NY Mets celebrate clinching 2024 NLCS trip with win over Phillies
The New York Mets celebrated clinching a trip to the NLCS with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Oct. 9, 2024, at Citi Field.
The best-of-seven National League Championship Series gets underway Sunday between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets, with the winner earning a spot in the World Series.
The NL West champion Dodgers defeated the rival San Diego Padres in the NLDS, overcoming a 2-1 series deficit, with their pitchers tossing 24 consecutive scoreless innings to close out the series. Championship favorites entering 2024 with the addition of Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers are in the NLCS for the sixth time since 2016.
The Mets had a rocky road to get to their first NLCS since 2015, bottoming out at 11 games under .500 in early June before a summer turnaround. New York has had a flair for the dramatic, pulling off stunning comeback wins to clinch a playoff berth and then win the NL wild-card series, ultimately dispatching the Philadelphia Phillies in a wild NLDS between teams that had never met in the postseason.
Jack Flaherty starts Game 1 for the Dodgers, with Kodai Senga taking the mound for the Mets.
Follow along for updates on Sunday’s game:
With a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth, Mookie Betts laced a bases-loaded double inside third base that brought home all three runners and extended the Dodgers lead to 9-0.
Dodgers pitchers are at 32 consecutive scoreless innings, with Daniel Hudson pitching the eighth after a stellar seven-inning start from Jack Flaherty. Hudson walked a batter and gave up a hit in the eight, but stranded two runners by getting a Francisco Lindor fly out and a Mark Vientos strikeout.
Jack Flaherty has tossed six shutout innings for the Dodgers, whose pitchers have now combined to hold opponents without a run for 30 innings – dating back to Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres.
Los Angeles leads the Mets 6-0 heading into the seventh inning.
With one out o the bottom of the fourth, Tommy Edman’s RBI single off David Peterson made it 4-0. Shohei Ohtani followed with an RBI double to right-center, extending the Los Angeles lead to 5-0. With two outs, Freddie Freeman blooped a single into left field to score Ohtani for the Dodgers’ sixth run.
Ohtani’s two run-scoring hits are a good sign after he went 2-for-15 in the last four games of the NLDS against the Padres.
Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty didn’t allow a baserunner in the first three innings – but issued two walks in the top of the fourth, ultimately stranding the pair as the Mets squandered a scoring opportunity.
Lefty David Peterson came on to get the final out in the third inning and goes back out to start the fourth for the Mets.
After Gavin Lux walked and Tommy Edman bunted him over, Shohei Ohtani delivered an RBI single to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza pulled Kodai Senga after that, bringing in Reed Garrett from the bullpen. The right-hander retired Mookie Betts and then Ohtani was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.
After retiring leadoff man Shohei Ohtani, Mets starter Kodai Senga walked three consecutive batters to load the bases with one out, throwing just three of his first 16 pitches for strikes.
Senga got Will Smith to fly out to center – not hit deep enough to score Mookie Betts – but Max Muncy made him pay with a two-run single to center with two outs. After a wild pitch moved runners to second and third, Senga got Enrique Hernández for the third out and minimize the damage.
Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty set the Mets down in order to begin the 2024 National League Championship Series: a Francisco Lindor groundout, Mark Vientos strikeout and Brandon Nimmo lineout.
Dodgers pitchers have now gone 25 innings without allowing a run.
Acquired from the Tigers at the trade deadline, Flaherty went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 regular season starts for the Dodgers.
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LOS ANGELES — Relief pitcher Alex Vesia and shortstop Miguel Rojas were left off the NLCS roster on Sunday.
Veisa was left out due to a right intercostal injury but Dodgers president Andrew Friedman told reporters that the team is “hopeful” that Vesia could be available for the World Series if the team were to advance.
Dodgers pitcher Brent Honeywell was named to the NLCS roster in Vesia’s place. Honeywell was placed on the injured list in late September after cracking his fingernail on the middle finger of his right hand.
Rojas will be unavailable due to a torn adductor muscle that forced him to miss the last two games of the NLDS. Kevin Kiermaier was added to the roster to provide depth to the outfield, and Tommy Edman is expected to replace Rojas at shortstop
– James H. Williams
LOS ANGELES — The New York Mets are fully healthy heading into their National League Championship Series against the Dodgers.
The Mets announced their NLCS roster with second baseman Jeff McNeil as a notable inclusion after missing more than a month with a fractured wrist. To make room for McNeil, the Mets removed right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino for the best-of-seven series against the Dodgers.
McNeil has not played since Sept. 6 when he was removed from a game against the Reds after being hit on the right arm. Before the injury, McNeil was coming into his own in the second half, batting .289 with a .923 OPS, including seven home runs, 12 doubles, 20 RBI and 22 runs in 41 games after the All-Star break.
– Andrew Tredinnick, NorthJersey.com
- Francisco Lindor (S) SS
- Mark Vientos (R) 3B
- Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
- Pete Alonso (R) 1B
- Starling Marte (R) RF
- Jesse Winker (L) DH
- Jose Iglesias (R) 2B
- Tyrone Taylor (R) CF
- Francisco Alvarez (R) C
- Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
- Mookie Betts (R) RF
- Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
- Teoscar Hernández (R) LF
- Will Smith (R) C
- Max Muncy (L) 3B
- Enrique Hernández (R) CF
- Gavin Lux (L) 2B
- Tommy Edman (S) SS