games of the four-game series, outscoring the Dodgers 18-6 while snapping their 11-game winning streak.
“This is a good club, but we feel we’re a good club, too,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “We’re a second-place team. It goes right down to the very end with this group. They kept grinding. Yeah, it hurts because we wanted to win the series.”
Austin Barnes hit a three-run homer in the fourth for the Dodgers.
Kershaw was replaced by Ross Stripling, who allowed one run and two hits in three innings. The right-hander struck out two and walked two.