Clayton Kershaw didn’t retire any of the five leadoff hitters faced and he pitched just 4.1 innings of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ disappointing loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Not long after their game went final at Chase Field, the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies to open a two-game lead in the National League West standings. L.A. and San Francisco both have seven games remaining on their schedule.
“That’s the good thing about baseball,” Kershaw began, “You’ve just got to show up and keep going and win the next game. We’ll do that. We’ll be ready for [Sunday] and just try to win a game.”
The Dodgers caught the Giants at the beginning of the month but have trailed them in the standings since losing two of three during a weekend series at Oracle Park.
“I don’t think we look at it that way,” answered Kershaw when asked if the NL West has felt like an endless uphill battle for the Dodgers. “I think we’re just trying to win a game. Obviously we’re watching what they do.
“We definitely are looking at the scoreboard and things like that, but we can’t control that. So we’re not super worried about what they’re doing. We’re just trying to win games. It’s hard to do both. It’s hard to focus on your game and hope that they lose and things like that, so just try to come out and win tomorrow.”
Roberts echoes Kershaw
Although the Dodgers mustered just two runs — on Trea Turner homers — and five hits overall, manager Dave Roberts doesn’t believe it was for lack of effort.
“Honestly, I thought we came in with good focus and energy. I really did. Just early on, they got on the board with a couple of runs and [Zac Gallen] just established his dominance against us and we really couldn’t catch our breath,” Roberts explained.
He long has maintained every loss counts just the same, but acknowledged falling to a team that has dropped 105 games this late in the season and while in the midst of an NL West race, is a little more disappointing.
“That’s why regardless of record, you’ve still got to go out there and play the game,” Roberts said. “So yeah, when you’re looking at seven games left in a season and potentially trailing by two games, yeah it hurts. What we have to do is win [Sunday].
“The stakes can still change, but we’ve got to win the games we’re supposed to win.”
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