After struggling in the month of April and then dealing with arm and back injuries that kept him out for the better part of two months, many started to question if Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw was still the same dominant pitcher that won three National League Cy Young awards.
Kershaw has since silenced those critics by turning in one strong outing after another, including allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out three in seven innings in the Dodgers’ 3-2 comeback victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.
Kershaw has posted a 1.94 ERA and 0.83 WHIP in eight starts since the All-Star break. And despite conversations suggesting otherwise, believes he is still the same pitcher who was regarded as the best of his generation for the last decade, as seen on SportsNet LA:
“I don’t really think about it, honestly. The hitters are going to let you know what you need to do to get them out. As pitchers, myself included, we’re pretty stubborn by nature, so we’re not going to change unless we have to. It doesn’t feel like I’ve changed, but obviously people tell me that I have. But it doesn’t feel like that when I’m pitching. It still feels like I’m doing the same stuff. No real conscious effort or adjustments. Just making better pitches probably.”
While his velocity may be down a bit, Kershaw is right that he is still one of the best pitchers in the sport. Overall in 21 starts this season, he is 6-5 with a 2.40 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.
Kershaw is currently healthy and pitching the best he has all season, and the Dodgers will need him to continue that throughout the month of September if they want to return to the postseason for the sixth straight season.
He’s ramped up since the All-Star break by allowing two earned runs or fewer in eight consecutive starts. Moreover, he’s now gone at least seven innings in four straight starts, and in five of his last seven.
