LOS ANGELES _ Admit it, for the three seasons Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke were the Los Angeles Dodgers' historically great one-two punch, there were occasions you wondered.
Who was one? Who was two?
Their first duel as opponents Friday night at Dodger Stadium reminded everyone of the folly of such wonder, illuminating the pitchers' time together while providing closure on their separation.
Kershaw was the one punch. Greinke was the one punched out.
Kershaw was at his emotional best, leaping off the mound, pointing to teammates, holding the Arizona Diamondbacks to one run and four hits in 8 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts.
Greinke was at his confused worst, falling behind in counts, hanging pitches thrown with seemingly little purpose, allowing the Dodgers five runs and 10 scalding hits in five innings.
The final score was 7-1, and the final message was clear.
Around here, Kershaw is still the one and only punch that matters.
"Kersh was awesome, he did a helluva job tonight," said Justin Turner.
He was brilliant, he was tough and then, unsurprisingly, when he finished two outs short of throwing his first complete game since he suffered his back injury last June, he was mad.
One out after allowing a leadoff single to Chris Iannetta in the ninth, Kershaw gave up a line drive to Chris Owings that skipped beyond the reach of Joc Pederson in right-center field, scoring Iannetta and bringing Manager Dave Roberts out of the dugout.
Kershaw couldn't look at him, wouldn't look at him. When he finally handed Roberts the ball, Kershaw stared straight ahead and walked slowly off the mound.
The Dodger Stadium crowd stood and cheered, and Kershaw just walked and stared, until finally the pitcher acknowledged them by touching his cap. But then moments later, he threw that cap on the dugout bench and briefly disappeared down the dugout tunnel.
But, sure enough, he returned to lead the Dodgers' congratulations parade out of the dugout afterward. He wanted this one bad. And even though he didn't finish it, he finished Greinke.
"The focus is a little more heightened, because there's some bragging rights, some banter that goes on when the season is over, and I'm sure they want to get the best of each other," Roberts said before the game.
The night began with Sandy Koufax in the stands and thick anticipation in the chilly air.
It was the richest pitching matchup in major league history, with the two pitchers combining to make $67 million this season with nearly identical salaries. And both of them earned that money as Dodgers.
During their years together here from 2013to 2015, the two pitchers combined to go 104-34 with a 2.10 ERA, two Cy Young awards, one runner-up, and one third place.
Kershaw took the mound with the second-best ERA in Dodger Stadium history at 1.98, while Greinke was tied for third at 2.19.
"On the card, this is as good as it gets," Roberts said. "They're both good. You're gonna see their best tonight, I'm sure of it."
He was half right. While most Dodgers fans already realized that management made the right decision by letting Greinke walk to Arizona two winters ago for $206.5 million over six years _ the Dodgers came within two wins of a World Series appearance without him last fall _ this game offered some small validation of that belief.
Kershaw stayed strong throughout while Greinke, who never seemed rattled when he pitched with Kershaw, was clearly rattled when facing him.
He fell behind three of his first four hitters in a scoreless first inning, allowed the Dodgers to load the bases in the second inning before getting the big-swinging Kershaw to ground into a double play, then lost his way in the third.
Greinke gave up four consecutive one-out singles with RBIs by Adrian Gonzalez and Logan Forsythe. The next inning, after putting himself back in trouble by allowing a single to Andrew Toles before walking Corey Seager, he allowed two more runs on a single by Turner.
Seemingly moments later in the fifth, he gave up the fifth run on singles by Forsythe and Yasmani Grandal followed by a run-scoring fly by Yasiel Puig.
Greinke was messy, scattered, and, when he came to the plate to face Kershaw in the third, man, was he booed. While this performance was similar to others in his struggling debut season in Arizona last season, many thought that his 2.31 ERA in his first two starts this season indicated that he had finally settled down.
Maybe. Just not here. Just not now.
Kershaw, meanwhile, used the moment to gaudily unwrap his best start in three appearances this year, holding the Diamondbacks hitless until a scorching line drive up the middle by Owings in the fourth inning nearly separated him from his head.
He still seemed a bit unnerved as he proceeded to walk Paul Goldschmidt and then throw a pitch that bounced halfway to home plate, allowing both runners to advance while Kershaw leaped off the mound in frustration.
But as suddenly as he seemed to lose it, he found it again, inducing Brandon Drury into an inning-ending grounder to Turner that so excited him, he pumped his fist and pointed happily to the third baseman in thanks.
Kershaw has now won his last nine decisions at Dodger Stadium dating back to last May, but few seemed as big as this one.
The star finally stared down the sidekick, and yes, there is a difference.
