Max Muncy Knew Dodgers Were Going to Win NLCS Game 6 after One Moment in Game 5

Maren Angus-Coombs | 2 Hours Ago

Oct 20, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers third base Max Muncy (13) hugs pitcher Blake Treinen (49) after beating the New York Mets during game six of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images / Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Jack Flaherty struggled in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series which gave way to possibly one of the brightest spots for an unsung hero to perform in.

Brent Honeywell started the fourth inning and covered 4.2 innings, saving all the high-leverage arms for Game 6.

“I don’t do it for me, I do it for these guys in here,” Honeywell said. “I love these guys. I love Doc. I love everybody over here. I told [Roberts] in the dugout, ‘This is my game until it’s not.’ And I tried to keep us in the game.

“We had a shot to win. I felt like we made the turn a little bit, battled our [tails] off here. We knew they were going to fight tonight, it’s playoff baseball. The series is 3-2. Gotta save the dogs.”

While the game left Honeywell with a sour taste in his mouth, what he did for the Dodgers tasted so much sweeter a couple of nights later.

When the right-hander left the mound in New York and returned to the dugout, third baseman Max Muncy told him he just won the Dodgers Game 6.

Brent Honeywell said Max Muncy had a message for him after he threw 4.2 innings in Game 5:

“He said I won us Game 6.”

Honeywell saved the Dodgers bullpen, and LA then used seven relievers to win Game 6 and clinch a spot in the World Series.pic.twitter.com/WrV9YKLx5K

— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) October 21, 2024

Honeywell gave up four runs and six hits but manager Dave Roberts praised the reliever when he walked out to the mound and removed him in the eighth. He sang his praises again after the game.

“It’s not always fun when you’re going through it, certainly from my chair,” Roberts said of the challenge of knowing if and when to deploy his higher-leverage relievers after falling behind by seven runs after three innings. “You have to remain steadfast in how you use your pitchers because ultimately it’s about winning four games in a seven-game series.

“With our leverage guys, mainly Blake and Evan, it just wasn’t responsible [to turn to them] at that point of the game. So Honeywell did a fantastic job, saving everyone and knowing we have a bullpen game coming.”

At the moment, what Honeywell did or didn't do was just a small glimpse of the bigger picture because that blowout loss set the Dodgers up for a pennant-clinching win the following game.

“That’s what a seven-game series is all about, what playoff baseball is,” Honeywell said. “There’s a job for everybody, every single one of us in here. Tonight wasn’t our night, but anything I can do to help us is what I want to do.”