The Morning Report 10.14.2015 | Game 4: Matz Ok...But OK Not Enough vs Kershaw, Bartolo Colon Solid in the Pen, Mets Lucky to Have deGrom up Next.

Mark Bowman | Mets.com-  Steven Matz will forever remember the thrill he experienced on Tuesday night when he took the mound at Citi Field for his beloved Mets in Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Unfortunately, it will take some time for him to forget how the Dodgers soured the experience with a sudden and decisive third-inning flurry. "He pitched very good," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "The one pitch I know he wants back is the pitch to Kershaw." "A couple mistakes cost me," Matz said. "When you face a guy like Kershaw, you want to put up zeros and I wasn't able to do that today. I'm going to build off the positive here today."

Zach Braziller | New York Post- Who says you can’t teach an old pitcher new tricks? Bartolo Colon entered this season with eight relief appearances in 18 big-league seasons, and the 42-year-old right-hander quickly has become the Mets’ most reliable reliever not named Jeurys Familia this postseason. “Anytime you mention Bartolo Colon’s name, it’s the same,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “He pounds the strike zone, keeps the ball down for the most part, fields his position — all the things you want done.” Colon needed just 26 pitches to navigate two innings, striking out two and allowing one hit.

Jason Keidel | CBS New York- If you didn’t know before, now you know. Kershaw is the best pitcher on the planet. It’s not a debate, discussion, or dialogue. But there’s a wide, silver lining that the Mets can ride into the NLCS. They know they can beat the Dodgers, and beat them in Los Angeles. And they have the pitcher who already beat them at Los Angeles. For all the hype and hyperbole, all the flaming adjectives and social media branding and anointing of the Kershaw/Greinke duet, the Mets got some arms of their own. And if this series has done anything other than double as a stage for their two pitching savants, it has also cast a blinding light on an ace up the Mets’ sleeve......Jacob deGrom.

(Chris Soto: Darn....I want to say that the Mets had a chance....but Clayton Kershaw was on point last night. He left Matz with little margin for error and, sure enough, it only took 1 string of base hits to win this game for the Dodgers. The Mets certainly had their chances though, especially in the 8th inning, but closer Kenley Jansen was able to bear down and hold the lead.

     That said, I honestly have only 1 pain point to bring up.....how bad does Michael Cuddyer look? My goodness....with a runner on base he showed no patience, swinging at every pitch, and on an 0-2 count he got the weakest hanging curveball Kershaw threw all Night! Right in the middle of the plate and he took a pretty feable swing at it.

     Good thing the right handed Grienke is on the mound tomorrow night, cause Cuddyer looks pretty bad right now. I would much rather have Conforto in LF against both lefties and righties at this point. )