The Los Angeles Dodgers opened a three-game set against the Toronto Blue Jays with a 5–1 victory at Dodger Stadium on Friday night, highlighted by a duel between future Hall of Famers Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer. Kershaw improved to 6-2, limiting Toronto to one run over six innings while striking out four and walking one. Scherzer matched him through four frames but surrendered a two-run blast in the fifth and left after six innings charged with two runs, dropping to 2-2 since joining the Blue Jays. Mookie Betts provided the decisive swing, driving a four-seam fastball into the left-field pavilion for a two-run homer—his first in nearly a month—and later added an RBI single. Shohei Ohtani collected three hits and scored twice, and the Dodgers tacked on three insurance runs in the seventh. The win lifted Los Angeles to 67-49 and preserved its lead atop the National League West after losing two of its previous three games. Toronto, which had arrived on a three-game winning streak, was held to one run despite a three-hit night from Daulton Varsho. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Saturday.