What you need to know
Dodgers run into trouble early and can’t recover in Game 5 loss
Mookie Betts hits a home run in sixth before Mets strike back
Andy Pages’ three-run home run makes it 10-5 Mets in the fifth
Everybody chill! Dodgers are still in control of their World Series destiny
NEW YORK — Relax. Deep breaths. Relax.
The Dodgers still own this. The Dodgers are still in control. The Dodgers still have the New York Mets right where they want them.
Two games at Dodger Stadium. Win one and advance to the World Series. Shohei Ohtani hot. Mookie Betts hotter. Andy Pages burning out of nowhere. A rested and nearly unhittable bullpen for Game 6. Walker Buehler prepared to throw legendary fists in a Game 7 if necessary.
Done deal, still.
Yes, the Dodgers blew their first shot at the Fall Classic Friday night in a 12-6 loss to the Mets in Game 5 of the NLCS Friday at Citi Field, shrinking their lead to 3-2.
Dodgers run into trouble early and can’t recover in Game 5 loss
Before the sun had even set in Queens on Friday night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts faced a dilemma.
It was the third inning of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. His club was facing an early, but hardly insurmountable, two-run deficit. And with starting pitcher Jack Flaherty lacking both command and fastball velocity, Roberts had three fraught options before him.
1. Stick with Flaherty, and hope he could settle down.
2. Summon a lower-leverage arm like Brent Honeywell or Landon Knack (or at least have them warming up if things got dire), and hope they could hold the deficit.
3. Turn to a high-leverage reliever immediately, and risk wasting valuable bullets with a likely bullpen game looming in Game 6.
When you lack reliable starting pitching in the playoffs, these are sometimes the choices you’re left with.
And just like in Game 2, Roberts opted for the conservative path, leaving Flaherty in the game — and watching in horror at what happened.
In a six-batter sequence, the Mets exploded for a five-run rally, opening up a seven-run lead they would nurse the rest of the way for a 12-6 win. On a night the Dodgers could have ended the NLCS and booked a place in next week’s World Series, they instead let this best-of-seven head back to Los Angeles.
The Dodgers still have the inside track to reach the Fall Classic. They lead the series 3-2, needing just one more victory with two tries at home to get it.
Dodgers lose to Mets 12-6 in Game 5 of the NLCS
⚾ Mets 12, Dodgers 6 — FINAL
Top of the ninth: Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman flied out, Tommy Edman singled before Kiké Hernández flied out to end the game.
The Dodgers lead the best-of-seven series 3-2 as it heads to Dodger Stadium for Game 6 on Sunday.
Mets extend lead on Starling Marte’s fourth hit of the game
⚾ Mets 12, Dodgers 6 — Eighth inning
Top of the eighth: Mets closer Edwin Díaz took over on the mound, striking out Andy Pages and Shohei Ohtani. Mookie Betts grounded out to second for a 1-2-3 frame.
Bottom of the eighth: Pete Alonso led off with a single to shallow center field off Brent Honeywell. Jesse Winker followed with a single to right field, putting runners on the corners. Starling Marte then singled to center to score Alonso and give the Mets a 12-6 lead.
Tyrone Taylor hit into a 1-4-3 double play, moving Winker to third. Anthony Banda relieved Honeywell and got Jeff McNeil to ground out.
Dodgers trail Mets 11-6 heading into eighth inning
⚾ Mets 11, Dodgers 6 — End of the seventh inning
Top of the seventh: Kiké Hernández popped out, Max Muncy struck out and pinch-hitter Gavin Lux popped out for the Dodgers.
Bottom of the seventh: Dodgers reliever Brent Honeywell walked Francisco Lindor, but picked him off at first base when Lindor took too much of a jump leading off. Brandon Nimmo grounded out and Mark Vientos flied out.
Mookie Betts hits a home run before Mets strike back
⚾ Mets 11, Dodgers 6 — End of the sixth inning
Top of the sixth: Mookie Betts led off with a home run to left field off Mets reliever Ryne Stanek to make it a four-run game. The Dodgers were down 10-2 early in the contest.
Stanek responded by striking out Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman before Tommy Edman flied out to center field.
Bottom of the sixth: Brent Honeywell hit Jesse Winker with a pitch. Starling Marte then doubled on a sharp liner to left-center field, putting runners on second and third for the Mets with no outs. Tyrone Taylor flied out to shallow center field.
Jeff McNeil drove in Winker on a sacrifice fly to center field to make it 11-6 Mets. Francisco Alvarez grounded out to short to end the inning.
Andy Pages’ three-run home run makes it 10-5 Mets in the fifth
⚾ Mets 10, Dodgers 5 — End of the fifth inning
Top of the fifth: Mets reliever Reed Garrett struck out Tommy Edman. He then hit Kiké Hernández with a pitch and walked Max Muncy. Will Smith flied out to center field.
Andy Pages, who homered in the fourth inning, hit a three-run blast to left-center field to inject some more life into the Dodgers. Reliever Ryne Stanek then took over on the mound and struck out Shohei Ohtani for the third out.
Bottom of the fifth: Brandon Nimmo popped out, Mark Vientos flied out and Pete Alonso grounded out as Brent Honeywell retired the side on four pitches.
Andy Pages hits home run before Mets add to their lead
⚾ Mets 10, Dodgers 2 — Fourth inning
Top of the fourth inning: Max Muncy grounded out and Will Smith popped out before Andy Pages hit a solo home run to center field on a 418-foot blast.
Shohei Ohtani followed with a single to left field before David Peterson walked Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández to load the bases.
Reed Garrett took over for Peterson and struck out Freddie Freeman to end the potential rally.
Bottom of the fourth: Brent Honeywell relieved Jack Flaherty on the mound for the Dodgers. He started his stint by hitting Pete Alonso with a pitch before giving up a run-scoring triple to Jesse Winker that rolled to the right-field wall.
After Starling Marte grounded out, Honeywell hit Tyrone Taylor with a pitch. Jeff McNeil then plated Winker on a sacrifice fly to deep center field, making it 10-2 Mets. Francisco Lindor lined out to second base, ending the inning.
Mets score five more runs in the third inning to take 8-1 lead
⚾ Mets 8, Dodgers 1 — End of the third inning
Top of the third: Teoscar Hernández struck out and Freddie Freeman grounded out before Tommy Edman singled to left field. Kiké Hernández flied out to end the frame.
Bottom of the third: Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty gave up a lead-off walk to Pete Alonso, then walked Jesse Winker on four pitches.
Starling Marte followed with a two-run double into the left-field corner to give the Mets a 5-1 lead.
Tyrone Taylor lined out and Jeff McNeil grounded out before Francisco Alvarez hit a run-scoring single into left field to make it 6-1 Mets.
The nightmare continued for Flaherty and the Dodgers on the next at-bat when Francisco Lindor hit a RBI triple down the right-field line. Brandon Nimmo then followed with a RBI single to right field, making it 8-1 Mets.
Mark Vientos grounded out to shortstop Tommy Edman to mercifully end the inning for the Dodgers. Flaherty has given up eight earned runs and eight hits.
Kiké Hernández scores on a wild pitch to get Dodgers on the board
⚾ Mets 3, Dodgers 1 — End of the second inning
Top of the second: Kiké Hernández drew a walk off David Peterson. Max Muncy struck out and Will Smith lined out before Andy Pages hit a broken-bat single on a line drive to center field.
On his first pitch to Shohei Ohtani, Peterson threw a wild pitch into the dirt, allowing Hernández to score from third base for the Dodgers’ first run. Peterson walked Ohtani. Mookie Betts popped out to first base, leaving Pages and Ohtani stranded.
Bottom of the second: Francisco Alvarez lined a hit over the head of Mookie Betts in right field for a first-pitch double. Francisco Lindor nearly hit a two-run home run, but the ball curved foul. He went on to fly out at the warning track in right, giving Alvarez plenty of time to reach third. Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos each flied out to center, leaving Alvarez stranded at third.
Flaherty is struggling with his command and his four-seam fastball seems to be stuck in the 90-91 mph range.
Pete Alonso hits three-run home run for Mets in first inning
⚾ Mets 3, Dodgers 0 — End of the first inning
Top of the first: Facing Mets starter David Peterson, Shohei Ohtani led off with a single up the middle. Mookie Betts doubled on a line drive that went off the glove of sliding right fielder Starling Marte, advancing Ohtani to third.
Teoscar Hernández grounded out to Francisco Lindor at short, but Ohtani didn’t score on the play. Talking to Fox’s Ken Rosenthal before the start of the third inning, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani had a “brain cramp” on the play. Freddie Freeman lined out to first. Peterson struck out Tommy Edman to leave Ohtani and Betts stranded.
Bottom of the first: Francisco Lindor led with a single to right field off Jack Flaherty. Brandon Nimmo drew a walk before Mark Vientos flied out to deep left.
Pete Alonso crushed a three-run home run to center field to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.
Jesse Winker grounded out. Starling Marte then doubled down the right-field line before Flaherty walked Tyrone Taylor with his 31st pitch of the inning, prompting a visit from pitching coach Mark Prior. Jeff McNeil flied out to the left-field corner to end the inning.
Alex Vesia working through injury in hopes of returning for potential World Series
NEW YORK — Alex Vesia threw long-toss Friday for the first time since sustaining a rib-cage injury in the final game of the National League Division Series, and the left-hander remains hopeful of being ready for the World Series if the Dodgers advance.
“Today was a great day,” Vesia said in Citi Field before Game 5 of the NL Championship Series against the New York Mets. “The last four days, I played catch, but today, I threw long-toss as far as I could go, just to make sure everything is healing well. We’ve made a lot of progress. We’re building the intensity back up carefully.”
The next step for Vesia, who gave up one hit in three scoreless innings of the NLDS against the San Diego Padres but is inactive for the NLCS, will be to throw off a bullpen mound and then to face hitters. With a chance for Game 1 of the World Series to be moved up to Tuesday, Vesia won’t have much time to ramp up.
But there is less risk for the Dodgers to activate Vesia for the World Series, because if he aggravates the injury, he can be replaced on the roster. If Vesia was active for the NLCS, got hurt again and had to be replaced, he would not have been eligible to play in the World Series.
“Obviously as a competitor, I want to be out there, but I also know that if I’m not 100%, that means I’m not giving 100% to the team,” said Vesia, who went 5-4 with a 1.76 ERA and five saves in 67 regular-season appearances.
“I knew I needed a couple days, so I wasn’t trying to be a hero. I was trying to play it smart, because for me to go out on the mound and not perform like I know I can, I’m not doing any justice to the team, and I’d be putting them in a bigger divot than we need.”
Pitch around Shohei Ohtani? Not when Mookie Betts is this hot at the plate
NEW YORK — An obvious pattern developed Thursday in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series.
Right after Shohei Ohtani walked in the third inning, Mookie Betts singled.
Right after Ohtani walked in the fourth, Betts doubled.
Right after Ohtani walked in the sixth, Betts homered.
Just one for 10 in the previous three games, Betts was four for six with four runs batted in and three runs scored.
With Jack Flaherty starting NLCS Game 5, Dodgers aren’t overthinking things
NEW YORK — The Dodgers are run by smart guys. Really smart guys. Every now and then, a little too smart for their own good.
The Dodgers already would have swept the National League Championship Series had they deployed their best relievers in the Game 2 bullpen game. In a short series, they did not take their best shot at winning.
So credit where credit is due: The Dodgers could end this NLCS by winning Friday, and they are not overthinking this one.
Their starting pitcher: Jack Flaherty. The Dodgers are taking their best shot at winning.
Freddie Freeman returns to the starting lineup for Game 5
Freddie Freeman was back in the starting lineup for Game 5 of the NLCS after sitting out Game 4 as he continues to navigate a right ankle injury.
Freeman indicated after Thursday’s game that he felt “really good” about being able to play in Friday’s game at Citi Field. He’s playing first base and batting cleanup.
Full lineup below:
Done deal! Dodgers are a lock to finish off Mets and advance to World Series
NEW YORK — In the heart of election season, Los Angeles’ favorite candidate fittingly just pushed their opponent past the breaking point.
I’m calling the National League … for the Dodgers.
I’m calling a spot in the World Series … to the Dodgers.
The polling is not yet complete but it’s happening, a done deal, a mortal lock, prepare for tickets, plan for parties, spread the word, the Dodgers are going to advance to their fourth World Series in eight seasons. It’s only a matter of time.
After a 10-2 victory over the New York Mets in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series at Citi Field on Thursday night, the Dodgers owned a three-games-to-one lead that is essentially insurmountable.
It’s over. The Mets are as done as their roasted pitching. They are as finished as their fleeing fan base. They probably shouldn’t have been here in the first place, and soon they’ll be gone, in the Dodgers’ rearview mirror along with the San Diego Padres, postseason victims of a very different postseason Dodgers team.
Dodgers bullpen shows their ‘pitch each other up’ culture at critical Game 4 moment
NEW YORK — Most fans from a sold-out crowd of 43,882 had filed out of Citi Field by the eighth inning Thursday night, the Dodgers pulling away in the final innings of a 10-2 National League Championship Series Game 4 victory over the New York Mets that moved them to within one win of the World Series.
But only two innings earlier, the joint was jumping, the chants of “Let’s go, Mets!” grew louder and louder, and the Mets, who had staged one dramatic comeback after another this month, were one big swing away from making it a one-run game.
Three batters later, the stadium went so quiet you could hear Grimace, the team’s unofficial mascot, crying in his purple fur, the Mets unable to put a dent in the nearly impenetrable back end of the Dodgers’ bullpen despite loading the bases with no outs.
Dodgers show their might, blowing out Mets to move a win away from World Series
NEW YORK — When the Dodgers dug into their lineup’s playoff problems at the end of last season, they noticed a strange October trend.
Teams that swung freely at the plate seemed to advance more often in recent postseasons. More disciplined clubs like the Dodgers, on the other hand, tended to flame out.
It was an observation that stuck with some Dodgers hitters, third baseman Max Muncy among them, over another long winter.
“There was definitely some talks about it,” Muncy recalled Thursday.
In the end, however, the Dodgers came to a different conclusion entering this postseason, deciding not to change their mindset in October, but rather refine the patient approach that has become a staple of their dominance.
Dodgers vs. Mets: How to watch and betting odds for Game 5
The Dodgers continue the postseason Friday when they face the New York Mets in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series at Citi Field in New York. The Dodgers lead the best-of-seven series 3-1.
The game is scheduled to start at 2:08 p.m. PDT and will air on FS1 and Fox Deportes. Radio broadcasts of the game will be on 570 AM and 1020 AM (Español) in the Los Angeles area.
Here’s the TV schedule for the remaining games in the series (all times Pacific):
*Sunday: Game 6 — New York Mets at Dodgers, 5:08 p.m. | FS1, FOXD
*Monday: Game 7 — New York Mets at Dodgers, 5:08 p.m. | Fox, FS1, FOXD
*—if necessary