Pete Alonso golfed an early three-run homer and the New York Mets hammered an ineffective Jack Flaherty, extending the National League Championship Series with a 12-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5.
The Mets came into the game knowing their season was on the line, and Alonso showed why he is known as the Mets' power-hitting first baseman. His home run in the bottom of the first inning set the tone for the game, putting the Mets up 3-0 before the Dodgers even had a chance to swing their bats.
The Dodgers and Flaherty struggled to keep up with the Mets' offense, which had been pretty one-dimensional throughout the series. However, in Game 5, every Mets batter seemed to contribute, and Flaherty was able to get just five outs before being taken out of the game. The Dodgers' ace gave up four earned runs on five hits and one walk before handing the ball over to the bullpen.
In a last-ditch effort to stem the bleeding, the Dodgers would switch between different pitchers to try to stop the Mets offense but it didn't seem to make any difference. Brandon Nimmo had two singles and scored two runs from the leadoff spot, Jeff McNeil added two RBIs on two hits, and Eduardo Escobar also chipped in with a two-run double off the right-center field wall.
Mets starter Carlos Carrasco gave up three runs in 4.2 innings, but no other Mets pitcher would give up more than one run for the remainder of the game. That was good enough to secure the win for the Mets, who staved off elimination for at least one more day.
Another day and another game for the Mets and Dodgers could bring a thrilling end to the series, with both teams battling it out for a spot in the World Series. Can the Dodgers recover and claim their spot in the series or will the Mets be able to cause a major upset and advance to the next round?