LOS ANGELES — Francisco Lindor hit a leadoff home run and Mark Vientos added a second-inning grand slam as the New York Mets evened the National League Championship Series at a game each with a 7-3 victory over the host Dodgers on Monday afternoon.
Sean Manaea (2-0) gave up three runs (two earned) on two hits over five-plus innings for the Mets, who will play host to the next three games of the series starting with Game 3 on Wednesday night.
Going with a bullpen game for the second time in their last four contests, Los Angeles 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.
On the eighth pitch of the game, Lindor hit a home run deep into the visitors’ bullpen beyond right field. It was his second home run of the postseason.
The Dodgers turned to right-hander Landon Knack in the second inning, with New York taking a 2-0 lead on an RBI double from Tyrone Taylor. Lindor was intentionally walked with two outs to load the bases for Vientos, who hit his grand slam to center.
Vientos now has 11 RBIs in nine games this postseason, one off the club record held by John Olerud (1999) and Curtis Granderson (2015).
Manaea, who has been resurgent this season following a tweak in his delivery, allowed one hit over the first four innings before Muncy homered leading off the fifth. It was Muncy’s 12th career postseason home run, one off the Los Angeles record.
The Dodgers loaded the bases with nobody out in the sixth inning to chase Manaea. Edman delivered his two-run single with one out against Phil Maton, and Muncy walked to load the bases again before Enrique Hernandez grounded into a double play.
Starling Marte padded the Mets’ lead with an RBI single in the ninth inning.
Edwin Diaz gave up a single to Andy Pages and walked Shohei Ohtani to start the bottom of the ninth. The right-hander recovered with three consecutive strikeouts against Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman to secure his second save of the postseason.
