After last pitching in a “B” game at Camelback Ranch, Clayton Kershaw had an unceremonious return to Cactus League play against the Oakland Athletics as he fell well short of the goal to pitch five or six innings.
While Dodgers manager Dave Roberts openly stated before the game the focus was to continue Kershaw’s progression and build his pitch count, the results would not carry much significance. That effectively served as an omen, as Kershaw allowed nine runs (eight earned) in 3.1 innings.
He exited with the bases loaded and saw two more runs added to his line due to Victor Gonzalez issuing a pair of walks before getting through the fourth inning.