2024 National League Championship Series

New York Mets @ Los Angeles Dodgers - Games One and Two

Once again we have a battle between Los Angeles and New York in the playoffs, but instead of Dodgers and Yankees (which we may yet see in the World Series) it will be the Dodgers taking on the Mets. Carlos Mendoza’s squad took down their division rival Phillies in just four games, behind strong starting pitching from Severino, Manaea, and Quintana, as well as clutch hitting from Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso, and superstar Francisco Lindor. These Mets don’t mind being the underdog, but they will have yet another tall task ahead of them in the NLCS.

The Dodgers also took down their division rival in the San Diego Padres, though Dave Roberts’s team was pushed to the brink in five games. They rode unbelievable pitching to ultimately advance, holding the Padres scoreless for the final 24 innings in the series. If they somehow shut out the Mets in game one, they would tie the all-time postseason scoreless streak (which was inflicted upon the Dodgers by the Orioles in the 1966 World Series). Shohei Ohtani’s first postseason has been successful so far, mainly because he has come through nearly every time with runners on base (he’s been hitless with the bases empty.) Mookie Betts has finally returned to form in the playoffs, while the Hernández brothers*(not actually brothers) provided the punch in the clinching game.

Game one will feature hometown kid Jack Flaherty, who looks to be much better than in his Dodger postseason debut. Opposing him will be Kodai Senga, making just his third start this season. It is unclear how long the Mets will let him pitch, but the Dodgers offense might have more of a say in that decision than anything. In game two, the Dodgers will go with a bullpen game, which worked to perfection against San Diego. The Mets will counter with their big lefty, Sean Manaea, who was brilliant against Philadelphia. Past matchups between these teams in the playoffs have been electric, with a classic seven gamer in 1988 and some fireworks in the 2015 NLDS. We should be in store for plenty of drama.

Audio clips from MLB.tv

LAD radio 570 AM - Stephen Nelson and Rick Monday

NYM radio WCBS 880 AM - Howie Rose and Keith Raad

As always, shout out to Baseball Reference and SABR for statistics, box scores, background information, and much, much more.

Catch you next time,

P.C.O.