NEW YORK — The Dodgers are putting the O’s in OMG. For the second time in the first three games of this National League Championship Series and the fourth time in their past five games this postseason the Dodgers used a group effort to spin a shutout and beat the New York Mets, 8-0, in Game 3 on Wednesday night at Citi Field. The Mets – who have used infielder Jose Iglesias’ Latin pop hit “OMG” as their theme song as they salvaged their season – managed just four hits. Max Muncy alone was on base more than that – not for long the last time. After three walks and a single, Muncy joined Kiké Hernandez and Shohei Ohtani in hitting home runs. The win puts the Dodgers up two games to one in the best-of-seven NLCS. Game 4 is Thursday at 5 p.m. PT (FS1). “To have the advantage in the playoff series is huge,” starting pitcher Walker Buehler said. “I always talk about momentum in the playoffs, whether it’s an inning or a game or a series. And this is definitely a big momentum win for us. But if we don’t do something with it, then it doesn’t really matter a whole lot.” Buehler got that momentum started with four stress-filled scoreless innings. “Walker was Walker Buehler. It’s what we expected. It’s what everyone in this clubhouse trusted him to be,” Muncy said. “He thrives in these moments. There’s never a moment that gets too big for him. There’s never a situation that gets too big for him. He’s able to control everything. He was Walker Buehler tonight.” He was. But only by the postseason’s lowering bar for starting pitchers. The Mets had runners on base in each of the first three, innings loading the bases in the second – and got nothing to show for it. Buehler struck out Pete Alonso with a runner on in the first inning. After two walks and a misplayed grounder by shortstop Tommy Edman loaded the bases with one out in the second, Buehler got a called third strike on Francisco Alvarez then dropped a full-count hammer of a curveball on Francisco Lindor to escape damage. “Oh, in 2018, 2019, 2020, I would have thrown a fastball. Yeah,” Buehler said, acknowledging the metamorphosis he is undergoing since returning from his second elbow surgery. “That with 3-2 and the bases loaded, I have to throw a curveball now instead of a heater,” he said of the most difficult lesson he has learned in his comeback season. But that curveball might have been the most important pitch of the night. “That was great,” Muncy said. “I don’t think anyone over there would have expected Walker to throw that pitch in that situation and that’s why Walker did it. He executed it and that’s what he does. He showed the emotion there and got us all fired up for sure.” It was more of the same in the third after the Mets put two on with two outs. Buehler struck out Mets DH J.D. Martinez with a sweeper breaking off the plate. Buehler struck out six in the first four innings and got a season-high 18 swings-and-misses – six each on his curveball and sweeper. It was vintage Buehler in those moments. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was still guarding against the more recent vintage. With the high-leverage core of the Dodgers’ bullpen well-rested, Roberts had no plans to let Buehler face the Mets’ lineup a third time. If Buehler’s four innings were difficult, Luis Severino’s were no less torturous. The two Game 3 starters combined for 8⅔ innings – and most of FOX’s broadcast hours for the week. Buehler and Severino threw 185 pitches to get less than halfway through the game. At least Buehler was able to avoid damage. Severino could not. Muncy drew the first of his three walks in the game leading off the second inning. Teoscar Hernandez chopped a ball in front of the plate that catcher Alvarez fielded and thought he could get the lead runner. His throw was wide of second base and the Dodgers had two on with no outs. After Gavin Lux grounded out to the pitcher, Will Smith hit another one back to the mound. Severino – a finalist for a Gold Glove this season – couldn’t field this one and a run scored. Tommy Edman hit the only well-struck ball of the inning – a fly ball that center fielder Tyrone Taylor tracked down on the warning track, making an outstanding catch. A second run scored on the sacrifice fly, the only ball that left the infield all inning. Balls started leaving the infield with more frequency against the Mets’ bullpen. Kiké Hernandez doubled the Dodgers’ lead with a two-run home run in the sixth inning, his second homer this postseason and 15th in 78 career postseason games. “He’s got it. Whatever it is, he’s got it,” Smith said of Hernandez’s ability to step up in the postseason. Shohei Ohtani definitely has “it” during the regular season. But he has yet to establish that in the postseason. He didn’t bat with runners on base in Game 3 until the eighth inning – and launched a three-run home run into the right field upper deck. Related Articles Los Angeles Dodgers | Alexander: Dodgers carry some advantages out of Game 3 win in NLCS Los Angeles Dodgers | Dodgers shuffle lineup for NLCS Game 3, drop Will Smith to 7th Los Angeles Dodgers | Yamamoto knows innings matter for a Dodgers team that often lists TBA as probable pitcher Los Angeles Dodgers | Ziggurat vs. Ohtani: 2 auctions, both selling historic assets Los Angeles Dodgers | NLCS Game 3: Dodgers at Mets, lineups, starting pitchers, TV info “Obviously you ask the umpires to take a look because it doesn’t cost you a challenge,” Muncy said of the replay review that followed. “But I don’t know how you ever overturn it. That ball was 100 feet over the foul pole. The foul pole’s not tall enough for that one.” Ohtani is now an amazing 7 for 9 with two home runs with runners on base in his first eight postseason games – and a mystifying 0 for 22 with 13 strikeouts when no one is on base. With the score still tight, Roberts ran with Michael Kopech in the fifth inning, Ryan Brasier in the sixth and Blake Treinen in the seventh. With the game tilted to 7-0 in the Dodgers’ favor by Ohtani’s blast, he closed with Ben Casparius over the final two scoreless innings, saving Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson for another day. “They’re good. We have some good pitchers,” Muncy said of the Dodgers’ four shutouts. “I think the biggest thing is we have good attitudes in terms of how to handle the postseason atmosphere. We’ve got a lot of guys that are built for the moment and you’ve seen it.”