Los Angeles Dodger pitcher Clayton Kershaw throwing in the first inning against the Oakland A’s on Tue Apr 6, 2021 at the Oakland Coliseum (AP News photo)

Los Angeles (NL). 5-11-1

Oakland. 1-5-0

By Lewis Rubman

OAKLAND–Monday night, the Oakland A’s were stimyed by Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Dustin May, a young right handed pitcher just entering his prime. Tuesday night, they had to deal with the offerings of Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, a veteran lefty who likely will be a candidate for the Hall of Fame, but who was 0-1, 7.04 going into the game for the 4-1 NL West leading Dodgers. Kershaw’s starting performance stopped any A’s hitting for a 5-1 victory.

Facing him for the blue and gold was the irregularly effective right hander Chris Bassitt, bringing an 0-1, 5,06 record into his second start of the season. Bassitt is like the little girl with a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When he is good, he is very, very good, but when he is bad ….

The Athletics’ line-up presented a few noticeable changes from theilr recent ones. Ramón Laureano was back in action, batting third. The slumping Matt Olson, was replaced at first base by the also slumping Mitch Moreland, battingi n the seventh slot.

The new aliignment produced one early welcome outcome. For the first time this year Oakland led after one inning. Jed Lowrie, who usually plays second, batted in that position, replacing Moreland as DH, while Tony Kemp took over at Lowrie’s customary position in the field.

Lowrie’s new assignment and Laureano’s return produced immediate results. After the former’s one out double to center field, the latter blasted another, this one to right center, putting the home team up by a run and markiing the first time in 2021 that they had drawn first blood.

That was too good to be true for long, and it wasn’t. Edwin Ríos led off the top of the second with a sharp single to center. A walk to Gavin Lux moved him up a notch, and Austin Barnes’s resounding double to left drove him in. Bassitt managed to escape that inning without allowing any more scoring, thanks largely to a great defensive play by Moreland on Seager’s scorcher down the first base line to close out the frame.

The Dodgers added another three runs in the top of the third, bringing the score up to 4-1 on Turner’s second straight two bagger, Muncy’s two run long ball to right, followed two batters later by Ríos’s homer to right center.

Stephen PIscotty’s blast into the the left field second deck in the bottom of the fourth almost reduced LA’s lead to 4-2, but it was called foul after a video review.

Bassitt got his act together and pitched well until he was removed after having thrown 102 pitches, 65 for strikes, over six innings. All four of the runs he allowed were earned, and they came on nine hits. He had four strikeouts to show against one walk and a hit batter. HIs undoing was the two home runs he surrendered. At game’s end his record stood at 0-2, 5,56.

Lou Trivino was his replacement. He set the Dodgers down in order, including one punch out, before yielding to Yusmeiro Petit at the top of the eighth.

Piscotty hit the ball well in the bottom of the seventh when, after having just missed a home run in his previous AB, he drove a 86 mph slider against the left center field fence for his first hit of the night. Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning and Kershaw’s night’s work.

His performance had been outstanding. 61 of his 91 pitches were strikes. He gave one run, earned, on four hits, didn’t walk anyone and strudk out eight Athletics. One-time Oakland closer Blake Treinen relieved him at the beginning of the eighth and retired the side while yielding a walk to Kemp, who stole second.

Jordan Weems, recalled today from the A’s alternate site in Stockton, pitched the ninth for them. He yielded Mookie Betts’ first home run of the season, a slam over the State Farm advertisement in left centerfiled on an 94 mph four seamer. He got his other three batters out, two on strikeouts.

Laureano’s leadoff single in the ninth knocked Treinen out of the box. He passed the ball to LA’s closer, Kenley Jansen. Laureano’s steal of second, followed by two fly outs to right, one a warning track drive by Murphy, made things interesting. But Moreland’s pop out to Lux in shallow right ended the game.

The win brought Kereshaw’s ERA down to 4.26 and evened his won-loss record at 1-1.

The two teams will go at it again at 12:37 tomorrow afternoon, with right hander Trevor Bauer (1-0, 5.68) matching arms with southpaw Jesús Luzardo (0-1,9.00).