LOS ANGELES — Well, so much for the Los Angeles Dodgers’ clever strategy of using a bullpen game when they had a rested starting pitcher ready to go.
It blew up in their face.
Mightily.
The New York Mets battered the Dodgers in the early innings, hung on for a 7-3 victory, and fly out of town Monday with their carry-on bags filled once again with mojo.
They’ll go back home with the National League Championship Series at 1-game apiece, with the next three games at Citi Field in New York beginning Tuesday with Game 3.
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“Every time you get an opportunity to play in front of our fan base at Citi Field, especially the way they've been showing up, not only in the playoffs, but the last two months," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said, “it's electric. It’s intense. It's fun.
“Really looking forward to it."
GRAND SLAM: Mark Vientos 'took it personal' and made Dodgers pay
BULLPEN BACKFIRE: Dodgers unable to navigate another bullpen game
The Mets, who were left bruised after their 9-0 defeat in Game 1, got off the mat 17 hours later and delivered their own knockout punch.
It all started with, who else, Francisco Lindor, who was the best player in the National League this season not named Shohei Ohtani, who led off the game by hitting a towering home run to right field off Dodgers opener Ryan Brasier.
“I want to win it all" Lindor said last week. “And ours will be a team that will forever be remembered. This will be a team that comes every ten years and eat for free everywhere they go."
While Lindor’s homer set the tone, it was the Dodgers’ respect for him that broke the game open.
The Mets took a 2-0 lead on No. 8 hitter Tyrone Taylor’s one-out, run-scoring double in the second inning. Catcher Francisco Alvarez popped up for the second out, and with first base open, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts opted to intentionally walk Lindor.
That brought up third baseman Mark Vientos, who hit .563 with two homers and five RBI in the Mets’ four-game NLDS against the Philadelphia Phillies, but who struck out three times Sunday in Game 1 against Jack Flaherty.
Vientos, who fell behind in the count 1-and-2 after three pitches, fought off slider and slider, battling Knack for eight pitches. Knack tried to fool him with a 95-mph fastball. He left it right over the middle of the plate, and Vientos took full advantage.
He smacked it over the right-center-field fence for a grand slam, giving him 11 RBI for the postseason, just one shy of the Mets’ franchise record.
Just like that, the Mets had a 6-0 lead, and Mets left-handed starter Sean Manaea did the rest, hanging on despite a defensive meltdown and hairy finish.
The Dodgers cut the deficit to 6-3, had 10 baserunners the last four innings, including the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning, but NL Division Series hero Enrique Hernandez flew out to right field.
The Dodgers, trailing 7-3, came back one last time in the ninth when the first two batters reached base. But Mets closer Edwin Diaz hung on, striking out Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman.
Manaea overpowered the Dodgers lineup, giving up just a solo homer to Max Muncy in the first five innings, when he suddenly lost control of the strike zone. Then, his defense fell apart, too.
After Manaea walked Betts and Teoscar Hernandez to lead off the sixth, Freeman hobbled to the plate, and with the sellout crowd of 52,926 chanting “Fred-die, Fred-die,’’ hit a sharp ground ball, but right towards second baseman Jose Iglesias for a tailor-made double-play.
One problem: the ball squirted under Igelasias’ glove.
That knocked Manaea out of the game, bringing in Phil Maton. He induced a pop-up from catcher Will Smith for the first out. Tommy Edman then hit a sharp ground ball towards the right side, and it clanked off first baseman Pete Alonso’s glove for two runs.
The Dodgers immediately loaded the bases when Muncy walked, bringing up Enrique Hernandez. He hit a grounder to Vientos at third base. He bobbled the ball and threw to Iglesias for the second out. Iglesias, who also struggled getting the ball out of his glove, threw to first to barely get Hernandez. The Dodgers challenged the calls at second and first, but the calls were confirmed, and Manaea celebrated by slamming the palm of his hand on the railing.
For Manea, it was sweet revenge.
He entered the postseason with a career 15.26 ERA, including a 7.09 ERA in 11 career starts against the Dodgers, and completed the latest chapter in his redemption tour.
Shohei Ohtani, who reached base four times in nine at-bats in his career against Manaea, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
Betts, who had three homers and a 1.153 OPS against Manaea, went hitless in two at-bats with a walk.
Freeman, who had a .839 OPS against Manaea, went hitless in three at-bats.
Will Smith, who was 9-for-18 against Manaea, went hitless in two at-bats with a strikeout.
Manaea, who certainly will opt out of his contract and become a free agent after the season, has been fabulous this postseason. He gave up two runs in five innings in the wild card series against the Milwaukee Brewers. He gave up three hits and one run in seven innings in the NL Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. And he gave up just two hits while striking out seven in Monday’s NLCS game.
“Some teams have had my number over the years,” Manaea said. “The baseball gods have given me the opportunity to go out there and prove again and again, just to be able to go out there and find some good results.’’
The Dodgers, buoyed by the fact that they managed to make it a game after being down six runs, now plan to go the traditional route the next three games. They’ll have Walker Buehler, who was rested and prepared to start on Tuesday in Game 3, Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 4 and back to Flaherty for Game 5.
And, of course, travel to New York with a rested bullpen.
“I think what we learned from last series is there's a lot of capable guys in the pen,” Roberts said. “So for me, certainly in a longer series, you can use these guys whenever you feel. Just the level of trust is as high as it's ever been. I think it's working both ways.’’
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Here's how Monday's game unfolded, live updates by Jordan Mendoza
LOS ANGELES — New York made it a 7-3 game in the ninth inning with Starling Marte's RBI single, scoring Pete Alonso just ahead of the throw at the plate
LOS ANGELES — New York will head into the final inning with a lead after keeping the Dodgers off the board in the eighth inning.
Tommy Edman and Max Muncy were able to get on base with two outs against Ryne Stanek, and Carlos Mendoza figured it was time to bring in Edwin Diaz for a four-out save. He came in and got Kiké Hernández to fly out to end the inning.
– Jordan Mendoza
LOS ANGELES — Tommy Edman hit a grounder that got just past the glove of Pete Alonso to bring Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez in with the bases loaded after Phil Maton took over for Sean Manaea.
The Dodgers loaded the bases again after a Max Muncy walk, but Maton got Kiké Hernández to ground into an inning-ending double play to limit the damage.
The Mets head into the seventh inning up 6-3.
LOS ANGELES — It was a brilliant outing for Sean Manaea, but he will leave Game 2 in a jam.
He only gave up one run in five innings, but opened the sixth inning with back-to-back walks to Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez. Then Freddie Freeman, still on a severely injured ankle, grounded it to second base, but Jose Iglesias couldn’t field the ball cleanly, loading the bases.
Phil Maton is taking over for Manaea
LOS ANGELES — There’s a snake in my… dugout?
As the Dodgers came off the field in the fifth inning, pitcher Brent Honeywell was headed into the dugout when he pointed to the stairs. A camera then showed a small snake was slithering its way around the Dodgers’ side of the field.
Someone from the team then grabbed the snake with a towel to remove it.
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are finally on the scoreboard after Max Muncy hit a home run to right field to make it a 6-1 ballgame after five innings.
It’s only the second hit Los Angeles was able to get on Sean Manaea, who has seven strikeouts on the day.
LOS ANGELES — Sean Manaea has historically struggled against the Dodgers, but he’s been nothing short of dominant early.
The Mets left-hander has six strikeouts through three innings with one hit allowed. He struck out Shohei Ohtani twice and struck out the side in the third inning.
– Jordan Mendoza
LOS ANGELES — It’s been a rough start for Dodgers pitching so far on Monday, but they avoided further damage by getting out of a jam unscathed.
Landon Knack loaded the bases but didn’t let anyone score, getting Francisco Alvarez to fly out to center field with two outs. The score remains 6-0 New York headed into the bottom of the third.
– Jordan Mendoza
LOS ANGELES — The New York offense has entered Game 2 with a bang.
Mark Vientos took a 3-2 pitch with two outs and the bases loaded to right center field for a grand slam and gave the Mets a commanding 6-0 lead in just the second inning. Earlier in the inning, Tyrone Taylor hit an RBI double for the Mets' second run.
Landon Knack gave up the grand slam after replacing Ryan Brasier to start the second inning.
The Dodgers' record-tying 33-inning scoreless streak came to an end with the first batter of Game 2, as Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor launched a solo home run to right field off Ryan Brasier.
The Dodgers hadn't surrendered a run since the second inning in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres.
LOS ANGELES — Jack Flaherty grew up in Los Angeles. He pitched at Dodger Stadium in high school, and dreamed one day of being a Dodger.
Still, even in his wildest dreams, he never quite envisioned a night like this.
Flaherty, in one of the finest pitching performances in Dodgers postseason history, gave up just two hits in seven shutout innings, leading the Dodgers to a 9-0 rout Sunday night over the New York Mets in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium.
“It was," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, “just a pitching clinic."
– Bob Nightengale
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