CHICAGO (AP) — Clayton Kershaw remembered getting knocked out in the shortest start of his stellar career. Fair to say, things went a little better for him in his return to Wrigley Field.
Kershaw dominated over seven innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the struggling Chicago Cubs 7-0 in the opener of a split doubleheader on Saturday.
Freddie Freeman doubled three times and scored twice, helping the NL West leaders win for the 16th time in 21 games. Austin Barnes homered and drove in three runs.
Kershaw (4-0) gave up five hits, struck out two and walked one. The three-time Cy Young Award winner bounced back from a tough-luck loss to Detroit in which he surpassed Hall of Famer Don Sutton as the Dodgers’ career strikeout leader.
It was also a huge improvement over his previous appearance at Wrigley. Kershaw lasted just one inning on May 4, 2021, and the Dodgers lost 7-1 in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.
Asked if he feels better about pitching in the Friendly Confines, Kershaw said, “Not really. But it worked out today.”
On a windy afternoon, Kershaw combined with two relievers for Los Angeles’ third shutout of the season. The twinbill was part of a makeup from Friday’s rainout.
“Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good,” Kershaw said. “Those first couple innings, they hit a lot of balls hard and right at guys. The wind was swirling, pushing the ball in a little bit.”
Barnes hit a solo drive in the fourth against Drew Smyly and added a two-run single in the eighth. Justin Turner drove in two with a double in the fifth, making it 4-0 and the Dodgers continued to roll along coming off a two-game sweep of San Francisco in which they outscored their rivals by a combined 12-2.
The Cubs were hurt by sloppy play in the field and on the bases in their eighth…
Leave a Reply