Dodgers beat Mets, 5-2, to even the NLDS series after controversial play

Struggling, flailing, being pushed to the playoff precipice, the Dodgers rebounded Saturday night. Rebounded with a hugely controversial slide the Mets will no doubt call absolutely dirty, but for the Dodgers just might have turned their postseason around.

When it was over the Dodgers had rallied behind a clutch Adrian Gonzalez double for a 5-2 comeback victory in Game 2 Saturday that tied their National League Division Series up at a game apiece and left the Mets without their starting shortstop.

The Dodgers were getting blown away by the Mets’ latest hard-throwing starter, Noah Syndergaard, early on and trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Zack Greinke had pitched terrific, aside from a pair of Mets solo homers in the second inning by Yoenis Cespedes and Michael Conforto.

But Enrique Hernandez earned a one-out walk, stole second and took third on a single by pinch-hitter Chase Utley, who would quickly become public enemy No.1 in New York.

Howie Kendrick followed with a bouncer up the middle to second baseman Daniel Murphy. He fed too late to Ruben Tejada covering second for the shortstop to turn the double play. Tejada took the feed and then spun around awkwardly in an attempt to make the relay.

But Utley came in hard, sliding late and slightly wide of second. He completely upended Tejada, who landed on his back. He never did get up, the slide fracturing his right fibula. He was carted off the field while David Wright stared into the Dodgers dugout.

To make it worse for the Mets, the Dodgers challenged whether Tejada had ever touched the bag and won. Utley returned to second and Gonzalez delivered a two-run double to give the Dodgers the lead. Justin Turner added another RBI double.

Chris Hatcher pitched a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen the ninth to seal a victory that saved the Dodgers from heading to New York down 0-2 in the best-of-five series.

Greinke went seven innings for the Dodgers, allowing two runs on five hits. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter.

Syndergaard opened the first inning by throwing four pitches 101 mph and overpowering the Dodgers. Aside from Andre Ethier’s RBI double in the fourth, he held the Dodger in check until leaving the game after Utley’s single in the seventh.

Syndergaard was charged with three runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out four.

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