Author: Deesha Thosar

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LOS ANGELES — When Juan Soto takes the field before first pitches in the Bronx, he sprints to his position in right field and gets the crowd going. As spectacular an entertainer as he is a disciplined hitter, he raises his arms and implores the home fans sitting directly behind him to bring animated energy. Sometimes he interacts with the crowd by signing baseballs. And after his first ever roll call from the bleacher creatures, he responded by taking a full bow for them. Most days, though, he puts his arms over his head and makes the shape of a heart when he hears his name being chanted.

It’s all love for Soto and the Yankees as they get ready to take on the Dodgers in the World Series. 

“I feel like it’s them. They make it really easy for me,” Soto said Thursday, when asked why he’s fit in so well with the Yankees. “They really welcomed me, really nice, and how they treat me and how they make me feel when I stepped in that clubhouse in spring training. They really make it easy for me. I think they are the big part of this, that’s why I feel really comfortable with where I’m at and how happy I am right now.”

Friday’s Game 1 also happens to be Soto’s 26th birthday, and there’s no other way he’d rather celebrate than by getting a win and a leg up over Los Angeles. Winning is what Soto cherishes to his core, and it will be at the top of his list of priorities when he’s exploring free agency this offseason, too.

In Soto’s best-case scenario, he helps the Yankees win the Fall Classic with more clutch at-bats like the one he had in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series in Cleveland, and he hits the market with his stock peaking. We know he turned down a reported $440 million in 2022 from the Nationals, the team that signed him out of the Dominican Republic and later won a World Series with him, not long before he was traded to the Padres. Entering this season, it was widely believed Soto could command a contract worth at least $500 million. Then he posted career highs in bWAR (8.8) and OPS+ (178) for a full season. 

Don’t be surprised if Soto’s overall contract value surpasses $600 million this winter. 

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series]

“I would say Scott [Boras] has been doing a really good job to not make it hard for me,” Soto said. “He’s been taking all the bullets and everything. I’m just focusing on playing baseball right now. That’s what I’ve been doing since day one, just focusing on baseball, and anything that comes up with [free agency], I just let him [handle] it.”

All of which begs the question, what’s the Yankees’ best-case scenario? Of course, they want to win the World Series with Soto in the only season he’s certain to be in pinstripes. But that would hardly make their negotiations with him this winter any simpler. In fact, if he’s wearing a second World Series ring as he tours ballparks and meets with team owners in the offseason, that will only add more zeroes to his asking price. 

One of those team owners is expected to be Mets billionaire Steve Cohen, who has significant money coming off the books this winter and has shown he will go after a coveted free agent if he really wants to. Since winning is what matters most to Soto, the Mets just showed the world that they could block out the noise, put their heads down, and compete all the way to the playoffs — their enchanted season finally finishing in the NLCS against the Dodgers, just two wins shy of reaching the Fall Classic despite no one expecting them to even sniff October baseball. The trifecta of Cohen, top baseball executive David Stearns and promising first-year manager Carlos Mendoza should make Queens an attractive borough for impending free agents, including Soto. 

The left-handed slugger is expected to field several offers this offseason, with big spenders such as the Mets, Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers and Giants, and maybe even the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Cardinals all potentially in play as landing spots. But in the end, it could very well come down to a two-team bidding war in New York, and that should unnerve Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner. If Cohen really wants to go after Soto, it’s hard to envision the Yankees beating his offer. Really, the Yankees cannot let it get down to that if they’re resolute on keeping Soto in the Bronx.

The Yankees will have to make an extremely competitive offer to keep Soto long term. This isn’t the time to play games, cross their fingers and hope Soto will stay, just because they traded for him last winter and have experienced a majestic season together. Soto has won before, and he’s been elite everywhere he’s played. Moreover, he reminded all 30 teams this postseason how quickly he can change the game with one at-bat, one swing, and send his team to the World Series. Several owners figure to be willing to bet the house on such a generational superstar and join the Soto sweepstakes this offseason. 

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When considering that he’s arguably the second-best young free agent in the history of the sport — behind only Álex Rodríguez — it’s fair to wonder, other than the obvious, what separates Soto from the rest of his peers. It starts with a dedication to his craft that even stands out to fellow generational talent Aaron Judge.

“I think it might have been early May, we were in Minnesota, I think he may have had a couple bad games,” Judge explained. “I saw him in the cage, he showed up early doing work with [Yankees assistant hitting coach] Pat Roessler. And I was talking to him like, ‘Hey, what are you working on? What are you doing?’ And he was like, ‘Ah, I just don’t feel right. This doesn’t feel right. This doesn’t feel right.’ And also, I’m looking up at the scoreboard, and he’s hitting .320, 15 homers. I’m like, ‘I think you’re doing alright.’ 

“So, it’s impressive to see, even a guy like him, he looks like he’s got it all figured out, he continues to put in the work, put in the dedication year in and year out. He’s one of the best players in the game, a superstar, and he continues to want to improve and continue to do better.” 

Soto’s iconic 10th inning at-bat in Game 5 of the ALCS in Cleveland had me wondering if he’s the most confident player at the plate in baseball right now, particularly as someone who can deliver in those high-pressure situations — so, I asked Aaron Boone. 

The Yankees manager paused for 10 full seconds before answering whether Soto is the most confident player he’s ever managed, or currently playing in the game. He appeared to search for the best way to answer “yes” without disparaging his other great, potentially Cooperstown-bound sluggers.

“I mean, I don’t know,” Boone chuckled. “I think we have a number of those players that are pretty confident in what they can do. He’s one of the greats that I’ve ever managed, but I’m managing a few of those guys. One of the things that’s certainly been enjoyable for me is getting to know Juan, the person and who he is. And to see his at-bat quality all year. 

“I go back to the first spring training game where there were a lot of eyes on that, and it’s like you became very aware very early that, I’ve described it as, his at-bats are like wars, battles. It’s not too often that you see the crowd feed off of ball one, strike one [like] with Juan, because he creates this theatrical battle between him and the pitcher as much as anyone I’ve ever seen.”

It’s hard to believe there’s a manager out there who would want anyone other than Soto at the plate right now when the game — the season — is on the line. For one, Soto’s elite plate discipline puts him on another playing field. He hardly ever makes mistakes, and when he does, he adjusts his swing decisions within the same at-bat. Although 26 years young, he enters every high-leverage situation believing in his heart of hearts that he’s the best player on the diamond. Soto’s unrelenting temperament gives him the chance to wait for the pitch he knows he can hit. The bigger the moment, the higher the stakes, the more likely he is to seize his golden opportunity. 

All of this has built Soto’s mythology and made him a monumental figure in the history of baseball, already. Just keep in mind that even though he has clearly relished playing for the Yankees and batting in front of Judge, especially now that they’re four wins away from winning the whole damn thing, that doesn’t make his free agency a foregone conclusion. Other front offices are salivating at the thought of adding Soto to their rosters, and if there’s a wide enough gap between those proposals and what the Yankees are offering, Soto’s time in the Bronx could be over next week. 

Unlike his interactions with the fan base on a nightly basis, the decision of where to sign a long-term contract and spend the next decade or more of his career won’t just be about love. 

Oftentimes, the determination to win can be a business. 

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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The Yankees have been involved in several close games this postseason. They’ve yet to be in a close series. That figures to change in the Fall Classic, as New York takes on the National League’s top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers.

The heavyweight matchup is sure to test the depth of both rosters. Here are X-factors who could swing the 2024 World Series in the Yankees’ favor. 

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1. Carlos Rodón, starting pitcher

It will be important for the Yankees to save their bullpen arms in a long series against the potent Dodgers, so any extra length their starters can give will go a long way. That starts with Gerrit Cole setting the tone in his Game 1 start, no doubt. But it will be equally important for Rodón to, at the very least, aim for a quality start in his first game of the Fall Classic. Rodón’s outings can be a bit of a roller-coaster if he’s struggling to focus and keep his emotions in check. But when he’s on, he’s worthy of being the ace of a pitching staff.

Fortunately for the left-hander, the Yankees don’t need him to be an ace to win their 28th World Series title. Really, he just needs to pitch like he did for half the season — when he recorded 16 quality starts out of a career-high 32 outings and 175 innings pitched. The Yankees have to hope all of that workload hasn’t caught up to him. Rodón said he watched the first six innings of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series between the Mets and Dodgers before he changed the channel to football, but what stood out to him was how obvious it was that right-hander Sean Manaea was gassed at this point in October.

RELATED: Dodgers’ 5 biggest X-factors vs. Yankees in 2024 World Series

Rodón registered an excellent outing sandwiched between two subpar starts this postseason. In the ALDS against the Royals, he was pulled after giving up four earned runs in just 3.2 innings. After six innings of one-run ball in his first start of the ALCS, he lasted just 4.2 innings in his second. Rodón noted how important the rest days were ahead of his first pitch in this series. And if he accomplishes his goal of pitching three times through the order, the Yankees and their entire pitching staff will be in better shape.

2. Giancarlo Stanton, designated hitter

Stanton has tallied five home runs, 11 RBIs, 10 hits, five walks and six runs in nine playoff games this October. These are video-game numbers. Amid a roster full of players yearning to win the championship, Stanton has been the most vocal about how nothing — not even his insane stats — matters unless the Yankees finish the job. His deep-seated determination to win a title has carried him this far, but it will be truly fascinating if he can keep up this pace in the World Series.

RELATED: Yankees-Dodgers: Ranking the 24 best players of the 2024 World Series

If he can, the Yankees look unbeatable with a lineup that boasts Juan Soto and Aaron Judge before Stanton even gets to the on-deck circle. There’s been a lot of talk about Soto being the one that pushed the Yankees over the edge and into the Fall Classic, and in many ways, he has. But Soto is new around here, and the clubhouse respects what Stanton has had to overcome in the Bronx (years of booing because of his injuries and underperformance) to reach this point: American League Championship Series MVP. If Stanton’s next act can somehow top his last one, he’ll be carrying the offense to a ring.

3. Luke Weaver, relief pitcher

Man, are the Yankees putting a ton of responsibility on this journeyman’s shoulders, and he has answered the bell almost every step of the way. Ever since the Yankees ended the Clay Holmes-closer experiment and promoted Weaver (a starter-turned-reliever) to begin earning saves, all he’s done is exceed expectations. Weaver entered the postseason with just four career saves — all of which were secured in the final month of the regular season — and it was a real question jowl he would fare in the postseason. Weaver quickly responded by pitching six scoreless innings and collecting four saves in his first five career playoff appearances.

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Proving he’s human, Weaver finally faltered in Game 3 of the ALCS, blowing his first save when he gave up a game-tying home run to Jhonkensy Noel in the ninth inning against the Guardians. But he bounced back in Game 5, pitching two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit to Cleveland and earning the win that sent the Yankees to the World Series. Up next, facing the star-studded Dodgers lineup will be the biggest challenge of his career. Weaver has surprised everyone down the stretch. Now, it’s tough to see New York winning without him playing a key role. 

4. Gleyber Torres, second baseman

The Yankees veteran has had a love-hate relationship with the Bronx fan base — mostly driven by his 18 errors, the most of any second baseman in MLB this year — but he’s received nothing but support from those that know him best within the organization. That confidence from his manager and teammates seemed to spur a different level in Torres ever since he was moved up to the leadoff spot in mid-August. Torres’ .755 OPS, six home runs, 11 doubles, 25 walks and 22 RBIs over 56 games batting leadoff are by far his best numbers of any spot in the lineup. Since he started setting the table in front of Soto and Judge, he started drawing more walks, too.

RELATED: How Yankees, Dodgers should pitch to each other’s stars: Smoltz’s World Series preview

We’ve seen how that enhanced plate approach has translated to this postseason; he’s drawn just as many walks (7) as Judge and Soto across nine games in the ALDS and ALCS. Torres’ bat provides another key element to a Yankees offense that is already plenty lethal without him. Not only will fans forgive and forget his rocky season if he continues to be productive in the World Series, but Torres is getting hot ahead of his upcoming free agency. After seven years in the Bronx, he’s forcing the Yankees front office to make a difficult decision. If he can continue doing his part at the top of the order, it’s getting easier to envision Torres in pinstripes next season and beyond.

5. Jazz Chisholm, third baseman

The Yankees were a trade deadline winner with their acquisition of Chisholm proving to be a huge success right away. Chisholm slugged nine home runs and collected 14 RBIs in his first 20 games with the Bombers, all while stealing six bases and posting a 1.029 OPS. His jolt of power, speed and energy were exactly what the Yankees needed at the time — after falling into a rut around the All-Star break, they entered the stretch run with a legitimate new threat in their lineup. Then we saw Chisholm’s fire on the field after Maikel Garcia’s slide into Anthony Volpe in the ALDS against the Royals, and it provided another edge on a Yankees roster that is so buttoned up that it can sometimes come off as boring.

RELATED: Who makes Yankees’, Dodgers’ all-time World Series starting lineups?

Chisholm, however, has cooled off considerably at the plate. He’s batting just .147 (5-for-34) with a .481 OPS, two walks and two stolen bases this postseason. When he does get on base, he’s still a menace on the basepaths. The Yankees don’t necessarily need Chisholm to display the power he did when initially acquired from Miami. They just need him to draw some walks and rip some singles so that others behind him can bring him in. That would be the best-case scenario for the bottom of the Yankees’ lineup, and perhaps their dangerous top.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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NEW YORK — Friday evening at Citi Field began with The Temptations singing their 1965 hit single “My Girl” in an ode to Francisco Lindor’s walk-up song. Lindor, while warming up on the field, smiled and sang along to the lyrics. Pete Alonso, stretching before what could be his final home game as a Met, joined in, too, and pretty soon the crowd — understandably tense before an elimination game — relaxed a little. Watching the jovial scene unfold in Queens, it was hard to tell that the Mets had lost by eight runs on each of the previous two days and were facing elimination. 

If they seemed loose and carefree mere minutes before southpaw David Peterson threw the first pitch of the game, it’s because that’s how they showed up to Citi Field ahead of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walked into the hitters’ meeting and everyone was smiling. Hours before their most important game of the year — yes, another one of those — New York’s happy-go-lucky attitude foreshadowed the pain they would inflict on the Dodgers.

“That’s who we are,” Mendoza said. “There’s no tomorrow for us. But we’ve been in this situation before. So, nothing new.”

After Peterson stranded Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani on second in the first inning — lifting the crowd’s energy from unease to optimism — Alonso followed by lifting a three-run blast off Jack Flaherty in the bottom of the frame. The Polar Bear’s fourth home run of October was a harbinger of the offensive outburst that was to come. The Mets tallied 14 hits, the second-most in postseason franchise history, in their 12-6 win over the Dodgers in Game 5. 

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The onslaught was a product of sticking to the plan, capitalizing on Flaherty’s drop in velocity and refusing to chase outside the zone. The Mets wound up tagging Flaherty for eight runs in just three innings. Besides Alonso’s long ball, they drew key walks, enjoyed timely hitting, and played small ball to overwhelm Los Angeles’ pitching staff. Starling Marte went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, Lindor collected a stand-up RBI triple, Jesse Winker reached base in four of his five plate appearances and catcher Francisco Alvarez went 3-for-4, too. 

On top of all the scoring, the Mets didn’t strike out once — a feat unseen in the postseason since the 2002 World Series by the Angels.

Friday was the kind of complete effort the Mets needed to remind themselves of their ceiling. 

“The quality of at-bats that we had, the intensity that we needed every inning, we understood that,” Lindor said. “And we had to give everything that we had, and that’s what we did.”

As the Dodgers threatened to put an end to this improbable run, the Mets leaned on the experience and the results that got them to this point. Their slugging first baseman, throughout these past few victorious weeks, has been right in the middle of it. Of Alonso’s five career postseason homers, four have given the Mets the lead — including three in the past two weeks alone. Not bad for one of baseball’s most powerful hitters just weeks away from entering free agency. 

Like Betts said on Wednesday, the Mets didn’t become one of the final four teams standing because of luck. They also didn’t reach this point because of a McDonald’s mascot or a hit Latin pop song. On Friday, the Mets reminded everyone why they’re only two wins away from advancing to the World Series: When they’re at their best, they can beat anyone. 

“We’ll be ready. We love opportunities,” Alonso said. “This is what we want to continue to play for. Today was all about, figure it out, get to Game 6. And we have that opportunity, and it’s going to be the same mentality: figure it out, get to 7. That’s what it is. Survive the day. And we did. And we’re really, really excited for the opportunity coming up.”

In a season overloaded with surprises, the Mets have the opportunity to pull off their greatest upset yet. They forced a flight back to Los Angeles for Game 6, which will take place Sunday night at Chavez Ravine, by focusing only on the 27 outs that could save their season rather than getting overwhelmed by the big picture. All baseball teams like to say they don’t look too far ahead, and instead prefer to take things day-to-day, but Mendoza’s Mets have executed that mindset better than most this season.

The Mets are attempting to become the ninth team in LCS history (AL or NL) to come back from a 3-1 hole. For motivation, they’ll be reminding themselves that they’re 2-0 in elimination games this year. 

“We’ve had success focusing on the process for 4-5 months now, and it’s not the time to change it,” Brandon Nimmo said. “We’re just trying to beat on that dam until it finally breaks, and it broke tonight.”

On The Temptations’ official website, the Motown legends bill their story as “an epic journey of courage, struggle, triumphs, setbacks, and ultimately, international superstardom.” 

Sounds a lot like the 2024 Mets.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

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NEW YORK — Friday evening at Citi Field began with The Temptations singing their 1965 hit single “My Girl” in an ode to Francisco Lindor’s walk-up song. Lindor, while warming up on the field, smiled and sang along to the lyrics. Pete Alonso, stretching before what could be his final home game as a Met, joined in, too, and pretty soon the crowd — understandably tense before an elimination game — relaxed a little. Watching the jovial scene unfold in Queens, it was hard to tell that the Mets were backed into a corner. 

If they seemed loose and carefree mere minutes before southpaw David Peterson threw the first pitch of the game, it was because that’s how they showed up to Citi Field ahead of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walked into the hitters’ meeting and everyone was smiling. Hours before their most important game of the year — yes, another one of those — New York’s happy-go-lucky attitude foreshadowed the pain they would inflict on the Dodgers.

“That’s who we are,” Mendoza said. “There’s no tomorrow for us. But we’ve been in this situation before. So, nothing new.”

After Peterson stranded Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani on second and third base in the first inning — lifting the crowd’s energy from unease to optimism — Alonso followed by lifting a three-run blast off Jack Flaherty in the bottom of the frame. The Polar Bear’s fourth home run of October was a harbinger of the offensive outburst that was to come. The Mets tallied 14 hits, the second-most in postseason franchise history, in their 12-6 win over the Dodgers in Game 5. 

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The onslaught was a product of sticking to the plan, capitalizing on Flaherty’s drop in velocity and refusing to chase outside the zone. The Mets wound up tagging Flaherty for eight runs in just three innings. Besides Alonso’s long ball, they drew key walks, enjoyed timely hitting, and played small ball to overwhelm Los Angeles’ pitching staff. Starling Marte went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, Lindor collected a stand-up RBI triple, Jesse Winker reached base in four of his five plate appearances and catcher Francisco Alvarez went 3-for-4, too. On top of all the runs produced, the Mets didn’t strike out once.

It was the kind of complete effort the Mets needed to remind themselves of their ceiling. 

“The quality of at-bats that we had, the intensity that we needed every inning, we understood that,” Lindor said. “And we had to give everything that we had, and that’s what we did.”

As the Dodgers threatened to put an end to this improbable run, the Mets leaned on the experience and the results that got them to this point. Their slugging first baseman, throughout these past few victorious weeks, has been right in the middle of it. Of Alonso’s five career postseason homers, four have given the Mets the lead — including three in the past two weeks alone. Not bad for one of baseball’s most powerful hitters just weeks away from entering free agency. 

Like Mookie Betts said on Wednesday, the Mets didn’t become one of the final four teams standing because of luck. They also didn’t reach this point because of a McDonald’s mascot or a hit Latin pop song. On Friday, the Mets reminded everyone why they’re only two wins away from advancing to the World Series: When they’re at their best, they can beat anyone. 

“We’ll be ready. We love opportunities,” Alonso said. “This is what we want to continue to play for. Today was all about, figure it out, get to Game 6. And we have that opportunity, and it’s going to be the same mentality: figure it out, get to 7. That’s what it is. Survive the day. And we did. And we’re really, really excited for the opportunity coming up.”

In a season overloaded with surprises, the Mets have the opportunity to pull off their greatest upset yet. They forced a flight back to Los Angeles for Game 6, which will take place on Sunday night at Chavez Ravine, by focusing only on the 27 outs that could save their season rather than getting overwhelmed by the big picture. All baseball teams like to say they don’t look too far ahead, and instead prefer to take things day-to-day, but Mendoza’s Mets have executed that mindset better than most this season.

The Mets are attempting to become the ninth team in LCS history (AL or NL) to come back from a 3-1 hole. For motivation, they’ll be reminding themselves that they’re 2-0 in elimination games this year. 

“We’ve had success focusing on the process for 4-5 months now, and it’s not the time to change it,” Brandon Nimmo said. “We’re just trying to beat on that dam until it finally breaks, and it broke tonight.”

On The Temptations’ official website, the Motown legends bill their story as “an epic journey of courage, struggle, triumphs, setbacks, and ultimately, international superstardom.” 

Sounds a lot like the 2024 Mets.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

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NEW YORK — Walker Buehler lives for October. 

It’s the first thing he said after he helped the Los Angeles Dodgers clinch the division last month. Their late September game against the rival Padres had a playoff feel to it, and after months spent battling through up-and-down results, his return to dominance against San Diego gave Buehler more confidence that he could step up for his club when it needs him the most. 

That time came Wednesday in a pivotal Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, where it was up to Buehler to set the tone against the New York Mets. With the series tied at one game apiece, and the Mets holding home-field advantage, it would take a gutsy outing from Buehler to give Los Angeles’ lineup enough breathing room to do its job.

Not only did Buehler deliver, he put on a show we haven’t seen from the 30-year-old in a few years. 

“It’s so overused, but pressure is a privilege,” Buehler said. “Talking about how many starts I’ve gotten to make, that’s the privilege part of it, right? I’ve gotten to do this a lot of times, and these games certainly get me excited, but they don’t overwhelm me like they used to when I was young my first couple of [playoff] starts. I’m just fortunate to be a part of this organization and a part of this team, specifically.”

Buehler allowed just three hits and struck out six across four scoreless frames in the Dodgers’ 8-0 rout over the Mets at Citi Field. He finished his outing by retiring seven straight batters, but no moment encapsulated his spunky performance better than his drama-fueled second-inning matchup against Francisco Lindor. 

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With two outs and the bases loaded, the Mets were threatening to erase Los Angeles’ 2-0 lead when their MVP shortstop dug into the box. But Buehler had a game plan to follow, and he wasn’t going to let New York’s best hitter get in the way of executing it. He peppered his best offspeed pitch of the night, a 78 mph knuckle curveball, in between his 95 mph heater enough times that Lindor got off balance. Finally, with the count full and 43,883 fans on their feet, Buehler got Lindor to swing and miss at yet another curveball to end the inning and the threat. He walked off the mound screaming into the frigid October air, daring the Mets to even attempt to hit him. 

“For me, personally, it’s huge,” Buehler said of striking out Lindor. “I think the last time I really made a pitch like that, in the playoffs, that kind of got it through was 2020 [NLCS] against Atlanta.”

Buehler said he channeled “the fear of pitching the way I pitched all year” in order to get out of the bases-loaded jam. He struggled to find his new identity during his return from Tommy John surgery this season, posting a 5.84 ERA across his first eight starts of 2024 before landing on the injured list with hip inflammation in June. Once he started trusting his mechanics again, Buehler said throwing a big pitch in a big spot was one of the final items on his checklist that would prove to him that he was back in pre-surgery form. 

Buehler squandered that opportunity in Game 3 of the NLDS versus the Padres, who tagged him for six runs in the second inning of a Dodgers defeat. Facing another stress-filled second inning Wednesday, after surrendering two walks and an infield single to load the bases, Buehler prevailed with back-to-back strikeouts — capped by the curve to Lindor.

“I don’t think anyone over there would’ve expected Walker to throw that pitch in that situation,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “That’s why Walker did it.”

As much as the Dodgers needed the win, this was the game the Mets perhaps had to take. With Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty coming up in Games 4 and 5, Wednesday was New York’s best opportunity to place Los Angeles at a disadvantage. Jose Quintana is toeing the hill for the Mets on Thursday, so they were hoping to charge ahead to a 3-1 series lead by the time Friday’s Game 5 rolled around. But Buehler had other plans.

Expertly relying on his offspeed pitches to keep Mets hitters off balance, Buehler had registered more swings-and-misses (11) by the end of the second inning than he had in his five innings against the Padres last week (8). According to Elias Sports Bureau, Buehler’s 18 total swings-and-misses were his most since 2021, and the most through the first four innings of a postseason game by any pitcher since Kyle Lohse in 2003. The Dodgers would’ve loved for the right-hander to pitch beyond the fourth inning given the way he was dealing. But since Buehler averaged more than 20 pitchers per inning, he only faced the Mets twice through the order. 

That wasn’t a problem for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who prepared for a situation like Game 3 — where several innings had to be covered by his high-leverage relief arms. After Buehler’s night ended somewhat early, Michael Kopech, Ryan Brasier, and Blake Treinen combined to throw three shutout innings and register four strikeouts while allowing just one hit from the ‘pen. Catcher Will Smith said Brasier’s double-play ball to Jose Iglesias that ended the sixth inning completely eradicated any chance for the Mets to build momentum.

He was right. Dodgers bats continued to pile on — including home runs from Shohei Ohtani, Kiké Hernández and Muncy — while the Mets’ slim hopes for a comeback, no matter how resilient they’ve been this postseason, fully slipped away. But the belief that New York could get a series lead was already on its way out the door with every inning Buehler put up a zero.

“In my career here as a Dodger, Walker’s probably been one of the most big-time playoff pitchers that I’ve seen,” Treinen said. “I think for him, coming back from the surgery, there’s been a lot of learning on the fly. And what he’s been able to do recently, the results haven’t always matched how well he’s pitched. Today was nice to see the results match the hard work he’s putting in.”

Buehler’s 17 playoff starts rank second to only Clayton Kershaw in Dodgers franchise history. Prior to undergoing a second UCL reconstruction in August 2022, he carried a phenomenal 2.94 career ERA in October. Though that mark took a hit in the NLDS, Buehler was able to rebound with three clean frames versus the Padres — after they initially rocked him — to jumpstart the Dodgers’ record-tying 33 scoreless innings in the postseason. 

On Wednesday, as he traversed the long and winding road that has forced the two-time All-Star to reinvent himself, Buehler reminded baseball of one thing as he led the Dodgers to an enormous win: He is still Walker Buehler.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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NEW YORK — Typically, when Aaron Judge connects on a high fastball, there is little doubt about how far it will go, and where it will land. But lately, the results of his at-bats haven’t been as much of a foregone conclusion. 

Not only was the Bronx crowd unsure whether Judge’s fly ball would go out as it traveled toward the deepest part of Yankee Stadium in the seventh inning Tuesday night, even his own teammate of seven years wasn’t convinced. Gleyber Torres, who was on base with a single, tagged up at first as the entire stadium held its breath. By the time the ball landed beyond the wall, Judge had already caught up to Torres at first base, barely a step or two behind him. He let Torres start jogging before beginning his home run trot.

“He did that this year earlier, too, so I was pretty pissed then,” Judge quipped of Torres tagging up. “I was pretty pissed again. … You never know, when it’s windy like this, what the ball is going to do in center field. He’s trying to get into scoring position. So I let this one slide.”

First baseman Anthony Rizzo joked that he expected better from Torres.

“I’m a little disappointed in Gleyber for not knowing Judge’s pop there,” Rizzo said while smirking. “We were ribbing him a lot about that. It’s a big swing for Judgey. He’s had really good at-bats and come up in big situations. To get the home run, it was a really easy swing, and he’s the best in the business at that.”

Judge’s two-run shot in the seventh inning of the Yankees‘ 6-3 win over the Guardians marked his first home run of this postseason. Before Tuesday night, his last playoff home run was in Game 5 of the 2022 ALDS — also against Cleveland. He had gone 35 postseason at-bats without a homer, and boy would the Yankees be thrilled if the worst is finally behind him. 

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The Yankees captain entered Game 2 of the American League Championship Series batting .133 (2-for-15) with a .564 OPS and just one RBI across five playoff games this fall. This wasn’t the first time in his career he went from being a nuisance in the regular season to a lesser concern in the playoffs. After crushing 62 home runs in an MVP season in 2022, Judge went 5-for-36 with three RBIs and two walks over nine games that October. Until he got the monkey off his back Tuesday night, Judge’s playoff slide had reached the point where even the opposing team wasn’t so afraid of the mighty slugger.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt went so far as to pull the ultimate insult in the second inning when he opted to intentionally walk Juan Soto to load the bases for Judge. The decision seemed to bewilder Judge’s teammates in the Yankees dugout. Anthony Volpe waved his arms in front of him and declared, “No way! No way!” Jazz Chisholm stared into Cleveland’s dugout with wide eyes, in apparent disbelief. 

“That’s super disrespectful,” Chisholm told FOX Sports of intentionally walking Soto ahead of Judge. “It’s Soto, we understand he’s playing great and everything. I mean, I would walk Soto in any other situation. But it’s an insult there.”

Left-hander Nestor Cortes added: “That’s crazy. You’re intentionally walking Soto to pitch to the MVP.”

Judge, who responded by hitting a sacrifice fly to center field and padded New York’s lead to 3-0 in the process, downplayed Cleveland’s decision. He said he didn’t take it personally and joked that he “would probably walk Soto, too, at this point.” But Judge’s teammate Oswaldo Cabrera told FOX Sports he thought the intentional walk to Soto might have woken Judge up. Cabrera believes Judge wants those types of moments to remind himself he’s the captain of the Yankees and provide another edge to his at-bats.

Judge being woken up out of his postseason slumber should petrify opposing teams, particularly because the Yankees were managing just fine without him hitting the cover off of the ball. The Bronx Bombers comfortably dismissed the Royals in the ALDS, and they had a 4-2 lead against Cleveland on Tuesday before Judge raised the decibel level in the seventh inning. Though he has helped out and has had better swings and productive at-bats, New York has now cruised to a 2-0 lead in the ALCS against the Guardians without Judge’s heroics. 

That is to say, Judge is warming up at exactly the right time. If the Yankees take care of business the rest of this series — and all signs are flashing that they will — then they will need the monster, MVP version of Judge to win against more potent offenses in the World Series. The National League Championship Series features two more formidable lineups than Cleveland’s, and whichever team comes out of that alive knows it will need to mash against the Juan Soto and Judge-powered Yankees. 

“Always a matter of time with Aaron,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Definitely good to see him put one in the seats and really give us a cushion there.”

The Guardians, Dodgers and Mets can only hope Judge is not just getting started.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.]

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