Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Clayton Kershaw tossed eight innings of
one-run ball in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 5-1 win over the San Francisco Giants
in the regular season finale.
Kershaw (14-9) fanned eight, scattered three hits and walked three for Los
Angeles (86-76), which was eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday due
to its loss in the second tilt of this three-game set.
The 24-year-old left-hander finished the season with an MLB-best 2.53 ERA and
229 strikeouts, one behind the New York Mets' R.A. Dickey for the major league
lead.
Alex Castellanos and Juan Rivera homered in the win.
Clay Hensley (4-5) allowed the go-ahead run to score in the sixth and took the
loss.
The NL West-winning Giants (94-68) will open the playoffs at home on Saturday
at 9:37 p.m. (et) against the Cincinnati Reds.
Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong was perfect throughout 4 2/3 frames, but the
Dodgers plated a run in the fifth and sixth to take the lead.
Vogelsong lost the perfect game when Luis Cruz blooped one into shallow right
field that second baseman Marco Scutaro was unable to handle for an error.
Just one batter later, the no-no was gone following back-to-back singles to
center field by Tim Federowicz and Kershaw, with the latter plating Cruz.
Adrian Gonzalez's two-out RBI single off Hensley in the sixth gave the Dodgers
a 2-1 advantage.
A pair of pinch-hitters then went deep for Los Angeles in the eighth.
Castellanos smacked a one-out solo homer to left field and Rivera added a
two-run shot to center two batters later to make it a 5-1 game.
The Giants struck first in the fourth. Scutaro singled with one out, moved to
third on Pablo Sandoval's double to left field and scored when Buster Posey
grounded out to shortstop.
Game Notes
Scutaro extended his hitting streak to 20 games, while Gonzalez has now hit in
15 consecutive contests ... Kershaw improved to 8-4 lifetime against San
Francisco.
The Sports Network