Moreno HR keys D-backs’ ambush of Kershaw, LA in Game 1

Gabriel Moreno homers off Clayton Kershaw in six-run first in NLDS Game 1

n”,”providerName”:”Twitter”,”providerUrl”:”https://twitter.com”,”type”:”oembed”,”width”:550,”contentType”:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Moreno then delivered the biggest blow, crushing a 3-2 slider out to left for a mammoth 419-foot shot that extended the D-backs’ lead to 5-0. The 23-year-old Venezuelan celebrated his second postseason home run with an emphatic bat flip, firing up his teammates in the D-backs’ dugout and quieting the crowd at Dodger Stadium.”,”type”:”text”},{“__typename”:”Video”,”contentDate”:”2023-10-08T01:20:00Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({“preferredPlaybacks”:”mp4AvcPlayback”})”:”https://darkroom-clips.mlb.com/886ce4f3-a66b-4431-9af7-9247e2594346.mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”The data behind Gabriel Moreno’s home run”,”displayAsVideoGif”:true,”duration”:”00:00:11″,”slug”:”the-distance-behind-gabriel-moreno-s-home-run-x1544″,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”data-visualization”,”title”:”data visualization”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-672515″,”title”:”Gabriel Moreno”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:672515″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-109″,”title”:”Arizona Diamondbacks”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:109″},”type”:”team”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”:”Thumbnail”,”templateUrl”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/miujxym9yxjuyjrvkguc”},”title”:”The distance behind Gabriel Moreno’s home run”,”relativeSiteUrl”:”/video/the-distance-behind-gabriel-moreno-s-home-run-x1544″},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content”:”Evan Longoria, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Saturday, capped Arizona’s huge inning with an RBI double that made it 6-0 and chased Kershaw, who became the first starting pitcher to record only one out and allow six or more hits and runs in a playoff appearance.”,”type”:”text”}],”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary”:”LOS ANGELES — There was some question about whether D-backs catcher Gabriel Moreno would be available for the National League Division Series after he was struck on the head by a backswing in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series against the Brewers, but he was cleared to return to”,”tagline({“formatString”:”none”})”:null,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”maria-guardado”,”title”:”Maria Guardado”,”type”:”contributor”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”nlds”,”title”:”NLDS”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”series-b”,”title”:”Series B”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”GameTag”,”slug”:”gamepk-748555″,”title”:”2023/10/07 t5532@la”,”type”:”game”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-672515″,”title”:”Gabriel Moreno”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:672515″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-109″,”title”:”Arizona Diamondbacks”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:109″},”type”:”team”}],”type”:”story”,”thumbnail”:”https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/ngnd1xqz5ob3qmnoqj6a”,”title”:”Gabriel Moreno homers off Clayton Kershaw in six-run first in NLDS Game 1″}},”Person:672515″:{“__typename”:”Person”,”id”:672515},”Team:109″:{“__typename”:”Team”,”id”:109},”Person:682998″:{“__typename”:”Person”,”id”:682998}}} window.adobeAnalytics = {“reportingSuiteId”:”mlbglobal08,mlbcom08″,”linkInternalFilters”:”mlb”} window.globalState = {“tracking_title”:”Major League Baseball”,”lang”:”en”} window.appId = ” /*–>*/

2:23 AM UTC

“A major sigh of relief,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “We believe in our understudies, but he’s an impact player that we dearly needed for this series.”

It didn’t take Moreno long to wipe away any lingering health concerns, as he launched a three-run home run that highlighted a stunning six-run rally against Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw in the first inning of Game 1 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Saturday night. 

The D-backs jumped all over Kershaw, who gave up five consecutive hits to open the game and retired only one of the eight batters he faced in the worst postseason start of his storied career.

Ketel Marte opened the game with a drive to left-center field that hit off the heel of James Outman’s glove and fell for a leadoff double. Corbin Carroll followed with a single to right field that scored Marte and gave Arizona a quick 1-0 lead. 

Tommy Pham reached on another single to put a pair of runners on for Christian Walker, who smoked an RBI double off the bottom of the left-field wall.

Moreno then delivered the biggest blow, crushing a 3-2 slider out to left for a mammoth 419-foot shot that extended the D-backs’ lead to 5-0. The 23-year-old Venezuelan celebrated his second postseason home run with an emphatic bat flip, firing up his teammates in the D-backs’ dugout and quieting the crowd at Dodger Stadium.

Evan Longoria, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Saturday, capped Arizona’s huge inning with an RBI double that made it 6-0 and chased Kershaw, who became the first starting pitcher to record only one out and allow six or more hits and runs in a playoff appearance.