Matthew Stafford showing love
Los Angeles Rams‘ quarterback Matthew Stafford is in attendance, among other sports celebrities, to support his long-time friend, Kershaw.
“To be able to see him do it now, for so many years in LA is incredible,” Stafford said when interviewed on the broadcast. “I didn’t want to miss this.”
Stafford and the Rams travel to Philadelphia this weekend to face the Eagles on Sunday, but the plane wasn’t going to leave before Stafford could get over to Dodgers Stadium and support his buddy. Kershaw and Stafford both grew up in Highland Park, Texas, and were, in fact, Little League teammates.
Pregame festivities
Clayton Kershaw emerged from the dugout for his walk to the bullpen to a standing ovation from the Dodgers’ crowd. The cheers continued as Kershaw took the mound and tipped his cap to the stands.
Get ready for an emotional night at Dodger Stadium.
Clayton Kershaw pitches the final regular-season home game of his 18-year career with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday 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.
“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.”
Kershaw, an 11-time All-Star, ranks first in Dodgers history in strikeouts (3,039) and WAR among pitchers (77.6), second in wins (222) and WHIP (1.02), fourth in innings pitched (2,844.2) and sixth in ERA (2.54).
Furthermore, Kershaw, who has made 32 career postseason starts, won the 2014 NL MVP Award, making him the only pitcher since 1968 to win the prestigious NL honor; Bob Gibson won the 1968 NL MVP Award with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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