Clayton Kershaw gave up five hits and three runs in two innings in his first Cactus League start. (Getty Images)
The Dodgers are 0-1.
Clayton Kershaw has a 13.50 earned-run average.
“If it wasn’t for that Kershaw guy we’d be in good shape,” manager Don Mattingly quipped.
The takeaways from the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 4-1 victory over the Dodgers at Salt River Fields on Wednesday were limited, to put it mildly.
Among the more meaningful performances, Yasiel Puig twice faced Brandon McCarthy, who will almost certainly be in the Diamondbacks’ major-league rotation if he’s healthy. Puig singled to right field in his first at-bat and doubled in his second at-bat. The latter hit gave the Dodgers their only run when Carl Crawford scored all the way from first base.
Kershaw pitched two innings, allowed five hits, three runs (all earned), walked one and struck out two. He threw 42 pitches — 26 strikes — then “faced two hitters” by throwing about 15 more pitches in the bullpen.
“I wasn’t throwing the ball where I wanted to,” he said. “There were some off-speed pitches I needed to throw better. That one to Montero I struck him out on was probably up, honestly. That one that Pollock hit, there’s just some balls that I left up. Just a lot to work on.”
Kershaw didn’t downplay his pitching line.
“I’m a results-based guy,” he said. “I want to see outs. Today left a lot to be desired.”
The Diamondbacks scored their final run in the eighth inning off Ross Stripling.
Some more postgame notes and observations:
Continue reading “Arizona Diamondbacks 4, Dodgers 1.” »
