In The Vain Fall Of Last Year, Roberts Chose 140km Kershaw Instead Of 160km Rookie
Clayton Kershaw aims to become the winning pitcher of fall baseball after a long time.
On the 8th (Korea Standard Time), the showdown between the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series of the Major League Baseball postseason in the U.S. Major League Baseball was decided to be the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Arizona defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 6-3 in Game 1 of the wild card decision on the 4th, and also won Game 2 5-2 on the 5th to confirm its advance to the next series.
The team waiting in the National League Division Series is the Dodgers. The Dodgers won the National League West this year with a 100-62 record in 162 games.
Last year, the Dodgers’ fall was short. They failed to advance to the Championship Series with 1 win and 3 losses in the National League Division Series.
Kershaw, who started in Game 2 of the Division Series last fall, wasn’t bad, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits, 6 strikeouts, and no walks in 5 innings, but the scoring support was disappointing.
Kershaw’s most recent postseason win came in 2020. At that time, the Dodgers advanced from the division series. They defeated the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves and won the World Series with 3 wins and 2 losses against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Kershaw pitched in 5 games that year, taking the center stage for the Dodgers with 4 wins, 1 loss, and an ERA of 2.93. He is aiming for a postseason victory again for the first time in three years.
It seemed that this challenge would not be easy. This year, the Dodgers lost key pitchers including Tony Gonsolin, Walker Buehler, and Dustin May due to injuries. The Dodgers had to hold on by their gums.
It would not have been strange to give rookie pitcher Bobby Miller a chance on this fall’s stage, but in the end, Manager Roberts gave Kershaw the first game. Miller boasts a fastball of up to 160 km/h, and Kershaw’s recent speed stays in the mid-140 km/h, but there is a difference in experience.
Miller recorded 11 wins, 4 losses, and an ERA of 3.76 in 22 regular season games this year. Kershaw’s pitching pace was not good at the last minute, and there was a lot of concern about the drop in velocity, but they were all erased.
While Arizona’s starting pitcher has not yet been revealed, the Dodgers announced Kershaw as the starting pitcher for Game 1.
Kershaw performed as an ‘ace’ this year with 13 wins, 5 losses, and an average ERA of 2.46. As he got older, he tried to hand over this position to his teammates such as Gonsolin and Buehler, but injuries continued to plague him.
In addition, one of the key starters, Holyo Urias, left the team due to domestic violence issues. Veteran Kershaw brought in the starting lineup this year. He also showed reliable pitching.
Is it because of this? Instead of a pitcher who can throw 160 km, Coach Roberts puts forward Kershaw, who has experienced many hardships.
BY: 안전놀이터