LOS ANGELES — As the runs continue to flow in the National League Championship Series, the New York Mets think they might have the answer to halt the deluge and extend their season in Game 6 on Sunday against the host Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Mets will send left-hander Sean Manaea to the mound after they survived an elimination game at home on Friday with a 12-6 victory over the Dodgers, who still lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Manaea (2-0, 2.65 ERA in the postseason) is one of the few who have solved the opposing offense in the series. He gave up three runs (two earned) on just two hits over five-plus innings of a 7-3 New York victory in Game 2 at Los Angeles.
In a showcase of offense, the Dodgers have averaged 7.2 runs per game in the NLCS, while the Mets have averaged 9.5 runs in their two victories but have scored just two total runs in their three defeats.
Manaea completely revived his season by lowering the arm angle on his delivery and refining a below-average changeup. He had seven strikeouts in Game 2, including two on the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani while holding the star leadoff hitter hitless in three at-bats.
“Hopefully I can go deep into the game. It’s always the goal for me personally,” Manaea said Saturday, while admitting he is pushing through late-season fatigue. “I’m not trying to change anything or do anything more. Whatever I can give, it’s what I can do.”
Pete Alonso hit a three-run home run in the first inning of Game 5 and the New York offense was off and running. The Mets amassed 12 runs on Friday thanks to 14 hits and five walks, and they had their way with Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty, who dominated in Game 1.
Starling Marte had four hits in Game 5, Francisco Alvarez added three hits, and Alonso, Francisco Lindor and Jesse Winker each had two hits. Those players combined to drive in nine of the 12 runs.
“Survive the day, and we did,” Alonso said about Game 5. “And we’re really, really excited for the opportunity coming up.”
With limited rotation options, the Dodgers will go with another bullpen game on Sunday. The strategy has delivered mixed results, as Los Angeles’ relief corps posted a shutout in Game 4 of the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres before allowing seven runs, 11 hits and seven walks in a Game 2 defeat to the Mets.
Knowing a bullpen game was coming, the Dodgers allowed right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. to pitch a career-high 4 2/3 innings in Game 5. All primary bullpen options for manager Dave Roberts are fresh, including the lone left-hander on the staff, Anthony Banda, who threw just two pitches on Friday.
“I feel that to prevent runs, we’re in a very good spot,” said Roberts, who opened with right-hander Ryan Brasier in the last two bullpen games but had not yet settled on his Game 6 option. “I don’t think we’ve exposed our high-leverage guys at all.”
As good as their offense has been, the Dodgers do have their concerns, with Will Smith, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman all struggling. Freeman, who has played on a sprained right ankle during the postseason and did not see action in Game 4, went 0-for-5 on Friday and is 1-for-15 in his past three appearances.
Roberts said Freeman would be a game-time decision Sunday.
Hernandez is hitless in his past 18 at-bats, and Smith is hitting .143 in the postseason.
Ohtani was 2-for-7 with three walks in the first two games of the series before he went 4-for-11 with two home runs, five walks and five runs in the three games at New York. Los Angeles’ Mookie Betts was 2-for-12 over the first three games but went 6-for-10 with two home runs, two doubles and five RBIs over the past two games.
“We’re still scoring runs,” Freeman said, according to the Orange County Register. “Mookie Betts is Mookie Betts, Shohei is Shohei, Max (Muncy) is still looking great out there. If we get a couple other guys like me and Teo going here, we have a really good chance.”
–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media
