Don’t worry: Kershaw gets mad, but Dodgers inch closer to playoffs
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Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw may not have had his best stuff Thursday, but it didn’t matter. The Dodgers still managed to pull out a victory, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-3.
The 27-year-old lefty flashed signs of dominance, but had a poor start by his standards. Kershaw lasted just five innings, giving up three runs on six hits. He struck out nine and walked one during the outing.
Kershaw threw just 80 pitches, but was removed in the bottom of the fifth inning for a pinch hitter. That decision did not sit well with Kershaw.
A few minutes later, all was forgiven. The Dodgers rallied during the inning. Howie Kendrick delivered a two-run single to cut the lead to 3-2. A few batters later, Chris Heisey broke the game open with a grand slam.
In just a few minutes, Kershaw’s emotions changed quite a bit.
Following the game, both Kershaw and manager Don Mattingly opted to keep the contents of their altercation private. Both parties seem to be over the issue, so there should be no bad blood moving forward.
With the win, the Dodgers improved to 87-65. Their magic number dropped to just four games.
PADRES SPOIL GIANTS CHANCES
The reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants are dangerous close to being eliminated from postseason play. With their 6-5 loss to the San Diego Padres on Thursday, the Giants elimination number dropped to just one game.
San Diego was able to get to ace Madison Bumgarner early, picking up three runs in the second inning. The Giants would rally, though, taking a 4-3 lead in the fifth.
After Bumgarner left the game, the bullpen couldn’t hold the win. Sergio Romo gave up a game-tying double to Matt Kemp in the eighth inning, and Josh Osich allowed a walk-off single in the ninth.
The loss not only moved the Giants to the brink of elimination, but it also means that the Cubs are almost officially heading to the postseason.
The Giants dropped to 79-73 with the loss.
METS MOVE CLOSER TO OCTOBER
The New York Mets’ lowered their magic number to just three games Thursday. A pair of three-run innings fittingly lifted New York over the Cincinnati Reds during a 6-4 victory.
The Mets heart of the order was able to get the job done during the contest. Daniel Murphy, Yoenis Cespedes and Lucas Duda combined to go seven for 12, with three runs scored and five RBI.
Those three broke the game open in the seventh inning. With things tied up 3-3, Murphy tripled home the go-ahead run. That was followed up by a Cespedes RBI single and a Duda RBI double.
After a Jay Bruce solo shot cut the lead to two runs in the eighth inning, Jeurys Familia was called upon in the ninth to close the door. He got the job done, striking out one during a perfect inning for his 42nd save.
With the win, the Mets improved to 86-67 on the season.
WASHINGTON DROPS ANOTHER ONE
The Washington Nationals haven’t officially been eliminated from the postseason, but they aren’t exactly helping themselves. The Nats lost their third straight game Thursday, falling 5-4 to the Orioles.
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With the loss, Washington now trails the Mets by 7.5 games with just nine games to go. As if that weren’t enough, reports out of Washington aren’t exactly encouraging.
Two scouts remarked today on the #Nationals’ lack of energy. Another bad sign for Matt Williams keeping his job as manager.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 24, 2015
Williams is expected to be on the hot seat following the team’s second half collapse, so the news shouldn’t come as a big surprise.
With the loss, the Nationals dropped to 78-74 on the year.
Want to see more from Thursday’s slate of games? Check out our scoreboard.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
