The last time Clayton Kershaw faced the Chicago Cubs it amounted to the shortest start of his career at only one inning of work. There was no repeat of that performance Sunday night as he set a season high with 13 strikeouts in a 7-1 win for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kershaw was dominant from the first pitch, relying on a steady dose of sliders and curveballs sprinkled in. The Cubs didn’t muster a baserunner until Patrick Wisdom’s leadoff single in the third inning.
Kershaw responded to strike out the next three batters and retire five in a row until Javier Baez hit a two-out solo home run in the fourth inning.