Dodgers aim to clinch series with 1-2 pitching punch

“I appreciate the confidence that Donnie has, the confidence in me to do it”, Kershaw said. “We’re disappointed we couldn’t do that tonight, but you’ve got to love the fact that it’s going down to Game 5 and everything’s on the line”. He’s just very impressive, just very tough to square up. “You feel real confident that he’s pitched well out there, that he’s going to go out and do it again”. His 1.66 ERA over 32 starts was the best in the major leagues.

The Mets started this series by beating Kershaw, and used a solid game plan to do so.

This happened during Game 1 of the NLDS, but Kershaw also has the most strikeouts in Dodgers postseason history with 77 in 64⅓ innings.

“He’ll paint the corners”. Again, no disrespect, because he’s a good pitcher, but that other guy is – I’ve been around him way too much. “But if he elevates, be aggressive with that and hit the ball hard somewhere and just try to keep him in the middle of the plate”.

DeGrom, the Game 1 victor over Kershaw, will pitch on full rest, just like Game 2 victor Greinke. If you see this guy work and you know his makeup, he was bound and determined to be the best in the game from the start. Right now, the Mets want deGrom to take the ball in these situations over any of their coveted young arms.

“For us it was to stay focused, go out and let our play do all the talking”, he said.

If Grandal can’t go, A.J. Ellis would start.

Greinke showed the Mets his fastball, changeup and slider nearly equally in Game 2. The right-hander then worked a 1-2-3 ninth as the Dodgers ended a seven-game losing streak in road playoff games.

The Dodgers provided Kershaw all the offense he needed in the third inning, when first baseman Adrian Gonzalez blooped an RBI single immediately before third baseman Justin Turner laced a two-run double.

But if deGrom makes even a mistake Thursday, the Mets will risk getting swallowed alive by Greinke, who is capable of matching Kershaw’s Tuesday handiwork, when the stud lefty allowed a Daniel Murphy solo homer but didn’t permit another runner to reach second base over seven innings. He had 19 home runs in 2015 and is eight shy of 400 for his career.

“I felt good yesterday”. DeGrom didn’t exactly pitch to contact, tying the franchise record set by Tom Seaver in Game 1 of the 1973 NLCS for most strikeouts in a postseason game. “I mean, we’ll have a whole host of guys in the bullpen behind him”.

“It will be a fun one to watch”, Mets outfielder Curtis Granderson said. The Dodgers have great pitching.

At least on paper, Thursday’s showdown between Greinke and deGrom seems like a dream, an ideal setup for a memorable contest befitting of its stakes.

The only thing that could neutralize Kershaw on Tuesday night was Dodgers manager Don Mattingly, who took his starter out of the game after seven innings. “That will kind of be in my mind and I’ll go out there and just try to put up zeros”. The victor of NLDS Game 5 will advance one step closer to that elusive World Series title, while the loser will head home for the offseason and deal with the heartbreak of being so close, but yet so far away.