Clayton Kershaw looked sharp as the Los Angeles Dodgers closed out the 2022 regular season with a franchise-record 111 wins by snapping a three-game losing streak with a 6-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies. The Rockies made MLB history by notching back-to-back victories against a 110-win team.
Heading into the afternoon start at Dodger Stadium, all that was at stake were potential personal accomplishments. Namely, Freddie Freeman looking to end the first three-game hitless streak of the season, win the National League batting title and reach 200 hits for the season.
Freeman needed to go 4-for-4 to overtake Jeff McNeil, who was not in the New York Mets for their finale. Freeman started his day with a hustle double and home run, but then made an out. Freeman finished 3-for-4, bringing his 2022 total to 199 hits and giving him 100 RBI.
Meanwhile, Trea Turner similarly ended a personal drought with a three-run home run to give the Dodgers a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning and reach 100 RBI on the season as well to go along with 194 hits. Turner participated in a simulated game against Dustin May and Blake Treinen prior to first pitch as he continues to search for a better feeling at the plate.
Freeman and Turner became the first pair of Dodgers teammates with at least 100 RBI each in the same season since Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp accomplished the feat in 2009.
Moreover, Freeman and Turner are the sixth set of teammates in MLB history to finish first and second in the Majors in hits during the same season. It last had been accomplished by Bret Boone and Ichiro Suzuki for the 2001 Seattle Mariners.
Cody Bellinger helped the Dodgers add onto their lead in the seventh inning with a solo home run against Noah Davis, who was making his MLB debut. The home run was Bellinger’s second of the six-game series and 19th this season.
Freeman’s third hit of the game was an RBI single that put the Dodgers up 6-1 before Davis could get through the inning.
Clayton Kershaw passes Cy Young
Clayton Kershaw allowed just one hit — a solo home run — and struck out nine over five innings of a planned shortened outing.
Kershaw passed Cy Young for 24th place on the MLB all-time strikeouts list and now has 2,807 in his career. Young had 2,803 strikeouts over his 22-year career.
Kershaw went 5-0 with a 1.64 ERA in his final seven starts after being activated off the 15-day injured list on Sept. 1.
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