Mets Avoid Elimination, Force Game 6 in LA

The New York Mets are alive, and they still have a shot in this NLCS. After back-to-back blowout losses to the Dodgers in Games 3 and 4, the Mets jumped all over LA in Game 5, winning 12-6 to keep the dream alive for at least one more day. 

If there is one thing this 2024 New York Mets team has taught us all season: they never give up. 

The didn't give up when they got off to an 0-5 start to the season. 

They didn't give up when they were 11-games under .500 in May. 

They didn't give up in Atlanta on the last day of the season to get into the postseason.

They didn't give up when the Brewers had them on elimination's door in Game 3 of the Wild Card round.

And they didn't give up in Game of the NLCS while facing elimination at home. 

The Mets tattooed Dodgers starting pitcher Jake Flaherty, who dominated them in Game 1. On Friday night, New York returned the favor, knocking him out after three innings, where he was charged with eight runs on eight hits. 

Pete Alonso, a free agent to be this coming winter, had himself a night going 2-for-3 with four runs scored and three RBI. His three-run bomb in the bottom of the first inning set the tone for the rest of the evening for the Amazin's as Citi Field became Party Citi yet again. 

Alonso's homer proved to be infectious as the rest of the Mets lineup got involved in big ways. Starling Marte, Francisco Alvarez, Francisco Lindor, and Jesse Winker all had multi-hit games in the victory. 

Marte had the biggest night of all, going 4-for-5 with three doubles, and three RBI. Marte's third inning double brought home both Alonso and Winker to make it 5-1. He later added an RBI single in the eight inning to cap off the scoring for the Amazin's. 

Francisco Lindor and Jesse Winker both got into the action with RBI triples to help the Mets build a 10-2 lead.

Unfortunately for New York, the Dodgers wouldn't go away. Home runs by Andy Pages and Mookie Betts pulled LA to within four runs, at 10-6. But the Mets bullpen stood firm. 

Ryne Staneck gave New York 2.1 quality innings out of the pen, allowing only a run while striking out four batters. 

He set the stage for Edwin Diaz who was brilliant in two innings of relief to secure the Mets victory in a non-save situation. 

NEXT:

The win assures that the Mets will play a Game 6 in Los Angeles on Sunday night. The Mets will have a pitching advantage with Sean Manaea getting the ball on short rest against the Dodgers bullpen.

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With the opening day of the 2024/2025 season in the rearview, fans have more than likely started munching on their favorite foods while watching a few (or all) of the games. All while dreaming that their team makes the potential Super Bowl trip.

As mentioned, part of the tradition for Sunday football is watch parties, tailgates, and snacking -- lots of it.

To celebrate the first few games of the season, VegasInsider analyzed, and researched the most popular snacks across the country,

The study was based on the search volume for each snack using the words "NFL". New Jersey returned results of a "mixed variety", and if you asked this observer, the snack that ranked #12 (last), should be categorized as some sort of heinous crime.

But see for yourself....

Starting off the list are Mozzarella Sticks, returning an average search volume of 620. Trust me, that count is pretty low, you'll see as we go further down the list. Were most of you upset like I was? Mozzarella sticks are a SOLID #5, and CERTAINLY better than the #9 spot, but we will get to that...

Probably one of the most versatile on the 12 on this list, you can put almost anything on a hot dog and it will taste good.  We don't even really know what it's made of, but we don't care! Grilled, fried, even MICROWAVED, it all tastes good! Unfortunately, it did not "cut the mustard", only returning a search volume of 1,010. 

Honestly surprising this ended up so high (or low) on the list. With an average of 3,161 pizza places in the state, NOT including chains, Pizza is a readily available option for New Jersey residents. Maybe that's the problem..it's readily available. Why go out of your way to get it every Sunday? Another versatile food option, it only returned an average search count of 1,020 -- just 10 more than the hot dog.  What's even more surprising is that pizza ranked LAST among footballs fans on average across the country. 

Returning an average search count of 1,040, this is controversial (at least for me). THIS should be the #12 spot. It's a movie food! When the game is on, my first instinct is not "Can't wait to chow down on some popcorn, and get kernels in my teeth". With that said, I still endure, and I still eat it when it's around. Butter, Caramel, Cheddar...it's all good. 

Now we start seeing pretty big jumps in the search count. This bar classic returned an average search count of 1,420. If you find an arrangement of sauces these make a delicious edition to any Football night snacks arrangement. 

Talk about versatility! How many brands, styles, and flavors of chips are there out in the world? How many brands, styles, and flavors of dip are out there? Are you a Doritos person, or a Lay's person? Are you the one guy who brought Fritos!? Do you like the punch of a spicy salsa? or the smooth flavor of ranch? Personally, grab a Jar of Tostino's Queso Blanco and I can dip a piece of cardboard in it. I think it's THAT good! Others agree chips and dip are a staple in the house, returning an average search count of 1,740.  

The cousin to the chip, the Pretzel returned with a score of 2,010. Whether you enjoy the hard, bite-sized pretzels from a bag, the big and soft salted pretzels, or even the sticks that are perfect for dipping. Pretzels start off the list of the top 6! 

The messiest option, but always savory, BBQ ribs jump FAR ahead of the #6 spot with 2,770 for an average search volume. Just make sure you have a napkin on standby... 

Another large jump in average search volume, Chicken Wings are another snack that provides a medley of options. Boneless, or bone-In? And if you like bone-in, do you like flats or sticks? 
Do you like Buffalo, BBQ, or Garlic Parmesan? In New Jersey, Chicken Wings had an average search volume of 3,420! 

Taking home the bronze medal, meatballs step away from the spaghetti dish and plant themselves in the third-place spot for your Sunday snack lineup! Meatballs returned and an average search volume of 5,450! What's great about the meatball (other than everything), is when you get tired of using a fork, just plop one of those bad boys on a sub roll and you have yourselves a sandwich! 

The runner-up goes to the reliable nacho! Now, I know what you might be thinking, and no, nachos do not count as "chips and dip".  The reason for that...presentation. Nachos are more than just chips and cheese, it's chips, cheese, salsa, sour cream, peppers, olives, and occasionally, pork, all blissfully blended in one. Nachos returned an average search volume of 13,130! 

New Jersey's top spot goes to Sliders! Sliders returned the largest average search volume with 17,050! Sliders have gotten more creative through the years. But I'm a big proponent of keeping it simple. A nice medium-rare with cheese, ketchup, and onions, and I'm set!
Overall, sliders were the most popular snack choice for the country! 

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