LOS ANGELES -- Jacob deGrom vividly remembers the last time he pitched at Dodger Stadium. In trouble early in Game 5 of the National League Division Series, he rallied to log six innings in what became a 3-2 win that allowed the New York Mets to advance.
"It was probably the biggest game I pitched in my life. I really enjoyed that game," deGrom recalled Monday. "I knew I was on the ropes. It's a big game, and you give up a couple in the first and you're struggling a little bit, you have a pretty good idea that they're probably getting somebody else ready. I was fortunate to settle down after that first inning and keep us in the game."
DeGrom (3-1, 1.99 ERA) faces Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander Alex Wood (1-3, 5.18) at 10:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
TUESDAY'S NEWS REPORTS:
Curtis Granderson and Kevin Plawecki homered and Steven Matz earned his fifth straight win as the Mets beat the Dodgers, 4-2, in Monday's series opener. Matz has a 1.09 ERA since flopping in his season debut. He also produced an RBI double, continuing a string of solid hitting by Mets pitchers. The Mets have 49 homers -- the most in franchise history through the first 31 games of a season. Villain Chase Utley pinch hit to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning with the Mets leading by two runs and had an uneventful groundout against Hansel Robles. He also grounded out in the ninth without issue. However, Terry Collins hinted postgame that the Mets have not necessarily forgotten about the National League Division Series just yet. Jim Henderson bailed the Mets out after inheriting two baserunners in the eighth. "As the season goes on, I still think I've got more in the tank, even from here," Henderson said. Read game recaps in the Post, Daily News, Times, Newsday, Record and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
Team doctor David Altchek administered a platelet-rich-plasma injection in Travis d'Arnaud's ailing right shoulder on Monday afternoon in Manhattan. D'Arnaud will rest his rotator-cuff strain this week, even from hitting, which signals his absence will be prolonged. The good news: Plawecki is heating up at the plate. After going 4-for-10 with three doubles in San Diego, Monday's homer at Dodger Stadium was Plawecki's first of the season. Read more on d'Arnaud in the Record, Newsday and at NJ.com and MLB.com.
The Washington Nationals signed a seven-year, $175 million extension with Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg would have been eligible for free agency next offseason. As for the Mets' young pitchers, all of whom are significantly farther from free agency, assistant GM John Ricco tells Mike Puma in the Post: "At the right time we'll talk about it internally, but we really haven't had any discussions. We're not in that position with any of our guys." Read more on the Strasburg signing in the Post and Washington Post.
Neil Walker missed a second straight start on Monday with a bruised right shin. Collins is planning for Walker to return to the lineup on Wednesday.
Wilmer Flores was in good spirits late Monday after having his face beat up on a headfirst slide into second base. "I had the mirrors taken out of his hotel room," Collins joked.
After going 2-0 with 1.84 ERA and becoming the oldest player in major league history to produce his first homer, Bartolo Colon shared the National League Player of the Week honor on Monday with the Cubs' Ben Zobrist. Read more at MLB.com.
Matt Reynolds' RBI double in the fifth against Chris Heston accounted for the lone run in Las Vegas' 1-0 victory over Sacramento. Heston no-hit the Mets last season. Rafael Montero tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the victory. Josh Edgin struck out both batters he faced. With his rehab assignment now expired, Edgin is expected to remain with the Pacific Coast League club. Tyler Pill struck out a career-high 12 batters, but he allowed a tiebreaking homer in the eighth and Reading beat Binghamton, 5-3. Amed Rosario and Michael Katz had three hits apiece in St. Lucie's 14-6 win against Jupiter. Dash Winningham and Amed Rosario each drove in two runs as Columbia beat Greenville, 6-4. Read the full minor-league recap here.
Actor Kevin James is a bona fide Mets fan, Justin Terranova writes in the Post.
David Wright is due to rest on Wednesday, when the Dodgers throw their lone righty pitcher of the four-game series.
The former "Party City Deck" in left field at Citi Field has been renamed the "M&M's Sweet Seats," Neil Best writes in Newsday.
From the bloggers … Mets Report believes retribution against Utley would be a bad idea.
BIRTHDAYS: Pete Schourek turns 47. ... Jim Hickman is 79. ... Craig Brazell is 36. … Alex Palsha is 24. … Victor Moscote and Adonis Uceta are 22.
TWEET OF THE DAY:
"When I was a street kid in New York, my parents never had a car. I never really thought about cars... wait until you hear about Cespedes..."
— Vin Scully (@VinScullyTweet) May 10, 2016
YOU'RE UP: Do the Mets need to acquire a catcher?
