Dodgers News: Don Mattingly Sings Clayton Kershaw’s Praises
Clayton Kershaw returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers in astounding fashion on Tuesday night against the Nationals. The Dodgers ace threw seven shutout innings allowing nine hits while striking out nine as well. The organization and fans alike could not have been more thrilled with his first game back feeling as if their famed starter had never been placed on the disabled list in the first place
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly has been one of the biggest Kershaw supporters throughout the years and sung his praises after yesterday’s game via Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles:
He shows you right away what you’ve been missing, just a guy that brings that to the table every five days,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. “It is a little reminder of just who he is and what he means to you.”
The two-time Cy Young winner brings a dominance to the table in every start, and with his impressive performance on Tuesday, one can understand why Mattingly is put at such ease knowing that his ace is back on the mound. With a 1.83 ERA over 236 innings of work in 2013, his most recent outing gives fans hope that he could post similar numbers this year.
Although the organization has been eagerly awaiting his return, the Dodgers rotation fared extremely well without their ace. Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu have remained admirably consistent, and Dan Haren and Josh Beckett have brought more to the table than was initially expected of them. With a collective 3.04 ERA, the Dodgers still managed to claim the NL’s fourth-best starting rotation without their golden starter.
With the Dodgers amidst a tough road trip, Kershaw’s return was exactly what the team needed to turn their rough patch around especially as Hyun-Jin Ryu was placed on the disabled list. The organization looks to turn things around as they return home against the Giants on Thursday.
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