Clayton Kershaw Takes Optimistic View Of Dodgers’ Game 1 Loss Vs. Red Sox

Game 1 of the 2018 World Series didn’t go as planned for Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the left-hander doesn’t think all is lost.

The Boston Red Sox throttled Kershaw on Tuesday night at Fenway Park, tagging him for five earned runs over four-plus innings of work in the Red Sox’s 8-4 win.

The Dodgers ace, though, chose to look on the bright side after the loss, pointing to LA’s Game 1 victory in the 2017 World Series — a battle they lost the Houston Astros in seven games — as a reason for optimism in the Dodgers’ clubhouse.

“We won Game 1 last year and lost the series,” Kershaw said after the loss, via ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, “so maybe we’ll try it out this way and see if we can win one.”

Kershaw didn’t get much help from his defense at Fenway Park in Game 1, as defensive miscues helped lead to all five of the runs Boston scored off the left-hander. The southpaw’s slider lacked depth and he was unable to navigate the Red Sox’s unrelenting lineup, especially when he needed to pick up his defense.

One game doesn’t make a series, but LA now must rely on Hyun-jin Ryu to help them even the series, otherwise, the Red Sox could make quick work of the National League champions.