Kershaw hits strikeout marks, sends Dodgers past D-Backs 5-1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Clayton Kershaw reached two career strikeout milestones and held Arizona hitless into the sixth inning Thursday night, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers past the Diamondbacks 5-1 for their fifth straight victory.

While racking up eight strikeouts over six scoreless innings, Kershaw (5-1) became the 39th pitcher in major league history with 2,500 strikeouts when he fanned Nick Ahmed in the second. The left-hander then caught and passed Christy Mathewson (2,502) for 38th place on baseball’s career list by getting Carson Kelly and Tim Locastro in the third.

AJ Pollock had a pinch-hit homer and Mookie Betts added an RBI single in the seventh for the major league-leading Dodgers (29-10), who have won 18 of 21. Corey Seager had three hits for Los Angeles, which has also won 10 straight at Dodger Stadium after sweeping Arizona.

Kershaw, who threw his only previous no-hitter in 2014, allowed three baserunners but no hits until Christian Walker hit a grounder to shortstop with two outs in the sixth. Kiké Hernandez made the stop but had a tough throw, and it forced Cody Bellinger to jump off the bag at first, making Walker safe by inches.

Kershaw calmly got a grounder from David Peralta on his 99th and final pitch.

During this coronavirus-shortened season, the 32-year-old Kershaw is on a roll that resembles the most dominant stretches of his 13 years in blue. He has thrown 15 consecutive scoreless innings since Aug. 20, and he has given up just two runs and 10 hits with 29 strikeouts in 26 innings over his last four starts.

Luke Weaver (1-6) rebounded from a tough first inning to pitch 5 1/3 innings of four-hit ball while retiring 14 straight Dodgers at one point, but the free-falling Diamondbacks have lost 13 of 14.

After Kershaw departed, Arizona had...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Kershaw-hits-strikeout-marks-sends-Dodgers-past-15542215.php