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dd88
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Post subject: Clayton Kershaw to Start Game 1 of NLCS
 Posted: Oct 14, 2009 - 04:42 PM PST
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Dodgers manager Joe Torre planned to skip Randy Wolf and pitch Clayton Kershaw if a Game 5 was necessary in the National League Division Series, so it was no surprise that Torre on Wednesday named Kershaw to start Game 1 of the NL Championship Series that opens Thursday against Philadelphia.
complete postseason coverage PostSeason.tv
Just 21, Kershaw dueled St. Louis' Adam Wainwright to a no-decision when the Dodgers won Game 2, 3-2, in a ninth-inning miracle last week. Kershaw pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on nine hits, striking out four with command good enough to allow no walks (except one intentionally). He will be pitching with one week of rest.
Kershaw was 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA against the Phillies this year and is 0-3 with a 6.64 ERA in his career. Both losses this year came by early June, before Kershaw turned around his season with a 2.56 ERA over his final 10 starts.
Here's what Torre -- who held Kershaw to a 100-pitch limit during the season -- said after he let Kershaw come out for the seventh inning of the Game 2 start against St. Louis:
"This is what you save all those innings for during the season. Again, he was very economical going into the seventh inning. He pitched great. I was very comfortable watching Kershaw pitch today. I thought he responded to the challenge very, very well."
And here's what Torre said about Kershaw on the Friday off-day:
"To me, I thought Kershaw maybe didn't have his best stuff, but he battled Wainwright tooth and nail."
Those who believe in the theory that October games are won by hard-throwers, Kershaw fits that better than Wolf, who started Game 1 against the Cards. While Vicente Padilla shut down a demoralized Cardinals club in Game 3, Kershaw is the one Dodgers starter with the ability to dominate an opposing lineup, especially one loaded with left-handed sluggers like the Phillies.
For proof, Kershaw finished the regular season with a league-leading .200 opponents batting average and .173 against left-handers, allowing only one home run to a lefty (Brad Hawpe) in 139 at-bats. Kershaw allowed seven home runs this year, four homers in four April starts and only three homers in the 27 starts since.
He has had career success against Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard (1-for-8 with three RBIs) and outfielder Shane Victorino (1-for- , but Chase Utley (3-for-10 with a home run) and Raul Ibanez (2-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs) have given him trouble.
Last year in the NLCS, Kershaw was a bit player, allowing one run total in a pair of one-inning relief appearances. |
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