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Kershaw wished for 'anything' but 1st-inning Puig homer

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Two highly anticipated returns lived up to expectations Monday in Los Angeles.

Clayton Kershaw made his first start of the season after beginning the campaign on the injured list, and Yasiel Puig returned to Dodger Stadium as a member of the Cincinnati Reds after a big offseason trade. And, as if it were out of a Hollywood movie, the "Wild Horse" took the three-time National League Cy Young winner deep in his first at-bat.

The Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander revealed after his strong 2019 debut that the last thing he wanted to do was serve one up to his ex-teammate.

"I wish I could've done anything but give up a homer to Puig on the first at-bat, but he put a great swing on the ball," Kershaw said, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "Unfortunately, I've seen him do that for a while here."

As expected, Puig was resoundingly more excited about the early homer.

"I miss the fans and seeing the stadium full and chanting my name all of the time when I go up to bat or make a good throw," Puig said. "Last year in the World Series, I hit a home run. People were chanting my name, and that made me excited and made me play the best I can every day when I go out.

"That's what I was feeling today. I tried to do the best I can today facing Kershaw, and the first day back in Los Angeles."

Reds teammate Matt Kemp, who was also dealt to Cincinnati in December, wasn't surprised to see Puig hit one out.

"I think the fans were pretty shocked, but we weren't that shocked," Kemp said. "That's something he would do."

The Dodgers got the last laugh, though, as Joc Pederson hit a two-run, walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth.

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