Three takeaways from Mets' 10-2 loss to Dodgers in Game 4
Mets’ Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso and Jose Iglesias stand on the field during a pitching change in the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLCS at Citi Field on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
By the eighth inning sing-along to "Piano Man" at Citi Field on Thursday night, fans were shown on the scoreboard drinking, red-eyed and, intermittently, both.
Here are three takeaways from the Mets' 10-2 loss to the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLCS — a feeble performance that puts them at risk of being eliminated at home on Friday:
1. This lineup needs a jolt.
After Wednesday’s loss, Carlos Mendoza said he would mostly stick with the same lineup Thursday despite cold streaks from Francisco Alvarez, Jose Iglesias and J.D. Martinez. Brandon Nimmo, meanwhile, played leftfield even though he’s dealing with the painful plantar fasciitis that clearly hindered his mobility on Mookie Betts' two-run double in the fourth. It mostly didn’t work, and they’ve now been outscored 30-9 in this series, with Jack Flaherty starting for the Dodgers in Game 5. They’re 4-for-29 with runners in scoring position — all four hits were in their Game 2 victory — with 35 men left on base. They loaded the bases twice with one out or none out on Thursday night and scored just a single run.
After the game Thursday, Mendoza said he was willing to make some adjustments but couldn’t say what, because the Dodgers hadn’t announced Flaherty as their starter yet. There are options, though: Nimmo, who at least has been getting on base, can DH and Jesse Winker and Jeff McNeil, both lefthanded hitters, can play the outfield. Either way, the Mets need to do something about their inability to cash in with runners in scoring position.
2. The Mets have run out of white flags to wave.
On Wednesday, it was Tylor Megill on mop-up duty despite coming in for the seventh with the Mets down by only four runs. On Thursday, the sacrificial lamb was Danny Young, who entered to face Shohei Ohtani with two outs in the seventh and the Mets down 7-2. Young got him out and was left in the game to allow three more runs in the eighth with no one stirring in the bullpen (he pitched a clean ninth).
“He went out there and was able to finish a game,” Mendoza said of leaving Megill in the previous game. “Saved some of the other guys from coming in that game and now they're available.” (But unused because the Mets can't score or stop the Dodgers from scoring.)
The issue is manifold: The Dodgers don’t chase pitches out of the strike zone, and when you throw it in the zone, guys like Ohtani and Max Muncy hit it 400 feet. The Mets' starters, who are all approaching or exceeding single-season inning highs, aren’t giving them length. This has led to an ugly 1.91 WHIP.
All of that doesn’t matter now. Mendoza is throwing a tandem of David Peterson and Kodai Senga in Game 5 on Friday, and their higher-leverage arms have been rested. The philosophy of concession has erased any chance at late-game comebacks; they can only hope it pays some dividends now.
3. They gotta believe.
It’s hard to imagine it, but after the game, there still was a whiff of hope in an otherwise quiet clubhouse. A lot of that has to do with what the Mets have accomplished against long odds: They squeaked into the playoffs on the day after the official last day of the season, they were down to their final out in the Wild Card Series before Pete Alonso’s thrilling go-ahead home run, and they snatched the NLDS away from the Phillies behind Francisco Lindor's dramatic grand slam.
It helps that they have Peterson lined up for Friday, a day of rest, and Sean Manaea for a potential Game 6 in Los Angeles.
“We’ve had our backs against the wall this whole time,” Nimmo said. “We never give up until it’s over . . . If we come back from this, then it’s going to be a heck of a story. We’re going to be adding to the whole Grimace, OMG stuff. It’s going be fun and we’re going to approach it the same way we always have and give it everything we’ve got tomorrow.”
Added Alonso: “We’re a resilient bunch and we respond in a very positive way. We play for each other, so I have no doubt that we’ll respond well and accept the challenge."
Laura Albanese is a reporter, feature writer and columnist covering local professional sports teams; she began at Newsday in 2007 as an intern.
