Friday, August 8, 2025

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025

On a hot Friday night at Dodger Stadium, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-to-1. Clayton Kershaw outpitched Max Scherzer. Mookie Betts, who has been slumping since April, hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and the Dodgers added three runs in the seventh.

Both Kershaw and Scherzer, future first-ballot Hall of Famers, pitched six outstanding innings. They didn’t look like themselves in their primes, but with their vast major league experience, they knew how to retire hitters. Both have more than three thousand strikeouts.

While Scherzer had better velocity, Kershaw’s six-to-twelve curveball still baffled the opposition. Kershaw seemed to have traffic every inning, but his infield defense, particularly Mookie Betts, was fantastic, turning three double plays. His command was marvelous, walking a mere batter while striking out four. During the second inning, Kershaw allowed the Blue Jays’ only run.

The Dodgers wasted a bases-loaded situation in the first. With two outs in the fifth, after Shohei Ohtani doubled, Betts hit his first home run in more than a month, a two-run shot.

Unlike on this homestand, the Dodgers’ bullpen of Anthony Banda, Ben Casparius, and Blake Treinen was fantastic.

In the seventh, the Dodgers added three runs to their lead, a rarity over the last month and a half when the Dodgers slumped. To open up the inning, Alex Freeland walked, advanced to third on Ohtani’s single, and scored on Betts’ force play. Freddie Freeman walked to load the bases. Will Smith walked in a run, and Teoscar Hernández had a sacrifice fly.

With this win, the Dodgers increased their lead over the San  Diego Padres to three games in the National League Western Division.