The Los Angeles Dodgers went into Sunday’s series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks mired in a three-game losing streak and having dropped seven of their last 10 games. Additionally, the Diamondbacks had won 11 consecutive head-to-head regular-season meetings.
That losing streak to one opponent marked the longest in Los Angeles franchise history. But with Clayton Kershaw on the mound, they managed to flip the script on Jackie Robinson Day. Kershaw set a season high with 12 strikeouts en route to earning his first win of 2018.
He labored in the first inning, throwing 25 pitches, but settled in from there and scattered two hits across seven innings. Kershaw amassed his strikeouts by punching out two batters in each of the first six innings.
Paul Goldschmidt’s solo home run in the seventh broke up Kershaw’s bid at a scoreless outing.
As the left-handed ace kept the Diamondbacks off the board, the Dodgers bounced back from being retired in order on seven pitches in the first inning. Zack Godley’s command betrayed him and he finished with six walks across four-plus innings.
Chris Taylor punished Godley for a leadoff home run in the fourth and one inning later roped a two-run double off Silvino Bracho. The homer was Taylor’s third of the season, which leads the team.
Earlier in the game, Yasiel Puig drove a two-run single into center field, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0. Prior to that they’d scored on Kiké Hernandez’s sacrifice fly.
