Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer both made their major league debuts in 2018, and together they’ve amassed nearly 6,500 strikeouts and 435 wins. Each has earned two World Series titles and three Cy Young Awards, and both are expected to earn a place in the Hall of Fame as defining pitchers of their era.
Kershaw and Scherzer have nothing left to prove in their careers, but their competition remains intense. On Friday night at Stadium, these veteran aces, representing the past, were central figures in a crucial game for their teams—a matchup that showcased their enduring skill.
Both pitchers played for first-place teams and performed well despite signs of aging, in a game that felt pivotal as each club began its late-season push. manager Dave Roberts praised them as strong and competitive, noting the quiet intensity they brought to the game.
Kershaw was the slight edge as the defeated Scherzer and the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1. In six innings, the 37-year-old lefty allowed seven hits and one walk but limited the damage to one run by inducing key strikeouts and double plays. Scherzer, 41, kept the scoreless game intact until the fifth inning when Shohei Ohtani hit a two-out double followed by Mookie Betts’ go-ahead two-run homer.
The , now 67-49, pulled away in the seventh inning by scoring three runs against the Blue Jays’ bullpen. Up until then, the duel between pitchers was tightly contested.
Early in the game, Scherzer struggled as the loaded the bases with two singles and a walk, though he survived the threat thanks to solid pitching and a key slider. In contrast, Kershaw breezed through the first inning using just 11 pitches.
Troubles continued for Kershaw in the second inning when Bo Bichette doubled and later scored on an RBI single by Addison Russell. Despite a loaded base situation, Kershaw escaped further damage thanks to a spectacular diving catch by Betts and a double play.
Kershaw faced additional challenges in the third and fourth innings but overcame them, ending his night after 74 pitches with a season ERA of 3.14.
Scherzer recovered from a rocky start to find his rhythm mid-game, retiring nine straight batters. He appeared on the verge of maintaining a scoreless game through the fifth inning, but after a series of plays and a failed steal attempt, Shohei Ohtani doubled. Mookie Betts then snapped his prolonged slump with a powerful two-run homer, marking his first since early July.
Betts’s recent resurgence has been notable: after ending a 0-for-22 slide, he’s now hitting .667 with extra-base hits and zero strikeouts in recent appearances.
This story first appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
Fan Take: This thrilling matchup between two of baseball’s legendary pitchers reminds fans why pitching duels are the heart and soul of the sport. It highlights that even as stars age, their impact on the game remains powerful, inspiring younger generations and intensifying competition at the highest level.
