The Los Angeles Dodgers have already clinched a spot in the MLB playoffs, and wake up on Thursday with a magic number of one, facing the Arizona Diamondbacks.
In Wednesday's game, after Alex Vesia blew a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning, Dodgers' manager chose to give the ball to Los Angeles icon, Clayton Kershaw, for the bottom of the ninth inning. Kershaw pitched a 1-2-3 inning, and the Dodgers ended up winning the game in the 11th inning.
Clayton Kershaw sends a message about the bullpen outing
Following the game, Kershaw spoke to the media about the atmosphere of the game and what it felt like to come out of the bullpen:
"It’s an adrenaline rush for sure," Kershaw said. "Relieving is a different animal altogether. You have to figure out how to maintain your heartbeat and get going. But it was a lot of fun, and it’s fun to have success."
Many other of Dodgers contributors were asked about Kershaw's bullpen outing. Clayton made his last home regular-season start just last Friday against the San Francisco Giants, and plans to retire following the season.
Even the Dodgers' manager, Dave Roberts, chimed in and talked about the magnitude of the game and what it meant to have some stability in the bullpen.
Relievers Jack Dreyer and Justin Wrobleski followed Kershaw in the 10th and 11th innings, and neither gave up a run, even with a ghost runner starting on second base in both innings.
"That was obviously like a playoff game," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We’re fighting. They’re fighting. … That was a huge boost. I think right now, you’re betting on people. You know for me, I just trust Clayton, and he did a great job, got his juices going, and he picked us up with a clean inning."
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