The Blowout Sequence: Mets-Dodgers is bonkers baseball, an NLCS stuffed with runaway wins

NEW YORK — Welcome to one of many strangest postseason collection ever performed. Can we simply name it The Blowout Sequence?

Day by day, you suppose this Nationwide League Championship Sequence is due for a wide ranging October traditional. Then you definately search for on the scoreboard, and it’s 10-2 within the fourth inning.

We’re 5 video games into this factor now, and the Dodgers and Mets are each flying throughout the nation to play one other recreation Sunday. So a minimum of this NLCS has that going for it. It’s by no means felt shut, however — at Dodgers 3 wins, Mets 2 wins — it might probably’t probably be nearer.

Simply take a look at the scores of those 5 video games to this point. The expression, nail-biter, is assured to not cross your thoughts.

Recreation 1 (Sunday): Dodgers 9, Mets 0
Recreation 2 (Monday): Mets 7, Dodgers 3
Recreation 3 (Wednesday): Dodgers 8, Mets 0
Recreation 4 (Thursday): Dodgers 10, Mets 2
Recreation 5 (Friday): Mets 12, Dodgers 6

When you take a look at these scores and ask — Is that this as bonkers as I feel it’s? — you’re not alone. Does it make you’re feeling higher to know that even the boys taking part in on this collection aren’t positive what the heck is occurring.

“Effectively, it’s totally different,” stated the Mets’ Brandon Nimmo.

“It is unnecessary,” stated his ever-philosophical teammate, reliever Ryne Stanek. “However it’s the playoffs. You nearly anticipate issues to go sideways.”

“You understand,” stated his bullpen buddy, Phil Maton, “baseball is simply gonna baseball.”

Oh, is it ever. A minimum of it’s a kind of instances in life when try to be grateful that there’s a column referred to as the October Bizarre and Wild column. We exist to inform you simply how off the rails this collection is.

We additionally exist to inform you that video games like Friday’s — when the successful crew (the Mets) in some way struck out zero instances in 44 plate appearances — are so laborious to understand that afterward, Francisco Lindor made me present him the field rating on my telephone earlier than he may very well be satisfied that had actually occurred. Extra on these Mets Zero Heroes shortly.

However first, let’s assist you make sense of …

The land of the blowouts

5 video games. 5 blowouts. C’mon, man. How even?

“It’s not precisely how I noticed this going,” Nimmo stated — and with good motive.

How uncommon are collection like this? I requested our buddies from STATS Carry out to assist me dig into that query. Regardless of how we framed it, the reply was all the time: Extremely uncommon.

5 straight video games determined by 4 runs or extra?

These of us masking this collection spent a lot of the day asking one another: Do you ever bear in mind a collection like this? We couldn’t — and for good motive. There have solely been three different collection in postseason historical past wherein 5 video games had a margin of 4 runs or extra:

1965 World Sequence — Dodgers vs. Twins (6)
2010 ALCS — Yankees vs. Rangers (5)
2021 ALCS — Purple Sox vs. Astros (5)

(Supply: STATS Carry out)  

However even that checklist makes this appear extra frequent than it truly is, as a result of that’s the full variety of blowouts amongst all of the video games in these collection. In reality, just one different time — in 121 seasons of postseason baseball — have the first 5 video games of a collection been determined by 4 runs or extra. And that was in that 1965 World Sequence, the place the primary six video games have been all wipeouts.

However maintain on. There’s extra. What about …

4 video games in a collection determined by six runs or extra?

Don’t neglect that on this collection, a four-run recreation nearly feels shut. Friday was the fourth recreation wherein the successful margin was six runs or extra. Solely two different postseason collection in historical past have featured that many video games that have been that lopsided.

2007 ALCS — Purple Sox vs. Indians (5)
1986 ALCS — Purple Sox vs. Angels (4)

(Supply: STATS Carry out)  

However each of these collection went seven video games. This collection is simply 5 video games previous. So … keep tuned!

5 video games determined by 35 runs in whole? 

Isn’t it flat-out nuts that the common margin of victory within the 5 video games on this NLCS is seven runs? In accordance with STATS, there was just one different collection, of 5 video games or longer, the place that occurred. That was the five-game 1999 ALDS between the Purple Sox and Indians, wherein the full mixed margin of victory was 37 runs — for a median of seven.4.

But when we take a look at solely best-of-seven collection, this NLCS is on tempo to provide probably the most one-sided outcomes ever. STATS discovered simply 4 different best-of-seven collection all time with a complete margin of victory of greater than 35 runs:

So this collection has some blowout-ish work to do to catch these matchups for whole margin. However … over the primary 5 video games, this NLCS has all of them beat!

(*Greatest-of-seven collection)

In different phrases, if the query is, Do you ever bear in mind a collection like this?, that reply is clearly: Nope!

However I really don’t even suppose any of that’s actually the Bizarre and Wild half. The Bizarre and Wild half is what preceded this collection. You would possibly recall the Mets simply performed two collection earlier than this one which have been the precise reverse. Their video games with the Brewers and Phillies have been shut, tense, draining and at instances nearly a bit of wacko.

So how can that very same crew go from a postseason that includes these sorts of video games to a collection that includes not one of the above? Right here, with all of the solutions, is Ryne Stanek.

“Within the postseason, you all the time need to plan for the sudden to occur,” stated Stanek, who’s pitching in his twelfth postseason collection. “You possibly can’t actually anticipate something, as a result of should you do, simply the other goes to occur. It’s wild.”

So is that only a baseball factor, I requested.

“Oh, yeah,” he stated. “I imply, baseball is a cluster f— as a complete anyway, as a result of it doesn’t make any sense 80 p.c of the time.”

Effectively, thank God for that different 20 p.c. Proper?

“Proper. When you speak to most of us,” Stanek stated, “most of us aren’t proper within the head as a result of the sport is only a mess.”

Ah, however a minimum of it’s a stupendous mess. And the fantastic thing about this collection is … it’s not over but. So it’s due for an epic October recreation any minute. And let’s simply say hey, Sunday (Recreation 6) can be an excellent time!

However now right here’s one other essential query that arose Friday …

Who says strikeouts are inevitable?

A baseball recreation with no strikeouts is sort of a basketball recreation with no 3-pointers, like a Broadway musical with no singing, like a movie show with no popcorn. It could’t probably be a factor in trendy America, can it?

Effectively, usually, not an opportunity. However a wild (and really bizarre) factor occurred to the Mets’ lineup on Friday. They made it by a complete recreation with no single Ok on the previous scorecard. And the way unbelievable was that? They weren’t even positive whether or not to imagine it themselves.

Not a single Met I requested about it afterward had any clue it had simply occurred — aside from those who had already been requested about it by anyone else. However my most entertaining alternate got here with Lindor, a man I all the time consider as being immersed in the whole lot that occurs on a baseball area. Um, not this time!

WEIRD AND WILD: “In your scale of rarities in baseball, the place would you rank your crew not hanging out as soon as right now?”

LINDOR: “Who didn’t strike out?”

W&W: “Your crew didn’t strike out as soon as right now.”

LINDOR: “I had no thought.”

W&W: “You made historical past, and also you didn’t even learn about it? Take into consideration how laborious that’s in right now’s recreation.”

LINDOR: “Are you positive we didn’t strike out?”

W&W: “Need me to point out you the field rating on my telephone. Check out the strikeout column. 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0.”

LINDOR: (Seems it up and down. Laughs. Shakes his head.) “I had no thought.”

So sure, one thing astonishing occurred in Recreation 5 of this NLCS — and just about no person even realized what they have been witnessing. Let’s fill you in on simply how Bizarre and Wild this factor was, as a result of chances are you’ll not see it once more in your lifetime.

IN THE POSTSEASON — This was the eleventh recreation in postseason historical past wherein a crew put up an enormous doughnut within the strikeout column. However don’t get the concept it’s even that frequent as a result of …

Solely two of the earlier 10 occurred within the final six many years:

Tim Salmon’s 2002 Angels did it in Recreation 2 of the World Sequence in opposition to the Giants.

Wilver D. Stargell’s 1974 Pirates did it in Recreation 2 of the NLCS in opposition to the Dodgers.

However what number of instances in postseason historical past had a crew despatched as many hitters to the plate because the Mets did Friday (44) and nonetheless didn’t punch out? As regular, by no means can be an amazing guess.

WHAT ABOUT THE REGULAR SEASON — There have been 2,429 video games performed within the huge leagues this yr earlier than we even bought to the postseason. In solely one in every of them did an offense end a recreation with no strikeouts. And that crew was … these Dodgers (besides the hitters on this case). They did that on April 29, in opposition to Arizona. However now let’s hold going.

• The Mets hadn’t had a zero-strikeout recreation in any regular-season recreation in 14 years — since a Might 25, 2010, recreation in opposition to the Phillies. That was over 2,000 video games in the past.

• The Mets have performed practically 10,000 regular-season video games of their historical past. And solely as soon as, in all these video games, did their lineup keep away from hanging out in a recreation with as many plate appearances as they bought Friday. And that recreation was 60 years in the past, in a go to to Wrigley Discipline on Aug. 28, 1964, when 49 Mets mixed for zero Ok’s in opposition to Bob Buhl, Lew Burdette, Don Elston, John Flavin and Sterling Slaughter.

• After which there are these Dodgers pitchers, who had had precisely one no-strikeout recreation on the mound of their final 30 common seasons. And that one got here 20 years in the past, on April 15, 2004, in opposition to the Padres.

• However to seek out the final time Dodgers pitchers struck out no person in a recreation wherein they pitched to 44 hitters or extra, you’d need to go all the best way again to Sept. 9, 1955, additionally at Wrigley, when Clem Labine and Russ Meyer whiffed not one of the 45 Cubs they confronted that day. In fact, they have been busy giving up 17 hits that recreation. So that may clarify it. I don’t know what explains this, except it’s that full tremendous moon hovering over Citi Discipline as soon as the solar went down.

“I’ve by no means been a part of a recreation like that,” stated Jesse Winker. “I’m unsure I’ve ever heard of a recreation like that. That’s wonderful.”

Social gathering of 4

Earlier than you click on on the subsequent superior story on our web site, don’t go! Right here come 4 extra Bizarre and Wild fast hits.

CRAZY EIGHTS — Baseball is so bizarre (but in addition so wild). So in fact Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty coughed up eight runs on this recreation, 5 days after spinning off seven shutout innings in opposition to these Mets in Recreation 1 of this collection.

Does he even wish to know that he joined a extremely brief checklist of pitchers in postseason historical past who gave up eight runs or extra when their crew had an opportunity to clinch a collection? Let’s guess no on that. So whereas he seems away, we’re going to inform you all about it anyway.

Do you know that solely three beginning pitchers had ever completed that in postseason historical past earlier than Flaherty got here alongside? Some good names right here!

• Walter Johnson — 15 hits and 9 runs in Recreation 7 of the 1925 World Sequence

• Tom Glavine — 6 hits and eight runs (in a single inning) in Recreation 6 of the 1992 NLCS

• Charles Nagy — 6 hits and eight runs in Recreation 5 of the 1999 ALDS

And ohbytheway, two aid pitchers have additionally completed it, amazingly sufficient: Jay Witasick (for the 2001 Yankees) in Recreation 6 of the 2001 World Sequence and Steve Reed (for the 1999 Indians) the day earlier than that Charles Nagy recreation, within the 1999 ALDS. Boy, appears like one other enjoyable October week in Cleveland, huh?

MORE CRAZY EIGHTS — I began this column by reviewing all of the blowouts on this collection. But when I simply do this, I’m really slighting the Dodgers – as a result of they bought combined up in two extra lopsided video games earlier than they even bought to this collection, of their NLDS in opposition to San Diego.

So the Dodgers at the moment are as much as 5 video games on this postseason which were determined by eight runs or extra. That’s half of the ten video games they’ve performed. And that’s simply ridiculous … but in addition historic.

Most video games determined by 8+ runs in a postseason 

(Supply: STATS Carry out)  

And I assume I’d higher remind you … they’re not by taking part in on this postseason!

TURNING THOSE PAGES — So if these Dodgers pitchers had simply given up, say, 5 runs Friday as a substitute of 12, would we bear in mind this as The Andy Pages Recreation? I feel so!

The Dodgers heart fielder entered this recreation with one hit within the postseason. He exited it with 4 hits — two of them titanic house runs that briefly helped make this recreation attention-grabbing.

So how can we not hit you with the whole checklist of multi-homer postseason video games by Dodgers heart fielders. Considered one of these guys doesn’t seem to be he matches! Guess which one.

Duke Snider, Recreation 6, 1952 World Sequence
Duke Snider, Recreation 5, 1955 World Sequence
Andy Pages, Friday

(Supply: Baseball Reference/Stathead)

POLAR BEARS COME IN THREES — After Pete Alonso mashed a Flaherty hanger over the center-field fence within the first inning Friday, this recreation was by no means the identical. It additionally led us down this rabbit gap:

Guess you didn’t know that in all of the postseason elimination video games the Mets have performed of their historical past, they’ve hit solely two three-run homers. However I’ve a hunch they’ll sound acquainted.

Pete Alonso off Devin Williams, Recreation 3, 2024 NLDS
Pete Alonso off Jack Flaherty, Friday

Finish of checklist!

SMASHING PUMPKINS 🎃

PETE ALONSO THREE-RUN TANK pic.twitter.com/7emNSPhEub

— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2024

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Extra Bizarre and Wild

(High photograph of Jesse Winker and Will Smith: Al Bello / Getty Photos)