Both managers say their teams are ready for Game 1.
Advertisement
President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman is expected to have to let Mattingly go if the Dodgers don’t make the World Series.
In a scoreless game, Murphy got ahead of Kershaw, 2-0, and pounced on a 94 miles per hour fastball from the Dodgers ace and hit it deep into the Mets’ bullpen in right field for the game’s first run. The Dodgers led the majors with the best percentage of home wins, 55-26 at Dodger Stadium, and the Mets were just a game over. Alternatively, the Dodgers were flying high during the season’s first half before overachievers began to come back to earth.
Jacob deGrom #48 of the New York Mets throws a pitch during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 27, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
As he kept the Dodgers down, it gave the Mets’ batters time to try to capitalize on any mistake Kershaw might make, and they finally did in the fourth when Murphy connected on his second homer of the year against a southpaw. This is also contingent on if they are leading the series or behind in the series, but it is a possibility to watch for.
To really put his accomplishments into perspective, consider that there have only been three pitchers to lead their league in ERA four consecutive times – Kershaw, Sandy Koufax and Lefty Grove. “He’s got late movement on all of his pitches, velocity on all his pitches”, Michael Cuddyer said.
“Will they actually go all out to keep this young staff and pay the dollars the market will bear, once they’re eligible for greater dollars?” asked Kenneth Shropshire, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. The Dodgers actually have the superior season stats. Players like Pederson and Yasmani Grandal cratered, along with the lineup as a whole.
Lucas Duda and new Mets acquisition Yoenis Cespedes have injected life into a once-stagnant offense. He also has a few of the best stuff in baseball.
The Mets hold the season series edge after beating the Dodgers in four of seven regular season match-ups. If the Mets don’t get the job done here, there are reasons. Friday night’s NLDS was the Mets’ first playoff game in nine years.
It’s been so long we’ve had four presidents since then and one of them is black.
-Kershaw allowed one run and eight hits against the Mets this season, including a complete-game three-hit shutout against them on July 23. Cespedes is the one true superstar in the Mets’ lineup, and he is due for a power surge after finishing the regular season on a relatively quiet note. New York’s other baseball team surprisingly won the National League East title, their first since 2006, and sixth overall in franchise history.
If Clayton Kershaw has an Achilles heel, postseason play has been it. Wright is healthy for the Mets now and must play a big role if the Mets hope to beat the Dodgers in the NLDS. The Dodgers sport the largest payroll in the major leagues but outside of Kershaw and Grienke their team neon-light positional stars are not household names.
When Kershaw takes the mound for Friday nights opener at Dodger Stadium, hell be trying to earn just the second postseason win of his career after going 0-4 in his last two series against the Cardinals. The clubs split the four games started by Kershaw and Greinke.
Advertisement
“So you look at guys’ success, guys’ careers”. One thing is certain about this group, they’re a lot more encouraging of a bunch than what Los Angeles had last season around this time.
