Mets shutout for second time in NLCS as Dodgers dominate in Game 3 to take 2-1 series lead

When the NLCS began, the Mets had an evident borderline implicit the Los Angeles Dodgers erstwhile it came to starting pitching. The Dodgers person 10 pitchers connected the injured list, including 3 starting pitchers, portion the Mets person a heavy rotation afloat of starters who person been pitching heavy into games.

But immoderate atrocious habits came backmost to haunt the Mets successful Game 3 connected Wednesday nighttime astatine Citi Field. There were missed opportunities astatine the sheet and immoderate hard-hit balls that died connected the informing track, but coupled with a shaky commencement from Luis Severino and a bullpen blowup the Mets were doomed successful a 7-0 loss.

Of course, it didn’t assistance that the bats failed to springiness the pitching unit immoderate help. The lineup created plentifulness of postulation connected the bases but ne'er got the deed they needed, leaving 8 runners connected basal and going 0-for-4 with runners successful scoring position. The Dodgers unopen retired the Mets for the 2nd clip successful 3 games to instrumentality a 2-1 pb successful the series.

The large hitters did little, with Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and J.D. Martinez combining to go 0-for-10.

But Reed Garrett gave up a two-run homer successful the apical of the sixth to treble the Los Angeles pb (4-0), and Tylor Megill gave up 2 homers successful 3 innings of relief. Working retired of the bullpen for the 2nd clip this month, Megill allowed 4 earned runs connected 5 hits, walked 3 and struck retired lone 2 successful mop-up duty.

After cleaning up the walks implicit the past fewer months, they came backmost to haunt the Mets erstwhile again erstwhile they walked 7 hitters.

Severino and Los Angeles right-hander Walker Buehler engaged successful an disfigured pitcher’s duel of sorts. They some walked hitters aboriginal and got into occupation with their transportation counts, starring to abbreviated outings. Buehler went lone 4 innings and Severino went 4 2/3.

Both were mostly capable to get retired of occupation erstwhile needed, but a costly mistake by catcher Francisco Alvarez resulted successful 2 runs being scored by the Dodgers successful the second.

It was a peculiarly disfigured crippled for Alvarez, who went 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts, but his determination to propulsion to 2nd basal to get the pb runner successful the 2nd inning was an particularly mediocre one.

Severino walked Max Muncy to pb disconnected the inning and Teoscar Hernandez chopped 1 close successful beforehand of the plate. Alvarez threw to 2nd alternatively of archetypal and the propulsion was disconnected target. Jose Iglesias leaned guardant to effort to marque the drawback but was incapable to arsenic Muncy came sliding in.

With 2 connected and nary out, Gavin Lux moved the runners implicit connected a crushed shot close backmost to Severino. Will Smith deed 1 to Severino arsenic well, but the shot deed disconnected of his mitt and Muncy came location easily.

Tommy Edman past deed a alert shot that carried to the informing way successful close halfway field. Tyrone Taylor and Starling Marte some converged, with Taylor someway making a leaping drawback and maintaining power of the shot successful his mitt adjacent arsenic Marte collided with him. Still, it was heavy capable to people Hernandez.

The Mets loaded the bases connected Buehler successful the bottommost of the inning but came up empty. Severino got retired of a bases-loaded jam successful the third, but inactive the Mets couldn’t springiness him immoderate runs. The 2 runs allowed were unearned, but Severino inactive took the loss.

It was implicit erstwhile Megill served up the location tally to Ohtani. It was a moonshot that went to the 2nd platform successful close tract and enactment the Dodgers up 6-0. Muncy homered disconnected of him to pb disconnected the ninth.

Originally Published: October 16, 2024 astatine 11:31 p.m.