Mets stay alive, crush Dodgers to send NLCS back to Los Angeles
NEW YORK —The New York Mets insisted Friday morning they had one more miracle left in them.
They couldn’t believe their season would end without a fight.
So, they went out and backed up the talk, blowing out the Los Angeles Dodgers, 12-6, in front of a sellout crowd of 43,841 at Citi Field who are believin’ along with them.
“We’re going to do our best to add to the story,’ Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said, “and make some more magic.’
The Mets, who had been outscored 30-9 in the series, and shut out twice, punched right back, scoring their second-most runs in a postseason game in franchise postseason history. It was also their biggest output in an elimination game.
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“I believe in this group, the character of this team,’’ Mets first baseman Pete Alonso said, who started the fireworks with a three-run homer in the first. “We have a lot of resiliency.’
The Mets took a lot of pride and satisfaction in the victory but there’s no time to party, flying back to Los Angeles hours in the hours after the season-saving win.
They still have quite a mountain to climb, trailing he Dodgers 3 games to 2, with the National League Championship Series returning to Dodger Stadium on Sunday.
But, oh, a six-hour cross-country flight has never looked so beautiful to the Mets.
The Mets are still alive and believe they now may have the favorable pitching matchups the rest of the series.
They will have Sean Manaea in Game 6 while the Dodgers plan to employ a bullpen game.
And, if it reaches Game 7, anything can happen with Luis Severino scheduled for the Mets against Dodgers starter Walker Buehler.
“I think we’re all confident in there,’’ Mets third baseman Mark Vientos said. “Obviously, we’re in a position where our backs are against the wall, but I man, the season we’ve had, we’ve had our backs against the wall.
“This is nothing new to us.
“We all have confidence, for sure.’
If anyone can relate to how momentum can dramatically shift in a series, it’s Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
He was on the 2004 Red Sox and had a critical stolen base in the ninth inning of their Game 4 comeback, with Boston ultimately rallying back from a 3-0 LCS deficit for the first time in MLB history.
“I think you can see that things can happen when a team starts to build momentum,’’ Roberts said. “Because of my past experiences, and fortunately I was on the good side of the other thing. But, yeah, I feel that. I understand that.’’
Alonso, who has watched his team being blown out the last two games, woke up his team, woke up the ballpark, woke up city, and perhaps woke up this NLCS.
He dropped to almost his knees, launching a massive three-run homer, 432 feet into the right-center field seats in the first inning, and the Mets never looked back.
The Mets fans, who hardly had anything to cheer about in Games 3 and 4, stood on their feet, cheering, dancing, and singing to the Temptations’ “My Girl’ for the rest of the game.
The Mets, whose offense was shut down by the Dodgers, fed off the bolt of energy, took off, and never looked back.
They hammered starter Jack Flaherty for eight hits and eight runs in just three innings, the worst beatdown against a Dodger starter in the postseason since Clayton Kershaw in Game 1 of the 2014 Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
The Mets scored early and often.
Three runs in the first inning. Five runs in the third. Two more runs in the fourth inning.
The Mets had 10 hits, two doubles, one triple, one homer, 14 baserunners and a 10-2 lead after just four innings.
“That’s who we are,’’ Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We’ve got great players. We’ve got great people. A lot of confidence in our guys.
“We’ve shown the whole year, this is a group that is resilient. They have that grit. They fight and they’re not going to give up.’
The Dodgers, even after falling behind early, still refused to go away quietlyt, thanks to rookie center fielder Andy Pages, who had the game of his life.
He singled in the third inning, hit a solo homer in the fourth, and hit a three-run homer in the fifth.
Pages, 23, became the youngest Dodger to hit two homers in a postseason game in franchise history.
The Dodgers now will have to rely on their own resiliency when they return to Los Angeles. It’s hardly as if things have gone smooth for them this season. They have 11 pitchers currently on the injured list. They have only three healthy starting pitchers.
“It’s been a fun ride,’’ Roberts said, “but we’ve still got some work to do. Their backs are against the walls right now. We know that. We’ve got to go out there keep playing good baseball.’’
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Here’s how Friday night’s game unfolded:
Mets tack on, lead 12-6 going into ninth
Starling Marte’s RBI single brought home Pete Alonso in the eighth, extending the Mets’ lead to 12-6. They’re three outs away from sending the NLCS back to Los Angeles.
Mets, Dodgers trade runs in the sixth: NY leads 11-6
Mookie Betts led off the top of the sixth with a solo home run off Ryne Stanek to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to 10-6, but the Mets responded in the bottom of the frame with Jeff McNeil’s sacrifice fly after getting runners to second and third with nobody out.
Andy Pages hits three-run homer: NY up 10-5
Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages hit a three-run homer in the top of the fifth – his second longball of the game – cutting Los Angeles’ deficit to 10-5. Mets right-hander Reed Garrett had gotten into the jam by plunking Enrique Hernandez and walking Max Muncy.
The Dodgers won’t make this one easy for the Mets.
Mets add two more in fourth: NY leads 10-2
The Mets got some crucial insurance runs in the fourth, bringing seven batters to the plate against Brent Honeywell. Jesse Winker hit an RBI triple and Jeff McNeil followed with an RBI single, running New York’s lead to 10-2 as we head to the fifth.
Andy Pages homers, Mets strand bases loaded: NY up 8-2
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Andy Pages crushed a solo home run to left against David Peterson and exchanged some words with catcher Francisco Alvarez after crossing the plate.
Peterson gave up a bloop single to Shohei Ohtani, then walked Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez to load the bases. Reid Garrett came into face Freddie Freeman in the unenviable spot – and struck out the former MVP looking to leave the bases loaded heading into the bottom of the fourth.
Mets add five in the third: New York up 8-1
Things got out of hand for the Dodgers in the bottom of the third after Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker walked to start the inning. Starling Marte followed with a two-run double into the left field corner to make it 5-1 with nobody out.
Jack Flaherty retired the next two batters but the Mets strung together three run-scoring hits in a row with two outs: a Francisco Alvarez RBI single, Francisco Lindor RBI triple and Brandon Nimmo’s RBI single.
After tossing seven scoreless innings in Game 1, Flaherty has turned in a dud in the Dodgers’ first opportunity to clinch.
Dodgers score on wild pitch: Mets lead 3-1 halfway through two
Walks have been a killer for the Mets in this series and David Peterson put leadoff man Enrique Hernandez on in the top of the second. With two outs, an Andy Pages flare to center moved Hernandez to third and brought up Shohei Ohtani.
Peterson threw a wild pitch that allowed the run to score and then walked Ohtani to bring Mookie Betts to the plate with runners on first and second.. The lefty drew an inning-ending foul pop fly from Betts, who had doubled in the first and posted four RBI in the Dodgers’ Game 4 win.
Pete Alonso home run: Mets up 3-0 in first
Playing in what could be his final game with the Mets, Pete Alonso slugged a three-run homer to center field off Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty – exactly what New York needed in the first inning after struggling to score runs throughout this series.
David Peterson escapes first-inning jam
Shohei Ohtani led off Game 5 with a single and Mookie Betts followed with a double, putting runners on second and third with nobody out for Mets starter David Peterson. The lefty then retired Teoscar Hernandez (groundout), Freddie Freeman (lineout) and Tommy Edman (strikeout) to end the threat, a stunning escape in what could have been a season-crushing inning for the Mets.
Dodgers lineup: NLCS Game 5
- Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
- Mookie Betts (R) RF
- Teoscar Hernández (R) LF
- Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
- Tommy Edman (S) SS
- Enrique Hernández (R) 2B
- Max Muncy (L) 3B
- Will Smith (R) C
- Andy Pages (R) CF
Mets lineup: NLCS Game 5
- Francisco Lindor (S) SS
- Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
- Mark Vientos (R) 3B
- Pete Alonso (R) 1B
- Jesse Winker (L) DH
- Starling Marte (R) RF
- Tyrone Taylor (R) CF
- Jeff McNeil (L) 2B
- Francisco Alvarez (R) C
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