IT MEANS THE WORLD
Winning Series is only thing that matters to kershaw
LOS ANGELES — Hold on, all those Clayton Kershaw postseason demons are not completely exorcised. Yes, Kershaw was the winning pitcher in the NLCS clincher, but now comes the final piece.
The last Dodgers starting pitcher to win a World Series game was 29-yearold Orel Hershiser, who won two games in the 1988 World Series, two completegame victories, carrying the Dodgers to their most recent World Series title.
It’s a much different era, but another 29-year-old Dodgers ace, Kershaw, is going to have to come up big for the Dodgers to beat the Astros in the World Series that begins Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
“When you’ve accomplished everything he has as an individual and you look at the ultimate goal for any professional athlete is to win that championship,’’ Dave Roberts said. “So Clayton is very unselfish as we all know, but for him, yeah, that final piece to win a championship, for the only team he has known. Yeah, that’s the final piece for him.’’
No one knows that better than Kershaw, who is 2-0 with a 3.63 ERA this postseason.
“Winning the World Series is really all that we play this game for,’’ Kershaw said. “All the individual stuff is great, but at the end of the day I just want to win a World Series. If we win, I might retire, so I might just call it a career.’’
To beat Houston, Kershaw doesn’t have to be Hershiser strong.
Kershaw has plenty of help this goround with the Dodgers’ power bullpen. Roberts has put closer Kenley Jansen on notice that he could be asked for six-out saves in the Series. With so many other big arms in the Dodgers bullpen, Kershaw has a lot of cushion.
It’s no longer a one-man Kershaw Show for the Dodgers. This team is mentally and physically prepared to excel.
“Getting here is exciting, but make no mistake, our goal is to finish it off,” Roberts said. “This is a clear vision we had for our guys since Day 1 of spring training. We expected to be here. Pressure is what you make of it.’’
Kershaw just needs to give all he’s got and that could be enough. That’s the new age in postseason. Starters go five innings and the bullpen picks it up from there. That philosophy works totally to Kershaw’s advantage because in the past too much was expected of him in the postseason. Clayton Kershaw 2.0 is good enough. Kershaw will be facing another lefty stud in the Astros’ Dallas Keuchel. It’s also going to be extremely hot, but that doesn’t concern Roberts.
“The guy taking the baseball for us, I don’t think he’s concerned about a little spike in heat, so we feel good,’’ Roberts said of the Texas-born Kershaw.
The Dodgers have had the easier path to the World Series, playing just eight games and three road games. They are as well-rested as any team could be going into the World Series, helping the starting pitchers Kershaw, Rich Hill, Yu Darvish and Alex Wood immensely.
“The guys can stay on their schedule and that’s helpful,’’ Roberts said of his rotation, which will feature Darvish, who might be the Dodgers’ best starter, on the mound for Game 3 at Minute Maid Park.
“Our guys are doing a great job of leaning on one another,’’ Roberts said.
Winning the World Series is what makes memories.
“I guess my first like real memory is probably the Yankees in the late ’90s, early 2000, winning those whatever it was in a row,’’ Kershaw recalled. “Maybe three in a row or something like that, yeah. I remember that pretty well. I remember when the Diamondbacks won 2001.
“So I guess the point is that I remember. You remember watching. You remember who went to the World Series. Unless you’re a real baseball fan, you remember who loses, so we need to win.’’
Kershaw needs to win. For the Dodgers’ sake. For his own legacy. The final piece.
By KEVIN KERNAN