One more legendary moment for Clayton Kershaw — an end
by Cary Osborne
Clayton Kershaw climbed to the top step of the Dodger dugout and looked up to the Loge Level his family has called a second home.
He blew them a kiss.
Then it played, one last time in the regular season at Dodger Stadium.
Toniiiiiight … we are young ….
It was one of those lump-in-the-throat moments, made more emotional when Kershaw took the field alone on Friday while his teammates held back.
It was 18 seasons on a pitcher’s mound — a player who lifted a franchise from contender to champion, a 20-year-old prodigy who grew up to be a 37-year-old living legend.
Kershaw raised his cap to a sell-out Dodger Stadium crowd here for him.
Former teammates Andre Ethier, Trayce Thompson, AJ Pollock, Jimmy Rollins and his former catchers Austin Barnes and Russell Martin among them. Former Little League teammate and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford among them.
One hour and 23 minutes later, it was done.
Kershaw threw a four-seamer at the bottom of the zone past San Francisco Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers for the 3,045th strikeout of his 18-year career.
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“I can’t adequately express how thankful I am for tonight, this whole season, my whole career,” Kershaw said after the game. “I’m just so thankful that I’ve gotten to be a Dodger this long.”
There is still the possibility that Kershaw pitches here again. The Dodgers beat the Giants 6–3 to clinch a spot in the postseason for the 13th consecutive year — with Kershaw having played a starring part for all of those Dodger teams.
But there’s also the possibility that this was it.
Though Friday’s game might not have seemed according to script for Kershaw, it actually was. There was an optimistic introduction, conflict, tension and finally resolution and an emotional ending.
“Obviously, it was a little harder than I wanted it to be,” Kershaw said. “I was grinding out there, working way too hard to get people out. But thankful that I made it through when I did and kept us in the game a little bit.”
Kershaw allowed a leadoff home run to Giants left fielder Heliot Ramos. The Giants had two runners on base in the first, second and third innings. His pitch count climbed. There was a point where his catcher Dalton Rushing took a foul ball off the wrist and the game stopped so a trainer could check on him.
“I’m not coming out of this game,’” Rushing thought. “I will throw the ball like a grenade back to Kersh every time if I have to. No, that wasn’t taking me out of the game.”
Each time, Kershaw minimized damage. Wilmer Flores’ single in the third inning scored a run, and the Dodgers trailed 2–1.
But Kershaw struck out the Giants’ two most potent hitters in succession — Willy Adames to end the fourth and Devers to begin the fifth inning.
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It was clear that Kershaw was in the game in the fifth inning for one out. His infielders and catcher walked to the mound after the Devers strikeout before manager Dave Roberts could leave the dugout.
Roberts then made his way. He eventually got to the mound, and Kershaw tucked the baseball in his back pocket. Roberts and Kershaw — manager and pitcher who have been challenged and have been champions together — embraced.
“I said congratulations on a great career,” Roberts told him.
What followed was a four-minute standing ovation for the future Hall of Famer.
Kershaw blew a kiss to his family, he lifted his salt-stained Dodger blue cap, and he doled out hugs.
Kershaw said on Thursday at his retirement press conference that his favorite memories of Dodger Stadium are of winning.
His teammates made that happen.
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A four-run fifth inning, with back-to-back home runs from Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, gave the Dodgers the lead for good.
“I wouldn’t change it,” Kershaw said. “Perfect night. It really was.”
One more legendary moment for Clayton Kershaw — an end was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.