Dodgers pound Mets to take 3-1 lead in NLCS

NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh off another October blowout, Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers are one win from the World Series.

Ohtani hit a leadoff homer and scored four times, Mookie Betts also went deep and drove in four runs, and the Dodgers routed the New York Mets 10-2 on Thursday night for a 3-1 lead in their lopsided National League Championship Series.

“I love the way that our guys haven’t let off the gas,” manager Dave Roberts said. “We don’t want to give these guys any momentum.”

Betts had a two-run homer and a two-run double among his four hits. Max Muncy extended his streak of reaching base safely to 12 plate appearances, a postseason record, and the Dodgers closed in on their 25th pennant — most in NL history.

“You just ride those emotions,” Betts said. “I’ve tried to stay even-keeled and all those things. At a time like this, that doesn’t really work, so you’ve just got to jump on the rollercoaster and enjoy the ride.”

Game 5 is Friday at Citi Field, with Jack Flaherty scheduled to pitch for Los Angeles looking to put his hometown team in the World Series.

David Peterson will make his first playoff start for New York after pitching well out of the bullpen this postseason.

“Peterson is fully rested. Last time he pitched was four days ago. So I’m anticipating him making a regular start,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, adding that starter Kodai Senga will be available out of the bullpen.

Surprise cleanup batter Tommy Edman had three RBIs, including a tiebreaking double off starter Jose Quintana with two outs in the third inning. Kiké Hernández followed with an RBI single that made it 3-1.

Betts broke open the game, greeting reliever Jose Buttó with a two-run double in the fourth and then right-hander Phil Maton with a two-run homer in the sixth.

Both big hits followed walks to Ohtani, handed three straight free passes after homering on consecutive swings going back to Game 3.

“I just know there was a stretch there for like, two or three at-bats, I don’t think he even saw a pitch remotely close, which I understand. But it’s going to be tough to just walk him all the time,” Betts said. “We’ll see. If they want to continue to do it, that’s OK. I just need to make sure I take care of my job and the guys behind us.”

Ohtani pointed toward the Dodgers dugout when he connected. The $700 million superstar said All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman, who sat out with an ankle injury, had spoken to him before the game.

“Freddie talked to me to make sure that I joined the party earlier than later,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “So I was able to do that this time in my first at-bat.”

Betts, who began the night hitting .200 this postseason, gave a huge fist pump between second and third as he rounded the bases following his third homer of the playoffs.

Mark Vientos provided a rare highlight for New York, hitting his fourth postseason homer in the first inning off $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

But the Mets, who were 14-2 in their past 16 games at Citi Field when they arrived back home Wednesday, were blown out on their own turf for the second successive night.

New York has been outscored 30-9 in the series, including 9-0 in the opener and 8-0 in Game 3.

“You’ve got to give those guys credit. That’s a deep lineup,” Mendoza said. “And whether (our starters) are feeling it or not, we haven’t executed and we haven’t got length from them.”

The latest flop after a thrilling comeback ride this far into October hushed a sellout crowd of 43,882 and left Citi Field eerily quiet in the late innings — and just about as empty as April.

“If we come back from this, then it’s going to be a heck of a story,” outfielder Brandon Nimmo said.

Evan Phillips earned the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Yamamoto.

Trailing 7-2, the staggering Mets had a chance to get back in the game when they loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth. But then Phillips got two outs and Blake Treinen retired pinch-hitter Jesse Winker on a fly to the right-field warning track.

“I sort of like the us-against-the-world attitude that our guys have sort of taken on. I think that’s kind of ironic with the Dodgers, but I like that,” Roberts said.

“Once we win five more games, then I’ll be much happier. But yeah, I’m very excited to be in this position. And I just want to keep our guys hungry and focused and not let these guys back in the series.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: Freeman missed his second game of the playoffs. He has been playing with a badly sprained and swollen right ankle throughout the postseason.

Mets: Slumping catcher Francisco Alvarez hobbled to first base in pain after getting drilled by Yamamoto’s 91 mph sinker to begin the fifth. He was pulled for a pinch hitter with the bases loaded in the sixth.

UP NEXT

Acquired from Detroit at the July 30 trade deadline, Flaherty went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 regular-season starts for the Dodgers and finished 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA overall. He allowed two hits over seven innings to win the NLCS opener 9-0.

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