Clayton Kershaw to Pitch Game 4 of NLDS for Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are not going to wait to utilize their best pitcher, as Clayton Kershaw will start in Game 4 in the National League Division Series Tuesday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Rachel Nichols of Turner Sports reported the news, noting it will come on short rest:

Kershaw led the majors with a 1.77 ERA as well as 21 wins and is the favorite to bring home his third Cy Young Award in four years. Based on his dominance for the Dodgers throughout the season, he is also a top contender for the National League MVP.

Unfortunately for Kershaw and his team, the Cardinals were able to get to him in his first start of the series, as he allowed eight earned runs in 6.2 innings. The Dodgers dropped the opening game before pulling even with a dramatic win in Game 2. Game 3 will be played Monday night. 

While Los Angeles might be cautious about trusting a pitcher who struggled so much in the first game, manager Don Mattingly is confident about Kershaw's ability to bounce back, per Newsday's David Lennon:

The 26-year-old pitcher also showed his emotion in preparing for the upcoming start, as noted by MLB.com's Richard Justice:

Of course, it is important to note Kershaw allowed seven runs in his previous postseason appearance prior to Game 1, also coming against the Cardinals in the 2013 National League Championship Series. For his career, he only has a 5.20 ERA in 10 playoff games with a 1-4 overall record. This is much different than his 2.48 career ERA in the regular season.

The Dodgers will simply hope that these struggles are nothing more than a fluke and that their ace will be able to recover for a quality start in Game 4.

If necessary, Zack Greinke will likely start Game 5 after pitching seven shutout innings in Game 2.

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