ARLINGTON, Tex. — Clayton Kershaw has had an up and down postseason career for the Dodgers. While he has shined in the regular season throughout most of his career, there have been some bumps in the road for him in the playoffs.
Tuesday was not one of those occasions.
Kershaw was masterful for six innings and the Dodgers’ offense exploded for an 8-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the World Series. The veteran left-hander allowed one run on two hits with eight strikeouts and one walk in six innings to lead the Dodgers in a dominant performance.
“It’s great to get this series going with a win, that’s the biggest thing,” Kershaw told FOX Sports after the game.
At the plate and in the field, Cody Bellinger shined.
Bellinger ripped a two-run homer in the fourth and robbed Austin Meadows of an extra-base hit with a spectacular leaping catch against the centerfield wall in the ninth inning. Holding on to a 2-1 lead going to the bottom of the fifth, the Dodgers blew it open with four runs in the frame. Mookie Betts, who finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run, stole two bases in the fifth inning. Max Muncy added a run-scoring double in the sixth — he finished with two runs batted in, as did Bellinger.
Game 2 of the World Series is set for 5:08 p.m. PDT tonight at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
Hard-throwing right-hander Walker Buehler will get the start for Los Angeles, while lefty Blake Snell will go for Tampa Bay. The Dodgers are in search of the franchise’s first World Series title since 1988.
— Gerry Fall
