At just 28 years old, the left-hander has been named the NL Cy Young victor three times and finished in the top three in voting for the award five times.
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Closers pitching in the seventh inning.
“Incredible”, Washington starting pitcher Max Scherzer said of the effort by Kershaw. “I was able to do that and hit one the other way”.
While putting forth their star players was likely the decision that made it possible for L.A.to advance to the NLCS at all, it may come back and bite them in Game 1 of the NLCS.
Carlos Ruiz, who homered as a pinch hitter in Game 3 against left-hander Gio Gonzalez, drove in the go-ahead run with a pinch single against left-hander Sammy Solis in the seventh inning, confirming every stated reason why the Dodgers traded for him. “But, man, he’s been pretty much right on the last couple months, including the first game of the playoffs for him”. Manager Dave Roberts said he “absolutely” would not use his ace in Game 5.
“Doc just told me to be ready, it might be in the seventh”, Jansen told Rizzo. It was painful, and memorable, and I’m so glad I got to see it and I never want to see anything like that ever again.
I’m not even sure where to begin. “I just tried to give everything I had. I wasn’t thinking about the ninth”.
Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts had said before the game that there was no chance of Kershaw making a relief appearance, as it would only be two days since he threw 110 pitches in Game 4, but that changed. “I said, we’re going to be OK now”. There were more dramatics to come as Jansen and Kershaw pitched in unusual situations. He remerged after the eighth in his cleats and a warmup jacket.
“You feel like you get right there and you get it taken away from you right at the last second”, Werth said. He retired Daniel Murphy on a pop-up to second base and struck out pinch hitter Wilmer Difo as Los Angeles celebrated in the middle of the field. “It gave me goosebumps”.
“When we saw him walking out of the gate, we had a great feeling”, Dodgers infielder Justin Turner said.
Lester pitched 15 innings of one-run ball in two starts against Los Angeles this year, and the Dodgers hit.213 against lefty pitching overall. With two of the division series being sweeps, and another being a 3-1 route by the incredible Chicago Cubs, it seemed like the drama of the playoffs was lost in 2016. “This kid doesn’t scare off”.
Ethier, 34, is a former All-Star, now a role player, whose pinch-hit single keyed the winning rally against Washington in Game 4.
Kershaw has carried the Dodgers on countless occasions but never as significantly as he did Thursday. By the time his night was completed, Scherzer had tossed six-plus innings of five-hit, one-run ball, collecting seven strikeouts on the night. “I don’t think Kenley has ever done a six-out save, let alone a nine-out save”.
For all you, this one is tough to swallow.
Julio Urias: Two scoreless innings of relief. Postseason baseball. Ninth inning. Just substitute Clayton Kershaw’s name. Turner took the first two pitches for strikes, fouled off seven more along the way and finally drew a walk.
The Dodgers had used Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher on the planet, in game 4 to keep their season alive. And the Dodgers somehow beat the Nationals 4-3 in Game 5 on Thursday night in a four-hour, 32-minute epic that will be discussed for years to come.
Game 4: Cubs at Dodgers, Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1 – John Lackey (11-8, 3.35 ERA) vs.
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As Washington Nationals’ Bryce Harper (34) walks from the field, the Los Angeles Dodgers celebra …
