Clayton Kershaw was magnificent last month, and on Wednesday he was rewarded for it. The Dodgers' southpaw was named the National League Pitcher of the Month for July, after winning four of his five starts with a 2.02 ERA. Kershaw is the first Dodger to take home the monthly honor since Derek Lowe in August 2006.
↵Kershaw was third in the league in ERA for the month, and his 1.96 FIP was second only to Madison Bumgarner of the Giants. Kershaw's 2.15 xFIP led the league, narrowly beating Zack Greinke's 2.16 mark. Kershaw's 45 strikeouts led the NL.
↵Kershaw has a decent chance at winning the Cy Young Award this season, which would be quite a coup for the 23-year old. He leads the league in strikeouts (177) and is tied for the lead in wins (13), is fifth in the league in ERA (2.68), and third in FIP (2.50) and xFIP (2.72). Roy Halladay remains the favorite, but a few more months like July could mean Kershaw could take home the big prize.
↵For more information on Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers, be sure to read True Blue LA.