FLUSHING, NY — These are the Mets in the National League Championship Series and facing another elimination game in the postseason. But Friday night at Citi Field, with another sellout crowd roaring on every pitch of course the Mets responded with a 12-6 win in Game 5.
In the third inning the Mets began to respond, 8-1 and off Dodgers’ starter Jack Flaherty with five extra base hits. From there it was the Mets again and saying we are not going down without a fight. They head to Los Angeles for Game 6 Sunday evening, down 3-2 in the series and say they will continue to fight.
These Mets have fans in Queens believing – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
And who can’t believe their fight. It’s become a theme of their season and continues in October, the Mets also the first team to not strike out in a postseason game since the Angels in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series. Pete Alonso got to Flaherty who gave up the most earned runs for a Dodgers starter in the postseason since Clayton Kershaw in 2014.
More than one gizmo in the ballpark and Alonso getting hold of a 2-2 fastball off Flaherty in the first inning, three quick runs that set the tone. They never quit and have that fight, they say it’s Mets baseball in October.
Pete Alonso hits a three run home run in the bottom of the first inning in Game 5 of the NLCS off Jack Flaherty – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“We understood that this is a do-or-die-game and we have to give everything we had, and that’s what we did,” shortstop Francisco Lindor said.
Lindor also went to right with a triple that scored Francisco Álvarez in that five-run third. But it was a team fight and they all responded.
Francisco Lindor recorded two hits (one for a triple) in the Mets’ Game 5 NLCS win on Friday night – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“We’re capable of putting together games like this, especially when one through nine, we’re clicking, we’re not chasing,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I thought today we did a really good job with their starter, where he was trying to get us to chase, and we didn’t do that.”
He added: “We attacked him when he tried to come in the zone, and we did some damage. But 1 through 9, we’ve got a good offense.”
Francisco Álvarez came into the day with six hits in the 2024 postseason and totaled three hits in NLCS Game 5 – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
But the Dodgers gave that fight also, and will look to end this series at home. In each of the previous four games they scored eight or more runs which tied them with the 2007 Red Sox for the most all-time in the postseason. No easy task for the Mets, then again they are headed to a Game 6, this after being shut out two times in the series.
“He got us going,” Mendoza said about Alonso. And if the Mets don’t advance to the World Series, Alonso in the walk-off year of a contract may have heard the last cheers from Mets fans at Citi Field as he hits free agency. Though leave that for another day, the Mets focus is one game at a time and take this to a deciding Game 7 Monday evening.
An attendance of 43,841 for game 5 of the NLCS at Citi Field – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
And the Mets get these wins with an offense that clicks in October. Alonso said they did an unbelievable job executing. Jesse Winker and Lindor each had a tripe, making for the first time ever where the Mets had recorded multiple triples in a postseason game.
Both adding to to the win, Starling Marte (4-for-5, 3 RBI), and the 22-year-old catcher Álvarez (3-for-4, 1 RBI).
Starling Marte became the first Met in franchise history to have three doubles in a postseason game – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Just a part of why the Mets continue to have momentum in October. And a bullpen that has been used often managed to retire the final 14 Dodgers. Ryne Stanek had a career-high seven outs.
Edwin Díaz closed the game, six outs and first time that was accomplished in his postseason career.
Edwin Díaz gives a thumbs up to the Citi Field crowd after securing the Game 5 NLCS win – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
The Dodgers, though, have home field advantage. They did not want to take this to a Game 6, Flaherty did not have his command or velocity to wrap up the series in New York.
“He wasn’t sharp today,” said manager Dave Roberts. “He’s been fighting something. He’s been under the weather a little bit. So I don’t know if that bled into the stuff, the velocity. Im not sure.”
Jack Flaherty only last three innings in Game 5 of the NLCS after dominating the Mets in Game 1 with seven shutout frames – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
However the Dodgers do know, the Mets will not go down without a fight. They appear to be a team of destiny this postseason, squealing in as the final NL Wild Card team and advanced over the Brewers. And they handled the NL best Phillies in the NLDS that got them here.
Win Game 6 and it’s on to Game 7, the Mets believing more each time they can overcome their deficit in the series. Not impossible, then again they were facing elimination a second time this postseason, beating the Brewers 4-2 in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card series.
Tyrone Taylor, Starling Marte, and Harrison Bader celebrate the Mets’ Game 5 NLCS win – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
They have been the cardiac kids, late inning comebacks in September and now in October, but there was minimal doubt about pulling off another comeback thriller this time in the late innings. It was the Mets at their best and going down with a fight, and against these Dodgers that continue to attack the strike zone with their relentless offense.
And Andy Pages, the first Dodgers rookie with a multi-homer game in the postseason, in back-to-back innings did not stop the Mets and their continuous fight to stave off elimination.
Mets fans are counting down the hours until Sunday night’s NLCS Game 6, a win or go home for New York – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“And we’ll be ready,” Alonso said. “We love opportunities. This is what we want to play for. Today was all about figure it out, get to Game 6. And we have that opportunity and it’s going to be the same mentality. Figure it out. Get to 7.”
Because the Mets have that fight and can take this to a Game 7.
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and contributor at LatinoSports.com – X (Twitter): @Ring786, Facebook.com Rich Mancuso
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