This is not the post I wanted to do, but that post needs a lot of work to complete. But this was still a great game for #22. I don’t care who you are. The emotions going into this game had to be draining. As he walked out to the mound by himself, and got that first standing O, that is when tears hit me first.
Max Muncy had said Clayton Kershaw wouldn’t like it if the Dodgers stayed in the dugout while he took the field, but they did it anyway. You can see Kershaw motion for them to take the field. pic.twitter.com/ruyKADF77T
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) September 20, 2025
Kersh came out after striking out Rafael Devers as the first batter in the 5th inning, and after throwing 91 pitches. He took the ball into the dugout to get it authenticated. This one meant a lot to Kersh.
It started out scary enough with leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos. Ramos crushed an 0-2 pitch 431 feet into the CF stands giving SF a 1-0 lead. After a walk to Devers and Chapman reaching on an E5, Kershaw got the final two outs of the inning.
Two more walks in the 2nd, but no additional runs against Kershaw.
In the bottom of the 2nd, SF starter Robbie Ray retired the first two batters, and Miggy Ro tied it up with a HR of his own. How fitting was it that it was Miggy who saved Kershaw’s no hitter would hit the tying HR on this one. Miggy is going to make it very difficult for LAD to not re-sign him next year. Miggy has said he wants to retire after the 2026 season, and he has done nothing to disappoint making that a real possibility.
In the 3rd, Kersh gave up a Matt Chapman double and a Wilmer Flores single giving SF the lead again. He threw a lot of pitches through 3.0. But with Patrick Bailey on 1st with a leadoff single, Kersh retired the next 3 batters. On the 22nd pitch of the inning, he struck out Willy Adames.
Rafael Devers was due to leadoff the 5th, and being a LH hitter, Kershaw came back out. He struck out Devers, and the celebration was on. After the game, Kersh said how great he felt when Dave came out to get him. His players surrounded him and you knew it was special. Ellen and the kids up in the stands, with Ellen in tears.
This was the second time in this game that the tears came.
Clayton Kershaw strikes out Rafael Devers to finish his final regular season start at Dodger Stadium and walks off the mound in an emotional scene pic.twitter.com/kigZsqyKng
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 20, 2025
Clayton Kershaw's final regular-season career line at Dodger Stadium:
1479.2 IP, 413 R (372 ER), 1108 H, 1651 K, 350 BB
117-42 W-L
2.26 ERA
163 Quality Starts
9 Complete Game Shutouts pic.twitter.com/HOE7Lr6JqD— Dodgers Tailgate (@DodgersTailgate) September 20, 2025
Edgardo came in to relieve Kershaw and got the next two outs.
In the 6th, he allowed a single and WP, but got two outs before Justin Wrobleski came in to get the final out.
In the bottom of the 5th, Andy Pages hit a one-out single. Kiké Hernández drew a BB. And with 2 outs, Shohei Ohtani came to the plate to make a huge statement, and he did with a 3-run HR, his 52nd of the season.
SHOHEI OHTANI
MVP pic.twitter.com/r3AOXIDPTL
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) September 20, 2025
After Shohei’s blast, Mookie hit a long fly for back to back jacks.
Mookie Betts goes back-to-back with Shohei!! 😤 pic.twitter.com/rLaW1GdOWB
— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2025
In the bottom of the 6th, Miggy Ro and Pages hit back to back doubles for the Dodgers 6th run.
Wrobo came back out in the 7th, but allowed a double and single. With a 4-run lead, he was not going to walk anyone. Chapman’s single was a 2-out little flair. I would have preferred nothing, but I liked the way Wrobo came back out attacking after his last outing. In his 1.1 pitches, he threw 26 pitches (19 for strikes). Sometimes flairs will bite you.
Kirby Yates followed Wrobo and retired the side in order on 9 pitches (7 strikes).
With Tanner Scott entering with a chance for a save (again), he allowed an infield single on a 1-2 pitch on a ball well below the strike zone. Not hit hard, just in the right spot. He struck out Heliot Ramos but walked Adames but not before he was squeezed on a strike 2 pitch. Even at 3-2. Adames did not offer at a slider at his back foot. A lot of swing and miss on that pitch. Devers was now coming up representing the tying run, with Chapman right behind.
Scott struck out Devers for the 4th time for the 2nd out. Scott then got Chapman to pop up on the first pitch to get the out and record the save.
With the win, the Dodgers are now in the Playoffs for the 13th straight season, tying NYY (1995-2007) for the 2nd most consecutive playoff appearances. The are now 1 behind Atlanta for the all-time leader of 14 straight post season appearances (1991-2005).
Their magic number to win the NL West is now at 4. The Dodgers are 8-3 against SF in 2025, and have beaten Logan Webb and Robbie Ray twice each in the last 7 games. Tyler Glasnow goes on Saturday against the Giants’ Kai-Wei Teng. Emmet Sheehan goes on Sunday against the elite TBD.
After the game with Heidi Whatney
No. Thank you, Kersh. 🥹 pic.twitter.com/bsvPLLKU86
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) September 20, 2025
You just knew Austin Barnes would be there. Barnsey, Russell Martin (who caught Clayton’s 1st game), AJ Pollock, and Andre Ethier.
Austin Barnes, Russ Martin, AJ Pollock, Andre Ethier. #Dodgers #KershawDay pic.twitter.com/yDFmXIwiIh
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) September 20, 2025
I did not hear of any mention of AJ Ellis, but he did not leave LAD on good terms. I guarantee they communicated after the game.
OKC Comets 5 – Tacoma Rainiers (Seattle) 2
Landon Knack started and pitched his best game of the season. He threw 6.0 innings of scoreless ball. Ben Casparius followed and gave up a 1 out ground rule double. He struck out the next batter and was then relieved by Garrett McDaniels who allowed a run scoring double, making the score 5-1. The run was charged to McDaniels.
McDaniels allowed a run in the 8th, making it 5-2.
Nick Frasso pitched the final 1.1 IP for the save.
Hit and run for the first OKC run.
Hit and Run worked to perfection 💯 pic.twitter.com/vxlWb6Yjou
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 20, 2025
The Comets plated four runs in the third inning, setting the stage for a 5-2 in Tacoma!
Jose Ramos led the offense by going 3-for-4 with a homer and a double, while starting pitcher Landon Knack completed six scoreless innings.
Recap: https://t.co/KaOs7MZcIL pic.twitter.com/qJCKD02AgB
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 20, 2025
- José Ramos – 3-4, HR (7), double (9)
Jose Ramos says welcome to the laser show! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/bSsENyXmwY
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 20, 2025
- Austin Gauthier – 2-4, double (20)
- Justin Dean – 2-4
- Alex Freeland – HR (16)
Alex Freeland homers in back-to-back games for the @OKC_comets 🚀
The @Dodgers' No. 3 prospect entered tonight batting .349 at Triple-A this month: pic.twitter.com/OgzSyI2NFd
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) September 20, 2025
Ryan Ward’s record breaking 162nd hit
Another milestone for Ryan Ward!
He sets a new single-season team record during the Bricktown era with 1️⃣6️⃣2️⃣ hits! pic.twitter.com/v8k4CwirOQ
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) September 20, 2025
Beating the Giants anytime is one of my all-time favorite things. They now have identical records against each other, 1286 wins, 1288 losses. LA can bring their record against the Giants to .500 by winning the next two games.
1286, 1288. I’m puzzled for now.
So am I but that is what it said, probably wrong. Yesterday the Apple TV crew said they were tied for the first time since the 1890’s.
Thanks for the memories Kersh.
The Giants made the biggest move.
Prelier went all in.
AF did basically nothing, much to my chagrin.
And the Dodgers win the West. Again!
AF’s words to me. Trust the force Cassidy. I am your Daddy.
I don’t think AF did nothing. He bolstered our minor league pitching with Gers? Who could be in the pen next year. He got us a lefty pitcher L? Who could have a big future n at double a. It was huge he picked up the catcher Rotv? Who replaced Smith for now. He picked up 2 double a players who have been very productive. He got a rh platoon partner in Call who has had his moments. Brock Stewart is just injured but if he could revert back to form he would be huge in the playoffs. He is almost automatic against righties. Who did we lose? I don’t even remember. A backup catcher who can’t throw. I couldn’t remember the names which were tough names to spell or pronounce but good pickups.
The Giants made the biggest move???
Perhaps you meant to say the Phils, which added Bader and Duran.
Or the Pads, which added Mason Miller, Laureano and O’Hearn.
Hunter feduccia n Dustin May. May obviously a quality starter who is going to be a free agent. He has a long string of injuries, couldn’t make our rotation, and is currently injured again. AF absolutely made fantastic deadline deals. We just need Stewart to be healthy.
Magic number to win the west is 4. Not won yet.
Pads lost a close one, 4-3. Vargas got the scoring started with a 2-run shot off of Cease in the first inning. Cease went 6 and gave up all 4 runs. He is now 8-12 with an ERA close to 5.
I actually thought Tanner Scott’s stuff looked better yesterday than it has in a while. God wiling he can regain it this next week.
I still have no hope for Yates. Hopefully Roki and Stewart can come up and provide something.
Will Klein is interesting. When I watch him pitch I wonder how anyone hits him. But then he can’t throw strikes. Then, they seem to have weak contact off him but they fall in somewhere. He could be a guy who could all of a sudden get hot. They probably won’t trust him but they are thinking about it or he wouldn’t be on the roster. Brock Stewart could be huge if he can get back to where he was with the Twins. He is the nearest thing to Evan Phillips we have but certainly risky.
Eager to see Sasaki.
After the first few weeks, it looked like he might be a bust. But the Dodgers seem to have fixed his velocity problem, and he could be key in the postseason.
If all goes well, he’ll join Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Sheehan in the rotation next season. Sheehan, Gavin Stone and River Ryan should be back too, and Jackson Ferris might be ready.
Will the Dodgers slow-play Shohei again? Just use him as a DH until after the all-star break.
Still an embarrassment of riches.
Glad to know I’m not the only one on here that shed some tears. Kerse has become my favorite all time athlete and not just because of HOF numbers and career but for the person he is. Loves his teammates, loves his family, loves God. Just an all around really good dude no matter how you look at it. Very well done 22. Thanks for all the awesome memories.
Before the game I was texting with one of my very best friends who is a HUGE Giants fan. Before the game he said “Congrats on a gret career for #22. Sorry just can’t root for his last home start.” I texted back that I would not expect him to root for Kersh and LAD to win. After Kersh came out, he commented about what a great player and person Clayton was. I responded with regardless how great he is as a first ballot HOF player, he is a better person. My friend agreed, and said that he too had tears in his eyes. Not all Giants fans are heartless.
I don’t believe anyone with a heart who loves baseball couldn’t have felt at least some moisture welling up when they showed Ellen up there crying her eyes out. I also think Clay played it perfectly announcing day before his last home start as opposed to any length of a retirement tour. Giving Ellen and his family plus all the fans with a celebratory and memorable last game without distracting much from the team in the quest to repeat. Classy all the way.
“classy all the way”. For sure
Now, let’s send him out in style with a back to back title!
Oh, and F the cheating astros for what they did to his reputation
Keep hearing about Heaney, Sasaki and Stewart as possible options. If so, shouldn’t the Dodgers bring them up and see how they perform now?
Sasaki is throwing in relief on Sunday for sure. Stewart and Heaney, don’t know. The OKC season is over on Sunday, so they all could be headed to LA for the final week on the taxi squad or on the roster. We do not know.
We fix the bullpen which is looking very possible with Sheehan there for sure. Maybe Ohtani. Plus if Sasaki and Stewart have their A games. Possibly Hurt. Lots of options to put something formidable together to go along with great starters and a potent offense. Gotta like our chances.
Just so many options…
I’m assuming that Snell, Yamamoto, Glasnow and Shohei will be the starters in the playoffs.
So who’s in the bullpen? From the left side, the options include Kershaw, Vesia, Dreyer, Scott, Banda, Wrobleski and Heaney.
From the right side, we have Sheehan, Treinen, Sasaki, Henriquez, Stewart, Hurt, and Casparius.
Who am I forgetting? Any chance Bobby Miller gets a look-see?
I count 14 guys for 10 spots.
Congratulations to Kirsch. Nice win and I’m sorry I missed the love in the park for CK. I’m saddened it was on Apple TV and I didn’t see it’s hope he has a role in the playoffs perhaps out of the pen.
⚾️ ❤️
I am generally not a fan of Apple TV broadcasts for LAD, but that was superior than watching it on the Giants station.
I just don’t have an Apple subscription. I have Netflix, Peacock, Paramount + and History Vault. Roku to make my older TV, a Smart TV. I just don’t want to add another streaming account with Apple.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with Kruk and Knipe but I couldn’t get that either on my Extra Innings package.
I couldn’t find any way to watch the game without Apple.
That’s one game I really wanted to see.
Will Smith has a hairline fracture, so he’s done for the rest of the regular season. Let’s see how quickly he can heal
As I said, can’t trust medical info coming from Doc. I am not a doctor but does it take this much time for the fracture to appear?
Access to the best medical care and diagnostics and they found the “hairline fracture” yesterday. I’m calling BS. To believe that storyline someone needs to be fired for malpractice.
U can be pretty sure when Roberts says anything about medical info it will be inaccurate. I don’t think they tell him the truth because he is constantly running his mouth. If there is anybody who loves the camera it is Roberts. So who knows but management what the truth is.
btw why is Conforto still in the lineup? As bad as Glasnow is tonight Conforto is worse. Can’t field then a k. Pages well never mind.
I guess I know now why Conforto is in there! The chess players got it. Happy for the Dodgers! Give up a couple and gets one back.
After stinking up the lineup most of the season, Conforto has come on strong over the past 30 days.
In 21 games, he’s hit to a .870 OPS, with a .300 BA and .377 OBP.
Sure hope he keeps it up.
Not buying the Dodgers’ docs just discovering Smith’s fracture yesterday that he’d already been dealing with 17 days earlier.
Roberts has often given injury info that turned out to be wrong. But, I can’t think of a reason to hide the truth about Will’s injury.
Smith’s hand was swollen for several days. Hairline fractures are not that easy to detect. It was missed on the first scan.
After the swelling subsided, they still had plenty of time to do another scan ..even multiple scans.
Point is, they know more about it that we do. I don’t question the team doctors; they know their stuff. They went to school for a long time so they can know more about that than we do. What difference would it make. Even if they found it the day after, it isn’t healing fast enough for him to play.
If you trust doctors,well, good luck. I’ve seen plenty of screwups in my time.
As much as I have to see doctors at my age, damn right I trust them, especially when it concerns my eyes. Yes, there are bad doctors, I do not believe the Dodgers employ any of them.
By definition, wouldn’t a hairline fracture be difficult to detect? And couldn’t it microscopically widen or lengthen over time, and thus become more evident?
Smith just needs to rest and heal and hopefully be ready for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Dodgers get to learn more about the relative merits of Rortvedt and Rushing as a backup.
That is bad news.
Conforto’s lead glove play in LF strikes again!
Did he get an error on the play? Guess not. It must have not been catchable then. Ball was over his head and slicing away from him, not his fault.
It was catchable if he read the slice.
Not an easy play, but I think a good outfielder reads the slice off the lefty hitter and makes that catch. To me, just more proof that Conforto’s defense is mediocre at best.
He would have to had read it right off of the bat, and it was slicing away from him, a great fielder might have made that play, but not an average one.
Rick Monday said it was catchable except for the bad read and route. The Dodgers choose to not employ a good defensive OF. It is not going to change. Steven Kwan catches it.
Like I said, a great fielder makes the play. Kike probably would have caught it. Chris Taylor too.
I would say the ball was catchable but it would be a great.catch.
Bottom line was it wasn’t pretty.
true statement Bum. Conforto couldn’t catch it while other outfielders maybe. Some for sure.
But after failing to catch it, he dropped the ball and then missed the cut-off man.
Glad he hit a homer redeem himself.
Can we finally bid a less than fond adieu to Yates? He and Glasnow had 119 pitches in 5.1 innings.
Ohtani is so interesting. He strikes out twice not looking particularly hitter-ish and then hits an oppo homer. He baffles me.
Hey Will Klein struck out the side.
I had to laugh at the Giants broadcast. Kruk was absent so it was Hunter Pence and Knieper with Jon Miller doing 3 innings.
Knieper started his broadcast racing through the Dodger line-up. He claim he did it so he could enjoy the music.
He was referring to Dazed and Confused by Led Zeppelin absolutely blasting away so you could barely hear him. He obviously didn’t enjoy the experience.
If Klein can consistently throw strikes, he’s a force next year. Don’t know if we can trust him this October. Yates is history. Big blow with Will!
I agree. Yates on a one-year deal anyway has pretty much pitched his way off of a post season roster spot. OKC finishes today, possible Heaney and Stewart added to roster pre-playoffs.
Close call Bear. Ripken and Jeter didn’t have much lettuce either, just off the top of my head.
(see what I did there?)
Watching Mookie lose his cap on that fine play catching the foul as he crashed into the padded rail and netting, a thought occured to me…
Is Mookie the greatest shortstop with male pattern baldness of all time???
Today there are stats for everything. Unfortunately 63% of stats are made up on the spot.
Ouch!
LA has Sheehan against what looks like a bullpen game for the Giants. If the Dodgers can win today, they will have 10 wins over SF this year. They are 11-2 against the Rockies, 5-5 with Az, 9-3 with the Padres. The magic number to clinch the West is 3, so it won’t happen at home. Earliest they can clinch is Tuesday in Arizona.
Rams looking good against Eagles so far.
Until they didn’t.
Home calls all day helped home team but Rams still had a chance to win it and the line collapsed, for the second time.
Has Treinen pitched himself off the playoff roster?
Roberts just freakin give this game away. Again no urgency. He acts like the division is won. He sits there and watches Treinen blow the game. After he has blown it brings in Vesia.
The Dodgers scored 1. They needed Koufax to win this one.
it was weird how long he waited. Almost like he wants everyone to see that Treinen has nothing right now so it will be easier to keep off the playoff roster.
Someone needs to tell him we are still in a fight for the division. No need to take Sheehan out to begin with. To put treinen in was the first mistake but just to leave him out there like he is experimenting is ridiculous. The giants were ready to quit. 1 win right now is huge. Roberts just exudes arrogance.
I understand what Roberts was doing, but to be honest, I thought Treinen had already played himself off the PS roster — the win feels more important than trying to build somebody back up. Just look at the Tigers and Mets: it ain’t over ’til it’s over.
It’s just mind boggling how bad Scott, Treinen and Yates are.
Bummer of a loss. Sheehan looking really good. Bullpen blows another one. But, not going to win many games only scoring 1 run.
Their offense really misses Will and last year’s Teo.