Suddenly, the Mets’ bats explode, putting pressure on the Dodgers as the NLCS returns to LA

Killing Grimace wasn’t going to happen in this house that day.

The Mets have been a textbook example of resilience this year, whether they bounced back from 11 games under .500 in June or got a ninth-inning home run from Pete Alonso in Milwaukee to advance in the NL Wild Card Series and finish this season with A whimper on Friday — without even a home win in the NLCS — wouldn’t have fit the script.

Cold bats thawed and tired relievers racked up enough outs to boost the Mets’ charter for a trip back to Southern California after a 12-6 victory over the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS before a crowd of 43,841 at Citi Field.

The Mets, trailing 3-2 in the series, will have Sean Manaea sidelined for five days to begin Game 6 on Sunday in Los Angeles. The Dodgers have not announced their pitching plans.

Alonso was among the Mets’ offensive heroes that day with an early three-run home run, but the entire lineup got involved against Jack Flaherty and the Dodgers bullpen. Starling Marte went 4-for-5 with three RBIs as part of the team’s 14-hit attack.

The Mets had scored just nine total runs in the first four games of the series, but surpassed that number with Friday’s blowout.

Edwin Diaz recorded the final six outs scoreless after the Mets received strong relief from Ryne Stanek, who allowed just one run over 2¹/₃ innings.

Alonso’s three-run home run in the first inning got the engine rolling. The blast was Alonso’s fourth of the postseason and first in the NLCS. Francisco Lindor singled off Flaherty and Brandon Nimmo walked before Alonso jumped on a slider and crossed the fence in right-center.

Enrique Hernandez raced home on David Peterson’s wild pitch in the second inning to pull the Dodgers to 3-1.

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Peterson had escaped trouble in the previous inning by getting three straight outs with no run scoring after Marte lost Mookie Betts’ line drive into a double, giving the Dodgers runners at second and third with no that there was an out.

The Mets took control in the third when they sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs. Marte hit a two-run double after Alonso and Jesse Winker walked one after the other to start the inning.

Francisco Alvarez hit a two-out RBI single that extended the Mets’ lead to 6-1. Before the inning was over, Lindor hit a run-in triple and Nimmo hit another single, burying the Dodgers in an 8-1 hole.

Andy Pages hit a home run with two outs in the fourth and Peterson loaded the bases before Reed Garrett came in and threw a sweeper for what was called third strike against Freddie Freeman to end the inning.

Peterson lasted 3 ²/₃ innings in his first start this postseason — after four relief appearances — allowing two earned runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts.

The Mets got back to work at the end of the fourth quarter: Winker hit an RBI triple and Jeff McNeil hit a sacrifice fly for the team’s 10th run of the game. Alonso started the inning by getting plunked.

Pages’ second home run of the game, a two-run shot off Garrett in the fifth, brought the Dodgers to within 10-5. It was the last batter Garrett faced when manager Carlos Mendoza signaled Stanek to the bullpen.

Betts hit a home run off Stanek in the sixth to bring the Dodgers to 10-6. The blast was Betts’ second in as many games. But Stanek was unmoved for the rest of his trip.

McNeil’s second sacrifice fly of the game brought Winker into the game and extended the Mets’ lead to 11-6 in the seventh. Winker was plunked in the inning and doubled to third base by Marte.

Marte’s RBI single in the eighth gave the Mets their 12th run.