The Dodgers executed in the clutch and the Mets didn’t. The Dodgers got great results from their pen and the Mets didn’t. The end result was a 10-2 loss Thursday night at Citi Field. The Mets will try to stave off elimination Friday afternoon, as they trail in the series, three games to one.
The Mets had 10 hits, 3 walks and a HBP. That should have resulted in more than two runs, even more so considering they had a home run. But they were 0-10 with RISP and they left 12 men on base. It’s just a tough way to try to win a game.
This was always going to be a tough game, with Jose Quintana needing to get hitters to chase out of the zone and the Dodgers being a great team at avoiding that very thing. Quintana didn’t make it out of the fourth inning, allowing 5 H, 5 R and 4 BB in 3.1 IP.
Mets pitchers allowed 9 BB – another tough way to try to win a game.
Back in 2017, the Dodgers swept the Mets in the regular season, winning all seven games. But it wasn’t just that they won – it’s that they outscored them, 57-15. It’s a little bit like that in this series, as L.A. holds a 30-9 edge in runs after four games. Yet it feels different. The 2017 Dodgers just beat the Mets senseless. This feels like the Mets just being completely inept with ducks on the pond, rather than boys trying to compete with men.
Perhaps that’s just a naïve thought, though.
It will be curious to see if the Mets come out with any fire on Friday. They certainly need a spark, a jolt. Running the same lineup out there hasn’t gotten the job done. Oh, wait, there was the change to Harrison Bader. He went 0-2 with 2 Ks before being replaced for a pinch-hitter. It would be nice to see Jose Iglesias and J.D. Martinez on the bench for Game 5.
Mendoza said that the Dodgers have not announced a starting pitcher yet, so he wouldn’t comment on any lineup scenarios. If I were Dave Roberts, I’d start that lefty that was warning up but didn’t pitch just to troll the Mets into starting Inglesias and Martinez again after both of them looked just awful with swing and missing and just a slow bat.
For me it’s more like boys competing with men. The Met pitching is unwilling and/or unable to throw strikes. Not only to the big boys but throughout the line up. As a viewer I feel like the Met pitchers, ready to cringe with any pitch near the plate. Conversely, the Dodger pitchers are getting tons of swings and misses, including in big spots on strikes. As a viewer I feel like only Vientos will do damage in a hitter’s count. The Mets just have too many hitters that will get themselves out, and not enough pitchers that can get out hitters that don’t get themselves out.
Feels like we are back in May. Let’s face it, the Dodgers are pretty strong up and down the lineup and they deliver with RISP. The Mets don’t. How any times did they run the bases loaded only to come away with nothing. McNeil should have started in place of Iggy, and despite not hitting much in those playoffs, Taylor should have been in CF. Or Nimmo could have DH’d to spare his foot from playing in the field and McNeil could have played in left. Pinky is not supposed to leave the dugout unless it is a celebration or as a defensive replacement. And the Dodgers mashed us and Freeman was sitting on the bench.
Baseball is indeed one game at a time, but the chances of a sweep in the next three are fairly non existent.
Trying not to get into the “great season mode but they really were lucky just to get in to the playoffs,” and enjoy the games but we all hate to see them lose and it is sad that our pitching staff who were so dominant the last 6 weeks, look old, tired and inefficient against this Dodger team. Sending some positive vibes out to Cleveland to keep winning against the Yankees. The only thing that would make this season worse is if they hang a banner across town. In the meantime, let’s win one for the home team tonight.
Game 5s in Mets history…
1969 World Series: W (won Series)
1973 NLCS: W (won Series)
1973 World Series: W
1986 NLCS: W
1986 World Series: L
1988 NLCS: L
1999 NLCS: W (Grand Slam Single)
2000 NLCS: W (won Series)
2000 World Series (lost Series)
2006 NLCS: L
2015 NLDS: W (won Series [beat Dodgers])
2015 World Series (lost Series [Matt Harvey game])
2024 NLCS: ???
The Dodgers have thoroughly dominated this series (so far). It’s hard for me to say anything other than the better team is winning right now. It’s tough to say that, but there’s not much that points to anything different unfortunately. One game at a time – you never know.
“We know that (the Mets are) going to come back, ready to go,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts told the FS1 postgame crew Thursday after taking a 3-1 series lead with a 10-2 blowout win at Citi Field. “(Francisco) Lindor’s probably gonna have a nice speech and get them boys ready to go.
“But we will too. We’ll be ready to come throw some haymakers tomorrow.”
So since the Mets have said they want to model themselves after the Dodgers, this is just another step in that progression. Facing them head-to-head for a chance to advance to the World Series and coming up short (very short so far), could very well incentivize Cohen and the front office to make difficult but positive long-ranging choices regarding the team.