Clayton Kershaw earns 20th victory as Dodgers close in on postseason berth

The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for wins any way they can get'em as they near a second straight postseason berth and division championship. With that goal in mind, it must be nice to know they can turn to two-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw every fifth day, because even on days when he's not his usual dominant or efficient self, he simply can't lose. Kershaw was credited with his 20th victory in the Dodgers 14-5 win over the Cubs on Friday afternoon, despite only lasting the minimum five innings needed to qualify. That snapped a string of 17 consecutive outings with at least seven innings pitched. After being spotted a six run lead in the first inning, Kershaw gave three runs right back, and needed 106 pitches to survive the afternoon. Kershaw allowed those three runs (all earned), seven hits and tied a season-high with three walks. It's a subtle reminder that the win stat is often more misleading than it is telling of a pitcher's true value or performance on a given day, and that our celebration of such milestones is outdated. Kershaw's displeasure with his own performance was clear. After striking out Chris Valaika with a filthy curveball to end the fifth, he let...