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MIAMI -- It must be pretty special to be disappointed with a 14-strikeout pitching performance, but that's where Jose Fernandez finds himself, especially when he is at Marlins Park, where he is nearly unbeatable. Fernandez tied his career high with those 14 Ks, improved to 28-2 at home and outpitched Clayton Kershaw as the Miami Marlins defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 on Friday night.
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It was the third time this season and the fifth time in his brief career that Fernandez has finished with 14 strikeouts.
"It seems like that's all I do lately," Fernandez said with a smile. "I can't pass 14."
The Marlins (70-71) will take it, especially since they had lost 10 of 12 games before this mini two-game win streak.
Even so, they're still on the fringes of contention for an NL wild-card playoff berth that is shaping up as a battle between the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. As it stands now, two of those three teams will make the playoffs.
The Dodgers (79-61) had their five-game win streak snapped but still lead the Giants comfortably in the NL West.
Despite the loss to Miami, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he considered this "a win for us" because Kershaw was able to make his first appearance since he injured his back on June 26.
Kershaw (11-3), a three-time Cy Young winner, lasted just 66 pitches and three innings, allowing five hits and two runs.
"I think the sharpness with the slider wasn't there," Roberts said of Kershaw, who struck out five. "But just to see him on the mound was great.
"The No. 1 thing Clayton got out of this was feeling pretty well. We didn't expect him to be in midseason form."
Kershaw said he felt fine physically.
"I was able to throw strikes," he said. "They just weren't quality strikes."
One of the hits Kershaw gave up was a line shot up the middle by Fernandez, who flexed his biceps when he reached first base. Kershaw had to duck to avoid getting hit.
Fernandez (14-8) was also strong on the mound, allowing three hits, three walks and no runs in seven innings. He improved to 4-0 in his career against the Dodgers.
"He used his changeup more tonight," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of Fernandez, who is 11-2 at home and 3-6 on the road this year. "He also pitched inside more."
Miami's bid for a shutout was spoiled when closer Fernando Rodney gave up a solo homer to Yasmani Grandal in the ninth inning. Grandal, an ex-Miami Hurricanes star, pulled a fastball into the upper deck in right.
After Rodney allowed the next two batters to single, Mattingly pulled him in favor of former closer A.J. Ramos, who struck out the final two batters to earn his 33rd save of the season and his first since Aug. 5.
Mattingly would not say whether he will make a change in his bullpen plans going forward. But he did say he was pleased with how his hitters attacked Kershaw.
"I was watching our hitters and seeing if we were staying with what we're trying to do with (Kershaw)," Mattingly said. "I thought we did a pretty good job of making him pitch.
"But he was just coming back (from the DL) so he didn't seem as sharp as he normally is."
Indeed, Kershaw fell behind on his sixth pitch of the game, a 93-mph fastball, down and in, that was pulled to left for a solo homer by J.T. Realmuto.
Miami made it 2-0 in the second. Marcell Ozuna doubled to left and scored when Kershaw left an 0-2 breaking ball up in the zone to Chris Johnson, who swatted it to center for an RBI single.
The Marlins went up 4-0 in the fifth. Dee Gordon hit an infield single, advanced on a Realmuto walk, stole third and scored on a two-out bunt hit by Christian Yelich. After a walk to Ozuna loaded the bases, Miami scored when Ichiro Suzuki was hit by a pitch.
That lead was enough for the Marlins to hold off Los Angeles despite the shaky bullpen work by Rodney at the end.
NOTES: Marlins OF Marcell Ozuna made his second straight start in right. He was Miami's center fielder until he injured his wrist August 31 while making a diving catch against the New York Mets. Since then, Miami manager Don Mattingly has been giving a long look to LF Christian Yelich in center. ... Before a 10-18 August, Mattingly had experienced 18 consecutive winning months, the third-longest streak by a manager since 1946. Most of Mattingly's winning months were while he was running this weekend's opponent, the Dodgers. ... Corey Seager's 24 homers are the most ever by a Dodgers shortstop. Seager is a favorite to win NL Rookie of the Year. ... Dodgers C Yasmani Grandal has a career-high 25 homers. He leads major league catchers in homers. ... The Dodgers lead the majors in fielding percentage (.988).
