Dodgers-Cardinals Game 1 pitching matchup could prove playoffs’ best

Ah, the pitching matchup. It’s kind of good. As in really, really good.

Two of the best, most competitive starting pitchers in baseball, scheduled to face off in the opening game of the National League division series between the Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals.

It’s Clayton Kershaw versus Adam Wainwright in what could prove the best pitching duel of the entire postseason.

Kershaw appears headed toward this third Cy Young Award, and a possible most-valuable-player award. All he did was go 21-3 with a 1.77 earned-run average and a 0.86 WHIP.

Wainwright, in five more starts, went 20-9 with a 2.38 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. Those are some crazy-good numbers, but not so good that someone didn’t preface a question to him Thursday by saying it was obviously overshadowed by Kershaw.

“Obviously, it was?” Wainwright said.

This is going to be so much fun. And within an hour, they should be pitching in the shadows!

Wainwright has every reason to feel his season was no less significant than Kershaw’s. But he’s never won a Cy Young (he’s been second twice and third once), despite going 103-53 with a 2.87 ERA in his last six seasons.

“He’s such a good competitor,” Kershaw said. “The first thing that really comes to mind when I think about him.

“It should be a fun day [Friday]. We both love to compete. I know he can hit a little bit too, so I’ve got to be ready for that.”

In his career during the regular season, Wainwright is only 4-5 against the Dodgers but with a 2.90 ERA. However, he’s only 1-2 with a 4.30 ERA at Dodger Stadium.

Kershaw is 5-5 lifetime with a 3.46 ERA against the Cardinals, but he lost twice to them last year in the National League Championship Series. It was just 1-0 in his first game, but he was blown out after four innings in the decisive Game 6. Not that he will use that as extra fuel.

“I don’t need any extra motivation,” Kershaw said. “I’m trying to win a World Series here, that’s plenty.”