The San Diego Padres may dislike the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they’ll still give 18-year veteran Clayton Kershaw his flowers after an impressive performance in Friday’s series opener.
“A ton of respect for future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “The fact that he’s gone through what he’s gone through and still has a desire and passion to compete in his 18th season is, quite frankly, admirable. But we were in a competition. He competed very well. He added and subtracted and we had a couple swings on. Laureano, good swing. But he did his part for sure.”
There was a nervous energy Friday night at Chavez Ravine, as if 50,000 fans collectively held their breath for what would transpire between a struggling Dodgers team and the hottest team in baseball.
The Padres sat alone in first place of the NL West entering the series with LA. It was the first time since 2021 the Dodgers did not have control of the division this late in a season.
But manager Dave Roberts said it best: “We had the right guy on the mound tonight.”
Who better than to set the tone for the Dodgers than the future Hall of Famer? Kershaw more than delivered for the Dodgers as he remained a steady presence on the mound for six dazzling innings.
The left-hander allowed one earned run on two hits against a reinforced Padres lineup. Kershaw lowered his season ERA down to 3.01, issuing just one walk and recording three strikeouts.
As level-headed as the southpaw was on the mound, he remained the same way after the Dodgers secured a 3-2 victory over San Diego.
“It’s a game in August, obviously,” Kershaw said. “It’s not that huge a deal. But the way we were going, it felt like a big game for us. Thankfully, we got a win.”
Kershaw understands more than most that the Dodgers have maintained a stronghold in the NL West for more than a decade, and it was that grasp from the left-hander which perhaps made him the perfect starter to open the series against the Padres.
“The division isn’t won or lost in the next 10 days,” Kershaw said. “But it will make an impact. We know that.”
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
