It was like stepping out of a time machine. Back to a time when you could still buy a gallon of gasoline for under $3.00 (if you looked hard enough). Back to a time when you still saw an occasional flip phone being used. Back to a time when In-N-Out Burger opened their first two restaurants in Texas just north of Dallas. Back to a time when a then 23-year-old Dallas, TX native named Clayton Kershaw went a National League-best 21-5 with an MLB-best 2.28 ERA en route to the first of his (thus far) three National League Cy Young awards.

But it wasn’t time travel at all. It was the here-and-now.

It happened on Thursday night, August 20, 2020, at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, WA, where a now 32-year-old Kershaw pitched like his 23-year-old former self … and it was beautiful.

All Kershaw did was pitch seven innings of four-hit baseball, allowing only one run – a fourth-inning solo home run to Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (go figure) – while walking only one and striking out 11.

“That was vintage Kershaw,” Dodgers center fielder and reigning 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger said after the Dodgers 6-1 victory and Kershaw’s third win of the season (against one loss) while lowering his ERA to a Kershaw-like 2.65.

Along the way, Kershaw tied – and passed – Dodgers Hall of Fame right-hander Don Drysdale for the second-most strikeouts in franchise history. Kershaw finished his night with 2,493 career strikeouts, topping Drysdale’s 2,486. He is now second to only Dodgers Hall of Fame right-hander Don Sutton, who finished his 16 seasons as a Dodger (out of 23 major league seasons) with 2,696 strikeouts.

“Obviously, very cool,” Kershaw told reporters (via Zoom) after the game. “Just to be a Dodger long enough to accomplish something like that is pretty special. Some of the names on that list, it’s pretty cool to be a part of it. Someday, I’ll look back and think it’s pretty cool. But today, it was a great start all around.”

As for his “stuff” on Thursday night, Kershaw’s slider was outstanding and his curveball flat-out unhittable, while occasionally hitting 94 with his fastball.

“I’ve always thought I could compete,” said Kershaw. “Your stuff sometimes comes and goes. But your ability to compete and ability to manipulate through games and figure ways to get outs, ultimately, that’s what wins games.

“I’m thankful my stuff has ticked up this year,” he added. “I’m going to pitch as long as I’m having fun – and I’m having a ton of fun – and I don’t see that stopping any time soon.”

Pure music to every Dodger fan’s ears.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, players, especially pitchers, had little time to ramp-up for the short 60-game 2020 season, which, of course, is why starting pitchers across the league are being pulled earlier than perhaps they normally would during a regular 162-game season. As a result, the Dodgers bullpen, which currently owns the best ERA in all of baseball at 1.85, has been used early and often through the Dodgers first 27 games.

“That’s our job as a starter: pick the other starters up when they have a bad one, and they do the same for you,” Kershaw explained. “I know [Dodgers relievers] threw a lot of innings [on Wednesday night]. It was good to give those guys a blow down there.”

He also explained his game plan which ultimately led to the Dodgers 19th win of the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season.

“It took a few innings to get my slider going,” Kershaw said. “After Seager hit that homer, I tried to do some different things and finish it a little better, and it definitely got better as the game went on. Curveball was good, which I was thankful for. A lot of guys were taking it, so that was kind of a free strike, and I buried a few at the end for strikeouts.”

As for Bellinger, who has been struggling mightily thus far through the short season, he slugged his second home run in as many games and sixth of the season, giving Dodgers fans hope that his early-season woes are behind him.

But the night belonged to Clayton Kershaw.

…just like the good old days.

Play Ball!

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