LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw gripped a baseball in his left hand and grimaced while he watched Game 5 of the NL Championship Series from the dugout.The Los Angeles Dodgers best pitcher was ready and eager, and he was sitting on three days of rest. Manager Dave Roberts could have deployed him Thursday night in Chavez Ravine and probably again in relief at Wrigley Field.Roberts declined to play his ace, instead holding his top card for the weekend. The Dodgers decided to rely on rookie Kenta Maeda and their busy bullpen against the NLs best offense.Those pitchers hung in for the first three hours, but eventually proved to be no match for Jon Lester in the Chicago Cubs 8-4 victory. Los Angeles now trails the NLCS 3-2 after getting outscored 18-6 in two straight home games.But the Dodgers didnt sound discouraged as they packed up for their flight.We can grab that momentum by one name, Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said. Kershaw.Although Roberts has already proven unafraid to do unorthodox things with his pitchers in October, he stuck to a conventional plan to save Kershaw for Game 6.And instead of pitching to clinch a pennant Saturday night, Kershaw must attempt to save the Dodgers season again.Weve got Clayton going in Game 6, so thats a game we expect to win, Roberts said.Kershaw volunteered to pitch Game 5, but Roberts had several reasons to turn him down.Roberts figured he would need to start Maeda at some point in the next three games, and he hoped the home crowd would benefit the inconsistent Japanese right-hander. With a day off Friday, Roberts also knew he could go deep into his bullpen -- which has thrown a majors-high 43 innings in the postseason -- with no repercussions.Its not an elimination game, Roberts said after Game 4. And I think the accumulation of (Kershaws) usage over the last ten days plays a factor in our decision.Instead of pitching on three days rest in Game 5, Kershaw will be pitching on a luxurious five days rest in Game 6. Although the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner already has pitched 19 1/3 innings in the postseason, a midseason injury kept him off the mound for 2 1/2 months, leaving his arm with much less accumulated action than in a normal season -- 168 1/3 innings combined this year, compared to 246 1/3 last season.Kershaw shrugs off that notion, saying he feels pretty much the same as he did in previous Octobers. The biggest difference is that Kershaw, who acquired a reputation for postseason struggles over the past several seasons, has begun to erase that reputation this fall while he attempts to reach his first World Series.Thats who you want in your decision game, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager said. Were looking forward to the battle.After pitching decently in his two starts in the NL Division Series against Washington, Kershaw dominated the Cubs with seven innings of two-hit ball in Game 2, and closer Kenley Jansen finished off a 1-0 victory.Regardless of the success of this call, Roberts has made a series of canny decisions in the postseason. His clever pitching staff management in the decisive Game 5 of the NLDS against Washington thrilled long-suffering fans who found manager Don Mattingly too reactive.Roberts used setup man Joe Blanton in the third inning, kept Jansen in for 51 pitches and seven outs, and went to Kershaw to close out a 4-3 thriller.Although Kershaw wasnt chosen for Game 5, Roberts clearly didnt have much faith in the alternative, pulling Maeda after just 3 2/3 innings and 76 pitches.Maeda trailed 1-0 after three batters in Game 5, but after striking out two Cubs to end the first, he held them without a hit until Javier Baezs leadoff double in the fourth. Moments later, Roberts curiously pulled him with Lester coming up for Chicago.Roberts said he thought Maedas stuff was fading, and he decided to rely on his high-mileage bullpen.I was a little surprised, Maeda said through a translator.The Dodgers bullpen kept it even until the sixth, when Addison Russell hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Blanton, one of Roberts most reliable arms until recently.The wheels fell off for Los Angeles in Chicagos five-run eighth inning, turning a tense game into a second straight blowout victory. The Cubs are one win away from a chance to end the championship drought that dwarfs all others, but Kershaw will finally get another shot to shut them down.We all know what we have in front of us with Kershaw going into Game 6, Cubs lefty Jon Lester said after his win Thursday. Hopefully hes not the good Kershaw, and we get kind of the mediocre guy that gives up a few runs and were able to hold them where theyre at.The Dodgers are eager to see their ace at his best.We have Kershaw going the next game, which were excited about, said Blanton, who gave up two homers and five runs to the Cubs in Game 1 after four scoreless appearances against the Nationals. Our backs are against the wall, but we kind of like that. Weve been there the whole year. We were in this situation in Washington, too. Maybe its where we need to be. Hockey Jerseys China . Ouellette, from Montreal, already has three Olympic gold medals since joining the team in 1999. Wholesale Hockey Jerseys . The 25-year-old Japanese star has officially been posted by his club team, the Rakuten Golden Eagles. http://www.cheaphockeychina.com/cheap-buffalo-sabres-jerseys-china_157g.html .ca NFL Power Rankings, overtaking the Denver Broncos and remaining ahead of NFC competition San Francisco, Carolina and New Orleans. Cheap Boston Bruins Jerseys China . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Cheap Calgary Flames Jerseys China . Coach Tom Thibodeau says the former MVP will probably start travelling with the team in the next few weeks. Rose tore the meniscus in his right knee at Portland in November and was ruled out for the remainder of the season by the Bulls. Alabama?defensive back Maurice Smith claims that his locker was cleared out and his personal items were thrown in the trash after he informed the school of his decision to transfer, according to a letter written by Smith that was obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Smith, who wrote the letter on July 1 to the Alabama appeal committee, stated that he was no longer allowed in the athletic facilities and among the personal items thrown out were my family photos, written goals, inspirational and sentimental items memorializing my deceased former friend, roommate and teammate, Altee Tenpenny, and items of personal value from my former teammates.Smith, a senior who has started two games in his career, is seeking to transfer to?Georgia. Since he is a graduate student, he would not?be required to sit out a year to regain eligibility.Alabama coach Nick Saban said he is blocking the transfer due to a policy prohibiting transferring within the conference. However, Saban did nothing to stop the transfer of former Alabama wide receiver Chris Black to Missouri earlier this year.Smiths mother, Samyra Smith, told the AJC that she didnt know why Saban was standing in the way of her son going to Georgia. Former Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is entering his first season as head coach of the Bulldogs.I dont know what it is, she said. You just had a player leave, Chris Black, and hes at an SEC school, Mizzou. So dont tell me its about a violation of rules. I can read you the rules. I understand them well. Its not a violation of rules, or else the SEC wouldve stopped it, the commissioner wouldve stopped it. But its allowed.In a statement released Thursday, Alabama said the transfer of Black to Missouri occurred only because of unique circumstances.[Black] elected to have surgery in the middle of the season and left the program, Alabama said. Because of the timing of his departure, his scholarshhip was not renewed, and he requested to use the graduate transfer exception through the SEC.dddddddddddd Our decision in this situation to support the SEC waiver was the exception and not the rule.We adhere to the SEC and institutional policies regarding issues of this manner. Waivers are not provided without compelling circumstances that present clear non-athletics reasons for the transfer. We remain happy to assist Maurice to enable a transfer to any non-SEC school, and have been doing everything requested regarding that throughout this process.Saban said at media days last month that he and the staff told Smith that he would be a significant contributor to the team, should he decide to stay. During the spring, Smith, a native of Sugar Land, Texas, worked with the first-team defense at nickel back.According to the AJC, Smith initially told Saban that, since he would not be released to an SEC school, he would transfer to Miami, which the coach agreed to. Smith, however, changed his mind and decided to pursue a transfer to Georgia.I felt confused and unfairly treated and did not pursue the release to UM, Smith wrote, according to the AJC. Although things appeared hopeless, I communicated with my parents who told me to follow my heart and if UGA was where I felt I would have success, I should not back down and should pursue it.He added: As it stands, the recent actions of the UA athletic staff have already sealed their intention to no longer include me as a part of the team. Their actions have demonstrated their non-renewal of aid whether intentional or non-intentional, it is not par for the course and sends a clear message that the rights and privileges that are extended per the aid received as a student-athlete of the University of Alabama, no longer apply to me. ' ' '