Even before he took the mound to twirl a playoff masterpiece John Jaso Jersey , the talk was it could be the last time Clayton Kershaw — who has an opt-out clause in the contract that will pay him $65 million the next two years — wears the Dodgers home whites.That would be bad for the Dodgers on two fronts.No. 1, it would mean they lose the next two games in Milwaukee and fall short of the World Series. No. 2, it would mean they lose a pitcher who is in the conversation just after Sandy Koufax when it comes to the all-time Dodger greats.Don’t fear, Dodger fans. It’s highly doubtful Kershaw is going anywhere.The ace lefty was coy talking about possible free agency before his start Wednesday in Los Angeles, when he redeemed himself for a dismal performance in Game 1 of the NLCS by pitching three-hit ball over seven innings as the Dodgers moved within a game of the World Series with a 5-2 win.He said the kind of things a player is supposed to say to avoid tipping off his thoughts or alienating any of his fans.“I have not made a decision,” Kershaw said. “And to my understanding you get 10 days after the World Series. So should be a busy 10 days.”Kershaw has the contractual right to opt out of the seven-year deal signed in 2014 that pays him $215 million, and to use the leverage that comes with it. That’s likely, at the very least, to get him a few more years at the same kind of money he’s making today.Make no mistake about it, that money is huge. Kershaw is making $34 million this year, putting him just behind Angels outfielder Mike Trout after leading the highest-paid list for the previous three years.And, for the most part http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-jordy-mercer-jersey , Kershaw has earned his pay. He’s an astonishing 153-69 in 11 years as a Dodger, with an ERA of 2.39 and a WAR (wins above replacement) of 62.1.But his innings are in decline, partly because of injury and partly because of the way baseball is evolving. Kershaw’s ERA has inched up as his fastball has gone down in velocity, and he’s no longer the automatic win Dodger fans pencil him in for every time he takes the mound.By itself, that might not be enough for teams to pass on emptying the wallet to sign him. There aren’t many impact players like Kershaw, and the idea of him taking the mound every five days would have any general manager salivating.But baseball doesn’t value the starting pitcher like it used to, which was on display in Wednesday’s game when Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell removed starter Wade Miley after just five pitches. The move was unconventional and made mostly because Counsell hoped the Dodgers would load their lineup with right-handed hitters, but the trend across baseball is toward using starters less and replacing them with multiple relievers.Fox analyst and Hall of Famer John Smoltz believes the analytical age is causing teams to rethink the traditional rotation. It’s cheaper — and sometimes more effective — to have pitchers throw as hard as they can for as long as they can, he says, and then replace them with another pitcher who can do the same.“It’s hard-pressed for me to think that at the end of the day this is not just a cheaper version of baseball,” Smoltz said earlier this year. “You can operate your team paying guys less and utilizing them in their younger years when they’re not making so much. Burn and churn and just keep shuffling the deck in the bullpen.”Kershaw’s value to the Dodgers was also questioned when he was passed over as Game 1 starter in the division series against Atlanta. Kershaw was miffed, then went out to pitch eight innings of two-hit ball to win Game 2.But he stumbled when picked to start the NLCS Corey Dickerson Jersey , not getting an out in the fourth inning before being pulled. And while he rebounded against the Brewers in Game 5, the knock on Kershaw is that, for all his greatness, he has underperformed at crucial times in the postseason and has yet to deliver the Dodgers a World Series title.That could change in the next two weeks as the Dodgers chase their first championship in 30 years. It might also convince the Dodgers to add as many years onto Kershaw’s contract as he will likely want.It will be money well spent, because Kershaw is as much an institution in LA as the great Dodger pitchers of the past. Vin Scully himself has compared him to Koufax except, of course, for the fact Koufax won three World Series rings in Los Angeles.No matter what happens in Milwaukee, though, expect Kershaw to remain a Dodger for years to come.____Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg@ap.org or http://twitter.com/timdahlberg Maddie Meyer/Getty ImagesFollowing a full Friday of postseason MLBaction, the American League takes center stage for a pair of American League Division Series Game 2 showdowns.The Houston Astros commenced their title defense with four long balls and another Justin Verlander gem to take an early lead over the Cleveland Indians. Both division champions have another ace in tow for the second bout at Minute Maid Park.Reigniting their storied rivalry in October, the Boston Red Sox pegged J.A. Happ for five runs before the New York Yankees could hand a lead to their dominant bullpen. After escaping with a 5-4 triumph, they will rely on David Price to reverse his playoff struggles against a rival that has routinely given him trouble.With tons of star power on display Austin Meadows Jersey , let's break down each of Saturday's pivotal Game 2 matchups.MLB Playoff BracketALDS: Houston Astros 1, Cleveland Indians 0ALDS: Boston Red Sox 1, New York Yankees 0NLDS: Milwaukee Brewers 2, Colorado Rockies 0NLDS: Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Atlanta Braves 0 ALDS Schedule: Saturday, Oct. 6Cleveland Indians at Houston Astros: 4:37 p.m. ET on TBNew York Yankees at Boston Red Sox: 8:15 p.m. ET on TBSLive Stream:TBS Watch Live Cleveland Indians vs. Houston AstrosThe Cleveland Indians will attempt to even the series behind Carlos Carrasco.Brian Davidson/Getty ImagesGame 1's battle between former AL Cy Young Award winners went far better for Verlander than Corey Kluber, who ceded home runs to Alex Bregman, George Springer, Martin Maldonado and Jose Altuve in a 7-2 loss.Springer stayed hot on the grand stage by depositing his eighth dinger in 25 career postseason bouts:MLB Stat of the Day MLBStatoftheDayGeorge Springer has hit a dinger in FIVE STRAIGHT #postseason games. That ties him with former Astro carlosbeltran15 for 2nd-longest streak in MLB history. FDyFAuaDRaThe onerous task of silencing Houston's young studs now falls to Carlos Carrasco. After tossing 5.2 scoreless frames in last year's 1-0 ALDS loss to the Yankees, Cleveland's overlooked ace netted a 3.38 ERA and career-high 231 strikeouts this season.He will face one of the few teams able to deploy another elite hurler. In his first season with the Astros, Gerrit Cole posted a 2.88 ERA and 276 strikeouts, the AL's second-highest clip behind Houston's Game 1 victor.Sports Info Solutions SportsInfo_SISLargest Increase in Strikeout Rate - 2017 to 2018Gerrit Cole 11.2 percentage ptsBlake Snell 9.8Patrick Corbin9.2Justin Verlander 9.0Largest declineCorey Kluber -7.7Clayton Kershaw -5.9In addition to de-emphasizing a sinker that yielded a 132 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) last season http://www.piratesfanproshop.com/authentic-colin-moran-jersey , the strikeout percentage on Cole's four-seam fastball soared from 24.5 to 32.8 percent. Per David Barron of the Houston Chronicle, the 28-year-old righty credited the Astros for unlocking his ace ceiling."They're really forward-thinking," Cole said. "They have a system analytically that's really advanced and is designed ... for the player to better themselves. And then A.J. [Hinch] plays his hand accordingly on how he wants to design the lineup or the defense and whatnot."It won't be easy to score off Cole, but Cleveland still needs an early lead. Although the strength of 2016's World Series run, the bullpen betrayed the AL Central champions by allowing a 4.60 ERA this season.On Friday, the Astros tacked on three insurance runs鈥攖wo against Cody Allen鈥攁t the backsliding unit's expense.The Astros, on the other hand, are so flush with bullpen options that Joe Smith, Brad Peacock and Chris Devenski didn't even make the ALDS roster.This advantage鈥攁nd Houston's superfluous power鈥攚ill make all the difference in a well-pitched game from Cole and Carrasco.Prediction: Astros 4, Indians 3New York Yankees vs. Boston Red SoxMasahiro Tanaka will look to replicate last years postseason success.Jim McIsaac/Getty ImagesRemember Cleveland's 1-0 loss started by Carrasco last year? Masahiro Tanaka tossed seven shutout innings on the other end of the pitchers' duel.It was the first of three sensational playoff turns for the righty, who yielded 13 baserunners (10 hits and three walks) and two runs through 20 frames. For those who justifiably dismiss October as old news, his 2.85 second-half ERA offers a more recent dose of success.Tanaka is nearly unhittable when effectively commanding a devastatingslider that flummoxed opponents to a .173/.227/.318 slash line and 27.4 strikeout percentage this season. Yet he also surrendered a 6.26 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox David Freese Jersey , who hit sliders better than any team in baseball.Despite Tanaka's 2018 struggles against the potent AL East rival, viewers will hear far more about Price's well-documented difficulties combatting the Bronx Bombers.Price has stumbled to a 4.90 ERA in 250 career innings against his long-term adversary. Although this marks the former AL Cy Young Award winner's ninth playoff appearance for a fourth AL squad, he has yet to encounter the Yankees in the postseason.Talk of his overall October shortcomings will also resurface if he falters. He lowered hiscareer playoff ERA to 5.08 by tossing 6.2 innings from the bullpen in last year's ALDS.Price is also rolling into October with a 2.25 ERA after the All-Star break. And at least the game takes place at Fenway Park, where he posted a 2.98 ERA.Christopher Smith SmittyOnMLBDavid Price has given up 16 homers against the Yankees as a member of the Red Sox. 13 have come at Yankee Stadium, only 3 at Fenway Park.Yet the Yankees belted an MLB-high 82 long balls against southpaws during the season while stamping the second-best wRC+ (115) behind the Astros. Boston ranked second in wRC+ (116)versus righties, so don't be surprised if either or both starters are knocked out early.A battle of bullpens would favor the Yankees, and manager Aaron Boone should not hesitate to open the reliever floodgates. Pounded for a 7.91 ERA the third time through the order, Tanaka earned a 2.61 ERA in 120.2 previous innings.New York's starter just needs to hold the fort down for four or five frames before Boone unleashes his late-inning power pitchers on Boston.Prediction: Yankees 6, Red Sox 4 Note: All advanced stats are courtesy of FanGraphsunless otherwise noted.