Clayton Kershaw shut out the Padres on two hits over six innings and drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the game’s first run Saturday night as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers scored a 2-0 win in San Diego.
The Dodgers added an insurance run when Justin Turner led off the ninth with a solo homer against Emilio Pagan, the third baseman’s fifth homer of the season.
The win was the Dodgers eighth straight and lifted them to a 13-2 start for only the second time in franchise history.
Yu Darvish (1-1) suffered the loss despite allowing one run — the Kershaw walk — on one hit, two walks and a hit batter with nine strikeouts in seven innings. He retired the Dodgers in order in six of the seven innings he worked.
But Kershaw was even sharper, giving up two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts in six innings to improve to 3-1 and lower his ERA to 2.19.
Center fielder Mookie Betts made a diving catch of a Tommy Pham liner to right center to end the game with the tying runs in scoring position, giving Victor Gonzalez his first Major League save.
Darvish had retired the first 14 Dodgers he faced when he hit Zach McKinstry on the left foot with a 2-1 curve with two out in the fifth. Luke Raley then dropped a single to center for the Dodgers’ first hit, sending McKinstry to second. Austin Barnes then walked on a full-count pitch to load the bases for Kershaw.
On the eighth pitch of the at-bat, Darvish missed low and inside with a full-count breaking ball to walk Kershaw and force home McKinstry.
Darvish then retired the last seven hitters he faced.
The Padres only challenge to Kershaw came in the sixth.
Trent Grisham drew a lead-off walk and stole second with one out. Manny Machado then singled on a sharp grounder to left, but Grisham, who had to hold up to make sure the ball would clear the infield, was stopped at third. Wil Myers then grounded into an inning-ending double play.
It marked the fourth time in the first two games of the series that the Padres failed to get a runner home from third with one out. It also happened in the 10th and 11th innings Friday night when the Padres lost in 12 innings.
Each team finished the game with three hits.
–Field Level Media