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.
The Greek basketball league finals between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were suspended by the government on Monday following on-court scuffles involving rival security teams. The best-of-five series is at 1-1. The third game, scheduled for today, has been postponed. The owners of both clubs were summoned to meet with the country’s sports minister. They “will be asked to provide explicit guarantees that this situation will be brought to an end. If not, this year’s championship will be definitively canceled,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “There can be no tolerance for such pathological phenomena of violence and delinquency.” In online posts, the owners of Panathinaikos and
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
Ryan Yarbrough picked up a dazzling World Series ring from his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. Then he went out and beat them. The New York Yankees starter on Sunday pitched one-run ball over six innings, struck out a season-high five and blanked the Dodgers’ top four hitters in a 7-3 win. “I feel like I’m in a really good place right now and really trying to continue that,” Yarbrough said. “I’m having a lot of fun.” The 33-year-old left-hander made 44 relief appearances between the Dodgers and Blue Jays last season. The Dodgers designated him for assignment on July
Spain starlets Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzled on Thursday as La Roja beat France 5-4 in a thriller in Stuttgart, Germany, to set up a UEFA Nations League final with Portugal. Yamal bagged a brace, while Williams scored and provided an assist as the two wingers cut France’s makeshift defense to ribbons. Mikel Merino and Pedri were also on the score sheet for the UEFA Euro 2024 champions. Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half penalty, but Spain were 5-1 up and cruising, before Les Bleus suddenly woke up as their opponents took their foot off the pedal. France’s three late goals — a
RSS