Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — Any day that Clayton Kershaw takes the mound is a good day, as far as I’m concerned, The veteran left-hander made his 2024 debut on Thursday afternoon, after spending nearly a year recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. And other than one little hiccup in the third, Kersh looked very good. Maybe not the dominant Kershaw from his prime, but he showcased his mastery on the mound, striking out several key batters and demonstrating why he remains one of the most formidable pitchers in the league.
Kershaw’s first strikeout of the season set the tone for his solid outing. In the top of the first inning, he struck out Patrick Bailey swinging with two men on, quickly showing the Giants that he was in command. Despite a couple of hits and a walk, Kershaw managed to escape early threats, keeping the game within reach for the Dodgers.
The third inning didn’t go quite as well, with Kershaw catching some bad luck, and getting hit pretty hard. However, he was able to bear down and limit the damage. One of the pivotal moments of the game when Kershaw faced a jam with runners on base. He struck out Thairo Estrada swinging, securing the third out and preventing the Giants from extending their lead. This clutch performance highlighted Kershaw’s ability to remain calm under pressure and deliver when his team needed it most.
Kershaw’s control and precision were on full display as he recorded another pair of strikeouts in the fourth inning. David Villar was called out on strikes, followed by Patrick Bailey, who went down swinging again. These key outs ensured that the Dodgers remained competitive, keeping the Giants from gaining any significant momentum.
In addition to his strikeouts, Kershaw’s presence on the mound provided stability and confidence to his teammates. His ability to mix pitches and keep hitters off-balance was instrumental in maintaining the Dodgers’ lead. In all, it was a four-inning outing for the GOAT on 72 pitches: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K.
As the game progressed, Kershaw’s efforts were complemented by timely hitting from his teammates, especially the much-maligned bottom of the order, teeing off against All-Star Logan Webb. Gavin Lux led off the fourth with yet another extra base hit, this one a double to the opposite field. Then, Kike Hernández, who had driven in a run in the first, and Austin Barnes contributed crucial hits, allowing the Dodgers to inch ahead of the Giants by a score of 3-2.
In the fifth, the Dodgers got back-to-back singles from Andy Pages and Gavin Lux to allow a run to score on a double play ball off the bat of Jason Heyward. Leading by a 4-2 count, the Dodgers heading into the back half of the game depending on the bullpen to secure the win.
It was a little bit different look from the pen on Thursday, with a bunch of pitchers in spots where we’re not necessarily used to seeing them. Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless fifth, Daniel Hudson did the same in the sixth, and Evan Phillips sent the Giants down in order in the seventh.
In the eighth, Alex Vesia struck out two Giants, but he also gave up a couple of doubles to David Villar and Michael Conforto to bring the Giants within one. That set up one of those match-up that baseball was built for: Blake Treinen and his nasty stuff against Jorge Soler. This one went to Soler as he reached out and poked a game-tying single into left. Luckily, Treinen was able to retire the hot-hitting Tyler Fitzgerald to get the Dodgers back to the bat rack with the tie intact.
And you’ll never guess what happened next. Nick Ahmed, the great-glove, no-stick shortstop that the Dodgers just picked up to replace the injured Miguel Rojas jacked a Tyler Rogers pitch over the center field fence to put the Dodgers back on top. Then, Shohei decided that it was finally time for the top of the order to get into the act. He clobbered the very next pitch for a majestic homer down the right field line to tack on a little bit of insurance going into the ninth.
Newcomer Brent Honeywell was tasked with finishing off the game. It didn’t start that great when Heliot Ramos knocked a single into right, but a couple of pitches later, Honeywell got Matt Chapman to hit into a 6-4-3 double play that highlighted a superb dig at first from Freddie Freeman. Honeywell then ended the game with a strikeout of Patrick Bailey. Cue Randy Newman! I Love LA!
But the story of the day was Clayton Kershaw. He looked healthy, engaged, and on point, getting far more swing and miss than we had any right to expect. If we get this out of Kershaw, and we get Buehler back in the fold, look out!
Having finished the homestand with a record of 6-1, the Dodgers now hit the road for the three-city road trip. First stop: Houston, Texas and the hated Astros. It’ll be Gavin Stone on Friday, Justin Wrobleski on Saturday and (probably) River Ryan on Sunday. Let’s roll into Houston, Dodgers, and keep it going!
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