Kershaw fans 10 as Dodgers rout Braves
LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers used a six-run fourth inning and a 10-strikeout gem from Clayton Kershaw to cruise to an 8-0 win over the Braves on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
Kershaw didn't allow a baserunner until the fifth inning in what was his most impressive start of the season. The lefty scattered four hits over seven innings and added an RBI single in the fourth, the Dodgers' highest-scoring inning this season.
"If you can get a guy to work hard, he's going to make mistakes," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "It's just a matter at that point if you're going to be able to take advantage. I thought we did a good job of that."
Braves starter Julio Teheran took a shutout into the fourth but was chased from the game after a two-run home run from Adrian Gonzalez with one out in the fifth inning. Teheran was charged with a career-high eight runs on 10 hits.
"I just had the one bad inning where I missed a couple times," Teheran said. "It was another rough outing. I'll just try to keep working and try to get back to where I need to be."
Video: ATL@LAD: Dodgers plate six runs in the 4th inning
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Strategy backfires: With first base open in the fourth, the Braves elected to intentionally walk Gonzalez to get to Justin Turner. The third baseman responded with a looping RBI single to right field during the Dodgers' breakout inning.
Video: ATL@LAD: Turner lines an RBI single to right
Teheran resumes struggles: After facing the minimum through the first three innings, Teheran allowed the Dodgers to produce seven straight baserunners with one out in the fourth. Howie Kendrick, Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis all recorded doubles as Teheran was reintroduced to the struggles he has experienced while producing a 4.91 ERA through this season's first 10 starts.
Video: ATL@LAD: Ellis plates Ethier with RBI double
Gonzalez reaches a milestone: Already holding a 6-0 lead in the fifth, Gonzalez added a little more insurance with a two-run homer to chase Teheran from the game. The RBIs were the 1,000 and 1,001st of his career -- making him just the 12th active player to eclipse 1,000.
"He's fun to watch," Mattingly said. "He's pretty amazing, what he does day in, day out, year in, year out. This guy just keeps going." More >
Video: ATL@LAD: A-Gon launches homer, records 1,000th RBI
Tough night for Freeman: While the entire Braves lineup struggled to hit, first baseman Freddie Freeman had a particularly rough day at the plate. The lefty struck out in all four of his plate appearances.
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
This marked the seventh time in 77 career starts that Teheran surrendered at least 10 hits. Unfortunately for the Braves, the young hurler has now done so in three of his past six starts. Teheran ended the first inning with his only strikeout of the night. He had fewer than two strikeouts in just two of the previous 72 starts he had made dating back to the start of 2013.
Video: ATL@LAD: Teheran makes a quick throw to nab Guerrero
QUOTABLE
"He's obviously a well-decorated ace, and that is why. We saw a bunch of pitches off him and battled. Guys like that, the top three or four guys in the league, when they're on, they're on." -- Braves left fielder Jonny Gomes, on Kershaw
WHAT'S NEXT
Braves:: Alex Wood will take the mound when the Braves and Dodgers conclude this three-game series on Wednesday night. Wood missed his last scheduled start because he was battling a stomach virus that bothered him until he awoke on Monday.
Home: The Dodgers will close out the three-game series with Zack Greinke on the mound. Greinke has recorded a quality start in all nine of his appearances this season.
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