When asked what he’ll remember about the week’s festivities, he quipped: “My 2-year-old is a maniac. Kershaw was in an upbeat mood throughout Tuesday night - not only because of his celebratory evening, but because he had already accomplished his toughest task of the All-Star break. “If I’d had to face more than four batters, I didn’t know what to do,” Kershaw said. Kershaw did some scouting work before the game, but only on the top of the AL lineup. Kershaw struck out Judge, but walked Rafael Devers before Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Kershaw then atoned by picking Ohtani off first base, although he claimed it was accidental: He was trying to decide what pitch to throw next to Aaron Judge, so he only threw to first to buy himself some time, but caught Ohtani leaning.
“You kind of had to give him a heater there. “He didn’t hit it over the fence, so it was a win and we can move on,” Kershaw said.
He knew Ohtani was going to swing at his first throw, and he didn’t feel right starting off an All-Star Game with a breaking ball. When he gave up a broken-bat single to Ohtani on his first pitch, Kershaw wasn’t bothered. He got one of the biggest pops from the crowd during pregame introductions, and he got another when he took the mound.
YOOjO2mXJ0īut the hometown star of the night was undoubtedly Kershaw, who got the first of several standing ovations when he took the field for his pregame stretching. Kershaw bought a custom-made suit for Gonsolin to wear to his first All-Star game - and unsurprisingly, the cat-obsessed Gonsolin added two feline paw prints to the breast pocket.Ĭustom suit for Tony, compliments of Kersh. While Gonsolin took the loss, he looked good doing it. Freddie Freeman grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the third, and left-hander Tyler Anderson was among the pitchers who didn’t get to play. The NL-leading Dodgers placed six players on the roster, and both Mookie Betts and Trea Turner got hits in the first inning. The All-Star Game was special for the entire home organization. And it was also really personal for me and my family, everybody. “Being here at Dodger Stadium, a place where I’ve been now for 15 years, and to get to do something like this with the best in the world, is really fun. “I tried to take a minute at the beginning to take it all in and look around, which I usually never do,” Kershaw said. He also knew he’ll never get the opportunity again to do it in front of the fans who have been behind him since he was a 20-year-old phenomenon. Kershaw also gave himself permission to soak in the moment right before he stepped onto the mound to face Shohei Ohtani.Īfter all, the 34-year-old Kershaw has done just about everything it’s possible to do as a pitcher in modern baseball, but the 2014 NL MVP had never started an All-Star Game before. “I can’t say enough good things about Dodger fans, people in LA in general, just how much these last few days, how much they wanted me to do this. “It was actually a lot of fun today to be out there, and the crowd was awesome,” Kershaw said. The AL eventually rallied for a 3-2 victory with three runs off fellow Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin in the fourth, but Kershaw will have mostly positive memories of a landmark day in his career. Kershaw is reminded of what he means to baseball and to Los Angeles during every start he makes at Dodger Stadium, where he is appropriately beloved as a vital piece of a perennial NL powerhouse since 2008.Īfter nine All-Star selections and six previous appearances in the game, the three-time Cy Young Award winner serendipitously got his first chance to start an All-Star Game in his home park, and he met the occasion by throwing an entertaining, scoreless first inning.
RUSTY BUCKET NEAR ME FULL
That was awesome.”Īfter posing for photos by Blake’s father, Kershaw returned to the dugout for the final innings of the Midsummer Classic in a stadium full of fans who adore him just as much as Blake, who does baseball card reviews on YouTube. “Your granddad sounded like an awesome guy,” Kershaw said. Kershaw smiled, rose from the dais and grabbed Blake in a protective hug. Meeting Kershaw allowed Blake to check off an item on his grandfather’s bucket list, the boy said before tearing up. The 10-year-old from Denver said his grandfather was a Dodgers fan and a Redondo Beach native who died of brain cancer.
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