The 2024 Major League Baseball postseason heats up on Wednesday with Game 3 of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets. The best-of-seven series is currently tied at 1-1, and the victor will secure a spot in the World Series to compete against either the New York Yankees or the Cleveland Guardians. The Yankees are leading their series 2-0, setting up the potential for an exciting Yankees-Dodgers or Yankees-Mets World Series.
As for the NLCS, the Dodgers cruised to a win in Game 1 behind Jack Flaherty’s seven shutout innings, but the Mets rebounded to take Game 2 with some early home-run power, including a Mark Vientos grand slam.
To set the scene for Wednesday’s pivotal Game 3, we’ll tell you how to watch the action and also lay out one key question for each team.
Where to watch Dodgers vs. Mets
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 16 | Time: 8:08 p.m. ET
Location: Citi Field (New York)
Channel: FS1 | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
Probable pitchers: RHP Walker Buehler (LAD) vs. RHP Luis Severino (NYM)
Odds: LAD -115, NYM -105 | O/U: 7.5
Dodgers: Will Buehler snap out of his funk?
Recently, right-hander Buehler was seen as the Dodgers’ ace for both the present and future. However, since undergoing a second Tommy John surgery, he hasn’t regained his previous form. Buehler rejoined the Dodgers’ rotation in May, but hip inflammation sidelined him from mid-June to mid-August. These setbacks limited him to just 16 starts in his comeback season, and the results were disappointing.
In those 16 starts, the 30-year-old Buehler pitched to a 5.38 ERA and an FIP of 5.54. As well, he struck out just 18.6% of opposing batters during the 2024 regular season (his career mark was 27% coming into 2024), and he’s shed some velocity on almost all his offerings. The leading concern has been Buehler’s fastball, the pitch he dials up a plurality of the time. During the regular season, opposing hitters batted .342 with a .696 slug against Buehler’s four-seamer, and the expected numbers weren’t much better.
Buehler’s lone start this postseason was a struggle. In NLDS Game 3 against the Padres, he allowed six runs over five innings, giving up seven hits and striking out none of the 24 batters he faced. With Buehler’s ongoing struggles, it’s questionable if he would be in the Dodgers’ playoff rotation if more pitchers were healthy. Injuries have left the Dodgers with only three healthy starters, forcing manager Dave Roberts to frequently use bullpen games. Consequently, the Dodgers desperately need Buehler to regain his usual form on Wednesday, though recent performances suggest that may be challenging.