Game Chat: Mets vs. Dodgers, 8:10 P.M.

Friday, October 28, 2024 • 1:10 PM
Dodger Stadium • Los Angeles, CA
RHP Kodai Senga (1-0, 3.38) vs. RHP Jack Flaherty (13-7, 3.17)
FOX

The New York Mets return to the diamond Sunday night in Los Angeles to face the Dodgers in Game 1 of the 2024 National League Championship Series. What a ride it has been for the Mets, who are the only wild card team remaining in the postseason. To get here, they had to beat the 2024 NL Central Champions (Milwaukee Brewers) and the NL East Champions (Philadelphia Phillies). Now, only the NL West Champions stand in their way to a World Series appearance.

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor, SS
2. Mark Vientos, 3B
3. Brandon Nimmo, LF
4. Pete Alonso, 1B
5. Starling Marte, RF
6. Jesse Winker, DH
7. Jose Iglesias, 2B
8. Tyrone Taylor, CF
9. Francisco Alvarez, C

Kodai Senga will make his second start in the playoffs tonight. His last time out, he allowed a lead-off home run to Kyle Schwarber and then shutdown the Phillies for two innings. He walked one and struck out three over two innings while tossing 31 pitches.

It is expected that he’ll go around three innings today. The Dodgers have the following career numbers against Senga:

• Mookie Betts 3-3, HR
• Tommy Edman 1-6, K
• Freddie Freeman 0-2, BB, K
• Teoscar Hernández 1-3, 2B, K
• Max Muncy 0-2, BB, K
• Shohei Ohtani 1-1, 2B, 2 BB
• Miguel Rojas 0-2
• Will Smith 0-2, K

Dodgers Lineup

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Mookie Betts, RF
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Teoscar Hernández, LF
5. Will Smith, C
6. Max Muncy, 3B
7. Kike Hernández, CF
8. Gavin Lux, 2B
9. Tommy Edman, SS

The Mets’ bats will face off of against the major trade deadline acquisition for the Dodgers; Jack Flaherty. Over 28 starts this season, Flaherty pitched 162 innings with a 3.17 ERA, 3.48 FIP, 1.068 WHIP, and 127 ERA+. His statistics were slightly worse when you look only at his Dodger starts (3.58 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 1.283 WHIP, 108 ERA+ over 55 1/3 innings).

The Padres got to him in his last start, hitting two home runs and scoring four runs over 5 1/3 innings. The Mets have the following career numbers against Flaherty:

• Pete Alonso 2-3, 2B, K
• Jose Iglesias 0-5, K
• Francisco Lindor 0-4, BB, K
• Starling Marte 4-22, HR, BB, 7 K
• J.D. Martinez 1-2, K
• Tyrone Taylor 0-4, 2 K
• Jesse Winker 8-21, 2 1B, 2 HR, 3 BB, 3 K

Game Notes

Jeff McNeil replaced Adam Ottavino on the Mets’ playoff roster for the National League Championship Series.

The Dodgers had to leave off left-handed reliever Alex Vesia from their playoff roster due to injury. Vesia has been a breakout star for Los Angeles in their bullpen, posting a 1.76 ERA across 66 1/3 innings.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Kodai Senga. The Dodgers’ strength is the relentlessness of the top of their lineup. Kodai Senga could be the antidote, keeping hitters off balance with his unique mix of pitches. In his last start, he tossed 31 pitches, 13 of them of them fastballs. The vast majority of those 13 were in the low-to-mid 90 mph range. He tossed four pitches above 95 heading towards 97. According to Baseball Savant, he mixed in six forkballs, six sweepers and three sliders. How will the Dodgers fair with his mix of off-speed stuff?
2. Containing the heart of the Dodgers lineup. Shohei Ohtani had an MVP season with a 190 OPS+ in 2024. Mookie Betts had a 145 OPS+. Freddie Freeman had a 143 OPS+. Even when you get through those three huge bats, you still have to get through Teoscar Hernández who had a 137 OPS+ in 2024. How does manager Carlos Mendoza navigate these four hitters?
3. MVP Matchup. Shohei Ohtani had a historic season at the plate. Tonight, he has to face his main competition for the MVP award; Francisco Lindor (138 OPS+). Lindor launched the Mets into the postseason hitting a go-ahead home run in the first game of a doubleheader in Atlanta, that allowed the Mets to save Luis Severino for the Milwaukee Brewers in the playoffs. A week later, Lindor hit a go-ahead grand slam to send the Mets to the National League Championship Series.

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