3 Mets to blame for losing NLCS Game 4 and being pushed to brink of elimination

The New York Mets carried a bunch of good vibes heading into Queens in the NLCS. They have been a team of destiny, having many magical moments that carried them from a Wild Card qualifying team on the final day of the regular season to an NLCS competitor. While the Mets did pull off a dominant Game 2 win, the Los Angeles Dodgers were always going to be a giant to defeat.

On Thursday night, the Mets lost 10-2 to the Dodgers in NLCS Game 4, and now, trail 3-1 in the series and are on the brink of getting eliminated. The tone was set early after Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff, solo home run. Yes, the Mets did cut their deficit to 3-2, but the Dodgers batting order just piled on the hits and runs at will, to the point where a stadium of loud New Yorkers were quieted.

When it comes to Mets to blame, these individuals stand out.

3 Mets to blame for getting blown out in NLCS Game 4

3. Jose Quintana, SP

The New York Mets needed a good game from starting pitcher Jose Quintana, especially after Luis Severino served up a home loss in Game 3. The team needed to ensure Citi Field remained loud for the majority of the game. Quintana had pitched well for the Mets in the regular season and the playoffs.

But then, Quintana set the tone by giving up a solo home run to Shohei Ohtani on the first at-bat of the game. The tone was set in Queens, and it was a bad one. It only got worse.

In the top of the third inning, Quintana gave up an RBI double to Tommy Edman and a one-run single by clutch postseason hitter Enrique Hernandez. Then, in the top of the fourth inning, Quintana gave up a single to Chris Taylor and issued a walk to Ohtani. Quintana was pulled for Jose Butto, who gave up a two-run double to Mookie Betts to take a 5-2 lead.

Quintana finished the night giving up five earned runs on five hits, issued four walks and struck out two batters in 3.1 innings. This isn't the performance the Mets needed, and now, they are on the brink of being eliminated.

2. Starling Marte, OF

If there was one common theme about the Mets amid their struggles at home in the NLCS, it's been their inability to bring home base runners. That was evident on Thursday night, as they stranded 12 runners on base and were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. That's just totally unacceptable for a playoff team.

One player who struggled to knock in runs was Starling Marte, who had three runners in scoring position with two outs on the board, and he got out twice.

In the top of the third inning, Brandon Nimmo had knocked in a run on a force out. That left the outfielder on first and Francisco Lindor on third for Marte to try and take the lead. The thing is, Marte swung at the first pitch thrown by Yoshinobu Yamamoto and it resulted in a groundout.

With the game out of reach, Marte had a chance to bring in some runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. But, Marte once again took a bad swing, resulting in a flyout.

Look, there is plenty of blame to go around on the Mets for being unable to capitalize on the numerous opportunities Yamamoto and the bullpen gave them to put runs on the scoreboard. For Marte, stranding three runners in scoring position isn't great at all.

1. Carlos Mendoza, Manager

Getting blown out by the Dodgers for the third time through four NLCS games? The blame has to go on the manager. Carlos Mendoza deserves all the credit in the world for taking this Mets team that had no business of even sniffing the playoffs, all the way to the NLCS.

Mendoza watched his team get shutout on Wednesday night, and didn't make many changes to the batting order. Even though Francisco Alvarez and J.D. Martinez struggled in Game 3, Mendoza left them in the lineup. Yes, Alvarez did go one-for-one at the plate, but he has been a liability in the batter's box throughout the series. Yes, Martinez did get walked twice, but he hasn't knocked in the necessary runs to be in the starting lineup.

Speaking of hitters, Mendoza did switch things up at one spot, and that was bench Tyrone Taylor. Instead of putting in Jesse Winker, who has been one of their better hitters this postsesaon, he started Harrison Bader. Bader was three-for-three with an extra base hit and an RBI off Yamamoto the only time they faced off. But Bader only started one game for the Mets this postseason (Oct. 6 vs. Philadelphia Phillies). On Thursday night, Bader went zero-for-two at the plate with two strikeouts.

Look, it's hard to game plan against the Dodgers, when they have the equivalent of the Death Star for a batting lineup. Mendoza should receive some Manager of the Year consideration. But in the NLCS, and in Game 4, his decisions were not ideal. A spark was needed in the batting order, and Mendoza opted to keep things mostly the same.