Kershaw baffles woeful Marlins
Left-hander strikes out first seven batters; rookie Rios hits his first two home runs.
MIAMI — Nobody knows Clayton Kershaw, the pitcher, better than Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt. He is the only pitching coach Kershaw has had in the majors. Honeycutt has been there from Kershaw’s electric start in 2008, through his on-top-of-theworld dash through the middle of the decade, and he is there now, as Kershaw masters the next step of a Hall of Fame career.
They’re on Year 12 together. Kershaw’s success this season, after a velocity dip, chronic back trouble and an ominous shoulder injury in spring training, has not floored Honeycutt. Yes, it looks different and Kershaw has made adjustments to counter the mileage on his body, but his stellar season, which continued Wednesday with seven scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ 9-1 win over the Miami Marlins, is something Honeycutt just expects.
“I just see a gentleman that just continues to be impressive with whatever he has,” Honeycutt said before the game. “He’s always going to be a battler. He’s a warrior. I mean, he goes out there
and keeps you in the game when he doesn’t have his good stuff. If he has his stuff, it’s pretty much lights out.”
Kershaw had his stuff at Marlins Park and the Marlins had no answers. The left-hander started with seven consecutive strikeouts and had eight through three perfect innings, and extended his streak of starts with at least six innings to 21 to begin the season.
He finished with 10 strikeouts without walking a batter and added a double at the plate. It was the eighth time he’s recorded at least seven scoreless innings with double-digit strikeouts and no walks. That’s tied for second in major league history. His earned-run average sank to a tidy 2.63 as he tied Sandy Koufax with his 165th career win.
“Tonight was as good of command as I’ve seen, really, with all his pitches, namely his fastball,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Kershaw was given plenty of support from an offense that preyed on the Marlins’ pitching staff for the second straight night. After tallying 15 runs, six home runs and 13 extra-base hits Tuesday, the Dodgers hit four home runs Wednesday, marking the first time since the franchise moved to Los Angeles that they’ve compiled at least four home runs in three straight games.
Edwin Rios, playing close to where he starred at Florida International, supplied two of the homers — the first two of his career — as he went three for four with a 12pitch walk while adding a nimble over-the-shoulder catch at first base in the sixth inning.
“Happy I finally got it out of the way,” Rios said.
The Dodgers initially announced Kershaw was scheduled to pitch Tuesday before switching him with Dustin May in the rotation. May allowed a run in 52⁄3 innings to capture his first career win Tuesday while Kershaw got an extra day of rest and the Dodgers ensured he wouldn’t face the Atlanta Braves, a possible playoff foe. If Kershaw pitched Tuesday, the Dodgers would’ve had to give him a week off to avoid the Braves.
“We didn’t want him facing Atlanta on Sunday and coming back Tuesday to Sunday,” Honeycutt said. “So it was either [give him an extra day] this time or you go from Tuesday to Tuesday. So it was an extra day this time or two extra days next time.”
It was the 13th time the Dodgers afforded Kershaw at least one additional day of rest this season. Wednesday’s appearance came after seven days off. Asked if he thought the extra rest helped, Kershaw questioned the theory.
“It’s not ideal,” Kershaw said. “Obviously, I think more than anything you want to stay in that rhythm. One day every once in a while [is good]. But, obviously, you have to understand the bigger picture of what we’re trying to do and it set up better for everybody so just kind of roll with it and move on.”
If there was any rust, Kershaw didn’t show it. He began by striking out Jon Berti on eight pitches. That was the most resistance he encountered as he plowed through the Marlins’ lineup the first time. He punched out the first seven batters he faced, setting the modernday (since 1900) franchise record but falling one shy of the major league mark. Six were swinging. Five came via the slider. One was on a curveball and another on a fastball.
Lewis Brinson snapped the streak with a groundout. Kershaw followed the spoiler by striking out his counterpart, Elieser Hernandez, on three pitches, matching the three perfect innings he posted against the Marlins in his other start against them this season, on July 20.
This time, the lefthander extended the dominance into the fourth inning, retiring the side again and adding his ninth strikeout. He had two outs in the fifth when Harold Ramirez stepped into the batter’s box for his second plate appearance. After striking out looking in the second inning, Ramirez slapped a single to right field to end Kershaw’s pursuit of perfection. Kershaw rebounded by getting Jorge Alfaro to whiff on a slider in the dirt for his 10th strikeout.
“You don’t really care how you get the outs as long as you’re efficient with it,” Kershaw said. “And tonight I was able to get ahead.”
Short hops
Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor are slated to begin rehab assignments Friday, according to Roberts. Taylor was put on the injured list July 15 with a left forearm fracture. Hernandez was put on the IL on July 29 with a left hand sprain. … A.J. Pollock didn’t start as the Dodgers continue being careful with his sore groin. Pollock has not started in six of the Dodgers’ last 12 games. He is expected to start Thursday.