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. Giants Jerseys 2020 . PAUL, Minn. Wholesale Giants Jerseys . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. https://www.cheapjerseysgiants.us/ . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. 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AMHERST, Mass. -- Rashaan Holloway scored a career-high 21 points and Massachusetts defeated Massachusetts-Lowell 90-76 on Friday in a season opener.Holloway, a sophomore center, made 6 of 7 shots from the floor. Donte Clark, the only returning starter from last years Minutemen team, added 14 points and nine rebounds. Luwane Pipkins added 14 points and fellow freshman Tryn Flowers added 11 points and seven rebounds.The game was the first Division-I meeting between the schools. The River Hawks are beginning their fourth season play in college bassketballs top level.ddddddddddddMatt Harris scored 16 points and Jahad Thomas, UMass Lowells top-returning scorer, added 15 plus eight rebounds. Freshman Stefan Borovac scored 10 points.Zach Lewis hit a 3-pointer to put the Minutemen up for good 19-16 and they led 48-37 at halftime.The Minutemen outscored the River Hawks 22-7 to start the second half as UMass Lowell didnt get its first field goal until the 15:29 mark. ' ' '