When the Dodgers took the field at Dodger Stadium for game-1 of the 2017 World Series on Tuesday night, there was an electricity in the historic ballpark of the likes not felt in decades … three decades to be exact.

On the mound for the Dodgers was their ace, 29-year-old Clayton Kershaw who, to this point of his 10-year MLB career, had accomplished just about everything that a major league pitcher could possibly do. The hard-throwing lefty with a curveball that Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully had so appropriately dubbed ‘Public Enemy Number One’ a decade earlier has won three Cy Young awards, has thrown a no-hitter, and has won a National League MVP title. But the one thing that had eluded the future Hall of Famer was the one thing that he wanted most; a World Series championship.

On Tuesday night, Kershaw took the first step towards that career goal when he led the Dodgers to their first World Series game win since former Dodgers great Orel Hershiser struck out Oakland A’s second baseman Tony Phillips in the bottom of the ninth inning of game-5 of the 1988 World Series on October 20, 1988.

In front of a partisan crowd of 54,253, Kershaw allowed just one run on three hits over seven brilliant innings of work in the Dodgers eventual 3-1 win over the American League champion Houston Astros. That lone Astros run came in the fourth inning on a solo home run by third baseman Alex Bergman. Aside from that, no other Houston batter even reached second base on the night.

“This team is a really good hitting team,” Kershaw said of the extremely dangerous Astros. “They hit a lot of homers and don’t strike out. There’s little room for error. So it’s important for me to establish pitches, be able to throw multiple things for strikes, and thankfully I was able to do that tonight.

“I made a few mistakes. Obviously Bergman got me, then threw one down the middle to [Carlos] Correa that he popped up that could’ve gone a long way, too. So for the most part, though, I’ll take it,” added Kershaw.

Kershaw had what was arguably the best game of his 10-year MLB career in game-1 of the 2017 World Series on Tuesday night. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

With his signature fastball, the aforementioned curveball, and his unhittable swing-and-miss slider, Kershaw struck out 11 Astros batters over his seven innings of work without allowing a walk. It was, in every sense of the word, vintage Clayton Kershaw.

“Tonight was one of those nights I think the first time in a while, where we’ve seen all three of his pitches synced up,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Kershaw. “He just was repeating the delivery, held the velocity. Was throwing the baseball where he needed to, where he wanted to.”

With his 11 strikeouts, Kershaw became only the fifth Dodger pitcher to record double-digit strikeouts in a World Series game, joining the likes of Sandy Koufax (15), Carl Erskine (14), Don Newcombe (11) and Don Drysdale (11).

But even with what some are calling the best pitching performance of Kershaw’s career – postseason or otherwise – he needed help from his offense to give the Dodgers their first World Series game win in 29 years, and that offense began with the very first pitch of the night by left-handed Astros ace Dallas Keuchel – an 88-mph fastball – that Dodgers leadoff hitter Chris Taylor absolutely crushed for a solo home run to give the Dodgers a (very) early 1-0 lead. Taylor’s blast landed three quarters of the way up the Left Field Pavilion and was estimated at a remarkable 447 feet.

“It always helps to get off to a good start,” Taylor told reporters after the game. “Takes a little bit of pressure off and makes it fun when you jump on it like that early and get a lead.”

Dodgers center fielder Chris Taylor lit up an already electrified Dodger Stadium crowd when he absolutely crushed the very first pitch he saw off of Astros ace Dallas Keuchel for a monster 447-foot solo home run to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But the real damage for the Dodgers came in the bottom of the sixth inning when, after a crucial two-out walk by Taylor, 2017 NLCS co-MVP Justin Turner lofted an 87-MPH Keuchel cut fastball over the wall in straightaway left field for what would prove to be a game-winning two-run home run.

“My first two at-bats I was swinging a little bit bigger bat, a 34 1/2 [ounces], and I got beat in[side] a couple of times,” Turner said. “So I’m going to switch back to my 33 1/2 that I normally use, a little smaller bat. Good thing I did, because I didn’t get beat the third time.”

Turner’s two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning proved to be the game winner. It also gave the popular redhead 26 career postseason runs batted in to tie him with Hall of Famer Duke Snider for most postseason RBI in Dodgers franchise history. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Turner’s home run was his fourth of the 2017 postseason and now gives him 14 RBI this postseason and 26 postseason RBI over his nine-year MLB career. This ties him with Hall of Famer Duke Snider for most postseason RBI in Dodgers franchise history. Turner is in an excellent position to surpass Snider’s long-held record, who accomplished his feat in 36 postseason games as compared to Turner’s 27 postseason games.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen notched his first career World Series save In Tuesday night’s 3-1 win over the Houston Astros. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Game-2 of the 2017 World Series takes place on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers will send left-hander Rich Hill to the mound opposite Astros right-hander Justin Verlander. First pitch is slated for 5:08 pm PT.