The Los Angeles Dodgers welcomed back their ace with open arms as Clayton Kershaw took the mound Friday for the first time in 75 days.
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Kershaw was the latest of the Dodgers’ injured pitchers to return, and although he lasted only three innings, giving up two runs and five hits, Friday’s bumpy outing in South Florida was the start to the process of getting the club’s three-time Cy Young Award victor up to speed again.
This had been Kershaw’s first start in the big leagues since June 26th, thanks to a back injury. He struck out five and gave up two runs on five hits.
Kershaw’s 2.16 xFIP and 30.8 strikeout-to-walk-percentage both rank best among pitchers with at least 120 innings pitched this year. He did become the first major-league pitcher to reach 150 strikeouts in a season with fewer than 10 walks (he has only walked nine batters in 124 innings this season).
PORCELLO WINS NO. 20: Rick Porcello pitched seven innings to become the first 20-game victor in the majors, Hanley Ramirez hit a three-run homer and the visiting Red Sox increased their AL East lead to two games by routing the Blue Jays 13-3 in the opener of a pivotal three-game series between the division’s top two teams.
Los Angeles leads the NL West by 4.5 games over the San Francisco Giants who are playing the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
Cubs hit 90 wins: Kris Bryant hit a two-run homer, Jon Lester threw seven scoreless innings, and Hector Rondon and Aroldis Chapman completed the shutout to give the Cubs a 2-0 win over the host Astros.
SportNet LA cameras showed Roberts going to shake Kershaw’s hand in the dugout, indicating his night was done, but Kershaw was having none of it. “I threw a lot of pitches”. Los Angeles managed seven hits and walked three times with Yasmani Grandal cracking his 25th homer. Asked whether it was realistic for him to regain his old form after a 75-day lull, Kershaw said, “I don’t get that luxury”. “You try to look at the positives, and I got to pitch again, so that’s good”. “I’m thankful that I got to come back”.
If the Dodgers make the postseason – and according to Fangraphs, they are in a very strong position to do so – Friday night won’t be the last time Kershaw goes up against a colleague of his own caliber.
A showdown between the Dodgers’ ace and Jose Fernandez sounded like a marque pitching matchup in brightest neon.
Unfortunately for the 2014 MVP, the Dodgers were unable to mount a comeback as they were dominated by Marlins ace and 2013 NL Rookie of the Year Jose Fernandez. “There wasn’t the sharpness we expected, the slider wasn’t there, but just to see him on the mound was great”, Roberts said.
“No, I can’t (look at it that way)”, Kershaw said.
Clayton Kershaw is ready to return to the Dodgers’ rotation.
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Kershaw’s breaking pitches, in particular, did not have their usual bite and he acknowledged “I was in the middle of the plate more than I should be”. “But at the same time, it’s September whatever-it-is and we’ve got a division to win”, he said. We project him to record a 3.02 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP over the rest of the year. When the playoffs arrive, Clayton Kershaw is poised to be back to the Clayton Kershaw we all know and love. “I want to be a part of that”.
