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NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Dodgers thrived while Clayton Kershaw missed more than two months with mild disk herniation in his back.Now Los Angeles will look to thrive with their ace on the mound in the final weeks of the regular season.Kershaw makes his second start since being activated from the disabled list when the visiting Dodgers conclude a three-game series with the New York Yankees on Wednesday afternoon.Without the three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 NL MVP, the Dodgers were 38-24 and only the Cubs had a better record from June 27-Sept. 8. During Kershaws absence, the Dodgers went from being seven games behind the San Francisco Giants in the NL West to five games up.On Friday, Kershaw returned and allowed two runs and five hits over three innings. He threw 46 of 66 pitches for strikes, struck out five without a walk and has 150 strikeouts and only nine walks this year.He bounced back well, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. It was good to get him in the rotation and pitch. I think for us is the bigger question is how did he respond in the days following and outside of regular game soreness he felt good. So hes going to make his start and well monitor inning by inning.Kershaws pitch count will be increased but regardless manager Roberts is looking forward to seeing his ace.Itll be more than his last start, Roberts said. Well see. We expect Clayton to be Clayton.Kershaw faced the Yankees on July 31, 2013 at Dodger Stadium. He allowed five hits in eight scoreless innings but New York scored three times in the ninth inning in a 3-0 victory. Kershaw also opposed the Yankees on June 27, 2010 in Los Angeles and allowed two runs in seven innings before New York rallied in the late innings for an 8-6 10-inning victory.Kershaw has faced two Yankee starters more than 20 times and has done well against them. Chase Headley, who faced him often with the Padres, is 11-for-54 with 12 strikeouts while Starlin Castro is 2-for-23 with seven strikeouts.Didi Gregorius, Brian McCann, Brett Gardner and Mark Teixeira have faced Kershaw less than 10 times and are a combined 1-for-21 with eight strikeouts.The Dodgers look to bounce back from getting shutout for the 10th time this season during Tuesdays 3-0 loss Ross Stripling gave up home runs to Jacoby Ellsbury and Didi Gregorius on consecutive pitches in the seventh and Jesse Chavez gave up Gary Sanchezs 14th home run in the eighth.Those home runs helped the Yankees (77-67) win for the eighth time in 10 games. New York is two games behind Baltimore and Toronto for a wild card spot and four behind first-place Boston, which it visits for a four-game series Thursday.Each game probably gets a little bit more important, especially with where we are and there are teams who we do not control our destiny against, manager Joe Girardi said.This is lot of fun. This is what September baseball is about, Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia said.Gregorius and Ellsbury did not start Tuesday but are expected back in the starting lineup Wednesday. The Yankees will be without Aaron Judge (strained right oblique), who will have an MRI and could be out a while.While the Yankees will be focused on scoring runs against Clayton Kershaw, theyll hope Michael Pineda can prevent them. Pineda is 6-11 with a 5.07 ERA and still has signs of inconsistency even though he is 4-5 with a 4.11 ERA in his last 18 starts since the start of June after going 2-6 with a 6.92 ERA in his first six.Pineda was an out away from qualifying for a win Friday against Tampa Bay when he allowed two runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 7-4 victory.Friday was the 14th time he allowed two earned runs or fewer but he also has allowed at least five earned runs in 10 starts this season.Pineda has never faced the Dodgers and the only five hitters he has faced (Josh Reddick, Chase Utley, Adrian Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick and Carlos Ruiz) are a combined 3-for-16. Jon Lester Cubs Jersey . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. Willson Contreras Jersey . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Ian-Happ-Kids-Jersey/ . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. Brad Brach Jersey . Jeff Green scored 13 points and Kris Humphries 12 for the Celtics, who nearly blew an 18-point, second-half lead. Sullingers 20-20 was the first by a Celtics player since Kevin Garnetts first game in Boston in 2007. Garnett was dealt -- along with Paul Pierce -- to Brooklyn during the off-season. David Ross Jersey . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long. MIAMI -- Beno Udrih is coming back to the Miami Heat on a one-year deal, getting another chance to back up fellow Slovenian Goran Dragic at point guard.The Heat announced Udrihs signing Wednesday. Udrih averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 assists in 36 games with the Heat last season before having season-ending surgery to repair a tear in his right foot.His contracct was subsequently bought out after the injury as the Heat maneuvered to get under the luxury-tax threshold.ddddddddddddHowever, it was clear Udrih hoped for a second stint in Miami.The Heat open training camp in late September. ' ' '