Three Cuts: Teheran struggles, Kershaw dazzles; Callaspo's saga reportedly ends
Narratives -- positive and negative -- held true for Julio Teheran and Clayton Kershaw and Alberto Callaspo's will-he-or-won't-he-day in Los Angeles reportedly came to an end.
These are your three cuts from the Braves' 8-0 loss to the Dodgers on Tuesday night.
Amid a season where Julio Teheran is seemingly trying to find himself with each start, a trip to a NL West park was the last thing he needed.
Teheran lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up a career-worst eight earned runs along with 10 hits and with one strikeout.
Those runs surpassed the seven he was tagged for on June 11, 2014 ... in Colorado, another NL West stadium.
It's a confounding formula for the right-hander, who in 10 career road starts vs. the division now boasts a 5.49 ERA. He has another scheduled too, as Teheran is slated to go opposite World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner on Sunday when the Braves take on the Giants in San Francisco.
The last time Teheran pitched at AT&T Park he managed 3 1/3 innings and allowed four earned runs with more walks (five) than strikeouts (four).
Teheran was off to a strong start Tuesday in Los Angeles, facing the minimum through the first two innings and after allowing a leadoff double to Alex Gurrero in the third, got Clayton Kershaw to bunt into a double play to end the threat.
But the Dodgers feasted in the fourth, scoring six runs, which include RBI doubles from Howie Kendrick, Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis. They would chase Teheran an inning later after Adrian Gonzalez's two-run home run (which put the first baseman over the career 1,000-RBI plateau).
Not to drum up a tired storyline with Teheran having trouble gripping the ball when pitching in the supposed drier air out West, but amid those fourth-inning struggles, he was caught bay cameras looking down at his hand.
There was a positive to come out of Teheran's start, though. He picked off Guerrero at second base in the second inning, giving him three this year to tie rotation mate Alex Wood for the MLB lead.
Over the last three seasons Teheran has picked off 16 runners, seven more than any other pitcher.
After initially vetoing a deal to Los Angeles, Alberto Callaspo has reportedly reversed course and will be dealt in a six-player deal that includes veteran infielder Juan Uribe.
FOX Sports MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reports it is a six-player trade that includes major-league pitching, with the expectation that Trevor Cahill is involved. Eric Stults was thought to be an option, but he relieved Teheran on Tuesday, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings.
Rosenthal says the move is done pending the approval of the commissioner's office.
Initially in Atlanta's starting lineup before Tuesday's game at Dodger Stadium, Callaspo was scratched due to "trade talks being revisited." The second baseman/third baseman wouldn't give his consent, a right he had after signing as a free agent in December. Callaspo would retain the ability to shut down any trade until June 15.
Signed this offseason as the expected primary second baseman, Callaspo was supplanted by rookie Jace Peterson. Callaspo has played that position just four times, while manning third base in 27 games.
He started off the season strong, hitting .268 in April, but this month is 7 for 51 (.137) with zero extra-base hits. Plus, his time as an option at third was expected to dwindle with the return of Chris Johnson from the disabled list. It is likely he will join the team later this week in San Francisco.
Uribe is hitting .247 this season with one home run, but the 36-year-old adds to a clubhouse that has been defined by its veteran leadership.
The Braves haven't seen Kershaw much over the past four regular seasons, facing him three times since 2011 (along with two meetings in the 2013 National League Division Series). In that span, he has a 2.19 ERA with 26 strikeouts and four walks.
He also went into Monday holding the current Braves roster to a collective .151 average (14 for 93) with three extra-base hits, two of which were courtesy of Jonny Gomes.
Kershaw may have an elevated ERA this season (4.32), one that's the highest since his rookie year of 2008, but against Atlanta it was a familiar dominance.
The left-hander retired the first 12 in order and didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning when Nick Markakis led off with a single and Andrelton Simmons added a base hit two batters later.
That would be the only time Atlanta would advance a runner past first base over the first six innings as Kershaw allowed four hits over seven innings with 10 strikeouts.
That was the second 10-K day in the last there starts for Kershaw, who is now 16-0 in his career against the NL East.
Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney
