Photo courtesy of Slgckgc, Wikipedia
After losing Game 4 to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 at Citi Field on Tuesday, the New York Mets will have to bear down as they travel to Los Angeles for the decisive Game 5.
The Mets will have to pull out all the stops for this definitive game as the winner will move onto the NLCS to face the Chicago Cubs, and the loser will head home.
“Well, it obviously won’t be an easy matchup for the Mets,” said Michael Denino, criminology major at Ramapo, “but I don’t think it’s that much of an advantage for the Dodgers as long as the Mets hitters are aggressive.”
Zack Greinke earned the win in Game 2 after throwing a beautiful seven innings giving up five hits and striking out eight. He did allow two earned runs, but after the Dodgers put up a four-spot in the seventh inning, those runs did not matter.
Greinke will be seeing a more desperate Mets lineup this time around as compared to Game 2 of the series. Clayton Kershaw had the Mets’ number in Game 4, so Greinke will see the Mets hitters, especially the power bats of Yoenis Cespedes, Lucas Duda and David Wright, swinging on all cylinders. The entire Mets lineup will have to contribute to pressure the Dodgers to produce in front of their hometown fans.
“The Mets have proven that they can hit top guys like Kershaw and Greinke,” said student Ethan Vallelanos. “As long as they start swinging at those first pitch fastballs like they have been, I’d look for them to come away with a win.”
The Mets pitcher in this critical game will be ace Jacob deGrom who was dominant in Game 1 of this series. DeGrom threw seven innings of shutout ball, striking out thirteen Dodgers batters. The Mets hope to see the same performance from their ace, and being that he posted these stats in LA, it is definitely possible.
“DeGrom went right at the Dodgers in Game 1,” said Denino. “He should do the same thing if he wants to move on to the NLCS.”
The Mets bats were cooled in Game 4 after they lit up Dodger pitcher Brett Anderson and the bullpen for 13 runs in Game 3. It is safe to say that if this is the case again against Greinke, look for deGrom to be the defining factor in whether the Mets win or lose.
There is always a heightened sense of charisma and suspense in the air in any win-or-go-home game in the playoffs. Mets fans will be biting their nails watching the game tonight, but they are optimistic that their team will come out of LA victorious.
“The Mets are destined for greatness this postseason,” said Vallelanos. “I said it back in August. They need to click, but with all of New York rallying behind them, I have no doubt in my mind that there will be more postseason baseball in Queens this October.”
Game 5 between the Mets and Dodgers will be tonight on TBS at 8:00 p.m.
sthomps4@ramapo.edu
