- Clayton Kershaw made a rare regular-season relief appearance to help the Los Angeles Dodgers secure a victory.
- The Dodgers won the game 5-4 in 11 innings, moving closer to clinching the NL West title.
- Rookie Roki Sasaki also returned from injury, providing a boost to the Dodgers’ bullpen with a strong performance.
PHOENIX — The visiting bullpen door at Chase Field opened at 9:19 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Sept. 24. With a sellout crowd screaming, Clayton Kershaw walked out, trying to save the Los Angeles Dodgers’ season.
Yes, the three-time Cy Young winner.
The two-time World Series champion.
The 11-time All-Star.
The 3,000 strikeout pitcher.
The future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Kershaw, perhaps the greatest pitcher in franchise history, was trying to stop the Dodgers’ misery from spiraling out of control, giving them valuable bullpen relief.
Kershaw had not pitched a regular-season game in relief since the 2019 season finale, and only once since 2008.
Yet, here he was, in an unfamiliar role, willing to do anything needed simply to help out the only organization he has known.
‘It just speaks volumes to who he is,’ Dodgers veteran third baseman Max Muncy told USA TODAY Sports. ‘That’s something he’s never shied away from, and that’s taking the ball. He’s always done whatever has been best for the team. And for a guy to have his caliber do that speaks volumes. I’ve seen it for so many years now.’
Kershaw, who wasn’t sure what to expect, felt the adrenaline rush searing through his body as he jogged towards the pitching mound. All he knew was that after the Dodgers blew a 4-1 lead in the eighth, it was vital for him to stop the bleeding in the ninth inning, and provide a confidence boost to a team that was losing its swagger.
Kershaw never flinched. He induced a groundout by Ildemaro Vargas to shortstop Mookie Betts, a groundout by Alek Thomas to first baseman Freddie Freeman, and then a fly ball by Ketel Marte to center fielder Tommy Edman.
Two innings later, the Dodgers moved to the brink of their 12th NL West title in 13 years with a 5-4, 11-inning victory, and can clinch the division title with a victory on Thursday, Sept. 25.
‘That was just so awesome seeing that, and what he did for us,’ Dodgers reliever Jack Dreyer said. ‘For somebody who obviously has been a starter his whole career, he showed that the situation does not matter. He just goes in whatever is asked of him, and just performs.
‘It’s just another reason why he’s the best ever.
‘Not only can he be the best starting pitcher ever, but he can come in the ninth, it’s a tight game, and just perform like that.’
Kershaw’s performance, along with the return of Dodgers rookie Roki Sasaki making his first career relief appearance after being sidelined since May 9, provided the Dodgers with one of their biggest emotional victories in this stretch run. It had them talking about a celebration before a flight to Seattle, with champagne and beer stashed in the visiting storage room, ready to be popped and sprayed.
‘That was obviously like a playoff game,’ Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. ‘We’re fighting. They’re fighting. … That was a huge boost. I think right now, you’re betting on people. You know for me, I just trust Clayton, and he did a great job, got his juices going, and he picked us up with a clean inning.’
Certainly, Kershaw had the Dodgers’ clubhouse buzzing, letting them know that if they’re going to be the first National League team to win back-to-back titles since 1975-76, they’ve got to be selfless.
He was not only a savior, but an inspiration.
The Dodgers’ bullpen, in awe that Kershaw even spent the game hanging out with them, rose from their seats the moment Kershaw entered the game. They never sat down, making sure they didn’t miss a single pitch.
‘We couldn’t sit down,’ Dreyer said. ‘That’s big, that’s a big moment. It was incredible. Just to see him come in without caring about the situation gave me, and the other guys, the confidence to continue doing what he did.’
The Dodgers felt this was a game they needed to win, not necessarily that their lead over the San Diego Padres was in danger, but just to regain their confidence with the postseason starting Tuesday.
Considering how the Dodgers’ bullpen has melted down with an ERA of 5.69 in September – closer Tanner Scott blowing 10 saves with a 4.81 ERA, Blake Treinen with a 5.47 ERA, and Kirby Yates, who was yielding a 5.23 ERA, before being placed on the 15-day IL – someone needed to be a hero.
Of course it was Kershaw.
‘It’s an adrenaline rush for sure,’ Kershaw said. ‘Relieving is a different animal altogether. You have to figure out how to maintain your heartbeat and get going. But it was a lot of fun, and it’s fun to have success.’
It was actually more exhilarating for Kershaw’s teammates to just witness Kershaw stepping into unfamiliar territory, and looking like he had done it his entire career.
‘It was so cool,’ said Dodgers starter Blake Snell, who gave up five hits and one run in six innings. ‘I had total confidence he was going to have a great inning. It was just awesome to see.’
Said Dodgers veteran infielder Miguel Rojas: ‘You know, he’s living in the moment. He’s not worrying about what’s going to happen next year, or how his arm is going to feel. He’s willing to do whatever to help the team. And when you see him on the mound, it just raises everyone’s level of intensity.
‘He means more to the team than words can describe.’
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, who took time this summer to personally thank Kershaw for what he meant to the game of baseball, already had the ultimate respect for Kershaw, but this just added another level.
‘I’m not surprised at all,’ Lovullo said. ‘Kersh is all about winning, and that’s always been clear to me. He’s always wanted to to win a baseball game for his team, for his organization, more than for himself.
‘I think he is, and always will be, a great Dodger. He will be remembered in a lot of different ways. This is just one more little notch in his belt to say that I did this for my team to help win a world championship.’
The Dodgers also were elated by what they saw from Sasaki, who made his first appearance since May 9, when he went on the injured list with a sore shoulder. Sasaki entered the game in the seventh inning and was electric, pitching a 1-2-3 inning. His seven fastballs were recorded at 99, 99, 98, 99, 100, 99 and 100-mph.
‘He looks like a different person,’ Roberts said. ‘I just think there’s a lot more confidence, a lot more conviction and obviously the stuff is up than where it was earlier this year. He’s learned a lot from this season.’
If Sasaki continues looking like this in the Dodgers’ final four games, he should be a lock to make their postseason roster. The Dodgers plan to use starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Snell and Shohei Ohtani in the best-of-three wild-card series, but will also have Kershaw on the postseason roster, available to pitch out of the bullpen.
‘I don’t think any of us really know what it looks like in October yet,’ Kershaw said. ‘We have six amazing starters. … I can do the math. So, if I want to be a part of it in any way, I’ll do whatever they want.’
This will be Kershaw’s final dance, his last month on the mound before calling it quits, and considering his storybook career, why not add a chapter to remember, closing out playoff games in October?
‘It would be something,’ Muncy said, ‘wouldn’t it?’
(This story was updated to change a video.)