The Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a four-game losing streak and salvaged their road trip on Sunday afternoon as they defeated the San Francisco Giants, 2-1, in 10 innings behind a game-winning double by Kyle Farmer.
Ironically enough, the win was the Dodgers’ first on the season in a game that either Clayton Kershaw or Kenley Jansen pitched in. Kershaw kept the team in the game for seven-plus innings and Jansen shut the door down in the bottom of the 10th to record his first save of the season.
Kershaw gave up six hits and one run while striking out six without a walk. The lone run charged to him scored when J.T. Chargois allowed a game-tying base hit to Buster Posey in the bottom of the eighth inning.
After the game Kershaw admitted that he wasn’t as sharp as he hoped, but was happy that the team was able to get a win, via SportsNet LA:
“I didn’t really have a ton in the tank today, it wasn’t super crisp for the most part. There were a few innings that there in between but guys made some awesome plays defensively behind me. I think today I was a little bit fortunate, had some lineouts and things like that. That eighth inning was frustrating, you obviously want to get through that and get the ball to Kenley. It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it today. We needed this win and I’m glad we got it.”
Kershaw has still yet to record his own win this season, although he has a 1.89 ERA through his first three starts.
The Dodgers’ victory was a much-needed one as they got off to a 2-6 start, which is their worst since 1976. The offense is still not where it needs to be, but they will look to build off the victory when they host the Oakland Athletics on Tuesday for the start of a two-game series.
Kershaw’s next outing should come this weekend against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He allowed two runs on four hits and had six strikeouts across six innings pitched on April 3 at Chase Field.
