Dodgers 8, Mets 0 – 2024 NLCS Game 3: Buehler comes up big, as Enrique & Shohei smash key homers

Chad Moriyama 10/16/2024 Game Recaps Leave A Comment

Following the NLCS being evened up, the Dodgers were looking to avoid being buried in a hole in Game 3, the first of three straight in New York at the home of the Mets.

Both teams missed a bunch of chances in this game, but the Dodgers got out to an early lead thanks to defensive miscues, then added on with homers as Walker Buehler and the pen navigated around traffic to secure a 8-0 victory.

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Mets starter Luis Severino has been pretty average in 2024, but like many Mets he finished the season well and has been solid in the playoffs.

After a clean 1st, he was a victim of his defense (his own, included) in the 2nd. After a walk to Max Muncy, Teoscar Hernandez hit a ball about five feet and Francisco Alvarez tried to get Muncy at second but the throw was off and everybody was safe. Gavin Lux then seemed to ground into a double play back to Severino, but he bobbled it and could only get Lux at first.

Will Smith then hit another grounder back to him, but that one also clanged for an infield single to score Muncy. Then Tommy Edman came up and hit a ball into the gap that took a great catch from Tyrone Taylor after a collision with Starling Marte to get a sacrifice fly and make it 2-0.

Could’ve got more given all the miscues, but at least they got something.

Speaking of missing chances, they got a huge one in the 3rd as well. Back-to-back walks to Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts set the table, but Freddie Freeman flew out softly. Max Muncy got them back on track with a single, but they couldn’t score and it just loaded the bases. Teoscar Hernandez followed with a soft liner to third and Gavin Lux grounded back to Severino to get him out of it.

The 4th saw him get a 1-2-3 frame and settle a bit, allowing him to get the first two outs of the 5th as well, the latter being an elite play by Francisco Lindor to rob Mookie Betts. However, a Freddie single and a Muncy walk put a pair on again, and Carlos Mendoza went to Reed Garrett, who struck out Teoscar for another missed chance to keep things at 2-0.

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That zero was … an adventure.

On the other side was Walker Buehler, who quite frankly looked terrible in 2024, but has recently shown signs of improvement and was very unfortunate to get stuck with a Game 3 loss in the NLDS after being letdown by the defense.

He started out immediately better than he was against the Padres, giving up an infield single in the 1st by striking out a pair.

That’s when trouble struck again in the 2nd. After an out, a walk, an infield single that Edman couldn’t glove, and another walk loaded the bases up. However, Buehler settled in and executed, getting strikeouts of Alvarez and Francisco Lindor to get out of a huge jam.

In the 3rd, a lead-off single just out of Betts’ reach in right was followed by two outs, the latter being Pete Alonso nearly mashing one to left. Another 0-2 pitch led to a hit batter to put a pair on, but another strikeout ended that threat.

He then cruised through a clean inning in the 4th, which is where his day ended. Despite laboring a bit, he got a season-high 18 whiffs today and gave the Dodgers what they needed: 4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K, 90 Pitches.

The pen started in the 5th with Michael Kopech against the top of the order, and he got a clean 12-pitch frame on paper, though Mark Vientos hit a ball that would’ve been a homer at Dodger Stadium.

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For the Mets, Garrett continued in the 6th, getting two outs on five pitches. However, Tommy Edman then continued his great hitting with a single, advanced to second on a balk, and Enrique Hernandez came up big yet again with another homer to make it 4-0.

The 7th was given to Tylor Megill, who gave up a Mookie single to start. With one down, Muncy drew a walk to setup another scoring chance, but Teoscar grounded weakly to advance both runners but make the second out, and Gavin Lux struck out to end the threat.

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With some breathing room, it was Ryan Brasier in the 6th, and he was a bit wild. With one down he gave up a single and issued a walk, then went down 3-1 to Jose Iglesias. However, he locked back in with a pair of nasty sinkers to get a double play to escape.

The 7th belonged to Blake Treinen, who got an 11-pitch frame with two strikeouts.

Fortunately, Dave Roberts‘ strategy paid off in the 8th, as those zeroes by the leverage arms gave the Dodgers time to build the lead. Megill continued in the 8th, walking Will Smith and giving up a one-out single to Enrique Hernandez. That setup Shohei Ohtani with RISP, and he came through, absolutely destroying a ball to the upper deck for a three-run shot to make it 7-0.

With the Mets not wanting to burn another reliever, Megill stayed for the 9th, giving up a Muncy missile to right to make it 8-0.

With one down the Dodgers made another scoring chance with a walk and a single but nothing more came of it.

To close things out for the Dodgers was Ben Casparius in the 8th, who issued a walk, but otherwise had no issues in a scoreless frame. He continued in the 9th, still looking effective with an easy 10-pitch inning.

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The NLCS is now 2-1 in favor of the Dodgers. Good, IMO.

Game 4 will be at the same place and same time tomorrow, so 2:08 PM HT/5:08 PM PT/8:08 PM ET on FS1. It’ll be Yoshinobu Yamamoto looking to build off his excellent Game 5 start in the NLDS against Jose Quintana for the Mets.

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