Clayton Kershaw was emotionally struck upon reaching the first World Series of his career.
Often considered the best pitcher in baseball over the past decade, Kershaw had never reached the Fall Classic despite helping the Dodgers to the postseason six previous times. On his seventh playoff berth, the Dodgers finally broke through and reached the World Series.
Kershaw was asked about that during an interview with TBS reporter Sam Ryan after the Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 11-1 in Game 5 of the NLCS to advance.
“It feels good to hear World Series,” Kershaw told Ryan after Game 5. “It’s been a long time coming for this team. I’m kind of at a loss for words right now. I never thought in a million years I’d get to play in a World Series. I know we’ve got four more to go, but right now, it’s tough to sink in.”
Ryan then asked what makes this team different from past Dodgers teams that did well in the regular season but couldn’t make the playoffs.
“I don’t know how to compare it to year’s past, but I just know that everybody has a role and everybody executes. It just seems like there’s a different guy every night. It’s unbelievable. It’s a special group to be a part of.”
Kershaw continues to shake his reputation for being a choker in the playoffs. He allowed just one run on three hits over six innings to get the win. It was his second win this postseason, while the Dodgers have won all three games he’s pitched this postseason.
Game 1 of the World Series is on Tuesday.
