On May 15, 2015, Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Clayton Kershaw defeated the Colorado Rockies to earn his 100th career Major League victory. The win was Kershaw’s first since April 17 of that season, amounting to a month-long wait to reach win No. 100.
While Kershaw pitched a great game, it was his offense that gave him some early support to help propel him to victory.
Jimmy Rollins got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run. He also drove in a run with a single in the fifth, finishing 4-for-5 with two runs scored.
The Dodgers’ big offensive inning was the third when they scored three runs. Justin Turner drove home two with a double and later scored on an RBI single by Andre Ethier. L.A. then added another in the fourth on a double-play ball by Adrian Gonzalez to score Rollins.
All of those runs gave Kershaw a 6-0 lead to work with, and he never looked back. But after breezing through six shutout innings, Kershaw ran into some trouble in the seventh after giving up two hits and a walk. He was replaced by Paco Rodriguez, who gave up a bases-clearing double, and it was suddenly a 6-4 game.
Luckily, the Dodgers’ bullpen shut the door down to complete the 6-4 win. Kenley Jansen made his first appearance of the season after returning from foot surgery by striking out all four hitters he faced in the eighth inning. Juan Nicasio then got the last two outs of the ninth to earn the save.
Overall in 6.2 innings of work, Kershaw allowed four hits and three runs while striking out 10 and walking three. The 2015 season was a memorable one not only for reaching the 100-win milestone, but in his start before he also reached the 1,500-strikeout milestone.
Kershaw went 16-7 with a 2.13 ERA, 1.99 FIP and 0.88 WHIP in 33 starts in 2015 while striking out a career-high 301 batters compared to just 42 walks in 232.2 innings. He finished third in the Cy Young voting behind Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta and Dodgers teammate Zack Greinke.
The next win milestone for Kershaw to reach is 200, which could come as soon as the 2021 season.
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