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Clayton Kershaw puts on a vintage performance in Dodgers’ win over Arizona
Ahead of the first matchup between Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner in almost five years, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts predicted the showdown would “bring out the best” in the two decorated left-handers.
He noted their career-long friendship and mutual respect. He noted their competitive nature and equally intense internal drives.
“They always want to outdo one another,” Roberts said. “You’re gonna see that come out tonight.”
The only problem?
Bumgarner no longer resides in Kershaw’s future Hall of Fame realm.
And in the Dodgers’ 10-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday, the gulf between the two grew ever-more wide.
Kershaw, beginning his 16th major league season at age 35, dominated in a six-inning, one-run master-class.
He struck out nine, many via a vintage curveball that awed the crowd of 48,886 at Dodger Stadium.
He faced little stress, yielding just four hits and no walks en route to his 198th career win, leaving him two shy of another milestone.
Can you believe it? Trayce Thompson hits three home runs in Dodgers win
⚾ Dodgers 10, Diamondbacks 1 — FINAL
Trayce Thompson led off the eighth inning with his third home run of the game — a solo blast to center field to give him a staggering eight RBIs in the Dodgers’ dominant win over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It is also the first three home-run game of his career.
Thompson received another standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium crowd and acknowledged their cheers after his solo home run.
Thompson hit a grand slam in the first inning and a three-run blast in the fifth.
While Thompson provided nearly all the offense for the Dodgers, the team also got solid pitching performances from Clayton Kershaw and Andre Jackson.
Kershaw allowed four hits, one walk, one earned run and struck out nine over six innings. Jackson allowed one hit over three innings of relief as the Dodgers improved to 2-1 on the young season.
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks close out their season-opening series Sunday at 1:10 p.m. PDT.
J.D. Martinez homers to extend Dodgers’ lead in the seventh
⚾ Dodgers 9, Diamondbacks 1 — End of the seventh
J.D. Martinez led off the seventh inning with a first-pitch solo home run off Diamondbacks reliever Cole Sulser to extend the Dodgers’ lead.
Clayton Kershaw’s night over after a quality 2023 debut
⚾ Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 1 — End of the sixth
Clayton Kershaw is done after an impressive, 76-pitch outing. He allowed four hits, one walk, one earned run and struck out nine over six innings.
Andre Jackson will take over in relief in the seventh.
Trayce Thompson hits a three-run blast, his second homer of the game
⚾ Dodgers 8, Diamondbacks 1 — End of the fifth inning
Trayce Thompson hit his second home run of the game, sending out a three-run blast to center field to give the Dodgers a huge lead in the fifth inning.
Thompson, who hit a grand slam in the first inning, received a standing ovation from the Dodger Stadium ovation. It marks the second time he’s hit multiple home runs in a game.
In the top of the inning, Chris Taylor made an impressive diving catch on a liner off the bat of Arizona’s Alek Thomas to cap a 1-2-3 frame.
Clayton Kershaw still in command through four innings
⚾ Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 1 — End of the fourth
Clayton Kershaw is approaching Jumbo Jack territory after striking out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Evan Longoria to give him eight strikeouts tonight.
Freddie Freeman drew a walk in the bottom half of the inning but a video review determined he was tagged out when he tried to steal second.
Clayton Kershaw up to six strikeouts tonight vs. Arizona
⚾ Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 1 — End of the third inning
Clayton Kershaw struck out Kyle Lewis and Ketel Marte to push his strikeout total to six tonight.
Miguel Vargas hit a one-out single in the bottom of the inning but went nowhere after Trayce Thompson struck out and Miguel Rojas fled out to center.
Christian Walker home run cuts into Dodgers’ lead
⚾ Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 1 — End of the second
Arizona’s Christian Walker hit his fifth career home run off Clayton Kershaw — a solo blast to left field — to lead off the top of the second inning.
After giving up the home run, Kershaw struck out the side, giving him four strikeouts through two innings.
Trayce Thompson grand slam, gives Dodgers commanding early lead
⚾ Dodgers 5, Diamondbacks 0 — End of the first inning
Trayce Thompson hit a grand-slam homer run off Arizona starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner to give the Dodgers a commanding early lead.
The home run came after a sacrifice fly by Chris Taylor drove in Mookie Betts for the game’s first run.
Betts nearly hit his second home run of the season when he led off with a blast that ricocheted off the hand of a fan in left field. After a video review, umpires ruled the hit a double and not a home run because of fan interference.
Freddie Freeman (single), Max Muncy (hit by a pitch) and Miguel Vargas (walk) scored on Thompson’s grand slam.
The Dodgers retired the Diamondbacks in order to start the game, with Clayton Kershaw striking out Kyle Lewis.
Dodgers trying to ‘thread needle’ with Will Smith’s playing time
In the first two games of the season, Will Smith was the Dodgers most dangerous hitter.
In Game 3, however, the catcher wasn’t in the lineup.
It’s a tricky balance the Dodgers are trying to strike with Smith’s playing time this year, with J.D. Martinez’s arrival as the everyday designated hitter leaving fewer opportunities to Smith to play on days he isn’t catching.
“It’s a little threading of the needle,” manager Dave Roberts acknowledged Saturday afternoon, after putting out a lineup that had Martinez hitting third and backup catcher Austin Barnes slotted ninth.
“In a vacuum, we can always look it at and say, we’re better if Will Smith is in the lineup in any capacity,” Roberts added. “I think that, as time goes on, as he gets his workload built up, it’s gonna be even tougher to not have him in the lineup. But right now, where we’re at, I think it’s just a good way to kind of reset. But it’s a fair question.”
Last year, Smith started in the DH spot 24 times in order to get extra at-bats on days he wasn’t behind the plate.
Roberts left the door open of doing something similar as time goes on this year — placing an emphasis on Martinez in the process to produce on days he’s in the lineup while Smith is on the bench.
“He’s going to be the middle of the order,” Roberts said. “He’s gonna have to get hit with two outs. He’s gonna have to drive runs in, and he understands that ... Yeah, he’s absolutely important to our offense.”
For Saturday, Roberts said Smith will be available off the bench if a pinch-hitting opportunity arises.
Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner square off for 12th time
For the 12th and quite possible last time, Clayton Kershaw and Madison Bumgarner will share a mound on Saturday night when the Dodgers and Diamondbacks square off at Chavez Ravine.
It’s the first time the left-handed veterans have squared off in five years, and also the first since Bumgarner left the San Francisco Giants and signed with the Dbacks in 2020.
“I’ll tell you, I think both those two guys going against one another brings out the best,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Because they have a mutual respect and a friendship. So they always want to outdo one another. You’re gonna see that come out tonight.”
That’s been the case in the previous 11 meetings.
Though the Dodgers went just 5-6 in those games, Kerhsaw had a 1.91 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 80 total innings. Bumgarner was only a shade worse, posting a 2.60 ERA with 75 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings.
While Kershaw, 35, remains one of the best pitchers in baseball when healthy, continuing to pad his surefire Hall of Fame resume, the 33-year-old Bumgarner has tailed off in recent seasons, compiling a 4.98 ERA and 15-29 record since signing a five-year, $85 million deal with the Dbacks three winter ago.
“I think it’s different in the sense that he’s not with the Giants,” Roberts said of Bumgarner. “But it’s the same in the sense that he still wants to bring his best against the Dodgers.”
Here is the rest of the Dodgers lineup for Saturday:
Dodgers apologize to Diamondbacks for stadium lights blunders during season opener
The Dodgers left Dodger Stadium on Thursday night happy with a sound victory to open the season. The Arizona Diamondbacks left disappointed and annoyed — and not just with the result.
After the game, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo voiced frustration with two ill-timed light displays during the home team’s 8-2 win.
“I wasn’t too pleased about that,” Lovullo said. “It’s the first game for everybody. Hopefully they figure it out.”
Here’s the starting lineup for Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks
Game 3 of the Dodgers’ 2023 season will feature Clayton Kershaw vs. Madison Bumgarner. Here’s the starting lineup for the Dodgers:
Squandered scoring chances take a toll on Dodgers in loss to Diamondbacks
Not long after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he is “not in the business of running into outs,” his 35-year-old outfielder who had stolen all of four bases in the previous four years was caught stealing on Friday night, a pivotal play in an eventual 2-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Dodger Stadium.
David Peralta led off the bottom of the second with a single to right field and took off for second base on a one-and-two pitch to Miguel Vargas. Peralta was initially ruled safe when it appeared he avoided the tag of second baseman Ketel Marte, but the call was overturned after a lengthy replay review.
Vargas hammered Merrill Kelly’s next pitch off the wall in right-center field for a double, a hit Peralta could have scored on or that would have given the Dodgers runners on second and third with no outs. Instead, there was a man on second with one out. James Outman and Miguel Rojas both struck out to end the inning.
Dustin May’s focused, impressive start not enough to spur Dodgers to victory
Dustin May did everything he could Friday night.
But after a nearly flawless season opener from the Dodgers the night before, not even May’s seven scoreless innings were enough to prevent a 2-1 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
There were wasted opportunities at the plate, with the Dodgers stranding 12 runners on base and going hitless in seven at-bats with men in scoring position.
There was a late blown lead from the bullpen, with Alex Vesia surrendering a go-ahead, two-run home run to Kyle Lewis in the top of the eighth moments after Mookie Betts had belted a solo blast to break a scoreless tie.
Dodgers TV schedule for the 2023 MLB season
Here’s a look at the complete TV schedule for the Dodgers’ 2023 regular season. All times and broadcasting/streaming platforms are subject to change.
