LOS ANGELES — The Mets came to Dodger Stadium, one of the most perfect places on this planet, with its stunning San Gabriel Mountains, manicured lawn of gorgeous green and lovely California color scheme, and they played their ugliest game in weeks, if not months.
The team that could do no wrong in seemingly forever did nothing right.
The magical Mets turned themselves into must-watch TV in this wonderful, memorable journey of theirs. But in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series here, it was preferable to look away unless you were wearing Dodger blue in the Mets’ 9-0 defeat.
Mets fans who made the trek from The Big Apple serenaded owner Steve Cohen before the game. “Uncle Steve,” they chanted.
By the end, all we heard was “Fredd-ie, Fredd-ie.” And later, “M-V-P.” It wasn’t for Francisco Lindor.
This was a party, and the Mets were left off the invite list.
Mets flash starter Kodai Senga is famed for his trick pitch, the ghost fork that allegedly disappears. But this time, the trick was on the Mets. It was Senga who didn’t show up.
With only 7 ¹/₃ innings on his 2024 docket coming into the game, Senga wasn’t ready or prepared, and he pitched more like a late-season call-up than a coveted international signee and 2023 ace. He threw 30 pitches, and 20 of them were balls. In modern parlance, he ratio-ed himself.
The Mets’ nonstop lineup finally stopped. They gathered only two hits off Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty, who spared their overtaxed shut-down bullpen with seven scoreless innings, bringing the Dodgers’ NL record streak for one postseason to 31 such innings.
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The one frame that began promisingly for the Mets, with two straight hits, was undermined when Jesse Winker got caught between second and third after Jose Iglesias followed his single with one of his own. The Mets were just not themselves.
The Dodgers just got through a hard-fought, at times hellish series with the Padres, a division rival they hate from 90 miles to the south, barely surviving. This must have felt like amateur hour to them. They were handed a 1-0 lead in this NLCS without so much as a sweat.
Senga never gave the Mets a chance. Now we have to wonder why the Mets gave him this chance (or frankly the one in Game 1 of the Division Series vs. Philly, either).
These Mets with mojo were batting about 1.000 in their decisions in recent days. But they took a crazy chance in Game 1, and they whiffed badly.
David Peterson probably should have gotten the call for Game 1 (although he also allowed three runs after entering the game). He’s the Mets’ best pitcher over this amazing run, even better than Sean Manaea and Luis Severino, and he deserves more than mop-up middle relief.
Senga was only a challenge for the umpire as he couldn’t locate the strike zone almost from the start. Three straight walks in the first inning led to two runs when Max Muncy lined Senga’s 21st pitch — and only sixth strike! — into center field, scoring the first two runs. Senga fell behind 3-0 in the second, when Shohei Ohtani, coming off a 2-for-18 stretch with 10 strikeouts, singled home Gavin Lux, who also had walked.
Really, it’s understandable he was off his game. While it was nice the Mets finally got two days off, Senga’s had only two days on all year — and it showed.
Senga wasn’t expected to go more than three or four innings, but by pitching only into the second inning, the Mets in effect had to employ close to a bullpen game. Which is really a Dodgers thing now.
The Mets were supposed to hold a major rotation advantage with the majority of Dodgers starters currently on the injured list, including but not limited to Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Gavin Stone. Meantime, Flaherty looked supremely healthy to Mets hitters, who did next to nothing.
If you remember, the Yankees backed away from a potential trade for Flaherty due to concerns about his lower back. So assist to the Yankees for allowing him to be suited in Dodger blue for his hometown team.
Game 1 was eminently forgettable. And the Mets are just the team to be able to do just that, preferable in this case.
These Mets specialize in comebacks, and this time they have a seven-game series to show their resilience, which we have come to expect now. They came back in games like almost no one in history.
These Mets overcame all odds to get where they are. But it feels like they’ve stepped up in class now. While the Dodgers have about half their $300 million-plus payroll on the injured list, they start a lineup with an unmatched trio of stars and finish games with a fairly airtight bullpen.
The Dodgers rotation remains iffy now. But they do have Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freeman. That’s three former MVPs and also one guaranteed future MVP.
This certainly won’t be easy. But if anyone can do it, it is these Mets. They just have to forget this one.