LOS ANGELES — The New York Mets flipped the Hollywood script on Monday and tied the National League Championship Series.
Thanks to six runs in the first two innings, the Mets beat the previously unbeatable Los Angeles Dodgers and won 7-3 in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium. Francis Lindor homered in the first inning, Mark Winds hit a second-inning grand slam and Sean Manaei pitched five perfect innings – before nearly losing in the sixth – as the Mets tied the series at one game heading into Game 3 on Wednesday at Citi Field.
It was, with the exception of the mid-inning, a near-perfect reversal of Game 1, when the Dodgers took an early lead and then crushed the opposition's most dangerous hitters.
The Mets went this route in Game 2. Lindor and Vientos once again set the tone and changed the game on offense, and Manaea lasted five innings before running into trouble in the sixth. The bullpen limited the damage and maintained the lead.
The Dodgers' top five hitters, all of whom were All-Stars this season, were 0-for-19 with five walks and nine strikeouts, including Bets Mookie, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in a row to end the game. The Mets' top five hitters went 0-for-17 with seven strikeouts in the first game. In Game 2, they went 7-for-22 with six RBIs and five runs scored.
Francisco Lindor set the tone for the Mets by leading off the game with a home run. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Mets show their resilience
After a listless first-game loss in which they played their worst game in weeks, the Mets wasted no time in bouncing back.
The Mets have done this many times before. Brutal regular-season losses were often followed by inspiring victories. Their calling card in 2024 is resilience.
They tend to get up again.
The Mets needed to make a quick statement in Game 2, and it was no surprise that Lindor delivered the decisive home run to lead off. After fouling the ball to leg, Lindor moved back to the batter's box and drove in to finish with an eight-pitch batter. There will be more two-hitters, which will be another key trend for the Mets in the postseason. In the second inning and with the score 0-2 at halftime, Tyron Taylor hit an RBI double. Later in the inning, on the ninth pitch, Vientos continued his impressive run with a grand slam to increase the score to 6-0.
Reflecting on Kodai Senga, during Sunday's brutal performance, Manaea had to start strong. He did just that, opening the game with a series of shots from Shohei Ohtani and Betty. The Mets started Senga on Sunday to give Manaea and Luis Severino (Game 3 starter) an extra day of rest given the veterans' heavy workload. Manaea's strong start showed why the Mets thought it was a smart move.
Responding in familiar fashion, the Mets return to Citi Field looking to make better use of their starting pitching in the next two games.
The Dodgers' bullpen play didn't pay off
Getting back on track and hitting the bullpen in Game 2 made a lot of sense for the Dodgers. Their options made a bullpen necessary for one game in the series, and doing so in Game 2 — after Jack Flaherty went seven innings in the first game and had Tuesday's day off — made sense.
Landon Knack gave up five runs over two innings as the Mets stormed to a 6-0 lead. (Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
What backfired didn't happen in the first inning, even though Lindor started the afternoon with a solo shot, ending an eight-pitch at-bat against Ryan Brasier's team and snapping the Dodgers' scoreless streak at 33. The big trouble came later
Instead of continuing to use high-leverage weapons like they did in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, the Dodgers opted to try and steal a few innings of offense with Landon Knack's rookie. A five-inning inning, capped by a Vientos at-bat grand slam in which Knack left several pitches above the plate, sank the Dodgers early.
The Dodgers are missing key leverage arm Alex Vesia this series, making it difficult to count outs with strictly bullpen arms. We always planned to involve Knack in some way. However, just two innings of use made the 6-0 deficit against Sean Manaea even more insurmountable.
The Mets bullpen shows up at key times
The Mets' two biggest bullpen acquisitions before the trade deadline were: Phil Maton and Ryne Stan, two right-handers who happen to be good friends. These were options with a low purchase price; Maton had an ERA of 4.58 for the Tampa Bay Rays while Stanek seemed to be the odd man out for the Seattle Mariners. In both deals, the Mets took the money (and in Stanek's case, parted ways with the minor league outfielder) because they believed in both pitchers' accomplishments. The team thought they would both help later in the game.
Fast forward to the NLCS, and Stanek and Maton are in familiar places. They are returning to being trusted late-game setup options. And on Monday, they both did their job when the Mets needed them most.
Maton inherited a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning, replacing Manaea with no outs. He allowed two singles, but that was the extent of the damage. Stanek relieved Maton with one out and a runner on first base in the seventh inning. He punched Betts and then forced Hernández to punch out and end the round. Stanek then recorded two outs in the eighth inning before allowing one and a walk. Edwin Diaz fired him and got the final.
The Mets lack reliable bridge options for Díaz, who is questionable. They did an admirable job of hiding this flaw with good pitching early on. But there will be other games, like Monday, when the Mets don't get the length they want. Then they have to rely on Stanek and Maton.
(Top photo of Mark Vientos' Grand Slam: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images))
