Shohei Ohtani hit a home run in his first at-bat, while Clayton Kershaw faced pressure from Garrett Crochet in his first regular-season game at Fenway.

Before today's game, veteran Clayton Kershaw, with 18 years of experience, had only pitched once at Fenway Park—losing 4-8 in the first game of the 2018 World Series.

This visit to the 113-year-old baseball shrine (likely his last) ended similarly: the Dodgers lost 2-4.

The recurring issue this season troubled Kershaw again: his inability to finish off batters. In the second inning, the first three batters reached base after having two strikes, and ultimately, Jarren Duran's double tied the game.

"In past years, he could always get batters out after two strikes, but he's really struggling in that area this year," admitted manager Dave Roberts.

In the fifth inning, after battling Alex Bregman for 10 pitches, Kershaw allowed a hit, and Roman Anthony's double brought in the go-ahead run, leading to Kershaw's exit.

Statistics show that this Dodgers ace pitched only 4.2 innings (not reaching five innings in consecutive games), giving up six hits and four earned runs, with two walks and two strikeouts.

"I completely lost control in the second inning," Kershaw stated, "There were all sorts of issues. However, I felt okay in the third, fourth, and fifth innings; I gave up runs, but overall, I was stable."

"We'll review and address the second-inning issues tomorrow. It should have been a very frustrating night, but now it feels only slightly frustrating."

Roberts added, "He slipped on the mound, losing both velocity and control in the second inning, but thankfully he adjusted well in the third and fourth."

Though the 37-year-old Kershaw hasn't announced his retirement, the Dodgers won't return to Boston for another two years, making it unlikely for this legendary left-hander to return to Fenway. When asked if he felt any special emotions for this game, the veteran calmly replied, "Fenway is a legendary park, the atmosphere from the fans is incredible, and the Dodgers' supporters are also quite loud; it was a great experience, but I have no regrets leaving."

The Dodgers' lineup started strong: Shohei Ohtani hit a 414-foot homer to right field in his first at-bat (his 10th first-at-bat home run this season, and the 22nd of his career), followed by Teoscar Hernández's 387-foot home run to left field two at-bats later, giving them a 2-0 lead.

"It was crucial for my teammates to build an early lead," Kershaw lamented, "but not being able to hold onto the advantage is frustrating."

After that, Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet locked in, striking out 10 batters in six innings, with no Dodgers batter reaching third base after the first inning.

"I felt good in the later innings, but I adapted too slowly in the second, which cost us the game," Kershaw reflected, "Against a strong pitcher like Crochet, scoring opportunities are already limited."

This loss dropped Kershaw's record for the season to 4 wins and 2 losses, with an 0-2 record and a 4.71 ERA in four starts in July, managing only 10 strikeouts in 21 innings.

"Usually, I can make quick adjustments during games," Kershaw explained, "Some starts feel better than others, and tonight I needed an extra inning to adapt."