MLB 2024 NLCS Game 5 Notes

Game Five
Since the LCS moved to its current seven-game format in 1985,the winner of the fifth game of the NLCS has advanced to the Fall Classic 22 times (64.7%). The Dodgers hold a 3-1 series lead and per Elias, in best-of-seven NLCS (since 1985), teams that go up 3-1, go on to win the series 81.0% of the time (17-4). In the LCS (AL or NL), a team up 3-1 in a seven-game series wins the series 82.2% of the time (37-8). In the 93 previous best-of-seven series that have sat at 3-1 after four games, the team leading 3-1 has won the series 79 times (84.9%).

• In 39 previous NLCS matchups (best-of-7 or best-of-5), the team winning Game 5 has gone on to win the series 27 times (69.2%). The Dodgers are 18-18 all-time in Game 5 of a Postseason Series, including 14-15 in Game 5 of a best-of-seven series overall, and 7-4 in Game 5 of the NLCS.
• The Dodgers are 1-0 in Game 5 of a Postseason series this year, fending off elimination in the NLDS against San Diego to claim a 2-0 win.
• Los Angeles has won the fifth game in each of the last four NLCS that they have been in (2021, 2020, 2018 and 2017). The Mets are 7-5 all-time in Game 5 of a Postseason Series, including 5-5 in Game 5 of a best-of-seven series overall, and 4-2 in Game 4 of the NLCS.
• New York is playing its first Game 5 of this Postseason and is looking to fend off elimination for a second time after beating the Brewers, 4-2, in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series.
• Dating back to Game 5 of the 2000 World Series, the Mets have lost three of the last four Game 5s that they have played. The lone win came in 2015 of the NLDS over Los Angeles en route to the Mets making the World Series.

Clutch Factors
Mookie Betts went 4-for-6 last night with four RBI, driving home a pair of runs with a two-run RBI double in the fourth inning and a two-run homer in the sixth inning. During the NLCS, he is batting .333 (6-for-18) with a homer, seven RBI, two doubles, three walks, a .429 on-base percentage, a .611 slugging percentage and a 1.040 OPS. Shohei Ohtani led the game off with a home run, marking the seventh leadoff home run in Dodgers’ Postseason history. The Dodgers’ seven leadoff homers are tied for the most in Postseason history with Philadelphia and New York (AL). Duing the NLCS, he is batting .286 (4-for-14) with two homers, five RBI, seven walks, seven runs scored, a .525 on-base percentage, a .714 slugging percentage and a 1.238 OPS. From his fifth-inning homer in Game 2 through his strikeout in the eighth inning, Max Muncy reached base in 12 consecutive plate appearances. During the stretch, he reached base via homer; walk; walk; walk; single; walk; walk; homer; walk; walk; walk; single (2 HR, 2 1B, 8 BB). In reaching safely in 11 consecutive plate appearances he set a single-Postseason record, surpassing Hall of Famer David Ortiz (2007) and Billy Hatcher (1990), who each reached safely in 10 consecutive appearances. With his single in the seventh inning, he tied the all-time record, held by Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who also reached in 12 consecutive plate appearances spanning the 1977-78 Postseasons

Jack Flaherty
Age: 28 (10/15/1995)
Birthplace: Burbank, CA
School: Harvard-Westlake High School (CA)
Drafted: 1st
Round (34th) in 2014 by STL
2024 Regular Season: 13-7, 3.17 ERA
2024 Postseason: 1-1, 2.92 ERA

Postseason Performance
Flaherty has made two starts this Postseason going 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA (4 ER/12.1 IP). His first start of the Postseason was Game 2 of the NLDS, allowing a pair of home runs and five hits with one walk and two strikeouts. The contest marked his fifth career Postseason start. He toed the rubber in Game 1 of the NLCS allowing just two hits across 7.0 shutout innings with two walks and six strikeouts. He helped the Dodgers push their scoreless streak to a Postseason-record 31.0 IP.

• 10/6 vs. SD: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO (90 pitches, 57 strikes)
• 10/13 vs. NYM: 7.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO (98 pitches, 59 strikes)
  
• Against the Mets
  Will face New York for the third time in his career nd second time this series…Is 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA (4 ER/12.1 IP)…Took a no-decision on June 13, 2019 as a member of the Cardinals in his only regular season start against New York, allowing six hits with two walks and eight strikeouts as St. Louis came back to win.
  
• On The Road Again
  Went 8-3 with a 2.94 ERA (29 ER/88.2 IP) at his home ballparks this season…Was 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA (11 ER/25.2 IP) in five starts away from Dodger Stadium after being dealt from the Tigers at the Trade Deadline…In his Postseason career, he holds an 1-3 record with a 3.52 ERA (9 ER/23.0 IP) on the road.
  
• Regular Season
  Went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA (57 ER/162.0 IP) across 28 starts with the Tigers (18 GS) and Dodgers (10 GS). Posted six scoreless starts on April 30th; May 30th; June 4th; August 3rd and September 8th. Took the win in four consecutive starts from May 30th through June 21st, going 4-0 with a 0.40 ERA (1 ER/22.1 IP), 27 strikeouts, a 0.67 WHIP and a .143 opponents’ average. The streak was tied for the second-longest of his career after he also won four straight starts in 2023.
  
• The Arsenal
  Flaherty relies on five pitches (2024 stats):
• 4-Seam Fastball – 44.3%, .245 opp. AVG
• Slider – 29.0%, .222 opp. AVG
• Knuckle Curve – 21.8%, .164 opp. AVG
• Changeup – 2.7%, .111 opp. AVG
• Sinker – 2.1%, .600 opp. AVG
  
• Golden Boy
  Flaherty, who is a native of Burbank, is one of six California-born pitcher to start a NLCS game for the Dodgers, joining Joe Kelly (10/21/2021); Tony Gonsolin (10/13/2020); Ricky Nolasco (10/15/2013); Randy Wolf (10/19/2009); and Tim Leary (10/11/1988). He joins Hall of Famer Don Drysdale as the only California-born starters to win a Postseason game for the Dodgers since they moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

David Peterson
Age: 29 (9/3/1995)
Birthplace: Denver, CO
School: University of Oregon
Drafted: 1st
Round (20th) in 2017 by NYM
2024 Regular Season: 10-3, 2.90 ERA
2024 Postseason: 1-0, 2.08 ERA

Postseason Performance
Peterson has made four appearances this Postseason and is making his first start. He tallied the save in Game 3 of the Wild Card series against Milwaukee and then worked in relief in Game 1 and 4 of the NLDS against Philadelphia, picking up the win in the NLDS-clinching game. Appeared in Game 1 of the NLCS allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts across 2.1 innings of work.

• 10/3 at MIL: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO (8 pitches, 7 strikes)
• 10/5 at PHI: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 1 SO (50 pitches, 29 strikes)
• 10/9 vs. PHI: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO (23 pitches, 14 strikes)
• 10/13 at LAD: 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 SO (40 pitches, 25 strikes)
  
• Against the Dodgers
  Will face Los Angeles for the third time this season and sixth time in his career. He has made three career starts against the Dodgers on June 4, 2022, April 17, 2023 and earlier this year on May 29th. In addition to his relief appearance in Game 1 of the NLCS, he also appeared in relief on July 14, 2023 in a 6-0 Dodgers’ win. As a starter against the Dodgers he is 1-0 with a 5.52 ERA (9 ER/14.2 IP). Earlier this year he allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits with one walk and three strikeouts across 5.0 innings of work.
  
• Home Sweet Home
  Peterson is pitching at Citi Field for the 11th time this season after making nine regular season starts at home. Overall, he is 5-2 with a 3.20 ERA (18 ER/50.2 IP) in Queens this season. He struck out career-high 11 batters across 6.0 innings on September 3rd against Boston, marking his last regular season win at Citi Field.
  
• Regular Season
  Made 21 starts this year as New York went 15-6 when he toed the rubber. He won three consecutive starts from June 4th-17th . In the Mets’ Postseason push he went 5-2 with a 2.35 ERA (16 ER/61.1 IP) across his final 10 starts of the year as the club went 7-3. He threw at least 7.0 innings five times with all of those games coming from August 19th through the end of the year. In his final start of the season he held Milwaukee to just one hit across 7.0 scoreless innings as he walked three and struck out eight batters.
  
• Show Me What You Got
  Peterson relies on five pitches (2024 stats):
• Sinker – 31.0%, .253 opp. AVG
• 4-Seamer – 26.5%, .220 opp. AVG
• Slider – 18.4%, .287 opp. AVG
• Changeup – 16.4%, .211 opp. AVG
• Curveball – 7.6%, .207 opp. AVG

On the Cusp
The Dodgers are into the NLCS for the 16th time in franchise history, marking their first appearance since losing to the eventual World Champion Atlanta Braves in 2021. Of the Dodgers’ previous 10 appearances since the LCS became a seven-game series (1985), all 10 series have gone at least five games, seven have gone at least six games and three have gone the full seven games (1988, 2018 and 2020). The Dodgers are seeking their 22nd World Series berth and first since 2020 when the defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in six games.

• Previous NLCS appearances by the Dodgers include: 1974 (W, 3-1 vs. PIT); 1977 (W, 3-1 vs. PHI); 1978 (W, 3-1 vs. PHI); 1981 (W, 3-2 vs. MON); 1983 (L, 3-1 vs. PHI); 1985 (L, 3-2 vs. STL); 1988 (W, 4-3 vs. NYM); 2008 (L, 4-1 vs. PHI); 2009 (L, 4-1 vs. PHI); 2013 (L, 4-2 vs. STL); 2016 (L, 4-2 vs. CHI); 2017 (W, 4-1 vs. CHI); 2018 (W, 4-3 vs. MIL); 2020 (W, 4-3 vs. ATL); and 2021 (L, 4-2 vs. ATL)
• Los Angeles made the 2024 Postseason after winning in the NL West with a 98-64 record, marking the most wins in Baseball this season. The Dodgers have made 12 consecutive Postseasons since 2013.
• After a first-round bye, the Dodgers beat the San Diego Padres three games to two (3-2) in an epic NLDS showdown, sealing the series win on Friday night in Los Angeles.

O-M-G!
The Mets are into the NLCS for the ninth time in franchise history and are returning for the first time since advancing to the 2015 World Series, after sweeping the Chicago Cubs before falling to the Royals in the 2015 Fall Classic.

• Previous NLCS appearances by the Mets include: 1969 (W, 3-0 vs. ATL); 1973 (W, 3-2 vs. CIN); 1986 (W, 4-2 vs. HOU); 1988 (L, 4-3); 1999 (L, 4-2 vs. ATL); 2000 (W, 4-1 vs. STL); 2006 (L, 4-3 vs. STL); and 2015 (W, 4-0 vs. CHI).
• To make the NLCS this season, New York finished 89-73 entering the Postseason as a Wild Card. On the final day of the season, the Mets split a doubleheader in Atlanta with the Braves as both teams made the Postseason, leaving the Diamondbacks out of the picture.
• After earning their spot in the Postseason, New York traveled to Milwaukee and beat the Brewers two games to one (2-1) to advance to the NLDS. In their first ever Postseason matchup against the Phillies, the Mets punched their ticket to the NLCS with a three games to one (3-1) series win in front of the home crowd at Citi Field last Wednesday night.