The Arizona Diamondbacks scored six runs in the first inning on their way to an 11-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2023 National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium.
Gabriel Moreno set the tone with a three-run home run in the first with Alek Thomas, Corbin Carroll and Tommy Pham all going deep as well, all in support of Merrill Kelly, who beat Los Angeles for the first time in his career.
"I'm watching our guys beat up on one of the best pitchers that we've ever seen in our lives and watching them do it in the first game I've ever pitched in the playoffs", Kelly said.
Kelly was 0-11 with a 5.49 ERA in 16 career starts against the Dodgers before this game, his first postseason start at age 34.
"I felt if I gave those games any attention I was going out there behind the eight-ball before I even stepped on the mound", he said.
At one point, Kelly retired 11 hitters in a row during his 6 1/3 innings of work giving up just three hits, the last of them a single by Miguel Rojas with one out in the bottom of the third inning.
"We just never really had a chance to get to Kelly", said Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts. "He was attacking us and making us put the ball in play and we just couldn't do it."
In the 100th playoff game at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw endured the worst and shortest start of his Hall of Fame career, allowing six runs in just a third of an inning.
"It's just embarrassing really", he said. "I just feel like I let everybody down.
Added first baseman Freddie Freeman: "I don't think anybody in the baseball world was expecting that."
Ketel Marte led off the game with a double after the ball went off the glove of center fielder James Outman and Carroll singled him home. Pham singled for the first of his four hits and Christian Walker doubled off the base of the bullpen gate to make it 2-0.
Moreno was next and he smashed a three-run homer to put the game out of reach.
Kershaw got Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to ground out to shortstop, the only out he would get. He became the first starting pitcher in MLB postseason history to allow five hits and five runs before recording an out.
He walked Thomas and Evan Longoria doubled him home, making it 6-0, prompting Roberts to pull him and bring in rookie Emmet Sheehan.
The Diamondbacks scored three in the second on a solo home run by Carroll, Gurriel Jr.'s RBI double, and a sacrifice fly by Longoria to extend the lead to 9-0.
Thomas went deep in the seventh and Pham made it 11-0 with a solo blast in the eighth as Arizona pounded out 13 hits.
"I just think this team was very focused", said Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo. "We talked about what our game plan was going to be, and I watched this group go out and execute it to a T."
Miguel Castro issued back-to-back walks to Mookie Betts and Freeman before catcher Will Smith drove them both home with a triple into the right-field corner.
Arizona reached the playoffs for the first time since 2017 when they were swept by the Dodgers in this very round.
"Our guys are hungry", Lovullo said. "I don't think they're feeling a ton of pressure. They just went out there and did what they do best, and the way they prep is what showed up for me."
Gallen, Miller face off in Game 2
Arizona looks to take a commanding 2-0 series lead behind Zac Gallen. The right-hander won 17 games and allowed two runs and five hits over six innings against Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card series.
Rookie Bobby Miller, who won three of his final five regular season starts, gets the start for the Dodgers.