Mets live on with 12-6 win in Game 5 to shift NLCS back to Los Angeles

The Mets exploded offensively to build a big lead early and went on to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 12-6 in Game 5 of the NLCS Friday at Citi Field.

In doing so, New York staved off elimination and forced a Game 6 on Sunday in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers leading the series at 3-2.

Here are the takeaways…

-Five days after Jack Flaherty shut them down, the Mets pounded him for eight runs in three innings as the offense ruled the day.

Pete Alonso’s three-run HR set the tone in the first inning. Starling Marte had four hits, Francisco Alvarez had three, while Francisco Lindor and Jesse Winker each had RBI triples.

Jeff McNeil, starting for the first time since his return from a broken wrist, had two important sacrifice flies to tack on needed runs as the Dodgers fought back from trailing 10-2 to make a game of it at 10-6 in the sixth inning.

For the day, the Mets had 14 hits and five walks and went 5-for-19 with runners in scoring position.

–Ryne Stanek played a crucial role, getting seven outs from the fifth through the seventh when manager Carlos Mendoza had few other options in the bullpen.

Stanek gave up a solo home run to Mookie Betts in the sixth, but otherwise allowed no hits or walks, while striking out four, including Max Muncy.

As such, Stanek got the game to Edwin Diaz for the final six outs.

-Diaz was on his game, throwing two scoreless innings while striking out two Dodgers’ hitters, including Shohei Ohtani.

With a 432-foot bomb of a home run, Alonso gave the Mets the early lead that they needed to get Citi Field rocking and regain mometum after losses in Games 3 and 4.

Actually, Lindor got the first inning started with a leadoff single to right, just as the crowd had finished singing “My Girl,” and Brandon Nimmo followed with a walk.

Alonso then went down and got a 2-1 slider at the bottom of the strike zone and launched it to center for a no-doubter and a 3-0 lead.

It was his fourth home run of the postseason.

–David Peterson hadn’t started a game since Sept. 29, so the Mets weren’t hoping for length so much as a few quality innings, and that’s what he gave them, allowing two runs in 3.2 innings while throwing 79 pitches.

However, he did need Reed Garrett to bail him out of a bases-loaded situation in the fourth inning, after giving up a two-out single to Ohtani and walks to Betts and Teoscar Hernandez.

Garrett came on and struck out Freddie Freeman with a 3-2 backdoor slider that just caught the outside corner.

Peterson wound up giving up six hits and four walks but made big pitches to get out of trouble.

Garrett allowed the Dodgers to climb back into it in the fifth, giving up a three-run HR to Andy Pages, his second of the day.

-Alvarez snapped out of his postseason slump with three hits, a double and two singles, and that could be vital for the Mets if he’s dangerous again going to Los Angeles for Game 6.

Alvarez has had much better swings the last two games, twice going to right field for hits. He came into Game 5 hitting .167 for this postseason.

Game MVP: Ryne Stanek

With few solid options in the Mets’ mostly-gassed bullpen, Stanek got seven crucial outs in the game to stop a Dodgers’ comeback and bridge the gap from the fifth to the eighth inning, getting the ball to Diaz for the final six outs.