Fun times at the yard: Dodgers win; Clayton Kershaw ejected

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Dodger Stadium finally showed some real life Wednesday night. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, it was directed at an umpire.

The boos and jeers descended upon home plate umpire Bill Welke after he had the nerve to eject Clayton Kershaw in the sixth inning when he hit the Dodgers’ new public enemy No. 1, Gerardo Parra on his right elbow.

Boom! Welke ejected Kershaw almost before the pitch ricocheted off Parra’s elbow. At the time, Kershaw was working on a one-hit shutout, the only hit a double by Parra in the third.

The Dodgers ultimately held on for a 3-2 victory, staving off elimination from the National League West race for at least another day, though the night’s focus was all on Kershaw.

Kershaw went long enough to earn the win and raise his record to 19-5, which could only help his Cy Young chances, though if the ejection brings a suspension, that could only hurt.

It wasn’t like Kershaw went head-hunting, though the pitch did sail just a tad too far inside. I’m not thinking it upset Kershaw’s teammates any.

The night’s genesis actually started Tuesday in a one-run game in which Parra thought reliever Hong-Chih Kuo had thrown at his head, apparently in retaliation for a homer Parra had hit off him earlier this season. Parra stared at Kuo and grabbed his crotch. Kuo stared right back, hardly appearing contrite. So when Parra then hit a solo home run off Kuo, he made sure to hang around awhile at the plate to admire it. Which brought the wrath of the Dodgers bench.

As Parra circled third on his home run trot, several Dodgers yelled at him, particularly Kershaw who seemed to be mentioning something about the next night.

So Welke was hardly in a forgiving mood. Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly argued vehemently, and soon enough, he was ejected too.

Josh Lindblom took over for Kershaw. When a foul tip got past catcher Rod Barajas and hit Welke in the right shoulder, it drew the biggest cheers of the night.

The Dodgers had taken a 2-0 lead in the first on RBI singles by Matt Kemp and Jerry Sands.

The Diamondbacks got their run in the top of the eighth after Sands misplayed a Ryan Roberts hit into a double. He ultimately scored on a groundout. The Dodgers got it back in the eighth. After Kemp was backed off the plate by Ryan Cook, he walked, stole second and scored on an Aaron Miles single for what proved the winning run.

Lindblom threw two scoreless innings of relief, striking out five. Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth, allowing one run on a Miguel Montero single, before earning his fourth save.

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-- Steve Dilbeck