LEADING OFF: Mets-Dodgers in NLDS Game 5

In the Mets’ Game 2 loss, Syndergaard made Dodger Stadium gasp with his 101-mph heat, although he lost his command as the game wore on.

Los Angeles and New York both rank in the top half of the league in hits.

The victor takes on the Cubs in the NLCS at home. Let go by the Mets after the 2013 season – they declined to offer him arbitration – he is 7 for 15 (.467) in the series with four doubles and three RBIs.

“They’ve given us two guys that stop streaks, save your bullpen, are just day-in, day-out consistent guys”, manager Don Mattingly said by phone Wednesday when both teams traveled back to Los Angeles. “You’re looking at Noah’s going to be down there tomorrow, Matt, if we need him, they’ll all be there”. “But I think we’re as excited as we were [for Game 1]”. He’s just very impressive, just very tough to square up. “If you can get strikeoouts on heaters like he can, it’s really tough”.

Greinke has pitched at least six innings in all 33 of his starts with a 1.66 ERA that led the majors. He was scratched from scheduled starts twice late in the regular season due to a back injury.

With that, the NLDS goes to a Game 5 on Thursday, becoming the third Division Series this postseason to go to decisive finale. They trailed 6-2 in the eighth inning before Will Harris and Tony Sipp took the reigns and allowed five runs to cross the plate.

“He’ll paint the corners”. He threw a fastball by him and hung a slider. If Jon Niese has to come in to Game 5 early, Squawker Lisa might as well send me a golf emoji right then, because the Mets season will be over.

“Honestly, I never thought he’d be this good of a hitter”, Kershaw said following the game. “I feel like, in general, lefties hit fastballs from right-handed pitchers better than right-handers hit fastballs from right-handed pitchers”, Greinke explained.

There was no champagne celebration at Citi Field on Tuesday. Tuesday night was the third time he had done so, and one could say he’d done pretty well doing that.

And when Turner himself declined to elaborate on just what a star he’s become, his partner at the postgame podium, A.J. Ellis, was happy to elaborate in his place, celebrating Justin Turner in the building where he’d been discarded, then slurred. The Dodgers have 46 strikeouts in this series and have won 13 of their last 16 games when allowing three or less runs. Taking out that anomaly, the other three games were decided by three runs or less. It was easy to forget Game 1 was deGrom’s first career postseason appearance. Colon has allowed two runs and struck out five over four innings in the NLDS.

He is 2-2 with a 2.63 ERA and three home runs in five career starts with six days’ or more rest.

Clayton Kershaw got through the seventh inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers got through the fourth game. 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. Mets fans will be biting their nails watching the game tonight, but they are optimistic that their team will come out of LA victorious. “He said he’d be ready”, the manager said. Hard to believe he would not be up for it. The Dodgers should be too. The stakes are even higher Thursday. “Just, I don’t think anybody was going to outpitch Clayton Kershaw tonight”.

Instead, the Dodgers scored three times off Matz in the third, so deGrom was simply getting his work in. Big hits, especially early on will be key.

“Anything can happen, ” Mattingly said.

Kershaw settled down after a laborious 18-pitch first inning in which he went to a three-ball count on the first three batters.

What could go wrong?