The Los Angeles Dodgers now hold a 2-1 lead in the NLDs against the Philadelphia Phillies after dropping Wednesday's contest 8-2. Yoshinobu Yamamoto started the game for LA, and surrendered three runs in four innings.
Philly started Aaron Nola, but pulled him after two scoreless innings for Ranger Suarez. Suarez had his good stuff working and pitched five innings, giving up just one run.
In a 3-1 game in the seventh inning, the Dodgers turned to Clayton Kershaw out of the bullpen. That's when the Phillies capitalized and put up a five-spot in the eighth inning to put the game away. It was an outing to forget for Kershaw, who was on the wrong side of postseason history.
Clayton Kershaw's dreadful outing
It was discovered by Baseball Reference that Clayton Kershaw's outing on Wednesday was the first time in postseason history that a reliever allowed 3 walks and 2 home runs without recording a strikeout.
Kershaw also allowed six hits in his two innings of work.
Other names had come across the database as walking 3+ batters and giving up two or more home runs, but all those other names had recorded at least one strikeout.
Manager Dave Roberts may have taken Kershaw out sooner if he had warmed anyone up in the bullpen, but after an inning of work, the Phillies hitters started to key in on Kershaw.
Kershaw is set to retire after the 2025 season, and if the Dodgers do happen to drop these next two games and he's not used again, that will end up being Kershaw's last ever pitching appearance.
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