Watching Clayton Kershaw struggle in Game 3 of the National League Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies wasn't a good look. Kershaw, who's a first-ballot Baseball Hall of Famer if there ever was one, was blown up on the mound on Wednesday night.
He allowed five runs (four earned), six hits and walked three in two innings of work. Kershaw had a decent seventh, but that eighth inning was a nightmare. Kershaw was brought out of the bullpen as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't have Kershaw slotted in the postseason starting rotation at all.
After Wednesday night's 8-2 loss at Dodger Stadium, Kershaw didn't hold back criticism of his effort.
"Tough couple innings there," Kershaw said, according to MLB.com. "I kind of got bailed out there in the seventh. Good play by Teo. Just didn't make enough good pitches. I was battling command. It's hard when you're trying to throw strikes as opposed to getting people out. Just wasn't a fun inning."
Wednesday night's outing was the first time Kershaw has pitched in a game since September 28. Kershaw already has announced that this would be his final MLB season as an active player.
"I just did everything I could in between [appearances]. It's been a while," Kershaw said. "Threw flat, threw on the ground as best I could. Just wasn't there tonight."
So, here's the question: Does Roberts call Kershaw out of the bullpen again should Los Angeles move on to the National League Championship Series? Kershaw wasn't around the strike zone much at all on Wednesday night. Pitch-tracking software showed him either down or off the plate numerous times.
It's not like Kershaw hasn't earned an opportunity to contribute in a meaningful way to the Dodgers in a playoff run. He's a pro's pro, a man who takes accountability when he's a mess. Likewise, Kershaw lauds his work only if it produces positive results.
For Kershaw, postseason play hasn't been his forte throughout his illustrious career. Make no mistake: Kershaw deserves a lot of praise for his career. But his numbers? Well, they don't look too good.
In 23 postseason series appearances, Kershaw is 13-13 with a 4.63 ERA. He's started 32 postseason games for the Dodgers, allowed 101 earned runs, walked 54, and struck out 213. Kershaw does have one World Series championship on his resume from 2020, when Los Angeles defeated the Tampa Bay Rays.
He's given up 32 home runs and struck out 213 in his postseason outings.
The Phillies' J.T. Realmuto and Kyle Schwarber touched Kershaw up for homers in the eighth.
Given the fact that the Dodgers are up 2-1 in their best-of-five NLDS series with the Phillies and are looking to close it out on Thursday afternoon at home, Roberts should think twice about bringing Kershaw in the game.
Could Kershaw get a couple of outs if needed? Sure. Maybe Roberts could simply bring in Kershaw to face the minimum three batters, then pull him in favor of Blake Treinen or Alex Vesia. Tanner Scott, who was not available for Game 3, should be good to go in Game 4.
Kershaw deserves to get a second chance this postseason. He's earned that much respect for his years of service to the Dodgers. But Dodgers Nation better pay attention to Kershaw's postseason numbers and know who might show up.