Recap: Kershaw Pitches Dodgers To Game 4 Victory Over Mets
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Chants of "We Want Utley" rang through Citi Field in New York on Tuesday when the Dodgers took on the Mets in Game 4 of the National League Division Series.
Infielder Chase Utley, who injured Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada on a controversial Game 2 slide, was not in the starting lineup for the Dodgers.
However, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw took the mound despite only three days of rest before the start.
The Mets sent rookie left-hander Steven Matz to the mound, who looked sharp to start the game.
The Dodgers took an early lead in the top of the third inning after Adrian Gonzalez drove in a run with an RBI single to center field.
With the Dodgers already up 1-0, Justin Turner drove in two more runs in the third when he doubled to left field, scoring Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez.
Clayton Kershaw looked almost untouchable until the fourth inning, when he gave up his second home run of the series to Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy.
"I was pretty fired up. I knew the adrenaline would take over, it was just a matter of controlling it." - Clayton Kershaw.
— Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015) October 14, 2015
The Dodgers ace would limit the damage to just the solo home run in the fourth, getting Yoenis Cespedes to ground out and Travis d'Arnaud to strike out to end the inning.
Stephen Matz was only able to pitch five innings, as the Mets brought in Bartolo Colon for the third time this series to pitch the sixth inning.
Colon was able to pitch two scoreless innings in relief for the Mets.
After six innings, Clayton Kershaw only allowed two hits and struck out eight Mets as the Dodgers led, 3-1.
The seventh inning is what has doomed Clayton Kershaw in the past. Prior to this outing, he had surrendered 11 runs in the seventh inning over the course of his last three postseason starts.
While the inning looked ominous after a Yoenis Cespedes infield single, Kershaw was able to retire the next three batters and come out of the inning unscathed.
Well, people can take that Kershaw narrative and shove it.
— Brett Anderson (@BrettAnderson35) October 14, 2015
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly brought in Chris Hatcher to pitch the eighth inning, but after retiring the first two batters, he walked Curtis Granderson.
Mattingly then went to his closer Kenley Jansen to try to convert the four-out save.
After walking David Wright to put men on first and second base, Jansen got Daniel Murphy to fly out to right field to end the threat.
In the ninth inning, Jansen struck out Cespedes and d'Arnaud to start the inning, before getting Lucas Duda out to end the game.
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