Clayton Kershaw took the mound in Thursday’s four-game series finale against the New York Mets for his 250th career start. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace entered the outing on a streak of collecting at least 10 strikeouts in his last four starts.
Working with Yasmani Grandal for only the third time (second start) this season, Kershaw opened the game with a strikeout of Curtis Granderson. Kershaw’s stretch of not issuing a walk came to an end with a two-out free pass given to David Wright in the first inning.
The walk was the first Kershaw issued since the eighth inning of his April 21 start. The Mets weren’t able to take advantage of getting a runner on base, as Yoenis Cespedes struck out swinging.
Chase Utley and Corey Seager both swung at Bartolo Colon’s first offering in their respective at-bats, resulting in back-to-back singles. Justin Turner followed with a RBI base hit, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
After getting his first out, Colon allowed a towering three-run home run to Yasmani Grandal. Kershaw bookended a 1-2-3 second inning with strikeouts to keep the Dodgers’ 4-0 lead intact. Utley improved to 2-for-2 on the night as he connected for a two-out solo home run in the bottom of the second.
CONTINUE READING: Clayton Kershaw sets franchise record
