Clayton Kershaw’s superb August comes to a close

What would you say of a starting pitcher who, in his team’s toughest month of the season, has managed to go 4-0, pitching to a sub-2.00 ERA, with three quality starts and has opposing hitters slugging under .300 against him? Well, that is the production brought to you by Clayton Kershaw in his 18th season as a big leaguer. Now he’ll look to cap off an outstanding August on a high note against the Cincinnati Reds, one of the many teams he has bullied since coming up to the bigs (2.10 ERA in 103 IP vs. Cincinnati).

Kershaw’s outstanding .800 winning percentage on the season isn’t just a byproduct of outstanding run support, although that is a part of it, as the Dodgers are averaging 5.5 runs in his 16 starts. By every measure, he has earned that record with the second-lowest ERA on the team among starters (3.13). An incredibly low 15.3 percent K%, even for an arm pitching to contact, hasn’t been enough to slow him down.

There is a plausible argument that the Reds will represent a break from what has otherwise been a gruesome run of opponents for Kershaw. He started the month pitching in the Rays’ new, albeit temporary, home, one that greatly favors hitters, as Tampa Bay’s home-road splits indicate (.751 OPS at home and .686 on the road). After the Rays, the challenges of facing the Blue Jays and Padres go without saying, two potential World Series contenders. Lastly, Kershaw, more than any other active pitcher, knows full well the challenges of pitching at Coors Field, regardless of which Rockies team you’re getting.

Still contending for a Wild Card spot, Cincinnati has done that primarily due to outstanding pitching. The offense, as we saw in Emmet Sheehan’s outstanding performance, can certainly be exploited.

Tuesday’s game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Reds
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out-of-market only)
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)