Clayton Kershaw, a bullpen pitcher? Dodgers fans, it happened on Wednesday night. Give Roki Sasaki a tip of the cap, too, as the Los Angeles Dodgers found a way to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 in 11 innings at Chase Field.
Yes, Kershaw, a bullpen option for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Sasaki just got back in time to take the team off the ledge in a tight spot. Talk about a breath of fresh air, right, LA faithful? Fans either watching the game on TV or listening on the radio might have shaken their heads in disbelief for a minute.
Kershaw made his final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium and isn't currently in line for a start in the Dodgers' postseason plans. Yet there was the Cy Young Award winner and World Series champion out there doing his best to help his team.
That's a true champion, Dodgers fans. Guess what? It might be time to celebrate a National League West Division championship, too, on Thursday. With this gutsy win, the Dodgers lowered their magic number to win the NL West down to one. Los Angeles leads the San Diego Padres by 2 1/2 games in the division.
If the Dodgers can beat the Diamondbacks on Thursday, then it'll be time to pop champagne bottles in the Dodgers clubhouse once again.
Sasaki came out looking electric in the seventh inning, protecting a two-run Dodgers lead by getting Arizona out in order. It's the first time that Sasaki, a starter by nature, had ever pitched in relief in his entire pro baseball career.
But relievers Alex Vesia and Edgardo Henriquez gave up three runs in the eighth.
That led Roberts to call the bullpen and ask for Kershaw, who was making his first MLB regular season relief appearance since September 2019, according to Dodgers reporter Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Kershaw also made a relief appearance in Game 5 of the NL Division Series in 2019, too.
Kershaw faced the minimum in the home half of the ninth, saved by a great diving catch from center fielder Tommy Edman. That moved the game into extra innings and, well, Roberts probably wanted to hug Kershaw in the dugout for his efforts.
Kershaw didn't have to let Roberts know that he was available in the bullpen. But that also shows how much Kershaw still wants to win this season, a wonderful trait for a guy who will hang up his cleats after the 2025 MLB season ends.
Roberts used seven bullpen pitchers to get the Dodgers into the win column on Wednesday night.
It got kind of sketchy in the Diamondbacks' half of the 10th inning with the game tied at 4-4. Jack Dreyer and Blake Treinen had some issues, but managed to keep Arizona from winning the game.
That led to the 11th, when Edman's RBI single gave the Dodgers a 5-4 lead. Justin Wrobleski kept Los Angeles in front and that was the ballgame.
The Dodgers are in prime position to add another divisional title to their incredible history. Dodgers fans will be glued to their TVs and radios once again, hoping that Los Angeles can have a big party on Thursday afternoon.