Clayton Kershaw turned in his best start of the season and the Los Angeles Dodgers emerged from an offensive rut to get a 7-3 win and avoid being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Dodgers went into the series finale at Busch Stadium having scored just one run over their last two games. They were an abysmal 1-for-25 with runners in scoring position over that span. The lone hit was an Andy Pages infield single that didn’t drive in a run.
The Dodgers appeared primed to jump on Cardinals rookie Michael McGreevy as Shohei Ohtani hit the first pitch he saw for a leadoff double. But the familiar struggles followed as Ohtani was stranded at second base.
However, the lingering frustration was washed away in the second inning.
Max Muncy and Will Smith reached on back-to-back singles, and Tommy Edman delivered a one-out RBI base hit. Hyeseong Kim continued his impressive rookie season by following that with a two-run triple. Kim later made an impressive running catch in left-center field to end the third inning.
Edman cashed in on another at-bat with a runner in scoring position as he cashed in Smith’s leadoff triple with a one-out RBI double extended the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning.
Kershaw largely had his way with the Cardinals as he finished with season-high seven strikeouts over five innings. He showed improved command of the curveball, which was of particular emphasis for Kershaw following his last start, and his slider had strong depth and movement as well.
The Cardinals didn’t put multiple runners on base until the fifth inning, when they wound up scoring their lone run off the left-hander.
Kershaw’s seven strikeouts were his most since collecting nine against the Cincinnati Reds on June 8, 2023. Sunday’s start was also his first of the season without issuing a walk.
Mookie Betts hit a solo home run in the seventh, and Edman’s sacrifice fly and a wild pitch brought in two more runs in the eighth after the Cardinals had scored in three consecutive innings.
NL West standings: Dodgers, Padres
Next for the Dodgers on their road trip is a three-game series with the San Diego Padres. The matchup at Petco Park is the first time the teams have met this season.
The Dodgers remain in first place in the National League West by one game.
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