Do You Think Clayton Kershaw Ever Gets Tired Of Being Awesome?
.@ClaytonKersh22 tonight:
-12 Ks
-Became MLB's first 12-game winner
-Dodgers have won the last 11 starts by @ClaytonKersh22???? pic.twitter.com/4AS0p1bt7N
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 30, 2017
Last year, the Dodgers were 17-4 in games started by Clayton Kershaw, who had a 1.69 ERA in 21 starts. It was a herniated disc that sidelined the Dodgers’ ace for two months, which was the only thing that prevented him from locking down his fourth Cy Young award. In the past six years, Kershaw has won three Cy Young awards, finished second once, third once and the lowest he’s finished has been fifth, and that fifth place finish was last year when he missed two months. Motherfucker missed a third of the season and still finished top five in the Cy Young voting.
Through 17 starts this year, the Dodgers are 15-2 when Kershaw takes the mound, but in his last eleven starts, LA is unbeaten at 11-0. Over that span, Kershaw has posted a 2.16 ERA, which is second to only Max Scherzer (1.73) for the best ERA in the majors, and his 0.93 WHIP is also second to Scherzer (0.71) for the best mark in the majors.
After Kershaw’s performance last night in which he struck out twelve Angels batters over seven shutout innings, the Dodgers improved to 53-28 on the season, and they’re just a game and a half behind the Houston Astros for the best record in the MLB. As great as Kershaw has been (again), the rest of the Dodgers’ rotation has been spectacular in their own right. Rich Hill, Alex Wood, Brandon McCarthy, and Hyun-Jin Ryu have combined for a 3.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 8.85 K/9 in 259.1 innings.
McCarthy is on the DL right now with tendonitis in his right knee and he also missed some time in May with a shoulder injury, but when he’s been healthy, he’s been one of their better starters. I didn’t include Kenta Maeda in that group because he’s been in and out of the rotation all month, and he’s taken a step back from the pitcher he was last year. The hits per nine innings from this year compared to last year are almost identical, as are the walks per nine, strikeouts per nine, and innings per start, but the ERA is almost a full run higher. Luckily for the Dodgers, they have plenty of other arms who can step in and make a postseason start this October.
But with an offense that touts the fifth most runs per game in baseball (5.16), the best bullpen in the National League that also features arguably the best closer in the game, the best starting pitching ERA in baseball (3.43), the best run differential in baseball (+143), and perhaps, most importantly, with the Cubs suffering from a major World Series hangover, this very well could be the year that the Dodgers break through and get back to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1988. Who’s good enough to stop them from getting there? You tell me.