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SPORTS Thursday 26 OcTOber 2017
Kershaw, Dodgers beat Astros

3-1 in hot World Series opener

By BEN WALKER Jansen breezed through much more magnified,”
AP Baseball Writer the Astros in the ninth for a Kershaw said.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — No save in a combined three- A Series opener that served
sweat, Clayton Kershaw. hitter. The Dodgers’ domi- as a showcase for several
Changing jerseys to beat nant relievers have tossed of the game’s best young
the 103-degree heat, 25 straight scoreless innings hitters — Jose Altuve, Car-
the Dodgers ace with a this postseason. los Correa, Cody Bellinger
checkered playoff history With both aces throwing and more — instead was
delivered a signature per- well, the opener zipped dominated by Kershaw.
formance, pitching Los An- by in 2 hours, 28 minutes “Couldn’t be happier for
geles past the Houston As- — fastest in the World Se- him,” Turner said.
tros 3-1 Tuesday night in the ries since Game 4 in 1992 Facing a team that had
World Series opener. between Toronto and At- the fewest strikeouts in the
Boosted by Justin Turner’s lanta. Jimmy Key and the majors this year, Kershaw
tiebreaking, two-run homer Blue Jays won that one 2-1 fanned more Houston hit-
in the sixth inning off Dallas in 2:21. ters than any starter this
Keuchel, Kershaw was in It certainly was unusual for season. And he helped the
complete control against this postseason, when nine- Dodgers, who led the ma-
the highest-scoring team in inning games had been jors with 104 wins and a $240
the majors this season. averaging 3 hours, 32 min- million payroll, improve to
“Definitely feels good to utes — up 18 minutes from 8-1 this postseason.”Tonight
say it was the World Series, two years ago. is about Kershaw,” Astros
and it feels good to say Chris Taylor gave the Dodg- manager A.J. Hinch said.
we’re 1-0,” Kershaw said. ers an immediate jolt in their It was 1-all when Taylor
The left-hander had waited first Series game since 1988 drew a two-out walk in the Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw throws
his whole career for this when he hit a no-doubt sixth. Turner followed with during the first inning of Game 1 of baseball’s World Series
moment. And once he home run on Keuchel’s his drive off the bearded against the Houston Astros Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, in Los Ange-
les.
took the mound in his Series very first pitch. Taylor was Keuchel . Associated Press
debut, he lived up every bit co-MVP of the NL Cham- “Keuchel was really good
to the legacy of Sandy Ko- pionship Series with Turner, tonight. Scully drew a huge ovation games.
ufax, Orel Hershiser and the and they both kept swing- He was just a pitch or two when he was later shown Dustin Hoffman, Jerry Sein-
greatest of Dodgers hurlers. ing away against the As- less than Kershaw,” Hinch on the video board, sit- feld and Lady Gaga were
The three-time Cy Young tros. said. ting in a box. Several play- among the many celebs in
Award winner struck out 11 “Just getting that momen- While it was sticky, the con- ers clapped along for the the crowd of 54,253, along
, gave up just three hits and tum early is huge,” Kershaw ditions didn’t seem to af- Hall of Fame broadcaster, with Dodgers great Tom
walked none over seven said. “And let the crowd fect either side. who’s nearly 90 and spent Lasorda and part-owner
innings, featuring a sharp kind of feed off that. It was Kershaw, as always, wore 67 seasons calling Dodgers Magic Johnson.q
breaking ball that often definitely as good a start as his bright blue Dodgers
left Houston batters taking we could have hoped for.” jacket walking to the bull-
awkward swings. His lone The loss left the Astros still pen to get ready.
blemish was a home run by without a single World Se- “It was hot warming up.
Alex Bregman in the fourth ries win in their 56-season But once the game start-
that made it 1-all. history. In their only other ed, the sun went down, it
No matter, with Koufax in Series appearance, they didn’t feel that hot,” Ker-
the house, Kershaw did his were swept by the White shaw said.
pal proud. Sox in 2005. There is no reliable record
“He was as good as adver- Game 2 is Wednesday for the hottest temperature
tised,” Keuchel said. evening, with AL Cham- at a World Series game. But
A sweltering, pulsating pionship Series MVP Justin weather data indicates this
crowd at Dodger Stadium Verlander starting against might’ve been the steami-
dotted with Hollywood A- Dodgers lefty Rich Hill. est ever.
listers was filled with Ker- Kershaw has almost every Notorious for late arriv-
shaw jerseys, and he drew imaginable individual ac- als, Dodger fans showed
loud cheers all evening. colade on his resume — five up early and the seats in
Kershaw got one more ERA titles, an MVP trophy, a the shaded sections filled
ovation when he walked no-hitter and seven All-Star up fast. Keeping with the
through a corridor to a selections — but also was theme, the stadium organ-
postgame interview. There, dogged by a shaky Octo- ist played 1960s hits “Heat
fans applauded a final ber past. Wave” and “Summer in the The Gold Mine Ranch
time. He began this outing in City” as Houston warmed
“I felt good. It’s a tough the twilight with a 6-7 ca- up. OCTOBER SPECIAL
lineup over there,” Kershaw reer playoff record and an When Vin Scully’s famil-
said. “The way Keuchel unsightly 4.40 ERA. He im- iar recorded call of “It’s
was throwing it was up proved to 3-0 in four starts Time for Dodger Baseball” Come with coupon
and down a lot, which was this postseason. boomed over the PA sys-
good. It got us into a rhythm “I don’t know if you can tem, the crowd really let and get $10,- off
a little bit. I think for me per- decipher between a post- loose, with the entire ball- per person.
sonally, it helped out a lot.” season start and a World park standing and chant-
Brandon Morrow worked a Series start. The adrenaline, ing for the pregame intro-
perfect eighth and Kenley I feel like every game is so ductions. Horseback Riding More Info: 594-1317