With the Los Angeles Dodgers beset by injuries to their starting pitchers, Clayton Kershaw’s recovery from offseason shoulder surgery has become even more crucial to the team’s fortunes.
Kershaw’s comeback will continue Sunday afternoon when the Dodgers play the rubber match of their three-game series against the host St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers won 7-6 on Friday before losing for the third time in four games with a 5-2 setback on Saturday.
Kershaw (1-2, 3.50 ERA) is coming off his strongest start of the season. He held the Milwaukee Brewers to one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 5-2 victory Monday.
The veteran left-hander struck out six and walked two while making 83 pitches.
“It’s been fun to be back,” Kershaw told Fox Sports. “I’ve made four starts now; you just never know coming off surgery what it’s going to feel like, but I really do feel great.
“It’s figuring out how to pitch again … obviously my stuff has deteriorated over the years. But if I can kind of tunnel … throwing your fastball and your slider in that same area and having it break off, and mix in some curveballs every once in a while, too, I think I can have success.”
The Dodgers would welcome that after putting Tyler Glasnow on the 15-day injured list Friday because of tendinitis in his right elbow. They recalled Justin Wrobleski from Oklahoma City to start Friday’s game, then recalled Bobby Miller from that Triple-A team to start Saturday’s contest.
Wrobleski and Miller have combined to allow eight runs in 9 2/3 innings in their starts.
Kershaw is 10-6 with a 3.00 ERA in 21 career starts against the Cardinals. He has been especially effective against Tommy Pham (4-for-22, seven strikeouts), Paul Goldschmidt (14-for-68, 25 strikeouts) and Willson Contreras (7-for-30, 11 strikeouts).
The Cardinals snapped their five-game losing streak Saturday. They are looking to gain traction and get back into the National League wild-card race.
“You either step up to the challenge, or you’re done,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “There’s no other way of looking at it. There’s no other way of talking around it. Super simple. You’re playing tough teams. You step up and do what you have to do — or you go home early.”
The Cardinals on Sunday will start right-hander Sonny Gray (11-7, 3.93 ERA), who is coming off one of his worst starts of the season. He allowed six runs on five hits — including three homers — in five innings Monday during a 6-1 loss to the Reds in Cincinnati.
“If you look at it, I have given up the three-run homer a lot more than I’m used to doing,” Gray said. “I’ve just got to find a way to keep the ball in the ballpark. Everything else is fine. I’m giving up the big homer it feels like on a semi-consistent basis.”
Gray has allowed 17 home runs in 130 2/3 innings this year. Last season he allowed just eight homers in 184 innings for the Minnesota Twins.
In his career, Gray is 1-3 with a 3.31 ERA in six career starts against the Dodgers.
Los Angeles first baseman Freddie Freeman exited Saturday’s game with a jammed middle finger in the eighth inning. X-rays were negative, and he is regarded as day-to-day.
Los Angeles made a roster move Saturday, activating reliever Ryan Brasier from the 60-day injured list and demoting pitcher Michael Grove to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
–Field Level Media
