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Clayton Kershaw allows back-to-back homers to tie Game 5 of NLDS

Deserved or not, Clayton Kershaw has built up a shaky reputation in the postseason during his years with the Los Angeles Dodgers. It got even shakier after an ill-fated bullpen appearance on Wednesday in Game 5 of the NLDS.

Called into the game with two outs and a 3-1 lead in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals, Kershaw got off to a perfect start with a three-pitch strikeout against Adam Eaton. Kershaw came back out for the eighth, when things went very, very wrong.

Nationals star Anthony Rendon led the inning off by digging out a slider from below the zone and depositing the pitch in the left-field stands to cut the lead to 3-2.

One pitch later, Juan Soto went yard to tie the game.

The southpaw, as you might have expected, was visibly crushed.

The Dodgers immediately pulled Kershaw after that, but the damage had been done. What was once a 3-0 lead had turned into a whole new ballgame for the 106-win Dodgers. Right-hander Kenta Maeda came in to relieve Kershaw after the homers, striking out Howie Kendrick, Ryan Zimmerman and Yan Gomes in order to end the top of the eighth.

Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw walks in the dugout after leaving the during the sixth inning in Game 2 of the baseball team's National League Division Series against the Washington Nationals on Friday, Oct. 4, 2019, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
In just two pitches, the Nationals tied the game off Clayton Kershaw. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Those home runs ended up being costly for the Dodgers, who lost 7-3 in extra innings after a grand slam from former Dodger Howie Kendrick.

Let’s just say Dodgers fans didn’t exactly react well to Kershaw’s performance.

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