Four storylines for NLCS Game 4

The Mets will try to tie the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers on Thursday after being shut out in Game 3 for the second time in three games. They could look to the 1960 World Series for inspiration. The Pirates defeated the Yankees in seven games, the series famously ending at one Bill Mazeroski Walk-off home run. What is less known about this series is that the Yankees won their three games 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0. The Pirates won their game 6-4, 3-2, 5-2 and 10-9 in Game 7 at the Mazeroski Blast.

So win a close game on Thursday and I’m sure Mets fans will stay calm if Game 5 ends up being a bust for the Dodgers. Right? Anyway, here are four storylines for Game 4.

Boom or bust?

Which Mets offense shows up? The one that erupted for seven runs on 11 hits in Game 2, or the bats that produced seven harmless singles while being shut out in Games 1 and 3? Carlos Mendoza has some struggling starters but said he plans to stick with them. Does he really have a choice? Francisco Alvarez is 5 of 35 in the playoffs, but Luis Torrens hasn’t swung the bat in a game since Sept. 30 and went 6 for 49 in August and September. Jeff McNeil‘S The last hit came on September 3rd. Luisangel Acuña’It was September 24th and he has 42 MLB at-bats in his career. Jesse Winker vs. JD Martinez is controversial.

Can Quintana continue to calm bats?

May be 35 years old Jose Quintana stay hot? The left-hander had a 4.27 ERA in early September when he flipped a switch. He pitched 25 innings over four starts while pitching to a 0.72 ERA, keeping him going in the playoffs. He threw 11 innings in two postseason games without allowing an earned run. He was the starter when Pete Alonso hit the biggest home run of his career and when Francisco Lindor hit the grand slam that sent the Phillies home. Maybe Quintana has the magic touch.

Can anyone stop this man?

Shohei Ohtani has 17 hits in his last 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position. This is of course crazy. I’m grateful that the Dodgers continue to hit him in the lead and make sure he hits at least once a game without anyone on base. According to StatsPerformThis is the most hits by a player over 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position in the last 50 years.

Look who we have here

Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto spurned the Mets in the offseason for Los Angeles and reportedly turned down the same money to play in Southern California. Now he returns to face a hostile crowd at Citi Field. However, one wonders how hostile a crowd can be when it’s full of people in Grimace costumes. Still, the Mets are 13-3 at Citi Field in September and October and haven’t lost on consecutive nights at home since July 28. The home crowd will give him everything he can.