ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - The Freeway Series got feisty in the eighth inning when both benches and bullpens emptied after Brandon Morrow’s fastball hit Yunel Escobar in the shoulder. The pitch clearly wasn’t intentional despite Escobar’s furor, and no fights actually broke out.
One ill-advised pitch from Morrow wasn’t nearly as important as all the vicious pitches Clayton Kershaw threw on purpose in another dominant win for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kershaw struck out 12 to become the majors’ first 12-game winner, Joc Pederson hit a three-run homer and the Dodgers salvaged a split of the interleague rivalry series with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.
Kershaw (12-2) yielded three hits and one unearned run over seven dominant innings, posting his fifth double-digit strikeout total of the season. He got ample support from the homer-happy NL leaders, who have won 18 of 21.
“As good as he was early, he turned it up a couple of notches,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Kershaw. “He just has that ability where sometimes things might not go right, but the great pitchers have a way of taking it into their own hands and ramping up the intensity.”
In his 11th consecutive unbeaten start and his second straight without allowing an earned run, Kershaw struck out the side in the first inning on 12 pitches. He did it again in the fifth inning on 10 pitches, part of five consecutive strikeouts overall.
“It felt good to get off on the right foot tonight,” Kershaw said. “(The fifth) was one of those innings where we had scored some runs, so you definitely want to come out and have a shutdown inning.”
After Yasiel Puig and Chase Utley homered in the fifth inning, Pederson’s sixth-inning shot off J.C. Ramirez (7-6) gave the Dodgers 50 homers in June, breaking the 135-year-old franchise’s record for homers in a calendar month, set in 1953.
“Just shows you what type of team we are in all aspects, hitting and pitching,” Pederson said. “It’s a good dynamic to have going.”
Kole Calhoun had a late RBI single for the Angels.
After splitting four games with the Angels, the Dodgers (53-28) have taken a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL West over the Arizona Diamondbacks, who visit Dodger Stadium next week.
BUBBLING BROUHAHA
The local derby got some added spice from Morrow and Escobar, two former Toronto Blue Jays teammates. Escobar apparently thought the Dodgers were retaliating for his reaction to a walk earlier in the game.
But Morrow was visibly frustrated with himself after the bad throw loaded the bases for the Angels.
“I get it, you’re mad about getting hit,” Kershaw said of Escobar. “But read the room a little bit and realize we’re not trying to hit you.”
Morrow then struck out Luis Valbuena, and the reliever made a conciliatory gesture at Escobar on first base while he left the mound.
“For us to even consider hitting anybody to put the tying run at the plate obviously makes no sense at all,” Roberts said.
Kenley Jansen then retired Martin Maldonado on a long fly to center, and the Dodgers closer also pitched the ninth for his 18th save.
ALBERT’S HIT
The bottom five hitters in the Angels’ order went 0 for 14 with eight strikeouts against Kershaw. Angels’ only extra-base hit was a sixth-inning double by Albert Pujols, a career .375 hitter (12 for 32) against the Dodgers’ ace.
“He’s always tough against us,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Kershaw. “I haven’t seen a drop-off at all. We never get good looks against him.”
BIG FLIES
The Dodgers went ahead in the fifth when Puig cracked his 15th homer into the short left-field stands and Utley followed with his fifth of the season to right.
Pederson has eight homers this season, including six in his last 14 games.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu has no broken bones in his foot after getting hit with a line drive during his start Wednesday, but he says it still feels sore. Roberts is hopeful Ryu won’t need a stint on the DL.
Angels: Closer Bud Norris threw a rehab inning in the minors. He could be activated this weekend after missing a week with knee inflammation.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: Alex Wood (8-0, 1.86 ERA) looks to continue his spectacular start to the season when they travel south to open a weekend series against the San Diego Padres.
Angels: Parker Bridwell (2-0, 2.95 ERA) makes his fourth start of the season when Los Angeles opens a three-game series at Angel Stadium against the Seattle Mariners.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball
Please read our comment policy before commenting.