The Los Angeles Dodgers took a commanding 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series as Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts brought the boom in a 10-2 win against the New York Mets.
The Dodgers are now one win away from clinching their spot in the World Series, where they would face the New York Yankees or Cleveland Guardians, with Game 1 at Dodger Stadium next week. The Dodgers can secure their berth as early as Friday in Game 5 at Citi Field, and teams advance to the Fall Classic 82% of the time when taking a 3-1 series lead.
Ohtani opened the game with a leadoff home run to get the Dodgers offense started. The Mets answered back with a solo homer from Mark Vientos in the bottom of the first, but the game didn’t stay tied for all that long.
In the third inning, Ohtani walked and Betts singled before Tommy Edman drove in the go-ahead run to make it a 2-1 game. Kiké Hernández followed with an RBI single that made it a 3-1 lead for the Dodgers.
The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the third, but scored just one run out of it on a fielder’s choice, and the Dodgers then started to run away with the game.
Betts blasted a two-run double after a single from Chris Taylor and walk from Ohtani in the fourth. In the sixth, Betts slugged a two-run homer after a walk from Ohtani that made it a 7-2 game.
For good measure, Edman came through again with a two-run double in the eighth inning that extended the Dodgers’ lead to 9-2. Will Smith then drove in another run with an RBI single.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the mound and had his swing-and-miss stuff working with eight strikeouts over 4.1 innings of work. Yamamoto allowed two runs on four hits in the outing while walking one.
Evan Phillips took over with one out in the fifth and retired the two batters he faced. Phillips stayed in for the sixth and loaded the bases with two singles and a walk.
However, he came back to get the next two hitters before Blake Treinen took over with two outs and the bases still loaded. Jesse Winker was pinch-hitting, but Treinen got him to fly out to end the threat as the Mets left all three runners stranded.
Treinen ended up pitching a scoreless seventh as well, despite two runners reaching base.
Dodgers lineup depth: Max Muncy sets MLB postseason record
In the fifth inning Max Muncy worked a walk, which was his 11th consecutive plate appearance reaching base. That set a new MLB record for consecutive plate appearances reaching base safely in a single postseason, surpassing the previous record of 10 by David Ortiz in 2007 and Billy Hatcher in 1990.
Only Reggie Jackson has reached base in more consecutive plate appearances safely in the postseason with 12, but his streak took place over the span of two seasons from 1977-1978.
Muncy’s streak started with a home run, then he took three consecutive walks, a single, two more walks, another home run and then three more walks.
For good measure, Muncy singled in the seventh inning, making it 12 straight plate appearances this postseason that he’s reached safely. That tied Jackson for the longest streak in any number of postseasons.
Muncy’s streak ended in the eighth inning with a strikeout.
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