The Dodgers punched their ticket to the NLCS final night time. Solo dwelling runs from Enrique Hernández and Teoscar Hernández have been sufficient to push L.A. to a 2-0 victory over the Padres within the rubber match of their Division Collection. The Dodgers blanked San Diego in consecutive video games to take the collection in 5.
They’ll welcome the Mets to Dodger Stadium tomorrow. New York has waited for its vacation spot since ending off the Phillies in 4 video games on Wednesday. Nearly nobody would’ve seen this coming when the Mets bottomed out at 11 video games underneath .500. The nadir of their season coincidentally got here by the hands of the Dodgers, who swept New York at Citi Area to drop them to 22-33 in late Could. The Mets caught hearth after that, taking part in above .500 ball in every of the ultimate 4 months of the season.
L.A. and New York closed the common season as the most popular groups within the Nationwide League. Their 20-10 file over their last 30 video games tied them with the Tigers for greatest in MLB. The Dodgers secured dwelling discipline benefit all through the playoffs by ending with an MLB-leading 98 wins. New York clawed again to 89 wins and clinched a Wild Card spot on the final day of the common season. They’ve had a aptitude for the dramatic in October, coming from behind in 4 of their 5 playoff wins.
Each groups have already come again from the sting of elimination. The Mets wanted Pete Alonso’s ninth-inning heroics towards Devin Williams to flee the Wild Card collection in Milwaukee. The Dodger pitching workers silenced San Diego’s bats in consecutive elimination video games within the Division Collection.
New York has the slight good thing about two further days of relaxation. They’ve had three off days since their final sport, whereas the Dodgers get one relaxation day earlier than beginning the collection. Every crew’s whole bullpen needs to be in play for Recreation 1. The Mets may have their rotation outdoors of Jose Quintana on common or prolonged relaxation at first of the collection. The Dodgers turned to Yoshinobu Yamamoto for 5 scoreless innings final night time. They used a bullpen sport on Wednesday.
Neither crew has revealed a possible starter for Recreation 1, however the Dodgers are virtually sure to show the ball to Jack Flaherty earlier than going with Walker Buehler in Monday’s Recreation 2. The Mets might flip in just a few totally different instructions. They’ve Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Kodai Senga all able to go. Andy Martino of SNY tweeted yesterday that Senga was prone to get the ball in Recreation 1, although the Mets gained’t finalize that call till as we speak. The righty is on tight workloads after shedding the second half of the season to a calf harm. He’ll in all probability be restricted to 2 or three innings earlier than turning the ball over to the bullpen. Senga threw two innings and 31 pitches in Recreation 1 of the NLDS, his first look since late July.
The groups have till tomorrow morning to finalize their rosters for the collection. The Mets might have an vital change. Jeff McNeil has been on the injured listing for over a month with a proper wrist fracture. Supervisor Carlos Mendoza mentioned a pair days in the past that McNeil had a superb probability to be activated. The left-handed hitter began what’ll hopefully be a two-game stint within the Arizona Fall League final night time to readjust to sport pace.
McNeil made it by way of the primary sport with no points, he instructed reporters final night time (hyperlink through Jesse Borek and Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Whereas the Mets in all probability gained’t make the choice till tomorrow, it appears McNeil can be lively. That’d in all probability push Luisangel Acuña off the roster until the Mets resolve to drop to 12 pitchers regardless of the longer collection.
On the Dodgers’ aspect, the primary harm to watch issues reliever Alex Vesia. (There’s additionally the continued query about Freddie Freeman’s ankle however little question that Freeman can be on the roster.) Vesia entered with two outs within the seventh inning final night time. The left-hander fanned Jackson Merrill to finish the inning. He got here again out for the eighth however reported soreness in his proper aspect whereas warming up. The Dodgers lifted him for Michael Kopech, who mixed with Blake Treinen to shut out the sport.
Supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned postgame that Vesia would go for an MRI as we speak (X hyperlink through Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). The crew is hopeful that the discomfort was only a cramp however needs to rule out an indirect harm. If Vesia did tweak his indirect, that’d in all probability shut him down for the season. Anthony Banda was the one different left-hander in Roberts’ bullpen for the Division Collection. Justin Wrobleski and Zach Logue are the opposite wholesome southpaws on the 40-man roster. Nick Ramirez stays within the group however was outrighted final month and appears unlikely to be thought-about for a playoff spot.
How will the NLCS play out? Which crew is headed to the World Collection, and the way aggressive will this collection be?
