The Diamondbacks are coming to town!
Saturday at 6:20pm PT, the Dodgers begin their quest for another World Series title. Their first hurdle; the Arizona Diamondbacks.
You ready, LA?
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 5, 2023
🎟: https://t.co/lOkjtIxmDe pic.twitter.com/MCVm8rSVL2
The Dodgers went 8-5 against the Snakes this year and have won 5 in a row against the NL West rival including back to back sweeps. The first sweep was a 2 game series in AZ, and the other a 3-gamer at LA.Â
Arizona is coming in fresh off of a 2-game sweep of the #3 seed and National League Central Champion Milwaukee Brewers despite the fact that they trailed early in both of the NL Wildcard games. They had to claw their way back in both games, but eventually overcame the Brew Crew and sent them on a fall vacation 6-3 and 5-2.
They now advance to the NLDS to face the Dodgers who are sending long time ace and future Hall of Famer, Clayton Kershaw to the mound in Game 1.
Kershaw went 13-5 on the year and posted a 2.46 ERA with 137 Ks. More importantly, in Kershaw’s last 8 starts, he’s put up a solid WHIP of 0.91 and became the Dodgers’ all-time strikeout king. Kershaw now sits just 56 K’s away from 3,000.
Kershaw’s slider appears to be back to it’s usual stealthiness, avoiding bats and dotting corners. “Uncle Charlie” (as Vin Scully named Kershaw’s curveball) is doing the same, falling from above the zone to perplex batters and landing for a strike. The question to be asked here is can he be effective with his fastball to set up his other pitches.
The answer is a simple ‘yes’!
While he may have lost the 96mph velocity he had as a young rookie, Kershaw still sits 90-92mph, and has become crafty enough to put his 4-seamer in locations that induce weak contact.
Check out the sequence in the video below!
Kershaw is 22-12 with a 2.73 ERA and 294 K’s in 44 career games against the Diamondbacks. The Hall of Famers only postseason appearance against Arizona came in 2017, where he went 6.1 innings, allowing only 5 hits while walking 3. He gave up 4 runs that day on 4 solo HR’s. Corbin Carroll, Arizona’s Rookie of the Year candidate, is also 4 for 7 vs Kershaw with 2 HR’s, so that’s a matchup to keep an eye on.
I believe the key for Kershaw to beat the Diamondbacks will be for him to keep the ball in the ballpark against a very capable Arizona lineup, especially Christian Walker. The Arizona first baseman has 10 hits in 34 AB’s vs Kershaw over 15 career games with 5 of those being homers.
There is a lot of history between Kershaw and the Snakes, but, most recently, in his last outing against Arizona, Kershaw went 5 innings, gave up 1 earned run and struck out 5. He also tied Don Sutton with his 209th Dodger victory for his career in that outing as well.
Let’s hope Clayton Kershaw gets plenty of run support from the offense and the Dodgers make a statement in Game 1.
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