Dodgers Interview: Kershaw Reflects on Efficient Outing, Progression in Return to Form
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw might not have called it vintage, but he was satisfied — and, more importantly, healthy — after throwing seven scoreless innings Friday night in the Dodgers’ 11–5 win over the San Francisco Giants.
Coming off his best and longest start since returning from the injured list, Kershaw spoke postgame about his approach and the importance of helping set the tone for the team. He credited the Dodgers’ high-powered offense for creating early momentum and stressed the value of pitching with a lead.
“Our offense is so good. I think it’s really important to get some zeros on the board early,” Kershaw said. “You can see what they do — if they feel the momentum, they start swinging the bats.”
After Ohtani’s leadoff homer put the Dodgers ahead in the first, Kershaw focused on throwing strikes and keeping the Giants quiet. “When you get that early lead, you just try and pound the zone as best you can,” he said. “It wasn’t amazing — there were some pitches I backed up and they hit the ball hard at guys — but overall, to be efficient and get through seven, it was a good day.”
Kershaw allowed just three hits and one walk across 81 pitches, striking out five. It marked his deepest outing of the year and was a sign of steady improvement.
Asked how close he feels to being where he wants to be, Kershaw admitted that each start has brought something different — a process that, in his view, is part of the job. “There’s some things you do well, some things you don’t do as well,” he said. “It’s not going to be perfect, but learning how to adjust on the fly and throw more strikes — which I’m able to do now — is good. I think now it’s just pitching, which is a good thing.”
Though his stuff wasn’t all in sync, Kershaw felt he navigated the outing with what he had. “My slider wasn’t very good today. My curveball was better though,” he said. “I don’t know — it’s just a different day, I guess.”
Even after two promising starts back to back, Kershaw remains cautious about declaring anything “back.” He said that, personality-wise, he never fully feels satisfied with a performance.
“You’re never like — you never feel great about it,” he said. “There’s always things you want to have back. But the results, at the end of the day, to win the game — that’s the most important thing.”
He quickly rattled off several pitches from the game he wished he’d executed better. Still, he emphasized the bigger picture: there are no physical limitations holding him back.
“There’s no restrictions physically, health-wise, which is great. Like I said, it’s just kind of pitching now, which is good.”
Kershaw was also asked about the strikeout milestone that’s creeping closer — he’s just a handful of punchouts away from becoming the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 career strikeouts. “Maybe by September I’ll get there,” he said with a smile. “We’ll see. It’s obviously a very cool thing. It’s starting to get a little more on the forefront of the mind. But who knows how long 12 strikeouts will take me at this point. Might be until August.”
The crowd at Dodger Stadium gave Kershaw a standing ovation as he walked off the mound after the seventh. It was a moment the longtime ace didn’t take lightly. “It was special. I honestly didn’t know if I was done or not, so I didn’t want to come out of the moment too much,” he said. “But I love pitching here. I don’t take it for granted. Who knows how many I’ve got left here, so I’m just going to enjoy it. Any time somebody cheers for you like that, it’s pretty special.”
Despite missing all of spring training, Kershaw said he didn’t feel behind thanks to his rehab progression — though he acknowledged that nothing compares to pitching in a real game. “That’s what rehab’s for,” he said. “I had plenty of starts beforehand. But there’s no substituting big league competition. You just have to get out there and get the reps.”
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