Dodgers vs Mets Recap: Game 1

In a festive and unseasonable hot October evening, the quest for a World Series title began in Game 1 of the Dodgers vs Mets.

Clayton Kershaw was starting his personal journey to exorcise his playoff demons.

Facing the New York Mets fire baller, Jacob DeGrom, the Dodgers needed to score runs to support their ace — unfortunately, they did not.

When one looks at Clayton Kershaw in the playoffs, inevitably people look to the seventh inning and comment on fatigue being a factor.

Perhaps the Dodgers ace wouldn’t be so fatigued if he didn’t have to pitch perfectly every time he started a playoff game.

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Like Lucy taking the ball from Charlie Brown, Game 1 must have felt as Yogi Berra said , like “Deja vu all over again.”

Despite striking out 11 batters marking the third playoff start that he struck out more than nine in a game.

Yet, again, the Dodgers playoff struggles reared it’s ugly head.

Kershaw gave up a home run to a left handed batter, something he did only once in the regular season but has now done in his last three playoff starts.

Kershaw again struggled in the seventh being pulled after walking three batters.

He hadn’t walked three batters in a game since June 12th, and yet there he was doing it in one inning.

After being pulled only down 1-0 Kershaw’s hopes rested with the bullpen, and as always the bullpen did what it always does, fail.

With the bases loaded and a 3-2 count to Mets third baseman David Wright, Dodgers reliever Pedro Baez threw a fat pitch over the middle that Wright drove over the middle scoring two more Mets and providing the winning margin of 3-1 taking Game 1 of the five game series.

Despite getting the start most managers would kill for, it was not enough for Don Mattingly and the Dodgers, because the Dodgers anemic offense showed up again.

Twice the Dodgers had a runner on second with less than one out and both times nothing came of it.

Despite pushing DeGrom to pitch 90 balls by the fifth the Dodgers could do nothing against the young starter who was making his playoff debut.

The Dodgers were fooled all evening as DeGrom mixed a high fastball consistently going 98 mph and commanding change up that the Dodgers constantly chased when in 0-2 hole.

He was able to strike out 13 Dodgers including striking out Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, and Andre Ethier three times each negating the left-handed hitters.

When the top of the order doesn’t get hits it doesn’t matter who is pitching it’s highly unlikely you’ll win.

So where do the Dodgers go from here?

They have their second ace going in Game 2 but if their weak hitting line-up continues to struggle will it matter once again.

If Greinke does get the run support will the bullpen be able to hold the lead.

If the Dodger do get themselves back in this series, who do they Dodgers turn to if they are down 2-1 going into game 4.

Bottom Line: It seems like more of the same for LA.

The series is not over but from the stands it sure seemed as if the same movie was being played over again.

Kershaw deserved better and so do the Dodgers fans.

Here’s to hoping the Dodgers players are up to the task of providing both some glimpse of a better future.