On Friday evening at Citi Field, New York, the Mets played Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers. Despite having lost by eight runs on each of the last two days, the team was upbeat, a mood that set the scene for their subsequent victory. In what was arguably the Mets’ most important game of the year, their positive attitude led to a significant win over the Dodgers in Game 5.
The Mets scored 14 hits, the second most in the franchise’s postseason history, in their 12-6 victory. Key contributors to this result included Pete Alonso who, after lifting a three-run blast in the first inning, accounted for his fourth home run this October, a milestone that inaugurated an avalanche of good fortune for the team. The Mets proceeded to tag out Flaherty with eight runs in the initial three innings. In addition to Alonso, the team drew crucial walks, enjoyed timely hitting and played small ball which overwhelmed the los Angeles’ pitching staff.
Taking advantage during Flaherty’s drop in velocity and refusing to chase outside the zone resulted in a concerted effort that reaffirmed the teams’ prospective feat. Lindor, Starling Marte, Jesse Winker, and Francisco Alvarez made notable contributions. The team also managed to not strike out at all, evidence of their heightened gameplay. “The quality of at-bats that we had, the intensity that we needed every inning, we understood that, And we had to give everything that we had, and that’s what we did” as shared by Lindor.
Drawing from the strength of past victories, the Mets demonstrated their resilience by striking past threats to their success. Alonso, a prominent figure this season, has managed four leading scores in his five career postseason homers. On the eve of his free agency, this accomplishment is even more significant. What makes this team unique is neither luck nor gimmicks but their ability to give everything to the game.
Alonso’s words inspire confidence in the team’s future performances, inviting spectators to expect a persistent, determined approach. After securing an opportunity to play in Game 6, the team’s focus remains on surviving one game at a time. Alonso explains,”This is what we want to continue to play for. Today was all about, figure it out, get to Game 6. And we have that opportunity, and it’s going to be the same mentality: figure it out, get to 7.”
If successful, the Mets will be the ninth team in LCS history (AL or NL) to come back from a 3-1 hole. With two wins in elimination games this year, the motivation is evident. Manager Carlos Mendoza has encouraged maintaining the same mindset, while Brandon Nimmo shares, “We’ve had success focusing on the process for 4-5 months now, and it’s not the time to change it. We’re just trying to beat on that dam until it finally breaks, and it broke tonight.”
