Kershaw Lite brings his game to St. Petersburg

In the last five seasons, the oft-injured Clayton Kershaw has seen his fastball decrease from 94-95 mph to 90-91 mph.

The dominating pitcher who once was hailed as the best in the game no longer exists.

But Kershaw 2019 still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Now relying on his off-speed stuff, Kershaw has started the season with a 3-0 record and respectable 3.40 ERA. He remains a tough competitor and workhorse in preparation.

Which is why tomorrow night when he takes the mound against the Rays in St. Pete, I will be sitting in Section 115, Row UU, getting a first-hand look at one of his generation’s best pitchers.

Kershaw is no longer the ace of the staff. Hyun-Jin Ryu (6-1, 1.52 ERA) and pitching mates Walker Buehler (4-1, 3.83 ERA) and Kenta Maeda (5-2, 3.51 ERA) are the backbone of the staff now. The Dodgers have a 3.38 team ERA, second only to Tampa Bay (2.98) in the major leagues.

Don’t expect the two-game set to be a slugfest, but you never know.

When L.A. is at the plate, look for Cody Bellinger, the hottest hitter in the major leagues (.405, 17 HR, 44 RBI), Alex Verdugo (.323, 4 HR, 23 RBI) and Justin Turner (.276, 6 HR, 22 RBI) to lead the way.

And if Tampa throws a righty look for Joc Pederson to get some at-bats. He’s only hitting .220 but has smashed 14 HRs and knocked in 23 RBI while platooning in left field.

The Dodgers go into the two-game set at 31-17, 5.5 games ahead of Arizona in the division and with the best record in the National League. Only Houston and Minnesota in the AL have better records.