Clayton Kershaw day by day: 3 starts, 3 blowout wins

Clayton Kershaw has been quite stingy in his three May 6 starts. The first came in 2009 against the Nationals at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers would pull away after Kershaw left the game, setting a major league record with 13 consecutive home wins to start the season. Kershaw allowed one run in his five innings, and the team took the lead with a single run in the bottom of the fifth, giving Kershaw the win.

From Brendan Scolari’s game recap:

Clayton Kershaw (1-2) got the win, although he had to battle just to get through five innings. He finished with five strikeouts, three walks, and four hits but only one earned run. The Nats did strand six baserunners in his five innings though and he also walked Daniel Cabrera, who was 0-22 with 20 strikeouts in his career entering the game.

It took eight years before Kershaw would again start on May 6, and he got the Nationals again but this time in Washington D.C.

This was the first game back for Kershaw after missing six weeks with inflammation in his upper back. His opposing starter for the Nationals was current bullpen teammate Blake Treinen.

The Dodgers pulled away in this one too, winning 8-3, though it was scoreless into the seventh. Kershaw was stellar. From my game recap:

Kershaw was cruising. In his first start in over six weeks, Kershaw needed just 89 pitches to get through his seven scoreless innings. He struck out nine and walked none, and allowed nine hits.

Since the start of 2011, Kershaw has 22 starts of at least seven innings without giving up a run, the most in baseball during that span.

Fast forward three years later, and Kershaw started again on May 6, this time in San Diego against the Padres. Craig Stammen pitched in relief against the Dodgers in both the 2014 and 2017 May 6 games.

Kershaw was very stingy in this game as well, though he did walk four, and took issue with the strike zone, in hilarious fashion.

From my game recap:

The bulk of Kershaw’s ire was reserved for the eighth inning, when the game was seemingly well in hand. Kershaw allowed a home run to extra-base hit magnet Ryan Schmipf to start the inning, spoiling his shutout.

But then Kershaw walked Manuel Margot, Kershaw’s third walk of the night, matching his total for the season entering Saturday. One out later, a 1-2 pitch to Wil Myers looked like it might produce Kershaw’s 10th strikeout of the game. Instead, it was called a ball, and Kershaw jumped off the mound in disgust.

It was more of a spin move, really.

The Dodgers won this game, 10-2.

In these three May 6 wins, Kershaw allowed two total runs in 19⅓ innings for a 0.93 ERA with 23 strikeouts and seven walks.

The outings

2009 (W, 1-2): 5 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts

2014 (W, 2-0): 7 IP, 9 hits, 9 strikeouts

2017 (W, 5-2): 7⅓ IP, 5 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts

Up next: Back to a single start day, north of the border on May 7