Age isn't a factor for Kershaw MLB: But 21-year-old expects some butterflies before his first playoff start.

Byline: Jill Painter, Staff Writer

The "K" in Clayton Kershaw's name might be more synonymous with kid than strikeout, but the Dodgers need Kershaw to pitch well beyond his years today.

Kerhsaw, 21, is entrusted with the start in today's Game2 for the Dodgers. He'll be the 11th-youngest pitcher to start a postseason game.

"I think any time you're given the responsibility to start in the postseason, there's obviously some added expectations there," Kershaw said. "I don't think that has anything to do with age.

"There's going to be some expectations for you to pitch well."

Veteran Randy Wolf, 33, made his first playoff start Wednesday at Dodger Stadium. That's the funny thing about how baseball works.

Kershaw showed some moxie in last Saturday's start, in which he helped the Dodgers clinch the National League West title.

"We've tried to protect this kid the last year or so from any outside pressures or game pressures and watch his pitch count," Dodgers manager Joe Torre said. "Then you hand him the ball Saturday, and he wins a game that we couldn't win for a week. He didn't win it, but he pitched well enough to win it."

Kershaw didn't just pitch well, he was dominant. He struck out the first five batters he faced and 10 total. Kershaw scattered three hits over sixscoreless innings and did everything the Dodgers couldn't do in their previous six games to win the division and homefield advantage.

He was nervous for that game, and he'll surely have butterflies today.

"I'll probably be nervous for sure," Kershaw said. "I'm nervous every time I pitch. I think it's how you handle the nerves, how you channel it, how you can use it to your advantage sometimes."

He has made sure age hasn't been a disadvantage for him. Kershaw doesn't have much experience, but he has been good. Kershaw was 8-8 with a 2.79 ERA this season, the lowest among the team's starters.

There was much speculation surrounding Torre's playoff rotation, but Kershaw cracked it after making last year's postseason roster as part of the bullpen.

"I'm glad I get the opportunity to do it," Kershaw said. "That doesn't add any confidence or anything to what I would normally have or anything like that. Just the same, same every start for me really.

"I don't look at it too much differently."

Kershaw doesn't expect a memorable pep talk from Torre before today's decidedly different stage.

"He wants me to treat it like it's a regular start," Kershaw said. "I don't think he's going to come up and give any words of wisdom or anything like that, just because he doesn't want me to think any differently."

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Dodgers left-hander Clayton Kershaw was 8-8 with a 2.79 ERA this season. He is set to pitch today against St. Louis.

Keith Birmingham/Staff Photographer