In 2014 Kershaw finished the regular season with a 1.77 ERA, in the second round loss to the Cardinals Kershaw finished with a terrible 7.23 ERA. Whether he will be fit enough to start Game 1 remains to be seen and a decision will be made in the hours ahead of the first pitch.
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Thus far the away team has had the advantage in the postseason with wins in every game, though that could change in the Astros Royals game that’s wrapping up. Collins has said Harvey won’t be making six starts this postseason if the Mets make a deep run. L.A. paid him $79,770 for each of his 274 total bases.
Unlikely. It’s not as though Kershaw hasn’t pitched in meaningful games late in the regular season while helping the Dodgers lock down playoff spots. There’s nothing quite like a big postseason to get a enormous contract – just ask Carlos Beltran after 2004. His latest number in a playoff atmosphere have seen his Dodger lose all four, and in sour fashion, with two of those coming in elimination games for the Boys in Blue.
Those teams square off in final Game #1 of the Divisional Series tonight in Los Angeles when the Dodgers host the Mets. Oh, and the Mets might win a few playoff games, too. While New York sends ace Jacob deGrom to the mound, the Dodgers counter with Clayton Kershaw.
This NLDS series provides arguably the best pitching matchups of any other. Manager Terry Collins has several options when setting a lineup for Game #1 versus Cy Young victor, Kershaw, but has yet to share that information with the New York or national media. Bonds simply tormented them with his bat as he hit.
Granderson talks about preparing to face Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, how he stays loose during the postseason and how the Mets’ July changes and young talent allowed them to streak into the postseason. The Dodgers defeated the Padres 2-1. Kershaw took a flawless game into the seventh inning of the opener. If one of them falters though, or if an injury occurs, the Dodgers may find themselves in trouble.
A more likely answer is that the Cardinals have just hit him better than most teams. But Jeurys Familia is young and has no playoff experience, and it’s hard to predict how he’ll react to the pressure. First, heat tends to hinder a pitcher more than help them; they can tire more quickly when it gets hotter. While both teams play in different parts of the country, these two teams do have a lot in common such as their large home markets and their long World Series droughts. Considering the fatigue that’s plagued the Mets’ rotation, this may prove to be a bigger problem for them.
On Friday night, the Mets have a chance to make a statement against the Dodges in Game 1 of the NLDS.
NOTES: Mets LHP Steven Matz, who has been bothered by back stiffness, threw approximately 90 pitches in a simulated game in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Now it’s not as if the Dodgers ownership group, Guggenheim Baseball Management, was forced to scour the depths of the couches in their New York City and Chicago headquarters to pay their high-priced players’ salaries.
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The Mets won four of seven meetings between the teams, all in that month before Yoenis Cespedes arrived from Detroit in a trade that boosted the Mets anemic offense.
