The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from the World Series. The Dodgers defeated the New York Mets, 10-2, in Game 4 of the NLCS on Thusrsday. This gives the Dodgers a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. All three Dodgers wins in the series have been blowouts, and they have outscored the Mets, 27-2, in their three wins. The Dodgers will try to win their first pennant since 2020 on Friday afternoon at Citi Field.
Let's get into takeaways from Game 4.
Ohtani, Betts power up
The superstars on the Dodgers' side stepped up on this one. Shohei Ohtani hit a home run to lead off the game.
Remember, he homered in his last at-bat in Game 3, so this made two in a row. It's also notable because he hit this one, obviously, with no runners on base. Prior to Game 4, Ohtani was 0 for 19 with the bases empty and 7 for 9 with runners on base. It was never anything more than a funny oddity anyway, but it is notable that this was a solo shot.
Ohtani wouldn't do any more damage at the plate in this one, though he kept crossing it. He would walk his next three times at the plate and score each time. This was only the 29th time in postseason history a player scored four runs. The record is five (Hideki Matsui and A-Rod both scored five times in Game 3 of the 2004 ALCS while Jason Varitek scored five times in Game 4 of the 1999 ALDS). The only other Dodgers player with four runs in a playoff game was Steve Garvey, who did it in Game 4 of the 1974 NLCS (all numbers via Stathead).
Ohtani wasn't alone in stuffing the box score. Mookie Betts went 4 for 5 with a double, home run, two runs and four RBI. His big swing was a two-run shot in the top of the sixth.
That increased the Dodgers' lead to 7-2, which felt close to insurmountable at the time.
Combined, the 1-2 hitters in the Dodgers' lineup scored seven runs, drove in five and reached base eight times. Whenever you see the lineup with Ohtani and Betts penciled in at 1-2, it's a distinct possibility they'll do enough on their own to win a game. That was the case in Game 4.
Muncy makes history
Dodgers slugger Max Muncy reached base 12 consecutive times during this NLCS before striking out in the eighth inning. Muncy had a hit and three walks in Game 4 and tied Reggie Jackson (1977-78) for the longest playoff on-base streak. If we limited the parameters to a single postseason, Muncy has the record all to himself. Full story here.
Yamamoto was sharp
Dodgers right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto continues to work back into form after the shoulder injury that cost him a large chunk of the season. He returned on Sept. 10 and threw 59 pitches. He's been inconsistent since. In this game, Yamamoto gave up two runs on four hits in 4 1/3 innings, but, most importantly, he struck out eight batters. He threw 73 pitches.
He definitely isn't "back," as he had a 2.34 ERA in his last 13 starts before being placed on the injured list in the middle of June, but he continues to show signs of getting closer. The missed bats in Game 4 are part of that equation.
Quintana was not
The Dodgers got Mets starter Jose Quintana for five runs on five hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings. That's a pretty ugly line and with Quintana being the Mets' Game 4 starter, some might assume maybe it wasn't all too shocking.
Quintana had been dominant for a while, though. He closed the regular season with a 0.74 ERA in his last six starts. In his first two playoff starts this year, he had gone 11 innings with only one unearned run and six hits allowed while striking out 11 against three walks.
It's a nice illustration of how high-powered the Dodgers' offense can be.
Speaking of, the Dodgers are a walking machine. They have walked at least seven times in all four games this LCS, which is a postseason record. They've drawn 31 walks in the series, which sets a record for a four-game playoff span. It was previously 30 by the 1995 Yankees and 1974 Dodgers (via Sarah Langs).
Mets miss opportunities again
Much like in Game 3, the Mets had their chances to break the game open or get back into it. The biggest chance in this game came in the bottom of the sixth. They had the bases loaded and no out and managed to score zero runs.
They went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 12 runners on base. In Game 3, they left eight runners on.
What's next?
Game 5 comes Friday at 5:08 p.m. ET at Citi Field. The Mets are at home and facing elimination now with that 3-1 series deficit. Teams trailing 3-1 in best-of-seven MLB playoff series have come back to win just 14 times in history with the team leading 3-1 taking the series 79 times. That's an 84.9% clip for the team in the lead. The last team to dig out of a 3-1 hole? That would be the 2020 Dodgers, who won three straight games to oust the Braves in the 2020 NLCS.
The Dodgers are starting Jack Flaherty while the Mets are going with lefty David Peterson.
