Kershaw, Dodgers top D-backs in Oz opener

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SYDNEY -- Clayton Kershaw flashed his Cy Young form, Scott Van Slyke homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers opened the Major League Baseball season with a 3-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night at Sydney Cricket Ground.

A crowd of about 40,000 watched as MLB played its first regular-season game in Australia.

Opening day was a g"day for the NL West champion Dodgers.

Kershaw, who signed a seven-year, US$215 million contract in January, allowed one run and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. Van Slyke hit a two-run homer and also doubled.

The first pitch was delayed because of rain for 14 minutes.

The long trip Down Under took even longer for some Arizona players. A team bus had a flat tire, and the Diamondbacks said “a handful” of players decided to walk the last half-mile to the stadium instead of waiting for a replacement bus.

Kershaw was impressive while making his fourth consecutive opening-day start. He struck out seven, walked one and was pulled by manager Don Mattingly after throwing his 102nd pitch.

In his previous opening-day starts, Kershaw, the two-time NL Cy Young winner, was 2-0 with 19 strikeouts in 19 scoreless innings.

Three relievers kept the Diamondbacks scoreless with hitless work. Chris Perez, a five-time All-Star with Cleveland before joining the Dodgers in the offseason, got the last out in the seventh.

Brian Wilson pitched the eighth and closer Kenley Jansen got the save. Jansen walked a batter before getting Gerardo Parra to ground out to end the game.

Van Slyke, playing because of an injury to Matt Kemp and paternity leave to Carl Crawford, nearly cleared the left-field fence in the second inning. His double set up a grounder by Andre Ethier that scored Adrian Gonzalez with the Dodgers" first run.

In his next at-bat in the fourth, Slyke connected off losing pitcher Wade Miley for a drive over the right-field fence — just inside the foul pole — with Gonzalez again on base to put the Dodgers up 3-0.

Miley, who came out for a pinch hitter in the fifth, got the opening day assignment because of a left elbow injury to Diamondbacks ace Patrick Corbin. Miley gave up three runs and three hits, striking out eight with two walks.

Both teams finished with five hits.

The Diamondbacks scored in the sixth after a double by Paul Goldschmidt, who had two hits. He moved to third on Kershaw"s wild pitch and scored on Mark Trumbo"s infield out. The Diamondbacks were shut out 5-0 in an exhibition game Friday by Team Australia when they stranded 11 runners.

A series of thunderstorms but little rain around the stadium about two hours ahead of the start cut short the Dodgers" batting practice and tarp was rolled on to the field. That caused the start of the game to be delayed and canceled the pregame ceremonies.

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