By John Nestor

Los Angeles Dodgers ace hurler Clayton Kershaw capped a sensational season by claiming the 2011 NL Cy Young award.

Kershaw, who captured NL's triple crown with 21 wins, 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts in just his third full season, snared the most coveted award for NL pitchers by receiving 27 of a possible 32 first-place in the voting conducted by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Kershaw (207 points) defeated last year's winner and Philadelphia Phillies hurler Roy Halladay (133 points), Phillies Cliff Lee (90 points), and Arizona Diamondbacks' Ian Kennedy (76 points) for the title.

Often compared to legendary pitcher Sandy Koufax, Kershaw apparently lived up to that hype in the 2011 season after becoming the first Dodgers to win both CY Young and Gold Glove in the same year since Orel Hershiser accomplished the feat in 1981.

After pocketing $500,000 in 2011, the 23-year-old lefty is set to make big money this offseason when he becomes entitled for salary arbitration for the first time in his career.

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Dodgers Clayton Kershaw Snares NL Cy Young Award