Welcome to this best-of-seven National League Championship Series thread between the 6th seeded Mets (89-73) & the 1st seeded N.L. West Champion Dodgers (98-64).
All games for this series will be covered in this thread. The Dodgers had the best record in all of MLB during the regular season & beat the Mets during the regular season 4 times,
winning the regular season series 4 games to 2. The Mets will be looking for some payback against the Dodgers the same way they did against the Brewers & Phillies, who they also lost their regular season series against. Click
HERE to read a preview of this Playoff Series. Enjoy 😊!
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Mets @ Dodgers: Game 1 –⚾Senga (R) vs. Flaherty (R)⚾– 8:15 pm EDT
Starting Lineups for both clubs tonight.
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Probable Starting Pitcher Matchups for tonight & tomorrow in Chavez Ravine against the Dodgers.
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#LFGM!
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Notes:
-Tonight’s game will be televised on
FOX and tomorrow's game will be on both on
FOX &
FS1.
-The weather forecast for tonight's game at Dodger Stadium is excellent. Click
HERE to keep updated & see the Hourly AccuWeather Reports from there.
-Click
HERE to see the Mets’ 26-man roster for the NLCS. There is one change overall: IF/OF Jeff McNeil for Reliever Adam Ottavino. This will be the 3rd time the Mets and Dodgers have met in the playoffs. They met before in 1988, 2006, and 2015 with the Mets winning in 2006 and 2015. Their most painful playoff series loss ever though was arguably to the Dodgers in 1988. Click
HERE to read about the playoff history between these two organizations.
-Click
HERE to see the list of the Mets’ roster transactions so far in October.
-Click
HERE to see the Mets' 26-man active playoff roster for this series.
-The Mets' 5-man bench for tonight’s game will consist of
Torrens (R), Martinez (R), Bader (R), Acuña (R), & McNeil (L). 
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MLB.com - Gameday Wrap
Yup. Mets have got them by the balls. The key will be Game 4 with Yamamoto going for L.A. IMO. Walker Buehler doesn't scare anyone anymore. He's pitching in Game 3 against Severino.
Ton of depth, and now down to Flaherty, Yamamoto, and Buehler (who has struggled)
The bottom of this lineup scares me. Any threat pretty much ends with Marte
Just like it was a huge win for Philly last series when Diaz threw 5 warm up pitches without coming in LOL
Obviously you don’t want to go back to LA but that’s probably a pipe dream.
Ton of depth, and now down to Flaherty, Yamamoto, and Buehler (who has struggled)
Ohtani is a little bit disingenuous to include since he tore is UCL in 2023 as a member of the Angels and was not expected to start for the Dodgers this year. So for 2024 he was never considered a pitcher when the Dodgers built their roster, but valid point otherwise.
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Ohtani, Kershaw, May, Gonsolin, Stone, Glasnow, Sheehan.
Ton of depth, and now down to Flaherty, Yamamoto, and Buehler (who has struggled)
Ohtani is a little bit disingenuous to include since he tore is UCL in 2023 as a member of the Angels and was not expected to start for the Dodgers this year. So for 2024 he was never considered a pitcher when the Dodgers built their roster, but valid point otherwise.
Correct. He was never in the 2024 plans as a pitcher. The rest of them were, however
Obviously you don’t want to go back to LA but that’s probably a pipe dream.
That's the way I figure it. This was almost a must win for me. As you said, can't depend on a home sweep. Need to take 2 out of 3 at home and then win one in LA. A loss in game 2 almost makes a home sweep necessary
EXACTLY, and I think they will.
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And I like our chances.
Obviously you don’t want to go back to LA but that’s probably a pipe dream.
That's the way I figure it. This was almost a must win for me. As you said, can't depend on a home sweep. Need to take 2 out of 3 at home and then win one in LA. A loss in game 2 almost makes a home sweep necessary
this is the exact recipe. 2/3 at home, 1/2 in LA.
saw someone else comment that it's now a 5 game series with the mets having homefield.
pretty remarkable they won today despite the messiness and the walks. tighten that stuff up and i like their chances in the series.
2. Announcers could not stop gushing of Dodgers and were already appealing to the fact they didn't have to use their primary bullpen high leverage guys. Can't wait for this shit to get back to NY.
3. Wonder if we see Nimmo take a couple days and let Bader/McNeil get some OF time. Maybe DH?
4. Diaz needs to just throw gas right out the gate, helps get him lined up faster
5. Marte is so under appreciated. not just for hitting but for his positioning in the outfield and being on top of all the fly balls. You can tell he keeps everyone stationed right. Glad he'll be here another year.
Feel good about Sevy and Q. Lets F Go Mets.
Just need to get Butto on that level.
Yeah, AL is weak this year. If the Yankees make it, the NL team certainly would have been more battle tested
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We could play Cleveland. Yankees haven’t had to swing a bat to score their runs. Cake walk to the WS
Yeah, AL is weak this year. If the Yankees make it, the NL team certainly would have been more battle tested
If the Mets are in the World Series they are going to win. Period.
Just need to get Butto on that level.
I wanted Stanek in the offseason. Just sayin...(I'm good!)
Jett Williams 4/11, 1 2b, 2 3B's, 2 walks, 3 k's
Jacob Reimer 1/9, 4 walks, 1 K
Jonathan Pintaro 3 innings 4 hits 2 runs 1 walk 2 k's
Noah Hall 2.2 innings 3 hits 1 run 3 walks 1 k
Saul Garcia 2 innings 1 hit 0 runs 2 walks 2 k's
Jawilme Ramirez 0.2 innings 2 hits 1 run 0 walks 1 k
Dylan Ross 1 inning 4 hits 5 runs 0 walks 2 k's
But I do get a little nervous when I hear the Chris Sale comparisons with the pitching angle tweak as a long term pitching motion.
But I do get a little nervous when I hear the Chris Sale comparisons with the pitching angle tweak as a long term pitching motion.
Manaea has said he's always felt more comfortable throwing from a lower arm angle but didn't have the confidence to pitch that way until seeing Sale.
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the must re-sign category? I think so ...
But I do get a little nervous when I hear the Chris Sale comparisons with the pitching angle tweak as a long term pitching motion.
Manaea has said he's always felt more comfortable throwing from a lower arm angle but didn't have the confidence to pitch that way until seeing Sale.
I am concerned it would be another Taijuan Walker as Manaea does not have a history of throwing the number of innings he has this year
But I do get a little nervous when I hear the Chris Sale comparisons with the pitching angle tweak as a long term pitching motion.
Absolutely. He and prolly Severino too. Add Corbin Burnes to that list, but that's for another time...
-Quintana game 4 SPer
-Senga game 5 "we'll see" (I don't see how they can run him back out there).
Jim Bowden⚾️
@JimBowdenGM
Hurricane Milton damage to the roof at Tropicana Field is a bigger deal than most understand. It would cost 9 figures to replace and moving into new park in a few years doesn't make sense. #Rays can't play there with no draining system for rain. Where will they play in 2025?
Jim Bowden⚾️
@JimBowdenGM
Hurricane Milton damage to the roof at Tropicana Field is a bigger deal than most understand. It would cost 9 figures to replace and moving into new park in a few years doesn't make sense. #Rays can't play there with no draining system for rain. Where will they play in 2025?
It would even rhyme with the old team's name.
They could do Al Lang or Steinbrenner, but neither is prefect. It would also be a good opportunity to test-market some places. Or fuck it, just start building a new one ASAP.
Jim Bowden⚾️
@JimBowdenGM
Hurricane Milton damage to the roof at Tropicana Field is a bigger deal than most understand. It would cost 9 figures to replace and moving into new park in a few years doesn't make sense. #Rays can't play there with no draining system for rain. Where will they play in 2025?
I'm really curious what happens. They got their stadium deal but that's not even broken ground yet. There's nowhere in florida that can support them like a major league team except some weird time share with Miami or one of the college fields. Steinbrenner is really small.
Snytv - Instagram - Mets will wear black unis - ( New Window )
Even more motivation to shove it right up the rest of the league's @$$.
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to Oakland? Imagine
Jim Bowden⚾️
@JimBowdenGM
Hurricane Milton damage to the roof at Tropicana Field is a bigger deal than most understand. It would cost 9 figures to replace and moving into new park in a few years doesn't make sense. #Rays can't play there with no draining system for rain. Where will they play in 2025?
I'm really curious what happens. They got their stadium deal but that's not even broken ground yet. There's nowhere in florida that can support them like a major league team except some weird time share with Miami or one of the college fields. Steinbrenner is really small.
Was it Tampa or Washington who played some games in Montreal one year? I wonder if they try something like that.
Was it Tampa or Washington who played some games in Montreal one year? I wonder if they try something like that.
There was a plan floated a couple years back for Tampa to play some of its games in Montreal but it got rejected.
I was amazed how many die hard Mariners fans I found out there too.
I'm sure Speedy can back me up
agreed. history vs buehler certainly favors winker too. id imagine they want to give JDM opportunities, but id have winker's bat in the lineup. maybe there's some recent trend that favors JDM but i like the idea of playing the guy who has the familiarity of 15 at bats (and 2 homers).
I agree. I don't like all this pandering to vested vets. Senga shat the bed (Peterson had better start in Game 5). JD has been cheeks. The only vet who might actually help now is McNeil ironically enough.
I was amazed how many die hard Mariners fans I found out there too.
I'm sure Speedy can back me up
Yes!!! OMG, that would be so awesome - Portland would love it.
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to Martinez’s. Winker almost always works a deep count and has hit the ball with some power. JD has gotten some hire but they’ve been ground balls that found the right spot. He’s shown no power and has often looked overmatched. Playing JD over Winker tomorrow feels like a big mistake.
I agree. I don't like all this pandering to vested vets. Senga shat the bed (Peterson had better start in Game 5). JD has been cheeks. The only vet who might actually help now is McNeil ironically enough.
I don’t think it is pandering. The real downside to someone like Winker is that he is a liability against lefties whereas Martinez has gotten some hits against righties. Martinez and Winker actually have comparable numbers this postseason. The only real differences are Winker has shown more power and Martinez has a higher BABIP. If you look at the reps Iglesias had as a 5th hitter, Mendoza prefers the approach that Kansas City had when they beat us using singles to get runners from first to third versus flyball hitters who may hit more HR, but often it is just a lazy pop out or soft fly to OF that doesn’t move anyone.
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In comment 16649114 KayvonOjulari515 said:
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to Martinez’s. Winker almost always works a deep count and has hit the ball with some power. JD has gotten some hire but they’ve been ground balls that found the right spot. He’s shown no power and has often looked overmatched. Playing JD over Winker tomorrow feels like a big mistake.
I agree. I don't like all this pandering to vested vets. Senga shat the bed (Peterson had better start in Game 5). JD has been cheeks. The only vet who might actually help now is McNeil ironically enough.
I don’t think it is pandering. The real downside to someone like Winker is that he is a liability against lefties whereas Martinez has gotten some hits against righties. Martinez and Winker actually have comparable numbers this postseason. The only real differences are Winker has shown more power and Martinez has a higher BABIP. If you look at the reps Iglesias had as a 5th hitter, Mendoza prefers the approach that Kansas City had when they beat us using singles to get runners from first to third versus flyball hitters who may hit more HR, but often it is just a lazy pop out or soft fly to OF that doesn’t move anyone.
Winker should be in the lineup tonight against RHP Buehler. The only way I see JD playing tonight is if they sit down Nimmo in LF and have either McNeil or Winker playing there instead. I could see this against Buehler:
LF - McNeil (Nimmo takes a seat on the bench to rest and get left-handed hitting McNeil in the lineup)
CF - Taylor
RF - Winker (Marte takes a seat on the bench against another RHP to get left-handed hitting Winker in the lineup)
DH - Martinez
Winker's numbers in the same time period are almost identical, just with a homer and +2 walks added in. remember he too had a brutal Sept before this stretch.
so one of them is 4/14 the other 4/15, both have made consistently hard contact. which makes the question who is a better fit vs buehler's stuff (and his stuff has not been good this year, so it's posssible the answer is both). based on what i know i'd have winker - but it is also possible his back is still an issue and it helps to get him a day off. also possible JDM's hitting profile lines up well with buehler.
it's also possible they want to save Winker for a more important at bats later in the game too since the LAD BP is mostly RH. he has had an excellent eye at the plate so being able to drop him into a big situation lefty on right for iglesias or alvarez is still a preferable option to mcneil at the moment.