The New York Mets were uncertain about how the Los Angeles Dodgers would perform with their lineup of relievers in a bullpen game. They quickly found out.
Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos both hit home runs, helping the Mets end the Dodgers’ record-tying postseason scoreless streak with a 7-3 win on Monday. This result tied the NL Championship Series at one game each.
Lindor kicked off the game with a homer in the first inning against Ryan Brasier. Vientos contributed during a five-run second inning, hitting a grand slam off Landon Knack.
Before Lindor’s homer, the Dodgers had not scored for 33 straight innings. Jack Flaherty had led the Dodgers to a 9-0 win in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday night.
“I didn’t know it,” Lindor said about the Dodgers’ streak. “I was just trying to have a quality at-bat and get the guys going.”
Sean Manaea started Game 2 with four scoreless innings for New York. He allowed three runs, two earned, and two hits in five-plus innings. Closer Edwin Diaz earned a four-out save.
“Having a lead like that just makes it a little easier,” Manaea said. “Just trying to attack guys and get ahead and go right after them.”
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against Manaea and walked twice, once against Diaz. He has not gotten a hit in 19 at-bats with the bases empty this postseason.
“He’s one of the best hitters in the league, but I’ve got really good stuff,” Diaz said. “I just go after him. Hit the ball; if you get to two strikes, I will make you chase.”
Manager Dave Roberts plans to keep Ohtani in the leadoff position. “I want Shohei to get five at-bats a game,” Roberts said. “I think he’s our best hitter, and I want him up there five times.”
Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will be on Wednesday in New York. “It’s not a sprint,” Manaea said. “It’s definitely going to be a grind of a series.” The Mets quickly bounced back after their loss in the opener.
Lindor fouled off four pitches from Brasier before hitting a 395-foot home run to right field for his leadoff shot.
“When you’re facing a bullpen day, it can be tough to plan, but you have to go out there and make adjustments, whether that means putting the ball in play, moving a guy over, or getting a guy in,” said rookie Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.
“Those little things are important to win games in the playoffs against a strong pitching team.”
Knack came in for the Dodgers in the second inning and gave up a single to Starling Marte, then walked Jesse Winker. After one out, Tyrone Taylor doubled to left, bringing Marte home.
Francisco Alvarez popped out to shortstop, and then Lindor was intentionally walked to load the bases. Vientos hit a 391-foot home run to center for the third grand slam in Mets playoff history, making the score 6-0 and quieting the crowd of 52,926.
“You’ve got Francisco ahead of me, and he hit a home run earlier in the game, so they would rather take a chance on me than him,” Vientos said. “But I use it as motivation. I’m like, ‘All right, you want me up? I’m going to show you, whatever.’”
This was the Mets’ second grand slam in the playoffs. Lindor hit one in Game 4 of the NL Division Series against Philadelphia. Edgardo Alfonzo had the first playoff grand slam for the team in 1999.
The Dodgers had a chance to tie the game in the eighth inning with two outs.
Tommy Edman got a single, and Max Muncy walked. The Mets then brought in Diaz for the first time since he closed the NL Division Series. The runners moved up on a double steal, but Kiké Hernández flied out to shallow right field to end the threat.
Facing elimination, the Dodgers had a bullpen game against San Diego in Game 4 of the NL Division Series, but it was a different story against the Mets.
“It all works well when guys are throwing zeros, but you’re still up against really good teams,” Roberts said. “You have to be aware of the cost of the next games and remember this isn’t a winner-take-all game. It’s not a three-game series.”
After Muncy hit a home run to start the fifth inning, the Dodgers made a comeback in the sixth to bring the score to 6-3, energizing the crowd.
Manaea walked Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández to start the inning. Freddie Freeman hit a high bouncing ground ball that Jose Iglesias couldn’t handle properly. Hernández reached second base safely due to the error as Manaea left the game.
Edman then singled to right off Phil Maton with two strikes, scoring Betts and Hernández. Muncy walked to load the bases again, bringing up Kiké Hernández, who hit a ground ball to Vientos at third base.
Vientos initially bobbled the ball before throwing to second, where Muncy slid into Iglesias’ leg. Pete Alonso kept his foot on the bag while stretching to catch Iglesias’ throw.
The Dodgers challenged the double-play call, but it was confirmed, ending the inning.
“I probably had the two biggest at-bats of the game and didn’t come through,” Kiké Hernández said. “Even though we fell behind early, we were in it until the end of the game and just one swing away. We lost this one but are staying positive and looking forward to the next one.”
Manaea was the first left-handed starter the Dodgers faced this postseason. They were familiar with him from his time with San Diego in 2022 and San Francisco last year. However, he changed his pitching style midway through this season with the Mets, lowering his arm slot and releasing the ball more horizontally.
“He’s quite different,” Kiké Hernández said. “The ball is coming out way wider and lower than it was before. Falling behind big early in the game made us a little more hesitant to be aggressive against him.”
The Mets took advantage of hard-throwing Dodgers rookie Edgardo Henriquez by scoring an insurance run in the ninth.
