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Recognize this? Clayton Kershaw dominates in Dodgers’ 8-0 win

Clayton Kershaw delivers a pitch during the second inning of the Dodgers' 8-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

Clayton Kershaw delivers a pitch during the second inning of the Dodgers’ 8-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
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Then, on May 26, 2015, all was right in the Dodgers’ world. Clayton Kershaw was again dominating, the Dodgers were scoring bunches of runs and Adrian Gonzalez was going deep.

Kershaw threw seven crisp, scoreless innings Tuesday and struck out 10 as the Dodgers cruised to an 8-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves before a Dodger Stadium crowd of 40,667.

There had been a lot of hand-wringing over Kershaw’s start this season -- not that his 2-3 record and 4.32 ERA were completely terrible, they just didn’t look proper sitting on his mantel next to his Cy Young and MVP trophies.

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If he had been just slightly off earlier in the season, Tuesday he was absolutely right on. He retired the first 12 consecutive Braves in order, did not walk a batter and held Atlanta to just four hits.

Still, he was locked in a scoreless pitching duel with Braves right-hander Julio Teheran (4-2) until the Dodgers exploded for six runs in the fourth.

Howie Kendrick doubled in the first run, and after an intentional walk to Gonzalez, Justin Turner singled in Kendrick. Andre Ethier continued his hot hitting, doubling in two more, A.J. Ellis doubled in Ethier and Kershaw singled in his battery mate.

It was 6-0 Dodgers -- the most runs they had scored in one inning this season -- and that rarest of recent animals, a rout.

Gonzalez made it more so in the fifth when he followed a Kendrick single with a two-run homer. That gave him 1,001 RBI for his career. It was his first home run since May 5 in Milwaukee and 10th on the season.

J.P. Howell and Sergio Santos each threw one scoreless inning to preserve the shutout.

Follow Steve Dilbeck on Twitter @SteveDilbeck

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