Clayton Kershaw extended his Spring Training scoreless streak, and Logan Forsythe and Andrew Toles supplied the offense for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Kershaw took the mound at Tempe Diablo Stadium without having allowed a run in a combined three innings across his two previous starts. Although Kershaw managed to keep the Angels off the board in his three innings of work, there was plenty of solid contact made.
Ian Kinsler led off the bottom of the first with a base hit, only to be forced out on the next batter. Justin Upton then grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Albert Pujols ripped a single into left field to open the second inning, but Kershaw promptly induced another double play. His biggest trouble came in the third, when a one-out single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases with two outs.
Kershaw was on the verge of walking a run in on a third straight free pass, but Upton was given the green light and popped-out on a 3-0 count. Kershaw completed his throwing by tacking on an additional inning in the bullpen.
As for the anticipated matchup with Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani, Kershaw fell behind in the count but battled back to freeze him with a curveball for strike three.
By retiring Upton, Kershaw preserved the Dodgers’ 1-0 lead that came in the second inning on Logan Forsythe’s double that scored Joc Pederson from first base. It was the lone run Garrett Richards allowed, as he racked up an impressive seven strikeouts across four innings. Anaheim as a staff combined for 16 strikeouts.
After Mike Trout’s RBI single off Brock Stewart tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, Toles delivered a go-ahead home run off John Lamb in the sixth inning. Forsythe’s two-run homer in the seventh inning added to what’s been an impressive showing in Cactus League play.
It also provided needed insurance, as Brian Moran surrendered a solo home run to Colin Walsh in the bottom of the eighth that otherwise would’ve tied the game. The hit was the first allowed by the left-handed reliever in what was his fifth appearance.
Stewart, an Opening Day roster hopeful, allowed just the one run on two hits in his two innings of work.
