Dodgers drop finale to the Phillies, Kershaw to get MRI

The Dodgers couldn’t get Clayton Kershaw many wins before he went on the disabled list in early May. It was no different on Thursday afternoon as they dropped the series finale to the Phillies by the score of 2-1.

A run that never touched home and a double lost in the sun is what did the Dodgers in. That, and they could manage just two hits all day.

With two outs and two on in the second inning, Jorge Alfaro singled up the middle to bring Maikel Franco around to score.

Only he didn't touch home plate.

Again with two outs in the seventh, Alfaro lined a ball in the gap to right-center. Yasiel Puig had trouble seeing it off the bat and it dropped in, rolling to the wall. Puig would nab Alfaro at third to end the inning, but not before Scott Kingery brought the go-ahead run home.

Kershaw pitched well in his first start in nearly a month, despite not having his best fastball. The lefty allowed a run on four hits over five innings, striking out five and walking one.

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When Kershaw is full strength and pitching every five days, his fastball sits at 92 to 94 mph. In 62 pitches on Thursday afternoon, Kershaw threw only 18 fastballs and just seven of those touched 90-mph.

The 30-year-old tossed only four fastballs in the final three innings but it wouldn’t matter as he struck out the final three batters he faced on a steady diet of breaking balls.

Aaron Nola was a tough customer on the mound for the Phillies, striking out seven while giving up a walk and two hits to go with one run over seven innings.

The Dodgers lone run came on a Kiké Hernandez RBI-single in the fifth, following a Puig leadoff double.

After the game, manager Dave Roberts told the media that Kershaw’s back tightened up during the outing. The lefty will not travel with the team to Colorado and will get an MRI at some point Friday to make sure the back is healthy.

Up next

The Dodgers will head to Colorado for a three-game series with the Rockies. The Dodgers have yet to announce a starter but they will face lefty Tyler Anderson (3-1, 4.72 ERA).

Thursday particulars

Home runs: none

WP - Aaron Nola (7-2): 7 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 7 strikeouts

LP - Josh Fields (2-2): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run

SV - Seranthony Dominguez (2) 2 IP, 2 strikeouts