LOS ANGELES — Mets reliever Phil Maton didn’t hold back when describing his experience during the tense final innings of Game 2 in the NL Championship Series against the Dodgers.
“Stressful,” Maton said with a laugh. During the Mets’ 7-3 victory at Dodger Stadium on Monday, every reliever faced the challenge of entering with runners already on base. Maton took over for starter Sean Manaea in the sixth inning, stepping in with the bases loaded and no outs.
“That’s playoff baseball. You rarely get a clean slate to work with,” Maton explained. “In that situation, the key is attacking the strike zone, especially with the bases loaded, and forcing them to put the ball in play.”
Maton delivered, getting the first batter to pop out to second base. However, the next batter drove in two runs with a single that slipped just under Pete Alonso’s glove, trimming the Mets’ lead to 6-3.
With the bases loaded once again, Maton escaped the jam by inducing a double play to end the inning and keep the Mets ahead.
“I was aiming for a strikeout,” Maton admitted. “We had the count in our favor, but at worst, I wanted weak contact, and luckily, that’s what happened.”