NLDS Game 3: Mets @ Dodgers 5:9
Former Dodger Shawn Green glided toward the right-field foul line to make the final catch, just as he envisioned.
Green and the Mets hitters started fast, Billy Wagner closed it out quickly and the New York Mets completed their first postseason sweep since 1969, beating the Dodgers 9-5 in Game 3 Saturday night.
After rolling in the first round, the Mets will open the NLCS at Shea Stadium on Wednesday against the San Diego-St. Louis winner. The Cardinals lead 2-1 in that best-of-five series.
"We played all kind of ball," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We played long ball, small ball. Whatever it takes to get it done."
Green had three hits and two RBIs in a game decided by the bullpens after starters Steve Trachsel and Greg Maddux made early exits.
Wagner got the final out in all three games, retiring pinch-hitter Ramon Martinez on a fly ball
to Green to finish the series.
"The irony of this is crazy, to be celebrating in the visiting clubhouse," said Green, who played for the Dodgers from 2000-04 and was acquired by the Mets from Arizona on Aug. 22.
"It's a little weird, after doing this in '04 on the other side of the field," he said. "I was actually out there hoping that the last ball came to me, and it did. It feels incredible."
Another former Dodger and current Mets catcher Pual Lo Duca was moved to tears when he was traded by the Dodgers to Florida in July 2004. Sent to the Mets last offseason, he has no regrets now.
"There's a lot of guys in here who want to prove something," he said. "It's a good feeling to get it done," he said.
It was a familiar ending for the Dodgers, who are 1-12 in postseason games since 1988, when they beat the Mets in the NLCS and the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.
Jeff Kent had four hits, including a two-run homer, for Los Angeles.
"We just got outplayed -- pitching, hitting, defense -- but there's no sense in being specific," Kent said. "It doesn't really matter. We got beat by a team that was playing better baseball than us.
And a team that had a manager making much better calls.
"We got, what, 16 hits and scored five runs? That's one you shake your head at and wonder why. They got two less hits than we did and scored almost twice as many runs."
"When El Duque and Pedro went down, we bounced back," Lo Duca said. "I didn't get to pop the champagne here in 2004. I did in 2006. It's a happy day."
And Paul, as much as I love the Dodgers, I was glad to see you get to celebrate. If the Dodgers couldn't at least a well deserving person could.
Sad but true:
Rafael Furcal and Kenny Lofton, who bat 1-2 in the Dodgers' lineup, went a combined 3-of-24 in the series. They hit .300 and stole 59 bases between them during the regular season. Talk about sucking under pressure.
Green and the Mets hitters started fast, Billy Wagner closed it out quickly and the New York Mets completed their first postseason sweep since 1969, beating the Dodgers 9-5 in Game 3 Saturday night.
After rolling in the first round, the Mets will open the NLCS at Shea Stadium on Wednesday against the San Diego-St. Louis winner. The Cardinals lead 2-1 in that best-of-five series.
"We played all kind of ball," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "We played long ball, small ball. Whatever it takes to get it done."
Green had three hits and two RBIs in a game decided by the bullpens after starters Steve Trachsel and Greg Maddux made early exits.
Wagner got the final out in all three games, retiring pinch-hitter Ramon Martinez on a fly ball
to Green to finish the series.
"The irony of this is crazy, to be celebrating in the visiting clubhouse," said Green, who played for the Dodgers from 2000-04 and was acquired by the Mets from Arizona on Aug. 22.
"It's a little weird, after doing this in '04 on the other side of the field," he said. "I was actually out there hoping that the last ball came to me, and it did. It feels incredible."
Another former Dodger and current Mets catcher Pual Lo Duca was moved to tears when he was traded by the Dodgers to Florida in July 2004. Sent to the Mets last offseason, he has no regrets now.
"There's a lot of guys in here who want to prove something," he said. "It's a good feeling to get it done," he said.
It was a familiar ending for the Dodgers, who are 1-12 in postseason games since 1988, when they beat the Mets in the NLCS and the Oakland Athletics in the World Series.
Jeff Kent had four hits, including a two-run homer, for Los Angeles.
"We just got outplayed -- pitching, hitting, defense -- but there's no sense in being specific," Kent said. "It doesn't really matter. We got beat by a team that was playing better baseball than us.
And a team that had a manager making much better calls.
"We got, what, 16 hits and scored five runs? That's one you shake your head at and wonder why. They got two less hits than we did and scored almost twice as many runs."
"When El Duque and Pedro went down, we bounced back," Lo Duca said. "I didn't get to pop the champagne here in 2004. I did in 2006. It's a happy day."
And Paul, as much as I love the Dodgers, I was glad to see you get to celebrate. If the Dodgers couldn't at least a well deserving person could.
Sad but true:
Rafael Furcal and Kenny Lofton, who bat 1-2 in the Dodgers' lineup, went a combined 3-of-24 in the series. They hit .300 and stole 59 bases between them during the regular season. Talk about sucking under pressure.
posted by Blue Man | 11:32 AM
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