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

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).