Dodgers take World Series lead
Kershaw and teammates silence Astros bats in Game 1
Seven scorching innings from starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw and home runs from Justin Turner and Chris Taylor lifted the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 3-1 victory over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday.
The temperature at first pitch of 39 C was a record for a Major League Baseball playoff game, and a fitting cauldron for the opening clash in the bestof-seven series between teams that each won more than 100 regular-season games.
Kershaw set the tone by retiring the first three Astros batters.
Then Dodgers centerfielder Taylor smacked a towering homer off the first pitch thrown by Astros starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel to put Los Angeles up 1-0.
It was only the fourth leadoff homer ever recorded in a World Series Game 1.
Keuchel, the 2015 American League Cy Young awardwinner, settled down to retire Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger and Yasiel Puig and the duel between Kershaw and Keuchel was on.
Three-time Cy Young award winner Kershaw, making his first World series start, had faced just one batter over the minimum through the first three innings when Astros third baseman Alex Bregman broke through with a solo homer to lead off the fourth.
It was about the only hiccup for Kershaw, who surrendered three hits in seven innings with no walks and 11 strikeouts.
That’s the most by a pitcher in the World Series since 2001 and was one shy of his own playoff record of 12. He threw 57 of his 83 pitches for strikes.
Keuchel delivered a solid performance himself, but after walking Taylor with two outs in the second innings he surrendered a two-run home run to Turner – the walk-off hero of the Dodgers’ Game 2 win over the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship series.
Astros manager AJ Hinch lifted Keuchel with two outs in the seventh, after he gave up a deep single to Corey Seager.
Reliever Brad Peacock ended the danger, but the Astros couldn’t make a further dent.
Dodgers relief pitcher Brandon Morrow retired the side in the top of the eighth, and closing pitcher Kenley Jansen set down three in the top of the ninth to send the crowd of 54,253 at Dodger Stadium into a frenzy.
The Dodgers will try to build on their 1-0 lead when they host Game 2 on Wednesday.
They are in pursuit of a seventh franchise title, but their first since 1988 – the last time they reached the championship series.
The Astros are seeking a first World Series title, having been swept in their only prior appearance in 2005.