Steve Webb
NLCS Game 5, 10/18/2024: Dodgers 5, Mets 12
NEW YORK, NY — It was supposed to be a fairytale ending to the NLCS. Jack Flaherty, the LA kid who grew up rooting for the Dodgers, was supposed to take the mound and pitch the Dodgers into the World Series. Instead, Flaherty delivered his worst start in a Dodger uniform, surrendering eight earned runs in just three innings of work. The Dodgers showed some grit and tried to make a game of it, but in the end the hole was just too deep. They drop their first chance at going to the World Series by the score of 12-6 and the series will indeed return to Los Angeles. Doh!
The game got off to a promising start, but that promise quickly fizzled out. Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts both reached in the top of the first, Ohtani on a single and Betts on a “double” that glanced off the glove of a sliding Starling Marte. Unfortunately, that was all they would get. Shohei did not go on a Teoscar grounder to short, inexplicably held by Dino Ebel. Then, Freddie Freeman lined to first, and Tommy Edman struck out. Mets starter David Peterson charged off the mound to the cheers of a fired up Citi Field crowd.
They would have even more to cheer about when the Mets teed off on Jack Flaherty in the bottom of the inning. Francisco Lindor led off with a single, and Brandon Nimmo pushed him to second with a walk. After Mark Vientos flew out, the Polar Bear got at least one more chance to make an impression on Mets nation. He pummelled a Flaherty pitch to center field. It cleared the fences and just like that the Dodgers’ closeout plans were in serious jeopardy.
That was just the start of the trouble for Flaherty on Friday afternoon. Though he got through a scoreless second inning, the third was an unmitigated disaster. The Mets scored five times on four hits and a pair of walks. The big knocks in the inning were a two-run double from Starling Marte (more than making up for his fielding mistake) and three two-out RBI hits from Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo. It was 8-1 and the rout was on.
That inning ended a VERY rocky start for Flaherty: 3.0 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, 4 BB, 0 K. So now, the trade deadline acquisition has made three starts in the postseason. One wonderful (Game 1), one horrible (Game 5), and one so-so (NLDS Game 2). Not exactly the consistency you were hoping for from a supposed Number One. Hopefully, there will be opportunities for Flaherty to redeem himself next week in the Fall Classic. But today was just an ugly mess for the kid from the Valley.
Especially, given the comeback that was to come, one questions the wisdom of leaving Flaherty out there for so long given that it was pretty obvious he wasn’t sharp. One could say that was just Doc preserving resources in a minus-game, but whatever it was, it seemed like the same lack of urgency that we saw in Game 2 in Los Angeles. Once again, a potentially winnable game was essentially punted away for better field position on the next drive. We’ll see if the strategy bears fruit on Sunday.
The Dodgers scored a couple of runs in the first half of the game, one on a wild pitch from starter David Peterson, and another on an Andy Pages homer. But they left plenty more on the bases. In addition to the missed opportunity in the first, they had the bases loaded with two out and Freddie Freeman up in the top of the fourth. Unfortunately, relief pitcher Reed Garrett got the call on a borderline pitch on the outside corner on the 3-2, and the Dodgers were turned away empty-handed yet again.
Brent Honeywell was the first man out of the bullpen in this one, and he followed Flaherty’s example by giving up a couple runs of his own in the bottom of the fourth. Trailing 10-2 at the mid-point of the game, it would take a minor miracle for the team to get back in this one.
It wasn’t quite divine intervention, but Andy Pages was doing his best to be this team’s savior on Friday. In the top of the fifth with two men on, Pages drilled his second home run of the afternoon, a tank job to straightaway center field. That cut the score to 10-5, with Pages accounting for three of the five runs scored in the game.
Mookie Betts, who is having a hell of a series, then homered to lead off the sixth inning of new Mets pitcher Ryne Stanek, but unfortunately, the Dodgers gave the run right back in the bottom of the frame when Jesse Winker got hit by Honeywell, took third on Starling Marte’s second double of the game and then scored on a sac fly from Jeff McNeil. The lead was back to five, and the Dodgers were running out of outs. The Mets tacked on one additional run to bring their total to twelve, which is more runs than the Dodgers have given up all week. It wasn’t great.
The late innings got off to a slow start for the Dodgers when Stanek retired the side in order in the seventh. Then, Edwin Diaz came on for the final two frames and put up a couple of zeroes. And that was that.
Now with a 3-2 series advantage, the Dodgers head back to Chavez Ravine for Game 6 on Sunday evening. Once again, they will face Sean Mannaea, who gave them such fits in Game 2. For the Dodgers, it looks to be a bullpen game, with all those rested arms ready to go.
When the Dodgers arrived in Queens, I felt like they needed to take two of three to have a legit shot of winning the pennant. They did that, even if it ended rather poorly. So, the Dodgers have the mojo in this series still. But that bullpen is going to have to keep the magic going for at least nine more innings.
This damn well better work.
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