Dodgers Dugout: Clayton Kershaw pitches like the star he has always been

Assistant Sports Editor

Oct. 25, 2017 8 AM PT

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Los Angeles Mitchell. I sold my house and car and turned in all the recycling material I could find and still can’t afford World Series tickets.

Game 1

--Wow, that seemed a little too easy.

--The Dodgers looked like a confident team that knew they had what it takes to win if they all did their jobs. And they were right.

--If only we could get Justin Turner to come through in clutch situations.

--I have to admit that Joe Buck and John Smoltz called a pretty down the middle game and gave the Dodgers credit where credit was due.

--The opening, with Keith Williams Jr. singing the anthem and the flyover gave people goose bumps.

--Turner has 26 postseason RBIs, tying Duke Snider for most in Dodgers history. Turner did it in 27 games and Snider in 36.

--Of course, all of Snider’s games were in the World Series. Just imagine how many he would have had if there were three rounds of the postseason when he played.

--People keep asking me if Vin Scully will call all or part of a game. It’s not happening. He’s happy in retirement and doesn’t want to look like he’s stealing the spotlight.

--It almost seemed like Josh (Big Baby) Reddick got booed more than any of the Dodgers got cheered.

--Corey Seager’s back, with two hits. He’ll probably bat second today against Justin Verlander.

--A great seventh inning for Clayton Kershaw.

--How many people got nervous when Seager let that ball get away from him in the seventh. I was afraid it was a sign that Kershaw’s seventh-inning bad luck was continuing.

--Kershaw looked like the three-time Cy Young winner that he is. Seven innings, one run, 11 strikeouts. You can’t ask for much more than that. Too bad the postseason doesn’t count for Cy Young voting, or he would have locked it up.

--Brandon Morrow. Kenley Jansen. It’s so nice to have a bullpen that doesn’t make you nervous.

--Remember when they showed the full introductions of both teams on TV? I miss those days. Also, they couldn’t show Rachel Robinson throw out the first pitch live?

--There’s not a lot to nitpick or talk about in Game 1. Both teams played exceptionally well, but the big two for the Dodgers, Kershaw and Turner, was the key.

--It’s Rich Hill vs. Justin Verlander in Game 2. Verlander is 11-5 with a 3.00 ERA in his postseason career, but he is 0-3 with a 7.20 ERA in the World Series. Hill is 1-2 with a 3.96 ERA in his postseason career and has never pitched in the World Series.

The roster

The Dodgers announced their World Series roster. Out: Curtis Granderson and Kyle Farmer. In: Corey Seager and Brandon McCarthy.

Game 2 preview

Dodgers vs. Justin Verlander

Yasmani Grandal: .667 (2 for 3)

Chase Utley: .333 (2 for 6), 1 double

Austin Barnes: .333 (1 for 3)

Logan Forsythe: .222 (2 for 9)

Yasiel Puig: .000 (0 for 4)

Andre Ethier: .000 (0 for 3)

Enrique Hernandez: .000 (0 for 3)

Justin Turner: 000 (0 for 3)