Kershaw spoils squeeze attempt with diving catch

MILWAUKEE -- Clayton Kershaw, as if he hasn't done enough on the mound, bounced off it to turn a spectacular double play with a diving catch in Sunday's 5-1 Dodgers win against the Brewers.

With one out and Rickie Weeks on third base in the bottom of the fifth inning, Jean Segura popped up a suicide-squeeze attempt. Kershaw came racing off the mound, made a full dive and caught the ball just off the ground as he slid onto the dirt cutout in front of home plate.

"I kind of had a thought they'd do it [on back-to-back pitches]," Kershaw said.

He then flipped to third base to double up Weeks and end the inning, preserving a 2-1 lead.

"It was a game-changing play," said catcher A.J. Ellis. "He covered so much ground and had the ability to pop up and double him off. It was huge."

How does Kershaw's manager feel about seeing the face of the franchise face-first in the dirt?

"I don't worry about him with that stuff," said Don Mattingly. "He's kind of hard, all the time. Not the typical pitcher going to first, he runs hard. He trains in a way to be a baseball player. That's what you see with him.

"He slides, runs the bases hard. Tries to help himself win a game. He works on bunting, on hitting, all aspects are parts of him winning a game. He's out there being a baseball player, and that doesn't bother me."

Kershaw won a Gold Glove Award in 2011.