Dodgers win game but lose Kersh

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are definitely in “Refuse to Lose” mode. For the second time this homestand, they erased a four-run deficit and came from behind to win. This time Trea Turner hit a pair of home runs, including a game-tying grand slam in the fifth and Matt Beaty broke the tie in the seventh with a homer of his own. Though the Dodgers are certainly happy with their 8-6 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, the win came at a price. Dodgers’ ace Clayton Kershaw got roughed up in the the second inning and didn’t look quite right. He left the game with an apparent injury, and his future this season is now clouded with uncertainty. Precisely not the outcome you want in the last series of the year.

Trea’s solo shot puts Dodgers up early

This game started some first inning fireworks, which seems to be the trend these days. After Clayton Kershaw worked around a leadoff single in the top of the first, the Dodgers stepped in against Brewers starter Eric Lauer, who came into the game with one of the best lifetime records against Los Angeles of any pitcher ever. And when Lauer retired the first two Dodgers, it looked like maybe he was on his game yet again. However, Trea Turner put a quick end to that notion, going opposite field for a solo home run that landed about two rows deep in the right field seats.

Kershaw rocked in second, exits with apparent injury

Clayton Kershaw, starting what could be his last game as an LA Dodger, had a very miserable time of it in the visitors’ half of the second inning. He gave up three straight hits to start the inning, and before you knew it, it was 3-1 Brewers. Dave Roberts and pitching coach Mark Prior must have noticed something about Kersh, because the second that third run crossed the plate, they were on the way to the mound. Kershaw came out of the game, having only lasted 1.2 innings.

The injury was later reported as “forearm discomfort”, so God knows what that means. Hopefully, he will be ready for the postseason, but luckily the Dodgers’ hopes do not rest that heavily on his shoulders. However, the Internet was all abuzz when someone noticed that Kershaw exited the mound with the game ball still in his hand. Perhaps a momento from his last appearance in Dodger blue? I can’t even, right now.

Graterol gives up two more

Brusdar Graterol was called on to get the Dodgers out of the inning, and he managed that with a quick one-pitch ground out. However, in the third, he wasn’t quite so lucky. The Brewers took advantage of some wildness from the Bazooka and pushed two more runs across in the inning, putting the Dodgers in a 1-5 hole. Things did not look promising at all. However, the next pitcher out of the pen, Alex Vesia looked very good and righted the ship, and when Evan Phillips did the same in the top of the fifth, the Dodgers were still in this one, though barely.

Grand slam for Trea

The Dodgers got busy in the bottom of the fifth. First, Austin Barnes hit a one-out single. Then, pinch hitter Albert Pujols sent a scorching ground ball to the right side that Willy Adames damn near made a miraculous play on. However, Barnes beat the throw to second and there were two men on. With the top of the order now up to bat, it looked like the Dodgers might have a chance to do some damage. Mookie Betts came through with a single to load the bases. Then, up came Corey Seager, who had had more than his share of heroics on this home stand. However, Lauer got the best of Seager this time around and he popped a breaking ball up on the infield for the second out of the inning.

Trea Turner and his .325 batting average stepped to the plate. With the hot bat that he was swinging, the Dodger faithful had good reason to expect something good. On this night, Turner delivered, big time. He blasted a pitch to deep left center for a game-tying grand slam. Over the last 15 games Turner is hitting over .400 and has hit six home runs. You gotta like those numbers as the team heads into October.

Beaty’s pinch hit homer breaks the tie

With the score now tied, Roberts turned to his high-leverage arms the rest of the way. Blake Treinen got the ball in the seventh, and though he gave up a single, he had good command and was dealing absolute filth in his scoreless inning. That set the stage for the bats to take charge in the bottom of the frame.

Because Devin Williams was an idiot and punched a wall a couple of days ago, Brewers manager Craig Counsel didn’t have as many high-leverage guys in his pen for this game. He went with righty Jandel Gustave, who pitched a scoreless sixth but ran into trouble when Counsel ran him out there fore the seventh. After an Austin Barnes ground out, Matt Beaty came off the bench to hit for Treinen in the pitcher’s spot. With the lineup at nearly full strength now, Beaty’s opportunities have been few and far between these days, but he’s stayed engaged and prepared on the bench. In this one, Beaty got a pitch he could handle early in the count. He got a 1-0 dead red fastball from near the heart of the plate. Beaty pulverized the pitch for a go-ahead solo home run to right field. Beaty’s spot on the playoff roster is not assured, but the dinger tonight went a long way and being among the chosen next week.

After Beaty’s homer, the Dodgers were able to get a couple more insurance runs in the inning, thanks to a wild pitch and an infield single. So, the game turned to the eighth inning with the Dodgers up 8-5.

Kelly surrenders a run, but Jansen gets the four-out save

Joe Kelly tried to close the door on the Brewers in the eighth, but gave up a leadoff walk that came around to score after a stolen base and an RBI single from Daniel Vogelbach. With Giants’ already victorious, Dave Roberts was in no position to mess around and let Kelly try to pitch out of the inning on his own. Instead, he brought in Kenley Jansen for a potential four-out save. After pinch runner Keston Hiura stole second, Kenley induced a weak pop-up from Omar Narvaez to end the inning.

After a quiet ninth inning from the Dodgers’ hitters, Jansen was back on the mound for the ninth. He struck out the leadoff man Tyrone Taylor, but Trea Turner booted a ground ball for what should have been the second out in the inning. Oh no, here we go again with the late inning meltdowns, Dodger fans must have been thinking. However, that was the old Kenley. The new Kenley bore down and finished the game on six pitches, getting a force out to short off the bat of Willy Adames and then a weak pop out to Max Muncy to end the game. Final score: Dodgers 8, Brewers 6.

Dodgers on the verge of the Wild Card

With Friday’s win, the Dodgers are now 4-0 on this last home stand of the year. Unfortunately, the Giants are also 4-0 this week, so we are official down to our last hope. The Dodgers need to win out and the Giants need to drop their last two games of the season to the Padres in order to force a game 163. Otherwise, it’s the Cardinals on Wednesday.

We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed for Clayton. With his extended injury, the Dodgers were not counting on him for that much this year, but it would have been nice if he could have finished the year on a high note. Hopefully, the training staff will be able to get Clayton back to pitching and available for later in the postseason, whether it start on Wednesday or next Friday. Either way, the Dodgers have more than enough pitching depth to make it to the World Series. But Kershaw’s absence will definitely make things more complicated.