Holding the Arizona Diamondbacks to one run over six innings was the perfect start for Clayton Kershaw in what is his 16th with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Although Kershaw’s fastball velocity isn’t what it once was, his secondary stuff is as sharp as it has ever been, and that is evident in the nine strikeouts he posted against a stingy Diamondbacks lineup.
Shifting away from the power lefty with a devastating curveball is still a lot of who Kershaw is, but as the years go on he remains a timeless wonder still performing as one of Major League Baseball’s best.
Just as synonymous with Kershaw as his patented curveball is a unique windup that some of his Dodgers teammates attempted to imitate.
.@Dodgers players imitating Clayton Kershaw is incredible!
The legendary lefty makes his 2023 debut tonight for LAD. pic.twitter.com/j5cJOQ4Dv0
— MLB (@MLB) April 2, 2023
Mookie Betts, Julio Urías, Miguel Rojas, Miguel Vargas, Freddie Freeman and Tony Gonsolin have seen Kershaw perform at the highest level, both as teammates and from the other side. They all gave a valiant effort in duplicating Kershaw’s delivery, but none were able to quite get it down pat.
Kershaw next will get to put his delivery on display Friday, in a second consecutive start against the Diamondbacks. He’s a lifetime 8-10 with a 3.81 ERA in 21 starts at Chase Field.
Clayton Kershaw pleased with 2023 debut
Matching up with former San Francisco Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner was once a must-see event because of the sheer dominance on both sides, but the two have trended in opposite directions, with Kershaw remaining on the good side of Father Time.
Kershaw had a solid performance over the weekend and the offense gave him a big cushion to work with.
“It’s good to get the first one on your belt,” Kershaw said of the outing. “Going into a new season, it’s different. You’ve got to get yourself acclimated to the atmosphere. There’s just no way to prepare, Spring Training or not. A big league game is different.
“So to be able to get back out there and remember what you’re doing, it was nice to pitch with that big lead. It was a great way to start the year.”
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