Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Discusses 'Pressure' to Win World Series Ahead of NLDS

Perhaps no Los Angeles Dodger would feel more vindicated by a World Series title than Clayton Kershaw, the longest-tenured member of the team.   

The 31-year-old starting pitcher discussed the expectations surrounding the Dodgers as they begin their National League Division Series matchup with the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.

"There's just pressure to win the World Series," Kershaw told reporters Thursday. "That's what the Dodgers means. We expect to win the World Series every single year, regardless of what's happened in years past. This season's no different with that."

L.A. has made the World Series each of the last two seasons but failed to win the franchise's first championship since 1988 both times, losing to the Houston Astros in 2017 and the Boston Red Sox last year.

The Dodgers won a franchise-record 106 games in the regular season, but nobody understands the distinction between regular-season and postseason performances better than Kershaw.

He's a three-time Cy Young Award winner and had a Triple Crown season in 2011 with a 21-5 record, 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts. This season, Kershaw led the Dodgers' staff with a 16-5 record.

However, the southpaw has generally become a different and much less effective pitcher once the postseason arrives.

Through 15 postseason series in his 12-year Dodgers tenure, Kershaw is 9-10 with a 4.32 ERA. Most recently in two World Series starts last year against the Red Sox, Kershaw went 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA and gave up 14 hits opposite just 10 strikeouts in 11.0 innings pitched. His WHIP ballooned to 1.55.

The left-hander elaborated on what he's carrying with him entering this postseason run:

"Every year that you make the postseason, you realize that it's one less year on your career, one less year that you have a chance to win, so you become more grateful and more appreciative every single time you get a chance to win the World Series.

"Who knows how long I'm going to get to play this game, and who knows how long I'm going to get to play here? It's a special thing, to get to go to the postseason seven years in a row and nine years out of however many years I've played, and realize that you don't get this opportunity often to try to win 11 games. Grateful, but also, with each passing year, maybe a little more urgency, for sure."

Kershaw is complemented by Hyun-Jin Ryu, whose 2.32 ERA leads MLB and 1.01 WHIP leads the Los Angeles rotation. Walker Buehler will start Thursday night and paced the Dodgers with 215 strikeouts. His 1.04 WHIP is behind only Ryu's. 

Kershaw will make his 2019 postseason debut by starting Game 2 on Friday night.