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LOS ANGELES — late and win often will probably have to continue Monday http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-jose-ramirez-jersey , whether they want to operate that way or not.The reason is they are facing New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom, who is putting together an historic season despite being on one of the worst teams in the majors. The Dodgers took nine days to erase a 4 1/2-game deficit in the National League West by using their late-inning rally strategy to perfection.Article continues below ...Matt Kemp moved the Dodgers into sole possession of first place in the NL West with a game-ending two-run double off Brad Boxberger to give Los Angeles a 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday. Los Angeles moved into a tie atop the division Saturday when Kemp hit a three-run home run in the eighth inning. The Dodgers won Friday on late home runs from Enrique Hernandez and Justin Turner.“It’s the coaches, the players and just the hyper-focus on each day,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Sunday’s victory. It’s hard to not scoreboard watch and feel that 4 1/2 (games) is not a big number to (overcome). Our goal each day was to just play good baseball.”In order to stay in front in the NL West on their own terms, though, the Dodgers will have to get through deGrom. The right-hander is on a march to possibly win the National League Cy Young Award, even if his 8-8 record seems to suggest otherwise. He will enter with a 1.68 ERA, the third best since 1968.A pair of Mets records could belong to deGrom exclusively by the time Monday’s game ends. He currently has 24 consecutive starts of three earned runs or less, tied with Dwight Gooden (1985) for the longest run in franchise history. His 19 consecutive quality starts are also tied for the most in team history.“He continues to do the job,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said, according to mlb.com. “He’s just an all-around player, and the best pitcher in baseball at this point.”The Dodgers can hang their optimism on the fact that the Mets are somehow just 11-16 in games deGrom has started. They can also feel good about their eight victories over their past nine games Bradley Zimmer Jersey , as they aim for their sixth consecutive NL West title.At 61-75, the Mets are out of contention in the NL East, but deGrom still has plenty to pitch for. His main competition for a Cy Young Award appears to come from the Nationals’ Max Scherzer, the Rockies’ Kyle Freeland and the Phillies’ Aaron Nola.The competition at present, though, is a Dodgers offense that has surged thanks to hot bats from Manny Machado (nine home runs in 41 games with the Dodgers) and Justin Turner (.402 batting average, 1.213 OPS in August).The Dodgers will call on Alex Wood to start opposite deGrom. The left-hander has worked his way through nagging leg injuries this season but has still managed to post an 8-6 record with a 3.42 ERA.Formerly a member of the NL East when he pitched for the Atlanta Braves, Wood knows the Mets well having made nine starts against them in his six seasons. Wood is 1-3 against New York with a 3.83 ERA.In seven starts against the Dodgers in his career, deGrom still does not have a victory over the West Coast foe. He has a 3.43 ERA against them over 44 2/3 innings. LOS ANGELES — Two victories away from a championship, the challenge will only increase for a Boston Red Sox club intent on bringing the franchise its fourth World Series title since 2004.The Red Sox had little resistance in building a 2-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers, but now have to face the best lineup their opponent has to offer and in a hostile environment at that.Winning in the road has not been much of an issue for the Red Sox in this postseason. They have won all five playoff games they have played away from Fenway Park, clinching the American League Division Series at New York and celebrating an American League title at Houston.Article continues below ...The Dodgers http://www.indiansfanproshop.com/authentic-brandon-guyer-jersey , though, intend to put up as much resistance as possible in Game 3 with their left-handed power lineup against expected right-handed starter Rick Porcello. Both teams started left-handers in the first two games.The change would mean starts for Dodgers lefty power hitters like Max Muncy, Joc Pederson and Cody Bellinger, although manager Dave Roberts sent out some mixed signals after Wednesday’s Game 2 defeat.When asked about his Game 3 lineup, Roberts had compliments for right-handed hitters like Brian Dozier, David Freese, players who typically do not start against righties.“But we’re going to shuffle it up for Game 3, (and) it’s not because of necessarily performance, it’s kind of who the starting pitcher for those guys is,” Roberts said. “But these are the guys that got us here, and we’re going to ride them out.”The Red Sox do not figure to be in as much lineup flux, although there remains an outside chance that Mookie Betts could move from the outfield to second base in order to get regular designated hitter J.D. Martinez into the lineup as an outfielder.Boston will face Dodgers rookie right-hander Walker Buehler Erik Gonzalez Jersey , and Boston figures to be more concerned with maintaining its approach than switching up personnel.“We’re not up there trying to hit everything in the air and swinging for the fences,” said Martinez, whose two-run single in the fifth inning Wednesday put the Red Sox up for good. “We go up there and the pitch dictates what we’re going to do. We’re not up there forcing balls in the air. I feel like it’s the common mistake with hitters these days.”Thursday’s travel day gives the Red Sox’s formidable bullpen a chance to rest and recharge itself. The Dodgers were hitless against Joe Kelly, Nathan Eovaldi and Craig Kimbrell in Game 2. They had just one run on three hits over five innings against the Boston bullpen in Game 1.The Dodgers’ bullpen, meanwhile, figures to need more than a day off and a move to a warmer climate. A shift in strategy likely is ahead after right-hander Ryan Madson allowed all five of his inherited runners to score in the first two games.Buehler, who has never faced the Red Sox, gave up a combined nine runs in his first two playoff outings, both Dodgers defeats. But he rebounded with a strong 4 2/3 innings in the Dodgers’ Game 7 victory in the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.Porcello has just two career starts against the Dodgers and none since 2011. Two of his four appearances in this postseason were starts, as he gave up one run in five innings to the Yankees in the ALDS and four runs over four innings to the Astros in the ALCS. The Red Sox won both games.