by Mark Langill
Win or lose, the day was going to end with champagne.
Would it be wildly sprayed across the visitor’s clubhouse at Toronto’s Rogers Centre or confined to a single glass and simple toast amidst a bittersweet backdrop?
The final day of Clayton Kershaw’s storied Major League career on Saturday coincided with Game 7 of the 2025 World Series.
Dodgers-Blue Jays.
One game.
Winner take all.
What an appropriate finale for a first-ballot Hall of Famer, who at 18 seasons, is the longest tenured pitcher in the history of the Dodger franchise.
And what a finish as Kershaw warmed up in the bullpen, just in case, as Yoshinobu Yamamoto won his third game of the World Series with 2 2/3 innings of relief in a 5–4 victory in 11 innings.
Kershaw and the Dodgers indeed went out on top, clinching the first back-to-back World Series titles in franchise history.
Unlike this summer’s All-Star Game starting assignment in Atlanta, which resembled the kind of lifetime achievement award presented to an aging movie star, Kershaw’s final performance was not an exhibition game.
At 37, Kershaw earned his spot on the World Series roster. His 11–2 record and 3.36 ERA in 23 games (22 starts), including his 3,000th career strikeout on July 3 at home against the Chicago White Sox, allowed Kershaw the feeling of going out during a career resurgence when he announced his plans on Sept. 18 to retire. Injuries forced Kershaw to the sidelines during the Dodgers’ 2024 postseason.
His last appearance on the mound at Dodger Stadium in 2025 was critical, not ceremonial, during the Dodgers’ 6–5 victory in 18 innings in Game 3 against the Blue Jays.
Kershaw entered a tied game in the 12th inning with two outs after Toronto had loaded the bases against Emmet Sheehan.
Kershaw worked a full count on Nathan Lukes, who eventually pulled a grounder to second baseman Tommy Edman, who flipped the ball to Freddie Freeman at first base.
One batter.
One out.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner didn’t need any more than that to put out that fire. Maybe his presence wasn’t in the original Game 3 script, but when called upon, Kershaw answered the challenge and left a lasting memory.
Kershaw clenched his fist and walked toward the Dodger dugout to a great ovation. He soon settled on the railing alongside his teammates and watched the next six innings unfold until Freeman’s walk-off homer.
The Dodgers failed to keep the momentum and losses in their next two home games ruined a potential clinching party at Dodger Stadium.
Kershaw, though, saw beyond the 6–1 loss in Game 5, which allowed Toronto to take a 3–2 lead in the series. He didn’t trudge into the clubhouse. He instead took one last look at the scenery.
It was the same ballpark where he made his Major League debut in 2008.
Kershaw waved to the remaining fans in the stands. They knew what he was doing. It was also their last chance to take out their camera phones and record Kershaw at Dodger Stadium while he was still an active player.
Same cheers, same waves, same field.
After the Dodgers won the World Series in Toronto, manager Dave Roberts gave Kershaw the final say before the team opened bottles of champagne.
“It’s an absolute honor to be in this clubhouse with you guys,” Kershaw said. “I love every single one of you. I can’t imagine a better way to go out than to pop bottles with this group of guys.”
2025 World Series: Clayton Kershaw’s last day at the office was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.