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NLDS Roundtable: Did Mattingly Error By Leaving Kershaw In?

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Clayton Kershaw gave up two solo home runs Friday — one in the first inning and a second in the sixth. Between the home runs, Kershaw retired 16 consecutive batters and the Los Angeles Dodgers led the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 after six innings.



Then in the seventh, the St. Louis Cardinals got to Kershaw to the tune of eight runs. It began with four straight singles and a run scored. With the bases loaded, Kershaw got a strikeout and promptly gave up a second RBI single.

Kershaw then recorded another strikeout and went to work against Matt Carpenter, only one out away from getting out of the jam and keeping the Dodgers ahead by three runs. Reminiscent of the at-bat he put together in Game 6 of the 2013 NLCS, Carpenter fouled off multiple pitches before clearing the bases with a double to the right-center field gap.

After Kershaw got the first out, manager Don Mattingly paid him a visit on the mound and left his ace in the game rather than call on a bullpen that at times was shaky during the regular season. Mattingly later called leaving Kershaw in the game an easy decision, but was it the right one?

Next Page: What Was The Right Call? Dodgers Nation Debates

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2 Comments

  1. Its easy to Monday Mornig Q.B but to weigh in, I would have had a lefty & righty up in the Pen. Kirshaw had thrown alot of pitches, in a 5 game series with a quick turn around fir Clayton and a 5 run lead going into 7, I would have brought in my Set up guy then closer at worst I would have aloud 1 hit in the 7th then the Hook.

  2. IMO it was a mistake to leave Kershaw in for one reason not often mentioned. A manager should exert the ultimate word. It may slightly damage his leadership mantle if he does not now and then trump the desires of his ace in the eyes of the team as a whole..Especially when knowing that ST Louis might have hit the reliever just as hard.

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