Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

The first time Joe Torre saw Clayton Kershaw pitch, he compared him to Sandy Koufax. On Thursday, the talented young left-hander took his biggest step yet toward proving that comparison apt by winning the 2011 National League Cy Young Award.

The 23-year-old Texan received 27 of a possible 32 first-place votes and a points total of 207 in balloting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Phillies teammates Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee were second and third, and the D-backs’ Ian Kennedy finished fourth.

Kershaw’s Cy Young is the 10th won by a Dodgers pitcher, the first since reliever Eric Gagne in 2003, the first by a Dodgers starter since Orel Hershiser in 1988 and first by a Dodgers lefty since Fernando Valenzuela in his 1981 rookie season.

The Cy Young caps a remarkable breakout season for Kershaw. A 2011 All-Star, Kershaw won the NL’s Triple Crown for pitchers, leading the league with 21 wins (tied), a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts. Koufax (1963, 1965 and 1966) and Dazzy Vance (1924) are the only other Dodgers pitchers to win a Triple Crown. Kershaw also was among the league leaders in opponents’ batting average, innings pitched, complete games, shutouts and WHIP.

Kershaw, 21-5 overall, was earlier this month named winner of a Gold Glove (he led the league with nine pickoffs), the first Dodger to win a Cy Young and Gold Glove in the same year since Hershiser. Kershaw won the Warren Spahn Award as the best left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, won a Players Choice Award for outstanding pitcher in the NL, was named to The Sporting News NL All-Star team, was a finalist for the Roberto Clemente Award and was named Dodgers Pitcher of the Year by MLB.com.

His victory total and ERA were the best by a Dodgers starting pitcher since Hershiser in 1988 and his strikeout total was the highest by a Dodger since Koufax’s 317 in 1966. He was the Dodgers’ first 20-game winner since Ramon Martinez in 1990. Kershaw went 13-1 over the second half, was 12-1 at Dodger Stadium and finished the season with eight consecutive wins.

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WRITTEN BY Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com & FULL STORY HERE