The Los Angeles Dodgers and Clayton Kershaw have little regrets about their postseason run getting cut short sooner than they hoped.
Kershaw was rocked during Saturday night’s decisive Game Six NLCS matchup, lasting five innings, allowing five runs (four earned), two home runs and seven hits. The 28-year-old ace’s effort wasn’t enough to propel the Dodgers into the World Series, but the organization isn’t bitter about his performance.
Dodgers president Andrew Friedman told the Orange County Register Kershaw pitching at all in the playoffs was impressive.
“I cannot say enough about what Clayton did,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. “Most guys would not have come back at all from what he suffered.”
Kershaw’s comeback is impressive. He missed all of July and August with back issues returning to make a handful of starts before the postseason. Reports suggested he was never 100% throughout the playoffs. Despite that, he made four starts, including a surprise relief appearance to close out the NLDS. Kershaw’s 4.44 postseason ERA leaves a lot to be desired, but the Dodgers lefty admitted he’d rather try and fail than not try at all.
”I’d rather be in this position and fail than not to get to be in this situation at all,” Kershaw, who missed more than two months with a herniated disk and returned in September to a team that had thrived in his absence, told the Associated Press.
Kershaw never looked 100% healthy, so the fact he pitched at all is impressive. Kershaw is the best pitcher the Dodgers have, so even though he struggled, he was the right man to pitch in the biggest situations.
