So ist das Leben » Courtesy of his three National League Cy Young Awards

Courtesy of his three National League Cy Young Awards Anthony Rendon Jersey , MVP, five ERA titles and numerous other accomplishments, Kershaw has a reputation as the best pitcher of his era that precedes him.And yet it's an open secret that he's not invincible anymore. The 2.73 ERA he posted in 2018 was his highest since 2010. He's downplayinga fastball that no longer has above-average velocity. Likewise, his strikeout rate was barely above average this season.For his part, Ryu has also been downplaying a low-velocity fastball since he reclaimed his status as a regular in the Dodgers rotation in 2017 after he endured two years ruined byshoulder surgery.He nonetheless put up a 1.97 ERA in 15 starts this season. His walk and home run rates were basically equal to Kershaw's, and he struck out 9.7 batters per nine innings to Kershaw's 8.7.So while Roberts isn't likely to say it while he and Kershaw are still inhabiting the same planet, Ryu is arguably a better pitcher than Kershawright now.Moreover, the 31-year-old had the approach needed to silence Atlanta's bats out of the gate.As MLB Network's Tom Verducci alluded to during Thursday's broadcast http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-daniel-murphy-jersey , Braves hitters like to swing their bats. They had the highest swing rate of any National League team, and they especially loved hacking at first-pitch fastballs (meaning four-seamers and two-seamers):20.2 Swing%, 2nd in MLB.667SLUG%, 2nd in MLBWhen it comes to first-pitch fastballs, Kershaw and Ryu couldn't be more different. The former led with heat 64.4 percent of the time. The latter? Only 41 percent.Ryu didn't budge from this formula against the Braves in Game 1. Only 10 of his 25 first pitches (40 percent) were fastballs, and only a handful were in the strike zone:Image courtesy of BaseballSavant.MLB.comBraves hitters never got comfortable against Ryu's backward, inside-out approach. They mustered four hits off him and walked zero times. Ryu struck out eight.For now, it's good enough for the Dodgers that Ryu's mastery led the way to a 1-0 series lead. What could make Roberts' call look even better in hindsight is if it has a positive effect on Kershaw in Game 2.It's fair to question (as Jon Weisman did at Dodger Thoughts) whether Kershaw's terrible postseason track record is actually that terrible. But everyone and their uncle knows it's not good Adam Eaton Jersey , which has to do with how he's never taken the mound in October under anything less than a glaring spotlight. Only Kershaw himself knows for sure, but it's fair to wonder how much responsibility that pressure bears for his past failures.This time, however, things will be a little different when Kershaw takes the bump at Chavez Ravine on Friday.Nobody will expect the lefty to get the Dodgers off on the right foot. He must only continue what Ryu started. That's less of a tall task. It may only help him improve on his recent playoff debuts鈥攕ee his6.69 ERA in four NLDS Game 1s between 2014 and 2017.If so, people will have to think twice before second-guessing any further surprises from Roberts.More importantly, the Dodgers' 1-0 lead could turn into a 2-0 lead. Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant. TORONTO (AP) — The San Diego Padres will pay Toronto $1.5 million on Aug. 15 as part of last weekend’s trade that sent left-hander Clayton Richard to the Blue Jays for Canadian outfielder Connor Panas.That cash will cover half of Richard’s $3 million base salary in the final season of a $6 million, two-year contract.The 35-year-old Richard was 7-11 with a 5.33 ERA in 27 starts for San Diego last season. He is 68-79 with a 4.46 ERA in 10 seasons in the majors with the Padres and Chicago White Sox and Cubs http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-max-scherzer-jersey , with a National League-best 60.3 ground-ball percentage over the last four years.Panas, 25, hit .232 with nine home runs, and 39 RBIs in 105 games last season for the New Hampshire Fisher Cats in the Class AA Eastern League The left-handed hitter from Toronto was selected by the Blue Jays in the ninth round of the 2015 draft.The trade was announced Sunday.