what happened to clayton kershaw

According to multiple sources, Clayton Kershaw, the ace pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, had a poor start in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on October 7, 2023. He lasted only one inning, allowing six runs on top of a three-run homer, before being pulled by manager Dave Roberts. Kershaw became the first starting pitcher in MLB postseason history to allow five hits and five runs before recording an out. He gave up hits to the first five hitters and retired just one of eight hitters overall. This was the shortest start of Kershaw’s career, including the regular season and playoffs, as he only logged one out before being pulled. Despite having a fastball that barely cracked 90 mph over the final month, he found a way to function, by “sheer will,” according to manager Dave Roberts. Kershaw had spent the last two months of the regular season pitching through a tender throwing shoulder, overcoming a slower fastball.