‘I took it personal’: Vientos grand slam helps Mets tie NLCS with Dodgers

Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos homered as the New York Mets stopped the Los Angeles Dodgers’ record-tying postseason winless streak in a 7-3 victory on Monday, tying the NL Championship Series at one game apiece.

Lindor extended his storybook season with a leadoff homer in the first inning against Ryan Brasier. Vientos performed during the five-run second in New York, hitting a grand slam against Landon Knack.

Before Lindor went deep, Los Angeles was on a streak of 33 straight scoreless innings. Jack Flaherty led the Dodgers to a 9-0 victory in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday night.

Sean Manaea opened Game 2 with four shutout innings for New York. He was charged with three runs, two earned runs and two hits in five-plus innings. Closer Edwin Diaz earned a four-out save.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and two walks. He remains hitless with the bases empty in his first MLB postseason.

The Mets jumped the Dodgers after a flop in the series opener. Lindor fouled four consecutive Brasier pitches before sending a shot 350 feet to right for his leadoff homer. Knack took over for LA in the second and gave up a leadoff single to Starling Marte and then walked Jesse Winker. One out later, Tyrone Taylor doubled to left to score Marte.

After Francisco Alvarez reached the shortstop on a pop stop, Lindor was walked intentionally, loading the bases. Vientos sent a 300-foot homer to center for the third grand slam in Mets playoff history. That extended the lead to 6-0 and silenced the sold-out crowd of 52,926.

“To be honest, I took it personally,” he said of the Dodgers’ decision to walk Lindor and bring on Vientos.

It was the Mets’ second blow in the playoffs. Lindor hit a go-ahead hit in Game 4 of the NL Division Series against Philadelphia. Edgardo Alfonzo had the club’s first playoff slam in 1999.

After Max Muncy homered leading off the fifth inning, the Dodgers rallied in the sixth to trail 6-3, igniting the crowd again. The Dodgers then had the potential tying run at home with two outs in the eighth. Tommy Edman singled and Muncy walked before the Mets brought in Diaz. They advanced on a double steal before Kiké Hernández flied out to shallow right field to end the threat. The Mets took advantage of hard-throwing Dodgers rookie Edgardo Henriquez with an insurance run in the ninth.

Manaea was the first left-handed starter the Dodgers have faced this postseason. They saw a lot of him during his time with San Diego in 2022 and San Francisco last year. But midway through this season he changed his game with the Mets, ditching his arm slot and releasing the ball more horizontally.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in New York. “Mets country is great, so I’m looking forward to being home,” Lindor said after Monday’s game.