Mets step up in class with Dodgers, resiliency will be put to new test after forgettable loss

LOS ANGELES — The Mets came to Dodger Stadium, one of the most perfect places on the planet, with its stunning San Gabriel Mountains, lush greens and manicured lawns with a pleasant overall California color scheme, and they played their ugly game for weeks, if not months. .

The team that seemingly could do no wrong forever did absolutely nothing right.

The mysterious, magical Mets have made themselves must-see TV in this wonderful, memorable early October journey. But here in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series, it was preferable to look away.

Mets fans serenaded owner Steve Cohen before the game. “Uncle Steve,” they chanted.

In the end, all we heard was “Fred-ie, Fred-e.” And later, “MVP.” It wasn't for Francisco Lindor.

It was a party, and the Mets were eliminated from the invitational list with their 9-0 loss. It scored forfeits, and to suit that, the Mets were a no-show.

Mets flash starter Kodai Senga is famous for his trick pitch, a ghost pitch that allegedly disappears. But this time, the trick was on the Mets. It was the original Senga who did not appear.

With just 7 ¹/₃ innings coming up on his 2024 docket, Senga was neither ready nor ready, and he pitched more like a late-season call-up than a coveted international signee and 2023 ace. He was sitting at 93 mph, about 5 mph off his norm. Worse, he threw 30 pitches and 20 of them were balls. In modern parlance, he ratio-edited himself.

The Mets' nonstop lineup finally stopped. They mustered just two hits off Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty, who saved their overtaxed shutdown bullpen with seven scoreless innings, helping extend the Dodgers' NL record streak of 33 consecutive innings in a postseason, tying the postseason record set by the legendary 1966 Orioles, who did it in '66. to the Dodgers in the World Series.

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In a frame that started promisingly for the Mets, with two straight hits, Jose Iglesias followed his single with one of his own when Jesse Winker was caught between second and third. The Mets weren't just themselves.

The Dodgers had just survived a hard-fought, at-times hellish series with the Padres, a division rival they hated from 90 miles south. It must have felt like an amateur hour to them.

Senga never gave the Mets a chance. Now we have to wonder why the Mets gave him this opportunity (or frankly Game 1 of the Division Series vs. Philly).

These Mets, including Mojo, have been batting nearly 1.000 in their decisions in recent days. But they took a chance with Senga, and they screamed badly. They need to reassess if he gets the ball again in this NLCS.

“He was off,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He didn't have it.”

Senga was a challenge for home plate umpire Jeremy Rehak as he couldn't throw a strike almost from the start. Three consecutive walks in the first inning led to two runs, when Max Muncy lined Sanger's 21st pitch — and only the sixth strike! — to center field, scoring the first two runs. Senga fell behind 3-0 in the second when Shohei Ohtani, coming off a 2-for-18 stretch with 10 strikeouts, singled home Gavin Lucks, who also walked.

Really, it's understandable that he was off his game. While it was nice the Mets finally got two days off, Senga had only had two all year before — and it showed.

Senga wasn't expected to go more than three or four innings, but by only pitching in the second inning, the Mets had to work closer to playing a bullpen. Which is really a Dodgers thing now. (They'll use one in Game 2.)

The Mets were supposed to have a big rotation advantage with most of the Dodgers starters currently on the injured list, including Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Gavin Stone. Meanwhile, Flaherty looked extremely healthy to Mets hitters, who did nothing.

If you recall, the Yankees backed out of a potential trade for Flaherty due to concerns about his lower back. So help the Yankees by letting him suit up in Dodger blue for his hometown team.

Game 1 was remarkably forgettable. And the Mets are a team that will be able to do just that, preferably in this case.

“It's just baseball,” Iglesias said. “We will come back with the best energy tomorrow and continue to compete.”

These Mets are experts at comebacks, and this time, they have a seven-game series to show their resilience, which we now expect. They came back to the game like almost no one else in history.

These Mets have overcome all odds to get to where they are, but they're up in class now. The Dodgers have almost half of their $300 million-plus salary on the injured list, start a lineup with an unmatched trio and finish games with a fairly airtight bullpen.

This will certainly not be easy. But if anyone can do it, it's the Mets. They just need to forget this defeat.