Playoffs game blog: Clayton Kershaw on mound as Dodgers face elimination

The Los Angeles Dodgers send their three-time Cy Young Award winner to the mound tonight as they try to avoid elimination against the New York Mets in the National League Division Series.

The Mets won 13-7 last night as Curtis Granderson drove in five runs and Yoenis Cespedes went 3-for-5 with a three-run homer. The Mets went 6-for-15 with runners in scoring position as they moved to within one win of advancing.

Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.13 ERA) pitches for Los Angeles against 24-year-old rookie left-hander Steven Matz (4-0, 2.27 ERA). Kershaw has a five-start playoff losing streak with a 6.44 ERA in that stretch. In nine career postseason starts, he is 1-6 with a 4.99 ERA.

He took the loss in Game 1 Friday, allowing three runs and four hits over 6 2/3 innings, and is pitching on three days' rest tonight. Kershaw has made two starts in the playoffs on short rest, compiling a 2.25 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 12 innings.

Kershaw has allowed just three runs in four career starts at Citi Field. He is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.01 there over 26 2/3 innings with nine walks, 31 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.900. He pitched a three-hitter there with 11 strikeouts in a 3-0 victory on July 23.

Matz went 8-4 with a 2.05 ERA in the minor leagues this season, mostly at the Triple-A level. He gave up two runs or less in five of his six big league starts. His second major league start was on July 5 against the Dodgers, and he pitched six scoreless innings allowing just two hits.

There will be a pair of Game 5's in the American League Division Series on Wednesday, with Texas pitching Cole Hamels (13-8, 3.65) at Toronto against Marcus Stroman (4-0, 1.67 ERA) and Houston with Collin McHugh (19-7, 3.89 ERA) playing at Kansas City against Johnny Cueto (11-13, 3.44 ERA).

AL playoff batting leaders:
.500 - Colby Rasmus, Hous. (7-for-14)
.412 - Kevin Pillar, Tor. (7-for-17)
.375 - Ben Zobrist, K.C. (6-for-16)
.357 - Chris Carter, Hous. (5-for-14)

AFL opener: Today was opening day in the Arizona Fall League and three O's prospects played for Peoria, which rallied with five runs in the eighth to beat Surprise 6-5. Mike Yastrzemski went 1-for-2 batting ninth as the designated hitter with a walk and hitting a solo homer to start that rally. Chance Sisco batted seventh as Peoria's catcher and went 0-for-3 with a walk and three strikeouts. Right-hander Jon Keller pitched a scoreless seventh inning on 19 pitches.