Carlos Mendoza’s hunch to start Jeff McNeil pays dividends for Mets

It wasn’t so much Jose Iglesias chasing pitches as missing a couple in the strike zone that convinced his manager to look in a different direction Friday.

Carlos Mendoza inserted Jeff McNeil into the starting lineup at second base for Game 5 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, placing Iglesias on the bench.

“It’s hard to explain, but I just felt like putting McNeil in there today for Iglesias … was the right way to go today,” Mendoza said before the Mets beat the Dodgers 12-6 at Citi Field.

McNeil contributed two RBIs — both on sacrifice flies.

He finished 0-for-3 at the plate.

McNeil had last started a game on Sept. 6, when he fractured his right wrist on a hit-by-pitch.

He returned to the Mets for the NLCS and received three at-bats as pinch hitter (he went 0-for-3) in the first four games of the series.

Iglesias owns an underwhelming .227/.261/.227 slash line in 11 games this postseason after contributing big during the regular season.

“I just felt like putting McNeil in there today and give a different look and see what happens,” Mendoza said.

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Mendoza before the game was asked whether he was more concerned about his team’s pitching or offense as the Mets.

The Dodgers outscored the Mets 30-9 in the first four games.

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“We’re giving up a lot of runs and we’re giving them free passes,” Mendoza said. “We know they are going to control the strike zone, but we have got to do a better job of attacking and executing in the zone, and that is the result — they are going to make you pay for it.

“As far as the runs that we haven’t scored, I will take my chances as long as we are creating traffic. We have been getting guys on, we just haven’t been able to get the big hit.But if we’re doing that at some point we’re going to come through.”

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With the Mets facing elimination, Mendoza said he spoke individually with players or in small groups, but refrained from addressing the entire team as a unit.

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The Mets were set to charter to Southern California after the game and plan to work out at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.