LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw was shaky in the first start of his 18th season, but he wasn’t alone in giving up runs on Saturday night at Dodger Stadium. Five runs in the seventh inning tilted this back-and-forth affair the Angels’ way in an 11-9 win over the Dodgers.

Ben Casparius had already pitched two scoreless innings in relief when he allowed two doubles to open the seventh before getting a strikeout. Kirby Yates allowed a single, home run, and double to his first three batters, then after a walk two batters later left the game with right hamstring tightness.

Luis García allowed an RBI single and walk before getting the final out of the interminable inning.

Those three Dodgers pitchers combined to throw 51 pitches in the Angels’ five-run seventh inning, which erased a two-run Dodgers lead.

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Kershaw’s command problems came early, walking two in a row in the first inning after a one-out single. A two-run single by Logan O’Hoppe and RBI double by Matthew Lugo completed the scoring in a 38-pitch top of the first inning.

After the opening frame Kershaw settled down, with 45 pitches over his next three innings, but allowed single runs in the third and fourth innings. That included a solo home run by Taylor Ward in the third inning.

Kershaw struck out two in the first inning and none after that, ending his night with more walks (three) than strikeouts and five runs against him.

Andy Pages helped the Dodgers keep pace with a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, his third home run in his last four games.

Pages also made a tremendous running catch while crashing into the short wall in right field in the fifth inning. Though the out ended up a sacrifice fly and the Angels’ fifth run, Pages actually saved a run as Kevin Newman was stranded at second base in that inning. Pages was holding his side after the play and went down the dugout tunnel after the inning, but remained in the game.

Freddie Freeman had his second four-hit game in seven days.

Kiké Hernández reached base five times for just the second time in his career, including a fourth-inning home run that brought the Dodgers to within one. He also had a single and three walks. Hernández’s other time reaching base five times was in Game 2 of the 2021 ALDS with Boston.

After a pair of walks to open the sixth inning, Dalton Rushing’s RBI double tied the score for his first major league extra-base hit and RBI. He added a single in the seventh inning for his second RBI to pull the Dodgers to within two.

The Dodgers had two outs and nobody on in the eighth inning before three hits and a walk to score a run off Ryan Zefferjahn. But old friend Kenley Jansen came in with the bases loaded and got Michael Conforto to ground out to keep the Angels ahead by a run.

But Matthew Lugo answered right back with a solo home run off Alex Vesia in the ninth to give the Angels extra cushion, up by two.

Jansen allowed a single to Will Smith in the ninth but otherwise escaped unscathed, earning his first four-out save of the season.

Saturday particulars

Home runs: Andy Pages (9), Kiké Hernández (7); Taylor Ward (11), Logan O’Hoppe (10), Matthew Lugo (3)

WP — Reid Detmers (1-2): 2 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts

LP — Kirby Yates (3-2): ⅓ IP, 3 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk

Sv — Kenley Jansen (8): 1⅓ IP, 1 hit

Up next

Tony Gonsolin is on the mound in the series finale on Sunday (1:10 p.m.; SportsNet LA, FanDuel Sports Network West, KCOP 13), with southpaw Yusei Kikuchi starting for the Halos.