Clayton Kershaw Says Goodbye with a Victory, But Won’t Play in the Wild Card Series
Los Angeles Dodgers’ left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw had an outstanding performance in his last regular season start against the Seattle Mariners, securing the victory, although he will not be part of manager Dave Roberts’ roster for the National League Wild Card Series.
Before Sunday’s 6-1 triumph over Seattle, Roberts had indicated that Kershaw would pitch “as long as possible,” with no restrictions on his number of innings.
On Wednesday, Kershaw made his first relief appearance of the season, pitching a scoreless inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Kershaw, who announced his retirement at the end of the season on September 18, returned to the rotation on Sunday for his final regular season start. And he was impeccable. Kershaw (11-2) pitched 5 and a third innings against the Mariners, allowing only four hits and no runs. He struck out seven batters, with a total of 94 pitches.
The player, an eleven-time All-Star and National League MVP in 2014, tied Zack Wheat and Bill Russell in Dodgers franchise history, with 18 seasons.
Kershaw was a World Series champion in 2020 and 2024.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner, entered Sunday’s game with an ERA of 2.54, and with the fifth-highest WAR of any left-handed pitcher in MLB history.
Before his last opening, Kershaw was only behind Hall of Famers Lefty Grove, Warren Spahn, Eddie Plank, and Steve Carlton.
His 2.54 effectiveness was the lowest of any pitcher in the live-ball era since 1920, and his winning percentage surpassed all pitchers with at least 200 wins since 1900.
