Ohtani hits 39th homer and Kershaw pitches Dodgers to 2-1 win over slumping Cardinals
Shohei Ohtani hit his National League-leading 39th home run and Clayton Kershaw tossed six shutout innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.
Miguel Rojas and Gavin Lux had three hits apiece as the NL West leaders won for the seventh time in 10 games.
Lars Nootbaar provided a pinch-hit homer in the eighth for the Cardinals, who have lost six of seven.
Ohtani drilled a first-pitch offering from Sonny Gray over the wall in the fifth to break a scoreless tie. Rojas added a run-scoring single later in the inning.
Kershaw (2-2) allowed four hits and struck out two. The three-time Cy Young Award winner made his fifth major league start since undergoing shoulder surgery in November. It marked the longest outing of the year for the left-hander, who made his season debut on July 25.
Michael Kopech picked up his 11th save and second for the Dodgers with a scoreless ninth. He got Nolan Arenado to hit into a game-ending double play.
Gray (11-8) gave up two runs and seven hits over five innings. He struck out six.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Dodgers: 1B Freddie Freeman sat out after taking a grounder off his middle finger in Saturday's game. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day.
Cardinals: RHP Lance Lynn is expected to throw batting practice on Tuesday. He was placed on the 15-day injured list July 31 with right knee soreness.
UP NEXT
Dodgers: RHP Gavin Stone (10-5, 3.63 ERA) faces Seattle RHP Bryan Woo (5-1, 2.06) in the opener of a three-game series Monday in Los Angeles.
Cardinals: RHP Erick Fedde (8-6, 3.40 ERA) pitches against Milwaukee RHP Frankie Montas (5-8, 4.86) on Tuesday in St. Louis. Fedde was acquired in a three-team trade from the Chicago White Sox on July 29.