The Los Angeles Dodgers’ ‘eternal ace’ is finally back.

Los Angeles Dodgers veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw, 35, took the mound for the first time in 44 days. Kershaw took the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers in their 2023 Major League Baseball home game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on April 11.

In his return, Kershaw pitched five innings of three-hit ball, allowing one run. He struck out four and didn’t allow a single walk. He threw his slider the most (27), followed by his four-seam fastball (26), curve (11), and changeup (3). His four-seam fastball reached a high of 92.2 mph (148 km/h) and a low of 89.5 mph (144 km/h).

Kershaw, who had been sidelined by a left shoulder injury, made his first start in 44 days on June 28 against Colorado, and it paid off. Although he was removed from the game with the Dodgers trailing 0-1 and was not credited with the win, it was a day to remember for the pitching.

With two outs in the top of the first, Ryan McMahon’s single led to an error by first baseman Freddie Freeman, but Kershaw was unfazed. He got Elias Diaz to ground out to shortstop to end the inning.

After striking out leadoff hitter Nolan Jones to start the second, Kershaw gave up a double to right to Alan Trejo but retired Michael Toglia and Eleuris Montero on consecutive pitches to end the inning with three strikeouts. One out later in the third, Jurickson Profar singled up the middle, but Ezequiel Tovar induced a shortstop-second baseman-to-first baseman double play to preserve the shutout.

Kershaw retired the side in order to end the fourth inning, but gave up his first run two batters later in the fifth on a Montero solo home run to left-center field. The home run came on a three-pitch, 85-mph (137-kilometer) slider on a 1B-1S count. No further runs were scored. Brenton Doyle struck out swinging to end the inning.

By the fifth inning, Kershaw had thrown 67 pitches, but the Dodgers sent Ryan Yarbrough to the mound in the top of the sixth, knowing that Kershaw would be making a comeback. The game ended with the Dodgers taking a 2-1 lead. Max Muncy tied the game at 1-1 in the seventh with a solo home run to right field, and Muncy scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch. In the ninth, Brusdar Graterol took the mound and pitched one scoreless inning to earn his fifth save of the season. Yarbrough followed Kershaw with the win. Yarbrough pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out four and walking none to earn the win. He is now 5-0 on the season. 토토사이트

After the game, Kershaw told MLB.com and other local media outlets, “It was great to be back. I’m glad to be part of the team again and help the team win. It felt good to be back at Dodger Stadium.”

According to MLB.com, Kershaw’s return is expected to give the Dodgers momentum. “It’s hard to overemphasize how important it is for the Dodgers to have Kershaw back and healthy,” the site said.