It’s probably safe to say that if the Dodgers never hear the name Matt again it will be too soon – Matt Kemp notwithstanding. During each of the four NLDS games against the St.Louis Cardinals, one third of their lineup was named Matt and each of the three played a huge role in derailing the Dodgers bid for a seventh World Championship.

With rumors running rampant that the Dodgers will probably be trading one (or more) of their abundant corps of outfielders this off-season, they may want to think twice before trading Matt Kemp. No, it’s not that they shouldn’t trade Kemp because they can’t win without him, but perhaps they shouldn’t trade him because they can’t seem to win big games against guys named Matt, so why add Matt Kemp to that list?

While all of this is, of course, utter nonsense and purely coincidental, consider this:

• In 2008, Phillies slugger Matt Stairs knocked the Dodgers out of the NLCS with a devastating pinch-hit home run off of former Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton. It also marked the beginning of the end of Broxton’s career as a Dodger.

Matt Stairs’s pinch-hit home run off of Jonathan Broxton in Game-4 of the 2008 NLCS was the most devastating home run in Dodgers history since Bobby Thompson’s famous ‘Shot Heard ‘Round the World’ home run off of Ralph Branca in 1951 – or was it? (Photo credit – Robert Galbraith)

• In his 11-year MLB career, Matt Holliday has a triple slash of .322 / .413 / .555 for a .967 OPS with 22 home runs and 81 RBIs against the Dodgers. His devastating three-run home run off of rookie reliever Pedro Baez in Game-1 of this year’s NLDS sealed the fate on Clayton Kershaw’s third consecutive playoff loss to the Cardinals.
• Matt Adams’s three-run shot in Game-4 of the NLDS off of Clayton Kershaw ended the Dodgers bid for a 2014 World Series appearance. It was Kershaw’s fourth consecutive postseason loss to the red birds. In his three MLB seasons, Adams is 10 for 35 (.286) with three home runs against the Dodgers.

Matt Adams’s three-run blast off of Clayton Kershaw in Game-4 of the 2014 NLDS definitely ranks right up there with the Thompson and Stairs home runs. (Photo credit – Jon SooHoo)

• Although never a Cardinal, during Matt Williams’s 17-year MLB playing career with the Giants and Diamondbacks he hit .267 with 35 home runs against the Dodgers. In his rookie season as manager of the Washington Nationals he is 4-2 against them.

…and then there’s Matt Carpenter.

• During the regular season Carpenter was a rather quiet 6 for 26 (.231) with one home run, one double and one RBI in his seven games against the Dodgers. His on-base percentage was a meager .286 with a SLG of .385 for a rather dismal .670 OPS with 10 total bases.
• However, during the 2014 NLDS, Carpenter was the reincarnation of Stan Musial. He was 6 for 16 (.375) with an OBP of .412 and a SLG of 1.125 (no, that is not a typo) for an absolutely unbelievable OPS of 1.537. He hit three doubles and three home runs good for seven RBIs and a mind-boggling 18 total bases IN FOUR GAMES. He was, in every sense, a one-man wrecking crew against the Dodgers – even against Kershaw. Although Kershaw struck out the left-handed-hitting Carpenter three time, Carpenter was 2 for 7 (.286) against the soon-to-be 2014 NL Cy Young award winner with a double, a home run and four RBIs.

Although Matt Carpenter’s sixth-inning solo home run off of Clayton Kershaw in Game-1 of the NLDS wasn’t the crushing blow, it was a sign of bad things to come for the Dodgers. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

“It’s hard to think of specifics right now,” said Kershaw after his Game-4 loss at the hands of Matt Adams. “The season ended and I was a big part of the reason why. It doesn’t feel good regardless of how you pitched. I can’t really put it into words right now. Just bad déjà vu all over again.”

“They’re a good team. They just beat me. I don’t know. I don’t think it’s anything magic. They’re just getting hits right now.” – Clayton Kershaw (Photo credit – Charles Rex Arbogast)

Again, this whole Matt thing is total nonsense and will have absolutely nothing to do with the Dodgers decision to keep or trade Matt Kemp; but then again, stranger things have happened in this wacky game of baseball.