Los Angeles (AP) – Clayton Kershaw threw the last home game for the regular season of his 18-year career at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, welcomed and sent with standing ovations a day after announcement His decision to retire At the end of the season.
Kershaw’s old warming -uplied, “we are young” from Fun, shocked when fans held up camera telephones to capture the moment when the game started. The cheers quickly turned into angry when San Francisco Giants Leadoff Hitter Heliot Ramos hired an 86-MPH sliding regulator for a 431-foot home run.
But the cheers came back after Rafael Devers took a third strike that led the fifth. Manager Dave Roberts came to the hill and hugged Kershaw as his teammates on the field, in the Dugout and in the Bullpen joined the sold-out crowd of 53.037 when applauding the 37-year-old left-handed people while he left.
Kershaw left with the Dodgers 2-1 behind. He gave up two points and four hits, threw six and ran four in 4 1/3 innings on 91 throws, 56 for strikes.
The defensive World Series champion Dodgers gathered for a 6-3 victory to achieve their 13th consecutive Postseason-Ligplaats.
He waved and then wrapped his arms in a hug gesture for the crowd. Two -sided superstar Shohei Ohtani stepped forward to hug Kershaw, one of the many he received from everyone in the Dugout. With fans who shouted, Kershaw came out for a curtain call, slowly turn around and soak in the scene.
Fans attracted no. 22 sweaters in a greeting Kershaw, although Ohtani’s no. 17, as usual, was prominent.
Kershaw was surrounded by teammates, his pregnant wife Ellen, who was in tears, their four children and fans who saw him work through the farming system of the Dodgers to reach and win the Majors at the age of 20 Three Cy Young Awards As well as two World Series championships.
Also at hand were former teammate Russell Martin, who caught the Major League debut of Kershaw in 2008, and Los Angeles Rams Quarterback Matthew Stafford, who was High School Football Team Team Teammate in Texas.
“This is one of those moments when people look back and go:” I was there for the last time he started a home game in Dodger Stadium, “said Roberts before the game.
Kershaw, a resident of Dallas who lives there in low season, has spent his entire 18-year career in Los Angeles.
“In a world that people take the easy way out, chase short money, the grass is a greener adage, the loyalty part of it is just not what it used to be,” said Roberts. “According to those values, Clayton lives and it means something for him to wear the same uniform. I got a lot of respect for him there.”
Under the milestone moments of Kershaw reached the city in the city 3,000 career -strikeouts In July.
The Dodgers added a Kershaw -Bobblehead to their promotional schedule in July after he reached the milestone and the item will be published on Saturday. He will appeal to the fans for Sunday’s game.
“Everyone who is just a fan is going to wrap his arms around Clayton Kershaw,” said teammate Freddie Freeman. “He deserves everything he will get from the fans.”
Although his speed has fallen in recent years, Kershaw’s famous competitive fire is still clear.
“Winning is always my favorite thing,” he said.
Kershaw has fought injuries in recent years, making it on this point, the more difficult. He missed the entire late season last year, when the Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series.
“Not many people get this opportunity,” he said, “so I’m just super grateful for it.”
Roberts said it was too early to say if Kershaw would make another start next week, when the Dodgers visit Arizona and Seattle to end the regular season.
This story has been updated to correct that this will be the last home start of Kershaw in the regular season, not his last start of the regular season in general.
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
