Andre Ethier makes a diving catch to rob New York Mets left fielder Michael Conforto of a hit in the second inning. (John McCoy/Staff photographer)
In a winner-take-all Game 5, Daniel Murphy and the Mets struck a dagger through the heart of the Dodgers’ pitching staff. The box score is here. The photo gallery is here.
A sold-out Dodger Stadium was denied its chance to celebrate, writes David Montero.
The Dodgers were doomed by some familiar mistakes, writes Vincent Bonsignore. One was a stolen base on which nobody covered third. Murphy was great, but some of the Dodgers’ wounds were self-inflicted, writes Mark Whicker.
Andre Ethier and Don Mattingly both said after the game that their nationally televised screaming match was merely a continuation of Ethier’s argument with home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom (but, as Ethier told me after the game, “if that’s what you want to hang the game on, that’s what you can hang the game on.”). As Tom Hoffarth writes, the explanation didn’t need to wait that long.
I’m told the Dodgers will not be making any announcements tomorrow, so try to sleep this one off and enjoy the rest of the playoffs. I’ll have some follow-up stories from tonight.
If you’re made it this far, a personal thank-you for sticking with me all season. A common question I get is “what do you do during the off-season?” The answer: I write about the Dodgers.
So keep coming back. There’s always news with this team.