Kershaw's retirement battle → Otani Ekiden 3 points ← 13 consecutive years of PS advancement confirmed, LAD historic day
Sep 20, 2025
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Ohtani played as a leadoff designated hitter in the home game against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium on the 20th (Korea time) and hit one hit, three RBIs and one run in three at-bats, including three runs. The Dodgers won the game 6-3.
Clayton Kershaw, who officially announced his retirement from the Dodgers on the previous day. Kershaw gave up four hits and four walks in four ⅓ innings, allowed two runs, and then went down the mound after one out in the fifth inning, trailing 1-2. He struck out six.
Ohtani fired a come-from-behind cannon at a time when Kershaw almost lost in the final game of his career.
Ohtani turned the tide 4-2 by shooting a three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning, trailing 1-2. With two outs and runners on the first and second bases, he hit a 95.5-mile fastball that flew outside for the fifth time in the ball count of 2B2S, leading to a home run well over the inside of the left foul pole.
He hit his 52nd home run of the season with a 30-degree launch angle, a 100.2-mile batting speed and a 370-foot flying distance. For an instant, Dodger Stadium turned into a frenzy. Moreover, the next batter, Mookie Betts, hit a solo shot over the middle with a back-to-back, tilting the victory toward the Dodgers.
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Kershaw allowed a home run to leadoff right-handed hitter Eliot Ramos in the top of the first inning. He threw an 85.9-mile slider on the third pitch to the low middle course and was struck by a cannon that flew well over the left-center fence. Kershaw, who then struck out Willy Adames with three pitches, allowed Rafael Devers to walk and then induced Matt Chapman to ground out, but third baseman Kique Hernandez made a catch-and-miss error, putting him on the verge of a one-out, first and second base. However, Kershaw ended the inning by striking out Wilmer Flores with a 71-mile curve and catching Casey Schmidt with a fly to right field.
Unnerving pitching continued in the second inning. Kershaw, who walked lead Yerar Encarnacion, struck out Patrick Bailey and allowed another walk to Drew Gilbert, facing a crisis with one out and runners on first and second bases. However, Ramos and Adames were caught with a fly ball to the second base in a row and handed over no runs.
With the Dodgers tying the game 1-1 with Miguel Rojas' home run in the bottom of the second inning, Kershaw gave up another run in the third inning. Kershaw, who struck out the leader Devers with a swing and miss, gave up a double to Chapman in the middle and was hit by Flores and lost the lead 2-1 again.
Kershaw, who gave Schmidt a walk at the end of the ninth pitch, then blocked additional runs by inducing Encarnacion to play a shortstop double play with a fastball in the middle of 89.8 miles.
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Kershaw, who also took the mound in the fifth inning, trailing 1-2, silenced the lead-off left-handed hitter Devers with a fastball 89 miles (143.2 kilometers) lower on the fifth pitch in the ball count of 2B2S. And manager Dave Roberts went up to the mound. Timing for replacement. Kershaw, who shook hands with his teammates one by one and went down the mound, returned the fans' curtain call, and his wife Ellen, who was watching, shed tears.
This ended Kershaw's final major league season with 21 games, 106 ⅓ innings, 10-2 record, 3.55 ERA and 77 strikeouts. In addition, he pitched 2,849 innings in 453 games in the 18th year of the Major League regular season, recording 222-96 losses with a 2.54 ERA and 3045 strikeouts.
The Dodgers, the leader of the NL West, won three games in a row and secured their entry into the postseason with 87 wins and 67 losses. Even if they lose all eight remaining games, they will secure the third place in the NL wild card. In addition, the second-place San Diego Padres (83-71) lost to the Chicago White Sox 3-4 on the same day, and the Dodgers' magic number to win the district decreased to 4.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
