NEW YORK — The Dodgers are putting the O’s in OMG.
For the second time in the first three games of this National League Championship Series and the fourth time in their past five games this postseason the Dodgers used a group effort to spin a shutout and beat the New York Mets, 8-0, in Game 3 on Wednesday night at Citi Field.
The Mets – who have used infielder Jose Iglesias’ Latin pop hit “OMG” as their theme song as they salvaged their season – managed just four hits. Max Muncy alone was on base more than that – not for long the last time. After three walks and a single, Muncy joined Kiké Hernandez and Shohei Ohtani in hitting home runs.
The win puts the Dodgers up two games to one in the best-of-seven NLCS. Game 4 is Thursday at 5 p.m. PT (FS1).
Walker Buehler started for the Dodgers and gave them four stress-filled scoreless innings. The Mets had runners on base in each of the first three, loading the bases in the second – and got nothing to show for it.
Buehler struck out Pete Alonso with a runner on in the first inning. After two walks and a misplayed grounder by shortstop Tommy Edman loaded the bases with one out in the second, Buehler got a called third strike on Francisco Alvarez then dropped a full-count hammer of a curveball on Francisco Lindor to escape damage.
It was more of the same in the third after the Mets put two on with two outs. Buehler struck out Mets DH J.D. Martinez with a sweeper breaking off the plate.
Buehler struck out six in the first four innings and got a season-high 18 swings-and-misses – six each on his curveball and sweeper.
It was vintage Buehler in those moments. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was still guarding against the more recent vintage. With the high-leverage core of the Dodgers’ bullpen well-rested, Roberts had no plans to let Buehler face the Mets’ lineup a third time.
If Buehler’s four innings were difficult, Luis Severino’s were no less torturous. The two Game 3 starters combined for 8⅔ innings – and most of FOX’s broadcast hours for the week. Buehler and Severino threw 185 pitches to get less than halfway through the game. At least Buehler was able to avoid damage. Severino could not.
Muncy drew the first of his three walks in the game leading off the second inning. Teoscar Hernandez chopped a ball in front of the plate that catcher Alvarez fielded and thought he could get the lead runner. His throw was wide of second base and the Dodgers had two on with no outs.
After Gavin Lux grounded out to the pitcher, Will Smith hit another one back to the mound. Severino – a finalist for a Gold Glove this season – couldn’t field this one and a run scored. Tommy Edman hit the only well-struck ball of the inning – a fly ball that center fielder Tyrone Taylor tracked down on the warning track, making an outstanding catch. A second run scored on the sacrifice fly, the only ball that left the infield all inning.
Balls started leaving the infield with more frequency against the Mets’ bullpen. Kiké Hernandez doubled the Dodgers’ lead with a two-run home run in the sixth inning. Shohei Ohtani didn’t bat with runners on base until the eighth inning – and launched a three-run home run into the right field upper deck.
Ohtani is now an amazing 7 for 9 with two home runs with runners on base in his first eight postseason games – and a mystifying 0 for 22 with 13 strikeouts when no one is on base.
With the score still tight, Roberts ran with Michael Kopech in the fifth inning, Ryan Brasier in the sixth and Blake Treinen in the seventh. With the game tilted to 7-0 in the Dodgers favor by Ohtani’s blast, he closed with Ben Casparius over the final two scoreless innings.
More to come on this story.