With their backs up against the wall the Los Angeles Dodgers once more turn to Clayton Kershaw on short rest in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. The decision wasn’t much of a surprise when taking account the entire landscape.
Yes, if the Dodgers are to force a winner-take-all Game 5 against the Washington Nationals on Thursday, that may very well be started by Julio Urias, or Rich Hill on three days’ rest.
But starting Urias in Game 4 may have further taxed a bullpen that’s already shouldered a heavy load. Dodgers relievers combined to throw 9.2 innings over Games 2 and 3.
“I think the thing was, trying to talk through the ‘pen, [Monday], kind of what happened, and how they have been used the last couple days. And you know, looking at potential for Julio and obviously there’s some pitch-count mindfulness,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said prior to Game 4.
“And with Clayton, we had complete certainly from the training staff, the doctors that health wasn’t a factor. Obviously it’s a game we need to win. Where, one, Clayton gives us the best chance to win, and No. 2, he gives us the best chance to go deeper into a game.”
Kershaw informed the Dodgers of his desire to pitch in a potential Game 4 prior to the series beginning. Last year on short rest, he held the New York Mets to one run over seven innings to force a decided Game 5.
Kershaw is 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA in three starts when taking the mound on three days’ rest in the postseason. Los Angeles is 2-1 in those games. Kershaw’s experience and success in pitching under such conditions gave the Dodgers further peace of mind.
“I think that Clayton, he is an outlier in all of Major League Baseball. We feel very comfortable and confident with him going on short rest,” Roberts said. “So far as the arm usage, 100 percent.”
For Adrian Gonzalez, there truly wasn’t much of a decision to be made. “I mean, you know, the way you look at it is you don’t want a team to go down without their best pitcher pitching,” he said.
“You don’t want to go out there, if we ended up losing and Kershaw didn’t pitch, the question is always going to be, ‘Why didn’t he pitch Game 4?'” Nationals manager Dusty Baker echoed a similar sentiment while referencing Kershaw’s number of Cy Young Awards.
“How can you not go with him,” Baker asked.
Roberts said he’s managing Game 4 with an “all-hands-on-deck” mindset, which includes Urias being available out of the bullpen.
