Alonso’s first-inning, three-run home run sets the tone on a breakout night
The Mets scored at least 12 runs in only five games this season, and none felt as tense as it did on Friday.
That’s what the power of the Dodger offense does, but 12 runs ended up plenty as the Mets’ 12-6 win-or-go-home victory on Friday night gave them life heading into Game 6 of the NLCS in Los Angeles.
After being stymied by Dodger starter Jack Flaherty in Game 1, the Mets exploded with early runs and hits all throughout the lineup. Here’s a selection of the team’s offensive production:
Francisco Lindor: 2-for-4, two runs, triple
Pete Alonso: 2-for-3, three-run home run
Jesse Winker: 2-for-3, three runs, triple
Starling Marte: 4-for-5, three doubles, three RBI
Francisco Alvarez: 3-for-4, RBI
Maybe even more impressive: The Mets lineup didn’t strike out once all game, a feat the franchise hasn’t achieved since 2010 (and has never achieved in the playoffs).
Two recurring themes for the Mets in this series have been poor hitting with runners on base and a cold bat from Alonso. The slugger bucked those trends with a one-out, three-run home run in the first inning he fished from below the strike zone and deposited deep into center field.
It set the tone for the rest of the night.
The Dodgers got their first run in the second inning after Kiké Hernández led off with a walk, advanced to third on a two-out single from Andy Pages, and scored on a wild pitch with Shohei Ohtani up to bat. Mets starter David Peterson ended up walking Ohtani, but wriggled out of another jam by forcing Betts to pop out to first base to end the inning.
Peterson pitched well through three innings but exited in the fourth, finishing with two earned runs and three strikeouts but four walks through 3 2⁄3 innings.
The Mets responded in the third after two walks to Alonso and Winker led off the inning, with both scoring on a double down the left field line from Marte. Alvarez then drove Marte in with an RBI single—his second hit of the game—Lindor drove in Alvarez with a two-out triple to right field, and then Brandon Nimmo drove in Lindor with an RBI single to make it 8-1.
Peterson gassed out in the fourth inning, first by allowing a solo home run to Pages, and then by loading the bases via a single and two walks respectively to Ohtani, Betts and Teoscar Hernández. Reed Garrett came in with bases loaded and two outs, and dotted a 3-2 backdoor slider to strike out Freddie Freeman and limit the damage in the inning.
The Mets got the run back in the bottom of the inning off a no-out Winker triple that scored Alonso from first base, and added another on a sacrifice fly from Jeff McNeil that scored Winker.
A couple of home runs in the middle innings brought the Dodgers back into the game, first a three-run shot from Pages in the fifth and a solo home run from Betts in the sixth to bring the score to 10-6. Another sac fly from McNeil in the bottom of the sixth gave the Mets their 11th run of the game, while another RBI hit from Marte in the eighth gave them their 12th and final run.
The Mets didn’t mess around with their bullpen strategy, bringing in their high-leverage relievers Garrett, Ryne Stanek and Edwin Díaz to finish off the game. Díaz was especially effective, allowing only one hit and striking out two while getting the final six outs.
The Mets return to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Sunday, with Sean Manaea scheduled to pitch against a Dodger team planning a bullpen game (with a starter to be determined).
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Box scores
Win Probability Added
Big Mets winner: Pete Alonso, +25% WPA
Big Mets loser: Mark Vientos, -8% WPA
Mets pitchers: +6% WPA
Mets hitters: +44% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Alonso home run, +22.3% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Betts first-inning double, +10.6% WPA