Clayton Kershaw took the mound Friday night against the Seattle Mariners looking to expand on his preparation for a seventh consecutive start on Opening Day. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace was coming off four innings of work against the Kansas City Royals.
Kershaw was tagged for his first hit and run of the spring — on a solo home run by Mike Moustakas — in the outing. He was expected to throw five innings on Friday at Camelback Ranch, and accomplished just that.
However, the start was atypical for the left-hander as he allowed three home runs. One of which came on an 0-2 pitch to the left-handed hitting Leonys Martin in the fifth inning. Danny Valencia also homered in the fifth.
Kershaw began the game on a high note by striking out the side to erase a one-out single. He struck out four of the first five batters faced by catching former teammate Carlos Ruiz looking to start the second inning.
Kershaw racked up eight strikeouts on the night, collecting at least one in each inning pitched. He allowed four runs on six hits, including the three homers, and acknowledged his performance was poor or strong, with little in-between.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner will next pitch on five days’ rest when the Dodgers face the Texas Rangers. Kershaw will first celebrate his 29th birthday on Sunday.
