Kershaw sticks to plan in Dodgers win
BASEBALL
DALLAS: Clayton Kershaw struck out six and foiled a brazen attempt at stealing home by Tampa Bay centre fielder Manuel Margot as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Rays 42 in game five of the World Series yesterday.
The victory gives the Dodgers a 32 lead in the bestofseven series and they can seal the title with a win tomorrow.
Threetime Cy Young winner Kershaw threw to catcher Austin Barnes as Margot went barreling toward home at the bottom of the fourth inning to prevent a run that would have tied the game.
‘‘[I] stuck with the game plan,’’ Kershaw, who surpassed the record for most postseason stri
in game
six keouts with his 206th, said.
‘‘It’s very exciting but at the same time we’ve got to win one more game.’’
Rays starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow struggled early, fourtime All Star Mookie Betts drawing first blood with a leadoff double before Corey Seager batted Betts in with a ground ball to right field.
Seager sprinted to second and then to third courtesy of a pair of wild pitches from Glasnow, before centre fielder Cody Bellinger hit a single to bring him home for a tworun lead.
Outfielder Joc Pederson then added to Glasnow’s pain, launching a homer at the top of the second inning.
The Rays had two runs in the third but were unable to match the Dodgers’ intensity, LA first baseman Max Muncy launching a monster homer in the fifth inning. — Reuters