Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Reacts to Clayton Kershaw’s Tough Outing in NLDS
Dodgers fans would be best served forgetting about Game 1 of the 2023 NLDS. With high hopes and a future first-ballot Hall of Famer on the mound, the Dodgers proceeded to get boat raced by the Arizona Diamondbacks 11-2. Kershaw’s final line on the evening is an appalling 0.1 IP / 6 H / 6 ER / 1 HR / 1 BB / 0 SO.
Dave Roberts had this to say postgame about the club’s ace,
“It was a tough one. I think that obviously they took a lot of good swings. It seemed like they were on everything he threw up there. There was, I think — the Pham ball was down below and he scooped it, but outside of that I think balls were just up and good pitches for them to hit. They didn’t miss them.
“Usually Clayton does a great job of controlling, managing damage. And tonight unfortunately we didn’t do that.”
Dave Roberts following 11-2 Game 1 loss.
The night started with a Ketel Marte 115 mph rocket off Kershaw that bounced in and out of rookie centerfielder James Outman’s glove. From there the Diamondbacks scored 5 runs off the Dodgers’ starter before he managed to record an out. At a glance it looked like a play Outman should have made for the first out of the inning, but it had an xBA of .830 to Outman’s credit. Kershaw also made no excuses about the play after the game,
“There’s no excuses. Regardless of anything that happened out there, I have to be better. That’s just not acceptable.”
Clayton Kershaw on the Outman misplay potentially changing the inning.
Beyond the accolades, the victories, and the moments, an unsung virtue of Clayton Kershaw is his ability to always say the right thing. He gives credit to his teammates during the victories and takes the blame when things don’t go the club’s way, and tonight proved no exception
“Disappointing. Embarrassing. You feel like you let everyone down. The whole organization looks to you to pitch well in Game 1 and yeah… it’s just embarrassing, really. It’s a tough way to start the postseason. Obviously we still have a chance at this thing but that wasn’t the way it should have started for me.”
Kershaw on his thought about tonight’s outing
The silver lining from tonight’s drubbing is that the Dodgers are only down 0-1. They look to even the series up Monday night with their electric rookie Bobby Miller on the mound against projected Cy Young finalist Zac Gallen.
Photo credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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I’m glad I went to the USC Trojans game,so I wasn’t able to see Kershaw and the Dodgers go down like this.I can’t imagine how bad Kershaw is feeling,but he should know that true Dodger fans have his back.There is no burning jersey party around here! How is it that AZ or other teams didn’t have this strategy to beat Kershaw in the regular season? Or maybe they did,but batters didn’t execute or maybe like Kershaw said, he left to many pitches high in the zone.
We all still respect Clayton Kershaw and win or lose feel he is a great influence on the team. He is respected for his dedication to baseball and he is always fair with teammates but hard on himself.Sorry for him that he had a tough time.My whole family has always followed his career and look forword to the World Series!
Yes, Dodger fans will always have his back. No matter what happens in his future games, he has solidified himself as one of the greatest of all time. I wasn’t around for Koufax, so I’m happy to have been around for this Dodger generation. I hope he knows how much the fans love him. A true class act and great example of a human being.
All the BS about Roberts and how good he managed all year.. he is a loser and has been since he been with LA,,, it was time to get rid of him long ago.. and now Kershaw ONG .you let him have the opening game..look at his record post season it is horrible…starting him is like giving the game away… which they did
Come on, there is no way this is Roberts fault. Did you notice that the Dodgers have had starting pitcher issues all year? Did you notice that he still led the team to 100 wins? And how about that the Dodgers have won the division 10 times out of the last 11 years. Yeah Kershaw ain’t what he used to be but he still seemed to be a good bet for game one. Maybe take your Roberts hate somewhere else!
The Dodgers, and Kershaw specifically, are haunted by the post-season. They have spectacularly underperformed under Roberts.
Maybe he’s just unlucky, but that is enough to unload someone who can’t even make it to the World Series against teams they dominate in the regular season. With so many 100+ victories it’s, to be blown out by the Padres last year, and in game 1 by Arizona is embarrassing.
Roberts just doesn’t know how to get the best out of his players.
This is a temporary setback, that’s all. It happens to everyone in baseball on occasion.
In his next start he can dominate and this will be forgotten, or until a sportswriter needs to do a Kershaw piece and reminds us that he has lost before in the playoffs. Most pitchers with a career like his, have. I’m still hoping he comes back for another 5 years with the Dodgers. Add Ohtani with the kids and we’d have a dynasty more impressive than any the Yankees have enjoyed.
Roberts manages using analytics. Analytics work well most of the time during regular season and the playoffs. It works well usually during the regular season, but not in the playoffs. He has made many mistakes pulling pitchers out of games when doing real well during playoffs. Last year Tyler Anderson allowed only one hit in 5 innings against San Diego. Another example Rich Hill was pitching a gem a few years ago and he pulled him when he was dominating and they wound up losing the game. You have to go with your gut and most of the time he is thinking matchups that he prefers which don’t always pan out.
this is a reply to all those who beat aaround the bush—look at the numbers: how many times has Roberts let Kershaw keep pitching—just as he let Lynne pitch 4 straight home runs to the Arizona Cards (he’s famous for giving up homers—should have been on a short leash)—an all time record…had he taken him out after two straight home runs—AND had he taken Kershaw out after giving up 2-3 runs (or Kenley Jansen) innumerable times the Dodgers wouldn’t have such a pathetic post-season record…its a retention problem…Kershaw won’t pull hi,self…he must know during his postseason meltdowns that he has an issue and that it might lose the series…at least limit his spasms to 2-3 runs…there was one game where he gave up 2 runs in the first inning and up 3 in the next—2 back to back homers…if I were a player I’d question—even be angry at this bad habit of Roberts…