Overview

• Kershaw went 5-0 with a 1.88 ERA in August, logging 19 strikeouts against three walks over 28.2 innings as Los Angeles pushed to maintain its NL West lead.
• Per OptaSTATS, he became the first starter in the pitch-tracking era to win five games in a month while throwing fewer than 400 pitches.
• In his latest outing against the Reds, he allowed one run over five innings on 72 pitches and later said his slider wasn’t sharp, crediting catcher Will Smith for guiding the game plan.
• He is 9-2 across 17 starts this season, drawing praise from MLB Network’s Mark DeRosa for “re-inventing” his approach.
• Team context remains mixed: Newsweek notes a deepening rotation as Shohei Ohtani expands his pitch mix and cites Kershaw’s influence, while EssentiallySports highlights bullpen concerns with Alex Vesia on the injured list and poor relief metrics.