Lindor homers as Mets stop Dodgers' record scoreless streak, head to NY with NLCS tied

Francisco Lindor and Mark Vientos homered as the New York Mets stopped the Los Angeles Dodgers' record-tying post-season scoreless streak in a 7-3 victory on Monday, tying the National League Championship Series at a game apiece.

Lindor added to his storybook season with a leadoff homer in the first inning against Ryan Brasier. Viento delivered during New York's five-run second, connecting for a grand slam against Landon Knack.

Before Lindor went deep, Los Angeles had a string of 33 consecutive 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, and two hits in five-plus innings. Closer Edwin Diaz earned a four-out save.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and two walks. He remains hitless with the bases empty in his first post-season.

Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in New York.

The Mets jumped all over the Dodgers after flopping in the series opener.

Knack took over for L.A. 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, scoring Marte.

After Francisco Alvarez popped to shortstop, Lindor was intentionally walked to load the bases. Vientos sent a 391-foot shot to centre for the third grand slam in Mets playoff history. That extended the lead to 6-0 and silenced the sellout crowd of 52,926.

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

Snake slithers through Dodgers dugout

A snake slithered through the Los Angeles Dodgers dugout during Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Monday.

The reptile appeared in the top of the fifth inning of the Dodgers' 7-3 loss to the New York Mets. It wasn't big enough to put a scare into anyone.

"I was hoping it was a rally snake and we turned a rally around right after that," reliever Brent Honeywell said. "But just something to get the boys moving a little different [after] everything else."

The snake was wrapped in a towel and removed by a member of the grounds crew.

"We've had `Snakes on a Plane', `Snakes on a Train' and the latest Hollywood hit: `Snake in the Dugout,"' joked Fox play-by-play commentator Joe Davis.

The visitor didn't have the impact of the San Diego Padres' rally goose that landed on the field at Dodger Stadium in 2022.

Yankees top Guardians, win ALCS opener

Juan Soto homered during New York's three-run third inning, Carlos Rodon got his first postseason win and the Yankees took advantage of Cleveland's wildness in a 5-2 victory on Monday night in Game 1 of the AL Championship Series.

Cleveland became the second team to throw a pair of run-scoring wild pitches in a postseason inning and tied a postseason record with five overall. Guardians pitchers walked six in a nine-batter span and nine overall.

Giancarlo Stanton added his 13th career postseason homer for the Yankees, who are seeking a record 41st AL pennant. New York batters have walked 36 times in five postseason games.

Rodon rebounded from the Yankees' only loss in the Division Series, limiting the Guardians to a pair of singles before Brayan Rocchio's sixth-inning homer.

Steven Kwan pulled the Guardians within three runs when he extended his postseason hitting streak to a team-record 11 games with an RBI single in the eighth off Clay Holmes.

Luke Weaver entered with runners at the corners. He struck out pinch-hitter Will Brennan and retired Jose Ramirez on a groundout, and then followed a leadoff walk in the ninth with three straight strikeouts for his fourth save this postseason.

Game 2 is at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night. Entering this year, teams taking the opener of a series with a 2-3-2 format have won 66 of 99 times.

Making his first playoff appearance in 11 years, Cobb walked the bases loaded in the third and rookie reliever Joey Cantillo threw a pair of run-scoring wild pitches. Cobb was removed because of hip tightness and a back spasm.

Cantillo had four wild pitches overall, one shy of the record for a postseason game set by Rick Ankiel of St. Louis in a 2000 NL Division Series opener against Atlanta. The only other time a team scored twice on wild pitches in a postseason inning was by Minnesota against Oakland in the 2002 AL Division Series.

Rodon struck out nine and walked none, getting 25 misses among 53 swings, matching the fourth-most misses in a postseason game since pitch-tracking began in 2008. His pitches broke so much that catcher Austin Wells had to throw to first three times on strikeouts for the putouts.

Cobb dropped in 0-2 in the playoffs, making just his fifth start in a season limited by injuries. He threw 36 of 65 pitches for strikes, getting only one swing and miss, and allowed three runs, five hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings.