[mlbvideo id=”31624339″ width=”550″ height=”308″ /]

Dodgers at Nationals, 4:05 p.m.
Kershaw CLXXXIV: Kershawphan Black
Dee Gordon, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Hanley Ramirez, SS
Matt Kemp, CF
Andre Ethier, RF
Juan Uribe, 3B
Scott Van Slyke, 1B
Drew Butera, C
Clayton Kershaw, P

By Jon Weisman

Clayton Kershaw. Clayton Kershaw, Clayton Kershaw, Clayton Kershaw.

Clayton Kershaw? Clayton Kershaw.

Clayton Kershaw!

So, that pretty much covers the pregame story. Just a few dangling threads before first pitch …

  • Kershaw is not on a specific pitch limit, Don Mattingly told reporters, and could cross the 100 mark.
  • Pedro Baez, who emulated Zack Greinke in giving up a hit and a home run to his first two batters Monday before settling down to pitch shutout ball (including his first MLB strikeout), went back to Chattanooga as predicted, to make room on the active roster for Kershaw.
  • Yasiel Puig is available to pinch-hit, as his Adrian Gonzalez, who is getting a rest day. Mattingly said he could see Gonzalez getting tired, and he did not put up a fight when resting him was discussed.
  • Limited to three innings and 54 pitches by Monday’s rain, Zack Greinke could come back on short rest for his next start, but there’s no current plan to do so, Mattingly said.