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 Left-hander Kershaw, pitching on just three days' rest after a loss
in Game One, thwarted the Mets in a 3-1 win in New York on Tuesday
as the Dodgers staved off playoff elimination to tie up the
best-of-five series at 2-2.
Right-hander Greinke, the Game Two winner and a Cy Young candidate
who went 19-3 with a 1.66 ERA in the regular season, will start
Thursday's do-or-die game in Los Angeles.
"With Clayton and Zack, they've given us two guys that stop streaks,
save your bullpen, are just day-in, day-out consistent guys,"
Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told a conference call on Wednesday.
"You can really count on what you're going to get from them
90-something percent of the time. That's the value of the two guys
... aces that went out every time and kind of posted and pretty much
rested your bullpen, gave your team confidence.
"You felt like you were going to win that day, and that takes the
pressure off of the other starters."
However, Mattingly knows the Dodgers will have their hands full on
Thursday when the Mets will send to the mound their long-haired ace,
Game One winner Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54 ERA).
"We get the ball back to Zack on full rest, who has been one of our
pocket aces all year long," said Mattingly, whose Dodgers are aiming
to reach the NL Championship Series for a second time in the past
three seasons.
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"He's pitched great, and we've got to feel good about that
situation.
"Obviously they (the Mets) feel good too. They've got their guy ...
if he's on and he's throwing the ball where he wants and making
pitches, it's going to be a difficult day."
Greinke, who ended the 2015 regular season with 200 strikeouts and a
major league best 1.66 ERA, knows he will have to keep his own
nerves in check on Thursday.
"I just try to keep it as simple as possible," said the 31-year-old,
who has played for four Major League Baseball teams. "Sometimes it's
not possible, but that's what you try -- that's what the goal is.
"In my experience, usually you have one good game and one bad game.
But the better you pitch, the better your chances are. So my plan is
just to pitch as good as possible and hopefully it works out."
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
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