LA Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (37) has made a perfect comeback. Lee Jung-hoo (27, San Francisco Giants) was deceived by Kershaw's RAINBOW curve, reminiscent of his prime.

Kershaw started the home game against the 2025 Major League LA Dodgers on the 15th (Korea time) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, pitching 7 innings with 3 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts, leading the Dodgers to a 11-5 victory without allowing any runs. With this, Kershaw recorded his second win of the season and lowered his earned run average from 4.35 to 3.25, showcasing his fitness.

Kershaw had a delayed start to the season due to rehabilitation from surgeries on his left big toe and knee last November. He returned to the game against the LA Angels on the 18th of last month, but struggled with 5 hits (1 home run), 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, and 5 runs allowed in 4 innings. Up until the game on the 4th against the New York Mets, Kershaw faced difficulties with an earned run average of 5.17 in his first 4 games, as he had more walks (9) than strikeouts (8) over 15⅔ innings.

However, after reporting his first win of the season by allowing 1 run with 6 hits, 0 walks, and 7 strikeouts in 5 innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on the 9th, Kershaw showed a perfect form with 12 strikeouts and 1 walk in the last 2 games leading up to the game against San Francisco.

In the first inning, he gave a walk to Lee Jung-hoo who batted first for San Francisco after a battle of 8 pitches, but it was the only walk he allowed during the game. After retiring Willy Adames on a fly ball to shortstop, he induced Elliott Ramos into a ground ball for a double play to get through the first inning. In the second inning, Kershaw induced an infield fly and 2 ground balls with just 4 pitches. In the third inning, he gave up a double to lead-off hitter Heriberto Encanacion but retired the next three batters, showcasing his ability to manage crises.

In the fourth inning, Kershaw struck out Adames swinging with a slider for a perfect inning. He allowed a double to lead-off hitter Dominic Smith in the fifth inning but managed to retire the next three batters without allowing any runs. With two outs and a runner on second, Tyler Fitzgerald again swung and missed on Kershaw's curve and went down on strikes.

In the sixth inning, he allowed a hit to lead-off batter Andrew Kizner, but struck out Lee Jung-hoo, then retired the remaining three batters. Lee Jung-hoo hit four consecutive fouls before swinging hard at a 72 mph (115.9 km/h) curveball that dropped in the strike zone on the fifth pitch. However, he completely missed the ball due to poor timing, swinging so hard that his helmet nearly came off, but ultimately lost the timing battle against Kershaw.

In the seventh inning, Kershaw struck out Wilmer Flores swinging with a slider and finished the inning without allowing any hits. He only threw 81 pitches but did not push himself in a game where they were leading 10-0. He threw a total of 32 four-seam fastballs averaging 88.4 mph (142.3 km/h), along with 31 sliders, 16 curves, and 2 splitters. He recorded 3 strikeouts with his curve as the final pitch. Kershaw induced 8 swinging strikes with his breaking balls, including 4 curves, 3 sliders, and 1 splitter.

After the game, during an interview with SportsNet LA, Dodgers teammate and outfielder Teoscar Hernández remarked about Kershaw, 'He looked like the Kershaw from his Cy Young days. He was perfect today. He threw the pitches he needed to throw with precision.'

Kershaw said, 'Today wasn’t an incredible performance. Some pitches were misses and there were hard hits, but it was good to pitch effectively over 7 innings. I am throwing more strikes than at the beginning of my return, and it feels like I am finally pitching.' He added, 'There are no physical limitations, and I am healthy so I can focus solely on pitching. My slider and curve have improved recently. The curve was solid today.'

It had been a long time since he received a standing ovation from the home crowd at Dodger Stadium after finishing the seventh inning. Kershaw said, 'It was really special. Pitching here is always special. I don’t know how much longer I can pitch, but I’m enjoying those moments. I never take that kind of applause for granted.'

The Dodgers continue to face challenges on the mound due to injuries to key starting pitchers, including Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow (both with shoulder inflammation), Roki Sasaki (shoulder collision), and Tony Gonsolin (elbow discomfort). In this situation, Kershaw’s resurgence is a significant boost to the Dodgers’ pitching staff. It is indeed a stroke of luck for the Dodgers that Kershaw did not retire after last season.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts praised Kershaw, stating, 'Since his last appearance, Kershaw has been throwing many strikes. His curve was the best since his return. Overall, it was highly efficient, and he put pressure on the opponent from the start. He pitched 7 innings and created a favorable flow for us.'

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