KERSHAW, DODGERS PEN, FAN 18 CHISOX
Van Slyke's HR Accounts for Game's Only Run
LOS ANGELES, June 2 (AP) - Clayton Kershaw struck out 14 batters in 7 1/3 scoreless innings of work and three relievers struck out four more as the Los Angeles Dodgers slipped past the Chicago White Sox 1-0 at Dodger Stadium. Scott Van Slyke's home run in the fifth off White Sox starter Jose Quintana was the game's only run.
Kershaw wasn't perfect--he allowed six hits, matching the most he's allowed in a game thus far this season--but all of them were singles and he came up big whenever he had to. The 14 strikeouts recorded by the Dodgers starter matches the high mark by a pitcher in a big league game this season, previously recorded by three others: Garrett Richards of the Angels, Tony Cingrani of the Reds and Ian Kennedy of the Padres.
Chicago wasted a terrific start by Quintana, whose only mistake in seven innings of four-hit work was the home run off the bat of Van Slyke with one out in the bottom of the fifth.
The best scoring opportunity for the White Sox came in the very first inning when Adam Eaton led off with a base hit and Gordon Beckham reached on an infield single, putting runners on first and second with no outs. But Kershaw struck out Jose Abreu, in his first plate appearance since being activated from the disabled list, and fanned Dayan Viciedo as well. He then retired Alexei Ramirez on a foul pop fly to end the inning. Chicago never advanced another runner past first base.
After the Van Slyke home run, Quintana retired eight of the next nine batters he faced before leaving for a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth. Kershaw was replaced after recording his 14th strikeout--that of Moises Sierra to open the eighth. He had struck out two batters in each of the first six innings, one in the seventh and then Sierra. Brian Wilson relieved Kershaw after Paul Konerko was announced as the pinch hitter for Quintana and promptly picked up the 15th Los Angeles punch out. J.P. Howell then came on to face Eaton and struck him out for the Dodgers' 16th K.
Los Angeles missed a chance to add some insurance in the bottom of the eighth. Zach Putnam came on to pitch for Chicago and yielded a lead-off double to Justin Turner, who extended his hitting streak to 14 games as a result, and was replaced by pinch runner Jamie Ronak. Drew Butera's sacrifice advanced Ronak to third with one out, bringing pinch hitter Andre Ethier to the plate, but he grounded to the drawn-in Abreu at first for the second out with Ronak holding at third. Putnam pitched around Chone Figgins and walked him, but then, with Matt Kemp at the plate, Figgins tried to steal second and was gunned down by White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers. It was unclear whether this was a blown double steal attempt or if Figgins was running on his own, but either way the Dodgers lead remained 1-0 heading to the ninth.
Kenley Jansen came on to pitch the ninth and struck out Beckham for the first out, but walked Abreu who was replaced at first by pinch runner Alejandro De Aza who promptly stole second. Ramirez then grounded to third, with De Aza holding and Jansen punched out Connor Gillespie to end the game.
The 18 strikeouts recorded by the Dodgers staff represents the high mark in a single nine-inning game this year, surpassing this previous season high of 16, set by four clubs.
6/2/2014, ChA14-LAN14, Dodger Stadium
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E LOB DP
2014 White Sox 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 5 1
2014 Dodgers 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 x 1 5 1 3 1
White Sox AB R H BI AVG Dodgers AB R H BI AVG
Eaton cf 4 0 2 0 .294 Figgins 2b 3 0 1 0 .314
Beckham 2b 4 0 2 0 .216 Kemp lf 3 0 0 0 .239
Abreu,J 1b 3 0 0 0 .335 Puig rf 3 0 0 0 .276
De Aza pr 0 0 0 0 .240 Ramirez,H ss 3 0 0 0 .248
Viciedo lf 4 0 0 0 .223 Gonzalez,Ad 1b 3 0 1 0 .279
Ramirez,Al ss 4 0 0 0 .264 Van Slyke cf 3 1 1 1 .282
Gillaspie 3b 3 0 1 0 .233 Turner,Ju 3b 3 0 1 0 .324
Flowers c 3 0 0 0 .191 Romak pr 0 0 0 0 .333
Sierra rf 3 0 1 0 .244 Gordon,D 2b 0 0 0 0 .267
Quintana p 2 0 0 0 .000 Butera c 2 0 1 0 .207
Konerko ph 1 0 0 0 .198 Kershaw p 1 0 0 0 .214
Putnam p 0 0 0 0 .000 Wilson,Br p 0 0 0 0 .000
31 0 6 0 Howell p 0 0 0 0 1.000
Ethier ph 1 0 0 0 .229
Jansen p 0 0 0 0 .000
25 1 5 1
White Sox INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Quintana L 5-2 7.0 4 1 1 0 4 90 55 2.05
Putnam 1.0 1 0 0 1 0 11 4 0.33
8.0 5 1 1 1 4 101 59
Dodgers INN H R ER BB K PCH STR ERA
Kershaw W 5-2 7.1 6 0 0 0 14 105 78 0.87
Wilson,Br H 4 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 3 3 2.57
Howell H 11 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 5 4 1.59
Jansen S 15 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 20 13 2.53
9.0 6 0 0 1 18 133 98
ChA: Konerko batted for Quintana in the 8th
De Aza ran for Abreu,J in the 9th
LAN: Romak ran for Turner,Ju in the 8th
Ethier batted for Howell in the 8th
Figgins moved to 3b in the 9th
Gordon,D inserted at 2b in the 9th
E-Figgins. 2B-Turner,Ju(11). HR-Van Slyke(6). RBI-Van Slyke(14).
SB-De Aza(6). CS-Eaton, Figgins. K-Eaton, Beckham 2, Abreu,J 3, Viciedo 3,
Ramirez,Al 3, Flowers 2, Sierra 2, Quintana, Konerko, Gonzalez,Ad, Van Slyke,
Butera, Kershaw. BB-Abreu,J, Figgins. SH-Butera, Kershaw.
GWRBI: Van Slyke
Temperature: 89, Sky: clear, Wind: left to right at 8 MPH.
Attendance: 45,142
Game Time: 2:34