After Scott Kazmir went toe-to-toe with Jake Arrieta and had seven strikeouts over six shutout innings against the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pointed to the outing as further example of the southpaw having overcome early-season struggles.
Kazmir got off to a rocky start Sunday afternoon, allowing the Atlanta Braves to mount a two-out rally that ended with a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Kazmir then settled in and faced only two over the minimum through the fifth inning.
He chipped in with two hits, his first career multi-hit game, and scored a run as part of the Dodgers’ offensive explosion. However, after scoring from second base on a Corey Seager RBI single in the bottom of the fifth, Kazmir was unable to record an out in the sixth.
He gave up a leadoff double to Jeff Francoeur, which was followed by a Nick Markakis RBI single. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and assistant athletic trainer Nate Lucero went out to check on Kazmir and removed him from the game.
The Dodgers later announced it was due to cramping in his left quad. “Even before the game, I felt like my quad was tight,” Kazmir said. He had his hip worked on during the game, which provided some relief.
However, running the bases in the bottom of the fifth didn’t do Kazmir any good. “If don’t have that direction, that drive, I’m either pulling it or leaving it arm-side,” he said of being removed in the sixth.
Kazmir and Roberts downplayed the matter and neither expect it to be an issue moving forward. “I think I’ll be fine,” Kazmir said of his scheduled start on Saturday against the San Francisco Ginats at AT&T Park.
