Dodgers Dugout: All hail Justin Turner and Clayton Kershaw

Hi and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, reminding you that Tuesday’s victory put the Dodgers nine wins away from the title.

Game 4 thoughts

* It was great to see Justin Turner steal the spotlight in Game 4. I have always been high on him, and his amazing defensive play in the seventh inning may have saved the Dodgers’ season. Turner is hitting .467 with four doubles in the series. The Mets have four doubles as a team. And his teammates love having him at the plate with runners on base. “There’s nobody else, him and Adrian,” catcher A.J. Ellis told Times baseball columnist Bill Shaikin. “They’re the two guys, when you get runners on base, we’re really confident in our dugout.”

* Who else got nervous when the Mets led off the seventh inning with an infield single? The seventh has always been the inning that kills Clayton Kershaw, so there was a “Here we go again” feeling. But you could tell from Kershaw’s demeanor that he was feeling more confident. Plus, unlike Game 1, when no one thought to visit Kershaw on the mound after he started walking guys in the seventh, this time, Ellis walked out to the mound, giving Kershaw an extra few seconds to gather himself. Kershaw is now 2-6 with a 4.59 ERA in his postseason career.

* After going two for four in Game 4, Kiké Hernandez is now four for 10 in the series with two walks, three runs scored and a stolen base. He should remain in the leadoff spot for Game 5.

* I appreciate their passion, but Mets fans are really annoying.

* Ron Darling seemed somewhat sad that the Dodgers won.

* Again, I can’t say enough about how Chris Hatcher turned his season around. In 23 1/3 innings (including the playoffs) since coming off the disabled list, he has given up only 13 hits and seven walks while striking out 30. His ERA in that span? 1.16.

* Corey Seager seemed a lot more relaxed out there. I would keep him in the lineup over Jimmy Rollins.

* Did you see Turner limping while running off the field after the seventh inning? I hope it’s nothing serious. He says he will play in Game 5, and the Dodgers sure do need him.

* Hopefully Dodgers fan will be as loud as they can be in Game 5. Hey, Dodgers, how about handing out blue T-shirts to everyone and creating a sea of blue in the seats?

* Kenley Jansen was throwing some serious heat in the ninth inning. And you can never tell if he feels any pressure. “I just love it, man,” Jansen said after the game. “I love being in that situation right there. That’s when you can prove how good you can be.”

* Game 5. Zack Greinke. Jacob deGrom. That should be fun to watch.

The rest of the schedule

Game 5: Thursday at Dodger Stadium, 5 p.m. Pacific time, Zack Greinke vs. Jacob deGrom, TBS

And finally

For an early look at Game 5 by Times reporter Zach Helfand, go here. I will have a longer look in tomorrow’s newsletter.

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me and follow me on Twitter: @latimeshouston.