Rozner: How much does Kershaw have left for Cubs?

As Clayton Kershaw was working his way back into the lineup, some actually wondered if the Dodgers were better off without him.

After all, they became the hottest team in the second half with Kershaw on the disabled list because of a bad back.

It was absurd considering Kershaw was the best pitcher in baseball when he got hurt.

Fast forward to Kershaw taking the mound three times in the NLDS against the Washington Nationals.

The Dodgers won his 2 starts and he got the save in a deciding Game 5.

Three appearances, 3 victories.

Needless to say, as Kershaw goes, so go the Dodgers.

So now you have to wonder how much he can do for L.A. in the NLCS against the Cubs, having thrown 110 pitches on three days' rest in Game 4 of the NLDS, before taking one day off, throwing a full bullpen and getting the final two outs of Game 5.

There's no way Kershaw can start Game 1, so he's expected to start Game 2 with four days off since his last start, but only two days since the performance in Game 5.

Kershaw's in line for 2 starts in this series and potentially more late relief, but he's coming off a heavy workload after a return from injury.

Just how far can the Dodgers push their $215 million ace? He did miss two months with a back problem before coming back late in the season, and his postseason track record ain't all that hot anyway.

It does bring back memories, however, of one of the greatest pitching performances in postseason history, and it was another Dodgers ace who led his team to a World Series victory.

In 1988, Orel Hershiser went 23-8 in the regular season with a 2.26 ERA, 15 complete games, 8 shutouts, 267 innings pitched and a record 59-inning scoreless streak to end the season.

He was, appropriately, the unanimous Cy Young Award winner.

In the NLCS - there was no NLDS then - Hershiser was brilliant in Game 1 against the Mets and Dwight Gooden, but Jay Howell blew the save and Los Angeles lost Game 1.

Hershiser started Game 3 on three days' rest and was great again, but the L.A. bullpen again blew the save and the Dodgers trailed 2-1 in the series.

The very next day Hershiser came in to save the game in the bottom of the 12th at Shea Stadium as the Dodgers tied the series at 2-2.

With two days to recuperate, Hershiser then pitched a 5-hit shutout and closed out the Mets in Game 7 to win the NLCS, capturing LCS MVP honors.

On three days' rest, he started World Series Game 2 - the day after the "Kirk Gibson Game" - and tossed a shutout, this time a 3-hitter as the Dodgers took a 2-0 lead in the Fall Classic.

Again with three days off, Hershiser pitched another complete game in the fifth game of the series and finished off Oakland with a 5-2 victory and took home the MVP award.

Of course, Hershiser was never the same after that magical 1988 season and horrific workload, and 18 months later he was on an operating table.

It's easy, at times like this, to think of Madison Bumgarner two years ago against Kansas City, starting Games 1 and 5 of the World Series and then saving Game 7, throwing 5 innings of relief and 68 more pitches.

My lasting memory of the 2005 World Series is of Mark Buehrle walking to the bullpen before the top of the 14th inning of Game 3, a few minutes before Geoff Blum hit his home run.

Once the ball left the yard, Buehrle started getting hot, and when Damaso Marte got in trouble because of an error in the bottom of the 14th, in came Buehrle with a man on and two outs, even though he had thrown 7 innings only two days before.

Buehrle, the 17th pitcher of the night, volunteered, and Ozzie Guillen was happy he did. Buehrle recorded his first pro save since 1999 at Class-A Burlington.

Few in Houston noticed Buehrle walk to the pen that night, but Nats fans were well aware when Kershaw made the trek Thursday night, a visible "oh no" response before Kershaw recorded his first pro save since rookie ball 10 years ago.

It seems, however, that Kershaw will have to be superhuman to lead his Dodgers past the Cubs, and he admitted Thursday night to total exhaustion.

It remains to be seen just how much he has left to give.

brozner@dailyherald.com

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