NEW YORK – The New York Mets are not dead yet.

They took advantage of an early offensive explosion against Los Angeles Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty and held on late with a 12-6 victory in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Game 6 is Sunday night at Dodger Stadium.

After consecutive home losses, the Mets got off to a fast start thanks to Pete Alonso’s three-run homer in the first inning. That broke the ice against Flaherty, who had shut them out in Game 1 with two hits in seven innings. New York rallied with a five-run third inning, building leads of 8-1 and 10-2 in the middle innings.

The Dodgers didn’t let up, however, as two home runs from Andy Pages finally brought LA ​​within touching distance. That meant the Mets had to rely on their only rested, high-leverage arms in the bullpen, Ryne Stanek and Edwin Díaz, for several innings each. Stanek pitched a career-high 2 1/3 innings and Díaz got the final six outs to send the series back to LA

The Mets have their best starter, Sean Manaea, ready to pitch for Game 6 on an extra day of rest. The Dodgers will host a bullpen game.

The Mets are here to fight for it

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza sensed it as he walked into Friday’s hitters meeting. He observed the kind of personality that shaped his club. There was a mix of strong preparation and smiles in the room. They would be willing to play to keep their season alive, Mendoza thought. No worries.

The Mets played hard from the jump. In the first inning, David Peterson rose above the odds and put two runners out, effectively challenging batters like Tommy Edman with his fastball. From there, the Mets’ offense produced three quick runs thanks to Alonso’s three-run home run. Over the next few innings, the Mets struck down Flaherty and did so with authority. They swung and missed only twice. They scored five extra-base hits. They even celebrated walks with pumped fists (Alonso) and batflips (Jesse Winker). It was clear early on how badly the Mets wanted it.

Despite being shut out twice in this series, the Mets are still capable of producing explosive offensive plays due to their strong lineup. Starling Marte, batting sixth, went 4-for-4 with three doubles and continues to look sharp at the plate. And perhaps the most promising sign for the Mets may have been the recent performance of Francisco Alvarez. After Mendoza decided to accompany him during his crisis, Alvarez, batting at number nine, responded. He hit three balls hard, including a double.

Jack Flaherty’s speed and command were flawed, allowing the Mets to score eight early runs. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Jack Flaherty didn’t have it

Flaherty’s fastball averaged 91.4 mph, nearly 2 mph below his season average. He lacked any command, making four runs and continually falling behind in counts while missing on the arm side. His off-speed offerings weren’t enough to save him; The Mets followed the Dodgers’ Game 4 plan and simply waited for Flaherty before doing any damage when the right-hander finally came back across the plate.

SMASHING PUMPKINS 🎃

PETE ALONSO THREE BARREL TANK pic.twitter.com/7emNSPhEub

– MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2024

Alonso threw a three-run shot in the first. After Flaherty narrowly escaped injury in the second game, a crucial point circulated in the Dodgers dugout in the third game. Consecutive leadoff walks spurred Anthony Banda to warm up in the visitors’ bullpen. But when Marte hit an 88-mph sinker just inside the third base line for a two-run double, extending New York’s lead to four runs, Banda prevailed. The fight continued. Alvarez drove home a run with a single. Francisco Lindor tripled home a run. Brandon Nimmo brought Flaherty’s tally to eight runs, and the Dodgers — facing a bullpen game in Game 6 — didn’t chase the deficit with their upper relief arms.

Flaherty’s eight earned runs tied a postseason record set by 15 other pitchers in history. Before Flaherty, the youngest pitcher to give up eight earned runs in a playoff game was the Braves’ Grant Dayton, whom the Dodgers beat in Game 3 of the 2020 NLCS.

The Mets’ tightrope walk underscores the lack of trustworthy bullpen options

Peterson gave the Mets essentially what they expected: 3 2/3 innings, 79 pitches. From there, Mendoza made it happen with the urgency it needed. Reed Garrett stepped in and ended the fourth inning by striking out Freddie Freeman. He lasted only two more outs, needed a total of 31 pitches and gave up three runs. The Mets planned to stretch high-leverage reliever Stanek. But the veteran gave them more than they could realistically have hoped for.

Stanek provided the Mets with 2 1/3 innings of competent relief pitching, allowing just one hit (Mookie Betts’ solo home run) with four strikeouts.

Stanek’s heavy lifting bridged the gap to the approaching Díaz.

Everything worked out for the Mets. And everything went according to plan. But the situation highlighted the problem with the Mets’ bullpen. Even an eight-run lead after four innings caused some sweating. In addition to Garrett, Stanek and Diaz, the Mets can also use Phil Maton in key spots, but the veteran right-hander has looked shaky in the postseason. It’s a small circle of trust.

(Photo of Pete Alonso and Tyrone Taylor as Jesse Winker scores: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)