Three takeaways from the Mets' NLCS Game 1 loss to the Dodgers
Mets pitcher David Peterson reacts in the dugout after the fifth inning during Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
LOS ANGELES — Here are three takeaways from the Mets’ 9-0 loss to the Dodgers in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series (Game 2 is at 4 p.m. ET Monday).
1. More than just the score went against the Mets.
Losing the first game in a best-of-seven series isn’t great, but whatever. Recovering is totally possible.
How the Mets lost this one, though, ups the degree of difficulty in winning the next.
They didn’t just get a bad game from their starter. They also used David Peterson, who had been perhaps their most trustworthy reliever in the playoffs, for 40 pitches and 2 1/3 innings. And they also used Jose Butto, also a good arm, for 43 pitches and 1 2/3 innings. So they’ll be without both for at least Game 2.
They didn’t just get shut down by Jack Flaherty (seven innings, two hits). They let him pitch so long that the Dodgers had to bring in only two relievers, which sets them up well for a bullpen game Monday.
They didn’t just get an ugly outing from Kodai Senga. They got such a short start — 1 1/3 innings and 30 pitches, even fewer than last time — that it messed up their build-up-on-the-go plan for him. So he’ll be limited again in Game 5 on Friday, if the Mets still want him to pitch.
“We ran into a really good pitcher who pitched well and a good lineup that scored,” Jesse Winker said. “Tonight they had a great night. Tomorrow we’ll come back and keep going forward.”
2. In a rare occurrence, the offense looked bad.
The Mets have seen plenty of good pitchers lately, but nobody has handled them quite as thoroughly as did Flaherty, who turned in perhaps his best game of the year.
Their top four of Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso went 0-for-13 with five strikeouts. All of the Mets’ three hits were singles.
During other recent such occasions, the Mets’ pitching kept it close enough for the offense to be one big swing away from pulling out a dramatic win — Alonso in the clincher in Milwaukee, for example, or Lindor in the clincher against the Phillies.
But this became a blowout in the middle innings. The hitters looked as if they knew early it would be a loss.
“[Flaherty] tried to make us chase, which we did the first time through the order,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Then he was just on. He was locating his pitches and he did a good job.”
Winker said: “He was controlling his fastball, controlling his off-speed pitches, had good tempo. We just couldn’t get him off his rhythm. Hats off to him. He did his thing tonight.”
3. The Mets lost all of their momentum . . . for now.
Momentum is a funny, fickle thing, even more so in the playoffs.
The Mets were riding higher than ever after sneaking into the playoffs, getting past the Brewers and beating the Phillies to get to baseball’s final four. Then they had three days off and endured this dud.
Do the Dodgers, who also had an eventful and successful Division Series, control all the momentum now? Sure. Until or unless the Mets crack the Los Angeles bullpen Monday and Sean Manaea serves as his usual sturdy self.
No matter how bad the opener looked, splitting the first two games before heading back to New York for three would be a huge win for the Mets.
“We gotta figure out a way of coming up tomorrow and playing better than them,” Lindor said. “That’s what it’s going to come down to.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
