Clayton Kershaw strikes out 11 to earn his 10th win as Dodgers edge D'backs
PHOENIX -- These days, it's news when Clayton Kershaw walks a batter.
He did that on Wednesday -- walking one -- while striking out 11 in the Los Angeles Dodgers' 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Kershaw earned his 10th victory and acknowledged that a pitcher's win-loss record means "something, not everything."
"There's something to being able to win games," he said. "I talked about Zack (Greinke) the other day. He started off slow here but he's got nine wins. He just always knows how to win. There's starters out there that just find ways to win games and there's starters out there that find ways to lose games."
The Dodgers are 13-1 when Kershaw starts, 21-31 when it's anyone else.
Noah Syndergaard, 2nd-best starter in K:BB ratio, would need 133 Ks without a BB to match @ClaytonKersh22 (19:1). pic.twitter.com/fzxossyMib
— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) June 15, 2016
Kershaw (10-1) went 7 1-3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits. He has struck out 133 this season -- and walked seven.
"I really don't look at numbers too often," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, "but when you look at that in context, it baffles you and it's kind of cartoonish."
Kershaw controlled his pitches, as usual, but sometimes not his emotions. He did some yelling from the mound, apparently not pleased with the calls of home plate umpire Sam Holbrook.
"I was too emotional today," Kershaw said. "I was hopped up. I was screaming and jumping. It doesn't look good. I try not to do that obviously. Emotions get the best of you sometimes, but I was a little too animated even for my liking. ... I don't know, too much Red Bull or something."
Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth to tie the Dodgers career saves record of 161 held by Eric Gagne.
"I'm backkkkk!" ✌️ #VanSmashhttps://t.co/vkHKXSXhyR
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 15, 2016
Jansen has 19 saves in 22 tries this season.
Rickie Weeks Jr.'s second-inning home run put Arizona up 1-0, a lead erased by Scott Van Slyke's three-run shot in the sixth.
They were the only runs allowed by Patrick Corbin (3-6), who gave up seven hits, struck out seven and walked two in 6 1-3 innings.
Kershaw won for just the sixth time in 13 decisions at Chase Field.
Paul Goldschmidt came a few inches short of what would have been a game-tying home run in the sixth inning. His line drive bounced off the top of the wall in left for an RBI single that cut the Dodgers' lead to 3-2.
That'll be it for @ClaytonKersh22. He leaves the bottom of the eighth with one out...
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 15, 2016
and 1⃣1⃣ Ks! ???? pic.twitter.com/FAniNfOJgG
"Just two or three inches away from being a homer and a tie game," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "Just a bad break there. It was pretty obvious it just hit the line."
Adrian Gonzalez and Howie Kendrick singled with two outs ahead of Van Slyke's home run.
Van Slyke said he'd taken a pitch inside that he thought he should have driven in his first at-bat.
"I'm looking for a ball I can drive off a lefty and to take a pitch like that is kind of a bummer," he said. "So I was looking for that my third at-bat, something to pull, and he gave it to me."
The homer came on Van Slyke's 26th at-bat of the season. He spent eight weeks on the disabled list with lower back soreness before being reinstated on June 4.
Silly. pic.twitter.com/kNm1bYjnYb
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 15, 2016
After his near-homer, Goldschmidt took second when Kershaw threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt, but Weeks lined out to center to end the threat.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: Roberts says RHP Kenta Maeda will make his scheduled start Sunday at home against Milwaukee. The 19-year-old had to leave Tuesday night's game after being hit in the right knee with a line drive. X-rays were negative, indicating it was only a bruise. ... OF Yasiel Puig (strained left hamstring) played five innings in a rehab game with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday night. He was 1 for 1 with a walk.
Diamondbacks: RHP Shelby Miller (sprained right index finger) allowed three runs, one earned, in six innings in a rehab start for Class-A Visalia. He struck out eight. There's a good chance Miller will start Monday for the Diamondbacks in Philadelphia.
UP NEXT
? Ks for @ClaytonKersh22 through seven! ? pic.twitter.com/ACWNftUEnt
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 15, 2016
Dodgers: They return home to open a four-game series against Milwaukee on Thursday night. LHP Scott Kazmir (5-3, 4.52 ERA) starts for Los Angeles, RHP Junior Garza (3-1, 3.31) goes for the Brewers.
Diamondbacks: Arizona has Thursday off, opening a 10-game road trip with a four-game series at Philadelphia on Friday night. LHP Robbie Ray (3-5, 4.57 ERA) makes the start for Arizona.
