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WASHINGTON -- A little past midnight in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, Clayton Kershaw emerged from the bullpen to pitch in relief for the first time in seven years.Two outs later, the only save of his major league career in the books, Kershaws arms were raised and teammates were rushing to celebrate with a guy whose postseason performances have never carried the luster of his regular-season success.Coming in after closer Kenley Jansen entered in the seventh inning and threw a career-high 51 pitches but issued a pair of one-out walks in the ninth, Kershaw got Daniel Murphy to pop out, then struck out Wilmer Difo to end it.That finished the Los Angeles Dodgers dramatic 4-3 victory over the Washington Nationals that decided their NLDS in the wee hours of Friday.The adrenaline rush was pretty good right there, said Kershaw, who approached Dodgers manager Dave Roberts in the seventh inning to offer to pitch if need be on the must-win occasion.At the at the end of the day, if we dont win that game, were going home, anyway, so what does it matter? Kershaw said. I just wanted to be available, and it ended up to the point where I could help out tonight.The Dodgers won the last two games of the best-of-five NLDS with Kershaw pitching in each and now head to the NL Championship Series to face the Chicago Cubs. That opens at Wrigley Field on Saturday night.The Nationals, meanwhile, still have never won a postseason series, winning three NL East titles in the past five years but losing in the NLDS each time.And while theres no way Kershaw will be available for Game 1 against Chicago, one things for sure: Whatever notion there might have been about the leftys playoff problems -- he was 2-6 in the postseason until this series, with an ERA nearly twice what he has in the regular season -- is now a thing of the past.That (criticism) is ridiculous, Dodgers president Stan Kasten said, his dress shirt soaked with alcohol from the postgame festivities. Thats why I said to him, Dude, youre Mr. October.Kershaw worked two days after throwing 110 pitches over 6 2/3 innings in Game 4, when he had the benefit of only three days rest following his win in the opener against the Nationals.Nobody wants it more than him -- his tireless work ethic and how much he competes. And just for him to go up and tell them, Hey, I can come in and close this thing out if you need me, just says so much about the type of player he is, said Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, whose two-run triple in the seventh helped L.A. build its lead. Hes a winner. Hes a champion.How unanticipated was Kershaws work as a reliever? Several hours before Thursdays game began, Roberts was asked whether Kershaw might be available at all -- maybe for just one out, say?No, came Roberts reply. Absolutely not.Turned out the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner would get a pair of outs in his first relief appearance since the 2009 playoffs.Clayton came to me in the seventh, Roberts said, and said that he had an inning if I needed it.Kershaw came in after Jansen got a career-high seven outs. Jansen walked Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth with one out in the ninth -- and thats when Roberts went to Kershaw.Kershaw wound up with his second pro save. His other came on Aug. 19, 2006, in the Gulf Coast League in a game against the Nationals rookie club.And Kershaws catcher that day a decade ago?Amazingly, none other than Jansen, who didnt begin pitching professionally until three years later.Jansen said he couldnt recall that particular game. He assured everyone hell never forget this one. When Kershaw walked from the dugout to the bullpen before removing his blue jacket to start warming up, he got fist bumps from teammates.In the tunnel that leads from the dugout to the visiting clubhouse, Jansen looked up at a TV and saw Kershaw getting ready to pitch.Im like, Wait a minute. Am I dreaming right now? I couldnt believe it, Jansen said later, just socks on his feet and ski goggles on his head, leaning against a wall in a clubhouse hallway. Im like, Is Kersh warming up? Is he really out there?Sure was.L.A.s scoring all came in a four-run seventh off six Nationals pitchers, including Joc Pedersons homer off Max Scherzer.Its the craziest game Ive ever been a part of, said Scherzer, who took a no-hitter into the fifth. We just didnt get it done. No ones a goat. No one made a crucial misplay. Everybody stepped up and did their game. We just didnt get that extra run.Washington was leading 1-0 in the sixth, when Werth walked and Ryan Zimmerman smacked a two-out double to left. But third-base coach Bob Henley -- whose propensity for waving runners home led to a popular T-shirt among Nationals players that says, Send em short, send em tall, send em one, send em all -- sent Werth and saw him get thrown out easily on shortstop Corey Seagers relay.Wasnt even close.You live and die by those moments, sometimes, Werth said.And in the sort of blink-and-you-missed-it game-shifting sequence, Werths inning-ending, overzealous bid to score was followed immediately by Pedersons homer on Scherzers first -- and, it turned out, only -- pitch of the seventh.That began a rally that included a pinch-hit RBI single by 37-year-old pinch hitter Carlos Ruiz , helping L.A. go up 4-1.Then came pinch hitter Chris Heiseys two-run homer in the Washington seventh.Then came Jansen in an inning that took 66 minutes and included a total of eight pitchers.And then came Kershaw.The West champion Dodgers are back in the NLCS for the first time since 2013, but theyve lost in their previous three trips to that round, failing to make it to the World Series since they won their most recent championship in 1988.And Kershaw had a hand in all three NLDS wins.Looking him in the eye, I felt good about it, and the training staff gave the OK, Roberts said, so its only fitting for Clayton to get the last out right there.MATCHUPThe Cubs were 4-3 against the Dodgers this year. The only other time they met in the postseason was the 2008 NLDS, which L.A. swept.ONE-AND-DONEThe East champion Nationals are one-and-done in the playoffs yet again, losing in the NLDS yet again. Washington was beaten in five games in 2012 by St. Louis and in four games in 2014 by San Francisco. Take it back further, and a baseball club based in the nations capital hasnt won a postseason series since the old Senators were the 1924 World Series champions.Im not ready to go home, Nationals first-year manager Dusty Baker said. I havent been home since February, but I would have gladly stayed a couple more weeks.Marc Rzepczynski was the losing pitcher.YOUNG URIASDodgers LHP Julio Urias, who turned 20 in August, became the youngest pitcher to appear in the postseason since Cincinnatis Don Gullett was 19 in the 1970 World Series, the Dodgers said, citing STATS. Urias entered in the fifth and threw two scoreless innings and got the win. He walked Harper, then picked him off first base.MAKE THE MOVEBefore this year, Roberts was best known in the postseason for his ninth-inning steal as a pinch runner in Game of the 2004 ALCS that sparked Bostons comeback against the Yankees. Hell now also be remembered for his mound maneuvers that won this game -- he used three members of his rotation, plus his closer in a career-long outing.These are conversations that me, the front office, we have daily, about just kind of forward-thinking, being open-minded to how you can use guys in certain roles. And today was a prime example, Roberts said.Adidas Continental 80 NZ . What general manager Dave Nonis called "short and productive" negotiations ended with Kessel signing a US$64-million, eight-year contract on Tuesday. Adidas NMD Human Race NZ . The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling "puts an end to my dreams of being a top player," the 27-year-old Troicki said in a statement. "I worked my entire life for it, and it has been taken away from me in one afternoon by a doctor I didnt know," said Troicki, whose ranking peaked at No. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/adidas-nmd-r2-cheap-nz/nmd-r2-mens.html . Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC failed to make the postseason while Montreal Impact fell at the first hurdle losing heavily to Houston Dynamo in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round. NMD 2020 NZ . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. NMD Shoes Wholesale . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason.Its a fact: The sharp money has been on the Cleveland Browns all season.Every week, its the same thing, Ed Salmons, assistant manager at the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas, said Sunday afternoon. Well write a limit bet [on the Browns] by a wiseguy right at the gun.It may be time to question the wisdom of the wiseguys.Cleveland fell to 0-13 on the season with Sundays 23-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Browns are now a league-worst 2-11 against the spread. The 2008?Detroit Lions, the only team to go 0-16 in a season, went 7-9 ATS during their winless campaign. No team has covered the spread in fewer than three games in a season in the past 20 years.Its hard to be that bad and not cover, Salmons said of the Browns. Because the spreads get so inflated, its really hard not to cover.The Browns are managing to pull it off, and the betting public has rejoiced. Who is playing Cleveland has become a free bingo spot on parlay cards, bookmakers said.On Sunday at William Hills Nevada sportsbook, 85 percent of the money bet on Cincinnati-Cleveland was on the favored Bengals. It doesnt seem to matter what number we hang, the public is going to fade them, a Caesars sportsbook manager said. Honestly, I cant blame them.Action was lopsided toward Cincinnati around Las Vegas. Yet, as kickoff approached, the line began shrinking.Earlier in the week, the Browns grew to as much as 6-point underdogs. On Sunday morning, the line dipped to 4.5, after the routine late sharp action showed up on Cleveland, right before kickoff.We actually won money on the spread on that game, because of the sharp action that was on the Browns, Jason Simbal, vice president for Las Vegas sportsbook operator CG Technology, said. But obviously all the parlays accumulating had Cincinnati.The Westgate took a $10,000 limit bet from a professional player on the Browns +4.5 right before kickoff Sunday. Still, the public money on the Bengals outweighed the amount on Cleveland, leaving the Westgate rooting against the Browns alongside professional bettors.These guys are professionals. They are playing numbers, Sallmons said.ddddddddddddYou want to gamble against the public, but at some point youd like to see a team cover.William Hill is offering odds on whether the Browns will finish 0-16. Yes is currently a -240 favorite.At William Hills 108 Nevada sportsbooks, 93 percent of the bets and 55 percent of the total dollars wagered are on Yes. The book took a $5,400 bet on the No at -900 on Oct. 20. If the Browns win a game, the bet would net $600.The Browns are the only team in the NFL this season to have been an underdog in every game. The SuperBook has installed Cleveland as a 10-point underdog at Buffalo this week.Giants help salvage Sunday for Vegas booksSeveral Las Vegas sportsbooks were down heading into the Sunday night game between the Dallas Cowboys and home underdog New York Giants. The Westgate and South Point sportsbooks said they were in practically no-win situations. Six favorites covered in the early nine-game slate, and the Green Bay Packers, a popular home-underdog pick with bettors, rolled past the Seattle Seahawks in one of the bigger afternoon losses for MGMs sportsbook.The early results left the MGM with a big decision brewing on the NFC East primetime showdown between the Cowboys and Giants. An hour and a half before kickoff, six times as much money had been bet on Dallas as had been bet on New York. If we get Giants, we hold onto the money, Jay Rood, MGM vice president of race and sports, said. If we dont, its going to be pretty much a wash.The Westgate was in a more precarious position heading into the night game, after losing big decisions with the New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams in the afternoon.If its Dallas and over, we can lose a ton, SuperBook assistant manager Ed Salmons said. If its Giants and over, we still lose. And if its Giants and under, we win literally next to nothing on the game. So its like you can lose a lot or win hardly anything.The Giants won 10-7 in a low-scoring game that stayed under the total. ' ' '