Series Finale

CINCINNATI -- Clayton Kershaw remains a possibility to pitch on Sunday in the Dodgers' series finale against the Cincinnati Reds. "He's still in play," Manager Don Mattingly said. Kershaw, who is trying to come back from a hip injury, did on Saturday what he usually does in days before starts: He worked out and studied video. A day earlier, Kershaw threw a 20-pitch bullpen session. Kershaw wouldn't say whether he was aiming to start on Sunday. "I'm preparing myself to start," Kershaw said.

WASHINGTON — This weekend, the Dodgers will still be feeling the effects of the doubleheader they played at Nationals Park. In particular, they will be scrambling to find a starting pitcher for their series finale in Cincinnati on Sunday. Sidelined ace Clayton Kershaw still isn't scheduled to throw a bullpen session, which makes it highly unlikely he will be ready to take the mound by then. The Dodgers could start John Ely , whose last start was on Aug. 28 for triple-A Albuquerque.

Say what you will about the troubled state of IndyCar racing — and there's no shortage of problems to discuss — but the series still can put on a compelling show. That was evident on a hot Saturday night at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, where the Izod IndyCar Series returned for the first time in seven years. The MAVTV 500 was the series' season finale, with drivers Will Power and Ryan Hunter-Reay locked in a close championship battle. So there was a race within the race, with 26 drivers trying not only to win the event but Power and Hunter-Reay trying to finish high enough to capture the title.

The Dodgers do not need scares right now, not at this time of the season, but there it is: Clayton Kershaw has been scratched from Sunday's start and is headed to New York to be examined by a hip specialist. For Kershaw to be out now in the stretch drive, with only 17 games remaining, makes his injury look frighteningly serious. Kershaw, 24, had to miss a key start against Giants last Sunday with the sore right hip following a cortisone injection. He came back to pitch well Tuesday in Arizona, holding the Diamondbacks to one run and three hits in seven innings.

Sometimes you just can't win. Clayton Kershaw said he has been bothered since Friday with a sore hip, but insisted he felt good enough to start Sunday against the Giants. Despite the significance of the game, however, the Dodgers elected to go the cautious route and scratched the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner. Kershaw is now tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday in Arizona. The Dodgers are off Monday. It does, however, line him up to start the opener against the Giants in the Dodgers' final regular-season series.

That sore shoulder that Matt Kemp kept denying was giving him problems? Turns out it is giving him some serious problems. Enough that he's out of Saturday's game against the Giants in San Francisco as the Dodgers desperately try to hang on to their dwindling hopes of winning the division. Manager Don Mattingly said Kemp is scheduled to have a contrast MRI on his shoulder Saturday, which will also cause him to miss Sunday's series finale. Kemp has been mired in a 3-for-30 slump since crashing full speed into the Coors Field wall on Aug. 28. Overall, he has 12 hits in his last 73 at-bats (.164)

Top-level motocross racing holds its series finale Saturday at Lake Elsinore Motorsports Park in Riverside County. Pro motocross, which takes place between May and September, is outdoor motorcycle racing on courses with numerous hills, jumps and tight turns. The stadium version of the sport, called supercross, occurs earlier in the year. Ryan Dungey of the Red Bull KTM team has dominated the premier 450 class of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship series this year. He's won the last nine consecutive races and already clinched his second series title.

Andre Ethier opened his right hand, revealing a blister on his palm that popped three days earlier. The area of raw skin was about the size of a quarter, the exposed region large enough to cause him significant discomfort in his bottom hand when holding a bat. The ruptured blister was the latest annoyance in what has been a rough few months for the two-time All-Star outfielder. Ethier was batting a season-best .333 on May 30. He had played 63 games since then entering the Dodgers' series finale against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

Andre Ethier has a popped blister on the palm of his right hand that has exposed an area of raw skin the size of a quarter. Ethier reported feeling fine while taking batting practice on Wednesday, but could still be scratched from the lineup for the Dodgers' series finale tonight against the San Francisco Giants. [UPDATE, 7:22 p.m.: Ethier remained in the Dodgers lineup and started in right field.] The team's medical staff tried making a pad for him to wear inside his batting glove while hitting.

Click here to download TV listings for the week of Aug.12 - 18 in PDF format This week's TV Movies   SUNDAY Jolly good show! The " 2012 Summer Olympics " will say "cheerio" to London with a closing ceremony rumored to include such British rock royalty as the Who as well as singer George Michael, the cast of "Stomp" and the Spice Girls. (NBC, 8 p.m.) Discovery Channel dives into its 25th annual "Shark Week" with the special "Ultimate Air Jaws: Reloaded.