In their first meeting since last season's NLCS, the Mets rallied to force extras but ultimately fell to the reigning champion Dodgers, 7-5, in 13 innings on a rain-drenched Friday night at Citi Field.
The Dodgers and Mets used a combined 17 pitchers. It's also the first time the Mets played a 13th inning since the automatic runner rule was implemented after the 2019 season.
Here are the takeaways...
-- The Dodgers turned to closer Tanner Scott in the ninth with a three-run cushion, and just when it seemed as if the Mets were ready to pack things up, they emphatically defied expectations. After allowing a leadoff single to Starling Marte and a walk to Pete Alonso, Scott grooved a fastball to Jeff McNeil that was sent down the right-field line for a two-run triple. Then, four pitches later, McNeil touched home on a game-tying single from Tyrone Taylor. It was Scott's fourth blown save of the season.
-- Alex Vesia was called upon to clean up the mess and force the game into extras, and he narrowly did just that. After giving up a two-out single to Brett Baty that put the winning run on third in Taylor, Vesia sent Luisangel Acuña down on strikes on a close check swing call.
-- Edwin Diaz was tasked with a pressure-packed 10th inning, and a messy mound that required maintenance from the groundscrew seemingly spelled doom. But the Mets' closer surprisingly left a no-out, bases-loaded jam unscathed, as he induced a forceout at home and a 6-3 double-play chopper between Francisco Lindor and Alonso.
Unfortunately for the Mets, they could not capitalize in their half of the 10th. Lindor would strike out for the third time before Marte was hit by a pitch. Juan Soto hit a slow grounder to first for the second out, but moved the runners up. Alonso then hit a long flyball that Andy Pages snagged at the warning track to end the threat.
-Reed Garrett got through the 11th and 12th without allowing a run, but the Mets squandered another chance. Lindor was intentionally walked and Marte laid down a great bunt to move the runners up. Soto was intentionally walked for Luis Torrens, who replaced Alonso in the field after he was pinch-run for. Torrens grounded into an inning-ending double play.
-- Huascar Brazoban came out for the 13th and was the Mets' ninth and final pitcher out of the bullpen. Teoscar Hernandez roped a double to push across the automatic runner. Hernandez would score on a Hyeseong Kim single and Pages sac fly.
-- Mets starter Griffin Canning navigated his first trip through the Dodgers' lineup with some help from his teammates. In the first inning, Francisco Alvarez pulled off a slick back pick behind the plate to get a leaning Mookie Betts tagged out at first base. The Dodgers challenged the play, but replay review confirmed the call. Then, in the second, Brandon Nimmo took extra bases away from Will Smith with a leaping catch at the wall in left.
-- A week of incessant chatter about his effort and energy levels didn't seem to faze Soto in his first at-bat back home. The fans who wanted to see the return of his signature "Soto Shuffle" were somewhat amused, as the superstar slugger appeared to shimmy a tad after taking a pitch from Dodgers veteran Clayton Kershaw. While the battle ended with a double-play groundout, Soto patently hustled out of the box and down to first.
-- Betts found himself involved in another reviewed play in the third, when his fly to right-center with two runners on bounced off of Soto's glove and somehow found Taylor's bare hand for the out. Michael Conforto tagged up at second and advanced to third, but the Mets presumed he left early, completed the process of doubling him off, and then challenged. After review, it was determined Conforto took off on the touch instead of the catch, and both runners legally moved up. How? A wrinkle in MLB's rulebook states a runner can tag up as soon as the glove touches the ball.
-- Just moments after the confusing sequence, heavy rain arrived at Citi Field, forcing the game into a lengthy 98-minute delay. Play resumed with Max Kranick pitching in relief of Canning, and the Dodgers took advantage of the rally they'd built. A walk to Freedie Freeman loaded the bases for Smith, who then drove in the first run with an infield single deep in the shortstop hole. Five pitches later, Hernandez bumped the lead to 3-0 with a two-run single to left.
-- The rain showers cut Canning's outing to just 2.2 innings. The right-hander threw 54 pitches -- 27 for strikes -- and was unfortunately responsible for the three third-inning runs. He also walked a season-high four. Nimmo didn't come back out either -- the Mets said he was removed with a stiff neck. McNeil entered in left as the replacement.
-- Kershaw's night was cut short too, and the Dodgers turned to reliever Matt Sauer for the third. With one out in the inning, Baty put the Mets on the board with a solo home run to right-center. He entered Friday with a .583 slugging percentage and an .833 OPS in 36 plate appearances since returning from Triple-A Syracuse.
-- Max Muncy found himself responsible for a pair of errors in the fourth, and the mistakes cost the Dodgers another run. The Mets' funky rally began with a wild throw from Muncy on a soft grounder that allowed leadoff man Marte to reach first and advance to second. Then, with one out, Marte was awarded home on a sac fly from Alonso after the umpires ruled that Muncy obstructed Marte's view. It was a huge break for the Mets, as Hernandez threw a perfect missile home that beat Marte attempting to score. The effort was all for naught -- Muncy's gaffe made the score 3-2.
-- The Dodgers were able to shrug off Muncy's blunders with another multi-run rally in the fifth, this time against Jose Butto. It was also sparked with two outs, as Butto lost control by walking Smith and plunking Hernandez. Muncy then atoned with an RBI single to left, and Pages pushed the Dodgers' lead back to three with a sharp liner to left.
-- After the Mets removed Butto in the fifth, the bullpen combination of Jose Castillo, Ryne Stanek, and Genesis Cabrera held the Dodgers to just one hit and struck out five across 4.1 innings. Los Angeles relied on considerable length from Ben Casparius -- he struck out six and allowed one walk across three hitless innings.
Game MVP
Hernandez, whose 2-for-5 night and three RBI -- including the go-ahead double in the 13th -- made the difference.
Highlights
What's next
The Mets (30-21) will continue their three-game series against the Dodgers (32-19) on Saturday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. on Fox.
David Peterson (2-2, 2.86 ERA) is slated to take the mound, opposite right-hander Tony Gonsolin (2-0, 4.05).
