Kershaw (7-2) gave up just three hits over seven scoreless innings in a 6-1 win against the Giants on Wednesday, striking out five without a walk.
He tossed just 89 pitches in doing so, getting lifted after seven with this game well in hand. Baseball's best pitcher has mostly been up to his usual tricks, as he holds a 0.89 WHIP to accompany a 2.15 ERA through his first nine outings. It's worth noting that Kershaw's strikeout rate has dipped noticeably from past seasons (8.90 K/9), but it's a good bet that the stud southpaw will normalize that stat by ripping off a few double-digit-whiff games in a row at some point. He'll next take the ball against the Cardinals on Tuesday.