ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ Clayton Kershaw spent parts of 12 years pitching nearly everywhere else, and often very well, before making it to the mound at Tropicana Field.
When he finally did Tuesday, he put on a show.
The three-time Cy Young award winner scattered six hits while working into the seventh in leading the Dodgers to a 7-3 win.
For the Rays, Tuesday's game was the start of a critical 6 { week stretch, the opening of a run of playing 34 games in 34 days (with one doubleheader and one day off) and 47 in 48 leading up to the early July All-Star break.
But it also was a continuation of their ongoing run of mediocrity, as they are now 13-14 since running their dazzling start to 14-4 on April 17, and lost at least 6 { games in the standings.
The Dodgers built a 6-0 lead, beating the Rays in a way at their own game, beating the shift with their hits and having their fielders in the right spots for what the Rays were doing.
Also in countering the impact of the opener by starting a lefty hitting DH in Matt Beaty to face Rays righty Hunter Wood, then pinch-hitting righty David Freese in the third when the Rays switched to lefty Jalen Beeks. That Freese doubled and ended up scoring made it more impactful.
None of the similar strategy was a surprise given that Andrew Friedman headed up the Rays baseball operations department before going to the Dodgers.
The Rays rallied for three in the seventh as they chased Kershaw to close the gap to 6-3, but that was about it.
They may have had a chance for more when Kevin Kiermaier led off the eighth with a drive to left-center, but he was thrown out trying to get to third by Alex Verdugo.
The Rays had only faced Kershaw once previously, and that in 2013. But a half-dozen of their hitters had faced him at some point, and it's obviously been on TV and in all the papers just how good he is, even as he has transformed from the power pitcher he once was.
"Obviously we don't see him very much, but what he's done in his career? He's really good," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "You see pitchers that have evolved over time. Clayton Kershaw (was) 96, 98 mph, wipeout curveball or whatever it was. He's evolved. You're not going to be able to throw 98 forever.
"Time has got him, but, man, has he continued to find ways to get guys out. He really commits himself to the strike zone, he mixes his pitches well, he's still really good."
Rays ace lefty Blake Snell is also a huge fan, placing Kershaw with Felix Hernandez as the top pitchers he's seen.
"He's a guy that I've always looked up to," Snell said. "It's always been him, Matt Moore, David (Price) and (Chris) Sale as the lefties that I've always really respected how they played the game.
"To be able to watch him in person, I'm excited for it. More so how he holds himself, how he's composed, all that. He's the best of our time. ... I admire the way he works, how long he's done it, what he's accomplished. There's a lot there to really like about him."
The quick two-game series wraps on Wednesday night, with the Rays likely using an opener in front of Yonny Chirinos and the Dodgers starting veteran lefty Rich Hill.
