The Los Angeles Dodgers have been plagued with an injured pitching staff all season long. However, their All-Star ace has come to the rescue as he has recently returned. Now having five games under his belt this season, Clayton Kershaw is settling in and becoming a threat to opposing lineups once again.
Sunday marked a positive note for Kershaw as he threw a season-high of innings pitched. Hoping to build off of the momentum, Kershaw gears up to face the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend. Can Kershaw remain dominant in his starts and be just as effective heading into the post-season?
Kershaw’s Lights Out Performance
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Sunday, Aug 18, Kershaw faced the St. Louis Cardinals. In a 2-1 victory for Los Angeles, the future Hall of Famer went six scoreless innings. During his outing, Kershaw looked undeniably himself as he had impeccable control and efficiency with his pitches.
Amidst his six shutout frames, he gave up just four hits in total. The first came in the bottom of the second inning off the bat of Brendan Donovan. A single to center off of a four-seam fastball gave the Cardinals their second base runner of the day. St. Louis did not reach base again until the fifth inning When Paul Goldschmidt singled to left. Despite two more attempts at scoring in the sixth inning, Kershaw shut down the Cardinals’ offense and left two stranded as he finished out his performance for the day.
To top off an incredible performance, Kershaw only gave up one walk and struck out two as this was the 85th time in his career he went at least six innings without allowing a run. The performance was enough to send the Dodgers to a series win.
Kershaw Since Returning From IL
July 25 marked the long-awaited return from number 22. He has registered an ERA of 2.63 in his five starts. While garnering a record of 2-2, he has collected 13 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.25. However, His last three starts have shown to be even more elite. He has an ERA of 1.10, 13 Ks, and three BBs in 16.1 innings pitched during August. Kershaw’s impressive numbers continue to climb as he gets further in the season and builds upon his foundation. As his innings increase and ERA decreases, the Dodgers are hopeful he will be what they need to be successful heading into October.
Pitching Staff Revival
Though the Dodgers have had their fair share of ailments affecting their pitching staff, many of their key pieces are returning or gearing up for a return very soon. Blake Trienen was activated off of the IL earlier Wednesday evening to aid the bullpen in their final game against the Seattle Mariners. Other positive notes from the pitching staff came from the starting rotation just yesterday in the form of Gavin Stone. The young star pitched seven shutout innings, giving up just two hits and two walks. During the impressive performance, heads were turned as the rookie reached double digits in strikeouts. He finished the night with 10 Ks.
As the pieces seem to be falling into place for Los Angeles, they have won seven of their last 10 games. They need to maintain this momentum heading into their next series as the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks are closing in on their divisional lead. The Dodgers aim to sweep the Mariners and head into their series with the Rays where Kershaw is slated to get the nod on Saturday.
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