Kershaw on Losing End of Cy Young Battle

The Battle of the Cy Young Winners

Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer matched up tonight in a “clash of the titans” at Dodger Stadium.  It would be a rare occurrence in which two of the best pitchers in baseball would face-off against each other after having won the National League Cy Young award three times each.  In fact, Kershaw and Scherzer are two of only ten pitchers ever to have won the award at least three times.  The others are some big names you might recognize:

• Roger Clemens x 7 (1986, 1987, 1991, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2004)
• Randy Johnson x 5 (1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
• Steve Carlton x 4 (1972, 1977, 1980, 1982)
• Greg Maddux x 4 (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995)
• Sandy Koufax x 3 (1963, 1965, 1966)
• Pedro Martinez x 3 (1997, 1999, 2000)
• Jim Palmer x 3 (1973, 1975, 1976)
• Tom Seaver x 3 (1969, 1973, 1975)
• Clayton Kershaw x 3 (2011, 2013, 2014)
• Max Scherzer x 3 (2013, 2016, 2017)

1st Inning

The Nationals would strike first despite having two of their top hitters, Daniel Murphy and Anthony Rendon on the DL, that began with a first pitch double down the left field line by Trea Turner.  Howie Kendrick would come to bat next and hit a first pitch fly ball to center field advancing Turner to third.  That would bring up Bryce Harper who leads the MLB with 8 home runs.  He would also swing at the first pitch and hit a ground ball single to right field scoring Turner and putting the Nats up 1-0.  Kershaw would throw a wild pitch with Ryan Zimmerman batting that would allow Harper to advance to second base.  Zimmerman would then scorch a double to the gap in left-center that would score Harper and increase the lead 2-0.  Zimmerman’s hit would be the first hard hit ball allowed by Kershaw with RISP all year and would also be Kershaw’s first three-hit inning in 2018.

The Dodgers looked as if they would get those runs back as Chris Taylor lead off the bottom half of the first with a first pitch triple that soared over Harper’s head and ricocheted off the wall.  Corey Seager would then be hit in the leg on a 1-0 pitch (one of two HBP’s in the game) to put runners at first and third with nobody out.  Unfortunately, the Dodgers would be unable to cash in a run as the next three batters would be retired.

5th Inning

Kershaw would toss 1-2-3 innings in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th; however, in the top of the 5th, he would allow a lead-off double down the left field line to Michael A. Taylor.  Two batters later, Scherzer would hit a bloop single that would advance Taylor to third.  Turner would bat next and bunt on the first pitch that resulted in a run scored by Taylor and everyone being safe as the Nationals took a 3-0 lead.

6th Inning

The Nats would tack on another run in the 6th beginning with a one-out ground ball single by Zimmerman.  Two batters later, Matt Wieters would hit a line drive single to center field putting runners on first and second with two outs.  Taylor would bat next and rope a line drive to center to score Zimmerman and increase the lead 4-0.

The Dodgers would finally get on the board in the bottom of the 6th on a two-out rally that began with a full-count walk to Joc Pederson.  Chase Utley would bat next and hit a ground ball single to right field that would advance Pederson to third.  Yasiel Puig would continue the rally and promptly rope a line drive to score Pederson and cut the deficit 4-1.

7th Inning

The Dodgers would strike again in the bottom of the 7th with a lead-off infield hit by pinch-hitter Austin Barnes.  CT3 would draw a walk to put runners on first and second and nobody out.  Taylor would reach in four of five plate appearances with a triple, a double and two walks.  Two batters later, Yasmani Grandal would hit a ground ball single to left field that would score Barnes and cut the deficit to 4-2.

8th Inning

Pedro Baez would come in relief and begin the outing with a full count walk to Harper.  Two batters later he would surrender a bloop single to Moises Sierra that would drop in shallow right field despite a diving effort by Puig.   Wieters would draw a walk to load the bases and, two batters later, Wilmer Difo would draw another walk to score Harper and make it 5-2 in favor of the Nationals.  The third walk given up by Baez would end his night and bring in Adam Liberatore who would get pinch-hitting Matt Adams to fly out to left field to end the inning.

The 5-2 score would hold as the Dodgers would be unable to produce any runs in the 8th or 9th innings.  In what was hyped up to be the pitcher’s duel of the century ended up being just another game and, unfortunately, a loss that would end a four-game winning streak for the Boys in Blue.  The Dodgers (8-10) will look to bounce back as they send Hyun-Jin Ryu to the mound tomorrow night to take on Stephen Strasburg beginning at 6:10pm PST.

BakoBoyInBlue