Inning by inning: Dodgers beat Mets, 3-1, to force Game 5 of NLDS

Final: Dodgers 3, Mets 1

The series is headed to Los Angeles for a decisive Game 5. Kenley Jansen struck out Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d’Arnaud, and Lucas Duda lined out to center field to end the game.

Clayton Kershaw erased some of his postseason demons, and now Zack Greinke and Jacob deGrom will face off on Thursday.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, bottom of ninth

The Mets also went with their close, Jeurys Familia, in the top of the ninth inning. Yasiel Puig, A.J. Ellis and Andre Ethier went down in order, and this one heads into the bottom of the ninth inning.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, top of ninth

Ultimately, Kenley Jansen did come in. Hatcher retired the first two batters, Michael Conforto and Kelly Johnson, before walking Curtis Granderson. Jansen came in to face David Wright.

On the 2-2 pitch, Wright checked his swing, and catcher A.J. Ellis, thinking the ball was tipped into his glove, started to run into the dugout. Home-plate umpire Chris Guccione disagreed, and Wright worked a walk. It didn’t matter, Jansen got Murphy to fly out to right field. The Dodgers are three outs away from sending this series back to Los Angeles.

-----------------

Clayton Kershaw’s night is done. He threw 94 pitches and struck out eight in seven innings, and his single eventually led to a run. Closer Kenley Jansen has thrown one inning the last 10 days, but Don Mattingly is opting for set-up man Chris Hatcher in the eighth.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, bottom of eighth

Tyler Clippard made quick work out of the Dodgers in the top of the eighth. Adrian Gonzelz popped out to David Wright to start the inning, and, to end it, Corey Seager also popped out to Wright, who made a nice grab leaning into the crowd. In between, Justin Turner lined out sharply to center field. Even when he makes an out he is hitting the ball hard.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, top of eighth

And Clayton Kershaw navigates through his postseason inning or doom.

Kershaw had allowed 11 runs in the last three seventh postseason innings, and this one started ominously enough when Yoenis Cespedes’ littlle dribler down the third-base line slipped under the glove of Kershaw.

But Kershaw quickly got the next three outs, the last Justin Turner making a nice stop on a hot one-hopper from Wilmer Flores. Turner, who has a sore knee, spun around and fired, but grimaced on his throw.

Kershaw has thrown 94 pitches through seven innings.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, bottom of seventh

The Dodgers going pretty quietly now. Enrique Hernandez did single with one out, but Howie Kendrick bounced into a double play.

And now comes Clayton Kershaw and the bottom of the seventh. Will be interesting.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, top of seventh

Things are going about as well as the Dodgers could hope for Clayton Kershaw. The short rest hasn’t been a factor through six innings. He retired the Mets in order, picked up two more strikeouts and even got Daniel Murphy to fly to center.

He’s at 86 pitches. Of course next is the seventh, his postseason Achilles.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, bottom of sixth

The Dodgers’ offense has been reduced to one inning this far. The Mets brought in Bartolo Colon, all 42 years of him, to start the sixth. All he did was retire the Dodgers in order.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, top of sixth

Kershaw struck out the side, though outfielder Juan Lagares managed the Mets’ second hit with a single.

The Mets hit for Steven Matz, so he’s done of the night. Barotlo Colon is coming in.

-----------------

Doddgers 3, Mets 1, bottom of fifth

The Dodgers threatened in the fifth, but left-hander Steven Matz was able to turn them away. Enrique Hernandez singled and took second on an Adrian Gonzalez groundout. That brought up Mets killer Justin Turner and this time they walked him intentionally. It paid off when Matz caught Corey Seager looking at a third strike.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 1, top of fifth

Daniel Murphy must wonder what the big deal is about Clayton Kershaw. The left-handed hitting Murphy hit his second home run off the series against Kershaw. It was the Mets’ first hit.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 0, bottom of fourth

A.J. Ellis singled with one out, and now has the longest postseason hitting streak (12 games) in franchise history. He was stranded, however. Left-hander Steven Matz, who last started a game Sept. 24, is now at 65 pitches through four innings.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 0, top of fourth

The Mets weren’t able to immediately answer the Dodgers jumping out to a 3-0 lead this time, going quietly in order in the bottom of the third.

-----------------

Dodgers 3, Mets 0, bottom of third

And the Dodgers score first.

Their rally started with Clayton Kershaw picking up the game’s first hit, a looper into left-center. A bouncer from Enrique Hernandez forced Kershaw at second, but then came three consecutive hits.

A Howie Kendrick single up the middle sent Hernandez to third and another basehit from Adrian Gonzalez scored him. Then the Met who got away, Justin Turner, doubled into the left-field corner to score two.

Gonzalez, not the swiftest of runners, may have held at third but left-fieder Yoenis Cespedes kicked the rebound off the wall and Gonzalez came in with the third run.

Of course, the Dodgers also jumped out to a 3-0 lead Monday night.

-----------------

Dodgers 0, Mets 0, top of third

Clayton Kershaw looked more in a groove in the second. He retired the Mets in order, including two strikeouts.

Kershaw is pitching on short rest after throwing 113 pitches in the series opener. He’s at 31 pitches after two innings, pretty much on his normal track.

-----------------

Dodgers 0, Mets 0 bottom of second

Well, at least the Dodgers got their first baserunner. Their first hit remains unclaimed.

The Dodgers are letting rookie left-hander Steve Matz get comfortable, and that figures to prove as a mistake. Corey Seager picked up a one-out walk, but Yasiel Puig popped up a curveball over the middle of the plate and A.J. Ellis flied out to right.

-----------------

Dodgers 0, Mets 0, top of second

The Mets earned the game’s first baserunner when Clayton Kershaw walked David Wright, after starting 0-2 on him. But he got Daniel Murphy on a pop up and Yoenis Cespedes to bounce out. Kershaw needed 18 pitches.

-----------------

Dodgers 0, Mets 0, bottom of first

They’re underway at Citi Field, or at least the Mets are. The Dodgers went quietly in the top of the first. Rookie left-hander Steven Matz retired the Dodgers in order on just 10 pitches.

There was some good news before the start of the game. Since the Cubs upset the Cardinals in the other division series, should the Dodgers come back to beat the Mets, they will have home-field advantage in the National League Championship Series.

-----------------

The Dodgers take on the New York Mets in Game 4 of the National League division series matchup Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Citi Field. Clayton Kershaw will pitch for L.A. against Steven Matz of the Mets.

Bill Plaschke, Dylan Hernandez, Steve Dilbeck, Bill Shaikin and Zach Helfand will bring you all the action. You can follow along with inning-by-inning updates right here.