May 10

Game 33, 2016

Link to Scully interview accompanying above

Mets at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA, MLBN (out-of-market)

The Mets’ Jacob deGrom (3-1, 1.99 ERA) of the Flowing Locks starts against the Dodgers’ Alex Wood (1-3, 5.18 ERA) of the Moussed Pompadour. The right-handed deGrom only has 16 strikeouts in his four starts, which seems low. Lefty Wood would undoubtedly trade his 28 Ks for a couple of wins; he hasn’t had one in his last five starts.

Lineup when available.

May 09

Game 32, 2016

Mets at Dodgers, 7:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

It’s a battle of dueling lefties tonight at Chavez Ravine as Scott Kazmir (2-2, 5.68 ERA) of the Dodgers meets Steven Matz (4-1, 2.83 ERA) of the Mets. This is the first meeting of the two teams since last season’s Division Series, and the Dodgers had better have their hitting shoes on. After Matz they’ll face Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Bartolo Colon in this four-game series.

Lineup when available.

Oct 28

World Series Game Two, 2015

Mets at Royals, 5:00PM PT, TV: Fox

Buzz cut wearers need not apply to this game, not with the Mets’ curly-haired Jacob deGrom going against the Royals’ dreadlocked Johnny Cueto. deGrom has won all three of his playoff starts this postseason, while Cueto has had a mixed performance, winning one and losing one of his three starts in October.

Both bullpens might be in a bit of disarray after last night’s 14-inning marathon.

Oct 20

ALCS Game Four, NLCS Game Three, 2015

AL Game: Royals at Blue Jays, 1:00PM PT, TV: FS1

Two ex-Mets, right-handers and ex-teammates go at one another this afternoon. R.A. Dickey trots out his knuckleball for the Jays and Chris Young for the Royals.

NL Game: Mets at Cubs, 5:00PM PT, TV: TBS

Two right-handers start against one another in Game Three of the NLCS too, but Jacob deGrom of the Mets has an extra year under his belt in the bigs. deGrom was Rookie of the Year last year; this season was Kyle Hendricks’ rookie one. deGrom was excellent in Game One of the NLDS and pitched well-enough-to-win in Game Five; Hendricks went 4 2/3 in Game Two of the Cubs’ NLDS win and was lifted after surrendering back-to-back home runs.

Oct 15

NLDS Game Five, 2015

Mets at Dodgers, 5:00PM PT, TV: TBS

“This one’s for all the marbles.” “Win or go home.” “There’s no tomorrow for one of these teams.”

Those are clichés for a reason: they’re all true. Banal, trite, and eye-roll inducing, but true.

The Dodgers ask Zack Greinke to do what he’s done all year: hold the other team to fewer than three runs as he did in all but two starts and score more than that themselves. The Dodgers will have to get those runs off Jacob deGrom, who’s got a 3.66 ERA in three regular season starts against them, which shows he can be reached. In Game One, though, he was nearly unhittable, striking out 13 in seven shutout innings.

Turner is probable to start while Grandal is 50-50.

Lineup when available.

Defense, defense! That’s the goal of this lineup, as Mr. Weisman sees it.

Oct 09

NLDS Opening Games, 2015

First game: Cubs at Cardinals, 3:30PM PT, TV: TBS

The Cubs and Cardinals have been rivals for decades, but this is the first time they’ll face one another in the postseason. As if that weren’t enough, the opposing pitchers once played together for the Red Sox.

John Lester (11-12, 3.34 ERA) starts for the Cubs, while John Lackey (13-10, 2.77 ERA) starts for the Cardinals. Lackey leads all active pitchers in two playoff categories: today will make his 19th playoff start and he’s already thrown 117 postseason innings. Lester has a 6-4 record with a 2.57 ERA in the postseason himself.

Further game notes here.

Second game: Mets at Dodgers, 6:30PM PT, TV: TBS

LHP Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.13 ERA) starts for the Dodgers. RHP Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54 ERA) starts for the Mets. Kershaw’s only blemish in his brilliant career is his 1-5 record and 5.12 ERA in the postseason. This will be deGrom’s first playoff appearance. He faced the Dodgers once this season and gave up two hits over 7 2/3 innings.

The Mets added Yoenis Cespedes, Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson in mid-season and got David Wright back as well. “It’s a completely different lineup, not just Cespedes,” Kershaw said. “…a completely different team. Obviously, a lot better than what we faced in July.”

Dodgers’ playoff roster:

Lineup when available.

Jul 26

Game 100, 2015

Dodgers at Mets, 10:10AM PT, TV: SPNLA, TBS

New dad Zach Greinke shortens his 3-day paternity leave to pitch against the Mets’ Jacob deGrom. Both men pitched in the All-Star Game 10 days ago. Greinke is 9-2 with a 1.30 ERA and 117 Ks on the year; deGrom is 10-6 with a 2.18 ERA and 120 Ks. Greinke has a 43 2/3-inning consecutive scoreless streak going, while deGrom has given up 3+ earned runs only once since mid-May and has walked only nine men and struck out 83 in those 11 starts. He’s 7-2 over that span of games.

Lineup when available.

Aug 23

Game 131, 2014

Mets at Dodgers, 6:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Zack Greinke starts, two days later than he would ordinarily have done. He and the Dodgers hope the elbow irritation he has been fighting will have dissipated enough for him to return to his usual impeccable self. He’s 12-8 on the year with a 2.75 ERA. Also, and this might be significant, he’s thrown more innings (157 1/3) than any other Dodgers pitcher.

His opponent will be Rookie-of-the-Year candidate Jacob deGrom, a righthander who is 6-5 on the year with a 2.87 ERA in 100 1/3 innings. This is his first time out after coming off the 15-day DL for right shoulder tendinitis.

Hanley Ramirez is still scheduled to come off the DL tomorrow and start at shortstop. For the Mets, Bartolo Colon is back from the bereavement list and will start tomorrow against the Dodgers.

Lineup when available.

May 21

Game 47, 2014

Dodgers at Mets, 4:10PM PT, TV: SPNLA

Hyun-Jin Ryu comes off the DL to start this game. It will be his first start since April 27, when his left shoulder showed inflammation. He’s 3-2 with a 3.00 ERA, but that record isn’t the important thing about this start; rather, it’s how well his shoulder reacts to pitching. He threw a 75-pitch simulated game last Friday.

His opponent will be Jacob deGrom, a right-hander who is 0-1 with a 1.29 ERA. This will be his second major league appearance. He did pretty well in his first one last week, when he held the Yankees to one run on four hits in seven innings. He also struck out six and walked two.

In minor league news, the most complete story of what happened between Miguel Olivo and Alexander Guerrero in the Isotopes’ dugout last night seems to be from Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times:

Olivo became steamed after his team allowed a stolen base in the seventh inning, according to Boras. Olivo blamed Guerrero for failing to tag the baserunner in time, the agent said. A video posted on the Albuquerque Isotopes’ website showed Olivo attempting to charge Guerrero during a pitching change later in the inning. The players exchanged words as they walked off the field at the end of the inning.

“Guerrero was in the far end of the dugout,” Boras said. “He went to the front to get his bat and helmet to hit. As he walked across, Olivo decked him.”

Guerrero and Olivo had to be separated by teammates, according to Boras. When players pulled off Olivo, he had a piece of Guerrero’s ear in his mouth, Boras said.

Seeing superagent Scott Boras’s name in a news article as a witness rather than as a protagonist seems odd, but there you go.

Lineup when available.

Update: Juan Uribe goes on the fifteen-day DL and the Dodgers call up Erisbel Arruebarrena to replace him.