It's been a week since Clayton Kershaw left a start after two innings and Dodgers Nation immediately entered a state of mass anguish. In the midst of the best regular season in team history, the best pitcher in the game had injured his back -- a back that has often carried the Los Angeles Dodgers in recent years.
Consider that in winning four consecutive division titles from 2013-16, the Dodgers were 79-35 in games Kershaw started, a .693 winning percentage. In games he didn't start, the Dodgers went 290-242, a .543 winning percentage. Remove Zack Greinke from the math -- he was with the team for the first three of those division titles -- and the Dodgers were 226-214, basically a .