Angels spoil Clayton Kershaw's season debut with wild 11-9 victory over Dodgers

Logan O’Hoppe, Taylor Ward and Matthew Lugo homered and the Los Angeles Angels spoiled Clayton Kershaw's season debut, beating the Dodgers 11-9 on Saturday night to take the first two games of the three-game series.

Kershaw allowed three runs and threw 38 pitches in the first inning. The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner lasted four innings, giving up five runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts.

Shoulder, toe and knee injuries limited Kershaw to seven games last season, and his 2025 debut was delayed as he recovered from multiple offseason surgeries.

O’Hoppe had two hits with a career-high five RBIs.

Reid Detmers (1-2) allowed a run in two innings of relief, and Kenley Jansen got four outs against his former club for his eighth save this year.

Kiké Hernández and Andy Pages homered for the Dodgers, and Freddie Freeman matched a season high with four hits.

The Dodgers tied it at 3 in the first on a three-run homer from Pages. They took a 7-5 lead in a three-run sixth, when rookie Dalton Rushing had an RBI double and Michael Conforto scored on a wild pitch.

But the Angels scored five times in the seventh. Nolan Schanuel hit an RBI double and O’Hoppe launched a three-run homer to right field off Kirby Yates (3-2) for a 9-7 lead. Kevin Newman added an RBI single.

The Dodgers pulled to 10-9 before Lugo homered in the ninth.

Key moment

O’Hoppe’s 10th homer this year was his fifth go-ahead hit of the season.

Key stat

By winning the first two games, the Angels took a three-game series at Dodger Stadium for the first time since June 2012.

Up next

Dodgers RHP Tony Gonsolin (2-0, 2.81 ERA) makes his fourth start Sunday since returning from Tommy John surgery. LHP Yusei Kikuchi (0-4, 3.72) is chasing his first win in his 10th start for the Angels.