Dodgers Score: Trayce Thompson Powers, Clayton Kershaw Cruises, LA Downs D-Backs
The Dodgers put together an angry win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, downing the snakes by a final of 10-1. Center fielder Trayce Thompson hit 3 (!) home runs and drove in 8 runs in his first game of the season. Clayton Kershaw had a vintage performance in his first start of the year, getting through 6 innings while allowing only one run.
The night opened with Freddie Freeman celebrating his bobblehead night with his family. His son, Charlie, threw out the evening’s ceremonial first pitch.
The game action opened with a clean first inning by Clayton Kershaw before the real fun started. Mookie Betts led off the game with a home run that wasn’t. Fan interference put him on second base against Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner.
Freddie followed with an infield single. JD Martinez struck out. Max Muncy got hit by a Mad Bum pitch. And Chris Taylor hit a sac fly to drive in Betts. Then Trayce Thompson, making his first start of the season, dropped the hammer for a grand slam bomba.
The fact that it was off a left-hander was significant.
Trayce wasn’t done with that, adding a three run homer later in the night. He drove in 8 of LA’s 10 runs on Saturday night, the first time that had been done at Dodger Stadium since Shawn Green in 2001.
JD Martinez got in on the action, hitting his first homer as a Dodger in the seventh. It went 409 feet to deep right field.
Pitching
Kershaw was as dominant as ever, striking out 9 over 6 innings. He moved into 23rd place on MLB’s all-time K list at 2,816. He earned win number 198 in his career. He also walked none, the 40th time in his career where he struck out 9 or more while walking zero.
Rookie right-hander Andre Jackson came in to pitch the final 3 innings to earn the old school save.
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks wrap up the series with a Sunday matinee at Dodger Stadium with first pitch at 1:10 pm PST. Noah Syndergaard makes his first start in Dodger blue and will face veteran right-hander Zach Davies.
