deGrom outduels Kershaw to give Mets early edge
Everybody expected a pitchers' duel in Game 1 of the NLDS between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, and that's exactly what happened Friday night at Dodger Stadium.
Jacob deGrom amassed a franchise record-tying 13 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings, and David Wright drove in two runs, as the Mets prevailed 3-1 to take the opener of the best-of-five series.
Top Performer: deGrom tied Tom Seaver's strikeout record set back in 1973 when the Hall of Fame right-hander sat down 13 Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NLCS. The reigning National League Rookie of the Year also now holds the record for the most strikeouts ever in a postseason debut.
Starting Pitchers: deGrom and Clayton Kershaw went toe-to-toe for much of the contest and combined for 24 strikeouts, which is the first time in postseason history both starters have struck out 11 or more batters. Kershaw, who was 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA in 11 career postseason appearances coming into the start, only yielded a solo homer to Daniel Murphy, but was later tagged with an additional two earned runs after getting into trouble in the seventh.
| PITCHER | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| deGrom | 7 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
| Kershaw | 6.2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
"I got outpitched, plain and simple," Kershaw said after the game.
Turning Point: Dodgers manager Don Mattingly elected to pull Kershaw in favor of Pedro Baez with two outs and the bases loaded in the seventh, a decision he'd soon regret. Wright worked the count to 3-2 on the righty, and then stroked a single into center field to plate a pair of runs. Los Angeles never recovered after falling in a 3-0 hole.
Up Next: The Dodgers won't have much time to dwell on the loss, as the two clubs are back in action Saturday night. Zack Greinke (19-3, 1.66 ERA) will get the ball for L.A., while the Mets counter with rookie Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 3.24 ERA) as they attempt to take a 2-0 series lead back to Citi Field for Game 3.