And all hands better be on deck to give Clayton Kershaw the run support any pitcher would need in a win-or-stay-home kind of environment.
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Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber all blasted homers as the Cubs moved into the NL Championship Series.
“Since he’s arrived in L.A.it’s been basically this year over times three”. “They like us a little better there”.
The LA Dodgers and New York Mets are set for Game 4 of the NLDS in the Major League Baseball playoffs and the game is on TV and streaming live from TBS on Tuesday.
But perhaps Mattingly felt like Kershaw had beaten his postseason hex and better not to tempt fate by pitching one more inning. Just before the first pitch, Kershaw was stomping up and down the dugout, hollering, high-fiving and chest-bumping teammates as if he were about to play a college football game, and he carried the emotion to the mound, reacting on almost every early pitch. He said the issue is whether Grandal can swing without pain; catching would not bother him. “I mean, sometimes it’s not possible, but that’s what you try”. Oh, and we nearly forgot to mention: Before the game even began, the Mets introduced Tejada, who took the field with the help of a cane. “I think that will be my game plan going into this game, trying to keep my pitch count low and go as deep as I can”.
With that, the NLDS goes to a Game 5 on Thursday, becoming the third Division Series this postseason to go to decisive finale. For two consecutive years, Kershaw has pitched in a road playoff game with his team facing elimination.
“There’s no curse or anything”, he said.
Kershaw struck out eight, walked one and yielded only three hits, quieting another revved-up crowd at Citi Field as the night wore on. Mets take a 4 to 3 lead.
Kershaw’s dominant outing came at a crucial time for the Dodgers, who squared the National League (NL) Division Series at 2-2. “We wanted to win it tonight”.
“You only get so many chances”.
During his playoff slump, Kershaw had posted a 6.44 ERA.
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said before Tuesday’s game that he wouldn’t hesitate to use Utley in the right situation.
If the Dodgers’ postseason is over at the time of the decision, any suspension that is upheld would be served at the start of the 2016 regular season. Justin Turner would then power home Howie Kenrick and Gonzalez on a double to left. “We thought he’d be a great utility player, and he’s turned out to be our 3-, 4-hole hitter and our starting third baseman”.
Erik Goedell came on to pitch for the Mets in the ninth, with the score at 13-4. “There’s not going to be too much going across, but again, I’m happy with the guy we got going”.
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Harvey, who yielded two earned runs in five innings, said the team needed to concentrate on winning rather than look for retaliation for Tejada’s injury. “We’ve got all the confidence in the world that if we get to the next round, he’s going to be a part of that rotation”. The right-hander is 3-2 with a 3.48 ERA in eight postseason starts. Relievers Chris Hatcher and Kenley Jansen added two scoreless innings and three strikeouts to shut the door on the Mets.
