The Dodgers returned to action Thursday against the San Francisco Giants taking both games of the double header at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
The Dodgers held the Giants scoreless in both games, winning 7-0 in Game 1 and 2-0 in Game 2.
Both games were shortened to seven innings, per new rules instituted by Major League Baseball due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After sitting out Wednesday night’s contest in protest of the recent police shooting involving 29-year-old James Black in Kenosha, Wis., the Dodgers opened the scoring in Game 1 with a RBI groundout by Cody Bellinger in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
The Dodgers erupted for four runs in the fourth, including RBI groundouts by Joc Pederson and Corey Seager, and a two-run double by Austin Barnes. A.J. Pollack’s two-run homer in the top of the seventh rounded out the scoring.
Clayton Kershaw picked up the win, his fourth on the season, tossing six shutout innings. He allowed four hits, struck out four and did not issue a walk.
In Game 2, seven Dodger pitchers combined to shutout San Francisco, limiting the hosts to just two hits.
Pederson’s solo home run gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the top of the second, and a double by Will Smith in the fourth gave the Dodgers all the run support they needed.
The Dodgers have the best record in baseball at 24-9.
Several other MLB teams opted not to play Thursday in the wake of the shooting, including the Oakland Athletics, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals.
The New York Mets and Miami Marlins began to warm up at Citi Field Thursday, though as leadoff hitter Lewis Brinson was announced players and personnel from both dugouts took to the field for a moment of silence. Lasting 42 seconds, on the eve of MLB celebrating Jackie Robinson Day, both teams then exited the field and the game was postponed.
This year’s celebration of Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947 was moved from April 15 to today due to the revamped schedule for the shortened season.
The Players Alliance, consisting of more than 100 black current and former MLB players, announced Thursday that they will donate salaries from Thursday and today “to combat racial inequity and aid Black families and communities deeply affected in the wake of recent events,” according to a statement.
The NHL and WNBA also canceled their playoff contests Thursday.
— Mitchell White
