The formula is the same as almost always: big home runs from their stars and infallible work from their extraordinary bullpen. That was repeated Thursday night in New York, where The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the home Mets 10-2 to move within one win of the National League championship.
The Dodgers, now up 3-1, can be crowned this Friday and get their ticket to the World Series four years after their last visit to the Fall Classic. Jack Flaherty is announced for Los Angeles in game scheduled at 2:08 pm Pacific/5:08 pm Eastern. New York’s starting pitcher is to be determined.
In game 4 that has Los Angeles smelling the World Series, The shots came from Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, who drove in four runson a night in which the Dodgers capitalized on many of the 9 walks granted by the Mets pitchers. Three of them went to Max Muncy, who by the way had 12 consecutive at-bats getting on base in the series before being thrown out in the eighth.
The Dodgers reached a record four straight playoff games with 7 or more walks in a demonstration of tremendous discipline in the batter’s box.
And meanwhile, the Dodgers’ relievers went scoreless again after a solid 4.1 innings from starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Shohei Ohtani breaks 22-0 streak with clean bases
Shohei Ohtani broke his strange streak of 22 consecutive at-bats without a hit with the bases clean by greeting Colombian José QuintanaMets starting pitcher, with a bomb on just the second pitch of the game.
The 422-foot, 117.8-mile-per-hour hit to the right side was the Japanese’s third home run in the playoffs and his second in consecutive at-bats after the one he hit in Game 3.
The Mets tied it immediately with a home run by Mark Vientos against Yamamoto, his fourth homer of the postseason. But Los Angeles regained the lead in the third inning by scoring twice.
Again Two of the team’s revelation players appeared in these playoffs. First it was Tommy Edman with a double to drive in Ohtani, who had reached base with a walk, to make it 2-1. Then came Enrique Hernandez with a hit grounder to shortstop to drive in Mookie Betts, who singled, for the score of 3-1.
New York loaded the bases in the same third with two singles and a walk by Yamamoto after one out. Brandon Nimmo avoided a double play after a grounder to second by reaching first base safely for Francisco Álvarez to score 3-2.
Dodgers separate with two big hits from Mookie Betts
However, the Dodgers immediately struck again. After one out in the fourth inning, Chris Taylor reached base on an infield hit and Ohtani walked to end the Colombian Quintana’s night. Mookie Betts welcomed right-hander José Buttó with a double to the left corner to drive in both runners and make it 5-2.
The Dodgers’ lead and bullpen strength left the Mets in real trouble. But the situation became almost impossible for the home team in the sixth when Ohtani reached base again with a free walk – his third of the night – and then came Betts with a home run to left off reliever Phil Maton to make it 7-2 in the blackboard.
Betts had four hits and was only missing a triple to complete the cycle. Ohtani, who received three bases, scored four runs. And Edman had two doubles and drove in three. LA added three runs in the eighth to complete the beating.
The Mets could have gotten into the game in the bottom of the sixth when they loaded the bases with no outs, but they were unable to score a single run. Jesse Winker hit hard to right off star reliever Blake Treinen, but the ball didn’t fly and the threat faded.
The hopes of the Mets, a team not expected to still be alive, are fading. AND The Dodgers, the great favorite of the majority throughout the year, are confirming more and more every day that they are the best team in baseball and the World Series seems undeniable for them.
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