Clayton Kershaw was cooking and pitched six scoreless innings on Friday evening at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa Bay. The Dodgers (64-46) shutout the Rays (54-57) 5-0 in the first of three games in swampy Florida.
Freddie Freeman hit home runs in two straight games for the first time since May. The Dodgers’ first baseman drove in three of the five runs on the night.
Shane Baz struggled in a 27-pitch first inning and first career start against the Dodgers. The Dodgers cashed in a walk to Shohei Ohtani
with back-to-back doubles by Will Smith and Freddie Freeman.
Freddie Freddie Freddie chants in Tampa broke out at Steinbrenner Field Friday evening before the Dodgers first baseman proceeded to knock in two runs with a double.
Freddie knocks in a pair! pic.twitter.com/Xmixjf4Doe
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 1, 2025
Clayton Kershaw worked around a Ha-Seong Kim single to pitch a scoreless first. The iconic veteran had to work more in the second inning, but he was able to strand another two runners to preserve the 2-0 lead.
The Dodgers looked to add on to their lead in the third with a flying projectile infield single by Ohtani and a free pass to Smith. Baz struck out Freddie this time followed by a Teoscar Hernández strikeout to escape without surrendering anything further.
Four more base hits against Baz plus a Betts sac fly doubled the Dodgers’ lead in the fourth.
Alex Freeland secured his first career major-league run batted in. His single in the fourth gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
Freeman was half way to a cycle after he hit an 111-mph solo home run in the top of the fifth to give the Dodgers their fifth run.
Freddie Freeman goes yard for a second straight game! pic.twitter.com/APEUy7IeA6
— MLB (@MLB) August 2, 2025
The Dodgers bullpen took over for Kershaw in the seventh. Justin Wrobleski took the Dodgers home in this one for a shutout victory in the series opener.
Friday particulars
Home run: Freddie Freeman (12)
WP — Clayton Kershaw (5-2): 6 IP, 5 hits, no runs, no walks, 3 strikeouts (88 pitches)
LP — Shane Baz (8-8): 5 IP, 8 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts (98 pitches)
Sv — Juston Wrobleski (1): 3 IP, 1 hit, 5 strikeouts
Up next
Blake Snell (1-0, 2.00 ERA, 9 IP) finally returns to the mound for the Dodgers Saturday morning in Tampa (10:10 a.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Drew Rasmussen (8-5, 2.96 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) takes the ball for the Rays.
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