Statcast of the Day: Cubs get to Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw, the best pitcher in the world, again found himself on the mound with the Dodgers’ season in the balance, and this time he just didn’t have it. Kershaw’s elite arsenal and command deserted him in Los Angeles’ season-ending 5-0 loss to the Cubs in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.

On Saturday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs hit Kershaw as hard as any team has all season, taking advantage of his uncharacteristically shaky command to score five times and force their way into the World Series. It was a complete reversal from Game 2 in Chicago, when the Dodgers’ ace silenced the Cubs’ bats over seven two-hit innings.

Game Date Matchup Highlights Gm 1 Oct. 15 CHC 8, LAD 4 Gm 2 Oct. 16 LAD 1, CHC 0 Gm 3 Oct. 18 LAD 6, CHC 0 Gm 4 Oct. 19 CHC 10, LAD 2 Gm 5 Oct. 20 CHC 8, LAD 4 Gm 6 Oct. 22 CHC 5, LAD 0 • NLCS coverageShop for postseason gear: Cubs | Dodgers

“We have asked a lot of Clayton all year long,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “You’ve got to give those hitters credit.”

From the outset, Kershaw could never get on track, at first thanks to tough luck and bad fielding. Dexter Fowler, the first batter he faced, dropped a soft double inside the right-field line — just 79.4 mph off the bat, according to …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com