The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a favorable position heading into Game 5 of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the New York Mets. With a 3-1 lead in the series and their ace pitcher, Jack Flaherty, set to take the mound, the Dodgers have things lined up just as they want them. On the other hand, the Mets have a tough task ahead of them if they hope to come back from this deficit.
However, there is still hope for the Mets. History shows that teams trailing 3-1 in a best-of-seven series have managed to come back and win it 15% of the time. The Dodgers themselves accomplished this feat four years ago when they overcame a 3-1 deficit against the Braves in the NLCS on their way to winning the World Series.
While it’s true that no team has ever come back from a 3-1 series deficit against these odds in Mets history, this year’s team has shown resilience throughout their season. They have overcome difficult situations before and believe they can do it again.
The Dodgers will be motivated to quash any momentum from the home team by relying on their ace pitcher Flaherty. If Flaherty manages to shut down the Mets’ offense and secure a win for his team, then Los Angeles will advance to their fourth World Series appearance in eight years.
On Friday at Citi Field, fans can watch Game 5 with first pitch scheduled for 5:08 p.m. ET/2:08 p.m PT on FS1. The game will also be available on MLB.TV for viewers in select countries outside of U.S.
As for starting pitchers, Jack Flaherty will take the mound for Dodgers while David Peterson gets his chance as starter for Mets after being saved from relief appearances due to blowouts during Games 3 and 4.
Both teams have strong bullpens behind their starters but injuries may impact some players’ availability. Freeman returns after missing Game 4 while Lux is nursing an injury that kept him out against left-handed starters.
In terms of performance so far, Mookie Betts has been hot for Dodgers with four hits and four RBIs in Game 4 while Pete Alonso has struggled with only two hits and six strikeouts in NLCS games.
This matchup between two historic franchises adds another chapter to their postseason rivalry dating back decades ago when they faced off multiple times before.