Los Angeles Dodgers give 4-0 wound to their AL guests Detroit Tigers – MLB Update
The Los Angeles Dodgers crushed their first American League visitor Detroit Tigers 4-0 in the first fixture of the three-game interleague series at Dodger Stadium, on Monday, June 20.
The Dodgers’ starter Clayton Kershaw tossed a perfect no-score full game for the third time in his career. The 23-year-old pitcher tied the season high eleven strike-outs and allowed just one walk and two hits on 112 pitches in nine innings to earn his seventh
win of the season. The left-hand hurler faced the Tigers for the second time in his career. In his first meeting against the Tigers, he allowed just two hits over four innings on June 18, 2008.
"I felt good tonight. I was mixing speeds and getting some quick outs," Kershaw said. "I kept my pitch count down and stayed through nine. Strikeouts just happen. Some days you're going to get them and some days you're not."
The Dodgers started their game with a dazzling one-run homer extended 405-feet by Juan Uribe in the bottom of the first inning. After this hit, the Dodgers’ bat kept struggling against the Tigers’ starter Brad Penny, who then allowed second run in the sixth
inning to David Navarro.
After this run, Penny finished his six innings spell with these two runs on seven hits and three walks besides four strike-outs on a spell extended to 96 pitches. This loss gave Penny his sixth blow that has moved him to 5-6 record with 4.80 ERA after 15
starts in 2011.
After Penny, Daniel Schlereth took responsibility and tossed fast swinging balls to escape the seventh inning with a no-hitter. He could not keep his momentum and allowed a walk in the start of the eighth inning before handing over the ball to closer Joaquin
Benoit, who allowed an RBI double to Kershaw, who then shut-out the Tigers in the ninth inning.
The Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland tried to create some move in the scoreboard as he employed his top slugger Victor Martinez against Kershaw in the ninth but it was no-use to the Tigers.
"It's no secret that the guy throws the ball pretty good. That's why we had all righties in the line-up," Martinez said. "He was really aggressive and came right at us. He started with his fastball and then made his slider and changeup look really good.
This guy threw the ball great tonight."
The loss has put the Tigers into their third shut-out in this season and their manager Leyland, who has taken the Tigers to a 463-420 record in his six-year career, now has some serious concerns about inconsistency of his Club. He now has eyes on his best
starter Max Scherzer, who have the ability to take his team back into the series.
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