Home run power in the early innings helped the New York Mets to a 7-3 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday afternoon. The best-of-seven series is now tied at 1-1.
Francisco Lindor put the Mets up early -- as early as possible -- with a leadoff home run. Then the Mets piled on in the second with five more runs, four of which came on a grand slam from Mark Vientos.
Meantime, lefty Sean Manaea worked five innings and allowed three runs (two earned). The Dodgers first broke through in the fifth with a Max Muncy solo home run. They pushed across a pair of runs in the sixth. However, the Mets avoided further damage when Phil Maton induced a bases-loaded ground-ball double play off the bat of Enrique Hernández. The Dodgers mounted threats in the eighth and ninth but weren't able to draw closer.
Now for some takeaways from Game 2 in L.A.
Lindor ended the Dodgers' scoreless innings streak
The Dodgers came into Game 2 having twirled 33 consecutive scoreless innings, dating back to the third inning of NLDS Game 3 against the Padres. All of that meant that the Dodgers had tied the 1966 Orioles for the longest scoreless streak in a single postseason. Here's a look at the top three in MLB postseason history, according to CBS Sports research department:
- 2024 LAD: 33
- 1966 BAL: 33
- 1974 OAK: 30
With a scoreless opening frame on Monday, the Dodgers would be in sole possession of the all-time record. Instead, Mets leadoff hitter Francisco Lindor did this to a Ryan Brasier cutter on the eighth pitch of the at-bat:
And with that the Dodgers' streak was done, and they remain in a tie with those '66 Orioles for the most consecutive postseason scoreless innings pitched. That was also Lindor's eighth career postseason home run in 37 games. More crucially, it was an early 1-0 lead for the Mets in a game that approached "must win" territory for them.
Mark Vientos put the Mets in command
With two outs in the top of the second and the Dodgers down 2-0, L.A. manager Dave Roberts opted to intentionally walk the switch-hitting Lindor to load the bases for Mark Vientos. That presented reliever Landon Knack with a righty-on-righty matchup and a theoretical advantage. Vientos, though, was not in the mood for theory:
On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Knack left a fastball middle-middle, and Vientos did not miss, as he sent it 391 feet for a 6-0 Mets lead. Vientos in the regular season gorged on fastballs with a .329 batting average and .620 slug against the hard stuff. That trend certainly held in Game 2. After Vientos touched the plate, the Mets had a 92.7% chance of winning Monday's contest.
Has Vientos been the most productive hitter of the 2024 postseason? That's a reasonable question to ask. Coming into Game 2, he had a slash line of .375/.412/.625 with two homers and two doubles in eight games. Then on Monday he went 2 for 5 with the grand slam.
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The 24-year-old Vientos was one of the Mets' most productive hitters during the regular season (135 OPS+ and 27 homers in 111 games). It's probably no accident that their offensive surge coincided with Vientos' becoming a lineup regular.
The Dodgers' bullpen game didn't go as planned
Roberts' dialed up two bullpen games during the five-game triumph over the Padres in the NLDS even though two off days were built into the schedule. That tells you something about the current state of the Dodger rotation. While the Dodgers at one point seemed to have enviable rotation depth, injuries did away with that, and at present they have but three healthy starters. Presently unable to pitch because of injury or recovery from surgery are Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Gavin Stone, Emmet Sheehan, and River Ryan. Carnage, that.
Jack Flaherty's seven scoreless innings in Game 1 set Roberts and the Dodgers up nicely, but Knack – in line to be the bulk guy after opener Brasier – wasn't able to pass muster in Game 2. In two innings of work, Knack was throttled for five runs on five hits and three walks. Those runs proved to be the difference.
It's now a new series
The Mets' win in Game 2 and the resulting 1-1 tie means this NLCS is now basically a best-of-five series. Since the Mets will host Games 3, 4, and 5, that 1-1 tie also now means that the Mets have home-field advantage in this de-facto best-of-five series.
And what if the Mets had lost Game 2? Across all of MLB postseason history, the team up 2-0 in a postseason series has gone on to win that series 83.5% of the time. Above we said Game 2 was almost a must win for the Mets, and that's why. Now, though, it's anyone's NLCS.
Up next: The two teams have an off day for travel on Tuesday, and then on Wednesday the scene shifts to Citi Field in Queens for Game 3. Right-hander Walker Buehler is slated to go for the Dodgers against right-hander Luis Severino for the Mets.
