Clayton Kershaw named NL Player of the Week

LOS ANGELES -- In perhaps the easiest call of the year, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw was named National League Player of the Week on Monday. Kershaw pitched a no-hitter on Wednesday to beat the Rockies.

Kershaw needed just 107 pitches to no-hit the Rockies, striking out 15 and walking none. The only runner to reach base in the game was Corey Dickerson, who reached on a throwing error by Hanley Ramirez in the seventh inning. Kershaw's 15 strikeouts were tied for the third-most strikeouts in a no-hitter, trailing only Nolan Ryan.

Kershaw is the third Dodgers player to win NL Player of the Week honors this season. Fellow no-hit artist Josh Beckett was co-Player of the Week for the week of May 19-25, and Yasiel Puig was co-Player of the Week from May 12-18.

The last time the Dodgers had three Player of the Week winners in one season was 2012, with Matt Kemp winning twice and Kershaw once. The last season the Dodgers had more POTW winners was 2000, with Gary Sheffield (twice), Adrian Beltre and Chan Ho Park taking home the honors.

This is the fourth time Kershaw has won NL Player of the Week honors, along with June 20-26, 2011, May 14-20, 2012 and April 1-7, 2013. The only other Dodgers pitchers to win the award four times are Fernando Valenzuela (five times) and Orel Hershiser.

Kershaw might be on his way to his third NL Pitcher of the Month honor, 4-0 with a 1.24 ERA so far in June, with 40 strikeouts and just one walk in 29 innings.