Clayton Kershaw flirted with a perfect game for a second time this season as the Los Angeles Dodgers cruised to a 9-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels in the opener of the Freeway Series.
Kershaw wound up cruising through eight innings with just one hit allowed. He collected six strikeouts without issuing a walk and only threw 89 pitches. His bid for history was lost on Luis Rengifo’s leadoff double in the eighth inning.
Kershaw nevertheless became the first pitcher since the Expansion Era began in 1961 to twice have a perfect game through seven innings in the same season.
He largely breezed through six innings on just 59 pitches, and struck out Shohei Ohtani for a second time in the seventh.
Kershaw’s effort was aided along the way by Justin Turner making a terrific diving stop in the fourth inning, Hanser Alberto ranging to his right to snag a line drive in the fifth, and Trea Turner completing a sliding play in the seventh.
The 🔥 corner. pic.twitter.com/vJPqDG5Mid
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) July 16, 2022
A standing ovation for @ClaytonKersh22. 💙 pic.twitter.com/6ypaNIw6Uu
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) July 16, 2022
“That was crazy how far he went to get that ball and the dive and the throw and everything involved,” Kershaw said of Justin Turner’s play. “So I was impressed. I was just checking to make sure he’s OK because he hit the ground hard on that one. It was awesome.”
Dodgers run support for Kershaw
Kershaw was backed by early offense as Mookie Betts and Trea Turner reached in the first inning and it led to Freddie Freeman RBI single. Justin Turner added an RBI groundout before Patrick Sandoval could get through the first inning.
Alberto hit a two-run triple in the fifth inning, Freeman’s sacrifice fly with the bases loaded extended the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0 in the sixth inning and began an onslaught. Will Smith followed with an RBI double and Turner kept the two-out rally going with a two-run single.
Smith extended his streak to seven consecutive games with at least one RBI. Smith went on to triple in the eighth inning for his fourth hit of the night, and Turner drove him in with another RBI base hit.
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