Dodgers Must Accept Limitations from their Ace Moving Forward.

Clayton Kershaw is the best the Dodgers have had in decades. However, that doesn’t mean he’s perfect.

Stop right there. Calm down. This isn’t a Kershaw bashing article. We all know he’s the best thing since Koufax. I fully expect the Dodgers‘ brain trust to sign him to a new lucrative deal once he opts out. Rightfully so. His value in the regular season is, well… Any vocabulary I possess will prove insufficient. He’s going to get you to October.

In the postseason, contrary to widespread disbelief, Kershaw has recently proven himself as being capable of taking care of business. His team has continued to lose, and his numbers aren’t elite. However, there’s indeed been an improvement from the Cardinal nightmares of playoffs passed the last three or so years.

When one really breaks it down, it’s evident if there is still an issue, it’s in the 7th inning. In his playoff career, Kershaw’s ERA is under 3.5 in innings one through six. For whatever reason, be it an emotional strain or physical fatigue, when the seventh rolls around, his ERA hovers closer to 20.00. Ouch.

We would all love to see Clayton pull off his best October Bumgarner impression, but it hasn’t happened yet. While he certainly has plenty of time to pull off absolute playoff dominance in the future, it probably won’t be this year. 

The second consecutive year in which Clayton has had to scramble back from a significant back injury. He has looked very good, but not Kershaw-dominant since his return. With this team, this season, in this era, he doesn’t need to be.

We have entered the dawn of bullpenning. LA had one of the better ones this season. The Dodgers have acted accordingly with the likes of HIll, Wood and now Darvish. 

Time to do the same with Kershaw. If the 7th inning rolls around, and Clayton even begins to sniff trouble, GET HIM OUT. How many times must the Dodger faithful continue to witness the same thing? 

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Is it not the very definition of insanity? Six innings of good Kershaw and calling it a day is far better than seeing 7th inning Bizzaro Clayton make another appearance. The philosophy makes sense, especially for the Dodgers. A fresh arm is often better than one who has already thrown 90 pitches. The bullpen proved that all year long.

And this handling of Kershaw goes beyond the postseason. He could very well benefit from an extended period of rest sometime around the All-Star break (right around when he usually gets hurt). 

Set him on the phantom DL for an extra stint or two and try out a new prospect for a stretch in an attempt to preemptively nip a future injury in the bud. It could pay dividends in future Octobers. It would certainly help save his back some strain. But that’s talk for another time.

Let’s focus on this October, which is looking sweeter by the moment after hanging the “L” on Greinke for the sweep. As was the case in the previous round, the Dodgers will have home-field advantage and a fully rested staff in the NLCS. 

Next: Trade that Brought Barnes to LA

Their TBD opponent will have no such luxury. Especially considering they figure to face a well-rested Kershaw for what I expect to be no more than six sharp innings this time around. And in case you are wondering, yes, I wrote this article specifically so Clayton can shut me up and shut out his opponent over 8.