The Los Angeles Dodgers are one win away from advancing to the 2024 World Series. The Dodgers hold a 3-1 lead over the New York Mets in the NLCS. L.A. can win its first pennant since 2020 on Friday as the Mets host Game 5 at Citi Field.
There has not been much drama so far in the NLCS. The Dodgers’ three wins have all been blowouts, and they’ve outscored the Mets 27-2 in those three victories (in Games 1, 3 and 4). In Game 2, the Mets jumped out to a six-run lead and never trailed.
The Mets eliminated the Milwaukee Brewers in the Wild Card Series and the Philadelphia Phillies in the Division Series to get here. The Dodgers went through the Padres in the NLDS after receiving a bye in the first round as the NL’s top seed. The NLCS is a best-of-seven series and the winner advances to the World Series to face either the Yankees or Guardians.
Check out the complete 2024 MLB playoff schedule here. Below is the NLCS schedule for the Dodgers vs. the Mets:
| Date | Start time/score | TV | |
|---|---|---|---|
Game 1 | Sun., Oct. 13 | LAD 9, NYM 0 | FOX, Fubo (Try for free) |
Game 2 | Mon., Oct. 14 | NYM 7, LAD 3 | FOX, FS1, Fubo (Try for free) |
Game 3 | Weds., Oct. 16 | LAD 8, NYM 0 | FS1, Fubo (Try for free) |
| Game 4 | Thurs., Oct. 17 | LAD 10, NYM 2 | FS1, Fubo (Try for free) |
| Game 5 | Fri., Oct. 18 | 5:08 p.m. ET | FS1, Fubo (Try for free) |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | Sun., Oct. 20 | 8:08 p.m. ET | FS1, Fubo (Try for free) |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | Mon., Oct. 21 | 8:08 p.m. ET | FOX, FS1, Fubo (Try for free) |
Where to watch Game 5
Date: Thursday, Oct. 17 | Time: 8:08 p.m. ET
Location: Citi Field (New York)
TV channel: FS1 | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
Probable pitchers: RHP Jack Flaherty (LAD) vs. LHP David Peterson (NYM)
Odds: LAD -140, NYM +118 | O/U: 7.5
Here now is what you need to know about each team in the NLCS:
NLCS storylines
Mets: The Miracle Mets finally had a few days to catch their breath after a chaotic two weeks to get to the NLCS. They had to play a makeup doubleheader in Atlanta the day after the regular season ended just to get to the postseason, then they had to make a dramatic comeback in the ninth inning of Wild Card Series Game 3 against the Brewers, and then they had to make another late comeback in NLDS Game 4 to eliminate the Phillies. The Mets certainly earned their three-day break between the NLDS and NLCS. They’ve given off major Team of Destiny vibes the last two weeks, but of course, those vibes can change in an instant. That said, New York has a deep and clutch lineup, and a very strong veteran rotation. The bullpen has been dicey at times, especially with closer Edwin Díaz beginning to look worn down. The Mets are an excellent team though, and have been baseball’s hottest team since early June.
Dodgers: The Dodgers have had their troubles in the early rounds of the playoffs in recent years, including a loss to the Padres in the NLDS in 2022. Los Angeles won 111 games that regular season. This time around, they had the best record in baseball with 98 wins and through the second inning in Game 3, it looked like the Padres were going to bury them again. Then they held the San Diego scoreless the rest of the series and advanced. The Dodgers bring to the NLCS a high-octane offense that ranked first in the NL in OPS and home runs and second in runs scored. They have the most prolific all-around offensive player in Shohei Ohtani in addition to fellow former MVPs Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. The supporting cast is strong, led by Teoscar Hernández. The bullpen is extremely talented, as we saw in Games 1, 3, 4 and 5 of the NLDS. The question will be the rotation. It is still banged up and looks to have just three members in Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty and Walker Buehler. Still, the Dodgers have battled injuries all season and have been among the best teams throughout.
