The New York Mets are close to being eliminated from the National League Championship Series after another lacklustre performance sees them down 3-1 in the series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. With a 10-2 loss on Thursday night, Mets manager, Carlos Mendoza, admitted that his team seemed to have hit a wall, and appeared to be running out of gas. The team has struggled throughout the playoffs with the Dodgers’ deep lineup and their own rotation’s failure to execute, with no Mets starter having recorded an out in the sixth inning across the series so far.
The Mets had relied on strong starting performances during the final months of the regular season, but the strategy seems to have fallen short in the playoffs. One of the team’s veterans, Jose Quintana, who is a year older and has played 100 more innings than he did in 2023, struggled during Game 4, giving away five hits and five runs in just more than three innings. As a result, the Mets quickly slipped into a 5-2 deficit. This highlights one of the significant challenges the Mets have faced during the season, as their strategy of relying on their starters to pitch deeper into games and masking their shallow bullpen depth has not worked against the Dodgers.
In an attempt to adjust the team’s trajectory, Mendoza announced that lefty David Peterson would start Game 5. Peterson has not started a game since September 29. Despite this, he has pitched as a multi-inning reliever and was considered the Mets best option. Peterson acknowledged that the team has gone through a lot this season, but stood by his belief that their experiences have shaped who they are now.
Despite their struggles, the Mets are hoping to add another chapter to their improbable season. Lindor emphasised that the team’s belief is essential to moving forward, stating, “you gotta fight for what you want.” The Mets are keen to keep the season alive and hope to pull off an unexpected victory. Various players also offered a reminder of the team’s resilience, recalling how they were down to their last out in the Wild Card Series, which didn’t require winning three in a row, but they managed to turn things around.
However, concerns persist as the regular season and the playoffs have seen not only the pitching rotation but also position players like Jose Iglesias and Francisco Alvarez failing to live up to expectations. The Mets face an additional setback as Brandon Nimmo is dealing with plantar fasciitis, but he continues to hustle on every ground ball. The Mets’ players acknowledged the pressures and the weight of the task they face but remain hopeful.
In conclusion, the Mets are on a rocky road as they face elimination in the Championship Series. They are grappling with an underperforming pitching rotation, a shallow bullpen, and a Dodgers lineup that refuses to relent. As the series continues, the team’s resilience and ability to overcome challenges will indeed be put to the test. They are not counting themselves out yet, but the arduous journey to the current position may be an indication of a rough road ahead.
