LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer have won three Cy Young Awards and one World Series ring apiece since their spectacular careers both began in 2008. Entering this season, they even had exactly 175 victories each.
Kershaw has nudged slightly ahead of his friendly rival in that last category, thanks to the Los Angeles Dodgers' superb start to the season -- and one fortunate break in the outfield Sunday when these two veteran aces went head to head.
Kershaw pitched six innings of five-hit ball to win an outstanding duel with Scherzer, and rookie Zach McKinstry drove in all three runs in the defending champion Dodgers' 3-0 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Kershaw (2-1) struck out six with no walks in his first home start since winning his first title. The Dodgers' longtime star barely came out ahead in the fourth career matchup between two of the greatest pitchers of their generation.
"I have a ton of respect for him and everything he's done in this game," Kershaw said of Scherzer. "You try not to attack it any differently. You always want to put zeros on the board. But after we got that early run, you want to make it stand up since Max probably isn't going to be giving up many more runs."
The difference between Kershaw and Scherzer was one long fly ball: McKinstry drove in Max Muncy in the second inning when Victor Robles lost it in the hazy LA afternoon sun.
Otherwise, Scherzer (0-1) was just as good as Kershaw, pitching six innings of three-hit ball with five strikeouts and a walk. But his Nats were shut out for the third time in four games, including twice in this three-game series sweep by LA.
"You want to go out there and pitch your best, because these are games you remember," said Scherzer, who retired 10 straight Dodgers after Muncy scored. "These are matchups you remember, and really how you judge yourself, how you perform in these situations. ... You know you're going to be in a close ballgame when you're going against Kersh. He was great today."
BREWERS 9, CARDINALS 3 Avisail Garcia homered for the second day in a row, this time off Daniel Ponce de Leon (1-1) in a four-run first, and Travis Shaw and Manny Piña also connected. Brett Anderson (1-1) allowed one run and four hits in five innings for Milwaukee, which has won four of five.
DIAMONDBACKS 7, REDS 0 Luke Weaver retired the first 17 batters he faced and Eduardo Escobar homered for the fourth consecutive game for Arizona. The 27-year-old Weaver (1-0) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before giving up a broken-bat single to Eugenio Suarez.
PIRATES 7, CUBS 1 JT Brubaker (1-0) allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings and had the first three RBI. His two-run single down the right-field line capped a three-run second inning and gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead.
GIANTS 4, ROCKIES 0 Anthony DeSclafani (1-0) and three relievers combined to scatter eight hits as San Francisco Giants swept Colorado.
PHILLIES 7, BRAVES 6 Didi Gregorius hit a three-run home run in Philadelphia's four-run fourth inning and had the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth to help the Phillies snap Atlanta's four-game winning streak. Jose Alvarado (2-0) pitched the eighth to earn the win.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
RED SOX 14, ORIOLES 9 J.D. Martinez came off the covid-19 list and hit three home runs, powering the Boston past Baltimore for its sixth consecutive win. Martinez got a chance at a record-tying fourth home run in the ninth inning and struck out swinging.
YANKEES 8, RAYS 4 Rougned Odor snapped a 10th-inning tie with his first hit as a Yankee, Gio Urshela homered and drove in three runs, and New York rallied to avoid a weekend sweep. Aroldis Chapman (1-0) pitched a scoreless ninth.
INDIANS 5, TIGERS 2 Logan Allen (1-1) allowed one run and two hits in five innings as Cleveland completed a three-game sweep.
MARINERS 8, TWINS 6 Kyle Seager hit his second home run of the game, a three-run drive in the ninth off Alex Colome (0-1) as Seattle overcame a 6-0, sixth-inning deficit.
ROYALS 4, WHITE SOX 3 Michael A. Taylor scored when Garrett Crochet (0-1) misplayed Andrew Benintendi's bunt in the 10th for Chicago's second error of the day and ninth in nine games this season. Greg Holland (1-1) pitched two scoreless innings, and Kyle Zimmer worked a perfect 10th for his first career save.
INTERLEAGUE
PADRES 2, RANGERS 0 Trent Grisham homered in the fourth off Mike Foltynewicz (0-2) as San Diego completed a three-game sweep. Craig Stammen (1-1) allowed one hit in 3 1/3 scoreless innings to lead six relievers after starter Adrian Morejon left after two outs because of an elbow/forearm strain.
