Despite working with a “diminished” arsenal in his 18th MLB season, Clayton Kershaw continues to give the Los Angeles Dodgers everything he’s got. And in the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday, Kershaw had more than enough.
The veteran lefty stymied the Rays, allowing five hits and no walks in six scoreless innings as the Dodgers won 5-0. After the game, teammate Freddie Freeman praised Kershaw’s clutch performance.
“Clayton is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He was in the pool all day yesterday with his kids, and then he goes out here and throws six shutout innings. He's absolutely incredible. He's incredible,” Freeman said, per Dodger Blue.
Clayton Kershaw delivers for Dodgers in dominant outing against Rays
Kershaw bounced back against Tampa Bay after a rough outing last week in Boston. With the victory over the Rays, the three-time Cy Young winner improved to 5-2 on the season with a 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings pitched for LA.
Kershaw added three more Ks to his resume Friday after joining the 3,000 strikeout club earlier this season. The former MVP got a late start in 2025 as his recovery from offseason surgeries pushed his debut back to May. Despite making just 13 starts, Kershaw has already outproduced his injury-plagued 2024 campaign.
The 11-time All-Star is helping the Dodgers navigate a number of injuries to the pitching staff. And Friday’s victory allowed Los Angeles to maintain its three-game lead in the NL West as the San Diego Padres picked up their sixth straight win.
While Freeman expressed his appreciation for Kershaw’s outing, Dodgers fans felt the first baseman deserved some praise as well. Freeman had a big day at the plate against the Rays, homering for a second straight game.
The 16th-year veteran got the Dodgers on the board with a two-run double in the first inning. He then led off the fifth with his 12th home run of the season, extending LA’s lead to 5-0.
Freeman made his ninth-career All-Star Game in 2025. He’s now hitting .299 with a .853 OPS and 59 RBI.
The Dodgers will look for their fourth win in five games when Blake Snell makes his return to the mound Saturday. The two-time Cy Young winner has been sidelined by a shoulder injury since early April.
