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Dodgers finish off Mets with 10-5 win in NLCS Game 6, will face Yankees in World Series

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Tommy Edman and Will Smith homered to send Shohei Ohtani into the World Series for the first time, and the Los Angeles Dodgers eliminated the New York Mets with a 10-5 victory in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series on Sunday night.

The Dodgers clinched their record 25th NL pennant and first at home since 1988, when they beat the Mets in seven games. They moved on to their 22nd World Series — 13th in Los Angeles — and first since 2020, when they beat Tampa Bay during the pandemic-delayed season.

Dodgers defeat Mets and ADVANCE to World Series | MLB on FOX

Dodgers defeat Mets and ADVANCE to World Series | MLB on FOX

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Next up for Ohtani and Co. is Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees, who are back in the World Series for the 41st time and first in 15 years. Game 1 is Friday at Dodger Stadium, pitting Judge (58) and Ohtani (54) — MLB’s top home-run hitters this season.

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“It’s kind of what the people wanted, what we all wanted,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts told FOX Sports’ Tom Verducci. “It’s going to be a battle of two good teams, a lot of long flights across the country.”

It’ll be the 12th time the storied franchises meet in the World Series and the first in 43 years. The Yankees have beaten the Dodgers eight times, while the Dodgers’ three championships against the Bronx Bombers came in 1955, 1963 and 1981.

“It’s the place that I’ve dreamt of playing all my life,” Ohtani said through a translator, “and to be able to finally come to this stage and be able to play and hopefully win it is my next goal.”

Ohtani, playing his first season with the Dodgers after agreeing to a record-breaking contract in free agency, had two hits and scored two runs in Game 6. He hit .364 with two homers and six RBIs in the NLCS.

Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts on how it feels to clinch a World Series appearance | MLB on FOX

Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts on how it feels to clinch a World Series appearance | MLB on FOX

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Not bad for his first postseason after spending six years with the Los Angeles Angels, who never had a winning record or reached the playoffs during his tenure.

Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen struck out Brandon Nimmo, Mark Vientos and Pete Alonso swinging in the eighth in his first two-inning outing since the 2021 NLCS.

The Dodgers briefly trailed 1-0 before cleanup hitter Edman came up big.

He drove in the Dodgers’ first four runs and his 11 RBIs in the NLCS tied a franchise record set by Corey Seager in 2020 against Atlanta. Edman, who the NLCS MVP award, joined the Dodgers at the July trade deadline from St. Louis.

The Dodgers eliminated the Mets on their second try in the series. They outscored New York 40-26 in the six games. None of the games were close, with the Dodgers earning two shutouts.

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The Mets came within two wins of reaching the World Series after a 22-33 start.

The Dodgers led 2-1 in the first on Edman’s double into the left-field corner off Sean Manaea that scored Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández, who both singled. Hernández snapped an 0-for-18 skid in the NLCS. Manaea needed 34 pitches to get through the first.

Facing two strikes in the third, Edman sent a 406-foot shot to left-center for a two-run drive. A walk to Max Muncy and two outs later, Smith homered 416 feet to center off Phil Maton, extending the lead to 6-1.

The Mets cut their deficit to 6-3 in the fourth. With two out, Vientos hit a two-run homer — his fifth of the postseason — off Ryan Brasier. Vientos’ first career grand slam highlighted the Mets’ series-tying win in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium.

New York twice failed to cash in with the bases loaded. Trailing 6-3 in the sixth, Jesse Winker flied out against Evan Phillips to end the inning. Down a run in the third, the Mets loaded the bases against Anthony Banda only for Jeff McNeil to strike out swinging.

A clearly amped Michael Kopech opened the bullpen game for the Dodgers for his first career playoff start. He promptly issued a leadoff walk to Francisco Lindor and then threw a wild pitch. With two outs, Alonso had a two-strike flare to second base and Lindor scored on a throwing error by second baseman Chris Taylor for a 1-0 lead.

Los Angeles Dodgers NLCS Trophy & MVP Presentation | MLB on FOX

Los Angeles Dodgers NLCS Trophy & MVP Presentation | MLB on FOX

The Dodgers, whose starting pitching has been decimated by injuries, used seven pitchers in finishing off the Mets, whose $332 million payroll was the biggest in baseball.

Manaea lasted just two innings, giving up five runs and six hits. The left-hander struck out two and walked two. His revamped delivery baffled the Dodgers in Game 2, when Manaea limited them to two earned runs over five innings, but they had no such trouble Sunday.

Alonso had two hits and drove in a run in what could have been his final game for the Mets. The first baseman is eligible for free agency after the World Series.

The Dodgers, who were eliminated in the Division Series the last two years, spent a combined $1 billion last winter to sign Ohtani and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to lucrative long-term contracts in hopes of winning the franchise’s eighth World Series title.

Dave Roberts on Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series: ‘This is what the baseball world wanted’ | MLB on FOX

Dave Roberts on Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series: 'This is what the baseball world wanted' | MLB on FOX

The sellout crowd of 52,674 included Tom Hanks, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Magic Johnson, Rob Lowe, Josh Groban, Jenny McCarthy and Vanessa Bryant.

Dodgers 1B Freddie Freeman sat out for the third time in the postseason because of his sprained right ankle. He also missed Game 4 of the NLCS and Game 4 of the NLDS.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman out for Game 6, Michael Kopech to open bullpen game

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Michael Kopech will start Game 6 of the National League Championship Series for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who plan to send a parade of relievers to the mound in an attempt to win their record 25th NL pennant.

The right-hander opens Sunday’s bullpen game at Dodger Stadium against the New York Mets, who trail the best-of-seven series 3-2.

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“Just feel that it’s the best chance to put up a zero in the first inning and then move forward,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “We’re going to deploy a lot of different guys.”

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Kopech last pitched on Wednesday in Game 3, which was his lone appearance in the NLCS. He got the win, striking out one batter in one scoreless inning. He has appeared in five playoff games, allowing one hit and walking two while striking out six in 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Kopech came to the Dodgers from the Chicago White Sox at the July trade deadline as part of a three-team trade. In 24 games for the Dodgers, Kopech was 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA, 29 strikeouts and six saves in 24 innings.

Kopech was one of several well-rested Dodgers relievers heading into the game.

All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman won’t be in the Dodgers lineup. He’s been struggling with a sprained right ankle and was replaced by Max Muncy, who will bat fifth.

“He just felt, we felt, that giving him another day is best for him,” Roberts said. “Just doesn’t feel like himself.”

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Juan Soto’s home run sends Yankees to World Series, beating Guardians in ALCS

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Juan Soto hit a three-run homer with two outs in the 10th inning and the New York Yankees advanced to their 41st World Series — and first in 15 years — by beating the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 in Game 5 of the ALCS on Saturday night.

Baseball’s biggest brand is going back to October’s main stage.

Soto, who was acquired in a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres in December, moved the Bronx Bombers into position with one big swing.

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The Yankees will try to win their 28th title against either the New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers. Game 6 of the NLCS is on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

In the 10th, Austin Wells walked with one out and Alex Verdugo followed with a grounder to second baseman Andrés Giménez, whose soft toss to the bag was dropped by rookie shortstop Brayan Rocchio for an error.

Gaddis struck out Gleyber Torres and had Soto in a 1-2 count before New York’s stylish outfielder sent a shot over the wall in center. Soto danced down the first-base line and paused to celebrate with his teammates before circling the bases.

“I was just saying to myself, `You’re all over that guy. You’re all over that guy. He ain’t got anything,'” Soto said.

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Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer for the Yankees, who took care of the Guardians in five games, but it wasn’t easy.

New York won the first two at Yankee Stadium without much fanfare or any major drama. However, it was a different story in Cleveland as all three games at Progressive Field were nail-biters.

The Guardians rallied to win Game 3 on two, two-run homers in their last two at-bats, and the Yankees held on to win Game 4 after blowing a four-run lead.

Cleveland just didn’t have enough and a surprising season under first-year manager Stephen Vogt ended just short of a World Series. The franchise remains without a title since 1948, baseball’s current longest drought.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Resilient Mets remind why they’re in NLCS with rout of Dodgers: ‘That’s who we are’

Deesha Thosar

Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

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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.

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