NEW YORK -- The Los Angeles Dodgers took it to the New York Mets in Game 4 of the NLCS at Citi Field on Thursday night (LAD 10, NYM 2), and leading the way was, well, Shohei Ohtani. The presumptive NL MVP slugged a leadoff home run in Game 4 and reached base four times through the first eight innings. Mookie Betts doubled in two runs and hit a two-run homer as well.
Ohtani and Betts were the stars of the show, but what makes the Dodgers dangerous is their lineup depth. Max Muncy, who started at first base over Freddie Freeman as Los Angeles manages Freeman's ankle injury, reached base in his first four trips to the plate in Game 4, extending his on-base streak to 12 consecutive plate appearances before striking out in the eighth inning. Reaching base 12 plate appearances in a row is a postseason record. Here's the leaderboard:
T1. Max Muncy, 2024 Dodgers: 12 straight times on base
T1. Reggie Jackson, 1977-78 Yankees: 12
3. David Ortiz, 2007 Red Sox: 10
4. Billy Hatcher, 1990 Reds: 10
Good omen? Hatcher, Jackson, and Ortiz all won the World Series in the years of their on-base streaks (Jackson won it in both 1977 and 1978). Muncy has the record for a single postseason and is tied with Reggie for the streak overall. His streak came to an end when Danny Young struck him out in the top of the eighth inning.
In those 12 plate appearances Muncy went home run, walk, walk, walk, single, walk, walk, home run, walk, walk, walk, single. Two singles, two homers, eight walks. No one is throwing Muncy strikes because, when you do throw him strikes, he's getting hits and home runs. The man is locked in right now.
Muncy's postseason batting line is up to .286/.474/.643 this year. He's a career .239/.394/.494 hitter in 55 career postseason games, which is really remarkable. Muncy's excellent in October seems to have flown under the radar. Now he has the single-postseason record for most consecutive times on base.
A win Thursday gave the Dodgers a 3-1 series lead in the NLCS, and move them to within a game of their first NL pennant since 2020.
