BACK AT SCENE OF THE GRIME
Kershaw back in park where he lost Game 6 of NLCS last season
Clayton Kershaw was in a strange place before his Dodgers lost to the Cubs in Game 4 of the NLCS on Wednesday night at Wrigley Field and failed to complete a four- game sweep that would have sent them home early to rest up for the World Series.
“Yeah, it’s a tough spot for me just because I have to prepare to start [ Game 5 on Thursday],’’ Kershaw said while the Dodgers still had a 3- 0 series lead, hours before the Cubs denied a sweep with a 3- 2 victory. “I can’t assume we’re going to win, and then it just so happens I have to pitch. I have to expect to pitch and then be surprised when we win.
“It’s a tough spot because obviously I believe in our team and I believe that we can win tonight. But I can’t let myself mentally go there. But hopefully — yeah, hopefully it doesn’t work out and I don’t have to pitch. But we’ll see.’’
What we saw was the Dodgers failing to put the hammer down on the Cubs and thus putting Kershaw back on the same mound where he lost Game 6 of the 2016 NLCS to the Cubs. In that one, shouldered with the assignment of tying the series and forcing a Game 7, the threetime Cy Young winner, who had beaten the Cubs 1- 0 in Game 2, gave up five runs in a five- inning start as the Cubs won the series clincher 5- 0. That ended L. A.’ s season and put the Cubs in the World Series.
Rookie Cody Bellinger wasn’t here for that one but he knows enough to know the Dodgers are in good hands in Game 5.
“We’re going to be all right,’’ Bellinger said. “We have the right guy going tomorrow.’’
Kershaw feels fresher this year, not pitching on short rest any more and benefitting from a deeper bullpen that’s the best in the National League. In Game 1 in Los Angeles, he was needed for only five innings and said he was OK passing the baton.
There is much less on his shoulders.
“It’s probably just a testament to the team we have more than anything,’’ he said Wednesday. “The way we’ve been playing and how everybody has been able to contribute and everybody has been stepping up. There’s been no need to [ pitch on three days rest], which is a good luxury to have.
“Maybe last year with the usage I maybe felt a little bit towards the end, I felt a little bit — tired is not the right word, but maybe just a little bit taxed.’’
Left- hander Alex Wood ( 16- 3, 2.72 ERA), who hadn’t pitched since Sept. 26 thanks to the Dodgers’ three- game sweep in the NLDS, started Game 4 on a whopping 21 days rest. He lasted 4 2/ 3 innings, striking out seven but allowing one solo homer to Willson Contreras and two to Javy Baez.
The Dodgers took the Cubs to the last out. Bellinger, who homered off Jake Arrieta in the third, hit into a game- ending double play representing the go- ahead run facing Davis.
“Sweeping the Cubs would have been a hard task to do,’’ Bellinger said. “Good thing we got out in front [ in the series]. We’re not going to take it easy, but it’s nice to have that little cushion.’’
“I wouldn’t say that the pressure is on us,’’ manager Dave Roberts said. “I think that we’re in a pretty good spot. We’ve got our number one pitcher going tomorrow, and we’ve got two of the guys at the back end rested.
“But I can’t speak to [ the Cubs’] mindset, but I still like the position we’re in.’’