The Myth of Momentum
The Mets have once again demonstrated their ability to react.
The Dodgers' record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings ended on Monday after eight pitches: Francisco Lindor hit a bomb off Ryan Brasier to start Game 2 of the NLCS, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.
The Mets snapped a streak of 11 consecutive scoreless innings this postseason. The last time they had scored was on Francisco Lindor's key grand slam off Carlos Estévez in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS. The Mets opened ahead on the scoreboard and, as happened with the Dodgers in Game 1, did not lose the lead for the rest of the game.
We will talk later here about some of the key at-bats of the game, the famous "myth" of momentum, and the good start by left-hander Sean Manaea, dominating the powerful Dodgers lineup. But first I wanted to detail the impressive record of 33 consecutive scoreless innings by Orioles and Dodgers pitchers.
Dodgers changed history
Let's start with the Orioles, who began their streak against the Dodgers in Game 1 of the 1966 World Series. Moe Drabowsky pitched the first six innings of the streak in relief (fourth through ninth innings) in a 5-2 Orioles victory. Drabowsky left the Dodgers 1-for-19, struck out nine opponents—six of them in a row between the fourth and fifth innings—and walked one.
In Game 2, Jim Palmer started all three of the Orioles' shutouts in a row. Palmer, in his age-20 season, out-hit the legendary Sandy Koufax in a 6-0 victory. The Dodgers committed six errors, half of them by center fielder Willie Davis. Two of Davis' errors cost Koufax three runs in the fifth inning, though Luis Aparicio took advantage of the moment to hit an RBI double with two outs.
Wally Bunker pitched a gem and led the Orioles to a 1-0 victory in Game 3. The Dodgers went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Curiously, the Orioles did not have any runners in scoring position against starter Claude Osteen (who pitched seven innings) and reliever Phil Regan. A solo homer by Paul Blair in the bottom of the fifth inning with two outs was the key hit in the Orioles' victory.
Game 4 was another memorable story: The Orioles won again, 1-0! Dave McNally won the aces duel against Don Drysdale. McNally was 23 years old. Four years later, he led the American League with 24 wins and was second in the Cy Young Award voting. Drysdale was pitching what would be his final postseason game. He was 29 years old. He was no longer the Drysdale of the early 1960s, when he finished fifth in MVP voting. In 1962, Drysdale won the NL Cy Young Award and led the league in starts (41), wins (25), innings pitched (314 ⅓) and strikeouts (232).
So it was another pitching duel to remember. The pace was astonishing: McNally and Drysdale combined for 180 pitches in an hour and 45 minutes of play. Frank Robinson's solo homer on Drysdale's first pitch decided the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Let's quickly put the Orioles' and Dodgers' streaks into perspective:
Orioles, 1966: 33 IP, 15 H, 26 K, 7 BB, 117 batters faced, 22 runners reached base.
Dodgers, 2024: 33 IP, 13 H, 27 K, 6 BB, 115 batters faced, 19 runners reached base.
Different era, different game. The Orioles used just four pitchers, one reliever and three starters. Drabowsky was the only reliever, going all six scoreless innings in Game 1 of the 1966 World Series.
Still, the Dodgers' pitchers had a slight edge to their advantage: They allowed two fewer hits, struck out one more with one fewer walk. They kept three fewer runners off base. The strikeout comparison is curious, as nine of the Orioles' strikeouts were recorded by Drabowsky in his Game 1 relief. In contrast, 11 of the 12 pitchers used by the Dodgers during the streak struck out at least one batter. Seven recorded at least two strikeouts:
Strikeouts
Jack Flaherty, 6
Michael Kopech, 4
Evan Phillips, 3
Alex Vesia, 3
Anthony Banda, 3
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 2
Daniel Hudson, 2
Blake Treinen, 1
Ryan Brasier, 1
Ben Casparius, 1
Landon Knack, 1
Walker Buehler, 0
So now I briefly wonder if the Dodgers had an ERA advantage over the Orioles by using 12 different pitchers during the streak. Supposedly, using more pitchers could be an advantage because hitters don’t adapt to one reliever. But, as you know, that’s not how bullpens were run in the 1966 Orioles era.
The game was different, teams had a different philosophy. Using one reliever for every inning—or even two or three—has become a common move these days.
Longest postseason scoreless streaks before the Dodgers:
1966 Orioles in WS (33 innings, 4 pitchers)
1974 A’s in ALCS (30 innings, 4 pitchers)
1905 Giants in WS (28 innings, 3 pitchers)
Now that the years have passed, each streak is still surprising. The Orioles, with just four pitchers, put up 33 consecutive scoreless innings against the 1966 Dodgers. And now, 68 years later, the Dodgers have repeated the feat using 12 pitchers. Two examples of collective greatness in different times. The philosophy may have changed in many ways, but baseball is still our favorite game.
Mets Strike Back
Okay, let's talk about that explosive Mets offense and the key at-bats that defined Game 2 of the NLCS. As you already know, Francisco Lindor started the game with a solo home run off Ryan Brasier in the top of the first inning. On a 2-1 count, Lindor fouled off four straight. Brasier threw slider, fastball, slider, fastball. He was trying to attack the low zone with the slider. He threw two fastballs, one high and one tight. All six pitches were on the edge of the strike zone.
Of course, Brasier wanted the big prize: a swing-and-miss from Lindor, though the most important thing was that he didn't comfortably hit any pitches. But then he threw his first cutter of the game, 90 mph and intended to slice through the middle of the strike zone.
Lindor crushed it.
Brasier was relieved by Landon Knack, in a second inning that was key for the Mets. Starling Marte started the attack with a single on the first pitch. Jesse Winker walked after seeing seven pitches from Knack—the first six to the outside corner.
After a pop out by José Iglesias, Tyrone Taylor hit an RBI double down the left field line. Taylor had fallen into an 0-2 count, but Knack threw a curveball in the middle of the strike zone. The Mets kept attacking. Francisco Álvarez hit a fly ball for the second out, trying to crush a slider on the first pitch. When Knack seemed to get out of trouble, he had to intentionally walk Lindor to load the bases.
With Mark Vientos coming up to the plate, the Mets had a great opportunity to extend the lead. After letting a slider go out of the zone (to the low corner), Vientos fell into a 1-2 count, and continued to struggle on two strikes. He fouled off five times, making it 3-2. Knack had thrown four consecutive sliders, the best offerings he could deliver. And then he tried to surprise Vientos with a 95 mph fastball.
You can imagine what happened.
Sometimes some scenarios seem inevitable in baseball. Look, Vientos is an impressive talent. At 24, he has the ability to adjust quickly at the plate. He has power, discipline and a survivability that may be even more threatening down the road. It takes quality pitches to get him out. Knack was pushing too hard with a slider that agonized on every attempt to cross the strike zone. Vientos didn't rush his hands. He was letting every pitch come to get a good swing, good contact.* And his pitch came: He hit a grand slam that detonated at 102 mph in the right field seats.
*According to StatCast, Vientos' swing was 73.1 mph. He didn't hit above the league average of 75 mph, but the grand slam qualified as a true explosion, as he managed to frame a below-average swing and produce a terrifying exit velocity (102 mph). Now 20 of Vientos' 30 homers this year (including these playoffs) have come against fastballs. He loves to crush high-velocity pitches, and he's capable of hitting homers to the opposite side of the field. At 24 years old, that puts him as a top predator at the plate.