Here is the first of an 8-Part MMO Roundtable Series where our staff will handle a variety of questions about the Mets Post Season as well as looking ahead to the Hot Stove Season and 2016.
What Will Be The Key To Beating The Dodgers In The NLDS?
Mike Simon – Jacob deGrom reverting to mid-season form in Game 1. Facing Kershaw, deGrom and the Mets know runs will likely be hard to come by. DeGrom must go toe-to-toe with Kershaw, especially knowing that Noah Syndergaard is starting Game 2. That’s not to say at all that Syndergaard can’t pitch well and win, but it can’t necessarily be counted on given his struggles on the road for most of the year, and as a rookie he doesn’t need the added pressure of needing to tie the series for Mets to stay alive.
Gerry Silverman – Key to winning the NLDS? Probably nailing at least a split in the first two games in LA and showing that the team can hold its own against the Kershaw/Greinke combo in that ballpark. Since the Mets did this before earlier this year, I would expect that the psychological hurdle would not be as great. If Cespedes can smack a few, it would help also.
Michael Branda – Getting early leads, and forcing the Dodgers to use their bullpen. The Mets should be facing 2 of the 5 best pitchers in baseball twice in a 5 game series. If they are pitching in the 7th inning, then the Mets are in trouble.
XtreemIcon – The offense. The pitching can shut down any team and the bullpen is a strength, as well. The offense will have to scratch out a few runs.
Matt Fritz – To me, the biggest key to winning the NLDS over the Dodgers will be the effectiveness of the Mets bullpen. I am confident that our starting pitching will be good enough to keep us in these games, but will the bullpen be able to hold a one or two run lead? If the Mets are down 1-0 against Clayton Kershaw going into the bottom of the 8th, which Tyler Clippard will we see? The one who was 2-0 with a 0.51 ERA for the first month the Mets had him, or the one who had a 6.14 ERA in the final 14 games of the season?
Joe Spector – Pitching, pitching and more pitching will be the key. If the Mets young guns can live up to their potential and stay focused, anything can happen. Of course if we don’t hit…
Andre Dobiey – DeGrom, Syndergaard and Harvey hold the keys to the NLDS for the Mets. If they can be on top of their games, they have the ability to match Kershaw and Greinke and have the edge vs. other LAD starting pitchers.
Logan Barer – In his postseason career, Clayton Kershaw is 1-5 with a 5.12 ERA in 51 IP. If the trend continues and he falters, even if the Mets lose to Greinke, they would come home at least tied 1-1 with two favorable match-ups with Matt Harvey and Steven Matz pitching at home. The Dodgers may have the best one-two punch in the game with two Cy Young candidates, but the Mets have the best one-two-three-four punch in the game for sure. That starting pitching depth is key.
Robert Piersall – The key to winning the NLDS against the Dodgers will most certainly be having Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard go tit for tat with Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. Additionally, Mets hitters must make Greinke and Kershaw labor through a lot of pitches and chase them from the game early. The Mets’ offense will stack up better against their bullpen anyway, and once you get past Greinke and Kershaw, the rest of the Dodgers rotation isn’t elite.
Spencer Barnes – Bullpen performance will be the key to a series victory. It’s absolutely crucial for the Mets to take one of the first two games in LA. Even if they will be against Kershaw and Greinke, New York will be sending out two formidable options as well in deGrom and Syndergaard. This series should be filled with tight, low-scoring matches, and whichever team’s bullpen can keep its metaphorical eyes open without blinking will likely move onto the NLCS.
