Kershaw, Dodgers shut down Cubs

CHICAGO — Clayton Kershaw remembered getting knocked out in the shortest start of his stellar career. Fair to say, things went a little better for him in his return to Wrigley Field.

Kershaw dominated over seven innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the struggling Chicago Cubs 7-0 in the opener of a split doubleheader on Saturday.

Freddie Freeman doubled three times and scored twice, helping the NL West leaders win for the 16th time in 21 games. Austin Barnes homered and drove in three runs.

Kershaw (4-0) gave up five hits, struck out two and walked one.

Kershaw combined with two relievers for Los Angeles’ third shutout of the season.

Blue Jays 8, Guardians 3: George Springer and Raimel Tapia each drove in three runs in the first four innings against Shane Bieber, powering Toronto to a win at Cleveland in the first game of a doubleheader

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman (3-1) worked 61⁄3 innings and allowed one run, striking out five. The right-hander issued his first walk of the season against his 137th batter, Franmil Reyes in the fourth, after 351⁄3 innings without a free pass.

Rookie Steven Kwan singled in Myles Straw in the third to cut Cleveland’s deficit to 4-1. Straw had a pair of hits and two runs for the Guardians, who have won five of seven.

Reds 9, Pirates 2: Pittsburgh emergency catcher Josh VanMeter had a rough time in his first try behind the plate since he was a teenager, and host Cincinnati took advantage to end a nine-game losing streak in the opener of a doubleheader.

Tyler Stephenson hit a tie-breaking, bases-loaded double in the eighth inning that fueled a seven-run burst.

Pirates starting catcher Roberto Perez was helped off the field with a left hamstring injury in the eighth. Backup catcher Andrew Knapp had been ejected by plate umpire Will Little in the sixth.

That left VanMeter as the Pirates’ next option and the last time he caught was when he was 14 or 15 years old.

Twins 1, Athletics 0: Jorge Polanco homered in the sixth inning and four Minnesota pitchers made it stand up, blanking Oakland at Minneapolis to send the Athletics to their eighth straight loss.

Minnesota pitchers combined to strike out 15 while allowing just three hits. Griffin Jax (2-0) earned the win with 1 2 ⁄3 innings in relief.