Retiring Los Angeles Dodgers pitching legend Clayton Kershaw has offered surprising and generous praise for the Toronto Blue Jays hitters who pushed his team to the absolute limit in an epic seven-game World Series. The three-time Cy Young Award winner shared his admiration during a recent podcast appearance, specifically highlighting the performances of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and infielder Ernie Clement.
High Praise for Vladdy and Historic Performance
Speaking on SiriusXM's Literally! With Rob Lowe on Thursday, Clayton Kershaw did not hold back his compliments for the opposing team's lineup. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left a particularly strong impression on the future Hall of Famer.
"Vladdy's just a special talent," Kershaw told the host. "Some of the balls he was getting to and turning on … amazing. He might have been the best player this post-season. Other than World Series MVP Yoshi Yamamoto, he was pretty amazing."
Ernie Clement's Unforgettable Series
Kershaw saved some of his most astonished comments for Ernie Clement, whose performance at the plate baffled the Dodgers' pitching staff throughout the series.
"Ernie Clement … what was that?" Kershaw exclaimed. "We couldn't get him out." The veteran pitcher's observation was backed by a historic statistical achievement. With a pair of hits in the decisive Game 7, Clement extended his hitting streak to 13 games, setting the new longest hitting streak in Blue Jays post-season history. He finished the playoffs with 10 multi-hit games and set an all-time MLB record with 30 post-season hits.
Team-Wide Offensive Strength
The praise didn't stop with just the star players. Kershaw acknowledged the depth and resilience of the entire Blue Jays roster, which came within two outs of winning the third championship in franchise history.
He also mentioned Addison Barger for having "great at-bats" and highlighted the heroic effort of Bo Bichette, who was playing through a significant knee injury. Bichette's three-run homer in the third inning of a crucial game marked the first playoff home run of his career, despite having missed over a month of action, including the Jays' first two post-season series.
"It was a great offensive group," Kershaw summarized. "The whole Blue Jays team in general, they outhit us. They really did."
Kershaw's Final World Series Moment
Although his retirement was imminent, Kershaw delivered one last clutch performance in the marathon Game 3 at Dodger Stadium. In the top of the 12th inning of a game that would ultimately stretch to 18 innings, Kershaw entered with the bases loaded to face Toronto's Nathan Lukes. After an intense eight-pitch battle, he induced a groundout to escape the jam, preserving what would become a 6-5 Dodgers victory.
Reflecting on that high-pressure situation after the game, Kershaw said, "I'm not thinking about being done. After the fact, yeah. It's a lot of fun to have success when you know you're close (to retirement)." His retirement was confirmed following the Dodgers' World Series triumph, which capped his brilliant 18-year career.
