How Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw turned back the clock with a vintage performance against the Padres.

Clayton Kershaw fired six innings of one-run ball to help the Dodgers snap a four-game losing streak and tie up the NL West again with a 3-2 win over the Padres.

Having lost four in a row and their lead in the NL West, the Dodgers entered Friday night's series opener against the surging Padres needing to play with some urgency.

“Clayton Kershaw held the Padres to 1 run in six innings of work. He did it with a fastball that averaged 89.7 mph. This man has given every single ounce of everything he's ever had to the Dodgers for 18 years. Competitive greatness," Dodgers' Nation Doug McKain wrote.

Just when you might think Clayton Kershaw has done all he can for the Dodgers, he proves against the San Diego Padres he can still be a dominant force for the team.

Padres reliever Jeremiah Estrada has flourished by discovering the virtues of the elevated fastball, pairing elite velocity with elite characteristics that make it death on those who dare to swing at an elevated heater. But Hernández was ready for it, taking an elevated fastball for a strike before unleashing on the second one he saw.

The San Diego Padres dropped their opening game of a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-2, bringing them level with their rivals in the NL West.