Clayton Kershaw

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by rats60

The problem is Kershaw is not strong enough to complete games and the Dodgers have a lousy bullpen. That is a recipe for disaster.

Patently false. What the hell are you talking about?

Kershaw in May started six games. In three of those starts, he threw complete game shutouts. He pitched 49 2/3 innings out of a possible 54 innings. That's an average of 8 1/3 innings per start. In his eleven starts this season, he's thrown 86 2/3 innings (leading the National League). That's a hair under 8 innings per start (7.88 IP/start).

He leads the National League with those three complete games this year.
He led the National League with four complete games last year.
He led the National League with six complete games in 2014.

Here are the Major League leaders in complete games thrown, since 2011:

Clayton Kershaw, 23
James Shields, 17
Johnny Cueto, 14
Adam Wainwright, 13
R.A. Dickey, 12
Felix Hernandez, 12
David Price, 12
Justin Verlander, 12

And, since 2011, nobody in the Major Leagues....NOBODY....has thrown more innings than Kershaw:

IP since the start of the 2011 season:

Clayton Kershaw, 1,214 2/3 in 170 starts
James Shields, 1,199 in 177 starts
Felix Hernandez 1,170 in 172 starts
R.A. Dickey 1,163 in 177 starts (179 games)

In the last six years, nobody has thrown more innings, or more complete games, than Clayton Kershaw. Not strong enough to complete games? I'd say that Clayton Kershaw is, by a comfortable margin, the most reliable starter in the game as far as innings pitched per start.

I hate when people present statements as fact, and they have no clue what they're talking about.