The game plan, etc. looked much the same for Jose Quintana, who tried to tempt Dodgers batters the same way it did Brewers and Phillies batters.
But the food is already stale.
Quintana thrived in the postseason and the final six weeks of the season, primarily by throwing attractive pitches that were out of the zone, often leading to disappointing swings.
The Dodgers proved to be much more patient, but that posed a problem.
The veteran left-hander, who started two postseason games and didn't allow an earned run, was ineffective in Game 4, when the Mets defeated the Dodgers 10-2 at Citi Field and were on the verge of clinching the National League championship. It was.
Quintana pitched just 3¹/₃ innings, scoring five runs on five hits and four walks, all against left-handed batters.
He wasn't particularly wild, but he got up right off the bat and was waiting to swing against the Brewers (six scoreless innings) and Phillies (five innings, one earned run).
Instead, his sinker was sacked and he struggled to get ahead of batters.
His breaking ball wasn't an out pitch, and the Dodgers swung seven times, but none of them came up short.
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The Dodgers had a changeup ready to confuse others.
“They control the strike zone,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of the Dodgers. “They forced Quintana to get into the strike zone. And when he did, they made him pay.”
Quintana got off to a terrible start and didn't see much improvement. On the second pitch of the game, Shohei Ohtani canceled out a 1-0 sinker and hit a home run into the Mets' bullpen. A 117.8 mph drive bullet flew out of the bat.
Quintana hasn't allowed a home run since August 20th, going eight consecutive games without a hit.
Quintana faced eight batters in a 37-pitch third inning, including another walk, an RBI double by Tommy Edman after Quintana's curveball, and an RBI single by Enrique Hernandez. Every at-bat was a struggle.
“I know they're chasing a little bit, I know that,” Quintana said, lamenting his inability to finish off Dodgers batters once they reach two strikes. “but [I was] Missed some spots. ”
In the 4th inning, Chris Taylor's single and walk to Ohtani, a superstar who has won three head-to-head championships, caused a traffic jam, and Jose Butt was unable to stop him, allowing Mookie Betts to hit a two-run double. released.
If this is the end of Quintana's Mets career, the pending free agent will be fondly remembered for his two mostly successful seasons.
This year ended with a great sprint, but frustration may have reached its peak.
Quintana doesn't think his career with the Mets is over.
“I hope I can make adjustments and get another chance in this series,” Quintana said.
