Clayton Kershaw Makes History For All The Wrong Reasons

It wasn't supposed to be like this for Clayton Kershaw.

After recent years, where the once fabled star pitcher was a guaranteed light's out on the mound, things have soured for Kershaw. Earlier this year, Kershaw had to undergo his first ever shoulder surgery and the effects may still be hindering him. After having his return continuously delayed, Kershaw made his 2nd appearance last night on the mound and set a new personal record for himself - but for all the wrong reasons.

For the first time in 423 regular-season starts, Clayton was unable to record a single strikeout, ending his own Major League Baseball record that he has held since baseball moved the mound to its' current location back in 1893.

Kershaw would leave the game after just 3.2 innings in which he allowed seven runs and ultimately got the loss as the Padres defeated the Dodgers 8-1 and swept the team for the first time since 2010.

"There's a lot of things I was missing," Kershaw told reporters after the game. "Just wasn't executing, wasn't throwing really anything where I wanted to, how I wanted to. Frustrating overall."

What's been especially frustrating and even sad for baseball fans (especially Dodgers ones) has been just how much Kershaw has fallen. The once great pitcher is now in his fourth injury-plagued year, missing the entire first half of the season before returning to the team on July 25th. The 36-year-old signed a one-year, $5 million guaranteed contract that allows Kershaw to earn an additional $7.5 million in various bonuses. It also comes with an option for 2025 this past offseason, something that is not guaranteed the team will exercise.

DODGERS ARE 4.5 GAMES AHEAD OF SAN DIEGO IN NL WEST

"I just need to pitch better," Kershaw continued. "Sometimes it happens. There's a lot you can overanalyze when you pitch bad. But for right now I'm just going to say it was bad and try to pitch better the next one."

Kershaw's troubles last night are indicative of an overall rut that Los Angeles currently finds themselves in. The team currently finds themselves without some of their major stars, including Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Chris Taylor, Miguel Rojas, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto due to being on the IL or coming back from injuries. 

It's moments like these where your 10x All-Star, 3x NL Cy Young Award winner should step up and lead the charge, but Kershaw's body may just not have it in him anymore.