The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets game on Saturday featured one of the better pitching matchups in the sport, with Clayton Kershaw returning from the disabled list to face Jacob deGrom.
Runs were at a premium early, as expected, but the Dodgers broke through late and came away with an 8-3 victory at Citi Field.
Kershaw was supposed to make a rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City, but the Dodgers instead opted to just start him in a Major League game due to weather concerns in Omaha, where he would have made the rehab start.
Understandably, Kershaw was pitching with limitations as he only went three innings, throwing 55 pitches. He gave up five hits and two runs, striking out four with one walk.
The Mets first run came on back-to-back doubles by Michael Conforto and Jose Bautista in the second inning. Wilmer Flores then came up with a clutch two-out, RBI-single to bring home the second run in the third inning.
The Dodgers were able to get to deGrom early as Max Muncy launched a solo upper deck shot off him in the top of the first inning.
They then added two more in the fourth inning on a two-run, pinch-hit double off the bat of Chris Taylor, who was out of the starting lineup due to a hamstring issue. That gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
Dodgers rookie Caleb Ferguson was trusted with holding that lead, making his first career Major League relief appearance. He was able to deliver, and then some, tossing four shutout innings with six strikeouts.
He was able to get out of multiple jams with runners on third with less than two outs, showing poise beyond his years.
The Dodgers added some big insurance runs in the top of the eighth inning, scoring five runs to take an 8-2 lead. The first run came on a squeeze play by Kiké Hernandez, scoring Cody Bellinger.
The big blow then came off the bat of Matt Kemp, who launched a pinch-hit grand slam to left.
Yimi Garcia pitching the eighth, giving up just a solo home run to Jose Bautista, and then Edward Paredes closed out the victory for the Dodgers.
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