Kershaw the Padre Pummeler wins his 17th

Padres    1 6 0

Dodgers 4 6 1

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Clayton Kershaw wins his 17th

Clayton Kershaw continued his assault towards the National League Cy Young award. right now its hard to argue that theres anyone better in the Majors. Kershaw and the Dodgers beat San Diego 4-1. Kershaw pitched his 5th complete game of the season, making 118 pitches, allowing only 1 run on 6 hits, walking two, and whiffing 5. Kershaw leads the league with 212 strikeouts.

but thats what made tonight even more impressive. Kershaw didn't have his overpowering stuff, but still for the most part easily beat a pathetically punchless San Diego lineup.

Kershaw had some help though, the Dodger defense turned three double plays behind him, and Loney and Ethier led the way on offense. Loney, armed with his new power swing, went 2 for 4 hitting another home run, and ethier went 3 for 4 tonight shaking off the haters.

Kershaw begins the game by setting down the Padres in order. whiffing Guzman to end the inning.

bottom of the first sees lagos run into trouble, as the Dodgers plate a run to go up 1-0.

Sellers and Loney ground out, Kemp reaches on a walk. while Rivera is at bat Kemp steals his 35th base of the season. Rivera ends up walking as well, and with runners at first and second, Andre Ethier steps up and does what Andre Ethier does, get hits. his base knock into center field scores Bison, but it looks like Ethier is caught in a rundown between first and second, but no one was covering first base for San Diego. somehow Rivera is caught between third and home and is tagged out, but the Dodgers score one as Dre shakes off the haters. go Dre! keep on hitting'

Kershaw has a bit of trouble in the second inning but gets through it with flying colors. the San Diego hitters are like annoying little gnats that Kershaw shoes away. 

big Right hander Kyle Blanks fouls off pitch after pitch before grounding one to third, Miles throw is low, and Blanks reaches on the error. 

Hundley flies out to ethier, and forsythe grounds into a 6-4-3 inning ending double play :)

Latos retires the dodgers in order in the bottom of the second, and San Diego trys to start a singlepalooza off Kershaw and fail. Cunningham starts with a dinky bloop single to center, Venable grounds into a double play started by Sellers. Matt Latos singles off of Kershaw's leg. but Kersh gets Bartlett to softly line out to Miles.

in the bottom of the third inning, with 1 out, Sellers walks, and Loney hits yet another home run! a drive deep to center right field. thats his 9th of the year. Loney has an 8-game hitting streak. he's hitting .515 with 4 home runs during that stretch. his swing looks totally different, it seems Loney has found his power stroke? the Loney homer puts the Dodgers up 3-0.

Loney fist bumps Sellers after hitting another home run

Kershaw's scoreless streak comes to an end in the fourth. he entered the inning with a 17.1 inning scoreless streak. 

Hudson begins the inning by doubling off the wall in center, he almost hit it out. Guzman's groundout moves O-dawg over to third. Big Boy Kyle Blanks pops out, but Nick Hundley doubles down the line scoring Hudson and its 3-1 Dodgers. Kersh didn't have his best stuff, but good pitchers like Kersh can still win without having their dominating stuff. he walks Forsythe, but retires Cunningham to end it in the fourth

the Dodgers score another run in the fourth. Ethier's slicing double into right field eludes Cunningham despite an all out diving effort. Miles grounder moves Ethier to third, Big Rod hits a shallow fly to left, that Blanks has to dive to make the catch, which allows Ethier to score and its 4-1 Dodgers. 

All-star right fielder Andre Ethier collects three hits tonight

top of the 5th, Kershaw not working with his best stuff battles his way through the inning. Venable bunts for a hit, Latos bunts into a double play, as Kershaw turns it 1-4-3. Bartlett walks, but O-dawg grounds out.

bottom of the 5th, still 4-1 Dodgers, with two outs, Loney almost hits another home run, he just got under it and its a double off the wall. Kemp is intentionally walked, and Rivera is retired to end the threat.

Kershaw pitches a 123 top of the 6th, Ethier shakes off the haters again by singling. credit O-dawg with a great diving try as the ball bounced off his glove. thats Ethier's third hit of the day. but Miles, Big Rod and Carroll all make out. 

Kershaw has another easy inning in the top of the 7th. Josh Spence relievs Latos in the 7th, he allows a single to Kersh, gets sellers on  groundout, whiff Loney. Frieri comes in to pitch to Kemp, and Kemp lines one to third, but Forsythe makes a spectacular diving catch, to rob Bison. geez.

this sums up San Diego's season. O-dawg is quite embarrassed after being unable to make a play

still 4-1 Dodgers, top of the 8th, kershaw strikes out parino, and gets Hudson and Bartlett to ground out.

Frieri retires the Dodgers in order in the bottom of the 8th.

Kershaw goes back out to finish the game in the 9th. Guzman flys out, Blanks whiffs, Hundley singles off of Miles, theres a wild pitch, but Kershaw raps it up by whiffing Forsythe. 

wow. Kershaw is amazing. he improves his record to 17-5, lowers his ERA to 2.45, and is now in the top three in just about every pitching category. he's tied for first in wins, (with Ian Kennedy) second in ERA, first in strikeouts, and first in BAA. he's the first Dodger pitcher to win 17 games since Chan Ho Park in 2000. 

the Dodgers improve to 63-70, and need just 18 more wins to reach a non-losing season. LOL only 18 right? I know but it is possible.

join us tomorrow as Hiroki Kuroda takes the mound in game two at 710 on KCAL. Kershaw is one hell of a pitcher isn't he? GO BLUE