Logan O’Hoppe, Taylor Ward and Matthew Lugo homered, and the Los Angeles Angels spoiled Clayton Kershaw’s season debut, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9 on Saturday night to take the first two games of the three-game series.
Kershaw allowed three runs and threw 38 pitches in the first inning. The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner lasted four innings, giving up five runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
Shoulder, toe and knee injuries limited Kershaw to seven games last season, and his 2025 debut was delayed as he recovered from multiple offseason surgeries.
Photo: AFP
O’Hoppe had two hits with a career-high five RBIs.
Reid Detmers (1-2) allowed a run in two innings of relief, and Kenley Jansen got four outs against his former club for his eighth save this year.
Kike Hernandez and Andy Pages homered for the Dodgers, and Freddie Freeman matched a season high with four hits.
Photo: AFP
The Dodgers tied it at 3 in the first on a three-run homer from Pages. They took a 7-5 lead in a three-run sixth, when rookie Dalton Rushing had an RBI double and Michael Conforto scored on a wild pitch.
However, the Angels scored five times in the seventh. Nolan Schanuel hit an RBI double and O’Hoppe launched a three-run homer to right field off Kirby Yates (3-2) for a 9-7 lead. Kevin Newman added an RBI single.
The Dodgers pulled to 10-9 before Lugo homered in the ninth.
By winning the first two games, the Angels took a three-game series at Dodger Stadium for the first time since June 2012.
The 37-year-old Kershaw began his 18th MLB season on the injured list while recovering from toe and knee surgeries.
He made five rehab starts and went 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings. He entered Saturday’s start as the club’s all-time strikeout leader at 2,968 and was 212-94 with a 2.50 ERA in 432 appearances (429 starts).
With Saturday’s start, Kershaw ties Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years with the Dodgers franchise.
To make room on the roster for Kershaw right-hander Ryan Loutos was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Also, left-hander Blake Snell (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Snell, who recently started a light throwing program, has made just two starts for the Dodgers and has not pitched since April 2.
He signed a five-year, US$182 million contract with the Dodgers in the offseason.
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