Mets go from rock bottom in May to playoff roll in October
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The New York Mets hit rock bottom in late May, the nadir being a three-game home sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Mets fell to a season-worst 11 games under .500 after getting outscored 18-5 in that series, punctuated by reliever Jorge López throwing his glove into the stands after getting ejected and then giving a bizarre postgame interview. The team cut him hours later.
Star shortstop Francisco Lindor called a players-only meeting in hopes of the team turning things around.
Did it ever.
Since June, the Mets have the best record in the majors. They've been on a roll in the playoffs, too.
"That's when the guys got together and we started turning the corner," rookie manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday.
After defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 2-1 in a best-of-three NL Wild Card Series, the Mets went on to beat the rival Philadelphia Phillies 3-1 in their Division Series.
Next up is the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers, who took four of six from the Mets in the regular season while compiling baseball's best record at 98-64. New York won two of three at Dodger Stadium in April, although the Mets got outscored 18-15 in that series.
"They're a completely different team than we saw," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "They're playing considerably better. Lindor is back to being Frankie. They've just got a lot of confidence, so we've got to play good baseball. We have to come with the same intensity, focus and energy that we had this last series.”
Jack Flaherty will start Game 1 for the Dodgers on Sunday against Kodai Senga.
"What they've been able to do in the second half, with their lineup, their pitching, their bullpen, it’s a good group, it's a really good team, and it makes for a good series," Flaherty said.
It'll be the first time the Mets and Dodgers meet in the playoffs since 2015, and the first time they square off in the NLCS since 1988, when the Dodgers went on to win the World Series.
"It'll be fun, that's for sure," Mendoza said. "There's going to be a lot of superstars on that field, two fan bases that are intense."
The teams played a tense Division Series in 2015, when Dodgers infielder Chase Utley broke the leg of Mets shortstop Rubén Tejada while running the bases in Game 2. Tejada covered second base to try to turn a potential double play as Utley made a late slide. His helmet struck the leg of Tejada, who got upended from behind as he twisted around to corral a wide flip from second baseman Daniel Murphy.