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Clayton Kershaw earns 20th victory as Dodgers close in on postseason berth
The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for wins any way they can get'em as they near a second straight postseason berth and division championship. With that goal in mind, it must be nice to know they can turn to two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw every fifth day, because even on days when he's not his usual dominant or efficient self, he simply can't lose.
Kershaw was credited with his 20th victory in the Dodgers 14-5 win over the Cubs on Friday afternoon, despite only lasting the minimum five innings needed to qualify. That snapped a string of 17 consecutive outings with at least seven innings pitched.
After being spotted a six run lead in the first inning, Kershaw gave three runs right back, and needed 106 pitches to survive the afternoon. Kershaw allowed those three runs (all earned), seven hits and tied a season-high with three walks. It's a subtle reminder that the win stat is often more misleading than it is telling of a pitcher's true value or performance on a given day, and that our celebration of such milestones is outdated.
Kershaw's displeasure with his own performance was clear. After striking out Chris Valaika with a filthy curveball to end the fifth, he let loose with an inaudible tirade directed at his glove.
Frustration abounded, but victory was ultimately attained, making Kershaw the first 20-game winner in MLB this season. It's Kershaw's second 20-win season — he won 21 in 2011, his first Cy Young season.
After starting and winning the Dodgers opener against Arizona down in Australia, Kershaw ended up missing five weeks with a back injury. When he returned on May 6, he was slow to get back on track. He finished that month with three wins overall and a 3.57 ERA, but rebounded to win his next eight starts, posting a ridiculous 0.74 ERA over that time.
It's that stretch that put Kersahw in line to win a third Cy Young Award and possibly even to contend in the MVP race. And it's his continued excellence for a beat up Dodgers' pitching staff that has led them to the brink of clinching a postseason berth. With the win on Friday, the Dodgers have secured at least a tie of the second wild-card spot. With a Pirates win over the Brewers on Friday, they will be locked in as one of the ten.
The division crown will require a little more work. They currently hold a three-game lead over the San Francisco Giants. Their magic number to clinch is seven, which could put them in line to clinch while hosting San Francisco early next week.
As for Kershaw, he will definitely make one more start for the Dodgers during the regular season. As it stands right now, that would come on Wednesday against San Francisco. That could change though if Los Angeles locks up the division and elects to line Kershaw up for a postseason start, or if the improbable happens and they need a victory on the final day of the season, Kershaw could throw one more time on short rest.
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is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
