Steve Webb
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — Everyone who’s watched Clayton Kershaw pitch over the years knows that when he doesn’t have his stuff, it is almost immediately apparent. The Dodgers’ legend, who’s been getting by on grit and prayer since coming off the IL, absolutely didn’t have it on Saturday night, and before the carnage was over, he’d given up six earned runs as the Dodgers dropped the opener of the NLDS to the Arizona Diamondbacks. It was without doubt the worst start of Kershaw’s postseason career.
“Just disappointing. Embarrassing,” Kershaw said after the loss, a game in which he didn’t even make it out of the first inning. “You just feel like you let everybody down, guys in the whole organization that look to you to pitch well in Game 1. It’s just embarrassing, really. I just feel like I let everybody down.”
The inning from hell started with a misplay on a catchable ball from centerfielder James Outman. It didn’t get much better after that. Five straight D-backs got hits off Kershaw before the first out was recorded. The killer blow was a three-run home run hit by catcher Gabriel Moreno which made the score 5-0. Kershaw would last just three more batters after the homer, surrendering one more run before Dave Roberts put a merciful end to his night.
It was inexplicable, and yet completely understandable at the same time. We’ve all seen the guy’s diminished stuff since his return to the rotation in August. How he managed to skate through the second half of the season without getting lit up was sort of a minor miracle. However, Kershaw had pitched well against this same Arizona lineup on August 29, making this result a bit jaw-dropping.
“I thought tonight, if you look at the stuff, the velocity, I thought you didn’t get too much of a look at him, but I thought the stuff was good. Just some mistakes that they capitalized on,” Roberts said, putting as diplomatic a spin on the outing as possible.
In Kershaw’s wake, Dave Roberts was forced to use five relievers to cover 8.2 innings. Nobody, except maybe Shelby Miller, pitched that great, and the D-backs piled on five more runs to win going away 11-2.
Meanwhile, after being plunged into a deep hole, the Dodger offense didn’t do much to pick up their Hall of Fame pitcher. They could generate nothing off starter Merrill Kelly, a pitcher that they’d owned since his appearance in the Arizona rotation. They got a couple of garbage runs late, but it hardly mattered. The game was over before most fans had even settled into their seats.
The team will have Sunday to lick its wounds before the series resumes on Monday night. Bobby Miller, making the start of his life, will take to the mound against D-backs ace Zac Gallen. If the Dodgers drop two games at home in this one, it as good as over. So, yeah, it would be kind of nice to get a win. Game time Monday is 6:20.
Ugh. Time to shake it off, boys. Plenty of time left.
