The Dodgers lost Game 5 of the National League Championship Series on Friday, falling to the New York Mets by a score of 12-6 and forcing the best-of-seven series to return to Los Angeles on Sunday.
With the team entering the game with a three-to-one lead in the series, Dodgers fans expected the team to clinch a spot in the World Series on Friday with a Game 5 win at Citi Field in New York. .
But the Mets had other plans, taking an early lead thanks to a three-run homer by first baseman Pete Alonso in the bottom of the first inning. The Mets then broke the game open by scoring five runs in the third inning.
Baseball star Shohei Ohtani is already part of the Dodgers team.
Trailing 8-2 in the fourth, the Dodgers managed to load the bases, but Freddie Freeman struck out looking to end the comeback. The Mets then added two more runs in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead to 10-2.
However, the Dodgers refused to go quietly. Andy Pages hit a three-run homer from 376 feet over the left-center field wall in the top of the fifth inning, then Mookie Betts led off the sixth with a 382-foot solo home run, cutting the lead to 10-6.
But the Mets added another run in the bottom of the sixth, and then added an insurance run in the eighth to close out the scoring.
The Dodgers still lead the best-of-seven game series three to two.
Game 6 will be played at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, followed by Game 7, if necessary, on Monday.
Burbank-born pitcher Jack Flaherty took the loss for the Dodgers.
The introduction of player Shohei Ohtani as a Dodgers player is historic. Not only because of the $700 million that the team will pay. We explain why.
Flaherty was the winning pitcher in the first game of the series on Sunday, limiting the Mets to two hits, striking out six and walking two.
The former Harvard-Westlake School standout had a 6-2 regular-season record with a 3.58 ERA after being acquired by the Dodgers on July 30 from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for minor leaguers Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney.
The Dodgers were 7-3 in their 10 regular-season starts and are now 1-2 in their three postseason starts.
