Clayton Kershaw pitches the final regular-season game of his 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday in what figures to be an emotional night after announcing his decision to retire at season's end.
The 37-year-old pitcher will be surrounded by his teammates, his wife and four children and fans who've watched him work his way through the Dodgers' farm system to reach the majors at age 20 and go on to win three Cy Young Awards as well as two World Series championships.
Along the way, he reached 3,000 career strikeouts in July.
“Everybody who is just a fan is going to wrap their arms around Clayton Kershaw,” teammate Freddie Freeman said. "He deserves everything he’s going to get from the fans. It’s Clayton Kershaw’s night and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
There's business to tend to as well.
The Dodgers' magic number to clinch a playoff spot is six. Their opponent, the San Francisco Giants, trail the New York Mets by three games in the National League wild-card race.
“This game matters for both teams. Everybody's still in it,” Kershaw said. “I got a job to do, so I'm going to go out and do my job. Thankfully, I'll have that to distract me.”
While his velocity has dipped in recent years, Kershaw's famed competitive fire still burns brightly.
“Winning is always my favorite thing,” he said.
Kershaw has battled injuries in recent years that made getting to this point all the harder. He missed all of the postseason last year, when the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series.
“Not a lot of people get this opportunity,” he said, “so I’m just super grateful for it.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
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