The Dodgers plan to come out swinging in Game 5 of the NLCS on Friday night.
“We know that (the Mets are) going to come back, ready to go,” Dodgers star Mookie Betts told the FS1 postgame crew Thursday after taking a 3-1 series lead with a 10-2 blowout win at Citi Field. “(Francisco) Lindor’s probably gonna have a nice speech and get them boys ready to go.
“But we will too. We’ll be ready to come throw some haymakers tomorrow.”
It’s clear the Dodgers intend to head back to Los Angeles on Friday night after a champagne celebration and not in advance of a Game 6 and potential Game 7.
The Dodgers have won the first two games in New York in convincing fashion, grabbing an 8-0 win in Game 3 and turning Game 4 into a laugher.
The Mets seemingly had the momentum after grabbing Game 2 in L.A. before the series shifted to Flushing, but the Dodgers have made themselves quite comfortable in the Big Apple.
Walker Buehler and Shohei Ohtani propelled the Dodgers in Game 3, while Betts finished one triple short of the cycle in a 4-for-6, three-RBI performance in Game 4 that included a two-run homer.
“I can’t really describe it, but I felt pretty good. It’s good to feel good. It’s good to help the team,” Betts said. “Pitching did amazing, keeping them off the board, really. It was fun.”
The Phillies’ Nick Castellanos previously offered a warning to the Mets before a potential elimination game — although in that case, his team stood on the brink of elimination — and it did not go well, with the Mets winning Game 4 at home to set up this NLCS clash with the top-seeded Dodgers.
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Betts’ threat seemingly has some more legs to it since the Dodgers have thoroughly outplayed the Mets aside from a 7-3 loss in Game 2 in a bullpen game.
That failure in the bullpen game surely is added motivation for the Dodgers to close out this series since the Mets would have a potential pitching advantage in Game 6 with top pitcher Sean Manaea lined up to start and Los Angeles seemingly has to turn to another “Johnny WholeStaff” game.
Betts and the Dodgers’ hitters will have their chances to throw haymakers against David Peterson on Friday, while Los Angeles counters with Game 1 hero Jack Flaherty.
The former AL MVP and two-time World Series champion said he’s just going to “ride those emotions” with a World Series berth just one win away.
“When the game starts you’ve got to ride those emotions, embrace them, the highs and the lows,” Betts said. “Like I said, I’ve tried to stay even-keeled and all those things. At a time like this, that doesn’t really work, so you’ve just got to jump on the roller coaster and enjoy the ride.”
