Mets Drop Game 1 Of NLCS 9-0
Following a thrilling and emotional division series that concluded just three days earlier, the Mets arrived in Los Angeles hoping to maintain their momentum against the Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS. Unfortunately for the Mets, things didn’t go as planned, as the Dodgers dominated both Kodai Senga and the Mets’ pitching staff, cruising to a 9-0 blowout win in the opener.
Senga, who was chosen as the Game 1 starter after a solid two-inning performance in the NLDS, struggled right from the start. His lack of command was evident early on, walking four of the first 10 batters he faced. Three of those walks came back to haunt him, with Max Muncy and Shohei Ohtani driving in runs with key hits.
Despite his early struggles, the Mets kept Senga in for a second inning. However, things didn’t improve as he walked Kiké Hernández to lead off the inning, who later scored on another RBI single from Ohtani — Senga’s night ended after just 1 1/3 innings, having thrown only 10 strikes out of his 30 pitches. He was replaced by Reed Garrett.
The Mets’ bullpen delivered mixed results. Garrett and Danny Young managed to keep the Dodgers off the board during their outings, but David Peterson and Jose Butto struggled, allowing six runs on seven hits. The Dodgers took full advantage, with a series of hits that included Tommy Edman‘s RBI single off Peterson, followed by Ohtani’s single and Starling Marte‘s fielding error that allowed Ohtani to advance. Freddie Freeman then added to the damage with another RBI hit.
In the eighth inning, the Dodgers continued their offensive onslaught against Butto. Mookie Betts delivered a bases-loaded double that cleared the bases, scoring Hernández, Kevin Kiermaier and Ohtani to put the game out of reach.
The Mets hurt themselves not just with poor pitching, but also with sloppy defense and a lackluster offense. They committed two costly errors, one by Starling Marte in right field and another by Pete Alonso, who made a wild throw to Francisco Lindor at second base, failing to get the force out.
Jesse Winker led off the fifth inning with a hit, but he was quickly erased on a baserunning blunder. He tried advancing to third on a single by Jose Iglesias and was easily tagged out after a moment of hesitation.
On the mound, Jack Flaherty and the Dodgers’ pitching staff were dominant. Flaherty threw seven strong innings, allowing just two hits and striking out six. The Mets managed only three hits the entire game, leaving five runners stranded, and went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position. According to Robert Murray of FanSided, the Dodgers have now pitched 33 consecutive scoreless innings in the postseason, tying a record set by the 1966 Orioles.
Stat of the Game: Mets’ Bullpen Finishes Game
After Senga’s early departure, the Mets’ bullpen, consisting of Reed Garrett, David Peterson, Danny Young and Jose Butto, finished the game by going a combined 7 2/3 innings. Delivering mixed results, Garrett and Young pitched scoreless frames while Peterson and Butto would give up the bulk of the runs, giving up six runs on seven hits.
Player of the Game: Danny Young
Making his first playoff appearance for the Mets, Young pitched a strong inning and a third, keeping the Dodgers off the board.
On Deck
The Mets and Dodgers go right back at it Monday as they play an afternoon game with first pitch starting at 4:05 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on FOX and locally on Mets Radio 880. Sean Manaea will look to stop the bleeding for the Mets, while a starter for the Dodgers has yet to be announced.
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