Long last for Kershaw
Dodgers ace gets Series start
LOS ANGELES — The list of great players who never made it to a World Series — Ernie Banks, Ken Griffey Jr., Rod Carew, Frank Thomas — is a bit longer than the pitchers — Phil Niekro, Gaylord Perry, Ferguson Jenkins.
Tonight, baseball can eliminate the name of the greatest pitcher of his generation, Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw.
In his 10th season, the 29-year-old with three Cy Youngs and an MVP award will throw the first pitch of the 113th World Series at 8:09 tonight against the New York Yankees.
“After the season is over we’ll look back on it and hopefully have a World Series to celebrate. We’ll wait for all the reflection stuff until after the season,” said Kershaw. “There’s always butterflies. I think this time is when the butterflies and anxiousness is more so. Once you throw the first pitch it all goes away, at least for me. I think leading up to the game is when the anxiety kind of kicks in, just because you want to get things going.
“When the butterflies in my stomach, when those leave, then I know it’s probably time to retire. It’s a good feeling. You about what you’re doing more than anything.”
Kershaw also looked befuddled when informed that the depth of his slider “has varied over the course of the year,” and wanted to know why.
“No, I don’t know what analytics group you work for, but no,” said Kershaw.
Hotter than July
Temperatures are expected to approach or top 100 degrees with first pitch here at 5:09.
“It’s going to be hotter than normal but at the same time I like to sweat,” said Astros starter Dallas Keuchel. “I like to get that perspiration and make sure I have a firm grip on the ball. And I mean it’s the World Series so if it’s a little bit hotter than usual, that’s fine with me. There’s no place I’d rather be.”
Kershaw confirmed the weather report.
“It is going to be hot,” he said. “But, no, I don’t think it’s going to change anything. I think by 5:00 the sun will be down. They’re from Houston, I’m from Texas, it’s going to be hot for everybody. We’re all used to it. It will be fine.”
Coronation day
Keuchel is well aware that in 2014, Sports Illustrated put the Astros on their cover and anointed them 2017 World Series champions.
“We see it now every day. It was kind of farfetched,” said Keuchel. “And I talked to a couple of SI guys who wrote the article and for them to write it, it’s kind of unbelievable. It’s almost come full circle. We’ve still got four wins yet, but that cover . . .
“If we do win, it’s going to make somebody really, really famous.”
Keuchel agreed that these are the two best teams in baseball.
“Personally I thought we were the best team from start to finish and I thought the Dodgers were the best team in the National League, start to finish,” said Keuchel. “So this is going to be a great matchup and it’s not overblown because we’ve both won a hundred games. It really is, top to bottom — pitching staffs, bullpens, pinch-runners — you name it, coaching staffs, it really is top to bottom the two best teams.”
Friendship on hold
Astros manager A.J. Hinch and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts have known each other since their college days when Hinch went to Stanford, Roberts to UCLA. They also worked together in the Padres organization, Roberts as a coach and Hinch in the front office.
“We’re not friends this week, we’re mortal enemies,” said Hinch. “We kind of rooted each other on that we would meet each other in October and fight it out for the World Series. Now we’ve got to be careful what we wished for. We have to go up against each other’s teams.” . . .
Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager, out of the NLCS with an injury, is back on the World Series roster.
Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick is injured and will not be on the roster.