“More back stuff,” Kershaw said after the game, those three words covering six years of pain and frustration. “Just felt something kind of lock up there in the fifth. Couldn’t really throw after that. Something in my back again.”

Kershaw would not offer any comparisons to previous flareups nor offer any predictions — optimistic or otherwise — about how long he might be sidelined this time. Roberts said the veteran left-hander will undergo testing today.

“We’ll see how I wake up in the morning. That’s probably the first thing. Then go from there,” Kershaw said.

In the short term, the Dodgers have two off days next week to absorb Kershaw’s subtraction from the rotation. In the longer view, Dustin May is expected to make two more rehab starts in Triple-A before he could rejoin the Dodgers. And, eventually, the Dodgers hope Walker Buehler can return from his own injury before the end of the regular season.

“I’m not going to try to get too far out ahead of it,” Roberts said. “Obviously any time a pitcher has to come out of a game, there’s somewhat concern level. Given it’s his back, which has been problematic at times ... we just won’t know more until we get some tests.”

Whatever this latest pain portends for the three-time Cy Young Award winner or the Dodgers’ pitching plans going forward, it didn’t slow them down in the present. A three-run home run by Mookie Betts lifted them to another victory over last year’s 100-win dance partners, 5-3.

The win was the Dodgers’ 27th in their past 32 games, a stretch that now includes a pair of four-game sweeps over the Giants — one at home and the first one in San Francisco since July 1977.

The closest the Giants came to putting up a fight came in the top of the sixth when Giants reliever Jarlin Garcia struck out Cody Bellinger and James Outman to end the inning. After each strikeout, Garcia gestured toward the Dodgers’ dugout, tapping his fist against his forehead in a mocking reference to the “Wolf of Wall Street”-inspired celebration Dodgers hitters have used this season.

After the strikeout of Outman ended the inning, Garcia aimed the gesture toward Betts in the on-deck circle.

“I didn’t do anything. It was all surprising to me,” Betts said. “He just pointed at me and did our hit signal. I guess he felt a certain way. I don’t know. You have to ask him.”

Garcia later explained (through an interpreter) that he was just trying to show that he was “competing.” Betts hit a home run off Garcia during the series in Los Angeles after the All-Star break — and did the gesture as he rounded the bases.

“It’s competing. That’s what the game is. I got caught up in the moment,” Garcia said. “It wasn’t trying to be disrespectful with anyone. Mookie Betts is one of my favorite players. I respect all of them but especially him.”

Betts took exception and stalked from the on-deck circle, asking Garcia “What’s your problem?” before he was intercepted by the home plate umpire. Garcia threw out his arms and continued to stare toward Betts as he walked to the Giants’ dugout. First base umpire Phil Cuzzi followed Garcia and pointed at him as he appeared to admonish Giants manager Gabe Kapler about any further taunting from the Giants left-hander.

Kapler exploded in response, later saying he didn’t feel it was appropriate for Cuzzi to “scold” him in front of the dugout. Kapler was quickly ejected from the game as was Garcia.

“We didn’t need any prompting,” Kapler said. “I’d already gotten Jarlin off the field. He was in the dugout. At that point, things were under control. I took exception to that.”

An inning later, Trea Turner hit a solo home run to pad the Dodgers’ lead —and tapped his forehead in celebration as he rounded the bases. The gesture was returned with extra vigor from the Dodgers’ dugout.

“Yeah, for sure,” Betts said. “You started it. I’m not going to back down at that point. I’m not going to run away from it. I’m not going to encourage it, but I’m not going to run away.”

That was enough cushion for the relief relay that followed Kershaw. Phil Bickford, Chris Martin, Caleb Ferguson and Alex Vesia pitched a scoreless inning each, only Bickford allowing a baserunner.

But Craig Kimbrel had another sloppy save, allowing a run on a Brandon Belt double and a run-scoring wild pitch before closing it out.