Benny Sieu–USA Today Sports
Who brought the chips and dip? Who brought the beer? Everyone on the Los Angeles Dodgers gets a vacation when Clayton Kershaw pitches. Every fifth day when the MLB’s best pitcher steps on the mound, the rest of the Blue Crew gets to relax. This time the vacationing spot was Miller Park during the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night that stopped a three-game losing streak.
Kershaw was his usual self, tossing a complete game while surrendering only an RBI groundout and three hits. The bullpen probably didn’t even have to show up. They technically didn’t show up the previous three days when they blew late-inning leads against the Atlanta Braves to get swept out of Hotlanta. So on this day, the bullpen sat back and relaxed.
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And so did Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who is already facing the uncertainty of his job status due to a slow start to the 2013 campaign. Dodgers management have made no indication they will fire him, but national media is starting to bring it up, and even some writers chimed that the man they call Donny Baseball will be canned at the end of this road trip.
On Monday, thanks to Kershaw, Mattingly got to relax a little bit and even joked about his employment future. “Every time I get in trouble Kersh saves me,” he told the media after the game.
Kershaw saved the Dodgers offense, also. Even though Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier both homered to break out of their power slumps, the Blue Crew bats were still quiet for most of the night. Three runs are still too low for a team with the talent on the Dodgers roster. Thanks to Kershaw, it was enough.
While it’s been a vacation for the Dodgers when Kershaw pitches, it has been more like a 10-hour work day for the opponents when they face him. Check the stats. Over Kershaw’s last 22 starts, he has allowed three or fewer earned runs. Over his last 57 starts, his ERA is a 1.97. In 2013, he has 10 starts and has allowed just 11 earned runs.
Forget Jamaica or Bermuda. Kershaw Island is where it’s at for the Dodgers these days.
