The Dodgers punched their ticket to the NLCS final night time. Solo residence 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 Sequence. 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 below .500. The nadir of their season coincidentally got here by the hands of the Dodgers, who swept New York at Citi Discipline to drop them to 22-33 in late Could. The Mets caught fireplace after that, enjoying 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 finest in MLB. The Dodgers secured residence area 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 in opposition to Devin Williams to flee the Wild Card collection in Milwaukee. The Dodger pitching employees silenced San Diego’s bats in consecutive elimination video games within the Division Sequence.
New York has the slight good thing about two additional 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 workforce’s whole bullpen must be in play for Sport 1. The Mets could have their rotation outdoors of Jose Quintana on common or prolonged relaxation firstly of the collection. The Dodgers turned to Yoshinobu Yamamoto for 5 scoreless innings final night time. They used a bullpen sport on Wednesday.
Neither workforce has revealed a possible starter for Sport 1, however the Dodgers are virtually sure to show the ball to Jack Flaherty earlier than going with Walker Buehler in Monday’s Sport 2. The Mets may flip in just a few completely 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 Sport 1, although the Mets received’t finalize that call till at this time. The righty is on tight workloads after dropping the second half of the season to a calf damage. 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 Sport 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 may have an essential change. Jeff McNeil has been on the injured listing for over a month with a proper wrist fracture. Supervisor Carlos Mendoza stated a pair days in the past that McNeil had 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 velocity.
McNeil made it by the primary sport with no points, he advised reporters final night time (hyperlink through Jesse Borek and Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Whereas the Mets in all probability received’t make the choice till tomorrow, it appears McNeil will probably be lively. That’d in all probability push Luisangel Acuña off the roster except the Mets resolve to drop to 12 pitchers regardless of the longer collection.
On the Dodgers’ aspect, the primary damage to watch considerations reliever Alex Vesia. (There’s additionally the continuing query about Freddie Freeman’s ankle however little doubt that Freeman will probably 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 stated postgame that Vesia would go for an MRI at this time (X hyperlink through Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic). The workforce is hopeful that the discomfort was only a cramp however desires to rule out an indirect damage. 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 Sequence. 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 workforce is headed to the World Sequence, and the way aggressive will this collection be?