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Where Clayton Kershaw's NLDS disaster ranks among his worst Dodgers playoff moments

By Jason Reed |
Division Series - Arizona Diamondbacks v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game One
Division Series - Arizona Diamondbacks v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game One / Kevork Djansezian/GettyImages
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Game 1 of the NLDS did not go as planned for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The game was over before fans could even find their seats as Clayton Kershaw allowed five runs without recording an out. Kershaw would eventually get the hook after making just one out and allowing six earned runs to score.

Add in the three runs that Emmet Sheehan allowed in the top of the second and the game was a wrap. It did not matter that the Dodgers historically hit Merrill Kelly well. The game was over and fans felt it throughout the stadium.

This is not the first time that Kershaw has melted down in the playoffs, but it might be his last. Did he save the biggest meltdown for last? Let's painfully go back through Kershaw's worst playoff moments to decide.

Ranking Clayton Kershaw's worst playoff moments for the Dodgers:

5. Game 5 of the 2017 World Series

In a vacuum, this would rank higher on the list considering the stakes and the fact that the Dodgers lost a game in which they scored 12 total runs. Kershaw was given two separate three-run leads and blew them both, ultimately lasting just 4.2 innings against the Houston Astros.

Then the Astros cheating scandal came to light and it made sense why Houston did not swing and miss a single time against Kershaw, who dominated Houston in Game 1 and out of the bullpen in Game 7 of that very same series.

The 2017 World Series truly could have been the one vindicated series for Kershaw that would stand above all of his playoff gaffes. Instead, he ran into some trash cans and unfortunately had one of his most disappointing playoff outings.

4. Game 6 of the 2013 NLCS

This was the start of "playoff Kershaw" becoming a thing. While Kershaw had some less-than-ideal outings against the Philadelphia Phillies years earlier, he was not yet established in the league and it was not as big of a mark on his track record.

The Dodgers went into Busch Stadium needing to get a win. After winning Game 5 to extend the series, Los Angeles had a real chance to stretch the series to a pivotal Game 7, where anything could have happened.

Kershaw lost a 1-0 pitcher's duel against Lance Lynn in Game 2 of that series that obviously was not his fault. His offense yet again failed to score a run with him on the mound but that was not the takeaway from Game 6. Instead, it was Kershaw's first real playoff mishap.

Kershaw allowed seven runs in only four innings pitched. After a clean first two innings, Kershaw had the chance to get out of the third inning with only one run scored. Instead, he allowed a two-strike RBI single to Yadier Molina and allowed two more singles and two walks with two outs to make it 3-0.

That was still striking range for the Dodgers. Unfortunately, Kershaw would allow three straight hits to start the fourth and was pulled. His bullpen could not relieve him and he finished the night with seven runs allowed.

3. Game 5 of the 2019 NLDS

Dave Roberts has used Clayton Kershaw out of the bullpen multiple times despite his postseason struggles. And in the first few instances in which Roberts deployed this tactic, it worked. The first time Roberts brought Kershaw out of the bullpen was in the 2016 NLDS, where Kershaw was able to shut the door against the Washington Nationals.

Roberts would then bring in Kershaw out of the bullpen in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. Kershaw dominated and the takeaway from that game was that he should have started (even though the entire reason the Dodgers traded for Yu Darvish was to start in that spot, but that is beside the point).

In 2018, Roberts brought Kershaw out of the bullpen to close out the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers. That series was an absolute slugfest and the Dodgers were depleted to their last resource, making Kershaw's save a welcome one.

It finally caught up to Roberts and the Dodgers in 2019. With a 3-1 against the Washington Nationals in the NLDS, Roberts called on Kershaw in a big spot out of the bullpen in the seventh inning. Kershaw ultimately got out of the jam against Adam Eaton and that should have been when his night was over.

But it wasn't.

Kershaw went back out there in the eighth and allowed back-to-back home runs to Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto to tie the game. Kenta Maeda, who should have been on the mound instead, took over and finished a clean eighth.

Roberts then one-upped himself and brought Joe Kelly into the game instead of Kenley Jansen in the ninth inning. Kelly allowed a grand slam without recording an out. Jansen came in anyway, but it was too little, too late.

2. Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS

Clayton Kershaw has a knack for struggling in Game 1 of the NLDS. The 2013 NLCS was the first time that Kershaw truly had a playoff meltdown but at the time there was no narrative that he was someone who struggled in October. It could have been written off as a one-time thing.

That is what made Kershaw's start in Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS important. Kershaw had a chance to right a wrong against the same team that knocked his Dodgers out of the playoffs the year prior. Not only that, but Kershaw was also coming off of an MVP season and could have cemented one of the best seasons in MLB history with a dominant playoff run.

It looked like Kershaw got off on the right foot in this game. Kershaw allowed just one run in five innings and after a small hiccup in the sixth, allowed just two in six innings. It was a good day of work for the future Hall of Famer.

Then the seventh inning happened. With a 6-2 lead, Kershaw blew up in the seventh, allowing six more runs to give St. Louis the lead. The Cardinals ended up having an even bigger inning and exited the top of the seventh with a 10-6 lead.

The Dodgers would go on to lose the series in four games, where Kershaw again had a bad start. It didn't quite make the cut in this list but Kershaw allowed a three-run home run to Matt Adams in the seventh inning to squander a 2-0 lead. The Dodgers lost 3-2.

The Dodgers lost the 2014 NLDS because of the NL MVP. Hopefully, that is not the same story in the 2023 NLDS (minus the MVP).

1. Game 1 of the 2023 NLDS

Maybe it is recency bias. Maybe it is the pain that still feels fresh. Maybe it is the fact that this could be Kershaw's last-ever start as a Dodger. Regardless of the reason, it is hard to say that Kershaw has ever had a worse playoff moment than Saturday night's fiasco.

The stakes are pretty low and who knows, the Dodgers could end up saving Kershaw and ensuring that this isn't his last start. If the Dodgers go on to win the NLDS then fans will not remember this disaster in the same light as the 2014 NLDS. That could eventually knock this game down the list.

But when all things are equal and we are just looking at the outing it is impossible to say that this wasn't just Kershaw's worst start in his playoff career, but in his entire career. The greatest pitcher of his generation just allowed five runs without getting an out. It was historically bad for Kershaw. Not just for his standards, but in MLB history.

Dave Roberts confirmed that Kershaw will be starting for the Dodgers in Game 4 on Thursday, assuming LA doesn't get swept in three games by the Diamondbacks. That could give Kershaw a chance to redeem himself and potentially even send his team into the NLCS.

However, the opposite could also happen. Kershaw could deliver the final dagger to the Dodgers' season, and potentially to his Dodgers' career as well.

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