Inning by inning: Dodgers drop NLDS opener to New York Mets, 3-1

Final: New York Mets 3, Dodgers 1

That’s the ballgame as the Dodgers go in order in the ninth. Kershaw’s postseason earned-run average in the ninth inning was 27 entering the game. He gave up two more runs, and earned the loss in game one. He now has one win in nine postseason starts. deGrom was excellent in seven innings. He allowed five hits, and two came on miscues by Michael Cuddyer in left field.

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New York Mets 3, Dodgers 1, bottom of ninth inning

Hatcher goes 1-2-3 in the ninth. Last chance now for the Dodgers.

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Chris Hatcher will pitch the ninth for the Dodgers.

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New York Mets 3, Dodgers 1, top of ninth inning

Justin Turner lined out to the first baseman to end the inning. The Dodgers will head into the ninth inning down by two runs.

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New York Mets 3, Dodgers 1, bottom of eighth inning

The Dodgers Now jinx strikes again. After this blog hinted that a shutout was likely, Adrian Gonzalez hit a two-out single to drive in Howie Kendrick. The Dodgers are within two runs, and closer Jeurys Familia has taken over for Clippard in the eighth.

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Tyler Clippard is now pitching for the Mets.

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New York Mets 3, Dodgers 0, bottom of eighth inning

Joel Peralta pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. It won’t mean a thing unless the Dodgers can muster three runs.

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deGrom just shook Collins’ hand. It looks like he’s done. Seven innings, five hits, one walk, 13 strikeouts, and in position for a win over Clayton Kershaw.

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New York Mets 3, Dodgers 0, top of eighth inning

The Dodgers go quietly again in the seventh. Another 1-2-3 inning. deGrom has now retired 11 batters in a row.

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Not to freak anyone out here, but three out of five opening games in this postseason, including the two wild-card games, have been shutouts.

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New York Mets 3, Dodgers 0, bottom of seventh inning

That was a tough decision for Mattingly. Keep the left-handed Kershaw against the right-handed Wright? Or sub in the right-handed Baez, with no room for error? The Dodger Stadium crowd wasn’t happy with the results, of course. They booed as the Dodgers headed off the field after the inning.

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New York Mets 3, Dodgers 0, top of seventh inning

The pitching change did not work out the way Mattingly had hoped. Baez gives up a 3-2 single to David Wright that scored two runs. The vice is tightening.

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That’s it for Kershaw. After Kershaw loaded the bases with three walks, Pedro Baez will come in with the bases loaded and two outs. Kershaw exited to applause. Now he’ll need some help.

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deGrom is up to 101 pitches, but he hasn’t lost much velocity, if any, on his fastball.

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New York Mets 1, Dodgers 0, top of seventh inning

The Dodgers’ side was retired in order again. The Dodgers are down to nine outs in game one.

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New York Mets 1, Dodgers 0, bottom of sixth inning

The Dodgers Now jinx is alive and well. After this blog reported that neither team had a 1-2-3 inning, both pitchers retire the side in order. Kershaw used two fly outs and a ground out, his first inning without a strikeout, to cruise through the top of the sixth inning.

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Asked by handsome reporter Zach Helfand to describe the game so far in five words or less, intrepid blogger Steve Dilbeck replied, “disappointingly dull.” Let’s hope for some more action in the later innings. For Steve.

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Another note on strikeouts. According to MLB.com reporter Paul Casella, this is the second ever postseason game in which both starters struck out 10 or more batters. The only other instance was game five of the 1944 World Series between the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals.

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New York Mets 1, Dodgers 0, top of sixth inning

The Dodgers sent up the top of the order. They went down quickly. deGrom struck out two more batters, and he now has 10 strikeouts. It’s the first time a Met has had double-digit strikeouts in the postseason had since game one of the 1988 NLCS at Dodger Stadium, when Dwight Gooden had 10.

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New York Mets 1, Dodgers 0, bottom of fifth inning

This has undoubtedly been a pitchers’ duel so far, but here’s an oddity: neither pitcher has a 1-2-3 inning so far. Kershaw struck out three more batters — he has 11 strikeouts — in the fifth but allowed a sharp single to Curtis Granerson. So far, all four Mets hits have come from left-handed hitters.

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New York Mets 1, Dodgers 0, top of fifth inning

With a runner on first and second, Kershaw smacked a line drive the opposite way, to deep left-center field. But Yoenis Cespedes made a nice running grab to preserve deGrom’s shutout. deGrom has thrown 80 pitches through five.

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A.J. Ellis’ fourth-inning hit just gave him an 11-game postseason hitting streak, tying a Dodgers franchise record. Reminder: he has, by far, the highest postseason OPS out of any player on either team.

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Asked to describe the game so far in five words or less, dogged beat reporter Dylan Hernandez replied, “well-pitched; tiring.” We can assume the game story in tomorrow’s paper will be more eloquent.

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The commercial break between each inning is more than three minutes. In other words, the time it takes the Times’ award-winning staff in attendance to consume a combined five press box ice cream cups.

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New York Mets 1, Dodgers 0, bottom of fourth inning

There’s your answer, and your first run. Daniel Murphy hit a Kershaw fastball a long way, to right field, for a home run. The Mets are on the board first.

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What will happen first? Will either team score a run, or will intrepid blogger Steve Dilbeck learn how to work his cell phone?

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Dodgers 0, New York Mets 0, top of fourth inning

The Dodgers strand another runner on second. After Corey Seager gets a bloop double, on another misplayed fly ball by Cuddyer, Adrian Gonzalez struck out to end the inning.

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Dodgers 0, New York Mets 0, bottom of third inning

Another two strikeouts for Kerhaw. He allowed a bloop single to Curtis Granderson and nothing else.

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Speaking of hair, deGrom, who just grounded out to start the third, may have an even nicer flow than the Dodgers’ game-two starter, Zack Greinke.

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Our intrepid blogger, Steve Dilbeck, was scratching his balding head at the Pederson intentional walk. Pederson is batting .161 against right-handers since July 1. Kershaw has batted .167 against righties this season.

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Dodgers 0, New York Mets 0, top of third inning

deGrom worked out of trouble. After Turner’s leadoff double, he struck out Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis before intentionally walking Joc Pederson. Then he struck out Kershaw, too.

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There’s the first break of the game for either team. Michael Cuddyer misplayed a line drive in left field to gift a double to Justin Turner. Let’s see if the Dodgers can make it hurt.

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It’s 25 minutes after the first pitch and from the press box, we can still see a line of cars pulling into the parking lot.

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Dodgers 0, New York Mets 0, bottom of second inning

This one was easier for Kershaw. He struck out another two batters after Lucas Duda reached on a grounder off Kershaw’s legs. This time, he did it in just 11 pitches.

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Dodgers 0, New York Mets 0, end of first inning

Is it hot out here, or is it just Jacob deGrom’s fastball? OK, it’s probably both. deGrom gave up a hit to Howie Kendrick but struck out three Dodgers, all with 98-mph fastballs.

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Dodgers 0, New York Mets 0, bottom of first inning

Left-hander Clayton Kershaw displayed his usual dominance in the first inning, but he had to work for it. He didn’t allow a hit but used 22 pitches, mostly becuase third baseman David Wright fouled off eight pitches to work a 12-pitch walk. He struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

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Here’s some pregame notes and links:

• Adrian Gonzalez said his back “should be 100%.”
• Home-field advantage? Mets Manager Terry Collins says it’s the opposite.
• If the Dodgers bullpen finally proves trustworthy in the postseason, it may be because Chris Hatcher called his dad.
• In August, journeyman Justin Ruggiano was languishing in triple-A for the Seattle Mariners. Now he’s on the Dodgers’ postseason roster, and he’s pretty happy about it.
• Not only is 21-year-old Corey Seager starting tonight, he’s batting third. Here’s how he found out.

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Yes, it seems fly balls are traveling quite far. In batting practice, Mets first baseman Lucas Duda, tonight’s No. 6 hitter, smashed a ball off the “SPORTSNET LA” sign above the right-center field bleachers, knocking off the “R.’ It seems Duda, too, is unhappy that much of Los Angeles couldn’t watch the Dodgers on television this season.

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How about some pregame reading? The Dodgers set their 25-man roster this morning, and left off relievers Juan Nicasio and Carlos Frias and outfielder Scott Van Slyke, but put outfielder Yasiel Puig on the roster. Find out why here.

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We’re about 90 minutes away from game time, which, coincidentally, may be the temperature at game time. It is currently 94 degrees at Dodger Stadium, but both teams decided to hold batting practice in the heat. The Dodgers’ game two starter, Zack Greinke, said that fly balls “should travel a little bit more than average” due to the heat. Clayton Kershaw has given up 15 home runs this season. Jacob deGrom has given up 16.

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The Dodgers take on the New York Mets in Game 1 of a NL Division Series matchup Friday night at 6:45 p.m. at Dodger Stadium. Clayton Kershaw will pitch for L.A. against Jacob deGrom of the Mets. Kershaw has never lost to the Mets in his career, while deGrom has never defeated the Dodgers.

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