3 best Mets player decisions that paid off in their Game 5 thumping of the Dodgers

A lot of the discussion around the New York Mets in the NLCS has been the use of players. From the starting lineup to the last man out of the bullpen, there have been a baker’s dozen calls by the manager to question.

Carlos Mendoza hasn’t had an exceptional playoff series. In the Game 5 thumping of the Los Angeles Dodgers, he had one of his better games.

It’s easy when you never trailed. The Temptations hadn’t even relaxed when Pete Alonso hit a three-run home run in the first to put the Mets ahead for good. In the 12-6 win, there wasn’t much the managers could do to sway the game in either direction because many of the best calls by the Mets came before the first pitch. Let’s enjoy this win and give credit where it’s due.

1) The Mets finally put Jesse Winker back into what feels like the best lineup possible for them

J.D. Martinez had no business starting Game 3 and 4 at DH. Maybe we can excuse the latter because of the reverse splits. Who else hopes they never hear those words from Mendoza ever again?

Winker had an awesome game back in the lineup. Going 2 for 3 with a walk, RBI, and crossing the plate 3 times, he was involved in the action plenty.

The Alonso-Winker-Starling Marte connection in the lineup couldn’t have worked out much better. On a rare night where Mark Vientos did nothing, those three combined to go 8 for 11 with 8 runs scored. The meat of the Mets order couldn’t have been planned out better. We can evaluate the Mets lineup forever. A dozen runs confirms this was the most elite lineup they could have assembled and probably the one we should see again in Game 6 then again in Game 7.

Winker was the main difference in this game from the previous two when they lost. Unless the opposing starter is a lefty, he needs to start.