Three takeaways from Mets' 8-0 loss to Dodgers in Game 3
The Mets dugout looks on during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS at Citi Field on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Well, that was ugly.
That was the main takeaway from the Mets 8-0 loss to the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLCS Wednesday — one that put them two games away from elimination. Here are three more:
1. Carlos Mendoza is going to dance with the guys who brung him.
J.D. Martinez, Francisco Alvarez and even Jose Iglesias have all been struggling, but don’t expect Mendoza to make big lineup changes in Game 4 against a righthander with reverse splits in Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In all, the Mets have been shutout twice in three games, and are hitting .179 this series with 14 walks and 27 strikeouts, and are 4-for-19 with runners in scoring position with 23 men left on base.
Despite slashing .267/.476/.600 in the playoffs, Jesse Winker stayed on the bench Wednesday, and Jeff McNeil, in his return from a broken wrist, had one pinch-hit at-bat.
No matter, Mendoza said.
“I would anticipate our righties to be in the lineup tomorrow,” Mendoza said [Winker and McNeil both bat left]. “They’re the guys that are in there and got us to this point and I'm pretty confident they'll come through . . . We’re creating traffic. I like the fact that we are getting guys on base. We just haven't been able to come up with a big hit but I'll continue to take my chances with my guys. As long as we continue to create traffic, somebody's going to come up and get that big one for us.”
2. The Mets are in trouble.
It’s as simple as it is true.
A 1-2 deficit in a seven-game series is hardly a death blow, but the Mets offense has looked utterly lifeless for the better part of 16 innings dating back to Monday’s win — a span where they scored a single run.
When their starting pitching is less than stellar, as it was in Game 1 with Kodai Senga and, to a much lesser extent, Wednesday with Luis Severino, the bullpen hasn’t stepped up. The unit allowed four runs Sunday and five more Wednesday. Add to that, the Mets made some big misplays Wednesday, an Alvarez error and two gaffes by Severino, who was just nominated for a Gold Glove. That said, the Mets have shown grit in the past. They just have to find it again, Severino said.
“I feel like every series, we’re either losing 9-0 in the ninth or something weird” happens, Severino said. “This is nothing new. We just need to come back tomorrow and win that game. If we win two out of three here, that’ll be huge for us.”
3. It’s time to talk about Alvarez.
Alvarez is batting .143 in the playoffs to go along with that big error. With a runner on first in the second, Teoscar Hernandez hit a ball in front of the plate and Alvarez made an off-line throw to second instead of getting a sure out at first. It would have been tough to get the lead runner even if the throw had been accurate, and the Dodgers ended up scoring two unearned runs.
Above that, he struck out looking three straight times — two on outside fastballs on the black and a third time on a sweeper. Afterward, Mendoza said the rookie would continue to start over backup Luis Torrens (it should be noted that Thursday’s starter, Jose Quintana, likes throwing to Alvarez).
“I think offensively he's in between,” Mendoza said. “I think he's late making his move, which is not allowing him to make some good swing decisions. That's why you see him at times taking the fastball or late on the fastball and then chasing. That tells you right there that we have a guy that is late getting ready. But he's a good hitter. He's a good player. We're facing an elite pitching staff as well. He'll come through for us.”
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
