Vintage Clayton Kershaw wasn't the only crucial Dodgers return on Sunday

For the first time in a long time, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw looked like his old self on Sunday afternoon when he dominated the St. Louis Cardinals.

Kershaw went five innings, allowed one run on six hits, struck out seven, and did not walk anyone. He picked up his first big league win since August 18 of last year. It was the 213th win of his Major League career, which tied Kershaw with John Smoltz for 95th all-time.

Kershaw (2,983) also passed Zack Greinke (2,979) for 20th on the all-time strikeout leaderboard. He is closing in on 3,000 for his career.

Sunday marked the 65th start of Kershaw's career in which he recorded 7+ strikeouts and zero walks. He has pitched the most games in MLB history with those numbers, but shockingly, his last time doing that was on May 10th, 2023.

Kershaw's return to form

The impact of vintage Kershaw returning to the Dodgers rotation cannot be overstated.

With Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki all battling injuries, Los Angeles has struggled to find consistent innings in the rotation all year long.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been a godsend, but the Dodgers do not have another starting pitcher with an ERA under 4.00. It’s a big reason why the team has underachieved relative to the preseason expectations set by their payroll.

The Dodgers are going to make the playoffs with ease. But if the season ended today, Los Angeles would be the No. 3 seed in the National League and would be forced to play in the best-of-three Wild Card Round to get to the NLDS.

The Mets, Phillies, Padres, and Cubs are all for real. The National League is loaded this season, and if the Dodgers want to keep pace, they need to find answers for the pitching staff. The trade deadline will present them with an opportunity to address needs, but internal developments like a return of vintage Kershaw are game changing.

Another example of these essential internal developments is relief pitcher Michael Kopech getting back on the mound and looking dominant on Sunday.

Michael Kopech is back in the bullpen

Kopech was acquired by the Dodgers in a three-team trade at last year’s deadline from the Chicago White Sox. He looked like a different pitcher after being dealt, pitching to a 1.13 in 24 outings in a Dodgers uniform. He also threw some big innings during the postseason and World Series. 

Kopech finished off Sunday’s win over the Cardinals with a clean ninth inning. He allowed one hit, struck out one, and slammed the door in a 7-3 victory. 

Tanner Scott has not always been a reliable ninth inning option this season despite being paid like one of the best closers in baseball. If Scott's struggles continue, Kopech is a candidate to take on the job. He has swing-and-miss stuff and has thrived in high-leverage situations with the Dodgers. 

In his 15 saves in 2024, Kopech allowed an opposing batting average of .127 and an OPS of .494. 

Even if he’s not the closer the Dodgers need, Kopech’s return gives Dave Roberts another reliable bullpen arm he can turn to in high-leverage situations. It’s a huge improvement to one of the team’s biggest weaknesses at the moment.

Kopech, Alex Vesia, Jack Dreyer, and Kirby Yates is the start of a very legitimate bullpen that is capable of making another postseason run.