As expected, the Dodgers are starting Clayton Kershaw in tomorrow night’s World Series Game 1, the team announced to reporters (including Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times). The three-time Cy Young winner will oppose Rays fireballer Tyler Glasnow.
Kershaw hasn’t started since Thursday’s NLCS Game 4, so he’ll be going on normal rest. The 32-year-old is no longer the sport’s best pitcher, but he put together another fantastic season in 2020. Across ten starts, Kershaw pitched to a 2.16 ERA with high-end strikeout (28.1%), walk (3.6%) and groundball (53%) rates. He’s been similarly strong this postseason, allowing seven runs in 19 innings with a stellar 23:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Assuming the Dodgers don’t want to pitch Kershaw on short rest, this would also set him up to take the ball in Sunday’s Game 5. Unlike the past few rounds, the World Series has scheduled off days on Thursday and next Monday.
Hopefully, he gets smacked!
Its ok Braves fans. Just 163 days til opening day!
Savage!
Those were two powerful entities going up against each other last night. Dodger postseason meltdowns vs Atlanta sports teams (lack of) ability to close things out. The stronger curse won. Hang on Dodger fans for the World Series.
It was just the Dodgers vs the Braves in a winner take all – The narratives were only in your head
Entities! Entities, I say! Titans, if you will!
So bitter.
Hopefully, soroka, He does not.
Braves just weren’t good enough, get over it
lol
Congrats, Rays fans!
Congats? Unless they can figure out a way to score on something other than a home run, theyre gonna have a full scale mountain climb of a job beating the Dodgers.
Lol. Good one.
Here’s to another playoff meltdown!
The Dodgers offense combined with poor management going back to Mattingly has failed Kershaw much more than Kershaw has failed the Dodgers..
This +1,000
Spot on
hehe
If I wasn’t already planning on watching this game, now I definatley am lol.
Rooting hard for Kershaw! There’s no athlete in sports I want to win a ring than him. He’s seems like a great man off the field. Don’t know why everyone likes seeing him collapse in the playoffs.
I may want to see the Dodgers lose, but I really want to see Kershaw succeed and especially in Texas. It’d be nice if his homecoming was also where he turned the corner on postseason pitching.
AMEN…2 wins, the last being the clincher
It’s not Kershaw. It’s his arrogant hitter teammates people don’t care for.
You have never said anything of substance to back this up. Nothing
Because they play and celebrate with emotion in a tense and emotional series? If that’s the case, all MLB hitters are arrogant including the Braves’ hitters. Ever see the Padres celebrate? Dodgers have a lot of high quality individuals in that clubhouse. No, not everyone is a saint but you’re reaching.
Ray’s are up 1-0 and the series hasn’t even started yet
Not for nothing, it’s not as if Glasnow has been lighting it up in the post season either, He’s got a 4.91 ERA versus the Yankees in two games and 6.00 ERA against the Astros in one. .
Yes, and we all know that a pitcher’s ERA is the only way to asses how effective a pitcher is. Based on a two game appearance and one game appearance at that.
He’s 2-3 with a 5.47 ERA, a 1..405 WHIP, and a negative WPA in 26 postseason innings.
I don’t get why some want to diminish ERA. In most instances it describes a complete narrative of how good a pitcher is. Moreover, it seems to me that most other stats are highly correlated to ERA. So, if I’m correct, this trend is not going to correct in game one.
I guess you don’t like the small sample size, but his career ERA+ is under league average. If you take out 2019 where he only pitched a dozen games, his over stats aren’t all that great despite the ability to strike players out.
I’ve found that a few shots of Wild Turkey is the best way to asses. With the ladies, that is.
good idea. take out his best season and also the one where he started to put it together after being demoted to the bullpen in pittsburgh. thats a great idea actually. youre so smart.
I agree on ERA. Shows a pitchers ability, or lack of, to keep base runners from scoring. To put it simply.
Good news for the Rays!
Looks like L.A. will lose the first game. Kershaw is a regular season sensation, but in the playoffs, a BUST.
You’re a bust.
Kershaw cruises through seven. He’s due.
The question is who goes game 2?
Buehler is leading candidate imo
Could be May+buehler where both go shorter than normal
Or if they win G1, could go opener+pen game. Gonna depend on G1 I think
I think they bullpen it, with the day off after. Buehler for Game 3, then lined up for Game 7 if needed (or Game 6 on short rest). Urías for Game 4, Kershaw for Game 5.
Oh the bitter haters
Are you Padres, Brewers or Braves fans?
You all may still be in it if you had a kershaw. Alas
Never talked smack about the Dodgers, nor did we have our top 2 starters for our meeting… talking about how things could have been different doesn’t make an ounce of difference in reality. Let’s see a good Series!
Anyone see where Briffle went? Must suck to have to eat crow and admit you were wrong! I’m assuming witness protection lol
So Dodgers are starting down 0-1?
You’re 0-1
Lol Modesto was think the same thing. However the only hope I’m hanging onto is that the Rays haven’t seen him. So if he can make it to the 6th then yank him and turn it over to the pen. Dodgers problem is we never know when the hitter are going to show up
The rays have a excellent staff both starters and pen and when these boys haven’t seen a pitcher it’s usually a lot of strike outs for the blue.
Let’s go Dodgers pull one out
While I certainly agree Kershaw is no longer the best pitcher in baseball… his stats this (regular) season actually put him right back in the mix. Granted it was only over 10 starts but it was quite the throwback type performance (numbers wise anyway) — if he can pitch like he did in the regular season (or his 1st, and somewhat 2nd postseason start) that’ll give the Dodgers that much better of a chance to win the WS… we shall see!
Kershaw pitches game 1 That is an automatic loss for the the Dodges. Kershaw is the worst post season pitcher in baseball history. He is no Bumgarner.
No one is Bumgarner. That was the only fact you stated. Enjoy your crow.
Bumgarner is no Bumbarner..Let’s go Dodgers…
Keyshawn is the most overrated pitcher this side of David Price. He craps his shorts every post season starts.
Not sure if you can call a HOF pitcher ‘overrated.’ He has worked his a$$ off to put himself in a position to make about $8,000/pitch and set up generations of his family. What have you done in your life?
Every one huh? Guess you missed about 20 games.
Randy is going to get Randy and go savage, Yandy is going to get Yandy, and Ji Man is going to go Ji Man, and Dodgers fans are going to go, G-man, what happened.
Randymania is running wild brother.
Gi-Man did amazing today walking from and back to the bench. Outstanding.
Please pull him before he goes through the order a third time. Please
Welp there goes the series…
6 innings. 2 hits. 1 run. 8ks. 1-0 Dodgers series lead. Not seeing many correct predictions…
I am happy to eat crow. Congrats to Kershaw for a well pitched playoff game. It is about F-N time!
He’s had plenty of good playoff games.
How long have you been a dodger fan? This is his second gem in four starts dude, and he’s 3-1 now.