The Sports Xchange
Jul 23, 2017
LOS ANGELES -- Logan Forsythe drew a bases-loaded walk-off single in the 10th inning to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
Despite the win, the Dodgers have some concerns because ace Clayton Kershaw left the game after two innings with right lower back tightness.
Austin Barnes and Cody Bellinger homered for the Dodgers, and Kenley Jansen blew a save.
In the 10th inning, Atlanta reliever Jim Johnson (6-2) gave up a leadoff single to Chris Taylor, and Corey Seager reached on a fielder's choice. Justin Turner singled and the Braves intentionally walked Bellinger. That gave Forsythe the opportunity, and he delivered with another walk-off this season.
Jansen blew his first save of the season when Matt Adams belted a three-run homer to right field to tie the game at 4 in the ninth inning.
Jansen was perfect in his first 24 save opportunities but couldn't get the four-out save on Sunday. Brandon Morrow (3-0) earned the win.
There are bigger concerns for Los Angeles, namely the health of Kershaw.
Kershaw uncharacteristically bounced a curveball in the dirt and was visited by a trainer and manager Dave Roberts during the second inning of Tyler Flowers' at-bat. He walked Flowers and then struck out Adams to end the inning.
Trainers talked to him in the dugout and then they went into the clubhouse. Long reliever Ross Stripling was warming up in the bullpen and entered the game after Trayce Thompson pinch hit for Kershaw in the bottom of the second.
Pitching with two outs and a three-run lead, Jansen gave up the Adams home run. He got Johan Camargo to fly out to center field to end the inning, but the damage had already been done.
The Braves struck first. Brandon Phillips -- who was back in the lineup after missing two games with a hamstring injury -- hit a two-out double to right to give the Braves a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Forsythe and Enrique Hernandez walked, then Barnes hit an 0-2 fastball for a three-run homer off rookie Sean Newcomb.
Bellinger hit his 27th home run in the eighth inning for a 4-1 Dodgers lead. He hit a 3-0 pitch from reliever Rex Brothers into the right-field bullpen.
Newcomb pitched well in spots but struggled with command and issued five walks. Newcomb struck out nine and scattered three hits but the walks proved to be his undoing as he walked the two batters before Barnes' home run.
Kershaw struck out two and walked one in throwing 21 pitches in two innings before his day was done.
This is not the first time Kershaw has dealt with a back issue, either. Last year, he missed 2 1/2 months during the season with a herniated disk that didn't require surgery.
Kershaw is 15-2 with a 2.04 ERA and was having another Cy Young Award-caliber season for the National League West-leading Dodgers. Kershaw hasn't lost a start since May 1.
NOTES: Dodgers 3B Justin Turner has bronchitis, but he returned to the starting lineup Sunday after missing Saturday's game. With his 10th-inning single, he has hit safely in 19 consecutive games ...Braves INF Brandon Phillips was back in the starting lineup after missing two games with a sore hamstring. He had a two-out, run-scoring double in the third inning ... Braves OF Matt Kemp has hit safely in nine of the last 10 games. He singled in the ninth and was 1-for-4 ... Dodgers INF Adrian Gonzalez (back) took batting practice Sunday and told manager Dave Roberts he felt good.