The Los Angeles Dodgers took both games in Philadelphia to open the NLDS, and came back home to Los Angeles to try and clinch another trip to the NLCS. However, after a three-run 4th inning, the Dodgers were down 3-1.
Fortunately, they kept the score 3-1 heading into the 8th inning, thanks in part to Clayton Kershaw pitching a scoreless 7th inning. But, with Kershaw back on the mound for the 8th, things completely unraveled. The Philadelphia Phillies scored five runs, putting the game out of reach late.
After the game, ESPN's Alden Gonzalez shared Mookie Betts' thoughts on Kershaw's rough outing. Betts was candid, calling out how hard it was to watch Kershaw struggle on the mound in Game 3 of the NLDS.
Dodgers' Mookie Betts says Clayton Kershaw's outing was 'hard to watch'
"It was hard to watch," Betts said. "But we can't use two innings to -- he's going to have a statue out in front of Dodger Stadium. Kind of keep that in mind and understand that, in the grand scheme of things, Kershaw is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, one of the best to ever do it. So if you let two innings kind of ruin that, you don't know baseball."
While Kershaw has had struggles in the playoffs throughout his MLB career, with a 4.63 ERA in 40 postseason games across 13 seasons in the Majors, he's still one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history.
There's no denying his career-long importance to the sport, but the struggles in the postseason, especially this most recent outing, are a small blemish on an otherwise great MLB career.
As Betts said, this outing from Kershaw was hard to watch. In his first inning of work, he gave up a single and a walk, which was followed by the Phillies scrounging both baserunners without scoring a run. Kershaw barely escaped, and he knew it.
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But, back on the mound for the 8th, Kershaw immediately unraveled. He allowed a solo home run to JT Realmuto to make it 4-1. Max Kepler then walked on five pitches, and after a Max Muncy error and a sacrifice bunt, the Phillies tacked on four more runs on a Trea Turner single and a Kyle Schwarber two-run homer.
The Dodgers are still up in the NLDS, but this outing from Kershaw allowed the Phillies not to throw star closer Jhoan Duran in the 8th or 9th innings. Dave Roberts punted Game 3, and now, the Phillies have a path to making an improbable comeback.
There's still a ton that the Phillies need to overcome, but the window is open for an improbable comeback. Cristopher Sanchez is on the mound facing Tyler Glasnow for Game 4, and if the Phillies manage to win, the series will return to Philadelphia for a winner-takes-all Game 5 matchup.
Los Angeles would have Shohei Ohtani on the mound for Game 5, but the series getting to that point would be a huge letdown for the Dodgers after coming home with a 2-0 lead.
Kershaw's "hard to watch" outing helped the Phillies gain some momentum in the NLDS, and while the Dodgers are still in command of the series, things are a lot more worrisome than they were heading into Game 3.
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