Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Doubles Down on Clayton Kershaw Statement

Roberts is focusing on one game at a time.

The 2023 postseason got off to a rocky start Saturday night after Clayton Kershaw allowed six hits, a walk and six earned runs in a 11-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks to open up the National League Divisional Series. 

The outing was perhaps the worst of Kershaw's career, as the 35-year-old has never failed to finish the first inning of a start.

The Dodgers must win at least one of their next two outings against the Diamondbacks in order for Kershaw to have a chance to start Game 4, but considering how much he struggled Saturday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked if he would reconsider giving Kershaw the green light.

"I don't think so," Roberts said Sunday during off day media availability. "For me, there's certain people that get you here that have to get you across the finish line, and this is his role on our ballclub. Game 4 is a ways away, but my thought is learn from the outing and continue to get better and have him start Game 4. So could things somehow change in some crazy world? Maybe. But for me, as I sit here, we're focused on Game 2, and then pick up the pieces and see what Game 3 looks like. And I couldn't even sit here and tell you what Game 3 looks like."

(Via off day media availability)

The Dodgers did not play Sunday as they await a 6:07 p.m. PDT match up between starting pitchers Bobby Miller and Zac Gallen. Miller, a rookie, will make his postseason debut two days after rookie pitcher Emmet Sheehan and rookie outfielder James Outman struggled in their own debuts.

Roberts has repeatedly expressed his confidence in the young pitcher.

Kershaw has quite the resume, one that would suggest that a performance like Saturday's is more of an anomaly than a developing pattern. Roberts knows that, in order for the Dodgers to have a shot at advancing to the NLCS, he will have to give Kershaw a chance to redeem himself if the Dodgers make it to Game 4.

"But what I do know is for us to accomplish what we want to this year, we're going to need Clayton Kershaw to start baseball games," Roberts said. "And I've got all the confidence in the world that he can do that and he's going to be just fine."