Dodgers Recap: Bullpen implosion lets Kershaw down
Game 55, 5/28/2025: Dodgers 4, Guardians 7
CLEVELAND — The crafty veteran Clayton Kershaw grinded out five innings, getting key outs by the defense along the way, and lined himself up for a win. But a disastrous 8th inning cost him his first win of the season as Tanner Scott blew the lead for LA. It all added up to a a 7-4 loss to the Guardians and a sour taste on the long plane ride home.
Bottom of the 1st
The Guardians got on the board first. After a double by Angel Martinez, Jose Ramirez hit a shot down the left field line, scoring Martinez. Ramirez went for two and was gunned down by Andy Pages in left field, getting a key out that eliminated a potential run. Guardians 1 Dodgers 0
Top of the 4th
Teoscar Hernandez led off the fourth with a shot off the left field wall for a standup double to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Will Smith then crushed a line drive to right center field to score Hernandez and tied the game up 1-1. The Dodgers took the lead with an Andy Pages single, scoring Smith from second base. Pages continued his offense into Wednesday’s game with an RBI in the last three games. Dodgers 2 Guardians 1
Top of the 6th
Mookie Betts led off the inning with a walk. Freddie Freeman came up after a Teo strikeout and hit a line drive to right field for an RBI double, scoring Betts. The Dodgers ended the inning with scoring one run and leaving Freeman on second base. Dodgers 3 Guardians 1
Clayton Kershaw did not come out for the bottom of the inning, thus ending his day after five innings and avoiding a potential weather delay. His line for the day: 74P / 42S / 5IP / 6H / 1ER / 2BB / 3K / 9 swing and miss. His four-seam fastball was two ticks up from his last start, reaching 91 mph. Encouraging signs from the Dodger legend, who will need to be a big part of this rotation at least until it’s back to full strength.
Top of the 7th
Kike Hernandez smashed a line drive into the left center field gap for a one-out double. Max Muncy came into pinch hit for Rojas and moved Hernadez to third on a sac fly. Hernandez scored on a wild pitch to slide headfirst into home plate and add another run to the scoreboard.
Bottom of the 8th
After missed plays and walks by Tanner Scott, the Guardians loaded the bases with no outs. Once again Scott gave up runs that tied the game up and gave the Guardians momentum. Alex Vesia came in, but the lefty only added gasoline to fire. Angel Martínez crushed one into the seats on a fly ball to left center field for a three-run home run, which gave the Guardians a commanding lead. Guardians 7 Dodgers 4
Even though the Dodgers win the series. A tired bullpen and struggling Tanner Scott blow it in the eighth with a lot of questions for Dave Roberts and his staff to think about on their long flight home.
After a travel day, the Dodgers are back at Dodger Stadium take on the New York Yankees Friday night for a three-game series, the first since the teams played against each other in the 2024 World Series. It’ll be Tony Gonsolin, Landon Knack, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto starting for the Dodgers with the final two games getting national exposure. A great chance to show the country what the team is made of this year. First pitch on Friday night will be 7:10 PDT, with early starts on Saturday and Sunday. Let’s go!
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