Just when it looked like the Mets were finally going to make a comeback in Game 1 of the NL CS against the Dodgers, they ran away with a potential big inning on their own.
The Mets appeared to be on a roll Sunday night at Dodger Stadium after Jesse Winker led off the fifth inning with his first hit of the game and Jose Iglesias followed with a single.
However, for some reason, the blinker got lost between 2nd and 3rd place and was thrown out.
It looked like he could have reached third base relatively easily if he hadn't stopped running.
Iglesias' single was hit to shallow left-center field. However, Blinker froze and was shot.
The next batter, Tyrone Taylor, flew into the right field seats.
It turned into a sacrifice fly that almost gave the Dodgers a 6-0 lead.
This highlighted the Mets' poor performance against Dodgers right-hander Jack Flaherty.
Jesse Winker caught in no man's land 😬 pic.twitter.com/uMych5I8Jc
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 14, 2024
They allowed just two singles against Flaherty, who struggled in his first playoff start. The Mets took a gamble on Kodai Chiga as the starter, but it didn't work out.
He gave up two runs in the first inning, which was a sign of things to come in the NLCS opener.
The Dodgers have pitched 30 consecutive shutout innings dating back to their last two games against the Padres.
Of course, given the way the Mets batted Sunday night, it might not have mattered who started this game.
They will need to improve further in the future.
