by Cary Osborne
The line was nearly as identical as when Clayton Kershaw reached the 200-win milestone. After winning his 209th career game and tying Don Drysdale for second in Dodger history, Kershaw went team over self.
“Being on really good teams helps. You get wins when you might not deserve it,” Kershaw said. “It’s just being a part of a great team.”
If that’s the case, Tuesday can be set aside as an example of what Kershaw means.
For the second game in a row, the Dodgers took down a red-hot Diamondbacks pitcher, and for the second game in a row, the Dodgers received contributions up and down the lineup in a 9–1 win at Dodger Stadium.
On Monday, it was the 3–7 of the order plus Freddie Freeman’s home run.
On Tuesday, it was the 3–9 plus Mookie Betts’ career-high 36th homer of the season.
Every Dodger, 3–9, had a hit, with Chris Taylor (on his bobblehead night), David Peralta (against his old team) and Jason Heyward (with his second big night in a row) collecting three hits each.
Taylor went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk and a stolen base.
The Dodgers touched up Merrill Kelly, who had a 2.97 ERA coming into the game, for seven runs and 12 hits. This after hitting four home runs against Arizona ace Zac Gallen on Monday.
Betts and Will Smith hit solo home runs off reliever Scott McGough in the sixth inning to take a 9–1 lead.
Kershaw went five innings, allowed three hits, three walks and one run on a fifth-inning homer to Corbin Carroll.
Kershaw was only going to go five innings in his fourth start back from the injured list and after his last start was interrupted in Cleveland after two innings by a suspended game.
He didn’t have his best stuff, but reached the finish line and the milestone.
“This guy is one of the greatest competitors I’ve ever seen,” said manager Dave Roberts. “What I saw was will, compete and just tenacity.”
Kershaw trails only Don Sutton for all-time Dodger lead in wins. The Hall of Famer Sutton won 233 with the Dodgers.
Kershaw said he wasn’t aware that he was a win from tying Drysdale before the start. He chose some other words to describe what the win also meant.
“I’m just old,” the 36-year-old joked.
Kershaw goes team over self in defining his milestone victory was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.