Latest news with #NLCS
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
David Peterson makes Shohei Ohtani ‘look human' as Mets keep Dodgers stars in check
Shohei Ohtani pounded the Mets during last year's NLCS. So did Mookie Betts. That star-powered pair delivered run-scoring hit after run-scoring hit last October as their Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the Mets in six games to advance to the World Series. They were particularly potent during the series' three games at Citi Field. Advertisement But this weekend's rematch in Queens couldn't be going more differently. Through the first two games of the three-game set, Ohtani and Betts are a combined 2-for-18 with six strikeouts and two walks. Add in the 0-for-7 from Freddie Freeman — the Dodgers' other middle-of-the-order former MVP — and Los Angeles' big three is 2-for-25 with 10 strikeouts, four walks and no extra-base hits or RBI. Saturday night's 5-2 win by the Mets was particularly rough for Ohtani, who went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, all against left-handed starter David Peterson. 'I think he made him look human,' Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said of Peterson. Advertisement Peterson threw 18 pitches to the lefty-swinging Ohtani in those four at-bats and did not offer him a single four-seam fastball. Instead, Peterson kept Ohtani off-balance with sinkers and off-speed pitches. He finished all three of the swinging strikeouts with sliders. 'It's just another hitter,' Peterson said. 'It's one of nine in their lineup. That's how I look at everybody. Obviously, he's a great player and he's done what he's done in this game. They have a lot of great hitters over there.' Ohtani represented the tying run when he came up with one out in the eighth. Mets closer Edwin Diaz was warmed up, but Mendoza stuck with Peterson, who struck Ohtani out on his 99th and final pitch of the night. Advertisement 'I was going through potential scenarios knowing that Diaz was ready to go,' Mendoza said. 'The idea was to at least get him through Ohtani because of the previous at-bat and the way he was taking swings off of him.' It was the first three-strikeout game in over a month for Ohtani, the reigning National League MVP who entered Saturday hitting .302 with 17 home runs. Peterson limited the Dodgers to two runs with seven strikeouts over 7.2 innings, which matched a career high. 'Big time performance there,' Mendoza said. 'Not only on Ohtani, but overall.' Ohtani went 1-for-5 with a walk in Friday night's opener, which the Dodgers won, 7-5, in 13 innings. Advertisement Betts went 0-for-5 in Friday's win, then went for 1-for-4 on Saturday. He, too, had a chance to tie the game in the eighth, but Diaz struck him out looking with a 97-mph fastball to end the inning. Freeman, meanwhile, followed Friday's three-strikeout performance with an 0-for-4 effort on Saturday, during which he also struck out against Diaz. It's a far cry from last year's NLCS, when Ohtani hit .364 with two home runs, six RBI, nine walks and a 1.185 OPS against the Mets. He was 4-for-11 — including both homers — at Citi Field. Betts hit .346 with two home runs, nine RBI and a 1.182 OPS during the NLCS. He was 6-for-16 in the three games in Queens and also hit both of his homers there. Advertisement Freeman was 3-for-18 in that playoff series, but he sat out of two of the games with a sprained right ankle that he suffered toward the end of the regular season. The lefty-swinging Freeman entered Saturday with a .361 average, good for second among MLB hitters, behind only Judge. All three of this weekend's Mets-Dodgers games are nationally televised in a nod to the series' immense star power. The Mets' big three of Soto, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso went a combined 0-for-12 in Friday's loss, but Soto broke out on Saturday, going 2-for-5 with a two-run double in the win. 'Our pitchers are great,' Soto said. 'They've been doing a really good job. I trust them. I know those guys over there, they're really good, but we trust the guys we have over here.'
New York Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
The unprecedented rivalry chance that follows Mets back to Atlanta
The truth is, going back to 1962, there aren't a lot of regular-season victories that compare to the one that concluded at 4:08 p.m. on the afternoon of Sept. 30, 2024. The truth is, there's only one that belongs in the same category, and it had taken place four days shy of a quarter century earlier: Oct. 4, 1999, a do-or-die, one-game playoff in Cincinnati for the National League's wild-card berth. Access the Mets beat like never before Don't miss Mike Puma's text messages from Queens and beyond — he's giving Sports+ subscribers the inside buzz on the Mets. Sign up Now In '99, the Mets carried quite a bit of baggage with them. It had been 11 years since their last playoff berth. A year earlier, they'd lost five straight games at the end, games 158-162, when winning only one would've snuck them into another playoff for the wild-card, a three-team round-robin with the Giants and Cubs. And there was plenty of concern that Bobby Valentine, the manager, hadn't yet steered a team to the postseason. Advertisement So 1999's 5-0 win against the Reds, behind a two-hitter from Al Leiter, was cathartic. And still pales in comparison to what happened last Sept. 30. Consider all the layers of misery the Mets had added in 25 years: a walk-off walk in NLCS Game 6 to the Braves in '99. A Subway Series loss in 2000. A cruel loss in Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS, followed up by gut-stomping collapses in 2007 and '08. A 2015 run that ended in a World Series horror show. Another epic collapse in 2022.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mets' Pete Alonso details new ‘in-depth' approach that has led to early 2025 success
The post Mets' Pete Alonso details new 'in-depth' approach that has led to early 2025 success appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Mets have been fueled by last season's loss in the NLCS to the Los Angeles Dodgers this year, and they have used that to propel themselves to the top of the standings once again. Pete Alonso has been a big reason for that, as the former home run derby champion has been one of the best bats in the league all season long. Advertisement Alonso has always been able to crush the baseball, but he's doing it more efficiently this season and is now a more well-rounded hitter that the Mets can rely on in the middle of the lineup. Sometimes, players need to work on technical things to help them improve, but the majority of Alonso's work has come upstairs. This season, the slugger has been doing a lot more work game planning and studying how opposing pitchers may attack him. That is paying off in the way he has been playing, via Will Sammon of The Athletic. 'I'm just trying to look at everything I possibly can in-depth,' Alonso said, via Sammon. 'And not just look at it. But really try to think and apply. 'It's not like an idea — I have a great picture. Every day, the whole thing is, I'm going to paint a picture of what it is going to look like coming at the plate.' Advertisement The new approach is more than paying off for the two-time home run derby champion. He is currently leading the league in RBIs with 61 and ranks in the top 10 with 17 home runs. While those numbers have always been high, it's the batting average that sticks out. After hitting a dismal .217 back in 2023 and .240 in 2024, Alonso's average is up to a stellar .301 through 66 games this season. While he is still producing plenty of runs and hitting for power, Carlos Mendoza and company can now depend on him to have strong at-bats and get on base consistently in a way he wasn't before. 'It's big time,' Alonso said of his new approach, via Sammon. 'It's been a tremendous help. Knowledge is power.' Alonso's increased production is a big reason why the Mets find themselves with a stellar 42-24 record, the best mark in the National League and just a half-game behind the Detroit Tigers for the top mark in the Major Leagues. Advertisement If the Polar Bear can keep this up, he and the Mets could be in store for more postseason success this fall. Related: Mets' Pete Alonso ties David Wright in franchise history with home run Related: Mets get pitching boost in trade with Giants
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mets Fans Upset After Carlos Mendoza's Announcement on Saturday
Mets Fans Upset After Carlos Mendoza's Announcement on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The New York Mets defeated the Colorado Rockies on Friday, handing MLB's worst team its 48th loss in just 57 games. Facing Colorado two more times this weekend, New York will then travel to Southern California for a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning on Monday. Advertisement This 2024 NLCS rematch is highly-anticipated. LA defeated New York in six games to win the National League pennant, but the Mets retooled this offseason in hopes of making an even deeper run. Additionally, New York will be getting back a piece of its starting pitching staff to begin this series against the Dodgers. New York Mets starting pitcher Paul Blackburn (58)© Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Right-handed starting pitcher Paul Blackburn has not appeared in a game yet this season. An All-Star in 2022, Blackburn has been recovering from a right knee injury. On Saturday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced the veteran right-hander will start the series opener in LA. "Paul Blackburn will come off the injured list to start Monday against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Carlos Mendoza said," Anthony DiComo of wrote on X. While the news of Blackburn's return provides New York with some additional rotation depth, many Mets fans were upset to learn he would be getting the ball for this game in LA. Advertisement "Ight we losing Monday," said one. "we're cooked," said another. "Starting off with a loss," one added. "Oh great. Really? Need to post him vs Dodgers?" one asked. "Automatic loss," said another. "oh no," one wrote. While Blackburn is a former All-Star, he appeared in just 14 games last season and is set to face a potent Dodgers offense in his first start of 2025. Related: Mookie Betts Makes Announcement After Missing Yankees Game Related: New Report on Juan Soto's Treatment of Mets Teammates This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Two Left-Handed Relievers Mets Should Target to Complete Dominant Bullpen
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. This year may finally be the one that sees the New York Mets get back to the World Series for the first time since 2015. New York came ever so close last season before falling in six games in the NLCS to the eventual World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The offseason addition of Juan Soto mixed with excellent pitching has the Mets off to a 45-24 start, good for the best record in the National League. There are, however, still improvements that could be made. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 05: Reed Garrett #75 of the New York Mets warms up in the bullpen during play against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on June... LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 05: Reed Garrett #75 of the New York Mets warms up in the bullpen during play against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on June 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. MoreNew York currently boasts the second-best bullpen ERA in MLB at 2.89, making it hard to think that there are improvements that can be made to that staff. One thing the Mets are lacking is a dominant reliever from the left side. The bullpen is right-handed heavy, so here are two possible trade targets for New York to go after to balance the bullpen. Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox If the Red Sox continue to struggle, Chapman's one-year contract makes him an easy trade target, and the Mets have all the assets to get Chapman in the blue and orange. Chapman is having an excellent season in the Boston bullpen to the tune of a 1.59 ERA, 12 saves and 39 strikeouts in 31 appearances and 28 1/3 innings. His average fastball velocity sits at 99.2 mph, good for the 99th percentile. The addition of Chapman to the back end of the bullpen with Ryan Stanek and Edwin Diaz could be viewed as one of the best and hardest-throwing bullpen trios in the league. Aroldis Chapman fires one in at 102 MPH to close out a @RedSox win! 🔥 (MLB x @Snapdragon) — MLB (@MLB) June 12, 2025 Keegin Akin, Baltimore Orioles Akin is a name that is going under the radar when discussing trade candidates from the Orioles, but it seems like he could be one of the more likely moveable pieces. Nabbing a left-hander with a sub-3.00 ERA at the trade deadline would be like finding gold, and for the Mets, Akin would not cost nearly as much as Chapman would. Akin is the exact opposite of Chapman in the velocity department, as his average fastball velocity is just 90.2 mph, putting him in the 37th percentile. His best weapon, though, is his filthy changeup. Hitters are 0-for-24 with eight strikeouts this season against Akin's changeup and have a .095 expected batting average against the pitch. That addition, paired with the high-velocity arms of Stanek and Diaz, would be an excellent mix and a great addition for the Mets. More MLB: Brewers Sensational Pitching Prospect Has Bizarre, Mind-Blowing MLB Debut
