NEW YORK (AP) — It’s not easy to take down these New York Mets.

Pete Alonso hit an early three-run home run and the Mets struck out one ineffective Jack Flaherty, extends the National League Championship Series with a 12-6 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 on Friday.

“We understood that this was a matter of life and death and we had to give it everything we had, and we did,” said shortstop Francisco Lindor.

Starling Marte had three doubles, four hits and three RBIs for New York. Francisco Alvarez broke out of a slump with three hits — including an RBI single in a five-run third inning.

Jesse Winker hit an RBI triple and so did Lindor, who was in good spirits afterward The Temptations performed his upbeat walk-up song “My Girl” on the field before the game.

“We showed up today. We needed that,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Of course it was important that Pete set the tone in the first inning. We just kept adding.”

Eliminated in three of the first four games, Including the final two nights at home, the wild-card Mets turned the tables and saved their exciting season for the second time in these playoffs – both with the help of a three-run throw from Alonso. They cut their series deficit to 3-2 and sent the best-of-seven NLCS back to Los Angeles for Game 6 on Sunday.

“After yesterday’s game we just had a conversation together where we thought, ‘Hey, this is it,'” Alonso said. “This is us. This is the situation we find ourselves in and let’s continue to disclose everything.”

Sean Manaea will start for New York on Sunday on a five-day break, while the Dodgers will play another bullpen game due to a short rotation due to injuries.

“We’ve been through a lot of adversity,” Mets closer Edwin Díaz said. “We can beat them.”

The opportunity to send his hometown team to the World Series fell through for the ailing Flaherty. After throwing seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a Game 1 win, He was down 3-0 after four batters when Alonso launched a low slider 432 feet to center field for his fourth home run this postseason.

“He clearly wasn’t sharp. He was fighting something. He was a little under the weather,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Flaherty. “So I don’t know if that affected the speed. I’m not sure.”

Alonso, who could become a coveted free agent this fall, also struck A starting signal for the Mets, who are facing elimination in Game 3 of their Wild Card Series in Milwaukee. The game was more dramatic, with New York trailing 2-0 entering the final two outs of the ninth.

But once again Alonso went deep to help extend his tenure with a Mets team who drafted him in 2016. The ball was just more than a foot above the ground when it hit, the second-lowest Alonso has reached in his career.

“For the rest of us mortals, we’re flying out. But for him it’s just an absolute bomb. Totally normal, Pete,” said teammate Brandon Nimmo.

The big slugger also scored four runs and fought back from a 2-0 score to draw a leadoff walk in the third as the Mets battled around and opened an 8-1 cushion.

“He got us going,” Mendoza said. “I thought Pete did a really good job controlling the strike zone today.”

Aware that it could be Alonso’s last home game at Citi Field, the sellout crowd of 43,841 chanted his name as he entered the eighth game.

“It’s so special. It’s like storybook stuff,” Alonso said. “When you grow up as a kid, you dream about things like this.”

Flaherty allowed eight runs and eight hits in three innings. He failed to hit a batter for the first time since a game with St. Louis against Pittsburgh in September 2022.

After striking out 12 times on Thursday night, the Mets didn’t let up once. They were the first team to do so in the postseason since the Angels beat San Francisco in Game 2 of the 2002 World Series.

“We didn’t chase his second spots,” Mendoza said, referring to Flaherty. “We know he’s got that slider and the knuckle curve and he’s going to try to force us to chase and we didn’t do that today. And when he got into the zone with his fastball, we were ready. And that’s the key.”

New York starter David Peterson got out of serious trouble in the first – aided by a baserunning error by Shohei Ohtani – but failed to get through the fourth despite having a seven-run lead. Reed Garrett came in with the bases loaded and threw a called third strike past Freddie Freeman on a full-count sweeper to end the inning.

Dodgers rookie Andy Pages hit two home runs and drove in four runs. Mookie Betts went deep for the second straight game to help Los Angeles cut an eight-run deficit to 10-6.

“It was nice to see our guys fight back,” Roberts said. “Obviously we’re in a really good position offensively.”

But then Ryne Stanek and Díaz cleaned things up as the Mets put that point away. Stanek earned the victory by pitching a career-best 2 1/3 innings, and Díaz struck out six without allowing a run.

“I’m just so happy because this group is so special,” Alonso said. “And I’m glad we can keep fighting for another day and play baseball together again.”

However, to rally and clinch the NL pennant, the Mets need two more wins in LA.

“It’s definitely possible,” Nimmo said. “We played with our backs against the wall all year and were able to rise to the challenge and some might even say we are at our best at this time. So if someone can do it, we can do it.”

TRAINER ROOM

Dodgers: Freeman went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts in the cleanup spot and then returned to the lineup I’m sitting out Thursday with a severe right ankle sprain that caused him to miss two games this postseason. Roberts hinted that the All-Star first baseman might not start in Game 6 against Manaea, a nasty left-hander.

“I’ll have a conversation with him tomorrow,” Roberts said. “But I think his swing is not right. I’m sure it’s the ankle. We’ll have that conversation, but not having him for Game 6 is certainly an option.”

Mets: Jeff McNeil had two sacrifice flies in his first playoff start, replacing a struggling Jose Iglesias at second base. McNeil was added to the roster for the NLCS – that was him has been out since September 6th due to a broken right wrist – and remained scoreless in three crucial appearances before Friday.

NEXT

Manaea (12-6, 3.47 ERA) is 2-0 with a 2.65 ERA in three playoff starts, including a Winning Game 2 at Dodger Stadium.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb