The Los Angeles Dodgers, for the fourth time in the past five years, have exited the playoffs in the NLDS, this time being on the receiving end of an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that finished with 16 fewer wins than the NL West division champion.

The series proved to be a reminder of the Dodgers' past demons, especially for Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw doesn't exactly have the most sterling postseason reputation, and his performance during Game 1 of the 2023 NLDS won't help matters at all in that regard. The 35-year old southpaw lasted all of one-third of an inning, mustering just one out, allowing six earned runs on six hits and one walk, putting the Dodgers on the backfoot from which they couldn't recover from.

The Dodgers veteran himself took this inability to help the team to heart, calling it the “most important thing” he could have done — which he didn't.

“Obviously, a horrible way to end it, personally, but that's ultimately not important. It's just how I didn't help the team win this series. That's the most important thing — letting the guys down, things like that. Process it the best you can. I don't know what that means, but yeah, just go from there,” Kershaw said, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.

This may not be the Clayton Kershaw's first rodeo when it comes to dealing with a horrid postseason performance, as he struggled plenty of times for the Dodgers in the early 2010s, allowing crucial hits to the St. Louis Cardinals back in the 2013 NLCS and 2014 NLDS. But these sorts of things never become easier to go through for anyone, especially for a pitcher who holds himself to as high a standard as Kershaw does.

Now 35 years old, it's unclear whether Kershaw will get the opportunity to redeem himself in a Dodgers uniform. Facing plenty of uncertainty with regards to his future playing status, it'll be a long offseason filled with regret for the Dodgers legend. Perhaps this horrid NLDS outcome against the Diamondbacks would motivate him to eschew retirement for one more season in what should be a revenge season for LA.