Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett breaks down how the teams match up for the best-of-seven series … and picks the winner.
Game 1: Mets at Dodgers, Sunday, 5:15 p.m., Fox (Ch. 11)
Game 2: Mets at Dodgers, Monday, 1:08 p.m., Fox (Ch. 11) and FS1
Game 3: Dodgers at Mets, Wednesday, 5:08 p.m., FS1
Game 4: Dodgers at Mets, Thursday, TBA, FS1
x-Game 5: Dodgers at Mets, Friday, TBA, Fox (Ch. 11)
x-Game 6: Mets at Dodgers, Oct. 20, TBA, Fox (Ch. 11)
x-Game 7: Mets at Dodgers, Oct. 21, TBA, Fox (Ch. 11)
x- if necessary
Season series: The Dodgers won, 4-2.
Mets (NL rank) … category … Dodgers (NL rank)
89-73 (T-2nd in NL East) … Record … 98-64 (1st in NL West)
768 (5th) … Runs scored … 842 (2nd)
.246 (7th) … Batting avg. … .258 (3rd)
.319 (6th) … OBP … .335 (second)
.415 (6th) … Slugging pct. … .446 (1st)
.734 (5th) … OPS … .781 (1st)
207 (4th) … Home runs … 233 (1st)
106 (10th) … Stolen bases … 136 (6th)
3.96 (7th) … Team ERA … 3.90 (6th)
3.91 (4th) … Starters ERA … 4.23 (10th)
4.03 (9th) … Bullpen ERA … 3.53 (3rd)
1.26 (9th) … WHIP … 1.23 (3rd)
9.08 (3rd) … Ks per 9 inns … 8.65 (6th)
METS: SS Francisco Lindor (.273/.344/.500, 33 HRs, 91 RBIs, 29 SBs, 107 runs scored), 3B Mark Vientos (.266/.322/.516, 27 HRs, 71 RBIs), LF Brandon Nimmo (.224/.327/.399, 23 HRs, 90 RBIs, 15 SBs), 1B Pete Alonso (.240/.329/.459, 34 HRs, 88 RBIs), DH Jesse Winker (.253/.360/.405, 14 HRs, 58 RBIs, 14 SBs with Nationals and Mets), 2B Jose Iglesias (.337/.381/.448, 4 HRs, 26 RBIs, 6 SBs), RF Starling Marte (.269/.327/.388, 7 HRs, 40 RBIs, 16 SBs), CF Tyrone Taylor (.248/.299/.401, 7 HRs, 35 RBIs, 11 SBs), C Francisco Alvarez (.237/.307/.403, 11 HRs, 47 RBIs)
DODGERS: DH Shohei Ohtani (.310/.390/.646, 54 HRs, 130 RBIs, 134 runs scored, 59 stolen bases), RF Mookie Betts (.289/.372/.491, 19 HRs, 75 RBIs, 75 runs scored, 16 SBs), 1B Freddie Freeman (.282/.378/.476, 22 HRs, 81 runs scored, 89 RBIs), LF Teoscar Hernandez (.272/.339/.501, 33 HRs, 99 RBIs, 84 runs scored, 12 SBs), 3B Max Muncy (.232/.358/.494, 15 HRs, 48 RBIs), C Will Smith (.248/.327/.433, 20 HRs, 75 RBIs), CF Tommy Edman (.237/.294/.417, 6 HRs, 20 RBIs), SS Miguel Rojas (.283/.337/.410, 6 HRs, 36 RBIs, 8 SBs), 2B Gavin Lux (.251/.320/.383, 10 HRs, 50 RBIs)
The Dodgers had mixed results dealing with Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the NLDS – Machado was 4 for 21, but Tatis was 7 for 20 with three home runs. Now, they have to figure out how to handle the dynamic Lindor and the powerful Alonso. Both have had big moments already this fall. Alonso’s three-run home run in the ninth inning of Game 3 lifted the Mets past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card Series. He kept it going in the NLDS, going 4 for 13 with two home runs and four walks. Lindor was having a quiet postseason until his grand slam in Game 4 of the NLDS beat the Phillies and moved the Mets into the NLCS.
There are plenty of power threats in the Mets’ lineup. Nimmo (23) and Vientos (27) combined for 50 home runs during the regular season. Vientos was 9 for 16 with two homers in the NLDS against the Phillies. The Mets could get a boost if second baseman Jeff McNeil is ready to return for the NLCS. A batting champ in 2022, McNeil (Long Beach State) was nowhere near that level this season (.238 with a .692 OPS) though he did hit better in the second half (.289) before he was hit by a pitch and suffered a fractured wrist on Sept. 6. He used the Arizona Fall League to rehab and could be added to the roster to face the Dodgers.
In the second postseason at-bat of his career, Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run home run. He singled in his next at-bat, but he went 2 for 17 with 10 strikeouts after that. Mookie Betts broke out of his 0-for-22 postseason nightmare with home runs in Games 3 and 4 but was still just 4 for 18 in the NLDS. The Dodgers’ offense somehow clicked without them and with Freddie Freeman playing on one leg. Teoscar Hernandez had a big series (6 for 18, two home runs, 7 RBIs).
