July 9, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) throws in the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Dodger Stadium. Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
LOS ANGELES — Clayton Kershaw struck out 13 in a complete-game effort to win his 14th game of the season, and Justin Turner hit a pair of home runs as the Los Angeles Dodgers closed the first half of the season with their 26th win in their last 30 games, 5-2 over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.
Kershaw allowed six hits and sailed through the game, only needing 99 pitches — 73 for strikes — and he only had problems when Eric Hosmer was at-bat for the Royals. The first baseman had three of Kansas City’s hits, a pair of singles and a two-run home run in the fourth.
Kershaw becomes the first Dodger to go into the break with 14 wins or more since Sandy Koufax did it in 1966.
The Dodgers go into the All-Star Game break with the best record in the majors at 61-29, a pace that projects to 109 wins. They are 18-1 in their last 19 home games and 39-11 on the season at Dodger Stadium, a .780 percentage that is better than the club record for a full season (1953, 60-17, .779).
It was the Dodgers’ 10th series sweep of the season, and 54th time in 90 games the pitching staff allowed three runs or less in a game.
The Royals lost just their second series in their last 11 and have dropped three straight since launching an 18-6 run of success on June 2.
Turner hit a solo home run in the first and finished a three-run third with his second of the game and 10th of 2017 with a two-run shot. A Trayce Thompson triple and Logan Forsythe single scored the other run in the third.
With one on, Hosmer slugged his 12th home run to left-center to cut the Dodgers’ lead to 4-2. Catcher Austin Barnes homered in the sixth, his fifth, to make it 5-2.
Royals starter Danny Duffy (5-5) pitched well, the home runs his only problems. He allowed six hits and struck out nine.
This is the third time the Dodgers have 60 or more wins at the break, the others being the 1973 (63-37) and 1974 (63-34) teams.
NOTES: Home plate umpire Kerwin Danley was hit on his mask near the forehead with a foul tip in the first inning and crumpled into the arms of Royals catcher Drew Butera. He finished the half-inning and then went for medical tests. Adam Hamari replaced him behind the plate … The Dodgers rested SS Corey Seager, C Yasmani Grandal and OF Joc Pederson. … The Royals sat out C Salvador Perez, OF Jeff Gordon and 3B Mike Moustakas. … Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said LHP Clayton Kershaw would not pitch in the first series after the break. “With Clayton, we’ve pushed him pretty hard in the first half,” Roberts said. “We have sort of built in some rest for some guys and there have been injuries that have created short rest for starters. Clayton is the one guy we have to be mindful of as well. To potentially give him a few extra days and using the break, makes sense.”
