Dodgers 10, Mets 2 – 2024 NLCS Game 4: Mookie’s 4-hit, 4-RBI day backs Yamamoto as the Dodgers are one win away

Chad Moriyama 10/17/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

After a victory in a pivotal Game 3, the Dodgers came back in Game 4, and they started right behind a lead-off homer from Shohei Ohtani. But it was Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman who had the biggest days in helping the Dodgers pour it on in what was a blowout win thanks to Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the pen managed by Dave Roberts limiting the damage in a 10-2 victory.

One win away from the World Series, boys.

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Like a lot of Mets, Jose Quintana finished the season extremely strong and that has continued into the playoffs. He hadn’t allowed a homer since August 20, but it took one batter for that to change when Shohei Ohtani led the game off with a homer, his second in as many games. 1-0 Dodgers in the 1st.

On the other side was Yoshinobu Yamamoto, coming off a heroic Game 5 performance in the NLDS, and he unfortunately began in a similar way. The game was tied up again in a hurry as Mark Vientos absolutely smashed a ball to center for a 1-1 tie, though Yamamoto did get a pair of strikeouts in the 1st.

Thankfully, the Dodgers were next to strike. After a 2nd in which Quintana gave up just a walk, the bats came right back in the 3rd to take a lead. A one-out unintentional intentional walk to Shohei was followed by a Mookie Betts single, thought Teoscar Hernandez striking out put the rally on the verge. However, Tommy Edman doubled to left to score a run, and Enrique Hernandez followed by grounding a single off Francisco Lindor‘s glove for another run to make it 3-1.

The rally wasn’t done there, as the runners were still cornered, and they were loaded after a Max Muncy walk. However, Will Smith popped foul to end the threat with Quintana on the ropes.

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The Mets made that missed chance look costly immediately. After Yamamoto gave up just a single in the 2nd and struck out three, he gave up back-to-back singles to start the 3rd. After getting a big strikeout, he went to 3-2 against Pete Alonso and then walked him to load the bases. Brandon Nimmo followed by seemingly grounding into a double play but he beat it out after a slow turn and it was down to 3-2 Dodgers.

Thankfully, Edman made a great backhanded play on a grounder to prevent further damage at the end of the 3rd.

The Dodgers came right back in the 4th, as with one down Chris Taylor reached on an infield single, Shohei drew another walk, and Quintana exited for Jose Butto. He was greeted rudely by Mookie Betts, who rapped a double down the line in left to plate both CT3 and Ohtani to make it 5-2.

He didn’t move after that due to Teoscar and Edman not doing much, but that was key insurance. Butto continued in the 5th, allowing a walk but nothing else. He actually continued to go in the 6th, getting an out but also issuing another unintentional intentional walk to Ohtani before handing it over to Phil Maton.

Well, Mookie continued to take walking Ohtani in front of him personally, as he skied a homer to left for a 7-2 lead and skipped his way to home.

That two remained on the board due to Dave Roberts and the pitching staff, as Yamamoto carved through a 10-pitch 4th, then started the 5th by hitting a batter before ending his outing with a strikeout of Lindor. He may have stayed in were there not a runner on base, but Dave was aggressive with Vientos and Alonso coming, and it paid off when Evan Phillips got a strikeout and a harmless groundout.

Yamamoto gave up runs this time, but he arguably looked as good as he has all season: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 8 K, 73 Pitches.

After a long inning in which the Dodgers added insurance, Phillips sat and came back out shaky in the 6th. He gave up a pair of singles to start, then issued a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Dave continued to roll with him, and Evan rewarded him with a strikeout of Jose Iglesias and let him go against pinch-hitter Jeff McNeil, who flied out to Andy Pages. His arm prevented the hobbled Nimmo from scoring and kept a zero on the board.

With the Dodgers now on the verge, Dave finally made his move to Blake Treinen against pinch-hitter Jesse Winker. While Winker almost went yard, Treinen did enough to keep it at 7-2.

Treinen predictably came out for the 7th, giving up a single before the Dodgers blew another double play chance. With two down he gave up another single, but managed to not make the defense responsible for a run by getting the final out.

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For the Mets, Maton continued on in the 7th, getting two outs but also giving up a single and hitting a batter. That brought up Ohtani again, and David Young entered to strike him out and end that threat. He then struggled in the 8th, giving up a Betts single, walking Teoscar, a two-run double to Edman, and a single from Enrique that cornered things.

After Muncy struck out to end a hell of a run, Will Smith blooped a single up the middle to make it 10-2.

After Andy Pages flied out, a walk to Chris Taylor loaded the bases for Ohtani, but he also struck out to not make it a real laugher. Young continued on and got the Mets’ first clean inning in the 9th, setting the Dodgers down in order.

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Now with a huge lead, the Dodgers turned to Edgardo Henriquez in the 8th, who gave up a walk in a scoreless 8th and a pair of singles in a scoreless 9th.

Easy peasy.

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Muncy has been a monster.

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The NLCS is now 3-1 for the Dodgers and they are one win away from the World Series.

Same two teams will meet tomorrow at the same place again for Game 5, unfortunately at the early time of 11:08 AM HT/2:08 PM PT/5:08 PM ET on FS1. It’ll likely be Jack Flaherty for the Dodgers against Kodai Senga again for the Mets, but it could also be something of a pen game for both teams.

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