Not quite a perfect 10, as Clayton Kershaw grinds one out

5:56 PM ET

ATLANTA — Clayton Kershaw hardly had his best stuff Thursday and yet he still managed to give the Dodgers exactly what they needed.

Such is the life of what is probably the best pitcher in baseball right now.

The Dodgers’ ace went eight innings, giving up just one run while throwing 116 pitches, in a 2-1, 10-inning win over the Braves. A deeper look into his pitching line reveals that he gave up 10 hits while striking out 10, the first time he was in double digits in both categories in a single start.

“Weird day,” Kershaw said. “You give up a bunch of runs and give up 10 hits, you say you got shelled. You don’t give up a bunch of runs and you give up 10 hits, you scattered it, as they say. It was just a weird deal. Five hits in the first two innings, you just turn the page after that. You really look at it as two games almost.”

His two-games-in-one adventure was helped by a dazzling double play in the second inning started by second baseman Chase Utley. Kershaw loaded the bases with nobody out but struck out Mallex Smith. Pitcher Matt Wisler then hit a shot up the middle, but Utley made a sliding grab to his right and started the double play that ended the threat.

Clayton Kershaw had 10 strikeouts and 10 hits allowed, but his most important stat was his eight innings pitched, saving the Dodgers’ bullpen. Jason Getz/USA TODAY Sports

“The play by Chase, that double-play ball was a game-changer,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We made some plays defensively out there for Clayton, but every time he takes the mound we feel …

continue reading in source espn.go.com