Clayton Kershaw made history on Sunday night, but not the kind you want to make.
The Los Angeles Dodgers starter set a record for the most home runs allowed in a single postseason. That mark was set when he allowed a 3-run home run to Yuli Gurriel to tie Game 5 of the World Series at four.
Most HR allowed in a single postseason
8 Kershaw 2017
7 Pettitte 1996
7 Hamels 2009
7 Garrelts 1989
7 Show 1984
7 Beckett 2008— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) October 30, 2017
The Dodgers spotted Kershaw a 4-0 lead, which is about as much as you could ask for. He was unable to hold onto it as he got roughed up in the fourth. He got into more trouble an inning later and put two runners on before Dave Roberts pulled him for Kenta Maeda, who gave up a 3-run home run to Jose Altuve that tied the game at seven.
There are a few things to be said about Kershaw’s dubious record. One, you have to be doing something right to set a record like this. You and your team must be doing well enough to pitch that many innings, which was the case for Kershaw and the Dodgers. Two, he had a sub-3.00 ERA in the 2017 postseason prior to Game 5. That means that even though he had allowed seven home runs, he only had given up one other run, so you can certainly live with that.
But overall, holding this record seems fitting for Kershaw, who has developed a reputation for being a postseason disappointment.
