Clayton Kershaw day by day: A pair of losses

Clayton Kershaw has started twice in his career on June 22, and lost both starts. Let’s remember some starts.

Up first was an interleague battle on June 22, 2010 in Anaheim against the Angels, and Kershaw was cruising through five scoreless innings, allowing only a single and two walks to that point.

But with the Dodgers up 3-0, things began to go south. From my game recap:

The sixth inning began with Brandon Wood, hitting .184/.207/.277 in his young career coming into tonight, with a grand total of nine walks in 383 plate appearances. Naturally, Kershaw walked Wood (a Grabowski Principle moment if I’ve ever seen one), who eventually scored on Abreu’s three-run home run to dead center field.

Now a tied game in the seventh inning, a double and two singles chased Kershaw from the game. The game was still tied as he left only because Juan Rivera, who doubled, was picked off third base before the other two hits.

But Ronald Belisario allowed hits to his first two batters faced in relief, allowing both inherited runners to score. Kershaw took the loss.

Like Willie Nelson, Kershaw and the Dodgers were on the road again on June 22, 2015, at Wrigley Field.

Every run scored in this game was courtesy of the home run, but it was the Cubs who hit three to the Dodgers’ two. Two of Chicago’s homers were off Kershaw, a two-run shot by Kris Bryant and a solo shot by Matt Szczur.

From my game recap:

I’m not sure what annoyed Kershaw more, the two home runs allowed or the 10-minute delay after some lights went out in the bottom of the sixth inning at the stubbornly decrepit stadium. Cubs manager argued with umpires multiple times after the stadium got darker, ultimately playing the game under protest, presumably because the Cubs had to bat in a darker environment in the bottom of the inning than did the Dodgers in the top half.

Kershaw lasted seven innings and struck out nine, but the three runs allowed were enough to earn the loss in this one.

The outings

2010 (L, 7-4): 6⅔ IP, 6 hits, 5 runs, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts

2015 (L, 5-5): 7 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts

Up next: Back to a single-start day, an abbreviated one at that