After being blanked by the Dodgers in Game 1, the Mets needed to bounce back and shake off the loss. They did that and more, defeating the Dodgers 7-3, tying the series at 1-1 and sending the series to Citi Field.

The Dodgers entered the game on a scoreless streak of 23 innings. The Mets needed a batter to break it.

Francisco Lindor faced Ryan Brasier, the first man in the Dodgers' bullpen, and threw a ball over the right field wall in the eighth pitch to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

With the Mets without a man on base after Lindor, Sean Manaea took the mound and was sharp from the start, striking out Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts. After a walk to Teoscar Hernández, Freddie Freeman flied out to right field to end the inning.

The Mets followed up quickly and decisively in the second round against new pitcher Landon Knack. Starling Marte led off the inning with a single and was moved to second after Jesse Winker hit a long hit that resulted in a walk. After José Iglesias emerged, Tyrone Taylor fired a high fastball down the left field line, scoring Marte and putting the Men on second and third with one out. Francisco Alvarez, still struggling, popped out to shortstop, and it looked like the Mets were going to miss the opportunity to really step up.

They didn't do that.

After an intentional walk to Lindor, Mark Vientos worked at bat for a long time, but finally saw the pitch he wanted and drilled a pitch just over the right-center field wall for a grand slam, and suddenly the Mets were up 6-0.

The Mets continued to struggle against Knack in the third. Pete Alonso led off the inning with a single. After a few outs, Iglesias lined a single to left field and Taylor walked and loaded the bases again, this time for Alvarez. However, he couldn't deliver and jumped into midfield to end the frame.

Anthony Banda scored a fourth goal without Scoeles and had to make way for Brent Honeywell Jr. in the fifth. Honeywell allowed a hit and a pitch-put-two hit to Alvarez. However, the pop-up route continued and flew to midfield to end the frame.

The first blemish for Manaea came in the fifth when Max Muncy hit a solo home run to right field, putting the Dodgers on the field. Manaea continued his success against Ohtani. After two strikeouts early in the game, Manaea prompted a weak pop-up from Ohtani to end the frame and the threat.

In the sixth, Manaea faltered and led to Betts and Hernández to open the frame, allowing the limping Freeman to approach. Freeman hit what looked like a double-play ball, but Iglesias bobbled a ball that bounced off the mound and all the runners were safe.

He would not face another batter.

Phil Maton was the first out of the Mets bullpen today, prompting Iglesias to pop up for the first out. Tommy Edman hit a ball to Alonso that got under his glove for two scores, making the score 6-3, with Muncy coming to the plate for the game-winning run. Muncy drew a walk, loaded the bases and brought out Kiké Hernández. It led to a double play in which the Dodgers challenged both parts, even though the game was initially close. It didn't matter, the calls on the field continued and the Mets escaped with just two runs scored in an inning that could have been much, much worse.

Honeywell, looking like he stepped out of a 1980s college comedy, didn't let the Mets answer in the seventh, leaving Marte at second after a one-out double to complete three innings of work.

Maton continued into the seventh inning and after getting Andy Pages to pop out, Maton batted around Ohtani and walked him on four pitches. That would be the end for Maton and he was replaced by Ryne Stanek, who beat Betts for the second time on three shade-enhanced pitches. A groundball from Teoscar Hernández to third base ended the inning.

Edgardo Henriquez threw the eighth pitch for the Dodgers and was able to get a weak pop-up from Taylor with the first out. Alvarez reached base on a pitch count violation that resulted in a walk. However, the Mets were unable to score any more runs and sent Stanek out again in the bottom of the eighth.

As was typical in the postseason, Iglesias moved to third with the final six outs and Luisangel Acuña entered the game at second. Stanek made Acuña hit a one-hopper for the first time. Will Smith then hit a line drive that Nimmo had to catch over his head. Nimmo, who was dealing with plantar fasciitis, looked a little sore while running in the outfield but managed to pull off the play. An Edman single brought Muncy to the plate with two outs. Stanek walked Muncy, which led to Edwin Díaz coming in looking for a four-out save.

Kiké Hernández tied the game. A double steal moved runners to second and third, but it didn't matter as a weak fly out to Marte ended the inning and the threat.

Henriquez came back for the ninth in which Alonso issued a one-out walk and (checks notes) stole the base? After running a full count, Marte hit a single up the middle, scoring Alonso with a great throw but a perfect slide. Winker kept the line moving and managed a single over second that moved Marte to third. But that would be the offense for the Mets, as Taylor grounded out to third in the top of the ninth.

Díaz now had a slightly larger cushion at the start of the ninth period and also received a defensive improvement with Taylor moving to the left and Harrison Bader coming in to play in midfield and rest the injured Nimmo. Pages hit a single up the middle to give Ohtani the lead with a runner on. Pages would take second place away from Díaz, which wouldn't matter since Ohtani went for the second time today. With two outs and no outs, Betts struck out, preventing the game-winning run from coming to the plate. Teoscar Hernández struck out with a swing and took the Dodgers to the finals.

Freeman represented the Dodgers' last chance, hitting a low slider to end the game.

This was the game the Mets needed, neutralizing the Dodgers' big hitters – especially Ohtani and Betts – and letting Manaea cook. The bullpen made things a little more interesting, but no one was overworked, and the team should return to Queens rested and ready for the three-game homestand.

With a travel day tomorrow, Game 3 will take place on Wednesday at 8:08 p.m., with Luis Severino (probably) facing Walker Buehler. LFGM.

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What is WPA?

Big winner: Mark Vientos, +16.9% WPA

Big loser: Francisco Alvarez, -7.0% WPA

Overall Pitcher WPA: +17.4% WPA

Total dough WPA: +32.6% WPA

The aw3s0mest game: Grand Slam by Mark Vientos, +20.4% WPA

The sux0rest game: Tommy Edman's two-run single, -11.0% WPA