	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

NL DIVISION SERIES: BRAVES VS DODGERS

October 5, 2018

Clayton Kershaw

Los Angeles, California - postgame 2

Los Angeles - 3, Atlanta - 0

Q. What kind of modifications did you have to make in your delivery or your own ankle to compensate for the back problems you've had the last couple of years and the decrease in velocity?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: No change. It's been the same. Yeah. I just do some different workouts and stuff, but pretty much the same.

Q. Clayton, obviously it was early in the game in the first inning when you struck out Markakis with Acuna on first base. How big was that moment and could something like that kind of ignite something in you?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: Yeah, no. Sorry. My kids just walked in.

No, I think anytime you can get out of that first inning without giving up a run is huge, especially as a home team, give your guys a chance to score first is always really important. And you saw that tonight. You know, I was fortunate to get out of that. KikÃ© made a nice play on Freddie there. And fortunate to get Markakis there and Manny hits the home run right there right in the bottom of the first and from there it's just my job to try and protect that lead as best I can.

Q. Clayton, were you expecting the Braves to be as aggressive as they were against the plate? And when you saw that, what's your approach?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: They're a very good hitting team obviously. They've done a lot of damage early in counts, especially a lot of those guys like to swing the bats. We kind of know that, and then I kind of know that in general. I feel like a lot of our -- a lot of other teams against me tend to swing early for the most part.

But it didn't catch me off guard really. And tonight I think the biggest thing is I was able to throw some breaking balls for strikes early in the count, which definitely helped out.

Q. Kershaw, just in terms of the way that your defense played behind you, you mentioned how aggressive they were. Those guys were making plays. You mentioned KikÃ© has J.T. at third. What did you see from those guys and how important was that for you?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: I think the biggest thing is obviously not a lot of strikeouts tonight. They were putting the ball in play. A lot of great plays all around. But no, I think the biggest thing was just like you said, some great defensive plays. Got a big double play there in the sixth, helped keep my pitch count down. J.T. made a nice play down the line for a big fielder's choice right there with nobody out at that point. Yeah, a lot of great plays all the way around.

Q. Can you ask Charlie and Cali if they wanted you to finish the night?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: Did you want Daddy to finish? No.

See, yeah. She knows. She knows. (Laughs).

Yeah, it was the plan all along. I think, if Duda had come up, I would have gotten Duda, the lefty there, but the plan all along was if they burned their bench, which is what we wanted to do and flowers came out, that Kenley had the ninth. And that was the plan all along.

Q. Clayton, any extra satisfaction given all of what's happened this week?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: Yeah, maybe. Maybe a tick, for sure. But Ryu threw so unbelievable last night that you just want to match him. That's all I was trying to do is try and put our team in a good spot, and you want to defend home field when you have home field obviously. So Game 1, Game 2, game whatever, I'm getting to pitch in the playoffs and I'm excited about that.

Q. Clayton, you've always said you're not chasing strikeouts.
CLAYTON KERSHAW: Proving that right now; right?

Q. Yeah. Now I believe you. But what we saw tonight, the extreme number of strikes, the soft contact, the things like that, can we draw any conclusions about this is who you're intending to be here?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: I'm not trying to be anything. That's a lot of thought right there. I don't know. I think -- you know, I think the biggest thing is soft contact. Soft contact, strikeouts. Obviously there's going to be certain situations where you need strikeouts, but get outs as fast as possible. That's the biggest thing for me. So however I can do that in an efficient manner is great. And there's definitely times when you're going to need to strike guys out like there in the first. But other than that, I think any out as best you can.

Q. Clayton, two-part question. One, you just said the kids were supposed to be in bed. Why aren't they in bed?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: Yeah. Why aren't you guys in bed? (Laughs). You're not tired?

Q. Secondly, the ball you took in looked like the hamstring. How was that? And you stayed in the game. I'm assuming you'll be fine?
CLAYTON KERSHAW: Yeah. I'm fine. It just got me in a good spot, kind of in the belly of the leg right there. So maybe a little sore tomorrow, but I should be good.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297