by Cary Osborne
The difference between a win and a loss for the Dodgers on Sunday was a winning road trip or a losing road trip. And a loss would have meant a losing streak.
Enter the stopper, the ace, old reliable being reliable in 2024.
Clayton Kershaw fired off his best start of the 2024 season — six shutout innings in the Dodgers’ 2–1 win in St. Louis. The Dodgers ended the road trip 4–3.
It was the 85th time in his career that Kershaw pitched at least six innings and allowed zero runs.
Kershaw had one stressful inning — his last. He allowed consecutive singles to begin the sixth inning, then induced a flyout off the bat of Cardinals leadoff batter Masyn Winn and a double-play groundout from designated hitter Willson Contreras.
Kershaw earned 12 of his 18 outs via the groundball, including two double plays.
“Better than fly balls, but I don’t really worry how you get the outs, just trying to get the outs as best you can,” Kershaw said. “And today there was early contact, a lot of ground balls, kept the pitch count down, which was good, and gave us what we needed today.”
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The 17-year veteran maxed at 91.5 mph on his four-seamer and dotted the lines of the strike zone with the pitch. Opponents were 0-for-4 against his curveball and 1-for-17 against the pitch this season.
Kershaw allowed five earned runs and a combined 15 hits and walks in 7 2/3 innings over his first two starts in 2024. The last three have been back to the Kershaw of old.
Kershaw’s three August starts:
· Aug. 6: 4 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 1 R (1 ER), 5 Ks
· Aug. 12: 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 1 R (1 ER), 6 Ks
· Sunday: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 0 R, 2 Ks
Combined: 16 1/3 IP, 12 H, 3 BB, 2 R (2 ER), 13 Ks (1.10 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, 4.3 K/BB)
“It was a big win as far as the road trip, the game itself, and he stepped up and does what he seems to always do when his back is against the wall, our team’s (back is against the wall),” Roberts said. “He steps up.”
The Offense
Two runs were enough. Shohei Ohtani hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, his 39th homer of the year.
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Miguel Rojas, who has a 10-game hitting streak, drove in a run with a single in the fifth. Rojas was 3-for-4 in the game.
Gavin Lux was 3-for-5 with two doubles and Mookie Betts added two hits.
Kopech Shuts the Door
Michael Kopech earned the final three outs in the ninth inning to record his second save with the Dodgers.
Opponents are now 1-for-29 against him since he was acquired by the Dodgers from the White Sox on July 29.
Kopech has appeared in nine games with the Dodgers and has yet to allow a run.
Roster Churn
Before the game, the Dodgers called up 25-year-old right-hander Ben Casparius and made room for him by designating right-handed pitcher Brent Honeywell Jr. for assignment.
Casparius is rated the №23 prospect in the Dodger farm system by MLB.com. He had a 3.48 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and averaged 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings split between Triple-A Oklahoma City and Double-A Tulsa.
Honeywell appeared in 10 games for the Dodgers and had a 2.21 ERA, but he was out of options and couldn’t be sent down to the Minors without clearing waivers.
Roberts before the game gave updates on what will be a busy week for the roster when the Dodgers return for a nine-game homestand, beginning Monday.
Infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman, acquired from St. Louis on July 29, will be activated for the Dodgers on Monday.
Max Muncy is expected back Tuesday, but Roberts said that Monday is a possibility because of Freddie Freeman’s jammed right middle finger. Freeman will get testing in Los Angeles on Monday. Freeman did not play on Sunday, as Roberts said he couldn’t grip a bat. Freeman jammed the finger fielding a ground ball in the sixth inning on Saturday.
Reliever Blake Treinen (hip) is expected back on Tuesday. Brusdar Graterol (hamstring) is aiming to throw a bullpen next week.
Where They Stand
The Dodgers (73–52) begin a three-game series against Seattle (64–61) on Monday at Dodger Stadium. Arizona’s loss put it four games behind the Dodgers in the NL West. San Diego was at 2 1/2 games back as of the end of the Dodgers’ Sunday win.
Kershaw steps up and sends the Dodgers home with a winning trip was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.