In the hallway after his press conference, Carlos Mendoza played out in his mind not just a show of resilience from his Mets ball club, but specifically the long and winding road he had to take to get 16 outs out of a bullpen that was largely on fumes.
“When (David) Peterson came out,” Mendoza told me, “I thought, ‘How am I going to make this happen?’ I had an idea, but I wasn’t sure.”
By then, the offense had exploded for 10 runs and a 10-2 lead in the fourth inning. But soon, Reed Garrett gave up a three-run home run in the fifth. And here came the big, bad Los Angeles Dodgers again.
So came in Ryne Stanek, whose late-season renaissance had earned him the key role up front Edwin Diaz – also known as the eighth inning.
Yet here he was, coming in to replace Garrett in the fifth.
“I felt like I had to use it there,” Mendoza said, “and see how long it could last.” I didn’t expect three ups. He’s never done that before. He was the key to the match.”
Of course, three ups is baseball, which means working three different innings, which was common Goose Gossage, but now looks like a UFO sighting for late-inning relievers in this era.
“This time of year you have to be prepared for anything,” Stanek said afterwards with a smile. “I was ready.”
He got the final out in the fifth, then three more in each of the sixth and seventh innings, handing the game over to Diaz for the final six outs of the 12-6 win that avoided elimination and sends this NLCS back to Los Angeles . for Game 6 on Sunday.
Yes, these Mets have done it again and are showing the toughness that will make them harder to kill this season and the postseason than Freddy Krueger in a horror movie.
As such, the Mets clubhouse was buzzing with renewed optimism that they can pull off another miracle and come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series.
“If anyone can do it, we can do it,” he smiles Brandon Nimmo He said at his locker. “We are at our best in these situations. You just learn not to panic after everything we’ve been through.”
It still feels like a huge hill to climb for these Mets, who need to win two games in LA, against a ruthless Dodgers offense and what will be the best of their bullpen next Dave Roberts decided not to chase a victory from behind with his top relievers on Friday.
Still, the Mets will have their trump card, Sean Manaeapitched in Game 6 on complete rest, hoping he could shut down the Dodgers like he did in Game 2.
And there’s reason to believe in the Mets’ offense again after they exploded for 14 hits, including a three-run home run by Pete Alonso eliminated in the first inning Jack Flaherty that set the tone of the day.
After all, Francisco Alvarez is out of his slump, with three hits in Game 6, while Starling Marte looks dangerous after a four-hit day.
Then there is Jesse Winkerswinging the bat well and no doubt taking over the DH spot for the remainder of this series, as well Jeff McNeilwho had some good at-bats in his first start back from his broken wrist, delivering two meaningful sacrifice flies, and figures to be in the lineup somewhere for Game 6.
Indeed, it was the Mets – not the Dodgers – who were ruthless on Friday, piling it on early to the point where the crowd not only erupted with delight but also got to sing “My Girl” four times in the first four innings. , as Francisco Lindor was up so many times, and that didn’t count singing along to The Temptations before the game.
Yes, the spirit was back at Citi Field after a couple of tough losses. And while the offense largely had the upper hand, you could feel the tension and even fear on the margins as the Dodgers closed the gap from 10-2 to 10-6, with every fan understanding how vulnerable the bullpen is these days.
Someone had to close the lineup in LA and Stanek proved to be the man for the job. He only left a Mookie Betts home run while getting those seven outs, giving his own offense time to add a few more runs.
“I was willing to do whatever it took to get the job done for the guys,” Stanek said.
To which his bullpen partner and fellow teammate from their Houston Astros days, Phil Matonsmiled and said he wasn’t surprised.
“I’m really proud of him because that takes everything out of the picture,” Maton said, “but he’s a guy who really drives the adrenaline and energy of the crowd, and he did that today.”
If Stanek had failed, there would have been problems. Mendoza said he wouldn’t use it Kodai Senga in such a situation except as a last resort, and he had no intention of pushing Diaz beyond six zeros.
“I just hoped Stanek could continue,” the manager said. “What an effort.”
Diaz also looked strong in getting the last six outs, throwing just 23 pitches, and Mendoza said he’s confident he’ll have Diaz available on Sunday.
“I don’t know anything about Stanek,” Mendoza said. “That was a lot.”
Stanek, meanwhile, said he would be ready and spoke as if he was confident the Mets have the Dodgers right where they want them.
“We haven’t done anything easy, so we might as well do it this way now,” Stanek said. “It’s an opportunity to do something special. Why stop now?”
That pretty much summed up his day, too: a crucial part of yet another remarkable victory for the team that just won’t die.
