Clayton Kershaw looks sharp as Dodgers hold off Reds

CINCINNATI — The No. 22 connected his back, the reach-for-the-sky windup and agelong stride toward location were each acquainted erstwhile Clayton Kershaw returned to the mound past week astatine Dodger Stadium.

But helium looked adjacent much similar himself Sunday.

Kershaw struck retired 8 successful 5 innings against the Cincinnati Reds successful his 2nd commencement since returning from an elbow wounded and the Dodgers deed 3 location runs successful the archetypal 3 innings, holding connected for an 8-5 triumph implicit the Reds.

After losing connected Friday, the Dodgers took 2 retired of 3 successful the bid against a imaginable wild-card crippled opponent.

Kershaw went somewhat deeper into the crippled than helium had successful his instrumentality against the Diamondbacks past Monday (4 1/3 innings). He threw 74 pitches, up from 50 successful his archetypal commencement back. But it was the prime of those pitches that was different.

Kershaw struck retired 4 of the archetypal 7 Reds batters helium faced and got 7 swings-and-misses successful his archetypal 20 pitches — 5 connected his slider, 2 connected his curveball.

The Reds nicked him for a tally successful the 4th inning erstwhile Nick Castellanos doubled disconnected the left-field wall, went to 2nd connected a chaotic transportation successful the ungraded and scored connected a crushed out.

But Kershaw struck retired 3 of the last 4 batters helium faced with the slider again causing astir of the occupation for the Reds. Of Kershaw’s 74 pitches, the Reds swung and missed 20 times. Fifteen of those came connected 27 swings astatine Kershaw’s slider.

Only 5 times successful Kershaw’s 18 starts earlier helium went connected the Injured List for 2 months did helium get much swings and misses.

By Statcast measure, Great American Ball Park is the easiest spot successful the majors to deed a location tally but neither squad cleared the fences successful the archetypal 2 games of the series. The Dodgers turned that astir close distant Sunday against Reds starter Wade Miley.

Will Smith deed the archetypal of their 3 location runs with 1 retired successful the 2nd inning. After Chris Taylor singled, Gavin Lux deed a liner into the beforehand enactment of the right-field seats for a two-run homer.

In the third, Albert Pujols drew a one-out locomotion and Corey Seager followed with a two-run location run. With 2 outs, Taylor doubled and scored connected an RBI azygous by Lux.

Lux added an infield azygous aboriginal for a three-hit game. Since being recalled from Triple-A, Lux is 11 for 24 with 8 RBI successful 8 games including 5 successful 2 games since helium was deed successful the forearm by a transportation from the pitching instrumentality Friday.

They needed each of that aboriginal offense. Kershaw near aft 5 innings with a 6-1 lead. But Tony Gonsolin gave up 3 runs successful 2 1/3 innings, 1 connected a solo location tally to TJ Friedl successful the sixth inning.

Friedl made his major-league debut arsenic a pinch-hitter Saturday and the location tally was his archetypal deed successful the large leagues. Dodgers close fielder Mookie Betts signaled to the instrumentality successful the close tract seats who caught the ball, asking to person it backmost to springiness to Friedl and telling the instrumentality “I got you” if helium did.

Betts retrieved the shot and sent it into the Reds dugout to Friedl. When helium trotted retired to close tract the adjacent inning, Betts was carrying a signed bat that helium passed to the fan.