Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers are NL West champs once again. (Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports)
LOS ANGELES — Yasiel Puig hit the go-ahead home run, and the Los Angeles Dodgers captured their second consecutive National League West title with a 9-1 rout of the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night.
Clayton Kershaw struck out 11 as the Dodgers (91-68) prevented the Giants (85-73) from earning a postseason berth. A win by Milwaukee over the Cincinnati Reds kept the Brewers’ faint wild-card hopes alive, but the Giants can advance with a win over the San Diego Padres or a loss by the Brewers on Thursday.
Kershaw (21-3) wasn’t as sharp as usual, but he limited the Giants to a run and scattered eight hits with no walks in eight innings. The left-hander also drove in his club’s first run with a standup triple as the sellout crowd of 53,387 chanted “MVP.”
Puig homered off Giants starter Tim Hudson to ignite a four-run surge in the sixth to break a 1-1 tie. It was the center fielder’s 16th homer of the season.
Later in the inning, right fielder Matt Kemp doubled into the right-center gap to chase Hudson. Left-handed reliever Javier Lopez followed and intentionally walked shortstop Hanley Ramirez, but left fielder Carl Crawford made the Giants pay with a two-run double for a 4-1 lead.
Third baseman Juan Uribe’s single plated Crawford and made it 5-1.
The Dodgers added four runs in the eighth, including a two-run single by Uribe, who went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.
Crawford added two hits, two RBIs and three runs.
Hudson (9-13) was charged with three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. He also hit a batter.
Kershaw made a behind-the-back snag of a comebacker by Hudson for the first out of the third inning, but the Giants still managed to score a run.
Right fielder Hunter Pence hit a grounder to Uribe with runners at second and third, but the tag by catcher A.J. Ellis was late as shortstop Joaquin Arias scored for a 1-0 San Francisco lead.
Kershaw’s standup RBI triple brought home Crawford to tie the score with two outs in the fifth inning.
Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, catcher Andrew Susac and center fielder Gregor Blanco each had two hits for San Francisco.
NOTES: Los Angeles CF Yasiel Puig gunned down Giants CF Gregor Blanco at third base for his NL-leading 14th assist in the seventh. … Dodgers LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, out since Sept. 12 with shoulder inflammation, will not pitch again until the postseason, manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday. Ryu will test his shoulder by throwing off the mound Thursday or Friday. … Giants OF/1B Michael Morse, who has missed 19 of the past 20 games with a left oblique strain, is doubtful to return before the end of the regular season, manager Bruce Bochy said. … The Dodgers are off Thursday before capping their regular season with a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies starting Friday. On Thursday, the Giants host the San Diego Padres for a four-game series.
