The Braves opposed Clayton Kershaw on Friday, aware his days as superman might be dwindling.
But he served a reminder why he’s one of the generation’s best talents, using his arm and bat, in guiding his Dodgers to a 4-1 win over the Braves. They’ve dropped the first two of a seven-game homestand leading into the trade deadline.
Cries for external reinforcements will continue, but if the team’s struggles persist, perhaps the need to cash in prospects for immediate help lessens, with the looming reality that they may not be ready for prime time.
Two games in, the Braves have been outclassed by one of the top contenders in the National League. The Dodgers have outscored them 12-3 in the first half of a four-game series.
Mike Foltynewicz retired six of the first seven, just allowing one hit to Manny Machado. He ran into trouble in the third when Alex Verdugo blasted a homer that tied the game at one.
Foltynewicz then walked Kershaw, and an incoming struggle felt apparent. But he struck out Joc Pederson and Machado, then induced a grounder from Max Muncy to escape.
Yasmani Grandal launched a 415-foot first-pitch homer to open the fourth. Foltynewicz walked Matt Kemp and gave up a one-out double to Chris Taylor.
Then came the wrecking ball: Kershaw, a career .157 hitter, fired a shot down the third-base line that plated two runs and put Los Angeles up 4-1. He reached base four times on the night, walked by three different Braves pitchers.
It was Kershaw’s fifth two-RBI game. He last accomplished it in 2013, when he did so three times.
Foltynewicz, a first-time All-Star and arguably the Braves’ best pitcher, couldn’t find consistent command. He threw 101 pitches in five innings, striking out eight and walking three. Foltynewicz had cut down on the messier outings, but he’s produced a 6.94 ERA over his past four starts.
“Just hasn’t been my July,” he said, chalking up his rough month to a missed pitch or two each start. “Just need to get my confidence up and go from there. Kershaw had one of those overall nights. Tip of the cap to him.”
It was the third July start in which he surrendered two homers. He did so only once prior (March 30 against Philadelphia).
The Braves offense didn’t do much outside of the second inning. Nick Markakis led off with a ground-rule double and Kurt Suzuki singled. Markakis got caught in a rundown between third and home, but Suzuki scored on Ender Inciarte’s groundout.
That was their best chance against Kershaw. The lefty pitched 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven with no walks. He pitched into the eighth inning for the first time this season.
“He commands his fastball, he floors that thing in on right-handers,” Snitker said. “He can throw his breaking ball over whenever he wants. He’s about as competitive a pitcher as you’ll ever see. He’s one of the best pitchers in baseball.”
Kershaw left with two runners on and two out, and Kenley Jansen got Freddie Freeman to fly out to center on the first pitch.
Jonny Venters made his emotional return to the mound in the fifth inning, less than 24 hours after the Braves acquired him from the Rays. He pitched a scoreless inning, surviving his own walk to Kershaw.
A silver lining: The bullpen allowed just one hit and no runs in four innings. Venters, Shane Carle, Jesse Biddle and A.J. Minter were responsible for the effort.
“They kept the game right there,” Snitker said. “Had the deck stacked pretty good, Freddie up, tying run in the eighth. But he just missed that one.”
Since moving to a season-high 15 games over .500 on July 2, the Braves are 5-12. They’ve dropped nine of their last 13 home games, and sit 2 1/2 games behind the Phillies in the NL East.
The team is reeling, now 2-4 since the break and outscored 21-6 over its last three games.
“We’ve just got to keep fighting,” Snitker said. “We have to get back to playing ahead. The game flows better, obviously. We’re not getting guys on, we’re not getting the big hits. We just have to keep fighting.”
