Beginning with the odd start time for a weekday game at Dodger Stadium, not much could be classified as normal during the series finale between the Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers. Clayton Kershaw labored through five innings and was tabbed with a loss in the 8-6 defeat.
The final result reflected nothing of the start Kershaw got off to. He struck out the side in the first inning, needing just 14 pitches to do so. But he fought an uphill battle after that and it eventually caught up to him.
The Marlins opened the second inning with back-to-back singles, and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Kershaw fielded his position to get a force out at home plate, then struck out opposing starter Trevor Richards on his 24th pitch of the inning.
Kershaw uncharacteristically issued consecutive walks with two outs in the third, though again managed to get through unscathed. Cameron Maybin’s leadoff double in the fourth inning led to the Marlins loading the bases with nobody out.
Despite the trouble, Kershaw kept the game locked in a scoreless tie. However, that changed in the fifth inning. He walked Justin Bour and Maybin with two outs, the latter tying a career high of six walks (previously done so in 2009 and 2010).
Those free passes proved costly as former Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas cashed in with a three-run home run. Kershaw’s lack of command was further jarring when considering he entered the game without a walk in his previous 26 innings pitched.
As has often been the case this season, the Dodgers struggled to generate much of anything at the plate. Richards, who was west of Oklahoma for the first time in his life, limited Los Angeles to just one hit — a Kershaw single — over 4.2 innings.
Richards exited after walking Austin Barnes to put two on for Chris Taylor, and J.B. Shuck retired the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter to end the inning. J.T. Realmuto hit a solo home run off Daniel Hudson in the sixth inning, and a two-run shot in the eighth.
The Dodgers finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth, behind a Corey Seager leadoff walk, and singles from Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson. After Bellinger doubled in the eighth inning, Matt Kemp hit a two-run homer to center field.
Multiple errors and Seager slipping while tracking a fly ball in shallow left field led to the Marlins tacking on two runs of insurance off Kenley Jansen in the ninth, which ultimately loomed large.
Kiké Hernandez’s leadoff triple in the bottom of the inning was cashed in on Kyle Farmer’s groundout, and Yasmani Grandal later hit a two-run home but that was as close as the Dodgers would get.
The Marlins’ series win was their first all season.
