Steve Webb
NLCS Game 2, 10/14/2024: Dodgers 3, Mets 7
CHAVEZ RAVINE, CA — The problem with a bullpen game is that if there is one weak link in the chain of pitchers, the whole thing can fall apart. And that’s exactly what happened at Dodger Stadium on Monday afternoon. Landon Knack was assigned the bulk role and he was not good… like, at all. In a horrible second inning, the Mets scored five times off Knack, four on a Mark Vientos grand slam, and the Mets held on to win Game 2 of the NLCS by a score of 7-3.
The Dodgers’ scoreless streak lasted just a handful of pitches into Monday’s game. Ryan Brasier was the opener and he battled leadoff man Francisco Lindor for seven pitches, but in the end Lindor got the best of the fight, banging a home run to right field and snapping the streak at 33 straight innings of zeroes. Brasier gave up a walk, but got a double play to get out of the first with no further damage.
The new-look Sean Manaea got the start for the Mets in Game 2, and he looked very sharp in his first inning of work, striking out both Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts in a scoreless frame. With his retooled Chris-Sale-like delivery from the left side, he looked to give the Dodgers fits for the rest of the afternoon.
Then, in the top of the second, disaster struck. Landon Knack came in and immediately was in trouble. The Mets got men on base with a leadoff single from Starling Marte and walk to Jesse Winker. After an infield popout,Tyrone Taylor smacked an RBI double to make it 2-0. Knack got another popout, and it looked like he just might get out of the inning. He, in fact, did not. After an intentional walk to Francisco Lindor loaded up the bases, up came Mark Vientos, a budding star for the Mets. Knack battled Vientos for eight pitches, but then put a center-cut meatball on a platter for him. WHACK! Grand Slam. 6-0 Metropolitans. Ugh. The Dodgers now had themselves a very deep hole to climb out of.
The climb began with a Max Muncy solo shot in the bottom of the fifth. Then in the sixth, they finally broke through with a crooked number. A couple of walks and some bad defense loaded up the bases with nobody out and ended Manaea’s afternoon.
That brought on reliever Phil Maton. After a Will Smith popout, Tommy Edman came up with a chance to do some damage. He ripped a groundball under the glove of Pete Alonso to score two and suddenly it was a 6-3 ballgame. Max Muncy walked to re-load the bases, and that brought up the key at-bat of the inning. NLDS hero Kiké Hernandez had a chance to really tighten up the game, but alas, it was not to be. He hit a sharp ground ball to third. Mark Vientos bobbled it a bit, but the Mets were able to turn a 5-4-3 double play. It was bang-bang at first, but after review Hernandez was out and the inning was over. Ugh.
Meanwhile, we gotta give props to reliever Brent Honeywell in this one. After Anthony Banda went one inning in relief of Knack, Honeywell was a beast, pitching three scoreless innings and keeping the Dodgers in the game.
The top of the order struggled against the encroaching shadows in the the seventh. Shohei Ohtani drew a one-out walk, but Mookie Betts struck out on three pitches and Teoscar Hernandez would ground out to third base to end the inning and strand Ohtani on first.
In the eighth, the Dodgers got more traction. Tommy Edman ripped a two-out single to give the Dodgers a base runner off reliever Ryne Stanek. Edman had a very good game in this one, going 3-for-4 and bringing his 2024 postseason batting average to north of .300. Max Muncy got nothing much to hit and took a walk that ended Stanek’s night. That brought on the brilliant, but erratic Edwin Diaz, who was tasked with getting the final four outs of the game. And once again, it was Kiké Hernandez at the bat. Edman and Muncy advanced on a double steal, but once again Kiké came up short, popping out to Starling Marte in shallow right field. Another opportunity by the wayside.
In the eighth, Edgardo Henriquez came into pitch and while he had one scoreless frame, things didn’t go nearly as smoothly in the ninth. Pete Alonso walked, stole a base (I know, right?), and then scored on the third hit of the day from the previously ice cold Starling Marte. That made it 7-3, and things were looking very bleak indeed.
Shohei Ohtani, who had a rough day at the plate, got one more turn at the dish in the bottom of the ninth. After an Andy Pages single, Shohei faced off against Diaz. The matchup was a bit of a dud, as Diaz walked Ohtani with some not-very-competitive pitches. Things were getting a bit interesting with two men on and Mookie Betts at the plate. But back-to-back strikeouts of Mookie and Teoscar Hernandez made our wounded warrior Freddie Freeman the last hope for the Boys in Blue. But alas, there would be no joy in Mudville; mighty Freddie has struck out.
A very frustrating loss in many respects. On one hand, the bullpen did not have to use any of the high leverage pieces, but on the other, it feels like a little more aggressive managing might have led to a better result. In a playoff game, Ryan Brasier, Landon Knack, Anthony Banda, Brent Honeywell, and Edgardo Henriquez? Seriously?
The loss knots up the series at a game apiece. The Dodgers will fly out on Monday night and have a chance to lick their wounds on Tuesday, and then will get back at it at Citi Field in New York for three straight night games starting on Wednesday. Game 3 of the series starts at 5:08 PDT, with Walker Buehler locking horns with Luis Severino of the Mets. Seven-game series are always a battle, so one loss or one win is a long way from decisive in the grand scheme of things. All the Dodgers need to do is flush this one and get on the plane, ready to kick some butt in the Big Apple.
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