Clayton Kershaw day by day: All-Star worthy

We have a pair of starts for Clayton Kershaw on July 9, but this date also brings us his first All-Star Game appearance on the calendar. All of these came in the last three years.

On July 9, 2017, the Dodgers were home facing the Royals, trying to finish off a perfect homestand (they did).

Kershaw allowed only a single to Eric Hosmer in the first three innings, striking out two in each fame to that point. He allowed another single in the fourth, then Hosmer hit a two-run home run, but the Dodgers already scored four runs to that point.

It was all Kershaw would allow, needing only 99 pitches in a complete-game win despite 13 strikeouts.

This was the final game before the All-Star break, and by pitching Kershaw made himself ineligible to pitch in the midsummer classic, in his seventh All-Star selection. From my game recap:

“It’s no surprise coming from Clayton, you know talking about the priority is the Dodgers,” said manager Dave Roberts before today’s game, “so for him to act that and support that, to believe that, it sends a great message to our clubhouse.”

The Dodgers went into the break on a 26-4 stretch. The started after the break in a terrible slump, only managing to go 26-5.

One year later, the Dodgers were in San Diego on July 9 facing Hosmer again, only this time with the Padres.

Kershaw allowed only two singles and a walk in his six innings, and the only runner that reached scoring position did so by a wild pitch. Kershaw struck out Jose Pirela to end that threat, in the fourth.

The Dodgers gave Kershaw all the support he needed with a five-run fourth, and cruised to an 8-2 win.

From Ryan Walton’s game recap:

In his last 13 starts against the Padres, Kershaw has allowed just 12 runs, with 118 strikeouts and 18 walks in 90 ⅔ innings (0.89 ERA). The Dodgers have won his last 13 starts when facing San Diego.

Those are the only two regular season starts for Kershaw, but he did pitch in one All-Star Game on July 9, last year in Cleveland.

Kershaw hadn’t pitched in an All-Star Game in four years. He was injured in 2016, pitched on the final game before the break in 2017 (see above!), and didn’t make the team in 2018.

Hyun-jin Ryu got the start in this game and pitched an inning, and All-Star manager Dave Roberts went with another Dodger in Kershaw for the second inning. Alex Bregman reached on an infield single with one out, then one out later Michael Brantley doubled to center for a run to break the scoreless tie.

The American League never relinquished the lead, and Kershaw got tagged with the loss, his second in the midsummer classic.

The outings

2017 (W, 14-2): 9 IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 13 strikeouts

2018 (W, 3-4): 6 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts

2019 All-Star Game (L, 0-2): 1 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout

Up next: Back to a single-start day