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Clayton Kershaw takes the mound for the Dodgers against Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals in a blockbuster pitching matchup to open a three-game series on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
Kershaw in his career has a 2.09 ERA against the Nationals, but since the start of 2012 he has been even better. Kershaw has won his last seven starts against Washington, allowing five total runs. He has lasted at least seven innings in all of those starts, including at least eight innings five times.
Kershaw leads the majors in innings (108) and innings per start (7.71) this season, which fits right in line with his two starts last year against the Nationals. In both starts Kershaw allowed just three hits and no walks in eight shutout innings, striking out 14 on July 18 in Washington and striking out eight on Aug. 12 in Los Angeles.
The left-hander has a 17-inning scoreless streak against the Nationals, and has allowed one total run in 31 innings in his last four starts against them.
Stephen Strasburg is off to a great start this season, 10-0 with a 2.90 ERA in his 14 starts, the kind of start that would have fueled a free agent frenzy this coming offseason had the right-hander not agreed to a seven-year, $175 million contract extension with Washington in May.
Strasburg had a 2.76 ERA in seven starts before inking the new deal, and since then his ERA in seven starts has ballooned all the way to 3.07, though he has a whopping 33.5-percent strikeout rate during that span.
The right-hander has a 1.71 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers, with 25 strikeouts and three walks, but he hasn't faced them since 2014. His only career start at Dodger Stadium came in 2012, with nine strikeouts in seven innings, allowing one run in a no-decision.
This is the first career meeting between Kershaw and Strasburg.
The Dodgers are 13-1 in Kershaw's starts in 2016, and the Nationals are 13-1 in Strasburg's starts. One of these teams gets a two on Monday night.
Game info
Time: 7:10 p.m. PT
TV: SportsNet LA, ESPN