Clayton Kershaw's parting gift riles up Astros fans after Dodgers World Series win

The Los Angeles' Dodgers third World Series title in the past six seasons cemented this group as a dynasty, though it's important to remember that this era of sustained dominance stretches as far back as 2017, when the Dodgers made their first of five World Series appearances over the past nine years.

Of course, that 2017 World Series ended with a heartbreaking thud, as LA fell just short of the Houston Astros in Game 7. We now know that the Astros had to cheat their way to that title, as their infamous trash can-banging scandal remains a huge asterisk on the recent history of the sport.

The Dodgers did vanquish their Game 7 demons this year thanks to unbelievably clutch home runs from Miguel Rojas and Will Smith, and they've also cleared the Astros' run of success by tripling their ring count since that fateful 2017 series (three to one).

That hasn't stopped Astros fans from somehow trying to defend their team's actions, though you can be sure that Clayton Kershaw is hearing none of it.

Clayton Kershaw goes out on top, reminds Astros fans of 2017 cheating scandal

"I've been in one other seven-game World Series and we lost that one," Kershaw reflected. "Ah, well, there's an asterisk on that one. But we won this one."

It's safe to say that most MLB players, regardless of team affiliation, feel the same way as Kershaw does about the 2017 World Series. That cheating scandal was one of the most blatant in the history of professional sports, even if the league office and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred failed to properly punish the Astros for what they did.

Besides Kershaw, Kiké Hernández and Brock Stewart were the only players on the 2025 roster who were also around in 2017, though both had stints elsewhere in between. The now-retired lefty is the only player who has been around in Los Angeles ever since that series against the Astros, giving him a rather authoritative perspective on the saga.

At the time, that 2017 loss was a backbreaker for Kershaw and the Dodgers, as it was the first time in the Hall of Famer's career (and the first time since 1988) that the team had made it to the Fall Classic. There was no guarantee that one of the greatest pitchers of all time would ever get the ring he rightfully deserve.

Luckily, the baseball gods have righted their wrongs over the past few years as the Dodgers have accrued three World Series titles and counting since that World Series loss. Meanwhile, the Astros missed the playoffs in 2025 for the first time in a decade and are saddled with an expensive, aging roster. All's well that ends well. Thanks for the parting gift, Kersh.