QUEENS, NY — The Mets haven’t heard no bell yet.
Facing elimination, New York’s struggling offense exploded in a 12-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS on Friday night at Citi Field to cut their series deficit to 3-games-to-2. The 12 runs are tied for the second-most scored in a single postseason game in franchise history, while they also became just the third team in MLB history to record 10-plus runs and not strike out once.
Pete Alonso hit a three-run home run in the first before the Mets uncorked a five-run third inning to jump out to a big, early lead. Starling Marte went 4-for-5 with three doubles while driving in three in an individually historic performance. He became just the 19th instance in MLB history and the first in Mets history in which three or more two-baggers were recorded in a single postseason game.
“I thought we did an unbelievable job of executing all night,” Alonso said. “We laid off the tough ones and put good swings on the pitches in the zone. It’s just an incredible effort from the whole group.”
While the Dodgers’ relentless offense pushed Mets pitching all night, fueled by Andy Pages’ two home runs and four RBI along with Mookie Betts’ second round-tripper in as many nights, Mets pitching did enough to preserve the win to move the NLCS back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Sunday.
Making his first career playoff start, David Peterson went 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Even with big leads, manager Carlos Mendoza leaned on his top bullpen arms, going with Reed Garrett, Ryne Stanek, and Edwin Diaz — the latter recording the last six outs of the night.
Peterson worked the Mets out of an instantaneous jam with two on and no outs, getting Teoscar Hernandez to ground out, Freddie Freeman to line out, and Tommy Edman to strike out to escape the top of the first without yielding a run.
“I thought that was huge,” Peterson said. “They could’ve had a couple of runs in that first inning and we were able to get out of it. The defense did a great job on that.”
The sputtering Mets’ lineup rewarded Peterson for his early stand as Pete Alonso cannoned a low 2-1 slider from Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty 432 feet to dead center with two on to give the hosts a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
“I was just looking for something over the middle of the plate,” Alonso said. “I mean, I didn’t really realize how low the pitch was. I got caught up a little out front, but location-wise, it was low, but it was still over the middle of the plate. I was really happy I could come through there for the fellas. I’m so happy because this group is so special.”
Los Angeles got one back in the top of the second when Peterson uncorked a wild pitch that scored Enrique Hernandez from third, but it mattered little considering what was just around the bend for Flaherty and the Dodgers.
The Mets unloaded for five in the bottom of the third to take an 8-1 lead as Flaherty was left in to take the brunt of a suddenly unrelenting attack.
Marte snuck his second straight double of the evening down the left-field line to score Alonso and Jesse Winker, who had walked to lead off the bottom of the third.
“[A night like this] feels really good,” Marte said. “Not just because I had a good game but also because the team won. I’m the type of player that as long as the team wins, I’m in a good mood. I can go 0-for-5, and it doesn’t matter. So as long as I’m giving my 100% and the team is producing, it’s definitely exciting. As long as I’m on base, I feel like we can have success.”
Francisco Alvarez knocked a two-out single through the left side of the infield to make it a 6-1 game. It was the first of three hits to punctuate the Mets’ rally, as Francisco Lindor tripled down the right-field line to score Alvarez, and Nimmo drove home the star shortstop with a clean single to right.
“I thought today we did a really good job with [Flaherty],” Mendoza said. “He was trying to get us to chase, and we didn’t do that. We attacked him when he tried to get in the zone, and we did some damage. We have a good offense, and we showed that today.”
The Dodgers rallied their way into a major threat in the fourth — just another reminder of how dangerous they can be at any given moment. Andy Pages hit a solo home run with two outs to make it 8-2 before Peterson loaded the bases.
Mendoza called for Garrett, who got Freddie Freeman looking to get out of the jam.
Once again, the Mets bats responded, plating two more in the bottom of the fourth following an RBI triple from Winker and a sacrifice fly by McNeil.
For Winker, it was his second triple of the postseason, making him the first Met in franchise history to have more than one career playoff three-bagger for the team.
Pages launched his second home run of the night in the fifth off Garrett, a three-run shot with two outs, to make it a 10-5 game, prompting Mendoza to go to one of his high-leverage guys in Ryne Stanek. He struck out Ohtani to end the fifth but allowed a lead-off home run in the sixth to Mookie Betts to cut the Mets’ advantage to four at 10-6.
It was the only blemish on his night in which he went 2.1 innings and struck out four.
“I think that was the first time I had a thrid up since my rookie year,” Stanek said. “In the moment, it’s just a situation where you’re trying to empty the tank and go get them.”
The Mets got one back through McNeil’s second sacrifice fly of the night, scoring Winker from third after he was hit by a pitch and advanced to the hot corner on Marte’s third double of the night.
Marte made it 12-6 with an RBI single to center in the bottom of the eighth.
