Javier Báez

Clayton Kershaw dominates Cubs as Dodgers even up NLCS

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:42 p.m. ET

Zack Pierce

Clayton Kershaw — fresh off exorcising his playoff demons — pitched a brilliant seven innings Sunday night to help the Los Angeles Dodgers swipe Game 2 of the National League Championship Series from the Chicago Cubs.

Kershaw surrendered just two hits and struck out six, and Adrian Gonzalez's solo home run in the second inning was all the Dodgers needed offensively in a 1-0 win.

Kershaw — 2-6 for his career in the postseason entering October — won Game 1 of the Division Series against the Washington Nationals, got a no-decision in the team's Game 4 win, and then notched the critical save in Game 5 just to get the Dodgers here. He was even better Sunday, going perfect for the first 4 2/3 innings and subduing the powerful Cubs lineup. The Cubs' top five hitters — Dexter Fowler, Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Ben Zobrist and Addison Russell — combined to go 0-14 with a walk.

"It's a good feeling," Kershaw told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal after the game. "We needed this win tonight bad, and going back home splitting this series in Chicago, we like where we're at right now."

With one on and two out in the bottom of the seventh and the dangerous Javier Baez strutting to the plate for Chicago, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts came to the mound and looked poised to remove Kershaw, but after a brief discussion, Kershaw stayed in. Baez cranked a shot to the warning track in center field for a flyout to end the inning, a ball that could've very easily been a home run:

Closer Kenley Jansen entered in the eighth and retired all six batters he faced for a two-inning save.

Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks was plenty brilliant in his own right, the tough-luck loser after allowing three hits and striking out five in 5 1/3 innings. But his one mistake to Gonzalez proved huge.

"For the most part I just wanted to hit something in the air," Gonzalez told Rosenthal after the game about the home run. "Thank God I was able to get a pitch and elevate it."

Game 3 is Tuesday in Los Angeles. Watch it on FS1.

The lone run so far.#NLCS pres. by @TMobile: https://t.co/4JNPunGRZg #Postseason pic.twitter.com/FUnRbESEEE
— MLB (@MLB) October 17, 2016

Balls hit like @javy23baez’s flyout have resulted in an .899 AVG this year.

67 percent have been homers. #Statcast pic.twitter.com/p68zVyGEsi
— #Statcast (@statcast) October 17, 2016