Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw delivered standout performances as the Los Angeles Dodgers secured a commanding 11-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani jumpstarted the game with an explosive solo home run, marking his 24th of the season and breaking a 10-game streak devoid of homers, his longest since joining the Dodgers. The three-time MVP added another to his tally in the sixth inning, achieving his third multi-homer game this season and the 22nd in his illustrious career.
Clayton Kershaw, now 37, showcased a stellar display on the mound, pitching seven scoreless innings with just three hits allowed in the most commanding outing of his 18-year MLB journey. With precise finesse, he required only 81 pitches to dispatch the Giants and maintain his record at a perfect 2-0 for the season.
For the San Francisco Giants, Casey Schmitt provided a silver lining by smashing a grand slam off Dodgers utility player Kiké Hernández, marking his second consecutive game achieving this feat. The attempt to preserve their bullpen had Hernández pitching the ninth inning, where he secured his first career strikeout against Christian Koss. However, he was also tagged for five runs on three hits and three walks. Anthony Banda was summoned to retire the side and cap the explosive inning.
Mookie Betts was instrumental in a highly productive second inning for the Dodgers. Following two walks that set the table, Andy Pages and Michael Conforto drove in runs, leading to an intentional walk for Ohtani. Betts then delivered a crucial two-run double, while Ohtani galloped around to score on Will Smith’s sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers lineup fired on all cylinders with Teoscar Hernández contributing a two-run homer in the sixth inning and Miguel Rojas adding a solo shot in the eighth. The early exit of Giants’ pitcher Landen Roupp compounded their struggles; he allowed six runs on four hits and five walks and was unable to complete the second inning, marking his briefest outing ever.
Kershaw’s dominance was highlighted by San Francisco struggling to make solid contact, with only Heliot Ramos managing to hit a ground ball harder than 100 mph in the first inning. This further underscored the veteran pitcher’s return to top form.
The series is set to conclude Sunday, with Dodgers’ Dustin May (3-4, 4.46 ERA) taking the mound against Giants’ Kyle Harrison (1-1, 4.56 ERA), as both teams vie for supremacy in the National League West.