Mets Storylines For The Remainder Of The NLCS
The Mets took the field Friday with their backs against the wall. Sound familiar?
Well, it should, as this team has faced adversity and walked on the edge since the start of September. They survived the second-half surge of the Diamondbacks, the terrifying doubleheader in Atlanta, and a ninth inning in Game 3 where they trailed 2-0 facing Devin Williams.
It’s been unlikely win after unlikely win. And Friday was no different. After scoring two runs in two games against the Dodgers in Games 3 and 4, the offense exploded for 12 runs in a must-win game.
Pete Alonso set the tone with a three-run homer in the first, Starling Marte became the first Met to record three doubles in a playoff game, and David Peterson and the bullpen did just enough to hold the Dodgers to six runs. This including a decisive moment between Reed Garrett and Freddie Freeman that resulted in a bases-loaded strikeout.
It was exhilarating for a team that has had a season’s worth of moments in a week-and-a-half span. It got the Mets back on a plane, heading toward Los Angeles to face the Dodgers for yet another do-or-die game.
This Mets team continues to prevail. Despite all the anxiety-provoking wins and edge-walking moments. It’s shocking. And leaves most with the thought, “Can they really do it again?”
There’s no reason to believe they can’t, as the Mets have recently been on the positive side in deciding games. The fans have to believe, which is something Francisco Lindor told fans they ought to do before and after their Game 5 win.
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Pitching Matchups For Games 6 and 7
The table is set for the Mets to do the unlikely again. So hold on to your seats. Sean Manaea is on the bump for Game 6, facing the Dodgers again in California after allowing two earned runs across five innings pitched in the Game 3 win.
Then, the Mets will have multiple options for what should be an all-hands-on-deck effort in Game 7. Luis Severino and Kodai Senga would be on full rest, and you’d have to assume Peterson would be available in some capacity after throwing 79 pitches Friday.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers aren’t as blessed on the other side. Game 6 will be a bullpen game, which ended in the Mets scoring seven runs in Game 3. If a Game 7 were to be played, Walker Buehler would get another crack at the Mets after he turned in a vintage start in Game 4.
Matchups should favor the Mets these final two games. But it won’t be easy getting through the Dodgers’ lineup. Los Angeles has scored a combined 36 runs in five games against the Mets, averaging 7.2 runs per game.
Shohei Ohtani has particularly killed the Mets, slashing .333/.538/.667 with two homers and eight walks through five games. Tommy Edman has also been a thorn in the side of Mets, batting .409 in the series thus far.
If the Mets are to stifle the Dodgers’ offense, it’s going to have to start with the walks. The Dodgers have walked an astounding 36 times this series, including a 31 walks through four games, the most in any four-game stretch in postseason history.
That’s easier said than done against a Dodgers lineup with the likely National League MVP who is then followed by former MVPs in Mookie Betts and Freeman.
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Top of the Order Needs to Mash
These games will likely come down to the Mets’ offense, which has been hot or cold this whole series. They were shut out in Game 1 and 3, scored two runs in Game 4, and then 19 runs between Game 2 and 5. It’s been sporadic. And they need to channel it to make the World Series.
Lindor especially comes to mind. The shortstop went 2-for-4 with a triple in Game 5 and led off Game 2 with a home run, but has gone 3-for-13 outside those at-bats. He’s been the catalyst all season long, and the Mets need him to stay hot for these final two games.
Following him are Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo. Alonso had the big homer Friday, but has only slashed .222/.391/.389 in the NLCS. It’s hard to get on Nimmo due to his plantar fasciitis, but the left-handed bat has been a hole in the middle of the order, slashing .211/.318/.211 with zero extra-base hits.
The final question mark is the bullpen. Edwin Díaz and Ryne Stanek have been unbelievable, which was highlighted when the two combined for 13 outs Friday. But outside those two, the bullpen has a combined 8.52 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, and 1.57 K/BB.
Will the Mets offense click these final two games? Will the starters provide the length that resulted in their August/September surge? Can the bullpen pull together to put up zeroes against the Dodgers’ potent lineup?
All these questions will be answered starting Sunday. Where the Mets will either force a Game 7 and be on the cusp of their first trip to the Fall Classic since 2015, or where their season of magical runs will end.
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