Kershaw quiets Mets as Dodgers force Game 5

NEW YORK - An uneasy feeling surely came over Los Angeles Dodgers fans everywhere when, leading off the seventh inning Tuesday night, Yoenis Cespedes reached base on a weak chopper down the third-base line that Clayton Kershaw failed to corral.

This, after all, was the inning in which Kershaw, the best pitcher on the planet, was supposed to wilt, as he had done in his previous three postseason starts. Cespedes' infield single signaled an ominous start to the frame.

But this time, with his Dodgers facing elimination in Game 4 of the National League division series, Kershaw changed the narrative. He retired the next three New York Mets batters, capping seven stellar innings in a 3-1 Los Angeles win that extended the series to a decisive Game 5.

With the win, the Dodgers shifted home-field advantage back in their favor. Zack Greinke, a National League Cy Young Award front-runner, will pitch Thursday night at Dodger Stadium with the season on the line for both teams. The Mets will counter with an all-star of their own in Jacob deGrom, who dazzled over seven shutout innings in his team's Game 1 win.

The victor will play the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series beginning Saturday.

"I really wanted to win tonight, definitely, for a lot of reasons," said Kershaw, 27. "But obviously, most important, was just to give Zack a chance."

Pitching on only three days of rest, Kershaw quieted the chatter about his postseason shortcomings. The reigning National League MVP and three-time Cy Young Award winner surrendered only one run and three hits in seven innings. The lefthander struck out eight, including six in a seven-batter span at one point.

Kershaw snapped his streak of five consecutive postseason losses. Mystifyingly, his 4.99 ERA over 572/3 postseason innings going into Tuesday was more than double that of his career ERA in the regular season (2.43).

But the lone blemish to his line on this night was Daniel Murphy's solo home run in the fourth inning. Kershaw pitched with a lead from the third inning on. Adrian Gonzalez flared a run-scoring single into center field, and the scorching hot Justin Turner, an ex-Met, followed by roping a two-run double to the left-field corner to spot the pitcher a 3-0 cushion.

The three-run third inning was the only damage against rookie lefthander Steven Matz, a Long Island native and lifelong Mets fan. Matz, who has only seven major-league starts under his belt, gave his team five innings before Mets manager Terry Collins called to the bullpen.

The Mets, who belted out 13 runs one night earlier, were especially aggressive in Kershaw's final inning. After Cespedes' single, Travis d'Arnaud popped out to foul territory. Lucas Duda smoked a first-pitch slider to the warning track in center field for a long out. Wilmer Flores roped a ball to third base, where Turner made a nice sliding defensive play to end the frame.

The added significance of surviving the seventh unscathed was not on Kershaw's mind as much as everyone else's, though.

"I don't know," he said. "I'm glad I did it, I guess. I mean, there's no curse or anything. Just got to get through the seventh."

"Clayton has pitched, for the most part, pretty well [in the playoffs]," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "He's had a couple of different innings that went wrong, but for the most part he's pitched well. I'm actually really happy for him. I mean, this kid is tremendous. Everything that you're supposed to be, he is, and I think to see him be able to do that tonight on short rest is a really good feeling."

The appeal for Chase Utley's suspension stemming from his controversial slide Saturday reportedly won't be heard until Monday, meaning the Dodgers second baseman is available to play Game 5 of this series and, if his team advances, the first two games of the NLCS.

That is, if Mattingly decides to play the former Phillies star. Despite his eligibility each of the last two nights at Citi Field, Utley did not appear in Game 3 or Game 4.

kaplanj@phillynews.com

@jakemkaplan