Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw Throws Nearly Perfect No Hitter

Los Angeles Dodgers lefthander Clayton Kershaw threw the 2014 season’s second no hitter on June 18th, and it was just about as dominating a performance as it gets. Kershaw struck out 15, a career high, and walked no one in L.A.’s 8-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies in Los Angeles.  Only one Rockie reached base, and that was on a throwing error by shortstop Hanley Ramirez.  Ramirez had taken a hard one hopper off a finger on his throwing hand in the Dodgers’ game the day before and had nearly been scratched from the lineup.  (Ramirez refused to blame the injury for the bad throw, but in fairness, it is worth mentioning).

The 15 strikeout performance is tied for third best ever in a no hitter.  Nolan Ryan (who had 15, 16, and 17 strikeouts in three of his no hitters) had the most; Don Wilson and Warren Spahn each had 15.  Kershaw missed about a month of the season with a shoulder injury, but we think it’s safe to say he’s all the way back from that. Kershaw’s record improved to 7-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings.  The victory moved the Dodgers to within four games of the N.L. West leading San Francisco Giants, who lost to the Chicago White Sox.  The Giants have to be nervously looking in their rear view mirror; they’ve lost eight of their last 10 while L.A. has won seven of 10.