Resilient again! Mets force Game 6 and live to fight another day

The Mets came out swinging and relied on clutch hitting and some gutsy pitching from the bullpen to save their season and send the NLCS back to LA...

Andrew Steele

Oct 19, 2024

What’s Up with the Mets? 🚩

The Mets avoided elimination in the NLCS thanks to an offensive explosion in a 12-6 win over the Dodgers in Game 5 at Citi Field on Friday (box)
1B Pete Alonso blasted a huge three-run home run in the first inning to set the tone for the rest of the game
A monster five-run third inning followed as the Mets rocked Dodgers RHP Jack Flaherty early to build a huge lead
OF Starling Marte enjoyed a big night at the plate, finishing 4-for-5 with one run scored and three RBIs
C Francisco Alvarez showed some signs of life offensively by going 3-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored
Both SS Francisco Lindor and DH Jesse Winker hit a triple, with the Mets recording multiple triples in a single postseason game for the first time in franchise history
2B Jeff McNeil - back in the lineup - finished with two RBIs and came up with a clutch sac fly in the fourth to make it a 10-2 game
LHP David Peterson escaped a huge jam in the first inning before giving the Mets 3.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts
RHP Ryne Stanek, who had never recorded more than six outs in a major league game in his career prior to Friday, racked up a career-high seven outs in 2.1 innings of one-run ball with four strikeouts
RHP Edwin Díaz recorded the final six outs of the game, and he did so in style by delivering two scoreless innings with just one hit allowed and two strikeouts

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Did you know? ⁉️

Since the LCS moved to its current seven-game format in 1985, the winner of the fifth game of the NLCS has advanced to the Fall Classic 24 times (63.2%). Per Elias, in best-of-seven series, the club with a 3-2 advantage after five games, goes on to win the series 68.0% of the time
The Mets are attempting to become the ninth team LCS history (AL or NL) to come back from a 3-1 hole - they are 2-0 in elimination games this season after beating the Brewers in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series
After striking out 39 times in Game 1-4 of the NLCS, the Mets became the first team to not strike out in a postseason game since the Angels in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series. That’s the 11th time it has happened in the postseason overall, and just the third instance in the expansion era (1961) (H/T Sarah Langs)
The 12 runs scored in Game 5 were the second-most runs scored in franchise postseason history
This NLCS is just the second series in postseason history where each of the first five games were decided by 5+ runs. The first six games of the 1965 World Series between the Dodgers and the Twins were decided by 4+ runs

Who’s Hot 🔥

Starling Marte has nine hits, four doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored in 22 at-bats in the NLCS
Jesse Winker is 4-for-10 with three walks, a triple and an RBI in the NLCS
Ryne Stanek has allowed two earned runs with two walks and eight strikeouts in eight innings during the playoffs

Moment of the Game ⭐

There were a slew of key moments for the Mets throughout Game 5, including David Peterson working out of a huge jam in the top of the first inning.

However, arguably the most important moment of the game came in the bottom of the first. With two runners on, Pete Alonso stepped up to the plate and absolutely destroyed a Jack Flaherty slider to give the Mets an early 3-0 lead. Facing elimination, and given the two stinkers before, it was imperative that New York started fast and didn’t let the Dodgers land the first blows of the game.

Furthermore, Alonso’s clutch homer gave a packed Citi Field some much-needed life and it set the tone for the rest of the game. The Mets never looked back from that point on. Alonso has made a habit of coming up with big moments this postseason and, given the stakes going into Game 5, this could end up being the biggest of them all. His blast snapped the Mets’ 0-for-17 stretch with runners in scoring position, and it could now act as a spark for Alonso who had struggled in the NLCS prior to Friday.

The Mets are off today and will hold a workout at Dodger Stadium later ahead of Game 6 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Sunday night.

Gutsy Mets keep the magic going and head to LA with a chance… ✍️

So you’re telling me there’s a chance?!?!

Most people had written off the Mets after they fell behind 3-1 in the NLCS following two consecutive games of being totally outclassed by the Dodgers. Aside from Game 2, New York didn’t look like they belonged on the same field as LA.

However, we should know by now that you write these gutsy and resilient Mets off at your own peril.

As they have shown time and time again this year, it isn’t over until it is really over.

As long as this team is still breathing, they are never truly dead. No matter how good the opposition or how high the odds.

We saw that play out again in Game 5 on Friday night.

Despite already being shutout twice in this series, and despite looking gassed and all but done following the immediate completion of Game 4, the never-say-die Mets came out swinging to start Game 5 to remind the sporting world once again that you are beyond stupid to ever declare this team dead.

Following a stirring performance by The Temptations pre-game - a masterstroke by the organization - David Peterson worked out of an early jam to really give those in attendance at Citi Field some life. Then, Francisco Lindor did what he’s done all year by leading by example and getting on base early to set the tone. That paved the way for Pete Alonso to give the home crowd really something to cheer about with a monster three-run home run.

Bell well and truly answered. Emphatically.

With hope restored, the offense went to work and five runs in the third inning effectively put the game out of reach. Yes, the Dodgers made it interesting at times, but Ryne Stanek delivered the performance of his life and the 2022 version of Edwin Díaz came to work to record the final six outs and get the save.

And, just like that, we have ourselves a series again.

The Mets will now head back to LA full of belief that they can really pull of something special by coming all the way back and punching their ticket to the World Series.

Coming back from a 3-1 deficit in October is far from easy, but would you really bet against the Mets doing just that at this point?

Given the abundance of guts, heart and character we’ve seen from this team for months now, you’d have to be either very brave or incredibly stupid to do so.

Of course, it won’t be easy.

After all, in a best-of-seven series, teams that have won Game 5 when facing a 3-1 deficit have come back to win the series just 30% of the time. On the flipside, teams heading back home with a 3-2 edge have gone on to get the job done 38 out of 52 times (73%).

Furthermore, the Dodgers are an elite team and they have shown that for the majority of this series. Given their star power, it would be hard to see them dropping two consecutive games in their own backyard.

But the Mets do have one thing going for them in their favor in Game 6.

The Dodgers will be going with a bullpen game with the Mets countering with a fully rested Sean Manaea on Sunday, giving the Mets a tactical advantage on the mound with an opportunity to get this to a winner-take-all Game 7 on Monday night.

Again, there has been something almost mythical about the Mets’ remarkable run this year and we really shouldn’t be surprised if another magical act takes place in LA over the next few days.

This is a special team and one that finds a way to really bring it when the odds are stacked against them.

So, while the Dodgers will still be heavily favored to get the job done on their own turf, the Mets have once again risen from the dead to live to fight another day.

They head back to LA with a chance to do something truly remarkable in a season full of jaw-dropping moments.

Even if this magical carpet ride of a season does end on Sunday - or on Monday - it has still been a hell of a ride and this team will live on in franchise lore forever.

However, the Mets have given themselves a fighting chance to keep the dream alive and that is all you can ask for.

We’re on to LA…

The Championship Chase 🏆

Giancarlo Stanton homered again and the Yankees relied on clutch hitting in the ninth to beat the Guardians 8-6 in Game 4 of the ALCS and move to within one victory of reaching the World Series