Clayton Kershaw allowed two runs over four innings in his return from shoulder surgery, Nick Ahmed and Shohei Ohtani homered on consecutive pitches in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 6-4 on Thursday.
Kershaw made his first big league appearance since last October’s NL Division Series opener against Arizona, when the three-time Cy Young Award winner was chased after one out and allowed six runs. Kershaw had surgery on Nov. 3 to repair ligaments in his shoulder capsule and started a minor league rehab stint in June.
Against the Giants, the 36-year-old left-hander gave up six hits, struck out six, and walked two, getting 14 swings and misses, including eight on sliders, while throwing 47 of 72 pitches for strikes. He averaged 90.6 mph with 24 fastballs, threw 32 sliders, 10 curveballs, and six changeups.
Tyler Fitzgerald hit a run-scoring triple in the third on an up slider and scored on the next pitch when Heliot Ramos singled on a fastball, part of a string of four consecutive hits.
Kershaw agreed in February to a contract guaranteeing $10 million, a deal that allows him to earn up to $12.5 million this year and $25 million in 2025. In addition to his $5 million salary this year, he would get $1 million for making six starts or relief appearances of three or more innings, $1.5 million each for seven, eight, and nine, and $2 million for 10.
Ohtani hit his 31st home run of the season, his second since the All-Star break, and also doubled. He is batting .312 with a 1.034 OPS.
Los Angeles outhit San Francisco 14-11 and took three of four from the Giants. The NL West-leading Dodgers (62-42) are 6-1 following a 3-8 slide.
Kiké Hernández had three hits and drove in a pair of runs.
Ahmed homered on a 2-2 sinker from Tyler Rogers (1-4) to break a 4-4 tie in the eighth. Ahmed was released by the Giants on July 10 and signed with the Dodgers on Wednesday, going 1 for 3 that night in his Los Angeles debut.
Ohtani drove an inside slider to right.
Blake Treinen (5-2) allowed Jorge Soler’s two-out RBI single that tied the score in a two-run eighth, then struck out Fitzgerald.
Brent Honeywell got his first big league save. After allowing Ramos’ leadoff single in the ninth, he got Matt Chapman to ground into a double play and struck out Patrick Bailey.
Giants starter Logan Webb allowed four runs and nine hits in five innings.
