SEATTLE -- Hours before Clayton Kershaw took the mound for the final time in the regular season, manager Dave Roberts was posed the following question: Where would this Dodgers team be without him?
This season, Roberts replied, the Dodgers probably would not have won the NL West without the contributions from their longtime ace. But going back further, Kershaw is the lone common thread in the team's 13 straight postseason appearances, including 12 division titles and two championships.
Kershaw has defined greatness in this generation of Dodgers baseball. His Hall-of-Fame-worthy run came to an end when Roberts sent Freddie Freeman out to the mound to remove the legendary left-hander after 5 1/3 scoreless innings in Sunday's 6-1 win at T-Mobile Park, marking the end of an illustrious regular-season career.
"Playing the game with teammates," Kershaw said, "that's what makes it special."
Kershaw earned his 223rd career win, struck out seven Mariners -- including Eugenio Suárez for his final out -- and scattered four hits and a walk. When Freeman, his teammate of four seasons, came out to remove him from the game, Kershaw exchanged hugs with his teammates and walked off the mound to a standing ovation, doffing his cap in appreciation.
"For Doc to let me be a part of it in that moment, those are the ones that will choke you up as you think about things you were able to do in your baseball career," Freeman said. "And to be able to take, in my opinion, the greatest pitcher of our generation out of his last regular-season start, I think that might be up there as one of my favorite baseball moments that I’ve had."
It wasn't as emotional as Kershaw's final regular-season start at Dodger Stadium, but it was still a special day. His wife, Ellen, and two of their children were in attendance. His longtime batterymate, A.J. Ellis, and first MLB pitching coach, Rick Honeycutt, were also on hand.
"It was hard to see them, and hard in a good way. Just emotional," Kershaw said. "But after that, you don't want to embarrass yourself. You want to get people out, so try to compete as best you can."
Because Kershaw made a full start in the regular-season finale, he will not be on the roster for the upcoming Wild Card Series against the Reds. Not only must the Dodgers advance past the first round to continue their bid to become the first team in a quarter century to repeat as champions, but they'll need to move on in order to see Kershaw on a big league mound past Sunday.
Since Kershaw announced that this season would be his last, the Dodgers have rounded into form, winning eight of their 10 games in that span. That may not be a coincidence. His teammates have talked about wanting to send Kershaw out on a high note, and their level of play has reflected that.
"Closing a chapter on a great career, reflecting, being grateful, talking about his teammates, I think that was galvanizing," Roberts said. "I think that that message landed with his teammates, that you only get so many opportunities. Take advantage of them. And I think that those guys really bonded when Clayton mentioned how special this team was."
Here are some of the firsts and lasts in Kershaw's regular-season career, from his Major League debut against the Cardinals on May 25, 2008, and his final start against the Mariners on Sunday:
• Strikeout: Skip Schumaker, Eugenio Suárez
• Walk: Brian Barton, Cal Raleigh
• Hit: Albert Pujols, Cole Young
He ends his regular-season career with 3,052 career strikeouts, which ranks 20th on the all-time list, and a 2.53 ERA, which ranks 25th all-time.
After a delayed beginning to his 18th big league season due to offseason knee and toe surgeries, Kershaw did not miss a start. Among Dodgers starters, he ranked second only to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in starts (22) and innings (112 2/3).
The strong finish to Kershaw's career won't sway his decision to step away from the game, rather than let an injury or a decline in performance push him out.
"There's a lot of things I'm gonna miss," he said, "but getting this carcass out there every fifth day, I'm not going to miss that."
Kershaw has tried in various ways to make his impending retirement less about himself and more about recognizing the people who have been behind him all along: Ellen and their growing family, current and former teammates and coaches, and the fans.
But as baseball has said farewell to one of its greats, Kershaw has savored every moment -- while maintaining focus on the task at hand as his team's postseason run begins.
"I couldn't ask for anything more. It's been an amazing 10 days, two weeks," he said. "Now we can all turn our focus to beating the Reds."