Clayton Kershaw shows his mortality in Dodgers' 3-0 loss to Rockies

And on Tuesday, bullets did not bounce off his chest.

Neither could Clayton Kershaw leap tall mountains in a single bound, nor contain the Colorado Rockies. Not enough, anyway.

His anointment as the greatest left-hander since you-know-who will have to wait another day. Probably lots of other days.

Which is not to say Kershaw pitched horribly Tuesday in the Dodgers’ 3-0 loss to the Rockies in Denver.

He actually pitched very well. Just not as well, it turned out as Colorado’s Jhoulys Chacin.

Kershaw went six innings, striking out eight, walking one and allowing six hits. Trouble was, two of those hits went for solo home runs. One a rocket by Troy Tulowitzki in the fourth and another a pitch he’d probably like to have back to Chris Iannetta.

Of course, in the season opener Kershaw threw seven scoreless innings and struck out nine. On a team badly in need of an ace, very exciting. But this still has to happen, has to take its natural course, and no one should be in too big of a hurry.

Chacin shut the Dodgers out for seven innings, holding them to five hits. The Dodgers fared no better against Rafael Betancourt or Houston Street. They did not collect a hit in the last four innings.

It was the second time the Dodgers have been shut out in five games.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Clayton Kershaw. Credit: Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

Comments

[Native Angeleno]

Shut out in 2 of 5 because they're not playing in the Banjo League.

On track to be shut out 64 times this year. We don't believe that. But that's the ratio, and how is it supposed to get better?

Last year they were barely shut out in April. That shows it's not going to improve. Tony Gwynn Jr in left. Now why did the San Diego Padres cut him, again?

Don't forget not to go. The less we go, the sooner He does.

[16blows]

Key of 'A' Tony...

♫ "dudgers left the-ir Huffffffff, in San Francisco..." ♪

Amazing what a team CAN'T do when they're not getting five outs per inning, and worse, shutout twice now in just five games - and now IN Colorado even...

D'oh!

[OldBrooklynFan]

I hope people aren't expecting Kersh to pitch shutout ball every time he goes out there.
But maybe he'll have to, with this offenseless lineup. It's not going to be easy for him since he'll probably be facing the other team ace every time he takes the mound.

[FormerLifelongDodgerFan]

Sweet run support. Amazing firepower.

[Lina Non your buisness!]

Even though i am a giants fan, i have to admit Kershaw is a great pitcher. He shutout the Giants and made them look like fools. You have to remember though, it is only the beggining of the season!The Giants have always been slow starters, so to say that they are in bad need of an ace is bull. We have the same guys as last year with the exception of Uribe who we are doing fine without, theres a reason they traded him! Hopefully we get Cody Ross back soon. Do not count Kershaw out he is amazing and will help the Dodgers out alot! He's a rookie you cant expect him to be perfect!-this coming from a 14 year old girl!

[Tony F.]

This team has been shutout twice and the season is not a week old! This is what happens when the Dodgers fail to address their biggest off season need; a power hitter. McCheap did not improve the team during the Winter. I therefore will continue to boycott this team for the second straight year.

[H Albert]

Get used to the lack of firepower, boys and girls. While the pitching and defense should be fine, this team will not score enough runs. It's going to be a long and often frustrating year for the 'little blue tricycle' and their not so merry band of loyal fans.

[GooseEggsAbound]

wow, 2 shutouts in 5 games, a 40% RATE!!!!

thus, the DUDgers on pace to be shutout 65 times in '11!!!!

no one can fill out a lineup card like "ma-teen-glee"

[alanw19]

No. 2 market in the nation, and according to USA Today, Dodgers total payroll of $104M ranks 12th. That means more than 36 percent of major league teams are paying more than the signature franchise of the NL in the nation’s No. 2 market.

Just top five would be $128M – can you imagine what we could have bought for $24M? I don’t request stratosphere numbers like the Yankees and their $202M, but gee whiz.

And not surprisingly in correlation, our batting average is .233 – 22nd in the majors, 11th in the NL. Team ERA of 4.50 is 23rd in the majors. And ink us in for 6th in most HR allowed at 8. That’s second-most in the NL.

But lay off Kershaw. Kid pitched his fanny off last night, again, the two solo shots with two strikes each not withstanding. He’s among NL leaders in strikeouts (17, 1st), walk to strikeout ratio (2/17, 3rd), ERA (2.08, 2nd), wins (1, tied for 1st) and innings (13, 2nd). Yeah, it’s early but not much more he can do. Keep in mind, he only threw 89 pitches last night and could have gone at least one if not two more innings if the team wasn’t behind when his spot came up in the 7th. And he’s done it all while throwing on the razor’s edge of knowing he’s unlikely to get much offensive support.

Furcal (.250 ave with .250 on-base at $13M) and Loney (.158) have to begin producing. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if we ever see it from Gwynn (.200), Uribe (.182 for $5.2M) or DeJesus (.000). Barajas (.267) please don’t drop it any lower, and Carroll (.308 for $2.2M) keep being the most value for dollar spent player we’ve got. Ethier (.353) and Kemp (.313) need to maintain and get some help. If Blake comes back and hits the at least 70 points higher than Uribe that is expected, I’d say he should be at third – plus his defense – and put Carroll at 2B every day, or at a rate of about 130 starts there. Uribe is a bust – know it early, accept it, and adjust.

[Labeldude]

Don't see the surprise here. Furcal's on the downside of his career. Thames/Gwynn - one can't field, the other can't hit. Andre's streaky, but having no one one base in front of him doesn't help. Kemp could have a great year and not get 85 RBI. Uribe sucks. Blake was done last year. Loney never will amount to anything. Barajas will shortly be at his career levels. Carroll? C'mon - can anyone expect another career year out of someone his age? Miles, Gimenez, Paul, Ellis off the bench? Show me anything that said this team WOULD score runs. The only two on the planet that figured this team could even compete are Frank & Furter.
.
This team couldn't hit its way out of a wet paper bag that already had a tear in it. I doubt these guys can even hit off a tee. I'm seeing 20 shutouts easy, and maybe they even vie for the all-time L.A. record of 23.

[16blows]

Shall we pile on?

And why not.

I-N-C-O-M-I-N-G !

The taint of impotency is all over at least half the dudgers 6 total extra-base hits to date. No, I don't mean those 4 silly singles and 1 leg double courtesy tony gwynn jr. yesterday in Colorado... that could happen to anyone whose opponent didn't learn defense from Chuck 'The Bayonne Bleeder' Wepner.

Or the 4 runners that were left stranded on base by our own #4 hitter kemp - he like the rest the guys was in too much of a hurry (the long 2 hour flight to Denver from LA seemed like it was only 1:15 due that light air which allows not only the plane but also your balls to travel farther when you strike them solidly with a bat at Coors Field... contrast this with dudger stadium where as everyone knows even well-struck balls tend to die prematurely. ) It takes 24 hours or so to get acclimated so by the time today's afternoon game has been lost by the dudgers they should be used to it (the air & losing.)

And the guy that bats directly in front of kemp, the 'Triple Crown winner in absentia' i.e., 'punch and judy e' (other known alias 'the leader') - well, I'm not too worried about him either 'cause most estup- er, 'astute' baseball fans keep saying how great he is... I have to get a new pair of perspectacles 'cause I can't get these rose-colored ones I'm wearing far enough up my [ nose ] to see things as those other estu/astu guys do.

That concludes the tale of woe dudgers #3 and #4 hitters... but what about the rest?

All of the dudgers home runs so far this year - all 1 of them - were hit by the cleanup hitter - that he deposited an 85 mph Zito fastball (heh heh) over the wall isn't really so much. Subtract the relaible Huff from the equation and you can also deduct at least 1 triple, 1 double and several runs from the spare 13 they've pushed across these first 5 games of 2011 that would've either been caught for outs likely or not misplayed into extra-base hits & multiple runs.

As I wander from dudger blog to dudger blog I wonder: are there any more like the San Francisco treat out there will come to our rescue? Patience: we play the Giants three more games their place starting on Monday. And relax - no need to fear Cody Ross - he's still on crutches just like our RF man Huff.

I heard tony gwynn jr. say, "it's early", and he should know because he was with the Padres last year and saw how things can go (from bad to worse.) Nah, tony. It's later than you think - you're a dudger now, so start acting like it... defeated.

[alanw19]

I wouldn't think Carroll to have another career year at his age either, but compared to the other options, I believe its a better hope than the other options we have. Admittedly, I thought Uribe was a bust the second we signed him, again when I heard what we're paying him, and again everytime I see him. Last year was a contract year; now he's got a 3-year deal. Too bad for us.

Blake is back today, batting second, playing 3B. Uribe is batting 6th, playing 2B. And we get to see XPaul.

If you guessed St. Louis, then you got it right when asked "who is the only team with fewer extra-base hits than the Dodgers in the Major Leagues?" And you know big bad Albert will soon heat up and change that - just hope its not next week at Dodger Stadium.

[Chumpy Kemp]

I have never in my life seen a group of such lifeless hitters. No bat speed. No aggressiveness. No strategy.

Wait, it's been that way the last couple of years, too. Who is this schmuck batting coach?

[alanw19]

1908 St. Louis Cardinals were shut out 33 times - NL and MLB record.

We've got a shot at that one. Seriously.

BTW, the 1908 Brooklyn Superbas avoided last place in the 8-team NL and finished four games in front of those Cards with our 53-101 record.

[Scioscia]

wow, you people really don't follow baseball (or math) very well if you think that 5 games is statistically significant. on pace for 64 shutouts?!? Using that logic, the Dodgers are on pace to win 97 games. That's pretty good, but not as good as the undefeated records the Orioles, Reds and Rangers are on pace for. It's also not as bad as the winless seasons the Red Sox and Rays are on pace to deliver.

Dislike the Dodgers, take shots at the offense, make fun of Ned, call for senseless boycotts....just try not to undermine your position with silly arguments.

By the way, this is my second post today meaning that I'm on pace for 730 this year. That's not gonna happen either.

[Blue 67]

Pitchers are going to get angry with the lack of hitting and run support. There's no excuse for not supporting your team with runs, even if that means playing little ball with dunkers, walks and bloopers. Clayton pitched a great game. The sense of urgency needs to be felt by the whole ball club from the beginning. Good luck with team chemistry when the pitchers finally get passionate about their lack of run support...this has been an on-going problem! It's going to take a bit of channeled energy towards run support. I don't care about the homeruns, although that would be nice. What I do care about are players who are willing to find a way to win. Club house chemistry is built around good hitters who support exceptional pitching...we saw this last year with the Giants.

[Joe the Plumber]

Not surprising because this team bats "weight." I always hope for the best but the reality is they can't hit a lick! The owner and management got their heads in the sand and enjoy collecting their bloated paychecks.

[N.P.Krohn]

I was at the game. Terrible AB's from Furcal, Kemp, and Uribe all night long. The other team doesn't have to throw strikes if these guys continue to swing at crap. Blah, blah, blah. Don't even know why I care any more. Hawksworth looked good.

[Tony Fernandez]

This post is a joke. One bad start and suddenly Kershaw is no longer an ace? Please. In 2010, Roy Hallady had 12 games where he gave up 3 or more runs, he even had 2 games where he gave up 6 runs. He also had 4 games where he only pitched six innings or less. My point is, no one is perfect, not even the much idolized aces.

Kershaw is an ace, give it up already.