Mets jump on Dodgers early in Game 2 to tie NLCS

LOS ANGELES Johnny Wholestaff didnt have his best stuff on Monday.

The same bullpen game strategy that gave the Dodgers life in the National League Division Series did the same for the New York Mets in Game 2 of the NL Championship Series.

The Mets scored six times in the first two innings and held on to even the series with a 7-3 victory over the Dodgers.

After a dominant 9-0 Dodgers win in Game 1, the Mets stole home-field advantage in the best-of-seven series which now moves to Citi Field in New York for Games 3, 4 and 5 beginning Tuesday.

The Dodgers postseason record-tying streak of 33 consecutive scoreless innings barely survived the National Anthem on Monday.

Francisco Lindor hit a leadoff home run off of Dodgers opener Ryan Brasier.

The Dodgers have had to resort to bullpen games in both rounds of the postseason because they have just three healthy starting pitchers who they trust.

Rookie right-hander Landon Knack ended the season in the Dodgers starting rotation.

But they are not willing to start him in the postseason.

Instead, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gave him the ball in the second inning, hoping for Knack to absorb a few innings in a bulk role.

It was the first big mistake of the postseason for Roberts, who has had to pick his way through a minefield of pitching decisions.

Knack gave up a single, a walk and a double in the first four batters he faced.

With two outs, the Dodgers intentionally walked Lindor to load the bases.

Knack got ahead of the next hitter, Mark Vientos, 1-and-2, but Vientos fought his way back into the count.

On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Knack left a fastball over the heart of the plate and Vientos lined it into the right field pavilion for a grand slam.

The Mets loaded the bases against Knack again in the third inning but he escaped without damage.

After Dodgers pitchers held batters to a .127 average (14 for 110) during their 33-inning scoreless streak, the Mets went 6 for 14 to start Game 2.

The relief relay that followed Knack was not a reprise of the group that put up zeroes in the NLDS.

It didnt include the high-leverage core of the Dodgers bullpen as Roberts held them back for a lead that never came.

Anthony Banda, Brent Honeywell Jr.

and Edgardo Henriquez held the Mets scoreless until Henriquez gave up a run in the ninth.

But the Dodgers offense was fueled more by Mets pitching (eight walks) than their own swings (five hits) and couldnt get enough going to come all the way back.

A 6-0 headstart would not have been insurmountable against left-hander Sean Manaea, who had a career record of 1-5 with a 7.09 ERA in 11 career appearances against the Dodgers.

This was not that Manaea.

After bouncing from the Oakland As to the San Diego Padres to the San Francisco Giants in the previous three seasons, Manaea landed with the Mets this season and became a different pitcher when he changed his arm angle.

Starting from the third base side of the rubber and striding toward first, Manaea throws across his body now with a three-quarters delivery that Roberts described before Game 2 as Chris Sale-ish.

Manaea did a Sale job on the Dodgers for four innings, holding them to one hit in that time.

Max Muncy led off the fifth with a solo home run to get the Dodgers on the board.

When Manaea walked the first two batters in the sixth and second baseman Jose Iglesias booted a double play ball, the bases were loaded with no outs and Manaeas day was done.

Tommy Edman greeted Mets reliever Phil Maton with a two-run single, the ball glancing off Pete Alonsos glove and into right field.

A Muncy walk re-loaded the bases but Kike Hernandez bounced into an inning-ending double play.

Hernandez had another chance to grab the hero role in the eighth inning.

He came up with two runners on and two out but flew out to right field against Mets closer Edwin Diaz.

The Dodgers stranded two more runners in the ninth against Diaz.

More to come on this story..

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