Freddie Freeman continued his offensive surge with a home run and three RBIs. At the same time, veteran left-hander Clayton Kershaw delivered six shutout innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 5–0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at Steinbrenner Field. Entering the game as slight -120 favorites, the Dodgers took control early and never relinquished the lead, opening the three-game series with a decisive win.
Kershaw, making his third start since returning from the injured list, scattered five hits over six innings and did not issue a walk. The 37-year-old struck out three and earned his fifth win of the season, marking his first victory in over a month and the 217th of his career. He was followed by rookie reliever Justin Wrobleski, who pitched the final three innings and recorded five strikeouts en route to earning his first major league save.
The Dodgers provided early run support, striking in the first inning after Rays starter Shane Baz walked Shohei Ohtani. Will Smith followed with a double, and Freeman drove both runners home with a double to the right-center gap, giving Los Angeles a 2–0 lead. The hit also extended Freeman’s on-base streak to 17 games.
In the fourth inning, rookie Alex Freeland notched his first RBI with a run-scoring single. Mookie Betts added a sacrifice fly to increase the Dodgers’ lead to 4–0. Freeman capped off the scoring in the fifth, launching his 12th home run of the season — a solo shot that traveled 376 feet over the short porch in right field.
Baz, now 8-8 on the year, was charged with five earned runs on eight hits across five innings. He struck out eight and walked two. Despite the high strikeout total, it marked the sixth consecutive loss for Tampa Bay in games started by Baz. Rays pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts on the night, but were undone by timely Dodgers hitting and missed opportunities on offense.
Kershaw and Wrobleski combined to shut out a Rays lineup that could not advance a runner past second base. The Dodgers’ pitching staff also did not allow a walk in the game, marking Kershaw’s second scoreless outing and a rare walk-free performance for the team.
Freeman, who went through a 23-game stretch without a home run between late June and mid-July, has homered in back-to-back games. He connected for his first in nearly a month on Wednesday against Cincinnati before following up with Friday’s blast.
The series continues Saturday as former Rays ace Blake Snell (1-0, 2.00 ERA) is set to return to the mound for Los Angeles. Snell has been sidelined since late April with left shoulder inflammation. Tampa Bay will send right-hander Drew Rasmussen (8-5, 2.95 ERA) to the mound as the Rays rebound from the series-opening loss.
