Carlos Mendoza confident struggling Mets will be ready for rematch with Dodgers: ‘It’s gonna be a fun matchup’

The Mets were able to get themselves back in the win column -- snapping their first three-game losing streak of the season on Wednesday night in Boston. 

Facing one of the top pitchers in the game in ace lefty Garrett Crochet, New York’s struggling offense was finally able to come up with some timely hits with runners in scoring position to pull out a 5-1 victory.

First, it was Brett Baty who remained in the lineup against the tough southpaw because of his defensive play -- but he delivered with his bat in the second, getting the scoring started with a two-out RBI single. 

Tylor Megill put together a terrific bounceback outing -- striking out 10 batters over 4.2 innings of work, but some shoddy infield defense helped the Red Sox scratch across the tying run in the bottom of the fifth. 

But a few innings later, Baty would deliver for the Mets again, this time lining a two-run opposite-field double off another tough lefty Brennan Bernardino with the bases loaded to put New York back in front for good. 

Francisco Lindor put the exclamation point on the victory -- crushing the Mets’ first home run since last Tuesday just over the Green Monster in the top of the ninth. 

“When you’re going through stretches like this, guys want to come through so bad,” Carlos Mendoza said. “At times it takes a little longer than we’d like it to, but it was good to see the guys today not panicking -- not that we have been.

“You just continue to play your game, continue to execute and we were able to come through. Lindor with the homer, the first one in a while which is very rare. Overall a good team win, and now we have to go home and play another good team.”

That good team? The defending champion Dodgers. 

The last time LA was in town there was much more at stake -- the Mets had defeated them in Game 5 of the NLCS to extend their season -- but a few nights later, that miraculous run came to an end with a 10-5 loss at Chavez Ravine.

The Dodgers then went on to beat the Yankees in five games in the World Series -- securing the franchise’s eight overall title, but first since 1981.

Much has changed for both organization's since then -- but one thing remains the same. 

Even with the Mets hitting a rough patch and the Dodgers battling numerous injuries, these are two of the top contenders in the National League again this year -- and Mendoza is expecting another electric atmosphere for their three-game set this weekend at Citi Field. 

“They’re a good team, we’re a good team too,” the skipper said. “We’ll be ready for them. Obviously, they beat us last year in the NLCS and they added a lot more people in the offseason, but we did the same -- I think it’s gonna be a fun matchup."

The series kicks off on Friday night with Griffin Canning taking the mound against Clayton Kershaw.