The offense scored 11 instances. Shohei Ohtani hit two dwelling runs. And the workforce regained sole possession of first place within the division.
However on an evening of all-around excellence from the Dodgers, nobody impressed fairly like the person who endures as essentially the most acquainted, and foundational, face of the franchise.
Clayton Kershaw may solely throw 90 mph (on a superb fastball) now. He may lack the ever-imposing aura that emanated by the height of his profession.
However at 37 years outdated, and in his 18th MLB season, the long run Corridor of Fame left-hander can nonetheless persistently hit areas, combine his arsenal and pitch — in each which means of the phrase — his means by a stellar large league outing.
It’s why he wished to maintain enjoying this season, even after a 2023 shoulder surgical procedure and toe and knee procedures within the offseason. Why he nonetheless holds a spot within the Dodgers’ beginning rotation, one which has counted on him to compensate for a swath of accidents within the season’s opening two months. And why, when handed a giant early lead Saturday in opposition to the San Francisco Giants, he knew precisely what to do, breezing by a scoreless seven-inning, three-hit, five-strikeout gem within the Dodgers’ 11-5 win at Dodger Stadium.
“He worked ahead all night long and put the pressure on those guys and found a way to get through seven really efficiently,” supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned. “[He] put us in a good spot tonight.”
Saturday was not precisely a frightening activity for Kershaw.
He was going through a Giants lineup that ranks twenty fifth within the majors in batting common. He had the posh of a six-run lead by the highest of the third inning, because of a leadoff dwelling run from Ohtani within the first (his seventh leadoff blast of the season, and one which snapped a season-long 10-game dwelling run drought) and the lineup’s five-run ambush of Giants starter Landen Roupp within the second.
“Our offense is so good,” Kershaw mentioned. “It’s really important to get some zeroes on the board early, and you can see what they do.”
Consequently, Kershaw’s project the remainder of the night time was easy: Get fast outs, hold his pitch rely below management, and guarantee a lopsided rating stayed that means in a contest that put the Dodgers (42-29) one recreation forward of the Giants (41-30) within the Nationwide League West standings.
“I think if they feel the momentum, they start swinging the bats,” Kershaw mentioned. “So from there, when you get that early lead, you just try and pound the zone as best you can.”
By Kershaw’s personal admission, his stuff wasn’t “wasn’t amazing” even by its new, diminished requirements. His fastball sat at solely 88.4 mph, a tick beneath its already falling common. He didn’t love the best way he executed his slider, noting there have been pitches he “backed up” that have been hit arduous.
However none of that mattered to the 51,548 in attendance who watched him in amazement.
So typically in recent times, as accidents have ravaged his physique and his age has change into an ever-present obstacle, it has appeared like Kershaw was close to the tip of the highway; that seven scoreless innings in a rivalry sequence was one thing he may now not be able to.
Which is why, as Kershaw exited the mound for the ultimate time, a string of seven zeroes adorned the scoreboard in proper area behind him, he acquired a standing ovation from the gang and a celebratory reception within the dugout.
“It was special,” mentioned Kershaw, who had Roberts main the applause from the highest step of the bench. “I love pitching here. I don’t take it for granted. Who knows how many I got left here? So, I’m just going to enjoy it. It’s special any time somebody cheers for you like that. It’s pretty special.”
Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts and bench coach Bob Geren, proper, congratulate Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw after he threw seven scoreless innings in opposition to the Giants on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
The beginning of the season has not been straightforward for Kershaw. He spent a lot of the winter rehabbing, caught on crutches or in a strolling boot for a lot of the offseason. He opened the yr nonetheless recovering from his lower-body surgical procedures, finishing an prolonged rehab project within the minor leagues earlier than lastly being activated final month.
His first 4 begins have been inconsistent, with wet situations and spotty execution contributing to an earned-run common over 5.00.
However final week in St. Louis, Kershaw discovered one thing together with his breaking stuff in a five-inning, one-run, seven-strikeout begin.
And in opposition to the Giants, he tortured the Dodgers’ largest rival the identical means he all the time has; working rapidly, effectively and ruthlessly to decrease his season ERA to three.25, and his profession ERA in opposition to the Giants to 2.00.
Teoscar Hernández celebrates after hitting a house run within the sixth inning for the Dodgers in opposition to the Giants on Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Instances)
“It might not have been as good as the last one, but that’s pitching; you’re not going to have your A-stuff all the time,” Roberts mentioned. “I think that the quality of strike throwing, the being able to get ahead, putting the ball in play early, being efficient, those are things that that’s where we need him to be going forward.”
Within the first, Kershaw erased a leadoff stroll to Jung Hoo Lee by getting Heliot Ramos to floor into an inning-ending double-play, snapping off an outer-half slider to flee one in all his few jams.
Within the second, he wanted simply 4 pitches to retire the facet so as, capitalizing on a string of well-located choices for a lightning-quick inning.
With the Dodgers main 6-0 when he returned to the mound — the Dodgers’ five-run second-inning was keyed by an Andy Pages RBI single, a Michael Conforto RBI double and a two-run double from Mookie Betts after Ohtani was deliberately walked — Kershaw went on an all-out assault.
He stranded a leadoff double, accumulating the primary of his 5 strikeouts alongside the best way; a complete that leaves him simply 12 shy of reaching 3,000 strikeouts for his profession.
“It’s obviously a very cool thing and it’s starting to get a little more on the forefront of the mind, but who knows how long 12 could take me at this point?” he joked.
He received slightly bit nearer within the fifth, stranding one other double with two classic swing-and-miss curveballs that left Tyler Fitzgerald trying foolish.
“There’s just a lot better strike-throwing for me,” Roberts mentioned. “I thought the curveball was the best it’s been since he’s been back.”
By the point Kershaw accomplished the seventh, he was solely at 81 pitches (he didn’t even absolutely embrace his last ovation, he famous, as a result of he wasn’t sure he was carried out).
However with the Dodgers having prolonged their result in 10-0, thanks to a different dwelling run from Ohtani (the 250th of his profession) and a two-run shot from Teoscar Hernández (his third-straight recreation going deep), Roberts didn’t need to push him additional.
For one night time, even at this stage of his profession, Kershaw had conjured up greatness as soon as once more.
Ohtani feeling ‘game-ready’ on mound
Ohtani remained coy Saturday when requested whether or not, as Roberts hinted at this week, he might return to pitching in video games earlier than the All-Star break, a return timeline that might be faster than as soon as anticipated.
“What do you think,” Ohtani retorted by an interpreter when requested about that chance. “Something like that.”
However, the two-way star mentioned he did really feel like his stuff was “game-ready” throughout his most up-to-date three-inning reside batting observe session Tuesday.
“I think [when I return to pitching] has a lot to do with pitch counts,” mentioned Ohtani, who received as much as 44 pitches Tuesday in what was his third reside session earlier than his 23-pitch bullpen session Saturday. “But with the last live BP, I felt like the intensity was there and my stuff was game-ready.”
Sheehan nearing return
Whereas the Dodgers wait on Ohtani, they might get one other pitching reinforcement this week.
Proper-hander Emmet Sheehan rejoined the workforce Saturday after finishing a rehab project in triple-Some time recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure.
Roberts stopped wanting confirming when Sheehan will probably be activated, noting the workforce desires him to throw a bullpen session Sunday earlier than making a last choice. However as soon as he does come again, Sheehan will probably be constructed as much as roughly 4 innings and 60 pitches.
“Coming off Tommy John, you just really don’t know what to expect,” Roberts mentioned of Sheehan, who had a 4.92 ERA in 13 video games as a rookie in 2023. “But I think we saw a little bit of it in spring training. And all the reports from that point to now have been really positive every time out.”
