The New York Mets travel to Chavez Ravine to play the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series. For the Mets, this is the ninth NLCS of their history, and the first in nine years.
In a season full of unforgettable moments, McDonalds’ saviors, Latin pop stars, and surprising performances, the past two weeks might be the most memorable and improbable of all. From a doubleheader on the day after the season ended that propelled them into the playoffs to Pete Alonso’s Wild Card winning home run to Francisco Lindor’s NLDS winning grand slam, the Mets have had, perhaps, the three biggest home runs in team history since the regular season wrapped up.
In the Aforementioned NLDS against the Phillies, the Mets were every bit the better team. The only game they lost (Game 2) was a nail biter that realistically could’ve gone either way. The Mets got excellent starting pitching, a surprise return from Kodai Senga, big hits up and down the lineup, and two of the most raucous crowds in Citi Field’s history on the way to a 3-1 series victory. The Mets are reportedly getting another return today, with Jeff McNeil rejoining the roster after fracturing his wrist on September 8th.
With a rested bullpen, a starting rotation that has been pitching quite well, a reinforced offense with McNeil’s presence, and the momentum pushing in their direction, the Mets are looking as strong as they have at any point in this season.
The Dodgers did not have as easy a path through the NLDS, taking the San Diego Padres to the limit, eking out a 2-0 win in Game 5 on Friday night in front of their home fans. The Dodgers are extremely limited in their current starting pitching depth, having to throw a bullpen game in Game 4 and considered doing the same in Game 5 before going with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a pitcher who had struggled mightily against the Padres this season, who pitched five scoreless innings on the way the NLCS.
The Dodgers’ offense is, obviously, one of the best in baseball this season, with Shohei Ohtani having, perhaps, the best offensive season in baseball history as the team’s Designated Hitter. Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Mookie Betts, and Teoscar Hernández are all having excellent seasons as well, and their bench is deep and strong.
These teams have a long history: the Mets blue in their uniform comes from the Dodgers, their stadium is modeled after the Dodgers’ Ebbets Field, and most Mets fans have roots as either Dodgers or Giants fans in their families. The teams also have a lot of playoff history, having met in the 1988 NLCS (Dodgers in 7), the 2005 NLDS (Mets in 3), and the 2015 NLDS (Mets in 5).
The ‘88 Mets were a dominant team that were seemingly headed to the World Series, but were stopped in their tracks by Orel Hershiser and the eventual World Series champion Dodgers. The mid-80s Mets dynasty that never was died in that series, and the Dodgers, for many, are still to blame for the lack of multiple championships for Doc, Darryl, Keith, Kid, and the gang.
In 2006, the ‘New Mets’ were a dominant club that seemed destined to go deep in the postseason, and the Dodgers didn’t give them much resistance. Best remembered for Paul Lo Duca’s tag of both Jeff Kent and J.D. Drew at the plate in Game 1 and the Mets getting to Greg Maddux (yes, Maddux was a Dodger in ‘06) in Game 3 to push the Mets to the NLCS, where they would meet the Cardinals in a heartbreaking series.
The 2015 Mets had one of the best second halves in team history, led by the acquisition of Yoenis Céspedes and the continued emergence of an all time pitching staff anchored by Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard. The NLDS against the Dodgers is mostly remembered for what the rat bastard, Alyssa Milano-dating, greasy-haired Chase Utley did to Ruben Tejada in Game 2 at Dodgers Stadium, breaking his leg on a dirty slide and seemingly having no remorse about it. This would be immortalized forever in a truly poetic fashion by an 8-year old fan: “Utley U Butt-ley.” The Mets took the series in 5.
Discussing the 2024 season series between the two teams is almost silly, as each team was so different in the six games played in April, when the Mets took two of three in Dodgers Stadium, and in May, when the Dodgers swept the Mets at home.
However, there is one moment from the Mets/Dodgers series at Citi Field that stands out, which is when Jorge López tossed his glove into the stands on May 29th, which led to him being designated for assignment and prompted a team-only meeting, organized by Francisco Lindor. That meeting is often cited as the start of the Mets’ turn around, with the team splitting four games with the Diamondbacks in the subsequent four games and started the Mets’ ascent.
Sunday, October 13: Kodai Senga vs Jack Flaherty at 8:15pm ET on FOX
Senga (2024): 5.1 IP, 9 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 3.38 ERA,2.25 FIP, 85 ERA- / Postseason: (2024): 2.0 IP, 3 K, 1 BB, 1 HR, 4.50 ERA, 8.17 FIP, 114 ERA-
It is absolutely wild that Kodai Senga is pitching in the playoffs for the Mets, having been sidelined for all but five and a third innings of work in the regular season, limited by two separate and unrelated injuries. But here we are. Senga pitched two innings against the Phillies and, aside from a leadoff home run to Kyle Schwarber, Senga looked sharp. Slated to go approximately three innings tonight against the Dodgers, Senga’s stats mean almost nothing. What does mean something is that the Mets have their ace back, and that his ghost fork is one of the most devastating pitches against lefties in all of baseball.
Flaherty (2024): 162.0 IP, 194 K, 38 BB, 24 HR, 3.17 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 79 ERA- / Postseason: (2024): 5.1 IP, 2 K, 1 BB, 2 HR, 6.75 ERA, 8.42 FIP, 167 ERA-
Jack Flaherty had a great start to his season as part of the Tigers’ rotation, but has struggled a bit since coming to the Dodgers in July. He has still been a very good pitcher, but he’s not going as deep into games and has been waking more batters since becoming a Dodger. In his lone start of the postseason, Flaherty gave up two home runs and struck out just two in the Game 2 loss to the Padres.
Monday, October 14: Sean Manaea vs TBD at 4:08pm ET on FOX
Manaea (2024): 181.2 IP, 184 K, 63 BB, 21 HR, 3.47 ERA, 3.83 FIP, 87 ERA- / Postseason: (2024): 12.0 IP, 10 K, 2 BB, 1 HR, 2.25 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 98 ERA-
Sean Manaea was never expected to be this good for the Mets, but especially since adjusting his arm angle in July, he’s been the team’s ace. By starting him in Game 2, the Mets are giving Manaea an extra day’s rest and also allowing Senga to build up his endurance for a potentially longer start later in the series, so it shouldn’t be thought of as a demotion or a lack of confidence in Manaea’s stuff. In his two postseason starts thus far, Manaea has been very good, limiting the Brewers to two runs in the Wild Card Game 2 that went sideways when Phil Maton entered the game in the eighth. Against the Phillies he was magnificent, going seven innings of one run, three hit ball en route to a Game 3 victory.
Wednesday, October 16: TBD vs TBD at 8:08pm ET on FOX
Thursday, October 17: TBD vs TBD at 8:08pm ET on FOX
Friday, October 18: TBD vs TBD at 5:08pm ET on FOX
Sunday October 20: TBD vs TBD at 8:08pm ET on FOX
Monday, October 21: TBD vs TBD at 8:08pm ET on FOX
Be the first to comment