On Wednesday night, a showdown between the two best teams in the National League - who just so happen to be competing with one another for a division crown in the National League West - took place, and during the close 1-0 contest, history was made.
Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood shut out the Arizona Diamondbacks over seven innings, striking out seven and allowing just three hits to become the first Dodgers starter to being a season 10-0 since Don Newcombe in 1955.
The 26-year-old southpaw, like Newcombe, did secure one of his wins in relief earlier this season, and was transitioned to starting full-time on April 21.
During his impressive performance against the Diamondbacks, Wood also became the first Dodgers pitcher to earn a perfect 10-0 record since right-handed reliever Ed Roebuck in 1962.
He also joined Ron Guidry as the only left-handed starters to begin 10-0 with an ERA below 2.00 in the last 100 years, and his ERA of 1.67 at the All-Star Break sits fourth lowest in Dodgers history behind some pretty impressive company, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
| PITCHER | SEASON | ERA |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Don Drysdale | 1.37 |
| 2015 | Zack Greinke | 1.39 |
| 1966 | Sandy Koufax | 1.60 |
| 2017 | Alex Wood | 1.67 |
Wood was passed up for next week's All-Star Game in Miami, but with teammate Clayton Kershaw opting not to pitch in the event due to a scheduled start on Sunday, he has a chance of being added as a replacement.
"One day at a time," Wood said of a possible All-Star berth, according to Steve Gilbert and Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. "I would feel very honored if it happened, very humbled, something you dream of as a kid. Hard to even kind of fathom right now."
