, the Dodgers' latest to struggle in the absence of closer Kenley Jansen.Ray Black (2-1) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Will Smith worked the ninth to earn his ninth save in 11 opportunities.Kershaw struck out nine and did not walk a batter, lowering his ERA against the Giants to 1.58 in 43 career starts.Kershaw drove in the game's first run with a bloop double in the fourth. After Austin Barnes singled with two outs, Kershaw looped his hit just fair down the right-field foul line.Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford and left fielder Hernandez collided on the attempted catch of Kershaw's flyball, both crashing to the ground. Crawford, who appeared to take a knee to the head, recovered to throw Kershaw out as he tried to take third. Crawford batted in the top of the next inning and then exited the game.The Dodgers took a 2-0 lead against Madison Bumganer in the fifth on Justin Turner's seventh home run of the season. It gave Turner an eight-game hitting streak.San Francisco got a run in the sixth when Steven Duggar and Bumgarner led off with singles and Duggar scored on a fielder's choice by Andrew McCutchen.Bumgarner went six innings, allowing the two runs on seven hits and two walks.It was the 11th time Kershaw and Bumgarner have faced each other, the most of any two active pitchers.TRAINER'S ROOMGiants: 1B Brandon Belt (hyper extended right knee) made a second rehab start Monday, but it was uncertain whether he would rejoin the Giants in Los Angeles on Tuesday. ''We will see how it goes and if we think he needs another game or two,'' Manager Bruce Bochy said. ... RHP Jeff Samardzija (right shoulder inflammation) threw a simulated game Monday. Bochy said he threw about 30 pitches. ''He was throwing free and easy,'' Bochy said. ''Threw some good sliders - breaking balls, he threw everything.'' Dodgers: Reinstated right-handed reliever Erik Goeddel from the disabled list and optioned switch-handed pitcher Pat Venditte to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Goeddel has been out since Aug. 2 with right lat inflammation. In 30 games with Seattle and Los Angeles, he is 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA.UP NEXTGiants: LHP Andrew Suarez (4-8, 4.64 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday. The rookie will attempt to overcome a recent downturn that has seen him go 1-3 with a 7.43 ERA in his last five starts.Dodgers: LHP Alex Wood (7-6, 3.58) is scheduled to come off the disabled list and make his first start since leaving his Aug. 3 outing with a sore hip. Wood missed only one start.---More baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball and https://twitter.com/-Sports)
StubHubStubHubDodgers' Kershaw, Giants' Bumgarner set for Monday duel 5h ago• 2 min read LOS ANGELES -- Sometimes, when the planets align just right, the West Coast's best baseball rivalry turns into a supernova that can't be ignored.On Monday at Dodger Stadium, it will be another episode of the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. the San Francisco Giants, and with Clayton Kershaw facing Madison Bumgarner, there is even more to anticipate.It will actually be the 11th matchup all time between the accomplished left-handers and the first 10 have been split right down the middle, with the Dodgers winning five and the Giants taking the other five.In those duels, Kershaw has a 2.00 ERA with an 0.81 WHIP, eight walks and 78 strikeouts. Bumgarner has a 2.56 ERA, with a 1.14 WHIP, 14 walks and 71 strikeouts. All time, Bumgarner is 15-20 with a 2.60 ERA against the Dodgers, and Kershaw is 22-10 with a 1.60 ERA against the Giants.And while other pitchers around the league have started to make their claim on best-pitcher-in-the-game status, the two lefties continue to get the job done. Kershaw enters Monday's game with a 2.58 ERA this season and Bumgarner sports a 2.69 mark.The Giants (59-60) will open the series six games behind the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers (64-55) are alone in second place, one game behind Arizona.A solid showing in the three-game series at Los Angeles could further the Giants' hopes of participating in the postseason. Bumgarner has not given up on the possibility of pitching in October."We've been counted out plenty of times since I've been here, but we've turned it around," Bumgarner said last week, according to the San Jose Mercury News. "I can't remember a time we were the favorites." That NL West favorite role has belonged to the Dodgers for half of the past decade. The five-time defending division champions made it to the World Series last season for the first time in 30 years, and after a slow start in 2018 they look to be October-bound again this year.In order to get there, though, the Dodgers are going to need their bullpen to do some heavy lifting as it has in previous seasons. It won't be easy now that closer Kenley Jansen is on the disabled list for an undetermined amount of time with an irregular heartbeat.Walk-off victories for the Colorado Rockies over the Dodgers on Saturday and Sunday only heightened the need for relief pitching, so the club moved All-Star starter Ross Stripling into the fold, as well as starter Kenta Maeda. For Maeda, the move will likely cost him salary bonuses tied to starting games.Neither right-hander is expected to pitch in relief on Monday, though. Stripling is expected to be available Tuesday when he is fully rested from a Thursday start. After starting Friday, Maeda will be available in relief on Wednesday.As of now, though, nobody will be named closer."I just don't think we have a person right now you could just say, 'He's our closer.'" Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, according to the Orange County Register. "What if it doesn't go well that particular outing -- then do you pivot? If you're naming somebody, you have to give him a runway. That's unfair to the player, to the team."
Looking for More Picks?
You can browse all the individual handicapper picks below.
San Francisco Giants
Los Angeles Dodgers
Pick Center
MLB
FINAL (8/13/2018)
ShaggyRA
