Clayton Kershaw has taken another step closer to what is becoming more and more of a historic inevitability for the franchise. By picking up a win Tuesday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Kershaw managed to move into a tie for the second spot in Los Angeles' all-time pitching wins record, as noted by Dodger Insider.

“Clayton Kershaw is now tied with Don Drysdale for second place in Dodger history with 209 career wins. Don Sutton owns the record with 233.”

Kershaw started and pitched for five innings, getting charged for just a run on three hits while issuing three free passes and striking out five Diamondbacks hitters. The Dodgers' bullpen took care of business the rest of the way, with Gus Varland, Tyson Miller, and Victor Gonzalez combining for four scoreless innings to ensure Kershaw's pitching win and the Dodgers' 9-1 victory.

A 10-time All-Star, Kershaw's place in Cooperstown is virtually a lock and his legacy in Los Angeles is a hundred percent secured. But he can still add to his Dodgers legend by continuing to churn out one sterling performance after another despite his age becoming a bigger factor at this stage of his career. The 35-year-old Kershaw is doing an admirable job of keeping Father Time at bay, thus far this year, as he is having a strong season.

Following the win over the Diamondbacks, Clayton Kershaw has improved to 12-4 with a 2.48 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. He will finish August with a 2-0 record in four starts along with a 2.12 ERA and 0.88 WHIP.

Clayton Kershaw's success feeds Dodgers' strong stretch

The individual success of Kershaw on the mound is a reflection of the Dodgers as a team. With an 82-459 record, Los Angeles just made it even harder for their rivals in the National League West to catch up with the Dodgers in the first-place spot of the division. When it was all said and done across the big leagues on Tuesday, the Dodgers still held a lead of 13.5 games over the rest of the NL West. The short-term goal for the Dodgers outside of officially winning the division but grab the overall lead in the NL, as the Atlanta Braves are still ahead of them in the standings.