MLB

Kershaw, Dodgers roll past Braves in Game 1

ATLANTA — The Dodgers showed not only are they built for October, but they also have their own modern-day version of Sandy Koufax in Clayton Kershaw.

Don Mattingly’s club crushed the Braves, 6-1, in Game 1 of the NLDS at Turner Field before 43,021 fans as Kershaw shut down the Braves’ offense with 12 strikeouts, the first Dodger to notch double-digit strikeouts in a postseason game since Koufax fanned 15 in Game 1 of the 1963 World Series against the Yankees.

“My fastball command wasn’t great,’’ Kershaw said, adding the win was his career highlight because “it’s my first postseason win.’’

“His slider became unhittable,’’ Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said.

The most discouraging thought for the Braves: If they somehow win two of the next three games of this best-of-five series, they will have to face Kershaw in Game 5.

Before the game, Magic Johnson, one of the Dodgers’ owners, said the club must sign Kershaw long term, which means they probably cannot afford to sign Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano. Kershaw will be a free agent in 2015 and the Dodgers plan on signing him to a long-term contract this winter.

The lefty lasted seven innings and allowed only one run on three hits with three walks.

It wasn’t just Kershaw who beat the Braves. Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-run home run, Ellis lashed two doubles and rookie Yasiel Puig got on base three times in his October debut. The 22-year-old energized rookie also doubled slow-footed Evan Gattis off first base on a fly to right.

This was the Dodgers team that went 42-8 at one point in the season. They need six more wins to deliver Mattingly to the promised land of the World Series.

“Obviously, it would be really nice to be able to do that,’’ Mattingly said. “But it’s part of, for me, what you cut out. You just want to keep making good decisions, getting your guys in the right position.’’

Mattingly nearly was fired before the Dodgers turned it around.

“All’s well that ends well,’’ he said. “It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish, right?’’

Before the game, Johnson pointed out he would love to see Kershaw go undefeated in the postseason.

“We already know we’ve got to give him a lot of money,’’ Johnson said with a laugh. “What’s a few more zeroes? I mean, really? I’m hoping he goes 5-0 [in the postseason]. I’ll take that all day long. This young man will get paid, no question about it. You already know, even though I can’t talk about the other guy, but you know that guy in New York is going to get paid. Probably not by us, but he’s going to get paid. Hey, when you’re a superstar, you get paid.’’