Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw could be rounding into Cy Young form

Spoiled, that’s what you are. Rotten to the very core.

Clayton Kershaw pitches and you expect flirtations with no-hitters, double-digit strikeouts and at least a shutout. Some kind of history.

And it seems he’s been … what? Pretty good? Nice, but overshadowed on his own rotation by Josh Beckett’s no-hitter, Hyun-Jin Ryu’s flirtation with a perfect game, Zach Greinke’s 8-2 start?

While his numbers haven’t exactly been up to his usual two-time Cy Young standards and the Dodgers were only 3-5 in his first eight starts, he may have been pitching better than you thought.

And after Monday’s performance against the White Sox, he just may be ready to resume his standing as one of baseball’s premier pitchers.

“Clayton to me was just dominant tonight,” said Dodgers Manager Don Mattingly.

Kershaw went a season-high eight innings, and might have thrown a complete game if Mattingly didn’t feel he needed to get closer Kenley Jansen an inning.

He struck out nine, did not walk a batter and allowed only four hits. The only two runs he gave up came on a slider he left up to White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu, who hit it like a laser out to left.

Kershaw missed six weeks early this season with a strained shoulder, but he’s still managed to put together some impressive numbers in his seven starts.

In his 43 1/3 innings this season, he’s struck out 55 and walked only seven. That’s fairly amazing. He’s given up a few more hits than he’d probably like (40) and his 3.32 ERA is fine, though still above his 2.60 career mark.

Kershaw had one horrid start this season, allowing seven runs in 1 2/3 innings against the Diamondbacks on May 17. Eliminate that game and he has a 1.99 ERA in his other six starts.

Which is lot like the pitcher, who in truth, did all the spoiling.