Kershaw's latest World Series chance with Dodgers near home

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Clayton Kershaw has pitched in the final game of the season for the Los Angeles Dodgers six of the last seven years. None of those were followed by lifting the World Series trophy.

There are his three National League Cy Young Awards, even an MVP during one of his 21-win seasons, and the current streak of eight consecutive NL West titles for the Dodgers.

But the 32-year-old ace lefty has a losing record (11-12) in the postseason — and Los Angeles hasn't won a World Series since 1988. That is the same year Kershaw was born in Dallas, where he still lives and not far from where he is about to get another chance to change that for the Dodgers and add a huge missing piece to his otherwise sparkling resume.

“I was throwing sim games May and June in Dallas, thinking about, man, are we even going to play a season?" Kershaw said Monday.

And now for the third time in four years, Kershaw is set to start Game 1 of the World Series for the Dodgers, who were on the verge of their season ending when he left his NL Championship Series start last week in Arlington, Texas, where the World Series is also being played.

California-born Tyler Glasnow, a 27-year-old right-hander who grew up watching the early part of Kershaw's career, starts Tuesday night for the Tampa Bay Rays in their first World Series game since 2008. Glasnow was 5-1 with a 4.08 ERA in 11 starts during the regular season and is 2-1 with a 4.66 ERA in four postseason starts.

The World Series opener comes a week after Kershaw was scratched before his scheduled start in Game 2 of the NLCS against Atlanta because of back spasms. He instead started two days later in Game 4, which was tied 1-1 before he left after allowing three hits in a row to start the sixth in what became a six-run inning for the Braves on the way to a 10-2 win and a 3-1...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Kershaw-s-latest-World-Series-chance-with-Dodgers-15659702.php