Almost everything fell right into place for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday night. Against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium, the one who stood out the most was veteran lefty Clayton Kershaw. He owned the mound with all of the command and poise he has honed over nearly 20 years in the major leagues. Kershaw, now 37, still possesses the sheer dominance of his prime. Yet, the veteran ace found himself picking apart his own game, searching for flaws and ways to improve.

The Dodgers’ offense scored 11 times against the Giants, and their star hitter Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs. It was as impressive as it gets, but no one impressed quite like Kershaw. Meanwhile, the World Series champions have once again gained sole possession of first place in the division.

Returning to Kershaw, he helped the Dodgers maintain a massive early lead in the game on Saturday. He cruised through seven scoreless innings. He gave up just three hits, striking out five in the Dodgers’ 11-5 win against the Giants. Yet, it wasn’t enough for him. Postgame, while Dodgerland couldn’t stop raving about his pitching, he became his own harshest critic. “It wasn’t amazing, but it was efficient.” Truth be told, even ‘amazing’ might be an understatement.

He continued, “It’s not going to be perfect. It’s just pitching now, which is a good thing.”  He went on to point out his own imperfections. “I think my slider wasn’t very good today. My curveball was better, though. I don’t know; it’s just a different day, I guess.” That’s about as much celebration as you can expect from Kershaw. He admitted that it might just be his personality that keeps him from feeling great about it.

“In the moment, I can think of some pitches off the top of my head that I’d like to have back. I’d like to throw better. But you know, there are no restrictions physically, health-wise, which is great.” Last November, Kershaw was placed on a 60-day injured list as he recovered from knee and toe injuries.

When he was activated earlier this year, he bounced back stronger than ever. There were no restrictions; he could simply bring out the best in himself. That said, Kershaw downplayed just how much credit he really deserves. But the packed crowd of 51,548 got to witness the sheer dominance of Kershaw’s 18th season.

Dave Roberts highlights Clayton Kershaw’s pitching

After a tough loss against the Dodgers, the Giants dropped their record to 41-30 in the NL West Standings. Meanwhile, the Dodgers, at 42-29, faced a lineup that ranks 25th in the majors in batting average. Taking advantage of that, Clayton Kershaw pitched with a six-run lead by the third inning.

Well, it all started with Ohtani’s leadoff home run in the first inning, which was his seventh leadoff blast this season. “Our offense is so good,” said Kershaw, collectively for the entire offensive side of the team. Praising him, manager Dave Roberts said, “He worked ahead all night long and put the pressure on those guys.”

Clearly, this outing meant a lot to Kershaw. He spent most of the winter in rehab. Even earlier this year, he was recovering from lower-body surgeries. His ability to get through seven shutout innings efficiently put the Dodgers in a “good spot,” according to Roberts. Whereas, according to Kershaw’s admission, his 88.4 mph fastball wasn’t good enough.

Even Roberts acknowledged that a pitcher can’t have his “a stuff” all the time. However, Kershaw’s pitching was enough to put the Giants in a tight spot.