Kershaw sharp in 5-inning return as Dodgers rally
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw didn’t get the win in his return to the mound. The Los Angeles Dodgers are just glad to have him back.
“He’s not the most enjoyable guy when he’s not healthy,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Kershaw was activated Thursday to make his first start since July 27. He gave up one run and three hits in five innings, struck out four and didn’t walk anyone while getting a no-decision in a 2-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
“It was great to be back,” he said. “To get through five was good and hopefully the leash keeps getting lengthened as I go.”
The 35-year-old left-hander missed 35 games because of soreness in his left shoulder.
Now, he and the Dodgers hope the three-time Cy Young Award winner stays healthy for a potential playoff run in October.
“We want to be part of that more than anything,” Kershaw said. “The division is not won yet. We still got a lot to do.”
Kershaw figures to make his next start Wednesday against the the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers.
“As long as I come back tomorrow and feel all right, that’s encouraging to me,” he said.
Max Muncy drew a bases-loaded, two-out walk to force in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. It was Daniel Bard’s 36th walk in 40 innings for the Rockies.
The NL West-leading Dodgers won their fifth in a row against the division’s worst team and extended their lead to 6½ games over the San Francisco Giants.
“Anytime 22 [Kershaw] is on the mound, you have a good feeling about how the game is going to turn out. It’s a boost for everyone in this clubhouse,” Muncy said. “Wish we could have got him a little more run support, but that’s just the way it goes. He kept us in the game, and that’s what he does all the time.”
Pinch-hitter David Peralta walked leading off the eighth against Tommy Doyle (0-1). Pinch-hitter Jason Heyward grounded into a fielder’s choice to second, erasing Peralta. Mookie Betts singled before Bard came in and walked Freddie Freeman to load the bases.
Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar made an over-the-shoulder catch of pinch-hitter Will Smith in shallow left-center field for the second out. Bard then walked Muncy before Chris Taylor flied out to end the inning.
“There’s so many different ways you can win a game. That last inning for us proved it,” Muncy said. “We had a bunch of guys just taking good at-bats and just trying to string some things together and not let the moment get too big.”
Ryan Yarbrough (5-5) got the victory with three innings of relief. Brusdar Graterol pitched the ninth to earn his fifth save.
Elehuris Montero homered off Kershaw to give the Rockies a 1-0 lead.
Montero’s fourth homer of the season came with two outs in the fifth. It was the 13th homer given up by Kershaw this season.
Kershaw threw four changeups in the game, getting Elias Díaz to ground out with one to end the first.
“Three of them were OK,” Kershaw said. “They just had some guys where a changeup is a good pitch.”
Muncy tied the score on a solo shot that chased Rockies starter Ty Blach leading off the seventh.
Taylor followed with a single before Enrique Hernandez grounded into a double play.
Alan Trejo made a diving stop on the third base side of second and somehow got his right toe across the bag to tag out Taylor. Trejo then threw to first to get Hernández to complete the Rockies’ third double play of the game. The Dodgers unsuccessfully challenged the out call at second.
First baseman Freeman committed his first error of the season in the first when a ground ball hit by Ryan McMahon just escaped under his glove.
Blach gave up one run and three hits in six innings. The left-hander struck out two and walked two.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Greg Wyshynski
The sea of white in Winnipeg chanted “M-V-P!” in unison during the Jets‘ Game 2 win over the Dallas Stars on Friday night. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck heard and appreciated those chants.
“It means a whole lot. I love this crowd. I love this city,” said Hellebuyck, who stopped 21 shots in Winnipeg’s 4-0 victory that evened their Western Conference semifinal series at 1-1.
It was Hellebuyck’s first playoff shutout since a 1-0 blanking of the Edmonton Oilers in the first round in 2021, and the fourth postseason shutout of his career. Hellebuyck led the NHL with eight shutouts in the regular season, which helped him become a finalist for the Hart Trophy as league MVP and for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender, an award he won last season and in 2020.
Prior to Friday night, he had not been that same goaltender in the postseason.
Considered by many the best netminder in the world, Hellebuyck was the worst goalie statistically in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs entering Game 2. He was 4-4 with an .836 save percentage, the lowest for any goalie with at least three postseason games played. He was last in the playoffs through eight games with a minus-9.68 goals saved above expected. He had a 3.75 goals-against average as well, after sporting a GAA of 2.00 and a .925 save percentage in the regular season.
Yet the Jets’ faith in their goaltender never wavered.
“We rely on him. Sometimes too much. But he was incredible tonight,” said defenseman Josh Morrissey, who missed Game 1 against Dallas and most of Game 7 against St. Louis with an injury. “That’s what he does every night for us. He’s an incredible goaltender. He makes very difficult saves look very easy, routinely and often. You could tell he was feeling it tonight. When he’s feeling it like that, it gives the players in front of him a lot of confidence.”
Jets coach Scott Arniel said his goalie was “fantastic” in Game 2.
“Sometimes we take him for granted because he makes the hard look easy, but he had some acrobatic ones tonight,” Arniel said.
That was especially true in the second period. The Jets built a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Nik Ehlers, whose shot deflected off the skate of Dallas defenseman Esa Lindell. Hellebuyck made nine saves in that opening frame.
“We pushed hard in the second to try and climb back in the game,” said Dallas coach Peter DeBoer. “Hellebuyck made some saves. We get one there, maybe the momentum shifts. But that was the game. He was a good. He was really good. We can always make it more difficult on him, but he was really good.”
After the game, Hellebuyck told Sportsnet that he believed he was back on his game after the shutout win.
“Now it’s locked in. We broke it down to build it back together,” he said. “I like where it’s at. I like where the team’s playing. I’m really excited for the series. It’s been fun.”
Whether the fun continues on the road for Sunday’s Game 3 is anyone’s guess.
Hellebuyck was a disaster in the Jets’ three games in St. Louis, giving up 16 goals on 66 shots (.758 save percentage) and getting pulled in each loss. In his past eight postseason road games, Hellebuyck is 1-7 with a .838 save percentage and a 5.19 goals-against average.
“We’re still playing hockey, and it’s May. That’s fun. It’s the best time of year, because you’ve dialed your game in all year long,” Hellebuyck said.
The Jets said they need to be better in front of their goalie on the road.
“It’s going to be a tough building. They grabbed home ice from us by winning Game 1,” Arniel said. “It’s [about] lessons learned. Take some of the things from that series. We know we have to do a lot of what we did tonight.”
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