Clayton Kershaw Strikes Out 10, Dodgers Beat Diamondbacks 5-2

Clayton Kershaw struck out 10, Chris Taylor blasted a three-run homer in which the Dodgers successfully challenged a fan interference call, and Los Angeles defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 on Monday night.

The Dodgers have beaten the D-backs in 19 of their last 20 meetings at Dodger Stadium. They improved to 12-3 against Arizona this season.

Kershaw (9-3) allowed one run and six hits in six innings to earn his second straight win after a loss and four no-decisions dating to July 24. His strikeouts tied for his second-most of the season. The left-hander struck out the side in the third.

Closer Craig Kimbrel pitched the ninth and gave up a leadoff single and then hit two straight batters to load the bases. Gavin Lux made a diving stab on pinch-hitter Sergio Alcantara, who grounded into a double play, before Daulton Varsho popped up to end it.

On a night when the Dodgers’ power trio of Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman went a combined 1 for 11 with a walk and two strikeouts, the lower half of the order produced.

Gavin Lux had three hits from the No. 7 spot.

Taylor has struggled mightily this season. He struck out 149 times in 365 at-bats coming into the game, with just 24% of his swings being put into play. He flied out in the second before connecting for his 10th homer off Merrill Kelly (12-7) in a four-run fourth. However, he had to wait for it.

Crew chief James Hoye ruled fan interference when a man in the lower left-field seats wearing a Dodgers jersey made a clumsy attempt at catching the ball in his glove. The ball struck the man in the belly and it ricocheted back onto the field.

The Dodgers challenged the call and after a video review, Taylor came trotting home with a three-run shot that extended their lead to 5-0.

Joey Gallo drove in the Dodgers’ first two runs. He hit a 437-foot homer to the right-field pavilion with two outs in the second. Gallo had an RBI single in the fourth in which Max Muncy scored on a fielding error by center fielder Varsho.

The Dodgers thought they’d executed an inning-ending double play in the fifth. Instead, the video review went against them. Geraldo Perdomo grounded into a fielder’s choice to third that scored Carson Kelly, who doubled leading off, and Arizona trailed 5-1.

Christian Walker scored on Alcantara’s double-play grounder for Arizona’s other run.

Merrill Kelly gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked two.

UP NEXT

D-backs: RHP Zach Davies (2-4, 4.06 ERA) starts Game 1 of Tuesday’s doubleheader in pursuit of his first win since May 13. He got a no-decision in 5 1/3 innings against the Dodgers last week. RHP Drey Jameson (1-0, 0-0) starts Game 2. He won his MLB debut last week against the Padres with seven scoreless innings.

Dodgers: RHP Michael Grove (0-0, 4.40) gets a second start in Game 1. He faced the D-backs in a spot start on Sept. 14, giving up two runs and and two hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked one. LHP Tyler Anderson (15-3, 2.62) is expected to come off the paternity list and start Game 2.