Clayton Kershaw wins MLB leading 16th game
By Mike Marteny
Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was at it again on Wednesday night. In his return to Arizona after his no-hitter earlier this season, Kershaw walked the first batter he faced. In the third inning, he loaded the bases for the first time all season. In the fourth, he allowed his first unearned run since September 13th of 2013. In the fifth inning, he allowed his first triple since May 17th.
More from Los Angeles Dodgers
- MLB Trade Grades: Dodgers land Amed Rosario from Guardians
- Shohei Ohtani trade rumors live tracker: Every update so far
- After frantic trade day, Kiké Hernandez grateful for second chance with Dodgers
- This White Sox-Dodgers trade for bullpen help could lead to LA reunion
- MLB Trade Grades: Dodgers reunite with familiar face in Red Sox deal
But in the end, it was more of the same for Kershaw. Eight innings, one unearned run, and ten strikeouts. This was his third straight ten strikeout game, joining Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax as the only Dodgers to accomplish this feat in Los Angeles.
Kershaw also picked up his major league leading 16th win, despite spending five weeks of the season on the disabled list. He now has a 1.29 ERA since May 17th, and 1.73 ERA on the season. That is almost Bob Gibson-esque.
The lefty now has a 16-3 record overall, and a 13-1 record in his last 16 starts.
In Kershaw’s last 750 innings pitched, he has a 1.99 ERA. That is not just one season of dominance. It’s three. In a row.
We all know that Kershaw has lofty expectations for himself. He even went so far as to call this a “bad start”, adding that he felt like guys were on base all night. If this is a bad start, then there have been maybe two dozen good starts in the majors this year. Most of them by Kershaw himself.