Watch: Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw throws a peculiar curve ball that had Jurickson Profar swinging foolishly
With yesterday's start against the San Diego Padres, Clayton Kershaw made his 11th year of postseason appearances. If you think you've seen it all from the three-time NL Cy Young Awardee, then you are dead wrong.
During the fourth inning of Game 2 of the NLDS between his Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, Kershaw threw a baffling curve ball to Jurickson Profar that resembled either a lawn dart throw or a cricket throw.
Clayton Kershaw, Lawn Dart Curveball (for a K). https://t.co/BoP9YEKURv
"Clayton Kershaw, Lawn Dart Curveball (for a K)." - @ Rob Friedman
The ball hit the dirt way before reaching the plate, and Profar swung at it in earnest. This had the Padres batter striking out before Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith blocked the ball.
Baseball experts, enthusiasts, players, and fans had a field day analyzing Kershaw's unique strike. It also set a record for being the lowest pitch to draw a whiff in the history of the league.
Lowest MLB pitch to get a whiff in recorded history! twitter.com/PitchingNinja/…
Clayton Kershaw's curveball in all its glory. https://t.co/kSoqBcr4oz
Spiked Curveballs actually look a lot like Fastballs cause of how low they come out especially if you’re looking for the inside FB which Kershaw does a lot. Eventually you look in to beat him to the spot and man does it suck when it turns out it’s a CB. We’ve all been there 🤣 twitter.com/pitchingninja/…
Kershaw ended the game having surrendered three runs on six base hits and six strikeouts. The Dodgers took the loss, but the pitch will surely be remembered for a long time.
Clayton Kershaw's playoff career
Discounting yesterday's game, Clayton Kershaw has made an appearance in 37 postseason games. The future Hall of Famer has started 30 games and has a 13-12 record with a 4.19 ERA with one save.
Kershaw has been criticized in the past for not bringing his A-game during the postseason as he's only posted a sub-3.00 ERA in six of his 20 postseason series. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that he was clinical in the 2020 World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays when he posted a 2-0 record with a 2.31 ERA and was a huge factor in the Dodgers' first world title since 1988.