Clayton Kershaw takes no-hitter into 6th, J.D. Martinez hits 300th homer, Dodgers beat Rockies 5-0

By MICHAEL KELLY
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Clayton Kershaw carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, J.D. Martinez homered twice to reach 300 for his career, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Kershaw (10-4) gave up one hit and faced the minimum in six innings, throwing only 79 pitches. He struck out two and left with some discomfort.

“Just didn’t feel great overall,” Kershaw said. “The last inning kind of got to me. Obviously not a lot of pitches, definitely should have gone deeper in the game. I feel bad about making the bullpen cover three. Just needed to come out right there.

“I think I’m all right, I think I’ll be good for the next start but I was trying to do the right thing and I think I did. We’ll see tomorrow but for right now I don’t think it’s too serious.”

Kershaw has been anchoring an injury-riddled rotation this year and his workload of late might have been a factor in him coming out early Tuesday night, manager Dave Roberts said.

“We’ve pushed him the last few starts, handful of starts, so for me to think that he’s going to try to keep going through the seventh just because it’s the seventh inning, I wasn’t going to do it. We were aligned in that,” Roberts said.

Kershaw pitched his only no-hitter on June 18, 2014, also against Colorado at Dodger Stadium. He took a perfect game into the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Angels on July 15, 2022, before a leadoff double ended his bid.

The veteran left-hander cruised through the Rockies’ lineup with a mix of pitches. He retired the first 12 batters before issuing a leadoff walk to Elías Díaz in the fifth inning, but he was quickly erased him on a double play. Kershaw got the first two batters in the sixth before Brenton Doyle looped a 2-2 curveball between third and short to end his no-hit bid.

Kershaw promptly picked off Doyle as he broke for second. He was relieved by Brusdar Graterol to start the seventh.

“I definitely would have kept pitching if I had a no-hitter,” Kershaw said.

The Dodgers spotted Kershaw an early lead with a two-run second inning and Martinez’s two-run homer in the third off of Connor Seabold (1-4). Martinez led off the sixth against reliever Brad Hand with his 18th homer of the season to reach his career milestone.

“It’s a blessing, honestly. From where I started, with my whole story of getting released by Houston and just getting the chance and opportunity with Detroit, believing in me, I never would have guessed it,” Martinez said.

Phil Bickford walked three batters in the ninth and gave way to closer Evan Phillips, who got Díaz to fly out to the warning track for his 11th save.

HITTER’S PARK

Hideo Nomo threw only no-hitter at Coors Field on Sept. 17, 1996, while pitching for the Dodgers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: Roberts said LHP Julio Urías (left hamstring strain) is projected to return Saturday at Kansas City. Urías made his lone rehab start Sunday for Class A Rancho Cucamonga, striking out eight in four innings.

Rockies: Activated 1B C.J. Cron (back muscle spasms) from the 10-day injured list. Cron was in the lineup at DH. … OF Kris Bryant (left heel bruise) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Albuquerque on Wednesday. He was slated to play with the Isotopes on Tuesday, but his flight out of Denver was canceled. … Reliever Nick Mears left the game in the eighth after one inning and two pitches.

UP NEXT

Roberts said Wednesday will be a bullpen game for the Dodgers, who will face Colorado LHP Kyle Freeland (4-8, 4.54 ERA).

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