On Wednesday afternoon in San Francisco, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw finished his seventh inning of scoreless baseball and jogged to the dugout. His manager awaited his arrival.
Up six runs, Dave Roberts reviewed his options. He considers the days when Kershaw pitches among his most difficult to manage. The temptation to let Kershaw finish a game always lurks. Kershaw had thrown only 89 pitches. The Dodgers were in the midst of a 17-game stretch without a day off, the sort of slog that can exhaust a bullpen. The temptation was real.
Yet Roberts did not succumb.