by Cary Osborne

The ultimate competitor hung his head in the dugout after four challenging innings on Saturday. He wore some frustration on his face.

Hours later, most of that was gone.

Clayton Kershaw, who has often used the word grateful this week about his first Major League start of 2025, was able to glean positives out of his season debut on Saturday in the Dodgers’ 11–9 loss to the Angels.

Kershaw didn’t factor in the decision. He had a difficult 38-pitch first inning and walked three total batters while allowing five runs over four frames.

“I think there’s some glimpses of my stuff being there, which was good,” Kershaw said after the game. “The problem tonight was just command. I had really bad command tonight, so I think I could fix that, which is good, which is an encouraging thing, but obviously not good enough tonight to get it done.”

The left-hander started well, with the 2,969th strikeout of his career — a slider missed by Angels shortstop Zach Neto. He bookended that with the 2,970th strikeout, a curveball missed by right fielder Jo Adell.

But in between there were three hits, two walks and three runs.

It was a grind, with the exception of a clean second inning.

He has walked three or more batters in a game eight times this season.

The slider was there. The Angels were 0-for-9 against it, and he earned strikes on 62% of the 31 he threw.

But he had a critique.

“I left a few (in the) middle today. I think more than anything, with the slider, there were a lot of foul balls instead of swings and misses,” Kershaw said. “That needs to be my out pitch. That needs to be the one that gets swing and miss on. So I think it’s in there. The location wasn’t great today.”

The Angels were 5-for-8 against his curveball, four-seamer and split/change. They also had nine hard-hit balls.

“There were some good throws mixed in, but just not enough consistency,” he said. “(I’ll) just look at it tomorrow, try to figure it out and work on it in the bullpen and get ready for the next one.”

Kershaw made five rehab starts coming back from offseason toe and knee surgeries — sort of the equivalent of his Spring Training. The 37-year-old made his first start of the season eight weeks in.

Manager Dave Roberts said he was impressed with the stuff overall.

“I thought the velocity was more than it’s been in quite some time,” Roberts said. I thought at times the slider was good. There was some swing and miss early. At times the curveball was good. He mixed a lot of changeups, which was good. I think tonight, the command just wasn’t consistent, and he got to a lot of two-strike counts and couldn’t put hitters away where typically, that’s his hallmark — when he gets count leverage, he can get a strikeout.”

The Angels’ five-run seventh inning ultimately was the Dodgers’ undoing.

LA had 15 hits, including four from Freddie Freeman. Kiké Hernández reached base five times, including a homer. Andy Pages hit a three-run homer in the first inning and saved a run for Kershaw with a spectacular running catch in the fourth inning. Dalton Rushing also added two hits and two RBI in his second career start at catcher.