Baseball

Clayton Kershaw leads Dodgers to World Series

By Justin Adams Oct 20, 2017
Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating after winning Game 5 of the NLCS 11-1 over the Chicago Cubs. Photo Courtesy: https://twitter.com/Awood45/status/921478072791994368

It’s time to party like it’s 1988!

The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the World Series for the first time in 29 years, after beating the Chicago Cubs 11-1 in Game 5 of the NLCS at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers took the series  4-1.

Clayton Kershaw tossed six strong innings only giving up three hits and an earned run. Kershaw was seven months old when the Dodgers last won the NL Pennant.

“Up there with getting married and having kids, it’s right up there with one of the best days of my life,” Kershaw said to MLB.com of reaching the Fall Classic. “Winning the World Series is really all that we play this game for. All the individual stuff is great, but at the end of the day, I just want to win a World Series. If we win, I might retire, so I might just call it a career. It’s a special thing, and I know that I’m not taking that for granted.”

Kershaw had great run support, especially from outfielder Enrique Hernandez who became the first Dodgers player to hit three home runs in a postseason game. Hernandez finished the day with seven RBIs.

“It’s unbelievable,” Hernandez said to MLB.com. “It’s amazing.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke more about leading his club with the best regular-season record to the Fall Classic.

“To do what we did, it takes a lot of talent, a lot of give, a lot of open-mindedness. And there was a complete buy-in, Roberts said to MLB.com. “So now, almost a culmination, but getting an opportunity to play for a championship, I’m just so proud of our guys.

Los Angeles will wait for the winner of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros. The winner will travel to Chavez Ravine for Game 1 of the World Series on Tuesday. On the bump for the Dodgers will be Kershaw, who has been outspoken about his faith in Jesus.

He shared about why his faith is important to him and how we are to share God’s love to others in a recent interview with Faith on the Field’s Rob Maaddi.

“I feel like Jesus is the only true way to Heaven,” Kershaw said. “There’s a lot of other things that people believe in and you’re supposed to love everybody. You’re not supposed to convert anybody, that’s God’s job. But at the same time you can be His disciple, you can live for Him and when people ask you why you are living for Him, you can show them why.”

The seven-time All Star says he believes Christians should stand, unashamed, for their faith, but never be forceful in trying to convert others. Instead, we should simply love them.

“You can show them your faith, profess your faith,” said Kershaw. “But at the end of the day, it’s not our job to convert people, we’re supposed to follow Jesus and have people see how we live our lives.”

Here is an Increase story with Clayton and his wife Ellen Kershaw in 2013 discussing how they have felt called to help support an orphanage in Africa.

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