Kershaw hits speed bump with 'unacceptable' command issues

SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers worked through some inconsistencies early in the season, but one constant was Clayton Kershaw giving them quality innings every fifth day.

Through six starts, Kershaw was near the top in just about every pitching statistic. His stellar performance earned him National League Pitcher of the Month in April. May, however, didn’t start off so kindly for Kershaw.

In the much-anticipated first meeting with the Padres of 2023, Kershaw suffered his worst start of the year so far, matching his season-high four earned runs on eight hits over a season-low 4 2/3 innings of work in the Dodgers’ 5-2 loss at Petco Park. The defeat snapped L.A.'s winning streak at six games.

“You just can’t walk five guys. That’s just unacceptable,” Kershaw said. “When you don’t have great command, it makes it challenging no matter what. Usually, that’s not something I have a lot of issues with. But tonight, I didn’t have a great feel. They do a good job. They don’t leave the strike zone. So you have to give them credit, too.”

Kershaw struggled to find his usual dominant command right from the start. The Padres got two runners on in each of the first two innings, but the left-hander was able to keep San Diego off the board with timely pitches.

In the third, Fernando Tatis Jr. wasn’t so forgiving, smacking a 2-2 four-seam fastball over the center-field wall to get the Padres on the board. Two innings later, Tatis got to Kershaw again, this time turning on a two-strike slider that stayed over the middle of the plate to give the Padres a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

“He’s one of the best of all time,” Tatis said. “When you're facing a guy like that, you for sure bring your 100 percent that day.”

Kershaw came into Friday’s outing having walked five batters over his first six starts of the season. He matched that total against a potent Padres lineup. It was the first time Kershaw walked five batters in a game since Aug. 1, 2019, also against San Diego. It was also the first time in Kershaw’s career that he allowed eight or more hits and issued five or more walks in a single start.

“I thought [Kershaw’s] stuff was good, even in that fifth inning to get a couple strikeouts right there, and he was one pitch away against [Ha-Seong] Kim to get out of that inning,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “But I think it was just uncharacteristic, the command. I don’t think he could command that fastball to the glove side tonight like he typically does.”

While Kershaw’s command issues were ultimately too much to overcome, the Dodgers’ offense also had their share of struggles against Padres starter Yu Darvish.

Mookie Betts walked to start the game and Freddie Freeman doubled to give the Dodgers an immediate threat against Darvish. But the Dodgers were only able to get one run across on a Max Muncy RBI groundout. The Dodgers wound up going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, an area that cost them last season’s postseason series.

“We had some opportunities early. Couldn’t capitalize,” Roberts said. “Left them in the game, kept them in the game and Tatis had some big hits for them. I think that’s sort of the story of the game and we couldn’t really do anything after that.”

While the Dodgers continue to downplay these types of matchups, the Padres have shown they are willing to turn up the intensity whenever Los Angeles is in town. It was the difference last October and it played a factor again on Friday.

The two teams have 12 meetings left in the regular season. The winner of the NL West could be decided by those games. On Friday, the Padres delivered the first punch.

“Not for me,” Betts said, when asked if these meetings have extra intensity. “But if you want to let the outside noise control you, then sure. But it’s still the same game we always play.”