Mets stepping up in class with Dodgers will put resilience to new test after forgettable loss

LOS ANGELES — The Mets came to Dodger Stadium, one of the most perfect places on this planet with its stunning San Gabriel Mountains, manicured lawn of gorgeous green and lovely overall California color scheme, and they played their ugliest game in weeks, if not months. 

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

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

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

By the end, all we heard was “Fredd-ie, Fredd-ie.” And later, “M-V-P.” It wasn’t for Francisco Lindor. 

This was a party, and the Mets were left off the invite list in their 9-0 defeat. That’s the forfeit score, and that fit, as the Mets were a no-show. 

Mets flash starter Kodai Senga is famed for his trick pitch, the ghost fork that allegedly disappears. But this time, the trick was on the Mets. It was the real Senga who didn’t appear. 

With only 7 ¹/₃ innings on his 2024 docket coming in, Senga wasn’t ready or prepared, 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-ed himself. 

The Mets nonstop lineup finally stopped. They gathered only two hits off Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty, who spared their overtaxed shutdown bullpen with seven scoreless innings, helping bring the Dodgers’ NL record for one postseason to 33 consecutive such innings, tying the postseason record of the legendary 1966 Orioles, who did it to the Dodgers in the ’66 World Series. 

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The one frame that began promisingly for the Mets, with two straight hits, was undermined when Jesse Winker got caught between second and third after Jose Iglesias followed his single with one of his own. The Mets were just not themselves. 

The Dodgers just got past a hard-fought, occasionally hellish series with the Padres, a division rival they hate from 90 miles to the south, barely surviving. This must have felt like amateur hour to them. 

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

These Mets with mojo were batting about 1.000 in their decisions in recent days. But they took a chance with Senga, and they whiffed badly. They’ll need to reevaluate whether he gets the ball again in this NLCS. 

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

Senga was only a challenge for home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak as he couldn’t throw strikes, almost from the start. Three straight walks in the first inning led to two runs, when Max Muncy lined Senga’s 21st pitch — and only sixth strike! — into 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 Lux, who also had walked. 

Really, it’s understandable he was off his game. While it was nice the Mets finally got two days off, Senga has previously had only two days on all year — and it showed. 

Senga wasn’t expected to go more than three or four innings, but by pitching only into the second inning, the Mets in effect had to employ close to a bullpen game. Which is really a Dodgers thing now. (They will utilize one in Game 2.) 

The Mets were supposed to hold a major rotation advantage with the majority of Dodgers starters currently on the injured list, including Clayton Kershaw, Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Gavin Stone. Meantime, Flaherty looked supremely healthy to Mets hitters, who did next to nothing. 

If you remember, the Yankees backed away from a potential trade for Flaherty due to concerns about his lower back. So assist to the Yankees for allowing him to be suited in Dodger blue for his hometown team. 

Game 1 was eminently forgettable. And the Mets are just the team to be able to do just that, preferable in this case. 

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

These Mets specialize in comebacks, and this time, they have a seven-game series to showcase their resilience, which we expect now. They came back in games like almost no one in history. 

These Mets overcame all odds to get where they are, but they’ve stepped up in class now. While the Dodgers have about half their $300 million-plus payroll on the injured list, they start a lineup with an unmatched trio of stars and finish games with a fairly airtight bullpen. 

This certainly won’t be easy. But if anyone can do it, it is these Mets. They just have to forget this debacle.