Kershaw’s brilliant outing well worth wait for L.A.
Dodgers’ ace fans 11 Astros in one-run effort to take Game 1 of World Series
LOS ANGELES 3, HOUSTON 1
On this night anyway, Clayton Kershaw couldn’t completely solve the failures of the Dodgers franchise over the past three decades and his own wobbly post-season record.
All he could do on a blistering hot Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium for the opening game of the 113th World Series was pitch like it was worth the wait.
Worth 29 years of waiting for a return to the championship round for a franchise that has long believed it belongs with the most storied in baseball history.
Worth all those Cy Young wins, all-star games and an MVP trophy that never could quite add up to even a shot at the title.
It was worth the wait and then some to see sheer Kershaw brilliance in the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Houston Astros in Game 1 of the Fall Classic, a rousing start to what has the potential of being an outstanding series.
Kershaw allowed just three hits while striking out 11 in seven innings of one-run ball and he did it against the highest scoring offence in 2017. And you know it meant the world to him, not just to quiet the noise that somehow he wasn’t elite because of some playoff failings. It meant the world because it was an important first step for a team that captured 104 wins in the regular season and has re-ignited rabid interest in the team throughout southern California.
“It’s a special thing,” the 29-yearold lefty and career Dodger said before Game 1. “Who knows how many times I’m going to get to go to the World Series? I know more than anybody how hard it is to get there. I’m definitely not taking it for granted.”
Helped by a couple of home runs to take care of the offence, Kershaw left nothing to chance by performing right up to his highest standards. He did allow a solo homer to Astros third baseman Alex Bregman in the fourth and didn’t even flinch as he struck out the next three Astros hitters in order.
And how about the welcome back to the World Series moment from Dodgers centre-fielder Chris Taylor?
One of the most improved hitters in baseball this year created an instant memory.
On the first pitch a Dodger faced in the game — yes, the first since 1988 — Taylor made a full turn and square contact sending the ball 447 feet to left field and almost to the palm trees beyond the bleachers.
Taylor began his season with triple-A Oklahoma City and had just one career homer in the big leagues prior to this season. Yes, worth the wait indeed. But back to Kershaw, who has been undeniably one of the greatest pitchers of his generation. He improves his record to 3-0 this October and 7-7 overall in his post-season career. But more importantly, he led his team to an important first win in its 19th World Series appearance.
After the Bregman homer, Kershaw didn’t allow another hit until a Jose Altuve grounder snuck out of the left side of the infield in the seventh.
His 11 strikeouts were notable in that Kershaw became the first pitcher to strike out that many in a World Series game since Randy Johnson fanned that many Yankees while pitching for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.
All this against a slick-hitting Astros team that was one of the best in the majors at avoiding the strikeout in 2017.
Still, Kershaw needed some more offence and there was a little more waiting for that. Enter Justin Turner. The NLCS co-MVP blasted a towering shot to centre field, a two-run shot to increase the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.
It boosted Turner’s RBI total to 14, setting a Dodgers single-season playoff record.
Even though he had thrown just 83 pitches, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ended Kershaw’s work night after seven innings. With the best bullpen of the post-season, he wasn’t about to take any chances.
Former Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow followed with a perfect eighth to set the stage for killer closer Kenley Jansen, he of the 41 regular-season saves. Jansen was at his lethal best. It’s an important first step, especially considering the Astros haven’t lost at home these playoffs. The winner of the first game of the series has gone on to capture the titles 70 times (or 62.5 per cent), including 12 of the last 14 years.
The Astros will attempt to get back to even with their own ace Justin Verlander, another pitcher with superstar pedigree in Game 2 on Wednesday.
But around Dodger Stadium, where a sellout crowd of 54,253 watched Kershaw work on Tuesday, the memories will last a while.