There isn’t a Dodger fan on the planet who isn’t still anguishing in one way or another over the Dodgers devastating loss to the Washington Nationals in Game-5 of the 2019 National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night. Certainly, no one expected the team that had set a new franchise record with 106 regular-season wins to fall in the first round of the playoffs to a team that had won 13 fewer games and had to claw their way in as the league’s Wild Card team, right?

Not only did the Nationals prove themselves a worthy opponent for the seven-time consecutive NL West division-winning Dodgers, but they also forced the best-of-five series to a decisive fifth game.

…and won.

They did so when onetime Dodgers ace and future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw – pitching in relief – allowed back-to-back eighth-inning solo home runs to Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon and left fielder Juan Soto (on consecutive pitches) to turn a 3-1 lead into a 3-3 tie.

And then, in the top of the 10th inning with the bases loaded and no outs, beleaguered Dodgers right-hander Joe Kelly – the same Joe Kelly who had beaten the Dodgers in Game-4 of the 2018 World Series while with the Boston Red Sox – gave up a devastating (but predictable) grand slam home run to former Dodger and current Nationals second baseman Howie Kendrick to drive a stake through the hearts of the Dodgers and their fans with the 7-3 loss. In other words, Joe Kelly is now 2-0 against the Dodgers in postseason play.

But while Kershaw, Kelly and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will undoubtedly experience untold criticism for days, weeks, months and perhaps even years to come, lost in the fray of this unbearable nightmare was the brilliant – and gutsy – pitching performance by 25-year-old Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler.

The Lexington, Kentucky native and Dodgers first-round draft pick in 2015 out of Vanderbilt University allowed only one run on four hits while walking three and striking out seven in his 6.2 innings of work before Roberts took the ball from him after having made a season and career-high 117 pitches, of which 74 strikes.

But instead of handing the ball to one of his warmed and ready relievers, more specifically to left-hander Adam Kolarek with his 2-0 record and team-best 0.77 ERA; the same Adam Kolarek who was 3-0 against Soto during the series (twice via strikeout), Roberts handed it to Kershaw in an unfamiliar role out of the bullpen.

Unfortunately, instead of getting the six outs needed to advance to their third consecutive National League Championship Series, Kershaw’s game-tying and Kelly’s game-winning home runs sent the Dodgers home to watch the remainder of the postseason on TV rather than playing in it.

“Game-5, winner take all, and for it to work out the way it did, it’s just different,” a red-eyed Buehler told reporters after the devastating loss. “It would be different if we went out and got beat. That’s not how we felt it happened. We won 108 games. Most of the time that gets you past where we ultimately lost. We’re built to keep putting ourselves in this position, but for some guys, it’ll be the last time.”

As he has done many times throughout his remarkable 12-year MLB career, Kershaw took full responsibility for bringing an abrupt end to the Dodgers season, even though that responsibility was not his to take (i.e., that Joe Kelly thing).

“I let down the guys in the clubhouse,” said Kershaw, his eyes also red. “That’s the hardest part every year. When you don’t win the last game of the season and you’re to blame for it, it’s not fun. The main reason is the group of guys in this clubhouse. It’s just a terrible feeling.

“I had one job to do, to get three outs. I got one out and didn’t get the other two. They went over the fence and it cost us the game right there. So it’s a terrible feeling. No excuses. Just didn’t make pitches and guys hit it over the fence twice.”

Yes, they did “…hit it over the fence twice,” and yes, Kershaw did blow the 3-1 lead, But he is definitely not “…to blame for it.” That distinction clearly belongs to Joe Kelly.

…and to a horrendous NLDS by 2019 NL MVP hopeful Cody Bellinger, two-time All-Star (and two-time Silver Slugger) Corey Seager, and supposed Dodgers slugging savior A.J. Pollock (and his ludicrous four-year / $55 million contract with a player option for a fifth year), who went a combined 7-for-52 (.135) during the five-game series. In fact, Pollock went 0-for-13 with 11 strikeouts.

Although the season is over for the team that many had predicted would make it to their third consecutive World Series, and although there will be a lot of finger-pointing and blame cast as to why that didn’t happen, lost in the fray was yet another outstanding job by that kid from Vanderbilt – Walker Buehler.

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