Clayton Kershaw is aware of the perception. His untimely struggles in the postseason have lent to widespread chatter of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ace being unable to lead a team in October. Kershaw said he doesn’t as much pressure to carry the club this year, because of their depth.
He took the mound in Game 1 against the Washington Nationals spotted a 1-0 lead thanks to Corey Seager’s home run. Seager’s solo blast made him the youngest player in Dodgers franchise history to hit a home run in the postseason.
Under normal circumstances, Kershaw pitching with a one-run lead feels much larger. But the Nationals boast a potent offense, and the three-time Cy Young Award winner wasn’t overly sharp Friday.
There were multiple mound visits with Yasmani Grandal, and plenty of traffic on the bases. Kershaw stated the obvious when addressing his start, via A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com:
“It was a grind,” said Kershaw, who permitted a runner to reach scoring position in every inning but the first. “A lot of guys on base all the time. It definitely wasn’t easy. It was definitely as close as you can bend without breaking.”
Although Kershaw wasn’t his usual self, he took solace in the Dodgers coming away with a win:
“Winning in the postseason, you kind of throw the stats out the window,” Kershaw said. “So yeah, if I had pitched better tonight and we had lost, it doesn’t feel good at all. But right now, I can smile and kind of exhale a little bit.”
Kershaw struck out the side in the first inning, but proceeded to allow three runs on eight hits. He finished with seven strikeouts on 101 pitches in just five innings of work. It was the sixth postseason start Kershaw allowed at least three earned runs.
Friday was the first time Los Angeles came away with a win under such circumstances. The focus now shifts to whether Kershaw will start a potential Game 4, on Tuesday, on short rest. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was not prepared to make a decision after his club’s 4-3 win in Game 1.
