Dodgers beat Mets in Game 6, head to World Series reunion with Yankees

21.10.2024 06:38

DailyNews.com

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, front, and the players celebrate after defeating the New York Mets, 10-5, in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers will face the New York Yankees in the World Series, beginning Friday in L.A. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)

The Dodgers’ Will Smith (16) celebrates with teammates Mookie Betts, left, Teoscar Hernández, second from right, and Kike Hernandez, far right, as he returns to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run during the third inning of Game 6 of the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen, right, celebrates with catcher Will Smith after getting the final out in the ninth inning of their 10-5 victory over the New York Mets in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. The reliability of relievers like Treinen has helped the Dodgers overcome their short-handed starting rotation issues throughout this postseason run. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen, right, celebrates with catcher Will Smith after getting the final out in the ninth inning of their 10-5 victory over the New York Mets in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday night at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers are headed to the World Series for the fourth time in the past eight years. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Orange County Register/SCNG)

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LOS ANGELES — Every year, the Dodgers drive out of spring training as a high-priced luxury vehicle with a ‘World Series or bust’ bumper sticker. They swerved around more potholes than usual this season and dropped a few parts along the way.

But all the miles have led them to their destination this time – where they find another high-priced luxury vehicle with its own weathered ‘World Series or bust’ bumper sticker waiting to race them for more than pink slips.

Getting four RBIs from National League Championship Series MVP Tommy Edman, a two-run home run from Will Smith and plenty more in support of the latest collective effort from their bullpen, the Dodgers punched their ticket to the World Series with a 10-5 victory over the New York Mets in Game 6 of the NLCS on Sunday night.

The Dodgers fell behind two games to one in their NL Division Series against the Padres, raising the specter of their first-round exits in 2022 and 2023. Since then, they have won six of eight games.

“I think they proved to themselves how tough they are,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who matched Bruce Bochy for the most World Series appearances (four) among active managers. “I think that when you get in a position that we were in against a division rival, against a very talented team at that point, it turns into a street fight. And it’s lose and go home or you just fight like heck. And I think that that’s what got us over the top in the DS and also what bled into the fact it allowed us to finish these guys off in six games.”

The Dodgers are heading to the World Series for the 22nd time in franchise history, the fourth time in the past eight years – but the first time since their pandemic ‘bubble’ championship in 2020. They will face their ancient nemesis, the New York Yankees, for the 12th time in the World Series, the first time since 1981. Game 1 is Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

“As a fan of baseball, how could you not be excited about this?” Dodgers infielder Max Muncy said, getting the hype train rolling. “You’re talking about two of the biggest franchises. The biggest starts in the sport. You’ve got Freddie, Mookie, Shohei. On the other side you’ve got Aaron Judge, Giancarlo, Juan Soto, Gerrit Cole. The game’s biggest stars on the biggest stage – how can you not be excited about this as a fan?

“Come on, man. It’s Dodgers-Yankees – come on!”

With a pitching staff depleted by injuries, the Dodgers knew they were going to have to hit their way to this World Series. So they did. They outscored the Mets 46-26 in the NLCS with eight runs or more in four of the six games. The 46 runs are a franchise record for any postseason series and a National League record for an LCS.

Just as they did in 2020, the Dodgers rode a slugging shortstop to their NLCS victory. An unexpected star, Edman’s 11 RBIs in the six games against the Mets matched the Dodgers’ postseason record set by Corey Seager during their seven-game NLCS victory over the Atlanta Braves in 2020.

“We had really good at-bats throughout the series,” Edman said, unaware that he had matched a record until after the game. “Our whole lineup was a really good lineup. Any number of guys could have won MVP.

“I kept getting up with guys on base and had a lot of opportunities to drive runs in.”

Edman’s season was put on hold by offseason wrist surgery and an ankle injury suffered during his rehab. He didn’t play his first game until mid-August – after the Dodgers traded for him even though he was on the St. Louis Cardinals’ injured list.

That late start gave Edman his own personal calendar. For him, he said earlier this week, it feels like his season has reached May or maybe June.

Call him Mr. June then. Edman went 11 for 27 in the NLCS with three doubles, a home run and those 11 RBIs.

“When we got him, we said ‘NLCS MVP or bust.’ So fortunately we don’t bust,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman joked.

Edman moved from center field to shortstop when Miguel Rojas was left off the NLCS roster. And he moved to cleanup twice this series with All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman on the bench with his injured ankle.

He started the scoring in the first inning driving in two runs with a double into the left field corner. That offset an early 1-0 lead ceded by Michael Kopech in the top of the inning. Deployed as the opener by the Dodgers, Kopech did everything but hit the bull with a pitch during the first inning. He walked two, threw a wild pitch and gave up a run when Chris Taylor made a throw wide of first base on Pete Alonso’s broken-bat grenade on the infield.

Edman’s double provided the first – and only – lead change of the entire series.

The Dodger relievers didn’t have to be perfect the way it was the last time the team resorted to a bullpen game in an elimination scenario (Game 4 of the Division Series against the San Diego Padres).

And they weren’t. The Mets had 18 baserunners – 11 hits, six walks and a hit batter. They had more than one baserunner in six of the first seven innings.

Two-run home runs from Edman and Smith in the third inning made it a 6-1 lead. But Anthony Banda surrendered a two-run home run of his own, to Mark Vientos, tightening things up. Evan Phillips loaded the bases in the sixth but escaped without allowing a run.

Blake Treinen (the Dodgers’ seventh and final pitcher of the night) took over in the eighth and put an end to the Mets’ dreams of a miracle. He struck out the side in the eighth.

The Dodgers gave him three more runs in the bottom of the inning. Treinen gave one back before converting the first save opportunity for either team in this series.

Moments later, Roberts was raising the National League championship trophy and asking a roaring Dodger Stadium crowd “You guys want a parade in Los Angeles?” That perk of a championship was unavailable in 2020.

“That’s something that I really wanted to get out there because, in 2020, we didn’t get that parade,” Roberts said later. “If there’s even more incentive for winning the World Series in 2024, it’s to have that parade. The way that the fans responded speaks to how passionate and how much they care about the Dodgers. It’s L.A. It’s about championships. I respect that.”