When you stop and consider that likely 2013 National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is the only pitcher in all of baseball who could allow two earned runs in seven innings and actually have his ERA go up instead of down, it puts into perspective two very important things: one – Kershaw is very very good; and two: the Dodgers current four-game slide most likely will not prevent the Dodgers from winnings the NL West when Kershaw still has at least three starts remaining before the end of the regular season with the Dodgers magic number at 10.

Although the Dodgers current 4-game losing streak has Dodger fans on edge and squirming in their seats a little, it’s not the end of the world. In fact, Kershaw says that it might even be a good thing.

“Overall, it’s a good time for us to lose some games,” Kershaw said after Sunday night’s painful 3-2 loss to the playoff-bound Cincinnati Reds. “If we’re going to lose… we can remember what that feeling is like and bounce back and hopefully gain some momentum and carry it through to the playoffs.”

If Clayton Kershaw says it’s okay to lose some games, trust him.
(Video capture courtesy of Tony Jackson – DodgerScribe.com)

Leave it to the guy who was just honored with the 2013 Branch Rickey Award for his (and his wife Ellen’s) humanitarian work with “Kershaw’s Challenge” and “Arise Africa” to see the silver lining around an otherwise dark cloud.

“I feel like I threw the ball alright tonight. I have to tip my hat to Jay Bruce (who homered twice), I thought I could throw sliders to him and obviously I was stubborn the second time. I thought he ran into one the first time but he proved he’s really locked in right now,” Kershaw added.

Ironically, former Boston Red Sox utility player and current Dodgers analyst Steve Lyons tweeted the exact same sentiment that Kershaw said (about it being a good time to loose a few games right now) nearly three weeks ago, yet he was absolutely blasted for his comment. But it seems to be okay and almost reassuring to hear it from the guy who is arguably the best pitcher in all of baseball right now. With the Dodgers having gone 52-14 before being swept by the Reds this past weekend it’s almost understandable why Dodger fans in Twittersphere would be outraged by Lyons seemingly blasphemous tweet – they’re spoiled.

Even though it may be okay to lose a few games right now (according to Kershaw and Lyons), it would be best if the Dodgers start winning some games again, and soon – if for no other reason than to dispel the uncomfortable feeling that perhaps the smoking hot Dodgers may of peaked too soon, as many pundits (and Giants fans) would have us believe. But in spite of the current 4-game losing streak, it is somewhat reassuring (albeit only slightly) that three of the four were by only one run.

Regardless, the Dodgers offense had best snap out of their current May-like slump… and fast, because the very last thing that the Dodgers and Dodger fans need is to prove those pundits (and Giants fans) right. Heaven knows that if they are right, we will never ever ever hear the end of it.