The Blowout Series: A Wild NLCS Between the Dodgers and Mets
NEW YORK — Welcome to one of the strangest postseason series ever played. Can we just call it The Blowout Series? Every day, you think this National League Championship Series is due for a breathtaking October classic. Then you look up at the scoreboard, and it’s 10-2 in the fourth inning.
As we dive into the fifth game of this bizarre NLCS, the Dodgers and Mets are both flying across the country to play another game on Sunday. At least this NLCS has that going for it. It’s never felt close, but — with Dodgers 3 wins and Mets 2 wins — it can’t possibly be closer.
A Series of Blowouts
Just check out the scores of these five games so far. The expression "nail-biter" is guaranteed not to cross your mind:
- Game 1: Dodgers 9, Mets 0
- Game 2: Mets 7, Dodgers 3
- Game 3: Dodgers 8, Mets 0
- Game 4: Dodgers 10, Mets 2
- Game 5: Mets 12, Dodgers 6
If you look at those scores and ask — Is this as bonkers as I think it is? — you’re not alone. Even the players involved are scratching their heads. “Well, it’s different,” said Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo. His teammate, reliever Ryne Stanek, added, “It makes no sense. But it’s the playoffs. You almost expect things to go sideways.”
The Land of the Blowouts
Five games. Five blowouts. How even? “It’s not exactly how I saw this going,” Nimmo said — and with good reason. Series like this are incredibly rare in postseason history. According to STATS Perform, there have only been three other series in postseason history where five games had a margin of four runs or more:
- 1965 World Series — Dodgers vs. Twins
- 2010 ALCS — Yankees vs. Rangers
- 2021 ALCS — Red Sox vs. Astros
But even that list makes this seem more common than it really is. In truth, only one other time in 121 seasons of postseason baseball have the first five games of a series been decided by four runs or more — the 1965 World Series, where the first six games were all wipeouts.
A Historic Lack of Strikeouts
In a twist that adds to the strangeness, Game 5 featured a remarkable statistic: the Mets struck out zero times in 44 plate appearances. This is so hard to comprehend that afterward, Francisco Lindor had to see the box score on my phone before he could believe it. “I had no idea,” he said, laughing.
This was only the 11th game in postseason history where a team finished without a strikeout. To put this in perspective, only two of the previous ten occurred in the last six decades. The Mets hadn’t had a zero-strikeout game in any regular-season game in 14 years.
Crazy Eights and More
The Dodgers have been involved in a historic number of blowouts this postseason. They have now played five games in this postseason that have been decided by eight runs or more, which is half of the ten games they’ve played. This is a record for postseason play, surpassing the previous high of four games decided by eight or more runs, held by the 2001 Yankees and the 2007 Red Sox.
Jack Flaherty, who pitched brilliantly in Game 1, gave up eight runs in Game 5, joining a short list of pitchers who have done that in postseason history when their team had a chance to clinch a series.
The Oddities Continue
The oddities don’t stop there. The Dodgers’ Andy Pages had a breakout performance in Game 5, hitting two home runs after entering the game with just one hit in the postseason. This performance places him in a unique category among Dodgers center fielders who have hit multiple home runs in a postseason game.
Meanwhile, Pete Alonso of the Mets made history by hitting a three-run homer in an elimination game, marking the only two three-run homers the Mets have hit in their postseason history.
The Weird and Wild Nature of Baseball
As we continue to witness this unprecedented NLCS, it’s clear that baseball is a sport filled with surprises. The unpredictability of the game is what keeps fans on the edge of their seats. With Game 6 looming, one can only wonder what other bizarre twists await in this already strange series.
So, as we gear up for another game, let’s embrace the chaos and enjoy the wild ride that is October baseball.