Clayton Kershaw made the start Thursday for the Los Angeles Dodgers against the San Diego Padres. He’s gone 49 straight starts without losing consecutively, the longest active streak in the majors. Kershaw currently has 16 straight starts of 6+ strikeouts and three earned runs or fewer, which is the longest streak by a National League pitcher in the last 100 years. He is 11-1 with a 1.31 ERA in his last 14 starts.

Kershaw struck out five batters through his first five innings pitched, walking one and holding onto a no-hitter. Remember that he threw a no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium earlier this season, but that wasn’t the case tonight.  The no-hitter was broke up in the sixth with two outs, when the Padres starting pitcher Tyson Ross singled to left center field, but the dominance continued.

Kershaw’s evening ended after eighth innings pitched, giving up three hits and one earned run which brought his ERA down to 1.82; the best in the Major Leagues. He struck out 10 Padres and walked two; He is now tied for the lead in Major League Baseball with 15 wins. Kenley Jansen held onto the one-run lead, picking up his 36th save, striking out two in the process.

The offense had a hard time getting going, something that Kershaw has seen a little more than desired in his last few starts. Dee Gordon and Justin Turner were the only Dodgers to get a hit off of Ross in the first six innings. The game was becoming a duel on the mound. The Padres were the first to add a run on the board in the seventh with three straight hits off Kershaw.

Carl Crawford singled to lead off the eighth and Turner’s second hit of the game was a blast to left field, a two-run shot that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead. Nobody was happier than Kershaw either, who was jumping around the dugout hugging teammates after gaining the lead and putting him in position for his 15th win. The home run for Turner marks his first career go-ahead home run in the eighth inning of later of his career.

The Dodgers were 0-46 when trailing after seven innings before Turner’s two-run home run. A.J. Ellis followed with a walk and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Miguel Rojas. Andre Ethier pinch hit for Kershaw with one on and one out in the eighth. Ethier and lead-off man Gordon struck out to end the inning.

Kershaw wasn’t the only pitcher accomplishing impressive feats. J.P. Howell has passed 100 innings pitched as a Dodger and is the franchise’s all-time ERA leader (1.75) with that many innings pitched, ahead of Takashi Saito.  Dan Haren will open up the series with the New York Mets at Chavez Ravine on Friday after the boys in blue took two of three with the Padres. Los Angeles picks up half a game on the San Francisco Giants for first place in the NL West race. 

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