With that, Kershaw had effectively summarized the pro-Utley side of the contentious debate that has ensued since the game-changing moment in Game 2 of the National League Division Series between the Dodgers and New York Mets.
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Utley appealed his two-game suspension assessed by Major League Baseball on Sunday night for an illegal slide in Game 2, which broke the right leg of Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada.
Utley, 36, came to the Dodgers from the Phillies in a midseason trade, and he has a great deal of experience facing both the Mets as a whole and Monday’s starting pitcher, right-hander Matt Harvey.
With the series tied 1-1, fans prepared for Citi Field’s first playoff game by directing their ire at Utley with chants on the No. 7 subway line to the ballpark. The umpires ruled that Tejada missed the bag – he’s the Mets’ shortstop – by centimeters.
Granderson’s five RBIs matched a Mets postseason record last accomplished by Carlos Delgado in Game 4 of the 2006 NLCS at St. Louis, when New York established its previous postseason high of 12 runs. His seventh-inning single off Noah Syndergaard increased L.A.’s win probability by 11 percentage points – and by subsequently breaking up a potential Mets double play with his aggressive take-out of Tejada, he lifted the Dodgers’ chances of winning by 40 percentage points. “It was a tackle, it was illegal, it was sickening”, de Blasio said.
Asked about the team’s decision to start Kershaw over left-hander Alex Wood, Manager Don Mattingly replied, “Do I have to explain that one?”
With only three days between outings, Kershaw is scheduled to start Game 4 of the NL Division Series against the New York Mets.
Revved-up fans showed up early hungry for payback against Utley, left out of the lineup despite strong career numbers versus Harvey (6 for 18 with a home run).
“Chase has played a long time, played in big games”, Mattingly said. That would allow Utley to play until the hearing process is complete. “I know it’s fun to talk about all this stuff, and you hear about it all, and it gets a lot of attention, but I’m sure it won’t go away”.
If the series goes to Game 5 in Los Angeles, the Dodgers will have Zack Greinke ready to pitch on his usual four days’ rest.
“We kind of got a taste of playoff baseball out in Los Angeles”, David Wright said. “The union, let me say reasonably, wants a few time to get things pulled together”. And even New York Mayor Bill de Blasio weighed in, calling Utley “guilty as sin”.
Reynolds would become the second player since the first World Series in 1903 to make his big-league debut in the postseason, according to STATS. Mark Kiger did it for Oakland in 2006, appearing as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.
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“I’m of the mentality that the person who had the issue with Ruben, he’s not playing tonight, so I don’t agree with taking it out on someone else who’s not at fault”, Cespedes said.
