Clayton Kershaw believes extra-inning rules are 'not real baseball'

The MLB implemented a new rule for extra innings this season, allowing each half-inning to start with a runner on second base. It's supposed to allow teams to score easier and ideally not have games go on for too long. However, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw made it clear that he is not a fan of the new rules.

"It's not real baseball," Kershaw said. "But it's fine for this year and I hope we never do it again."

Kershaw's criticism seems to be aimed at letting players on base even though they did not actually hit or even earn a walk to get there. From his perspective, that takes away from the competitive nature of the game. However, not everyone agrees with Kershaw's assessment, including Dodgers manager Dave Roberts who said he was skeptical at first but eventually was won over.

"I didn't know how it was going to play out and how it was going to be received, but as we've had some runs with it, I really like it," Roberts said. "I think it really shortens the game. It adds strategy for the fans, the managers, the players.

Roberts and Kershaw may not be on the same page about this but they are definitely on the same page when it comes to winning games. The Dodgers currently hold the best record in baseball (32-12) and look primed to make another deep postseason run. And Kershaw has played no small part in the Dodgers' success, as he is putting together another dominant season, going 5-1 with a 1.98 ERA.