New York @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jul 26, 2015 ) LA Dodgers 2, NY Mets 3

The Los Angeles Dodgers own the largest payroll in the major leagues, but their path to a World Series title is largely in the hands of just two players. One of those aces, Clayton Kershaw, will try to exercise some postseason demons when the Dodgers host the New York Mets in Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday.

Kershaw and Zack Greinke will undoubtedly both finish in the top three of the NL Cy Young voting this season and are set up to pitch twice each if the series goes seven games, with Greinke following Kershaw in Game 2. The Mets are loaded in the starting rotation as well but are much shorter on experience, with Jacob deGrom set to make his postseason debut opposite Kershaw before Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey take their first turns in the playoffs. Kershaw will be going up against a New York offense that transformed itself in the second half and led the NL with 373 runs scored and a .770 OPS after the All-Star break. The Los Angeles offense went in the opposite direction and dipped to 13th in the NL in runs scored after the All-Star break as rookie center fielder Joc Pederson struggled and Yasiel Puig missed most of the final month with a hamstring injury.

TV: 9:45 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (16-7, 2.13 ERA) vs. Mets RH Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54)

Kershaw led the majors with 301 strikeouts during the regular season and allowed more than three earned runs in a start only once after May 21. The former MVP has not always been that sharp in the postseason, however, and is 0-4 with a 7.15 ERA in his last four playoff starts – all against the St. Louis Cardinals. Kershaw never had those problems against New York and enters 6-0 with 1.34 ERA in nine career starts against the Mets, including a three-hit, 11-strikeout, no-walk shutout on July 23.

DeGrom struggled a bit from the end of August to the middle of September but allowed one run in 10 innings over his final two starts in the regular season, including four no-hit innings against Washington on Sunday. The All-Star struck out 205 and walked just 38 in 191 innings this season but enters the series 0-2 with a 3.66 ERA in three career starts against the Dodgers. Meanwhile, deGrom nearly picked up his first win against Los Angeles on July 26 but was held out of the decision despite scattering two hits across 7 2/3 scoreless innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Puig is expected to be included on the NLDS roster while Dodgers OF Scott Van Slyke (wrist) will sit out.

2. Harvey missed a mandatory workout on Tuesday but will not be held out of the Game 3 start.

3. New York took four of seven from the Dodgers in the regular season, including two of three in Los Angeles.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 5, Mets 1