We knew it would be the warm California sun glowing amid local start times of 5:15 PM Sunday and 1:08 PM Monday. We just didn’t know in which part of the Golden State Ol’ Sol would be splashing down on the Mets. Now we do. It’s glamorous L.A., it’s gleaming Dodger Stadium, it’s the hallowed Dodgers.
In the spirit of brushing aside the Braves, where we couldn’t possibly beat them; taking care of the Brewers, who started the season by shoving us into an 0-3 hole; and flipping off the Phillies, for whose fans flipping off is the national bird, I say to the Dodgers, “Bring it.”
Or I’d say it, but it’s already been broughten.
They have the most famous and accomplished baseball player in the world, one who would, if his health allowed him, pitch while he isn’t hitting and running like nobody has ever hit and run (you save a lot of energy not fielding). They have the other most versatile superstar of modern times, a high-caliber outfielder who became a representative infielder and then went back to the field from which he came as needed, his offense never to be sneezed at. They have a slugging first baseman who has haunted Met pitching since Met pitching meant Pat Misch, Dillon Gee and a journeyman righty named Jeremy Hefner. They have all kinds of irritants infesting their lineup, a bullpen hyped as unhittable, and an ace we tried real hard to sign before he passed on us to go to them.
They won 98 games, the most in baseball. They’re the one-seed, five notches higher than us. They have home field advantage. They’ve been in the playoffs a dozen consecutive years, annually arriving in comfort, never having to cross their fingers and toes that they’ll survive through the last day of the schedule and then hold their collective breath regarding the day after the last day.
Bring it on. Bring on the starpower one witnesses while staring down at the lights of L.A. Bring on the New Balance commercials that would make me despise “Hollywood Swinging” if it hadn’t established itself as such a great song in my head in 1974. Bring on Joe Davis, voice of the Dodgers doubling as the voice of Fox. Bring on as many clips as producers care to show of Mike Scioscia going deep and Jorge Lopez losing control.
I would have been glad if it had been the Padres emerging from the other NLDS and taking the West Coast version of the Unity Cup/Sewing Machine/Pen. Not any more or less glad than I am that it turned out to be the Dodgers. To me, it didn’t matter and doesn’t matter. I’m here for the Mets. The Mets are here for this. Maybe the Mets owed the Padres a little payback for October 2022. Maybe the Mets owe the Dodgers a quick thanks for May 2024. They were the opponent when Lopez lost his mind and glove in rapid succession. The Mets spent a month bottoming out. Losing all three games of a series to Los Angeles when L.A. visited Queens in May marked the spot from which the Mets had to begin bouncing back. I know the debacle that left us 22-33 removed my from thinking the notion that we were still living in the aftermath of the remains of 2022, just waiting for one more injury to heal or one more slump to lessen. The slate needed wiping clean, and getting swept by the Dodgers when we did was the wet rag that did it.
Best record in either league after the game when Lopez’s glove landed in the Citi Field stands? The six-seed Mets, at 67-40. Also, we took two out of three at Dodger Stadium from them in April, outlasted them in the 2015 NLDS, swept them in the 2006 version, and mended millions of hearts broken in Brooklyn and beyond when we came along in 1962 to supplant their borough-abandoning asses. (If we’re gonna go for history, let’s go all out.)
Just so there’s no confusion, first pitch Sunday is 8:15 PM New York time. Monday it’s 4:08 PM New York time. That’s right — our time.
For me, beating the Dodgers as an underdog in 2015 was good enough. But for a good many Mets fans, 1988 remains unfinished business because 2015 (and 2006) was an NLDS and the 1988 debacle was an NLCS. Well, here it is.
I preferred to pay back the Padres for 2022. I’m fine with the Dodgers too. Climbing the ladder of the NL Central winner 3 seed in the WCS, NL East winner 2 seed in the NLDS, and NL West winner 1 seed in the NLCS makes for a neat sequence to the World Series.
As far as the nuts and bolts, I’m intrigued by the return of Jeff McNeil given the RHP lean of the Dodgers pitching staff. Plus Vesia might be hurt. That said, Vientos, Iglesias, Taylor, and Marte are playing well enough to stay in the line-up. McNeil isn’t needed, but he should be part of this, and he’s a useful versatile weapon to add.
Since the Mets are more likely to sacrifice a reliever (I guess Ottavino due to the Dodgers’ lefty bats) to reintegrate McNeil, I wonder how that would affect the plan for Senga and Peterson. I guess Senga should be good for 45-50 pitches, maybe 3 innings tomorrow. Peterson piggybacked Senga last time. But right now, the rest of the bullpen is leaky, and it feels like Peterson is needed more as an everyday fireman and back-up closer than a 1-2 time use bulk guy.
“But right now, the rest of the bullpen is leaky, and it feels like Peterson is needed more as an everyday fireman and back-up closer than a 1-2 time use bulk guy.”
I don’t see any reason to think Peterson could instantly flip from starter to an every day bullpen pitcher. The Mets have spent all season trying this with Butto and he still needs two days between appearances to be effective.
With the Dodgers and particularly Ohtani’s numbers against lefties I’d like to see Peterson back starting. Sure, let him go 4-5 innings backing up Senga in game 1 and, if that works, 5, but more Peterson innings will probably be better for us.
They’re still the bums, the Brooklyn Dodgers, and I fear them not. Let’s finally exorcise the ghosts of 1988.
I was hoping for the Dodgers over the team with the best record in baseball since the ASB. There have been years we were in the playoffs – 2015 was one – where I felt a sense of surprise at every series win. This has not been the case this year and it isn’t the case for LA. They have batters you need to use care with, sure. But their pitching staff has been very average – not as good as ours the past couple of months – and if Ohtani keeps hitting like in the last series I feel good about our chances.
Heck, I like our chances even if he finds his groove. This team has forgotten how to lose. Seriously – they may drop a game now and again but they really don’t know losing any more. I like our prospects.
I thought the Phillies were the team to beat in the NL bracket, and the Mets beat them handily.
That said, for much of the regular season, I didn’t expect the Dodgers to win the NL West and finish with the top record. I doubted they’d beat the Padres in their NLDS. They figured it out and did both, so I can’t take them lightly.
“This team has forgotten how to lose”
Like Quintana has forgotten how to give up (earned) runs. Who the heck is this team’s ace anyway?
I was a kid when the Dodgers left New York and broke the hearts of half the city. I’ve loved this Mets since the days of Casey. This is personal.
Of all the Dodgers to beat, I’m looking at you, Freddie Freeman. That guy’s basically been the Chipper Jones of the last decade. I want our pitchers to absolutely ofer him.
A question: if the Mets go all the way this year, who does and doesn’t get rings? Would Jorge Lopez get one, for example? It could be argued that, in a negative way, Lopez was as responsible for the Mets’ turnaround as anyone.