Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw ends his career unaware at first that he won the World Series again

TORONTO (AP) — Clayton Kershaw ended his illustrious 18-year career unaware that he'd just won the World Series again.

At least at first.

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 in 11 innings in Game 7 on Saturday night to become the first team in a quarter century to win consecutive championships.

But that was news to Kershaw initially.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner was warming up in the bullpen and had lost track of the outs when Alejandro Kirk grounded into a game-ending double play with runners at the corners.

“When he hit the double play, I thought the run scored and it was tied. I had no idea. I thought I had the next batter,” Kershaw said, laughing.

It was left to Dodgers bullpen catcher Josh Bard to let Kershaw know the game was over and they had won.

"Bardo was there and he looked at me, he said, `We just won the World Series' and I was like, `Are you sure?’”

The 37-year-old left-hander announced in September his plans to retire after this season.

He said at his locker Saturday night that he couldn't have asked for anything more. Kershaw spent his entire career with the Dodgers and won three World Series rings. He became one of the greatest pitchers of his generation and one of Los Angeles’ most beloved athletes of the 21st century.

“It's not a sad feeling. It really isn't,” Kershaw said. “I mean, how cool is this? I will forever for the rest of my life be able to say we won Game 7 of the World Series in the last game I ever played. You can't script that. You can't write it up. Even if I was not throwing 88 (mph), I still would be done. It's just the perfect way to end it."

The three-time Cy Young Award winner made a clutch appearance out of the bullpen in the 12th inning of Game 3, a 6-5 victory that stretched 18 tense innings.

“You can't script that, either. I'm thankful to get out there and get that last out,” he said. “That's so cool.”

In his prime from 2010-15, Kershaw led the National League in ERA five times, in strikeouts three times and wins twice.

He has already earned a place alongside Sandy Koufax, Don Drysdale, Don Newcombe and Fernando Valenzuela among the greatest pitchers to wear Dodger Blue.

Kershaw had one of the best pitching seasons ever in 2014, when he finished 21-3 with a 1.77 ERA and 233 strikeouts to win both the Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards in the NL.

Kershaw built his reputation with a pitching style that relies on deception, movement and velocity changes. He has said he modeled his mechanics after his favorite childhood pitcher, Roger Clemens.

The 11-time All-Star is tied with Zack Wheat and Bill Russell for the most years playing with the Dodgers. Kershaw also won World Series championships in 2020 and 2024.

He has a career record of 222-96 and 15 shutouts, most among active major leaguers. He threw his only no-hitter in June 2014 against Colorado.

His 2.54 ERA is the lowest of any pitcher in the live-ball era since 1920, and his winning percentage tops all pitchers with at least 200 victories since 1900.

Kershaw said he's been offered a job by Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman.

“He mentioned something where I can hang out,” Kershaw said. “I don't know what that looks like, but this is a special organization and they don't need me to win World Series — that's obvious. But if there's anything that I can do in the future to be a part of it, I hope that's the case.”

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Clayton Kershaw, center, of the Los Angeles Dodgers addresses reporters for the last time as player after the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 in Toronto, Canada. (AP Photo/Rob Gillies)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw celebrates their win against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw celebrates after their win against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Toronto. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw lifts the trophy after the Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw celebrates after the Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of baseball's World Series, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025, in Toronto. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Torrential rains and flooding have killed more than 100 people in South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and authorities warned Friday that more severe weather was expected across several countries in southern Africa.

South Africa has reported at least 19 deaths in two of its northern provinces following heavy rains that began last month and led to severe flooding.

Tourists and staff members were evacuated this week by helicopter from flooded camps to other areas in the renowned Kruger National Park, which is closed to visitors while parts of it are inaccessible because of washed out roads and bridges, South Africa's national parks agency said.

In neighboring Mozambique, the Institute for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction said 103 people had died in an unusually severe rainy season since late last year. Those deaths were from various causes including electrocution from lightning strikes, drowning in floods, infrastructure collapse caused by the severe weather and cholera, the institute said.

The worst flooding in Mozambique has been in the central and southern regions, where more than 200,000 people have been affected, thousands of homes have been damaged, while tens of thousands face evacuation, the World Food Program said.

Zimbabwe’s disaster management agency said that 70 people have died and more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed in heavy rains since the beginning of the year, while infrastructure including schools, roads and bridges collapsed.

Flooding has also hit the island nation of Madagascar off the coast of Africa as well as Malawi and Zambia. Authorities in Madagascar said 11 people died in floods since late November.

The United States' Famine Early Warning System said flooding was reported or expected in at least seven southern African nations, possibly due to the presence of the La Nina weather phenomenon that can bring heavy rains to parts of southeastern Africa.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited flood-stricken areas in the northern Limpopo province on Thursday and said that region had received around 400 millimeters (more than 15 inches) of rain in less than a week. He said that in one district he visited “there are 36 houses that have just been wiped away from the face of the Earth. Everything is gone ... the roofs, the walls, the fences, everything.”

The flooding occurred in the Limpopo and Mpumalanaga provinces in the north, and the South African Weather Service issued a red-level 10 alert for parts of the country for Friday, warning of more heavy rain and flooding that poses a threat to lives and could cause widespread infrastructure damage.

The huge Kruger wildlife park, which covers some 22,000 square kilometers (7,722 square miles) across the Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces, has been impacted by severe flooding and around 600 tourists and staff members have been evacuated from camps to high-lying areas in the park, Kruger National Park spokesperson Reynold Thakhuli said.

He couldn't immediately say how many people there were in the park, which has been closed to visitors after several rivers burst their banks and flooded camps, restaurants and other areas. The parks agency said precautions were being taken and no deaths or injuries had been reported at Kruger.

The South African army sent helicopters to rescue other people trapped on the roofs of their houses or in trees in northern parts of the country, it said. An army helicopter also rescued border post officers and police officers stranded at a flooded checkpoint on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border.

Southern Africa has experienced a series of extreme weather events in recent years, including devastating cyclones and a scorching drought that caused a food crisis in parts of a region that often suffers food shortages.

The World Food Program said more than 70,000 hectares (about 173,000 acres) of crops in Mozambique, including staples such as rice and corn, have been waterlogged in the current flooding, worsening food insecurity for thousands of small-scale farmers who rely on their harvests for food.

Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa. AP writers Charles Mangwiro in Maputo, Mozambique, and Farai Mutsaka in Harare, Zimbabwe, contributed to this report.

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)