LOS ANGELES. – The leadoff man who has energized the New York Mets all season delivered a much-needed jolt on Monday afternoon (Tuesday in Manila). This time, it sparked an effort that the club heading home tied in the National League Championship Series.
Francisco Lindor opened Game 2 with a home run and Mark Vientos added a second-inning grand slam as New York evened the NLCS at a win apiece with a 7-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Sean Manaea (2-0) gave up three runs (two earned) on two hits over five-plus innings for the Mets, who will host the next three games of the series starting with Game 3 on Wednesday night (Thursday in Manila).
“It was an important game today, especially after the way we played (Sunday),” New York manager Carlos Mendoza said of the Mets’ 9-0 loss in Game 1. “It was a quick turnaround, but we’ve done that the whole year. We get punched in the face and we continue to find ways to get back up. And it will continue to be that way.”
With Los Angeles going with a bullpen game for the second time in its past four contests, right-hander Ryan Brasier (1-1) gave up Lindor’s home run in the first inning to end the Dodgers’ 33-inning postseason scoreless streak that tied a major league record.
Max Muncy hit a home run and Tommy Edman had a two-run single for Los Angeles, which saw its three-game winning streak come to an end.
“It’s a seven-game series (and) we’re not going to let one game affect the way we feel about ourselves, whether it’s at the plate, on the mound or as a team,” Dodgers second baseman Enrique Hernandez said. “We have to go to New York and on Wednesday jump on them early and do what we have been doing the past couple of days. It becomes a best-of-five now.”
but not what might be the most important factor, which way the wind is blowing.
