Title: Clayton Kershaw Endures Worst Postseason Start as Dodgers Fall to Diamondbacks
In a shocking turn of events, the Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw experienced the worst postseason start of his illustrious career in Game 1 of the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The game, which took place at Dodger Stadium, left Kershaw visibly disappointed and embarrassed over his performance, as he took full responsibility for letting the team down.
Kershaw’s struggles began right from the start when he allowed a line drive by Ketel Marte, which should have been an easy catch for James Outman. Unfortunately, the ball slipped out of Outman’s glove, leading to a series of hits and runs for the Diamondbacks. The big blow of the inning came from Gabriel Moreno’s three-run blast, further dampening Kershaw’s outing.
Despite the disappointing performance, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts defended Kershaw’s stuff and velocity. Roberts acknowledged the mistakes made but confirmed that Kershaw would still take the mound for Game 4. This decision displays the team’s unwavering confidence in their star pitcher, despite the setback.
Kershaw’s outing lasted only 1/3 of an inning, eclipsing his previous shortest start in the playoffs, which was three innings in Game 1 of the 2018 National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The left-hander also allowed the highest number of runs in such a short period of time, further adding to the rarity of this disappointing performance.
With a staggering 162.00 earned run average (ERA) for the game, Kershaw’s struggles in this outing are indeed an anomaly in an otherwise stellar career. Although Kershaw has had many successful postseason outings, it is the bad ones that tend to stand out, primarily due to his reputation of struggling in the playoffs. This is evident in his career postseason ERA of 4.49, which significantly differs from his impressive regular season ERA of 2.48.
As the Dodgers regroup for the upcoming games, Kershaw will undoubtedly be looking to bounce back and redeem himself. With his talent and determination, it is expected that the left-hander will aim to silence his critics and contribute to the team’s success in the remainder of the NLDS. Ultimately, this unexpected stumble may serve as a motivating factor for Kershaw and the Dodgers as they push forward in their quest for postseason glory.
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