NLCS Game 4 Recap: Yamamoto, offense & bullpen all involved as Dodgers take a commanding 3-1 series lead

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NLCS Game 4, 10/17/2024: Dodgers 10, Mets 2

NEW YORK, NY—With the National League Championship Series swinging back to Queens, New York, at Citi Field, the home of the New York Mets, it would be an uphill battle for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They would have to battle the elements on the East Coast and a grueling task of back-to-back-to-back games with the status of their pitching staff.

However, despite all that noise, the Dodgers came out in Game Three led by postseason heroes Walker Buehler, who pitched four scoreless innings on the mound, and Kiké Hernández who added another home run to his postseason legacy.

Overall, the Dodgers would win big in their first game in New York with another one-sided shutout, taking advantage of a weak Mets bullpen cruising to an 8-0 victory, putting them up two games to one in this best-of-seven series.

However, the Mets will not go down quietly as they’ll send veteran left-handed starting pitcher José Quintana, who has looked excellent this postseason with a 0.00 ERA in eleven total innings pitched.

For the Dodgers, they’ll send rookie starter and $325 million man Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who is making his third career postseason start, second career start versus the New York Mets, and first time back at Citi Field after meeting with Mets owner Steven Cohen during the offseason when he was a free agent.

However, it would be the $700 million man, two-way star Shohei Ohtani who would get the scoring started with a leadoff blast, snapping his streak of ninety-two straight plate appearances without a hit with no one on base.

The lead would be short-lived for the Los Angeles Dodgers as the Mets’ best hitter this postseason, Mark Vientos, would hit a one-out solo home run, tying the game up 1-1.

Both starters looked sharp until the top of the third inning, when Ohtani was walked for one out, and Mookie Betts singled, setting up Tommy Edman with runners in scoring position. Edman would hit a clutch two-out RBI single, scoring Ohtani and giving the Dodgers a 2-1 lead.

The inning would continue as Kiké Hernández would hit an infield single just off the glove of Lindor, scoring Betts from third. However, Lindor’s hard-fought attempt at the ball would save a run.

Up next in the lineup was Max Muncy, who would get on base for a tenth consecutive time, loading the bases for Dodgers catcher Will Smith, who has struggled so far in the postseason.

Despite bringing it to a full count, Smith’s postseason woes would continue popping up behind the backstop to Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez.

Leading off the Mets half of the third inning was Alvarez, who would kick it off with a single. Lindor would follow with a single of his own, and despite a strikeout of Vientos Polar Bear, Pete would walk to load the bases.

Brandon Nimmos, who is battling a foot injury, would hit a sharp groundball on the infield that would initially be called an inning-ending double play. However, upon the review, Nimmo was safe at first, leading to a Mets run. Still, Yamamoto would limit the damage by getting Starling Marte out on a groundball to end the inning. However, the Mets, like the Dodgers, failed to put up a crooked number with the bases loaded.

Per usual, from the Dodgers’ pesky offense, they would make Quintana work, forcing the lefty to leave the game at the top of the fourth inning after an infield hit by utilityman Chris Taylor and a walk to Ohtani.

The veteran lefty would only last 3.1 innings, the shortest start so far this postseason, with the runners at first and second his problem to bear.

First up for the Mets bullpen would be right-handed pitcher José Buttó, who would be tasked to face Mookie Betts and would fail.

Betts, who has been up and down all October, would rip a double down the line, clearing the bases, scoring Taylor and Ohtani to push the Dodgers lead to three runs.

Yamamoto would continue to build off his game five at the start of the National League Division Series, giving the Dodgers exactly what they needed, going 4.1 innings, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out eight Mets hitters, along with sixteen whiffs and a 38 CSW%.

Evan Phillips would be the first arm out of the pen and shut down the Mets’ next two hitters, keeping the lead at three.

However, the offensive fireworks were not over for the Dodgers as Mookie Betts joined the home run party, clobbering a ball into the night for a two-run home run, giving the Dodgers a 7-2 lead.

Ohtani and Betts combined were 4-for-5 tonight so far, with three walks, five RBI, six runs, and two home runs.

Despite a scare in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Dodgers bullpen continued to terrorize the New York Mets and closed out the game, giving the Dodgers a Game Four win.

For the first time since 2020, the Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from the second World Series in franchise history. It’ll likely be right-hander Jack Flaherty getting the nod tomorrow to hopefully close it out in New York.

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