While Clayton Kershaw has been dogged by the seventh inning in several playoff starts, that was a non-factor in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. With an opportunity to break a tie, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pinch-hit for his ace in the bottom of the fifth inning.
“He was up near 90 pitches, and I probably had him going out there for Rizzo and then going to have Kenta get the three righties after that,” Roberts explained of his decision. Although Kyle Farmer struck out to end the inning, the Dodgers bullpen combined to throw four perfect innings.
The sight of Kershaw only pitching five innings in a postseason start was an unusual one, but there were early signs he was not long for the game.
Although Kershaw began the night by striking out Jon Jay on three pitches, the Chicago Cubs put two runners on in the first inning and taxed the left-handed ace for 24 pitches.
Kershaw was efficient in the second and third innings, but ran into trouble in the fourth. After Willson Contreras led off with a base hit, Albert Almora Jr. worked the count full and lined a slider that was out over the plate into the left-field pavilion for a two-run home run.
“Almora put a good swing on the ball,” Kershaw said. “But the one I’m upset about was the 3-1, falling behind Contreras to start that inning. Solo home runs, I’ve always said you can deal with. The ones with guys on base are tough.
“Other than that it was OK. They battled me well and got my pitch count up there.”
Although the Dodgers seem to now have a bullpen adept at backing Kershaw, it does not make shorter outings more acceptable by his standards. “For me, personally, it doesn’t change much,” he said.
“You still want to try and go as deep into the game as you can. But, I guess handing the ball off to those guys makes it a little easier.”
Even without his best command or sharpness, Kershaw limited the Cubs to just the two runs on two hits. He walked one and struck out four. It was a second underwhelming performance for Kershaw in two postseason starts this October, but the Dodgers have won both games.
