CHICAGO — Clayton Kershaw dominated over seven innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the struggling Chicago Cubs 7-0 in the opener of a split doubleheader on Saturday.

Freddie Freeman doubled three times and scored twice, helping the NL West leaders win for the 16th time in 21 games. Austin Barnes homered and drove in three runs.

Mookie Betts went 2 for 5 with five RBI and Los Angles won Game 2, 6-2.

Kershaw (4-0) gave up five hits, struck out two and walked one. The three-time Cy Young Award winner bounced back from a tough-luck loss to Detroit in which he surpassed Hall of Famer Don Sutton as the Dodgers’ career strikeout leader.

Kershaw combined with two relievers on Los Angeles’ third shutout of the season. The twinbill was part of a makeup from Friday’s rainout.

Barnes hit a solo drive in the fourth against Drew Smyly and added a two-run single in the eighth. Justin Turner drove in two with a double in the fifth, making it 4-0 and the Dodgers continued to roll along coming off a two-game sweep of San Francisco in which they outscored their rivals by a combined 12-2.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

REDS 9, PIRATES 2: Pittsburgh emergency catcher Josh VanMeter had a rough time in his first try behind the plate since he was a teenager, and host Cincinnati took advantage to end a nine-game losing streak, beating the Pirates in the opener of a doubleheader.

Tyler Stephenson fouled a ball hard off VanMeter’s mask, then hit a tiebreaking, bases-loaded double in the eighth inning that fueled a seven-run burst.

Pirates starting catcher Roberto Pérez was helped off the field with a left hamstring injury after falling while rounding second base in the top of the eighth. Backup catcher Andrew Knapp had been ejected by plate umpire Will Little in the bottom of the sixth for chirping from the dugout.

BRAVES 3, BREWERS 2: Ronald Acuña Jr. hit a fifth-inning homer for the game’s first run, Max Fried outpitched Corbin Burnes and Atlanta held on to win at home.

Asked to protect a 3-1 lead, Braves closer Kenley Jansen gave up a run in the ninth. Christian Yelich, who led off with a double, scored on Tyrone Taylor’s one-out single to cut the Braves’ lead to one run.

Jansen then struck out Rowdy Tellez and Taylor was caught stealing for a double play to end the game. The Brewers unsuccessfully challenged the call on Taylor. Jansen earned his eighth save.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

TWINS 1, ATHLETICS 0: Jorge Polanco homered in the sixth inning and four Minnesota pitchers made it stand up, blanking Oakland in Minneapolis and sending the Athletics to their eighth straight loss.

Minnesota pitchers combined to strike out 15 while allowing just three hits. The Twins won again minus manager Rocco Baldelli, who is out with COVID-19.

Polanco’s third homer of the season was a towering shot to the suites above the batter’s eye in center field and traveled an estimated 451 feet. Polanco had three of Minnesota’s five hits.

BLUE JAYS, GUARDIAN SPLIT: Owen Miller delivered a two-run double and Franmil Reyes homered and had two RBIs, helping host Cleveland beat Toronto  8-2 and earn a doubleheader split.

The Blue Jays won the opener 8-3 as George Springer and Raimel Tapia each drove in three runs in the first four innings against ace Shane Bieber.

In the second game, Miller’s double was part of a three-run first. Reyes hit a solo shot in the third and singled home Amed Rosario in the fifth. The Guardians were playing in their MLB-high third doubleheader, all at Progressive Field.

ASTROS 3, TIGERS 2: Jose Altuve homered early, and Michael Brantley tripled in a two-run eighth to help Houston win at home and run its winning streak to a season-best six games with an victory over Detroit.

The win was manager Dusty Baker’s 2,004th, passing Bruce Bochy (2,003) for 11th on the all-time list. Baker became the 12th manager in MLB history and first Black man to reach 2,000 wins on Tuesday night.

The Astros trailed 2-1 in the eighth when Altuve singled with one out and scored on a triple to right field by Brantley to tie it. The Tigers intentionally walked Yordan Alvarez with two outs before Michael Fulmer (1-1) walked Yuli Gurriel to load the bases.

NOTES

POSTPONEMENTS: The series opener between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees was postponed for a second straight day because of a forecast for sustained rain in the area.

The postponement was announced nearly four hours before game time. The Rangers and Yankees will make up the game Monday at 1:05 p.m.

They had been scheduled to play Friday night, a game that was rained out nearly eight hours before the scheduled first pitch. That game will now be played Sunday as part of a single-admission doubleheader beginning at 1:35 p.m.

This weekend marks Texas’ only scheduled trip to Yankee Stadium this season.

• For the second straight day, the game between the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies was postponed due to rain. Saturday’s game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Sunday.

The first game will start at 12:35 p.m., with the second game following immediately afterward. The game that was postponed Friday night was rescheduled for Aug. 20 as part of a split-admission doubleheader.

Max Scherzer (4-0, 2.61 ERA) was scheduled to start for the Mets on Saturday against Kyle Gibson (2-1, 2.93). Sunday’s originally scheduled starters were Chris Bassitt (3-2, 2.61) for New York against Zach Eflin (1-2, 4.50).

BREWERS: Outfielder Andrew McCutchen tested positive for COVID-19.

McCutchen returned to the team hotel in Atlanta and was placed on the COVID-19 injured list.

The Brewers recalled infielder Mike Brosseau from Triple-A Nashville but it was not known if he would arrive in Atlanta before the start of Saturday night’s game against the Braves.