Kershaw nabs NL Cy Young

New York, NY – Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw was named the National League Cy Young Award winner on Thursday by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Kershaw became the eighth different Dodgers hurler to win the award, as he placed first on 27, second on three and third on two other ballots cast by two writers from each NL city to finish with 207 points based on a tabulation system that rewards seven points for first place, four for second, three for third, two for fourth and one for fifth.

Last year's winner Philadelphia right-hander Roy Halladay received four first place votes and finished second. His teammate, Cliff Lee finished third with 90 points.

Like American League Cy Young winner Justin Verlander, Kershaw was a Triple Crown winner this past season as he tied for the league lead with 21 wins, while topping the NL with a 2.28 earned run average and 248 strikeouts.

Kershaw's minuscule ERA is the lowest of any NL Cy Young Award winner since 1997 when Pedro Martinez, then of the Expos, finished the year with a 1.90 mark.

The 23-year-old hurler is also the youngest NL honoree since Dwight Gooden, who won the award in 1985 at the age of 20 with the Mets.

It is the 10th time that a Dodgers pitcher has been honored, but Kershaw is first since closer Eric Gagne took home honors in 2003. Other Dodgers winners include Don Newcome, who won the award in 1956 when the team was still in Brooklyn, Don Drysdale (1962), Sandy Koufax (1963, 1965-66), Mike Marshall (1974), Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Orel Hershiser (1988), the last Dodgers' starter to win.

More to follow.