LOS ANGELES -- One game into the 2018 season, Clayton Kershaw has a .000 winning percentage and a 1.000 batting average.
Despite losing to the Giants on Thursday, 1-0, Kershaw went 2-for-2 at the plate against Ty Blach. It ran Kershaw's Opening Day hitting streak to three games, and he has hit safely in six of his eight season-opening starts, including a home run in 2013 against the Giants.
"I probably should have hit Clayton third," joked manager Dave Roberts.
Kershaw's first hit Thursday was a single over shortstop leading off the bottom of the third inning. In the fifth inning, his two-out single moved John Forsythe to second base, but the inning ended on a Chris Taylor forceout grounder.
"One check swing that happened to go over the shortstop's head," Kershaw explained. "Another one that found my bat. You get to two strikes, which I was both times, and you just try to foul pitches off and make him make some pitches. Just fortunate to get some knocks."
On the mound, despite absorbing the loss, Kershaw allowed one run on Joe Panik's home run among eight hits, struck out seven and walked two in six innings.