LOS ANGELES — In a just world, Clayton Kershaw could tip his cap to Jacob deGrom and know that he pitched his rear end off to secure, let’s say, a no-decision. In a favorable world, the future Hall of Famer would take bows for a winning performance.
But for the highly decorated left-hander, the baseball postseason remains a cruel world. On Friday night at Dodger Stadium, deGrom and the Mets became both contributors to and recipients of a saga in which they were the mere foil.
Yes, the “Clayton Kershaw, October bust” storyline lives on, and for good measure, the Mets turned up the heat on the already warm Don Mattingly as they prevailed, 3-1, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series to grab the home-field advantage in this best-of-five series.