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
Kershaw picked up his fifth strikeout of the game as he set the Mets down in order in the third. Adrian Gonzalez pulled a one-out single into right field in the bottom half of the inning, but was stranded by Grandal and Joc Pederson.
Asdrubel Cabrera broke up Kershaw’s early no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the fourth that got through the right side as Utley was shaded up the middle. Wright then went down swinging and Cespedes grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Colon retired the Dodgers in order in the bottom of the fourth, making it the first time in the game he managed to accomplish that. Kershaw kept the Mets off the bases in the fifth, collecting another strikeout and getting through the inning on just eight pitches.
Granderson laced a two-out double down the right field line in the sixth inning for the Mets’ second hit of the game. Kershaw kept his shutout in order by catching Cabrera looking for his ninth strikeout.
The seventh inning brought much of the same for the Mets, with their only glimmer of success found in staving off Kershaw notching his 10th strikeout. That ended in the eighth, with Eric Campbell going down swinging to end the inning.
Kershaw’s five consecutive games with at least 10 strikeouts set a Dodgers franchise record. Kershaw allowed a two-out base hit to Cabrera in the ninth, but otherwise struck out the side to finish off a complete-game shutout.