ARLINGTON, Texas -- Clayton Kershaw cut through the doubters, just like one of his curveballs through the strike zone.

It took only 13 seasons.

One of the most accomplished pitchers in baseball history attained the achievement he sought most, winning the World Series for the first time when the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 in Game 6 on Tuesday.

"We won the World Series," Kershaw said. "I don't care about legacy, I don't care about what happened last year, I don't care about what people think. I don't care at all, man. We won the World Series. The 2020 Dodgers won the World Series. Who cares about all that other stuff? To be a part of that team? All that other stuff is just pointless. It doesn't matter. We won. It's great."

Kershaw went 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA over 11⅔ innings in two starts, striking out 14 and walking three.

He earned his title not far from his hometown of Dallas, with family and friends filling a ticket allotment supplemented with "nosebleed seats."

Watching from the Dodgers bullpen in right-center field, Kershaw raised both arms and pointed fingers toward the sky, a huge smile across his face, after the final out. With his blue Dodgers sweatshirt still on, he ran through the bullpen door and to the infield to join his jumping teammates.

Manager Dave Roberts shared a moment with Kershaw on the field.

"I just told him how happy I was for him and thanking him and how grateful I was to be beside him and just kind of sharing, and he was excited for me as well," Roberts said.

Kershaw's honors are too numerous to list on his likely Hall of Fame plaque: a five-time major league ERA champion, including three in a row from 2012 to '14, a three-time strikeout champion, a two-time 20-game winner and a pitching triple crown winner in 2011. Kershaw is an eight-time All-Star, the NL Cy Young Award winner in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and the 2014 NL MVP. He is the winner of the 2012 Roberto Clemente and 2014 Marvin Miller awards for his off-the-field achievements focusing on his community and charitable work.

But Kershaw entered this season just 9-11 in postseason play, with poor outings in a pair of World Series Game 5s that resulted in a 2017 no-decision and a 2018 defeat.

He responded by going 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA, 37 strikeouts and five walks in 30⅔ innings this postseason. For the first time since 2015, Kershaw wasn't inserted into a bullpen role when he wasn't starting. That seemed to ease the back pain that has flared up repeatedly for five years.

"Once again, man, it doesn't matter. All those other years don't make this any sweeter," Kershaw said. "Winning the World Series if you're in the playoffs your first year is just as sweet. This is what we've worked for our whole lives. Every one of those guys has worked their whole lives to be a part of a world championship team, myself included.

"The other years are done with -- somebody won the World Series, and it wasn't us -- and now we are the ones that won the World Series, and that ... I can't get over saying that. It's just amazing."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.