LOS ANGELES – The Hall of Fame-bound pitcher with the notoriously airtight pregame regular – down to the 2nd to time his pre-start strolls from the bullpen – understood the videogame outcome mattered little, that genuine service would resume in a couple days, that reality be informed, he mostlikely shouldn’t be beginning this 92nd All-Star Game, anyhow.
And so Clayton Kershaw reached the back of the Dodger Stadium mound, broke his normal focus and looked upon every level of the legendary arena, 15 years of gratitude cleaning over him as fans roared and his walkout music pumped through the backyard early Tuesday night.
With that, a extremely made-for-TV All-Star Game started, and Kershaw’s principles for the night – Why the heck not? – dominated throughout the videogame, won by the American League, 3-2.
It was the ninth successive triumph for the AL, created by 8 straight nothing innings from its pitching personnel, which held the National League hitless for 7 innings after it scratched for 2 runs in the veryfirst inning off Shane McClanahan.
That would have put Kershaw in line for the win, however back-to-back fourth-inning homers from Giancarlo Stanton, who was called the MVP, and Byron Buxton guaranteed the AL’s streak would live on. No matter: Tuesday’s videogame made sure stars such as Albert Pujols – who invested 5 unforgettable months as a Dodger last year were feted – and a nationwide TELEVISION audience amused.
And for the host team, that Kershaw, a 192-game winner and three-time Cy Young Award honoree, got his flowers. For his part, Kershaw stoppedbriefly to smell them.
“I attempted to take a minute at the start to take it all in and appearance around, which I neverever do,” Kershaw stated. “And I believe the minute itself, being here at Dodger Stadium, a location where I’ve been now for 15 years, and to get to do something like this with the finest in the world, is truly enjoyable and likewise truly individual for me and my household.”
There was likewise the matter of carryingout, and both Kershaw’s existence and the specifications of his getaway were the things of nationally-televised dream.
Kershaw confessed onceagain Tuesday that Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara made the All-Star start based on first-half benefit. Yet with coupleof beyond hardcore baseball citizens and Little Havana citizens are mindful of Alcantara, so Kershaw it was.
And both his objectives and those of leadoff batter Shohei Ohtani were telegraphed to the world.
Kershaw made no bones about his veryfirst pitch in a tv interview: He’d toss it as tough as he can, 91 milesperhour, see what occurs.
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Ohtani, the excellent two-way gamer whose numerous abilities haveactually enthralled the sport, had a simp