Latest news with #Kershaw
New York Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Sliders: As he nears 3,000 Ks, Clayton Kershaw shares thoughts on the future of his craft
Welcome to Sliders, a weekly in-season MLB column that focuses on both the timely and timeless elements of baseball. Durability and dominance are the twin pillars of pitching greatness. Prevent runs for a long time while humbling the world's greatest hitters: Few have ever done it better than Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sometime soon, Kershaw will record his 3,000th career strikeout. On Wednesday, in his third start of the season, Kershaw fanned three Cleveland Guardians to push his total to 2,974. His career earned run average is 2.51. Only one pitcher in history has that many strikeouts with a better ERA: Walter Johnson, who was born 100 years before Kershaw and last pitched in 1927. Johnson had a 2.17 ERA and 3,509 strikeouts — and if he had whiffed batters at Kershaw's rate, he would have fanned almost 6,400. In my colleague Andy McCullough's engrossing Kershaw biography, 'The Last of His Kind,' Kershaw said flatly that he did not care about 3,000 strikeouts. Advertisement He does. 'Yeah, I'd be lying if I didn't want to do it,' Kershaw said last week. 'But I think the coolest part is the company you get to be a part of. You know what I mean? There's just some really special names.' He laughed and continued: 'I try not to think about it, because honestly, at this rate 30 strikeouts seems like a lot. A lot can happen. But if I ever do get to do it, the guys that I came up with, Scherz and Verlander, I want to be in that group, too.' Justin Verlander (3,457 strikeouts), 42, is on the San Francisco Giants' injured list with a pectoral injury, and 40-year-old Max Scherzer (3,408), now with the Toronto Blue Jays, has been out since March with right thumb inflammation. Kershaw, 37, is coming off knee and toe surgeries. What a drag it is getting old. The three aces, of course, have a lot to show for their hardship. Each has earned more than 200 victories (262 for Verlander, 216 for Scherzer, 212 for Kershaw), which is very hard to do without a lot of success before age 30. When Kershaw turned 30, he had 144 wins. Verlander had 124 at that age, Scherzer 85. The active under-30 leader in victories? The Giants' Logan Webb, 28, with 60 — fewer than half of what either Kershaw and Verlander totaled by 30. If there's a certain successor to Kershaw, he hasn't revealed himself. 'It is weird to not see young guys figure it out,' Kershaw said. 'I wish there was a simple solution. Maybe (Paul) Skenes is that. Maybe 100 (miles an hour) is just too fast, maybe that's what it is. I don't know.' Nobody who started his career after 1988 has 300 career wins. But after this generation, is 200 also doomed? The master has thoughts. 'I hope starting pitching has a resurgence,' Kershaw said. 'I think it's better for the game to have starters throw 200 plus innings (and go) 115, 120 pitches. Seeing those matchups in the seventh inning, that's what fans like. I think it's better for baseball, I think it's better for health, I think it's better for relievers. It's good for a lot of things. Advertisement 'Now, how can we get back to that in an age where we have to have incredible stuff (and) be able to maintain it? I don't know how you get back to that, because I do think it is harder now. I think hitting is better. I think the strike zone's smaller. Even from 10 years ago, I think everybody's just better. I think the talent is just so much better. 'So unless you're like the few guys like (Tarik) Skubal or Zack Wheeler or (Yoshinobu) Yamamoto — you can kind of count them on one hand, the guys that have the ability to go seven every (start) — it's just hard.' No MLB pitcher has reached 115 pitches in a start this season. The Dodgers have had only two seven-inning starts (both by Yamamoto), the same as the Milwaukee Brewers and New York Mets. The Chicago White Sox have had one. The Miami Marlins haven't had a starter go seven all year, and their nominal ace, Sandy Alcantara, hasn't been right since 2022, when he won the National League Cy Young Award as a model of sturdiness. Alcantara led the majors with 228 2/3 innings that season, had Tommy John surgery the next October and now has the majors' highest ERA (min. 50 innings) at 8.47. In spring training, after the New York Yankees lost Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery, teammate Carlos Rodón noted that every throw is tracked for shape and spin, even in the bullpen. It's max effort with every pitch, every time. 'I agree with that, but at the same time, that's how you get drafted, that's how you make it through the minor leagues,' Kershaw said. 'So that's what you do, because teams value that over learning how to pitch.' Kershaw, a father of four, drew an apt analogy: In farm systems, he said, it's as if teams build fleets of Ferraris without making any minivans. Sometimes, he said, a minivan gets the job done. 'So there needs to be some blend of it to a point where you can do both,' he said, referring to power and durability. 'I know everybody's starting to think about how to keep guys healthier and how to get (more from) starters, because we use our whole bullpen more than anybody, and as good as our bullpen is, it's a hard thing to sustain. Advertisement 'I have tons of thoughts on it. Nobody knows if they're right. (We won't know) until somebody radical makes huge changes, until a team tries to flip everything on its head and find guys that can sustain it and just go for pitchability — other than just pure metrics and stats — and have success. You have to have success, or nothing's going to change.' It's unfair to demand that baseball produce more Kershaws. He is an outlier, after all, one of the greatest ever to do it. But it shouldn't be impossible. And as Kershaw approaches another milestone, it's worth studying his species to ensure its survival. Four teams signed Drew Pomeranz to a contract in 2024. He logged four days of major-league service, never got into a game, and spent months rediscovering something called summer. 'It was amazing — like, summer?' Pomeranz said recently. 'Most of us haven't had summer since we were I don't know how old. It's a different life. I played a lot of golf. Took my kids to school. We did the whole south of France thing. It was fun. I didn't know where I was.' Now, at 36, Pomeranz is back to a place he wasn't sure he'd ever visit again: a major-league mound. He didn't get there with the Los Angeles Angels, Dodgers, Giants or Seattle Mariners, who all held his rights last year. But the Chicago Cubs are glad they found him: In 14 appearances, Pomeranz has worked 12 2/3 scoreless innings with 14 strikeouts, three walks and no runs allowed. 'The guy's throwing fastballs by people right now, and his breaking ball is something that's always stood out to me,' starter Matthew Boyd said. 'It's just really cool that he continues to do his thing and get outs, and he's so valued on our team.' Pomeranz had flexor tendon surgery in August 2021, a month before Boyd. But while Boyd has appeared in the majors in every year since — even mixing in Tommy John surgery in 2023 — Pomeranz's record shows three blank seasons in a row: 2022, 2023 and 2024. Each year he pitched a handful of innings in the minors, which only increased his frustration. Advertisement 'It just felt like no matter what you do, nothing's working,' said Pomeranz, who had another surgery, in 2023, to remove a bone spur. 'I've always been a player who's like: 'I need to get back, I need to get back,' instead of probably being a little selfish and taking more time. You feel like a jerk when you're not with your teammates — not playing, just hurt all the time. It's not fun.' Pomeranz, an All-Star starter for San Diego in 2016, returned to the Padres as a reliever with a four-year, $34 million contract in November 2019. He pitched well in 2020, tore his flexor tendon the next spring and tried pitching through it until August, when the pain became unbearable. 'I threw a pitch and felt it rip more,' Pomeranz said. 'It hurt to throw my fastball so I was just flipping curve balls, trying to get out of the inning. I had two outs and the guy rolled over one. It just dribbled through the four hole and I was like, 'OK, I can't do this.' I gave it all I had.' Pomeranz never made it back with San Diego, but got through a healthy spring training with the Angels in 2024. From there he pitched in Triple A for the Dodgers, then left when the Giants offered a spot in the majors. It would last just four days, they told him, and Pomeranz warmed up once, at Citi Field last May 24. The Giants were trailing the Mets in the top of the eighth, and if it stayed that way, he would pitch the bottom of the inning. When a three-run homer by Patrick Bailey gave the Giants the lead, Ryan Walker was summoned instead. By the end of May Pomeranz was a free agent again, waiting for another call to the majors. It never came, and returning to the minors held no appeal. That left Pomeranz in a strange kind of purgatory. When you reach the majors as a phantom, fulfillment is elusive. 'I made it back but I didn't pitch,' Pomeranz said. 'There was a little bit in me that was like, 'I'd like to pitch one more time and just give it everything I got' — and that would be good. Just go out there and throw as hard as I can.' Advertisement The summer was fun, Pomeranz said, but also boring at times. He figured he should work out 'just to be a healthy human being,'and gravitated to a baseball training facility in Irvine, Calif., near his home. The Mariners signed him in early December, but Pomeranz was still conflicted. 'Before spring training,' he said, 'I was literally like, 'I just might not go.'' He went, pitched well and kept at it with Triple-A Tacoma, knowing he could leave if another team offered a job in the majors. The Cubs did, and when Pomeranz debuted against the Philadelphia Phillies on April 25, he lived out his vision: fastballs, as hard as he could. Bryce Harper swung through the first two, fouled off another, then swung and missed again. Pomeranz was back, this time for real. 'I don't care when I pitch, I don't care who I face, just tell me and I'm gonna do whatever I've got to do,' Pomeranz said. 'I have a very different perspective on baseball — and playing in general — than I did when I was younger. After not having baseball, I'm just happy to be here every day now. I don't care what happens. I'm just gonna enjoy it. The Mets' Francisco Lindor is already one of the most accomplished all-around switch hitters in major league history. With five more stolen bases, he will join Carlos Beltrán and former Cleveland teammate José Ramírez as the only switch hitters with 1,500 hits, 250 homers and 200 steals. And at 31 years old, he has lots of time to add to his resume. Lindor is a natural right-handed hitter. He's been essentially the same threat from both sides over his 11 MLB seasons: .286/.350/.488 as a righty and .269/.339/.469 as a lefty. Not only do most breaking pitches move into him, he said, but being a switch hitter also affords a clearer view of every pitcher's release point. That is, he never faces a pitch delivered from behind his head. Advertisement Lindor — who modeled his style after a fellow infielder from Puerto Rico who was traded from Cleveland to the Mets — offered some insights before a recent game at Citi Field. Why did you decide to switch hit? 'My favorite player, Roberto Alomar, and my brother and my cousin, they switch hit. I always wanted to be like them, so I did it. I always did it as a kid, but when I was 14, 15 years old, that's when I first took it seriously.' Did you struggle as you learned your left-handed swing? 'There's still struggles from the left side, still struggles on the right side. And I plan on it to be like that my whole career.' Why did you stay with it? 'I'm stubborn, and my dad always said, 'If you can hit .500 from one side, why would you switch and make it harder on yourself?' So I used it as a motivation to prove to him that I can hit from both sides.' What advice would you give to aspiring switch hitters? 'To stick to it — and if you take 200 swings from one side, you've got to take 200 from the other side as well. You've got to make sure you give the same amount of love to each side.' When you're hot (or cold) on one side, are you also hot (or cold) from the other? 'Most times, yes, because it's the same brain. When you're feeling good, you're feeling good. So you kind of bounce back from one side to another. But sometimes it doesn't work like that, and vice versa — if you're struggling from one side, it doesn't mean you're gonna struggle from the other side. So having two swings, when I'm struggling from one side I try to imitate myself from the other side, and that helps.' Milwaukee's Christian Yelich has been playing in the majors for 13 seasons. He's dug his cleats into the batter's box more than 6,500 times. And yet until this week, Yelich had somehow never come to bat at home in the ninth inning (or later) with the score tied. Advertisement Since baseball is utterly ridiculous, Yelich came up in that situation on both Tuesday and Wednesday against the Boston Red Sox. On Tuesday, he belted a grand slam for his first career walk-off home run. He didn't quite repeat the feat on Wednesday, but he did hit a single. Anyway, the game-ender was the 214th home run of Yelich's career, and it removed him from the list of players to never end a game with a homer. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Yelich had trailed only these five players for most career regular-season homers with zero walk-offs: That brings us to Cash, who fit into Tuesday's Grid as an All-Star with at least 40 career wins above replacement. A five-time All-Star with 52 bWAR, Cash played from 1958 through 1974, mostly for the Detroit Tigers, and was known for unusual bats. In 1981, Cash told Sports Illustrated that he always hollowed out the top of his bat, drilling a hole eight inches deep and half an inch wide and stuffing the top two inches with cork, glue and sawdust. It seemed to help most in 1961, when Cash hit 41 homers and led the majors with a .361 average. 'I owe my success to expansion pitching, a short right-field fence and my hollow bats,' Cash told SI. Cash's other unorthodox bat was uncorked, but disallowed. On July 15, 1973, at Tiger Stadium, Cash came up in the ninth inning against the Angels' Nolan Ryan, who was one out away from a no-hitter. Figuring his bats were pretty much useless, Cash brought a table leg to the box. 'I told Ron Luciano, the umpire, 'He can't hit with that,'' Ryan said in the 2022 documentary, 'Facing Nolan,' 'and (Cash) says, 'It doesn't matter, Ron, I can't hit him anyway.'' Cash popped to shortstop to end the game. The return last week of Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr., who missed nearly a year after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament, is a reminder of his place in an all-time great trivia question. As featured on a recent episode of the 'Starkville' podcast, with The Athletic's Jayson Stark and former major leaguer Doug Glanville, Acuña is one of only three players to have 70 extra-base hits and 70 stolen bases in the same season. Advertisement The first was Ty Cobb, who had 79 extra-base hits and 83 steals for the 1911 Tigers. Acuña did it most recently, with 80 extra-base hits and 73 steals for the 2023 Braves. The other is a bit more obscure: Juan Samuel, with 70 extra-base hits and 72 steals as a Phillies rookie in 1984. As Richie Ashburn might have said: 'Hard to believe, Harry.' Ashburn, the Hall of Famer who shared the Phillies' broadcast booth with Harry Kalas for decades, appears in this 1985 commercial with Samuel, Kevin Gross and Glenn Wilson. It's a time capsule from the bygone days when ballplayers loved to unwind with sandwiches and Trivial Pursuit. (Top photo of Clayton Kershaw: Frank Jansky / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Clayton Kershaw isn't what he was — but the Dodgers need him all the same
CLEVELAND — The flecks of gray in Clayton Kershaw's beard matched the overcast Ohio sky as the 37-year-old lefty readied himself atop the mound. At home plate stood Guardians leadoff man Steven Kwan, who was just 8 years old when the Dodgers drafted Kershaw in June 2006. For the first time in the third start of his 18th MLB season, the future Hall of Famer launched into his trademark herky-jerky windup. The fastball clipped the top of the zone, but was called a ball. Then came the more sobering truth, displayed on the Progressive Field scoreboard beside a smiling headshot of Kershaw: 89 miles per hour Two decades ago, Kershaw was a can't-miss prospect who regularly threw 95. The second strikeout of his career, for instance, came on a 97 mile per hour heater. But time, and the ailing it brings, has chipped away at Kershaw's power. He has not touched 95 since Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. On Wednesday, in Los Angeles' 7-4 defeat against Cleveland, he topped out at 90.6 and averaged 89.4. Such humbling realities come for every hurler, every human. The aches of aging are a bittersweet blessing — the price and the gift of still being here. That Kershaw is even playing at 37 is an accomplishment. But even in this reduced state, he can still be a useful, competent starter. That was on display against the Guardians' tame offense, as Kershaw covered five innings while surrendering just one run. It was an act of survival. He gave up six hits. He worked behind in counts. His command wavered. But he dodged disaster. If not for a Los Angeles bullpen implosion, Kershaw would have tallied career win No. 213 on Wednesday. And for a Dodgers team forced to overcome a thinned-out, injury-riddled staff, Kershaw's small step forward was a welcomed development. In a twist few saw coming, this star-studded roster suddenly needs everything Kershaw can give them. That would have seemed preposterous when Kershaw re-joined the team on Feb. 13 after waiting out a free agency that always pointed toward Chavez Ravine. Having added Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to join a staff featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and a host of others, Los Angeles had accumulated an embarrassment of riches on the pitching side. Kershaw, fresh off two winter surgeries and the worst statistical season of his career, was an afterthought. At least from an on-field perspective. The legendary lefty was a clubhouse fixture for the Dodgers as they stampeded through October, even though he did not appear in a game after Aug. 30. He spoke at the World Series parade, triumphantly proclaiming that he planned to remain a Dodger for life. But it was no secret, given his statistical decline, that this comeback was more for Kershaw than it was for the Dodgers. Anything he could give them would be a nice bonus. The Cooperstown-bound hurler had earned his tenure, but the team was not planning to rely on Kershaw as it had year after year, October after October. 'I think any baseball player would wanna go out on their own terms.' Kershaw said on MLB Network last week before his first start of the year. 'For me, I just didn't want an injury to be the reason that I stopped playing.' Kershaw has always thirsted for control. His meticulous pregame routine is the stuff of legend. Baseball's randomness forces its participants to learn to let go, to surrender agency. Kershaw has always resisted that. The hurler of a generation was never going to slink away quietly. But a barrage of Dodgers pitching injuries has placed the spotlight on Kershaw once more. Los Angeles currently has 14 hurlers on its big league injured list. Yamamoto, the NL Cy Young favorite, and red-headed righty Dustin May are the only still-healthy starters from the club's Opening Day roster. Kershaw has made three starts since his return from a pair of offseason surgeries. The first was a five-run stinker at home against the Angels, the second a rain-marred two-inning outing in Queens that offered no real insight into his progress. But on Wednesday against Cleveland, the Big Guy battled. It was a far cry from the dominance of his prime, but Kershaw navigated his way through with guts and savvy. Still, Kershaw didn't seem encouraged afterward. 'I think I've created some bad habits, you know, just with not feeling my best,' Kershaw told reporters afterward. 'I haven't pitched in a while, you know, I haven't pitched in a long time. So there's just some growing pains, I think, with the first few. Physically, feel great. Just keep throwing and figuring it out.' It's possible that Kershaw, with more reps, rediscovers some form. Only two seasons ago, he led the 2023 Dodgers in innings, finishing with a 2.46 ERA. He achieved that mark despite a fastball that averaged 90.7. But he ended that campaign with a disastrous implosion in the NLDS against Arizona. That winter, he underwent shoulder surgery, the first surgery of his career. There's reason to hope things get better. There's also reason to doubt it ever will. The Dodgers have no choice but to give him the chance to find out. 'Still trying to find his way, wasn't his best stuff,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. 'Willed himself through five innings.' It is inspiring and sobering to watch this version of Kershaw. Nobody stays young forever. Father Time, undefeated, comes for us all. That feeling is universal. To watch him rage against the dying of the light is an admirable act of defiance. The golden glow of his Cooperstown-bound legacy casts this version of him in sepia tones — familiar, venerable, but unmistakably aged. It's strange to hear Roberts describe Clayton Kershaw as someone 'finding his way.' For nearly two decades, Kershaw was the way — the standard, the pillar. It's a reminder that the Dodgers skipper is talking about a completely different version of Kershaw. The Dodgers will take whatever this version can give them.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Clayton Kershaw isn't what he was — but the Dodgers need him all the same
CLEVELAND — The flecks of gray in Clayton Kershaw's beard matched the overcast Ohio sky as the 37-year-old lefty readied himself atop the mound. At home plate stood Guardians leadoff man Steven Kwan, who was just 8 years old when the Dodgers drafted Kershaw in June 2006. For the first time in the third start of his 18th MLB season, the future Hall of Famer launched into his trademark herky-jerky windup. The fastball clipped the top of the zone, but was called a ball. Then came the more sobering truth, displayed on the Progressive Field scoreboard beside a smiling headshot of Kershaw: Advertisement 89 miles per hour Two decades ago, Kershaw was a can't-miss prospect who regularly threw 95. The second strikeout of his career, for instance, came on a 97 mile per hour heater. But time, and the ailing it brings, has chipped away at Kershaw's power. He has not touched 95 since Game 7 of the 2017 World Series. On Wednesday, in Los Angeles' 7-4 defeat against Cleveland, he topped out at 90.6 and averaged 89.4. Such humbling realities come for every hurler, every human. The aches of aging are a bittersweet blessing — the price and the gift of still being here. That Kershaw is even playing at 37 is an accomplishment. But even in this reduced state, he can still be a useful, competent starter. A battered Dodgers rotation means L.A. needs quality innings out of 37-year-old Clayton Kershaw. (Photo) (Elsa via Getty Images) That was on display against the Guardians' tame offense, as Kershaw covered five innings while surrendering just one run. It was an act of survival. He gave up six hits. He worked behind in counts. His command wavered. But he dodged disaster. If not for a Los Angeles bullpen implosion, Kershaw would have tallied career win No. 213 on Wednesday. Advertisement And for a Dodgers team forced to overcome a thinned-out, injury-riddled staff, Kershaw's small step forward was a welcomed development. In a twist few saw coming, this star-studded roster suddenly needs everything Kershaw can give them. That would have seemed preposterous when Kershaw re-joined the team on Feb. 13 after waiting out a free agency that always pointed toward Chavez Ravine. Having added Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki to join a staff featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and a host of others, Los Angeles had accumulated an embarrassment of riches on the pitching side. Kershaw, fresh off two winter surgeries and the worst statistical season of his career, was an afterthought. At least from an on-field perspective. The legendary lefty was a clubhouse fixture for the Dodgers as they stampeded through October, even though he did not appear in a game after Aug. 30. He spoke at the World Series parade, triumphantly proclaiming that he planned to remain a Dodger for life. But it was no secret, given his statistical decline, that this comeback was more for Kershaw than it was for the Dodgers. Anything he could give them would be a nice bonus. The Cooperstown-bound hurler had earned his tenure, but the team was not planning to rely on Kershaw as it had year after year, October after October. Advertisement 'I think any baseball player would wanna go out on their own terms.' Kershaw said on MLB Network last week before his first start of the year. 'For me, I just didn't want an injury to be the reason that I stopped playing.' Kershaw has always thirsted for control. His meticulous pregame routine is the stuff of legend. Baseball's randomness forces its participants to learn to let go, to surrender agency. Kershaw has always resisted that. The hurler of a generation was never going to slink away quietly. But a barrage of Dodgers pitching injuries has placed the spotlight on Kershaw once more. Los Angeles currently has 14 hurlers on its big league injured list. Yamamoto, the NL Cy Young favorite, and red-headed righty Dustin May are the only still-healthy starters from the club's Opening Day roster. Kershaw has made three starts since his return from a pair of offseason surgeries. The first was a five-run stinker at home against the Angels, the second a rain-marred two-inning outing in Queens that offered no real insight into his progress. Advertisement But on Wednesday against Cleveland, the Big Guy battled. It was a far cry from the dominance of his prime, but Kershaw navigated his way through with guts and savvy. Still, Kershaw didn't seem encouraged afterward. 'I think I've created some bad habits, you know, just with not feeling my best,' Kershaw told reporters afterward. 'I haven't pitched in a while, you know, I haven't pitched in a long time. So there's just some growing pains, I think, with the first few. Physically, feel great. Just keep throwing and figuring it out.' It's possible that Kershaw, with more reps, rediscovers some form. Only two seasons ago, he led the 2023 Dodgers in innings, finishing with a 2.46 ERA. He achieved that mark despite a fastball that averaged 90.7. But he ended that campaign with a disastrous implosion in the NLDS against Arizona. That winter, he underwent shoulder surgery, the first surgery of his career. There's reason to hope things get better. There's also reason to doubt it ever will. The Dodgers have no choice but to give him the chance to find out. Advertisement 'Still trying to find his way, wasn't his best stuff,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. 'Willed himself through five innings.' It is inspiring and sobering to watch this version of Kershaw. Nobody stays young forever. Father Time, undefeated, comes for us all. That feeling is universal. To watch him rage against the dying of the light is an admirable act of defiance. The golden glow of his Cooperstown-bound legacy casts this version of him in sepia tones — familiar, venerable, but unmistakably aged. It's strange to hear Roberts describe Clayton Kershaw as someone 'finding his way.' For nearly two decades, Kershaw was the way — the standard, the pillar. It's a reminder that the Dodgers skipper is talking about a completely different version of Kershaw. The Dodgers will take whatever this version can give them.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
‘OK, I feel old now': Quizzing Carlos Santana about his 15 years in the big leagues
CLEVELAND — Carlos Santana, about 10 months shy of his 40th birthday, is the elder statesman on the Guardians' roster. Santana said his teammates often call him 'Grandpa.' José Ramírez said Santana particularly shows his age with how he waddles from one place to the next. On Wednesday, Santana will square off against Clayton Kershaw in the club's series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Once upon a time, nearly 20 years ago, Santana was Kershaw's catcher for the Class A Great Lakes Loons. (To further the point about how long ago this was, Kenley Jansen was also a catcher in the Dodgers' system at the time. Now, he's inching toward 500 career saves.) Advertisement Santana and Kershaw caught up in spring training and reminisced about the nascent days of their professional careers. Santana is 0-for-7 against Kershaw, and he stressed his desire to take the southpaw deep. Santana reached 15 years of major-league service time last week, so The Athletic quizzed him on an array of career milestones, starting with his big-league debut against the Washington Nationals on June 11, 2010, when a 23-36 club called up its top prospect, a catcher with a booming bat and a good eye at the plate. Do you remember the first pitcher you faced? Ummm, nah. I remember the second because I hit a home run. (J.D.) Martin. He played here (in Cleveland). But the first? I don't know. Luis Atilano. Atilano? Ah, I don't remember that. I know the second game, Martin, he played with me in the minor leagues. That was Atilano's only year in the majors, as he posted a 5.15 ERA in 16 starts for the Nationals. As for Martin, Cleveland drafted him with the 35th overall pick in 2001. That year, the club owned four of the first 43 picks, but only Martin ever reached the majors — and he didn't do so with Cleveland. Martin made 24 starts for Washington in 2009-10. Who pitched the third game of that series? (Stephen) Strasburg. I remember that series. I'll never forget it. There was Strasburg Mania that summer, and the frenzy reached new heights when he struck out 14 Pirates batters in his debut. Five days later, he pitched at Progressive Field. Santana batted third and recorded a single, a walk and a flyout against the fellow rookie. (Trevor Crowe hit leadoff, by the way.) You grounded into a fielder's choice in your first at-bat and eventually scored. Do you remember who hit you home? No, it's (been) a long time, 15 years. Wait, what happened to never forgetting that series? Advertisement You scored on an Austin Kearns home run. Ohhh. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Big ears. Kearns tagged Atilano for a pair of home runs that night. Who pitched that day for Cleveland? I was catching. Who was it? Jeanmar Gómez? No. (Justin) Masterson? Jake Westbrook. Ohhh, Westbrook. Yeah, the veteran guy. Westbrook was traded seven weeks later to the Cardinals in a three-team deal that landed Cleveland a little-known pitching prospect named Corey Kluber. What about the second game? Whose complete game did you catch? (Shrugs) Fausto Carmona. He was an All-Star that year. Ohhh, Fausto Carmona. Roberto Hernández. Happy for him. He's one of the guys who (impacted) me. We had a very good relationship. Hernández never recaptured the form from his first full season as a big-league starter in 2007, when he logged a 3.06 ERA, finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting and vanquished the Yankees in the playoffs amid swarms of midges. He did, however, receive his only All-Star Game nod in 2010, a year in which he finished with a 3.77 ERA across 210 innings. Who else played catcher for the Indians in 2010? Mike Redmond. He's the bench coach with Colorado. He was actually relieved of his duties earlier this month, but that's correct. Redmond's 13th and final big-league season came with Cleveland. He caught 22 games in 2010. Chris Gimenez, too. I saw him the other day. He told me, 'You look good, man! Keep going. Five more years.' I said, 'Hell no!' That year, Lou Marson caught 81 games, Santana 40, Gimenez 19, Redmond 18 and Luke Carlin made four starts behind the plate in the final week and a half of the season. Against which pitcher have you hit the most home runs? (Justin) Verlander? That's right. How many? I don't know. Nine? Bingo. Somebody told me that when I played in Seattle (in 2022, when Verlander was with the Houston Astros). Overall, Santana has a .226/.320/.607 slash line in 97 plate appearances against Verlander. The two battled often during Santana's first of three stints with Cleveland, and while Verlander was the ace of Detroit's rotation. Advertisement Do you take pride in a future first-ballot Hall of Famer being your most frequent victim? Yeah, I think it's something personal. When I was younger, I (hit) my first grand slam (against the Tigers). When I came (to Detroit six weeks later), he threw behind me. So in my mind, every at-bat I take (against him) is personal. He threw behind me for hitting a grand slam at home. So that's why I think I've hit a lot of home runs against him. Do you remember who you tagged for that grand slam? Joaquin Benoit, against Detroit. On April 29, 2011, Santana smacked a walk-off slam that scored Grady Sizemore, Asdrubal Cabrera and Adam Everett. Where did you hit your only inside-the-park home run? Here (in Detroit). Austin Hedges walked over to a nearby locker. Santana: 'Hey, Hedgey, can you believe that I hit an inside-the-park home run?' Hedges: 'You? No chance.' Santana: 'No chance? Yes.' Hedges: 'When? Your rookie year, 35 years ago? Did all the outfielders die?' Santana: 'I think it was a line drive and the outfielder (slipped).' Hedges: 'Did you do it like (Tyler) Naquin, slide in (to home plate and pose)?' You have one five-hit game to your name. I don't remember that. Against Tampa. Three of the hits came off David Price. Oh really? What year? April 7, 2013. That's a long time ago. I don't know. It's crazy. One day after I retire, I want to check all of my stories and show my kids. Santana finished with a homer, two doubles and two singles in a 13-0 win. Masterson tossed seven scoreless innings. OK, let's wrap with this: Who else was involved in your trade to Cleveland in 2008? July 26, 2008. (Jon) Meloan. And Casey Blake. I cried a lot. That's right. Santana and Meloan, who had debuted for the Dodgers the year prior, came to Cleveland for Blake, who spent five and a half seasons with the Indians. OK, I feel old now. (Top photo of Carlos Santana congratulating Jim Thome after he hit a home run on Sept. 16, 2011: Hannah Foslien / Getty Images)
Los Angeles Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Teoscar Hernández and Dodgers defeat Mets in 13 innings, but pitching issues loom large
NEW YORK — The upcoming month was already going to be tough for the Dodgers. A rainy Friday night in Queens made it that much tougher. In the fourth of a 29-game stretch against nothing but playoff-contending teams, the Dodgers beat the New York Mets in a marathon contest at Citi Field, overcoming a three-run ninth-inning blown save from closer Tanner Scott by prevailing for a 7-5 win in the 13th. But, their already shorthanded pitching staff endured more unexpected obstacles in the process. A one-hour, 38-minute rain delay in the top of the third limited starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw to just two innings. A never-ending game forced their overworked bullpen to combine for 11 more frames in which every reliever was used except one. Navigating this difficult portion of the schedule — which began in earnest with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this week — will be a test for a Dodgers pitching staff missing three of its five opening-day rotation members and many other important arms in the bullpen. Because of that, manager Dave Roberts has emphasized in recent days the need to push his starters to take down as many innings as possible. On Friday, Kershaw seemed to be on his way to a decent start, pitching two scoreless innings in which his only baserunner reached via a walk that was quickly erased by a double-play. But then, with the Dodgers mounting a rally in the top of the third, the New York skies opened up for a late May downpour. For the next 98 minutes, fans scattered for shelter and watched the Knicks' playoff game on the stadium scoreboard. Back in the visiting clubhouse, Roberts watched the clock tick and tick and tick, eventually to the point where keeping Kershaw in was no longer a viable option. By the end of the night, that was the least of the Dodgers' problems. Despite holding a 5-2 lead after getting three innings of two-run ball from Matt Sauer, and three scoreless frames from Ben Casparius, Scott couldn't get the game across the finish line. Starling Marte led off with a single. Pete Alonso drew a one-out walk. Jeff McNeil got them both home on a triple hit just high enough to evade a leaping Freddie Freeman at first base. Tyrone Taylor then completed Scott's fourth blown save in 14 opportunities this year with an RBI single to left. Somehow, the Dodgers (32-19) still managed to prevail. Alex Vesia got the game to extras, stranding two runners aboard to end the ninth. Both teams then traded wasted opportunities from there, failing to score their automatic runners in the 10th (when the Dodgers had the bases loaded with no outs), the 11th (when Anthony Banda and Luis García combined to escape a bases-loaded threat) and the 12th (when the Dodgers turned an inning-ending double-play while employing a five-man infield). Finally, Teoscar Hernández put the Dodgers back in front in the 13th, hitting a leadoff RBI double before later scoring on Andy Pages' sacrifice fly. García closed it out in the bottom half of the frame, completing a 2 ⅓ scoreless inning appearance just minutes shy of 1 a.m. local time. It was a hard-fought win, but one that could come with future consequences for a pitching staff that was already running on fumes.
