National League Divisional Series
New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers
The New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers continued their series Saturday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The Mets took game one against Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers by a score of 3-1. The Dodgers are looking to even the series in Game 2. The Mets have rookie Noah Syndergaard starting against the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke. Syndergaard only started one game against the Dodgers, but he went six innings, giving up one run on two hits and two walks while striking out six. Greinke had two starts against the Mets, giving up just two runs in 14 innings on eight hits and three walks while striking out seven.
http://gty.im/492182944
Curtis Granderson led off the game with a single up the middle, but that was erased when David Wright hit into a 6-4-3 double play. Greinke then got Daniel Murphy, who hit a home run in yesterday’s game, to strike out swinging to end the inning.
Syndergaard got Howie Kendrick to ground out before striking out Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez for a perfect first inning. The game remained scoreless heading into the second.
Yoenis Cespedes led off the second inning by taking a 2-2 fastball off the plate from Greinke and putting it over the wall in right field for an early 1-0 lead.
[iframe id=”http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=521520883&topic_id=94784514&width=400&height=224&property=mlb” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”400″]
Seager made a nice over the head catch to rob Lucas Duda of a base hit. After Travis d’Arnaud struck out, Michael Conforto ripped a line drive that just glanced the outside of the foul pole for another home run to give the Mets a 2-0 lead.
[iframe id=”http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=521533683&topic_id=94784514&width=400&height=224&property=mlb” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”400″]
Greinke struck out Ruben Tejada to finally end the inning. After giving up 14 home runs all season, he gave up two in the second inning.
Enrique Hernandez led off the third inning with the first hit against Syndergaard, a line drive single to left field. Greinke struck out looking for the first out. Howie Kendrick hit a ground ball between short and third, putting runners at first and second with one out. Syndergaard got Seager and Gonzalez to strike out to end the threat.
http://gty.im/492184010
Justin Turner led off the bottom of the fourth by ripping the ball down the left field line for a ground rule double. Andre Ethier rollowed that up by hitting the ball to right field for an RBI double to make it a 2-1 ballgame. Ethier was thrown out at third when Carl Crawford hit a comebacker to the mound. Crawford stole second as Yasmani Grandal struck out. The Mets intentionally walked Hernandez to face Greinke with runners on first and second with two outs. The move almost backfired, but Granderson was able to track down Greinke’s line drive to right-center field for the third out.
Hernandez drew a one-out walk in the seventh inning and then stole second base. Chase Utley pinch hit for Greinke and got a single to right field. Hernandez was held up at third, as he had to make sure that the ball was not caught. Bartolo Colon came in to face Kendrick.
Syndergaard finished with six and a third innings pitched, giving up one run on five hits and four walks and striking out nine.
Kendrick hit the ball up the middle, Daniel Murphy snagged it and flipped it to Tejada for a force out. Utley took out Tejada to break up the double play, which allowed Hernandez to score the tying run. Tejada had to be taken off on a cart after being upended by Utley. X-rays showed a fractured right fibula, and Tejada’s postseason is over. After reviewing the play, it was ruled that Tejada never touched the base and Utley was safe at second, so there were runners on first and second with one out.
[iframe id=”http://m.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=521590283&topic_id=94784514&width=400&height=224&property=mlb” autoplay=”no” maxwidth=”400″]
Addison Reed came in to relieve Colon and got Seager to fly out to left for the second out, but Gonzalez took advantage of the extra out by doubling down the right field line, plating Utley and Kendrick to give the Dodgers the lead. Gonzalez ended up on third on the throw to the plate. Turner hit another double to score Gonzalez, and the Dodgers found themselves up 5-2 with two outs in the seventh.
Jon Niese relieved Reed, and he struck out Justin Ruggiano, who pinch hit for Ethier. The Dodgers took a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning. The bullpen closed the door and the Dodgers evened the series at a game apiece.
http://gty.im/492202992
Player of the Game: Adrian Gonzalez
Gonzalez went 1-4 with two RBI and a run scored. His two-run double in the seventh gave the Dodgers their first lead of the series. He later scored, and those runs proved to be the margin of victory.
NLDS Game 3 (Series tied 1-1)
Game 3 will be at Citi Field in New York on Monday. Dodger left hander Brett Anderson will go up against Matt Harvey of the Mets. Anderson brings a 10-9 record and 3.69 ERA into the game, while Harvey went 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA.