Photo Credit: @MLBStats on Twitter.
One of the reasons the Dodgers didn’t celebrate in dog pile-fashion after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers in a best-of-three Wild Card round is because this is what this team was supposed to do. The Dodgers faced a 29-31 team that didn’t spend one day during the regular season over .500 and had no business being in the postseason in the first place. The only thing the Dodgers didn’t do was steamroll the Brewers, which had everything to do with the offense.
Clayton Kershaw was as good as he’s ever been, and last night the Dodgers desperately needed him to be. If the Dodgers’ offense only mustered one run, it would have been enough, but the fact is they only scored three is still concerning for the playoff rounds ahead.
Let’s take a deep dive into a truly historical night of Dodger baseball.
This Is Still Clayton Kershaw We’re Talking About!
There was one moment that encapsulated the kind of evening Clayton Kershaw was having. In his eighth and final inning with one out, Kershaw issued his first walk of the ballgame. Manager Dave Roberts had Brusdar Graterol warming up in the bullpen just in case. Kershaw appeared to notice Roberts was possibly on the verge of taking him out, and the Dodgers’ ace essentially told his manager to stay in the dugout. What struck me was: it wasn’t malicious at all. It was a very calm gesture, almost as if to say, “I got this skip; don’t worry.” This wasn’t the intense-Kershaw we’re accustomed to seeing on the mound. This was a 32-year-old-I’ve-been-in-the-league-for-13-years locked-in Kershaw. He proceeded to pick-off the runner he walked at first base and struck out the batter at the plate with the very next pitch. Unreal.
KKKKKKKKKKKKKershaw told Dave Roberts to sit back down, he wasn't done yet. #Dodgers #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/lRBq4h1Fq5
— Dodgers-LowDown (@DodgersLowDown) October 2, 2020
Everyone (outside of true Dodgers fans) likes to rip on Clayton Kershaw and his playoff failures. If you’re going to do that, you also have to recognize the times he’s been vintage Kershaw and devastatingly dominant. The latter was put on display last night.
Kershaw went eight shutout innings, walked one batter, surrendered just three hits, and struck out a postseason career-high 13 Brewers. Those 13 Ks rank him third in most strikeouts by a Dodgers pitcher in a postseason game. Only Sandy Koufax (15 Ks, 1962 World Series) and Carl Erskine (14 Ks, 1953 World Series) had more, according to Houston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times. By the way, Kershaw once struck out 12 (2013 NLDS) and three times struck out 11 (2017 World Series, 2016 NLDS & 2015 NLDS) in separate postseason performances.
Kershaw being Kershaw. pic.twitter.com/RfqsRoFSAP
— Dodgers-LowDown (@DodgersLowDown) October 2, 2020
Perhaps even more impressive is a stat that says Kershaw has now joined Cliff Lee as the only left-handed pitchers in major league history to strike out 13-plus batters and allow zero runs in a postseason start, per @MLBStats on Twitter.
Kershaw was in command from the get-go, never really getting into any trouble. He threw first-pitch strikes to 24 of the 27 batters he faced, and the three hits he gave up were all singles. Additionally, his arm speed was there, and his slider and curveball were especially on point. So much so that each of his strikeouts was on a breaking ball (10 from sliders, 3 from curveballs). If this is a preview of what’s to come the rest of the postseason for Kershaw, we’re in for a treat.
Austin Barnes: Clutch Baseball Player
Austin Barnes has received his fair share of slander from Dodgers fans (myself included), and it’s mainly due to his lack of offensive skills. However, last night he helped carry the team offensively and defensively by catching a lights-out performance from Kershaw.
First, let’s talk about his bat. Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff had his way with the Dodgers for the first four innings. Until Cody Bellinger singled in the bottom of the fifth, Barnes’ third-inning base hit was the only hit for Los Angeles to that point.
With runners at first and second and two outs in the bottom of the fifth, Barnes was quickly down 0-and-2. He battled back after taking a tough pitch just off the plate to even the count. Then, he fouled off a tough two-strike sinker and, on the next pitch, squared up a curveball, drove it up the middle, and knocked in the game’s first run. That clutch single turned out to be the difference in the game.
The main reasons Barnes was in the lineup, to begin with, was not for his bat, but for his glove and his rapport when catching Kershaw. Barnes was Kershaw’s “unofficial” personal catcher this season, having caught him nine out of Kershaw’s ten starts in 2020. Barnes also finished the season as the major league leader in called-strike rate percentage at 53.8%, ranking him in the 100th percentile in terms of pitch-framing, according to Baseball Savant.
Still Need More Offense Please
This Dodgers lineup is built so that they don’t have to rely on Austin Barnes to come through in big spots. Other than Barnes, only Mookie Betts and Corey Seager have come up big for the Dodgers in the postseason so far.
To put this into perspective, the 3-4-5 hitters (Justin Turner, Max Muncy, and Will Smith) went a combined 0-for-19 in this series. As a team, the Dodgers went 3-for-12 with RISP and left a total of ten runners on base.
Not only do the Dodgers need to score more runs when the opportunities are there, but they also need to do a better job of putting runners on base. This team thrives on grinding out at-bats and putting runners aboard, and while they showed glimpses of that, this offense is capable of so much more damage.
All I can say is thank goodness the Dodgers traded for Betts this offseason because he’s been the offensive MVP. Over these last two games, Betts is 3-for-7 (.429), three RBI, and one walk. Not to mention, all three of his hits have been doubles. The thought that he’ll potentially be a Dodger for the rest of his career is one that will continue to bring a smile to my face.
Final Thoughts
Dave Roberts went with Brusdar Graterol for the save last night instead of Kenley Jansen. Even though Jansen picked up the save in Game One, his velocity was down, and he didn’t look that sharp. Roberts says Jansen is the team’s closer, but I wouldn’t mind a closer-by-committee as the Dodgers advance to the NLDS and hopefully beyond. The bullpen is stacked with relievers who have closing experience, and I think it would be wise not to put all of the eggs in Jansen’s basket.
Jake Reiner is a writer and reporter for Dodgers-LowDown and co-host of The Incline Podcast. Follow him on Twitter @QualityJakes.Â