San Diego, CA
Dodgers swept in San Diego as Clayton Kershaw struggles
SAN DIEGO — The windup looks the same, his arms stretching toward the sky and one leg paused in mid-air before delivery. The stuff coming out does not.
In his second start since returning from shoulder surgery, Clayton Kershaw was roughed up by the San Diego Padres for seven runs and failed to get through four innings in an 8-1 loss for the Dodgers on Wednesday night.
“Not very good,” Kershaw said afterward. “Just not a lot went well at all. Just got to pitch better.”
The same could apply to the Dodgers as a whole.
The surging Padres completed a sweep of the two-game series and have won nine of their past 10 games. The Dodgers finished with a losing record in July (11-13), their first losing record over a full calendar month since April 2018.
The combination has pulled the Padres to within 4½ games of the Dodgers in the National League West – the smallest the Dodgers’ lead has been since May 4.
“It’s a long year,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “There’s going to be injuries. There’s going to be tough times. There’s going to be good times which have been this year. So, yeah, it’s part of it. We’ll come out of it. No doubt about it. We’re the Dodgers. We’re the best team in baseball.”
There has been precious little evidence of that recently – and even farther back than just July. Since May 20, they are 30-29, the ninth-best record in the National League.
“The defense I love. We’re playing hard. I think offensively, the guys we run out there are prepared. They’re putting good at-bats together,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Overall, the pitching in general, we just haven’t had the effectiveness, the command. There’s a lot more homers in the last 30 days, in the month of July. The walk is up from all the pitchers. And it just puts a lot of stress on the offense.
“Yeah, we’re going to get back to health. I still like the guys we got. I still feel good every time we start a game. But we still have to go out there and play 27 outs.”
Kershaw could only get 11 of those against the Padres.
When Kershaw made his comeback start against the San Francisco Giants last Thursday, he allowed six hits in four innings – but he also struck out six and got 14 swings-and-misses in all, eight on his slider.
There was none of that against the Padres. He didn’t strike out a batter – the first time in his career that Kershaw started a regular-season game and didn’t record a strikeout. He didn’t get a swing-and-miss until his 23rd pitch (a slider to Padres catcher Luis Campusano) and got just one more (on the 81st of his 83 pitches).
In his four innings against the Giants, Kershaw’s fastball averaged 90.6 mph – in line with his average fastball over the three seasons before shoulder surgery. Against the Padres, it dipped below 90 mph.
“Just wasn’t executing,” Kershaw said. “Wasn’t throwing really anything that I wanted to, where I wanted to. Frustrating overall.”
Roberts said it’s not surprising that Kershaw’s return from surgery would have its bumps.
“I think it’s hard to ever bet again Clayton,” he said. “The last one (against the Giants) I thought was very good and tonight just wasn’t great. I think he’ll be the first to say that. But it’s part of the process. I just don’t think that anyone can expect him to come back and be lights out every start out, certainly after two starts.”
Kershaw acknowledged that there might be some rust after rehab.
“Physically I feel fine,” he said. “I mean honestly I felt pretty good with the last one overall. But this one obviously, this was really bad. I didn’t think there was rust, but maybe. I don’t know. Just got to pitch better.
“There’s a lot you can overanalyze when you pitch bad, but for right now I’m just going to say it was bad and try to pitch better the next one.”
Kershaw’s troubles started in the second inning when the Padres scored four times on three singles, a walk and a wild pitch. Kershaw could have limited the damage but he fumbled Bryce Johnson’s squeeze bunt, allowing a run to score and extending the inning for Jurickson Profar’s two-out RBI single.
“I gotta make that play,” Kershaw said. “That was an easy out at home right there. The bunt was right back to me. Have to make that play, and the inning’s a lot different. That’s on me. That was super easy. That was a super frustrating mistake there.”
He retired the side in the third but gave up a one-out home run to Campusano in the fourth and then singles to Johnson and Profar wrapped around an error by second baseman Gavin Lux. After Xander Bogaerts drove in the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, Roberts pulled Kershaw rather than have him face Manny Machado for the third time in four innings.
Four of the Padres’ runs off Kershaw were unearned, still leaving him with a 5.87 ERA after two starts. More troubling perhaps, the two lineups he has faced have batted .333 (12 for 36) against him.
“I just think it’s executing it, where it’s getting to,” Smith said. “It’s nothing concerning to me at all. It was just one of those days.”
Padres starter Dylan Cease was making his first start since pitching a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals and a three-start stretch in which he allowed a total of two hits in 22 innings. Cease was not as dominant. He only went 5⅔ innings and needed 101 pitches (only 59 strikes) to do that.
But the Dodgers managed just one run against him on an RBI double by Lux in the third inning. They struck out six times against Cease and four more times in 3⅓ hitless innings against the Padres’ bullpen.
While losing four of the first five games on this road trip (which continues in Oakland this weekend), the Dodgers’ depleted lineup has managed 31 hits while striking out 66 times.
“Those guys – Mookie, Muncy, Freddie, other guys – those are dudes. Those are dudes that help us win ballgames so it’s tough,” Smith said of the key parts missing from the Dodgers’ lineup. “We still have a really good ballclub here without those guys. We just need to play better and win some ballgames.”
Originally Published:
San Diego County will be the center of NASCAR nation this weekend, with fans flocking to Naval Base Coronado for three days of events.
This is the first-ever Cup race held in San Diego County and the NASCAR community is also presenting it as its way of celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy.
Tickets are completely sold out, but locals can still get in on the fun at various event and activities taking place across the region.
Here’s what to know about this one-of-a-kind weekend in San Diego. Full coverage of NASCAR San Diego Weekend can be found at sandiegouniontribune.com/tag/nascar.
What is NASCAR San Diego Weekend?
The three-day event begins with Friday’s Craftsman Truck Series race, continues with an O’Reilly Auto Parts series race on Saturday and wraps Sunday with the Anduril 250.
Grandstands with a capacity for 40,000 fans have been erected, with another 10,000 spectators expected to occupy standing areas around the grounds.
Here’s a turn-by-turn look at Naval Base Coronado’s race circuit
When is it taking place?
Parking lots, which are on base, open each day at 7 a.m. and gates open at 9 a.m.
The Craftsman Truck Series takes place Friday at 4 p.m. The O’Reilly Auto Parts series race blasts off at 2 p.m. Saturday. The main event, NASCAR Cup Series Race, happens Sunday at 1 p.m.
A race-by-race look at NASCAR’s San Diego Weekend
Each day will also feature entertainment, driver Q&As and other activities.
Where is it?
Naval Base Coronado will host the weekend’s activities. All fans in attendance must carry a valid government-issued photo ID at all times.
Going to this weekend’s NASCAR races in Coronado? Here’s what you need to know
All event parking will be located on Naval Base Coronado. There is no event parking available within the city of Coronado.
Who is racing?
Shane Van Gisbergen, Tyler Reddick, Mike McDowell, Chase Elliott and Ty Gibbs are just a few of the names to expect this weekend. A full lineup can be found at nascarsandiego.com/nascar-san-diego-mission-lineup.
These 13 Cup racers could all win Sunday’s Anduril 250 in Coronado
How to watch on TV:
Craftsman Trucks Series race: 4 p.m. Friday on Fox Sports 1
O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race: 2 p.m. Saturday on The CW
NASCAR Cup race: Sunday at 1 p.m. on Prime Video
Local events:
San Diegans have a range of options for getting in on the fun of NASCAR weekend in Coronado, including meet and greets with drivers, watch parties and fan zones.
Your guide to fan events during NASCAR San Diego Weekend
More coverage:
CORONADO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Final preparations are underway for NASCAR’s historic race weekend at Naval Base Coronado, where stock cars will compete on an active military installation for the first time in the sport’s history.
Crews, race teams, military personnel, first responders and event staff spent Thursday putting the finishing touches on the temporary road course as thousands of fans prepare to descend on the base for the inaugural event.
“The countdown is on,” as organizers work to transform portions of the installation into a race venue unlike any NASCAR has hosted before.
“It’s a very proud moment for NASCAR and myself and my company for being part of it,” said Jordan Litchko, a NASCAR production partner with ignition production. “It’s the America 250, so what a year to celebrate and be here on the naval base.”
Officials say the event marks the first time a NASCAR national series race has been held on a military base, bringing one of America’s most recognizable motorsports directly onto a working military installation.
Unlike traditional oval tracks, competitors will tackle a temporary road course built specifically for the event.
“It’s a road course race, which adds way more excitement, so it’s going to be ultra challenging,” Litchko said.
Thursday’s preparations included long lines of team members, vendors, staff and emergency personnel picking up credentials and completing security and base access requirements ahead of race weekend.
Meanwhile, drivers and crews got their first close look at the unique layout, which winds through portions of the base and presents a challenge far different from a conventional speedway.
With large crowds expected throughout the weekend, organizers are encouraging fans to plan ahead and allow extra travel time. Traffic delays are anticipated around Naval Base Coronado and nearby access points as spectators arrive for the event.
After months of planning and construction, the wait is nearly over.
On Friday, engines will roar to life aboard Naval Base Coronado, marking a milestone moment for NASCAR and creating a new chapter in the sport’s history. By the weekend’s end, fans will witness a race unlike any ever held before — stock cars competing on a military base in the heart of San Diego.
SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The City of San Diego is beginning to install 286 metered parking spaces this week in downtown San Ysidro in an effort to increase parking turnover, it was announced Thursday.
To develop the plan, city leaders worked with the San Ysidro business community. Revenue collected from the meters is reserved for transportation, parking and safety improvements in San Ysidro.
“Feeding parking meters feeds neighborhood repairs, and we can’t wait to get to work for the San Ysidro community,” said Naomi Chavez, interim director of the city’s Transportation Department. “This new parking zone will bring long overdue change that will help support local business activity and generate revenue that will be reinvested directly into improving neighborhood quality of life in San Ysidro.”
Crews began preparing the bases for the meters last week and installation work is expected to last through June. According to the city, these will be multi-space meter kiosks and drivers should be aware that they will need to go to the nearest kiosk to pay for parking since there won’t be a meter at each space.
Metered parking goes into effect on July 1 and will be enforced 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays. The parking rate is $2.50 an hour, with a maximum time limit of four hours.
City-led parking studies determined vehicles were parking on the streets of the neighborhood for hours or days at a time, making street parking for the area’s businesses scarce.
Drivers who customarily use free street parking when traveling across the border to Mexico are encouraged to use “one of the many paid off-street parking lots in the area,” a city statement read.
“The findings [of the parking study] clearly demonstrate the need for action. High parking occupancy on unregulated segments, along with data showing that 37% of vehicles exceed the existing two-hour limit and an average parking duration of over five hours, indicate that current conditions reduce turnover and limit access for local businesses and visitors,” wrote Alfredo Ripa, president of the San Ysidro Community Economic Development Corporation. “The proposed introduction of approximately 286 metered spaces, along with better signage, clearer designations and continued enforcement, represents a thoughtful and data-driven approach to improving parking availability and supporting economic activity in the community.”
Areas where the meter kiosks will be installed include:
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Border Village Road to Camino De La Plaza (both sides);
— Border Village Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard (north) to East San Ysidro Boulevard (south), (both sides);
— Front Street between Border Village Road to end of cul-de-sac (south side);
— Bolton Hall Road between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (south side);
— Louisiana Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to end of cul-de- sac (south side);
— Virginia Avenue between East San Ysidro Boulevard to Border Village Road (both sides); and
— East San Ysidro Boulevard between Willow Road and East Park Avenue (south side).
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