Kershaw, Dodgers take World Series Game 1 over Rays

ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 20: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a home run in the sixth inning during Game 1 of the 2020 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Clayton Kershaw pitched six dominant innings, Cody Bellinger and Mookie Betts homered and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-3 to open a surreal World Series played amid the pandemic.

A neutral-site crowd limited by the coronavirus to 11,388 at Globe Life Field, the new $1.2 billion home of the Texas Rangers, saw the Dodgers chase a wild Tyler Glasnow and break away. Game 2 is Wednesday night.

The Dodgers, who posted the best record in the majors during the shortened season, plan to throw a collection of relievers against Rays ace Blake Snell.

Kershaw, a regular-season star with an erratic postseason history, allowed one run on two hits, struck out eight and left with an 8-1 lead.

Fresh off making three terrific catches in the NL Championship Series, Betts hit a solo home run and stole two bases. Bellinger launched a two-run shot in the fourth inning to break a scoreless tie — his seventh-inning homer in Game 7 of the NLCS put Los Angeles ahead to stay against Atlanta.