Dodgers 8, Yankees 4: Explosive 1st & a quartet of homers back Kershaw to start series

Chad Moriyama 06/02/2023 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

With a day to prepare thanks to an off day, the Dodgers got their series against the visiting Yankees off to an ideal start. They provided a six-run cushion in the 1st and basically coasted from there to an 8-4 victory.

Fun.

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As mentioned, the game got off to about the best start possible for the Dodgers against Luis Severino, and things got rolling immediately, as Mookie Betts parked his 14th homer to left to start the festivities.

After a groundout, Will Smith reached on a single after beating out a diving play at short, and Max Muncy made that hustle pay off with his 18th dinger of the year, an oppo shot to make it 3-0.

Severino must’ve thought it would never end, as J.D. Martinez reached on a check swing infield single, Jason Heyward singled back up the middle, and Miguel Vargas singled as well to load the bases up.

Amazingly the rally didn’t suddenly end there, as James Outman singled to center for a run, Miguel Rojas barely missed a grand slam and settled for a sacrifice fly instead, and Betts got his second hit of the inning, a single to make it 6-0.

Some unfortunate fans missed it all.

Inexplicably, the inning ended with Outman getting picked off at third, but it was still a great start.

On the other side was Clayton Kershaw, who was coming off a string of three straight starts in which he struggled. It’s understandable given his personal circumstances, of course, but he came back and did his thing again tonight.

He started with a remarkable five-pitch 1st, in which he allowed a single but got a double play and a three-pitch strikeout. He also sorta cruised through the 2nd as well … aside from a no-doubter from Josh Donaldson to make it 6-1. But he rebounded to strikeout a pair in a 1-2-3 frame for the 3rd.

After the huge rally in the 1st, the Dodgers offense went down in order in the 2nd, but J.D. led the 3rd off with an oppo shot, his 13th of the year to stay hot and make it 7-1.

As for Kershaw, he struck out the side in the 4th, but Giancarlo Stanton did hit a missile into the seats to cut the lead to 7-2. He got a scoreless 5th after working around a single and walk with two outs, then notched six straight to close out his outing and get through seven.

Just what the doctor ordered: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 9 K, 96 Pitches.

Meanwhile, the bats stranded a Betts walk, steal, and advance to third on the error in the 4th, then did the same on a double and walk with two outs in the 5th. Well, Mookie decided to take matters into his own hands in the 6th, coming up with another homer, his second of the game and 15th of the year to make it 8-2.

That was it for the offense, though Betts did collect his fourth hit of the night, and notably Freddie Freeman‘s hitting streak ended in the 8th.

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In relief of Kershaw, who made it easy for Dave Roberts and the pen, was Yency Almonte in the 8th. He started with a walk, but the runner didn’t move in a scoreless inning.

Phil Bickford closed things out in the 9th, but not before issuing a walk and giving up Donaldson’s second homer of the game to make it 8-4.

Phil … has not been good of late.

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It’s working.

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NL WESTRECORD
Diamondbacks35-23 (Own Tiebreaker)
Dodgers35-23 (0 GB)

*Either still playing or will play later.

The two teams will do it again a few hours earlier tomorrow at 1:15 PM HT/4:15 PM PT/7:15 PM ET on FOX. It’s easily the biggest matchup disadvantage the Dodgers have in the series, with Michael Grove making his return from the IL against Gerrit Cole.

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