New York @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 9, 2015 ) NY Mets 3, LA Dodgers 1

The New York Mets defeated Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw in the opener and look to take a 2-0 lead when they visit the Dodgers for Game 2 of their National League Division Series on Saturday. Jacob deGrom was scintillating with 13 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings as New York recorded a 3-1 victory in Game 1.

Los Angeles standout Zack Greinke will look to even the best-of-five series and keep his club from heading to New York on the brink of elimination. The Game 1 defeat reminds the Dodgers of their postseason struggles as they have lost their last eight series in which they've dropped the opening game. Daniel Murphy's solo homer and David Wright's two-run single provided the Mets with the offense they needed on a night in which they recorded just five hits. New York manager Terry Collins, 66, won his postseason debut and sends rookie Noah Syndergaard to the mound against Greinke.

TV: 9:07 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Noah Syndergaard (9-7, 3.24 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Zack Greinke (19-3, 1.66)

Syndergaard gave the rotation a big boost with his emergence as he held opposing hitters to a .225 average. The 23-year-old was just 2-5 with a 4.23 ERA in 12 road starts, but he went 2-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his last three outings away from home. "To me, it's just all about getting comfortable out there on the mound on the road," Syndergaard said in his press conference. "I feel like in the last couple starts I had on the road, I had a lot of success, lot of comfort."

Greinke posted the lowest ERA by a starting pitcher since Atlanta's Greg Maddux (1.63) in 1995 and it was under 2.00 the entire season. He allowed two or fewer runs in 26 of his 32 starts and is one of three candidates for the NL Cy Young Award - Kershaw and Chicago's Jake Arrieta being the others. "I've probably stopped trying to trick guys as much as I used to," Greinke said, "and try to make my pitches as good as possible."

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez struck out in all three of his at-bats against deGrom before singling in the club's lone run in the eighth.

2. Mets OF Yoenis Cespedes hasn't homered since Sept. 14 and went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Game 1.

3. Los Angeles RF Andre Ethier struck out twice in four at-bats in the opener and is 4-for-31 with 11 strikeouts over the last three postseasons.

PREDICTION: Dodgers 3, Mets 2