Thursday, July 25, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
On a hot Thursday afternoon at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers completed a 6-1 home stand. For the first time since the NLDS against the Arizona Diamondbacks and since his shoulder surgery, Clayton Kershaw hurled for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went four innings and did well. The Dodgers supported him offensively. The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants 5-to-3.
For the first time in the 2024 season, Clayton Kershaw took a major league mound. In his 17-year career, he didn’t have any surgery until November. He had a major left shoulder surgery. His rehab went well even though he had a little setback in late June.
The Dodgers placed Chris Taylor on the IL and recalled James Outman. On Wednesday, Taylor strained his groin. There is no timetable for Taylor’s return.
With two outs in the first, Kershaw allowed a double. He had command issues as he walked a batter. He collected a strikeout as he finished a scoreless inning. His velocity was at 91-miles-per-hour.
Shohei Ohtani walked to open the first but the Dodgers couldn’t advance him.
Kershaw had his curveball working. Despite allowing an infield single, Kershaw hurled a scoreless second inning.
To start the second, Gavin Lux walked and scored on Kike Hernandez’s single. Austin Barnes singled. The Dodgers didn’t score anymore runs.
Kershaw allowed lead-off single in the third and a run-scoring triple. He allowed two more hits. Kershaw struck out the side. His curveball was what Dodger fans have seen since 2008.
The Dodgers did nothing offensively in the third.
With two outs in the fourth, Kershaw walked Jorge Solare, but he stranded him. Kershaw looked great during this outing. His command improved every inning.
To open the fourth, Lux doubled. K. Hernandez doubled in Lux and scored on Barnes’ single. Shohei Ohtani doubled moving Barnes to third.
Joe Kelly relieved Kershaw, who was marvelous in his four innings. With an out in the fifth, Kelly walked a batter and allowed a single but struck out the side.
To open the fifth, Andy Pages singled and moved to third on Lux’s single. Jason Heyward grounded into a double play scoring Pages. K. Hernandez singled.
Daniel Hudson relieved Kelly in the sixth. With an out, Hudson walked. He hurled a scoreless inning.
To start the sixth, Nick Ahmed singled. Teoscar Hernandez singled Ahmed to second. Freddie Freeman’s single loaded the bases. Pages grounded into a double play.
Evan Phillips relieved Hudson in the seventh with a perfect inning.
The Dodgers didn’t do anything offensively in the seventh.
Alex Vesia relieved Phillips in the eighth. He allowed a lead-off double and another double to score a run.
With two outs in the eighth, Blake Treinen relieved Vesia and allowed a tying single but got out of the eighth without allowing a run.
With an out in the eighth, both Ahmed and Ohtani blasted home runs.
Brent Honeywell relieved Treinen but allowed a single. Thanks to Freeman, the Dodgers turned a double play. Honeywell struck out the last batter.
