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    • Dodgers gave another pitching clinic vs. Mets in NLCS
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    Dodgers gave another pitching clinic vs. Mets in NLCS

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    NEW YORK – Hey, shouldn’t the Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitching staff have been a complete mess in the postseason?

    Weren’t the Dodgers headed for another playoff exit because they only had three healthy starters?

    They had better pitchers on their injured list than on the active roster, right?

    Well, who’s laughing now?

    The Dodgers delivered their fourth shutout in the past five postseason games with an 8-0 loss to the New York Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday night, taking a 2-1 lead in this National League Championship Series.

    They’re halfway through the World Series.

    “I don’t think we took it personally,” said Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech, the winning pitcher, “but you know, we did.

    “Pretty cool to see what we’re doing.”

    Historically too.

    The Dodgers are the eighth team in postseason history to produce four shutouts, just one shy of Cleveland’s five shutouts in 2016.

    “It’s really satisfying,” Dodgers reliever Blake Treinen said, “but it’s not a crazy formula. Our defense played excellently behind us. The attack makes it a lot easier for us because they take the lead early.

    “We actually don’t let it get any bigger than it is. We’re not afraid to make big pitches in big places.”

    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts simply says, “These guys are locked in.”

    It’s not like the Dodgers have Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale on the mound. Don Newcombe isn’t there. Orel Hershiser has long been retired. Clayton Kershaw is on the injured list.

    Yet here is Walker Buehler, who was 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 starts this season, shutting down the Mets for four innings. Kopech, Ryan Brasier, Treinen, all castoffs from other teams, pitched three shutout innings. And rookie Ben Casparius, who pitched for the University of Connecticut three years ago, finished the game with two more shutout innings.

    “Walker,” said Max Muncy, who tied the Dodgers’ franchise record with 13e postseason home run,” was Walker Buehler. “That’s exactly what we expected. He definitely had the attitude and the emotion.

    Actually, it’s the same with the entire Dodgers pitching staff. The only people at 41 Seaver Way who weren’t even mildly surprised were the guys dressing in the visiting clubhouse at Citi Field.

    “That wasn’t me,” Dodgers All-Star right fielder Mookie Betts said. “Those guys work hard. They play the game the right way. They handle everything the right way. And so what they’re doing now to be a part of it is amazing.

    “Everyone goes through their ups and downs, but we all believe in each other, and it shows now.”

    The Dodgers are doing it in an unconventional way, with Jack Flaherty being the only starter to get past five innings this postseason, three times using bullpen games, but it’s working to perfection.

    “We knew the bullpen would be heavily relied upon in the postseason,” Kopech said. “So we wanted the ball. We knew we could do this. Really, there was no doubt.”

    The Mets had their chance in Game 3, especially in the second inning when they had the bases loaded and only one out against Buehler, but then he struck out Francisco Alvarez with a 90 mph fastball and then fooled Francisco Lindor with a 3-3. and-2 curveball, ending the inning.

    “There are certain guys who can step up at certain times,” Muncy said, “and he’s definitely one of them. He has always been one of them. There is never a moment when it becomes too big for him.”

    The Mets were never the same again. They only managed two hits the rest of the game and produced only four hits in the game. In the Mets’ two losses, they were outscored, 17-0, with only seven hits and no extra base hits.

    “When you’re dealing with a pitching staff like that,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, “it’s going to be tough at times. We create traffic. I like that we’re getting guys on base. It just didn’t manage to score a big hit. …

    “I’ll keep riding our guys. They brought us here. They will continue to go the extra mile.”

    The Mets better turn things around quickly or their Subway Series plans will go up in flames.

    In Betts’ words: “In a time like now, there aren’t many things left for tomorrow. They run out pretty quickly.”

    The Dodgers themselves know the sense of urgency. They were on the brink of elimination in the NL Division Series against the San Diego Padres, but came back and eliminated the Padres in the final two games.

    They came to New York in the NLCS for the first time since 1988, but with the raucous sellout crowd of 43,883 in attendance at the start of the game, they headed for the exits just as Enrique Hernandez hit a two-run homer in the sixth collection. for a 4-0 lead. It became a rout when Shohei Ohtani hit a three-run shot in the eighth, followed by Muncy’s homer in the ninth.

    “Just when you have a two-point lead with a team like this,” Kopech said, “you feel like you have a lot of cushion. I don’t think the games even seem close unless we are in a 0-0 game. We have that much confidence.

    “Right now I feel like we have the upper hand on pretty much everyone.”

    Even in New York there may not be a soul who dares to disagree.

    Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

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