October 1st, 2023 at 8:30 am 
by Ron Cervenka It was an error reminiscent of THE error that still haunts every Dodgers fan to this day.
THE error occurred on June 18, 2014, when former Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez threw away what should have been a routine 6-3 groundout that cost (now) 35-year-old future first-ballot Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw what should have been the second perfect game in Dodgers franchise history. Instead, the longtime extremely popular Dodgers ace had to settle for only a no-hitter.
(MLB.com)
The NEW error was that of Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy who, in Saturday night’s eventual 2-1 Dodgers loss to the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, bobbled and dropped what should have been a routine 5-3 groundout that cost Kershaw what should have been his 14th win of the season in what may have been Kershaw’s final regular season game in a Dodgers or possibly any MLB uniform.
(SportsNet LA)
But as we have come to expect from the popular Dallas, TX native and Dodgers first round draft pick in 2006 out of Highland Park High School in Dallas, he fell on his sword, taking full responsibility for that dreadful bottom of the sixth inning during which the Giants scored their second and eventual winning run off of him instead exiting the game with it still tied 1-1; not to mention that his teammates, with the best offense in Major League Baseball, gave him only one run of support in what should not have been his fifth loss of the season.
“You know, overall there were some really good things,” Kershaw told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson postgame. “You know, gave up a few more hard-hit balls that I would have wanted to, and then obviously you can’t walk the first two guys in that last inning there, so there’s some things that I’d like to take back, but overall, I feel actually pretty good.”
Kershaw has every reason to “…feel actually pretty good.” He allowed just those two runs on only five hits in his 6.0 innings pitched, while striking out five and allowing just those two walks, doing so on 83 total pitches, of which 52 were strikes.
“I thought he threw the ball really well, he used his mix really well, command good, and I thought everything was fantastic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Kershaw’s 23rd start of the season. “So, it was good to see him get into that sixth inning and couldn’t have expected or wanted anything more.”
As for Muncy’s error, and as we have come to expect from the Dodgers skipper, he had an excuse when asked about Muncy’s 16th error of the season at the hot corner.
“That Flores ball, I think it just had some funky spin and, you know, Max just couldn’t secure it to get… to get… you know, to turn the double play or get an out,” answered Roberts
(SportsNet LA)
The NEW error notwithstanding, Kershaw finished his 2023 regular season with a team-best 13-5 record and a ridiculous Kershaw-like 2.46 ERA over his 23 starts, having struck out a Kershaw-like 137 opposing batters while walking only 40 and allowing 19 home runs to the 523 batters he faced on the season. It was also the 13th time in his 16-year MLB career that he finished the season with an ERA under 3.00.
Did I mention that Clayton Kershaw is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer?
Play Ball!
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Posted in 
only 3 home runs????
Fixed. Looked at the wrong column on Baseball Reference.
Score 1 run and expect to win? Ridiculous.
Right?
Great article. But Kersh allowed 19 home runs this year per Baseball Reference. Maybe you misread HBP (hit by pitch) of which he plunked 3 this year. I love Kersh. He is only surpassed by Sandy K in my list of all time favorite professional athletes. Both are class acts as well.
Muncy is that a fielder who will make some spectacular play that is the envy of gold glovers but the next game he couldn’t cleanly field a two hopper from a tee-baller. The most important lesson that should be gleaned from this is that come crunch time in the upcoming postseason, Muncy can play first base if Freeman doesn’t, second base in a pinch, preferably DH, but there is zero reasonable justification to put the subpar fielder at the hot corner. ZERO.
Muncy led the National League in errors by a third baseman in 2023 with 16. The next nearest was Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon with 12. This terrifies me heading into the postseason.
Could be our downfall.
Muncy should not be punished for anything he is a great team player..I am sure he is beating himself up with this… don’t make him feel any worse I am sure he’s beating himself up and feels just awful about it
Thank you…
Excellent point, Dee. Setting Muncy’s defensive struggles aside, he clearly has THE best eye on the team, as noted by his 85 walks this season. This was second most on the team to only Mookie’s 96, with a good many of those being IBB’s.
Ron,
have you heard anything about Kersh pitching in rancho in the coming weeks?
MLBTR posted this just this morning:
“Sticking with Dodgers starting pitchers, Clayton Kershaw could soon begin a minor league rehab assignment of his own. The long-time Dodgers ace has yet to pitch this season after undergoing shoulder surgery last November. However, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported on Saturday that Kershaw was scheduled to throw a third simulated game, and after that, he could be ready to start a rehab assignment. This seems to put him on track to come back sometime next month. “Sometime in July” was always considered the earliest possible timeline for Kershaw’s return.”
thanks, do you have any contacts in rancho that might give a heads up if he’s going to take the mound against Inland?
speaking of mlbtr see the biggio news this morning?