Dodgers Interview: Kershaw sees room for improvement after start
“Physically I Feel Great… Just Need to Pitch Better”
LOS ANGELES — After the Dodgers’ thrilling 6–5 walk-off win over the Mets on Tuesday night, Clayton Kershaw didn’t sugarcoat his performance. While the team rallied to bail him out, the veteran left-hander was blunt in his assessment: he simply didn’t pitch well enough.
“I just didn’t make enough good pitches,” Kershaw said postgame. “Got ahead of some guys, gave up some two-strike hits, walked guys, gave up some hard-hit balls. So overall, not a great day.”
Kershaw allowed five runs (three earned) over 4.2 innings, with the Mets doing most of their damage in the third and fifth innings. It was the kind of outing Kershaw would typically find a way to grind through, but on Tuesday, his command wavered and his signature curveball wasn’t there.
“Definitely the curveball tonight wasn’t good,” he admitted. “Need to get that going. Can’t just be a two-pitch guy out there. So definitely need to throw my curveball better for sure.”
Despite the struggles, Kershaw stayed in the fight—and so did his team. Max Muncy homered twice, including the game-tying shot in the ninth, and Freddie Freeman delivered the walk-off double in the 10th. Kershaw was quick to praise his teammates: “The team played great. Bailed me out, got a big win there. Freddy with the big knock, and Max with two homers, so that was great to see.”
He also acknowledged Muncy’s ability to bounce back from a costly error earlier in the game. “That’s part of being on a team. We just try to pick each other up,” Kershaw said. “He made a tough play there—no big deal. But he’s swinging the bat awesome right now… I know it felt good for him to hit that second one. Felt good for me to see, too.”
Asked whether he can tell the difference between lingering rust and the natural adjustments of pitching at 37 years old, Kershaw responded plainly: “Physically, I feel great. I don’t feel old. My arm feels good. So there’s really no excuses. Just pitch better. Pitch like you’re capable of.”
He pointed to inconsistencies in execution as the biggest hurdle. “It’s kind of in and out for me,” he said. “I’ll go on a stretch of making 10 or 11 good pitches in a row and then just make enough bad ones to let damage happen. I need to put it together for a whole game.”
On a night when Kershaw didn’t have his best, the Dodgers had his back. And while he’s still searching for full command and sharper breaking stuff, the Hall of Famer isn’t discouraged.
“I think the stuff’s there to get people out,” Kershaw said. “Just need to be more consistent. And it better be soon.”
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