When is Dodgers vs. Mets NLCS Game 5? Date, time and statements

NEW YORK – Things are set up exactly the way they want for the Dodgers: a 3-1 lead in the National League Championship Series and their ace, Jack Flaherty, ready to pitch Game 5. The Mets, who have made a habit of coming back from dire situations all season, have never experienced a situation this dire.

But there is hope for Game 5 on Friday at Citi Field. Teams that trailed a best-of-seven series 3-1 after four games came back and won 15% of the time. That’s much more than zero. The Dodgers themselves did this just four years ago in the NLCS against the Braves en route to a World Series title.

And while the Mets never came back from a 3-1 series deficit, this year’s team made some comparatively difficult escapes just to get to the NLCS.

“We have history with it,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. “So this is nothing new. We can do it. This team is very capable. It’s a very good team. We all just have to pull together and work on the same cylinder. … The dynamics in these shows can change very quickly, and we know that.”

The Dodgers will have all the incentive in the world to steal the momentum from the home team, especially considering they have their ace on the mound. If the Mets manage to beat Flaherty, they will return to Los Angeles and will only have to beat the Dodgers in a likely bullpen game to force a winner-take-all Game 7. At this point, their chances would be much higher than 15%.

But if the Dodgers win behind Flaherty, they will be in the World Series for the fourth time in eight years – an emotional affair for all of them.

“I was trying to stay balanced and all those things,” Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts said. “At a time like this, that doesn’t really work, so you just have to jump on the rollercoaster and enjoy the ride.”

When does the game take place and how can I watch it?
Game 5 will be played Friday at Citi Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5:08 p.m. ET/2:08 p.m. PT on FS1.

All games are available in the US on MLB.TV (requires authentication with a participating pay-TV provider). Live games are also available in select countries outside the US. Detailed information can be found here.

Who are the starting pitchers?
Dodgers: RHP Jack Flaherty (13-7, 3.17 ERA)
The Dodgers considered using a bullpen game for Game 5, but with the team only one win away from the World Series, they decided to rely on one of their starters to close out the series. Flaherty dominated the Mets in Game 1, throwing seven scoreless innings.

Mets: LHP David Peterson (10-3, 2.90 ERA)
Since Games 3 and 4 were both blowouts, the Mets managed to avoid using Peterson in relief. This made him available for the start of Game 5, leading team officials to choose him over Kodai Senga. The Mets have every reason to have confidence in Peterson given his breakout season, which ended with a 2.41 ERA in his final 11 regular-season starts. But Peterson has thrown exclusively in relief since early October and managed 50 pitches in NLDS Game 1. Additionally, the Dodgers tested him for three runs (two earned) in NLCS Game 1. His ability to provide both length and quality to the Mets will be questionable ahead of a must-win game.

What are the expected starting lineups?
Dodgers: With the Mets starting a left-handed pitcher, Los Angeles could opt to give Gavin Lux another day to continue recovering from a nagging hip injury. Freddie Freeman, who missed Game 4 with a badly sprained right ankle, is expected back in Game 5.

Mets: Coach Carlos Mendoza cited Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s reverse splits and received some criticism for starting right-handers JD Martinez, Jose Iglesias and Starling Marte in Game 4 instead of left-handed alternatives Jesse Winker and Jeff McNeil. Although Flaherty has also introduced reverse splits this year, this is a new phenomenon for him and likely the result of a small sample size. Therefore, Mendoza expects to return to something close to his Game 1 lineup.

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Dodgers: With the Dodgers winning their last two games decisively, the team behind Flaherty should be in good shape. Aside from Evan Phillips, who threw 34 pitches in Thursday’s game, the Dodgers should have all of their high-impact relievers available.

Mets: With Peterson in the starting lineup, Senga will be available as a backup, although the Mets will likely be hesitant to move to him unless the game turns lopsided in their favor. They have most of their heavily leveraged arms, including Edwin Díaz and Ryne Stanek, who could combine for nine outs. Phil Maton likely won’t be available after throwing 29 pitches in Game 4, but the Mets should have plenty of pitching between Peterson, Reed Garrett, Stanek, Díaz and (if necessary) Senga.

Any notable injuries?
Dodgers: Freeman remains a game-time decision after suffering a severe right ankle sprain. However, after missing Game 4, Freeman said he expected to be back in the starting lineup for Game 5. Lux is also dealing with a hip injury and was forced out of Game 4 against a left-handed starter.

Mets: Although McNeil hasn’t seen much live pitching since breaking his right wrist on September 6, he has made 10 plate appearances in the Arizona Fall League and three more in the NLCS. Mendoza said McNeil’s contact approach lends itself well to a successful return despite a recent lack of reps. In any case, McNeil is fully healthy and capable of contributing if the Mets call him.

Of the seven players on the Mets’ injured list – Paul Blackburn, Christian Scott, Dedniel Núñez, Sean Reid-Foley, Drew Smith, Brooks Raley and Ronny Mauricio – none of them will return this year.

Who’s hot and who’s not?
Dodgers: Betts became just the third player in Dodgers history to have four hits and score four or more runs in a postseason game, joining Chris Taylor (2021 NLCS Game 5) and Steve Garvey (1974 NLCS Game 4). . Muncy was also a key to the Dodgers’ success, setting a single postseason record by safely reaching base in twelve consecutive plate appearances.

Mets: Vientos remains as hot as anyone in baseball with seven multi-hit appearances and three home runs in 11 playoff games. With a home run in the first inning on Thursday, Vientos tied a franchise record for most RBIs in a single postseason. At the other end of the spectrum is Alonso, who has cooled off since his home run spree earlier this month. In the NLCS, Alonso is 2-for-15 with six strikeouts and no extra-base hits.

Is there anything else fans would like to know?
• This is the fourth postseason meeting between the Mets and Dodgers, dating back to an NLCS win for Los Angeles in 1988 that is still considered one of the greatest postseason series. The Mets got revenge in the 2006 NLDS by defeating the Dodgers and again in 2015 with a highly entertaining NLDS win.

• While the Mets led Major League Baseball with a 67-40 record from May 30 through the end of the season, the Dodgers weren’t far behind at 62-42. Both finished in the top five in the MLB during that time.

• The Dodgers have outscored the Mets 30-9 in the first four games of this series. If they win Game 5, it would be just the third time in LCS history that a club outscored its opponent by at least 20 runs. The 1996 Braves topped the Cardinals in the NLCS by 26 runs and the 2017 Dodgers topped the Cubs by 20.