Dodgers Can’t Overlook Red-Hot Mets in NLCS Showdown
The New York Mets waited until the very last day of the regular season to clinch a postseason berth but just because it came down to that doesn’t mean the sixth-seeded team should be overlooked.
After all, they took down the Philadelphia Phillies in four games and many so-called experts predicted the Phillies to be dueling the Los Angeles Dodgers for the National League pennant.
The Dodgers finished the season with MLB’s best record and secured a five-game NLDS victory over a strong San Diego Padres team, but no team has maintained a hotter streak than the Mets.
This will be the fourth playoff meeting between the two franchises. The Dodgers came out on top in the 1988 NLCS, while the Mets claimed victories in the NLDS in 2006 and 2015.
In late May, the last time the Mets faced the Dodgers, that series marked a turning point in their season. After being swept in three games, shortstop Francisco Lindor called a players-only meeting at Citi Field.
The players discussed accountability, and many on the team still point to that meeting as the catalyst for the turnaround that followed.
It’s a role reversal for the Dodgers who enter this matchup having won four of the six regular season series games. However, it is the Mets who have the league’s best record, 67-40, since May 30.
The key to defeating the Mets is to keep the top half of the lineup in the ballpark.
Pete Alonso homered twice during the four NLDS games, both opposite-field shots, and has been on fire since his go-ahead home run in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series in Milwaukee. Brandon Nimmo went 4-for-14 with a home run in the NLDS and has been heating up over the past two weeks.
Francisco Lindor, known for delivering in clutch situations, hit a grand slam in Game 4 of the NLDS and posted a .906 OPS throughout the series. However, the hottest bat belongs to Mark Vientos, who recorded multiple hits in all four NLDS games, finishing with a .563 batting average for the round.
The bottom third of the lineup didn’t do much against the Phillies as Starling Marte, Francisco Alvarez, and Tyrone Taylor combined to hit .135 without an extra-base hit.
The overall record of the Mets shouldn’t be the only thing fans should look at with Game 1 just a few minutes away. New York is a top-five team in baseball since the All-Star Break and intends on giving the Dodgers everything they’ve got.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
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