Clayton Kershaw strikes out 11 Rangers as Dodgers roll

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw struck out 11 batters in six scoreless innings to lead the Dodgers over the Rangers 10-2 Thursday evening at Surprise Stadium.

How Rangers pitchers fared: Dillon Gee was charged with seven runs (four earned) on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. Gee didn’t get much help from his defense but the Dodgers hit him hard regardless. Chase Utley’s wind-aided homer to right in the first inning gave Los Angeles a 2-0 lead. Another run scored in after a double and single in the second. Three unearned runs scored in the third thanks to two throwing errors by second baseman Rougned Odor. Dario Alvarez allow a hit and a walk and struck out one in an inning of relief. Jose Leclerc worked around a hit and two walks in a scoreless sixth. R.J. Alvarez allowed a solo homer and walked three with a strikeout in a 1 1/3 innings.

How Rangers hitters fared: Kershaw held the Rangers to two hits and a walk through his six innings of work. He struck out the first four Rangers he faced until Mike Napoli flew out to deep center in the second. Nomar Mazara had a single to left in the second and Napoli singled to right in the fourth. Chirinos worked a walk in the third and moved to second on Delino DeShields’ sacrifice bunt. Drew Robinson’s two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth gave Rangers their only runs. It’s Robinson’s team-leading fourth homer of the spring.

Notables: Kershaw struck out the first four batters he faced and the last five batters he faced. He had 17 strikeouts in 15 innings before Thursday. His previous career high in strikeouts in a spring game was eight.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 9:47 PM with the headline "Clayton Kershaw strikes out 11 Rangers as Dodgers roll."