After relying on Clayton Kershaw on short rest to stave off elimination in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was going to rely on all parts of his roster in the winner-take-all contest against the Washington Nationals.
When asked prior to Game 5 if that entailed potentially using Clayton Kershaw out of the bullpen, perhaps for only one out, Roberts said, “absolutely not.” Fast forward some five hours later, and Kershaw walked to the bullpen at Nationals Park to begin warming up.
Clinging to a 4-3 lead, Roberts called on Kenley Jansen in the seventh inning. He stopped the bleeding, and got through a scoreless eighth.
Jansen was back on the mound to start the bottom of the ninth and although he was showing signs of fatigue, retired Trea Turner.
However, Jansen then walked Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth, and was lifted after a career-high 51 pitches over 2.1 innings.
Kershaw’s first batter was Daniel Murphy, who’s been a thorn in the side of the 2014 NL MVP and the Dodgers two postseasons running. Kershaw induced Murphy into a pop-out, then struck out pinch-hitter Wilmer Difo to send the Dodgers to the NL Championship Series:
When you need to shut it down, who do you call?
Your ace, OF COURSE. ?#LALovesOctober pic.twitter.com/ah1bnW3NhE
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 14, 2016
The relief appearance was Kershaw’s first since Game 5 of the 2009 NLCS. The save was Kershaw’s first of his professional career since 2006 when he was with the Gulf Coast League Dodgers, and Jansen was the catcher.
