Clayton Kershaw couldn’t solve Fernando Tatís Jr. and the Los Angeles Dodgers endured much of their same struggles from the 2022 National League Division Series, resulting in a 5-2 loss to the San Diego Padres. The defeat snapped their season-best winning streak at six games.
The Dodgers were playing their first game at Petco Park since being eliminated by the Padres in the NLDS. Their visit was one that manager Dave Roberts, Mookie Betts and Kershaw all downplayed.
Matters looked to be slightly different from last October as Mookie Betts walked and Freddie Freeman doubled to open the game. However, the Dodgers got just one run on Max Muncy’s RBI groundout.
They finished the night 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Yu Darvish retired 13 in a row after Miguel Vargas tripled with one out in the second inning. The streak was snapped by Will Smith’s leadoff single in the seventh, which led to a run on Jason Heyward’s double but the Dodgers never drew any closer.
Meanwhile, Kershaw protected the slim lead until surrendering a game-tying home run to Tatís in the third inning. The Dodgers and Padres were still knotted at 1-1 when Tatís slugged a two-run homer in the fifth.
The multi-home run game was Tatís’ ninth of his career and first since August 15, 2021.
Kershaw’s troubles continued as an infield single and base hit put runners at the corners with nobody out. He nearly escaped the jam but issued a fifth walk in the game to load the bases, which was followed by an RBI infield single when Miguel Rojas made a terrific diving stop but could not convert it to an out.
That prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to call on Phil Bickford, ending Kershaw’s night at 4.2 innings pitched.
Prior to Friday, Kershaw had not walked five batters in a single start since August 1, 2019, which coincidentally was against the Padres as well. Kershaw entered the night having issued five walks across 38 innings in six starts this season.
Fernando Tatís Jr. makes history against Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw has now surrendered nine career multi-homer games to an individual player, and Tatís is the only of the group with more than one.
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