What It Means:

20-year-old rookie Julio Urias was in line to start, but on the brink of elimination, the Dodgers are giving the ball to their ace. He's on three days' rest, but the decision isn't surprising. Kershaw did his part in Game 1 of the NLDS, conceding three runs on eight hits through five innings while picking up the valuable postseason victory.

In three previous starts on short rest, Kershaw has spun a 1.89 ERA across 19 innings.