Ohtani, Betts lead way as L.A. puts Mets on brink

Jeff Passan, ESPNOct 18, 2024, 12:03 AM ETCloseESPN MLB insiderAuthor of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”NEW YORK — Don’t give in to the nibble. The mantra the Los Angeles Dodgers followed in their shellacking of the New York Mets on Thursday night in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series was introduced in the pregame hitters’ meeting, carried over into the dugout and manifested itself on the field, where they blitzed the Mets early and never relented in a 10-2 victory.Mets starter Jose Quintana entered the game with 0.00 ERA this postseason — and by far the lowest percentage of pitches thrown in the strike zone. He is, in baseball parlance, a nibbler. In avoiding the temptation of Quintana’s array of waste pitches, forcing him to throw more in the zone and punishing him when he did, the Dodgers took a commanding 3-1 series lead and can clinch their 22nd World Series berth Friday night.Right fielder Mookie Betts…