Dodgers Clinch 2015 NL West Division Title (VIDEO)
With the Los Angeles Dodgers having come up short against the San Francisco Giants the night before in an extra-innings loss of a game Zack Greinke started, they turned to Clayton Kershaw Tuesday still only one win away from clinching the National League West title.
Standing in the Dodgers’ and Kershaw’s way to a third consecutive division title was Madison Bumgarner and the fact the Dodgers hadn’t won any of the seven games played at AT&T Park this season.
No matter, Kershaw put together another dominant performance against the Giants, and received plenty of run support from his teammates. Justin Turner’s sacrifice fly gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the first inning, then Kiké Hernandez’s solo home run in the third made it 2-0 in favor of Los Angeles.
Justin Ruggiano and A.J. Ellis combined for back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth, knocking Bumgarner out of the game, and the Dodgers never looked back. After allowing a one-out base hit and later issuing a walk in the third inning, Kershaw retired the last 19 batters faced.
He struck out the side in the fifth, sixth and eighth innings, and the Dodgers enjoyed a sweet first victory in San Francisco.