Clayton Kershaw returned from the disabled list Friday night and looked nothing of a pitcher who missed nearly six weeks due to a lower back strain. The San Diego Padres failed to make any solid contact, nor did they manage to find the outfield grass.
The only ball remotely hit out of the infield against Kershaw was Manuel Margot’s foul out that Cody Bellinger corralled in front of the stands down the first-base line in the sixth inning. Kershaw allowed just two hits, both infield singles, and recorded seven strikeouts without issuing a walk.
He improved to 16-2 while lowering his ERA to 1.95. It marked a 16th consecutive start without Kershaw taking a loss and extended his personal winning streak to 12 games.
The 16-game unbeaten streak set a franchise record, surpassing the 1924 Brooklyn Dodgers who won each of Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance’s 15 starts from July 11-Sept. 14 that year. What’s more, Kershaw’s 12-game winning streak is the longest active streak in the Majors and a personal best for the three-time Cy Young Award winner.
It bests an 11-game stretch that Kershaw held from June 2-Aug. 10, 2014. Prior to Kershaw, the last Dodgers pitcher to win 12 consecutive games was Burt Hooton from July 23-Sept. 26, 1975.
During the current streak, which dates back to May 2, Kershaw has pitched to a 1.70 ERA with 131 strikeouts over 106 innings pitched, while holding opponents to a .185/.228/.310 batting line.
Overall, the Dodgers have won 20 of Kershaw’s 22 starts this year, including the last 16. Per ELIAS, their .910 winning percentage in those games is the highest for any pitcher with at least 18 starts this season.
The Dodgers’ 16 consecutive wins in Kershaw starts extended their Los Angeles franchise record for most in a single season; he was previously part of a 13-game streak in 2014. Hooton (1975), Sandy Koufax (1963) and Don Drysdale (1962) are tied for third-most with 12 consecutive team wins in their respective starts, per STATS, LLC.
