There are SO many more than five wonderful reasons to watch the Dodgers play the Mets on Thursday afternoon (5:00 on TBS). Here are my five favorites

Zach Greinke

There are so many reasons to root for Zack Greinke. He has been the rare case of a pitcher who signs a big-time, long-term contract and basically earns every penny. The one time he was on the disabled list it was because of some idiot Padre charging the mound. Other than that, Zack has been the ace the Dodgers are paying him to be in the number two role.

Aside from seeing him on the biggest stage — an elimination game — fans will also get to see him hit at least a few times. On Tuesday, Clayton Kershaw started a rally and you better believe Greinke will try to top him. Can you imagine what will happen if Greinke has a hit, bat-flip and all, that contributes to a Dodger win?

Along with all that, he is a big fan of bathroom hygiene, which is also respectable.

There is a chance that if the Dodgers don’t win, this could be Greinke’s last start for the team, too. He is a player I will root for throughout the rest of his career, no matter where he plays.

Jacob deGrom

As the second-hardest thrower on the Mets, deGrom sat around 97 miles per hour for most of Game 1, when he out-dueled Clayton Kershaw and made the Dodgers hitters look like they had no idea what they were doing.

Less than a week later, the Dodgers have another chance. With their other ace on the hill, they’ll do pretty well for themselves to score four or five runs against the dominance that deGrom brings. The Mets’ ace has kind of similar hair to Greinke’s, the battle of the teams with long-haired hippie pitchers will be one for the ages.

Can the Dodgers find a way to get solid contact against deGrom’s top-flight stuff? Can they execute a clear plan to get deGrom’s pitch count up and get into the Mets’ bullpen? Can this offense flex the muscle it showed during the regular season when it counts? It will not be easy against deGrom.

Both of these bullpens are disasters waiting to happen

Whether the Mets use Bartolo Colon again or the Dodgers bring on Pedro Baez, getting deep into the opposition bullpen will be a priority for both teams. While the two can and do intersect, there is a difference between taking lots of pitches for taking pitches’ sake and actually being productive and scoring a few runs. I’ll be surprised if there are more than three or four total runs through the sixth inning. The final three innings will be freaking amazing. Or excruciating. I guess depending on who’s winning. Damn, I hope the Dodgers are winning… .

Heroes are made in elimination games

Who will be the offensive hero? Will it be a classic candidate like Adrian Gonzalez, David Wright, or Curtis Granderson? Could it be a fresher face like Michael Conforto or Corey Seager? At this point, I think Yasiel Puig would be a pretty unlikely  hero, but anything could happen.

This day-off is amazing and tomorrow is going to be SO fun.

Don Mattingly’s future probably doesn’t depend on Game 5, but going to the World Series this year could cement his legacy. By Cbl62 (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Don Mattingly’s legacy

I know it’s a little dramatic to say that Don Mattingly’s legacy rests on the outcome of a single game, but it would be silly to think it makes no difference. If the Dodgers lose, it’s entirely possible that this will be Mattingly’s last game as the manager of the Dodgers.

Andrew Friedman and co. are into making decisions based on process. This means, I suppose, that even if the Dodgers do win tomorrow that Mattingly could still be around and vice-versa, but in terms of his long-term legacy in the City of Angels, this game and this postseason is a pretty damn big deal.

What are you most looking forward to about Game 5?