Mets Make Statement, Take Rubber Game from Dodgers
The New York Mets made one heck of a statement at Citi Field on Thursday afternoon. Trailing most of the day by a single run to Clayton Kershaw and the LA Dodgers, the Amazin’s hung tough, fought back and found a way to win a ball game by the score of 5-3, and win a series against a team that figures to be a team the Mets would have to get through in the postseason.
The 34-year old Kershaw was making his return to the Dodgers rotation after battling a back injury, and hadn’t pitched in over five weeks. Yet, he was still able to work in and out of trouble, keeping the Mets to a run over five innings.
The Amazin’s best chance to get to Kershaw came in the first inning when they had the bases loaded, but could only manage to score a run on a bases loaded walk to Mark Canha to take a 1-0 lead.
The Dodgers would grab the lead in the top of the second when Chris Taylor drove in Justin Turner and Gavin Lux with the bases full to make it 2-1.
The game would remain deadlocked at 2-1 until the sixth inning when the Mets got to the Dodgers bullpen. Dodgers reliever Chris Martin got into serious trouble when he gave up a lead-off single to Starling Marte.
.@Lindor12BC ties the game! #LGM pic.twitter.com/aMkKO34Tsh
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 1, 2022
Sensing an opportunity, Francisco Lindor cracked a double into the right-center field gap, scoring Marte with the tying run. After Lindor stole third during Pete Alonso’s at bat, Darrin Ruf drove home the go-ahead score on sac fly to left to put the Mets up 3-2.
After Mets reliever Trevor May worked around a lead-off walk to get out of the top of the seventh inning, the Amazin’s went right back to work in the bottom half.
.@You_Found_Nimmo extends our lead. #LGM pic.twitter.com/AXhEckHDEe
— New York Mets (@Mets) September 1, 2022
A two-out double by James McCann got things started for New York. Brandon Nimmo followed that up with a RBI single that was a simple pop up that fell in front of an in-charging Mookie Betts in right field. McCann scored to give the Amazin’s a 4-2 lead. Finally, Marte added to his tremendous series by driving in Nimmo on a hard single to left to push the Mets to a 5-2 lead.
Edwin Diaz worked around trouble in the eighth, and Adam Ottavino retired the Dodgers in order to solidify the win. The Mets win the season series 4-3.
Now the question is will these two see each other in October? If they do, it will be epic for sure.
FINAL: Mets 5, Dodgers 3
— Steve Gelbs (@SteveGelbs) September 1, 2022
The season series between the teams with the two best records in the NL lived up to the hype. The Mets won 4, the Dodgers won 3, with NY outscoring LA 25-22.
A best-of-seven series between these two would be something to watch.
