Inning by inning: Dodgers even NLDS series with win over Mets, 5-2

Final: Dodgers 5, Mets 2

Kenley Jansen walked Curtis Granderson but did no more harm. The Dodgers win, 5-2. Chase Utley’s seventh-inning slide will no doubt be debated for some time, but the Dodgers have evened the series at one as both teams head to New York.

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Here’s what we know about Utley’s slide and MLB rules: the call was reviewed because it was deemed not a neighborhood play. The umpires also ruled it was not interference. Utley did not have to touch second base for the call to be overturned.

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New York Dodgers 5, Mets 2, top of ninth inning

The Dodgers go in order. Kenley Jansen is now in to try to close this game out.

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Ruben Tejada’s injury has been announced as a fractured right fibula.

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New York Dodgers 5, Mets 2, bottom of eighth inning

Hatcher retires the side in the eighth inning. The Dodgers are three outs away from evening the series.

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New York Dodgers 5, Mets 2, top of eighth inning

The new pitcher, Jon Niese, struck out Andre Ethier to end the inning. But the Dodgers are now six outs away from the win. Chris Hatcher will pitch the eighth inning for the Dodgers.

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New York Dodgers 5, Mets 2, bottom of seventh inning

The momentum has shifted completely. With the inning extended, Justin Turner lined another double to score Gonzalez. It’s 5-2, Dodgers. Reed’s night is over.

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New York Dodgers 4, Mets 2, bottom of seventh inning

That slide is going to be a pivotal part of this game. With two outs, Adrian Gonzalez roped a double to left field to score two more runs. The Dodgers have a two run lead.

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The call is overturned. Utley is safe at second. The Dodgers will have runners on first and second with one out and Addison Reed in as the Mets’ new pitcher.

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To literally add insult to injury, the play is under review. On replay, it looked as though Tejada’s toe missed second base, but we are awaiting the official call.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 2, bottom of seventh inning

We have a tie ballgame. Howie Kendrick lined a ball up the middle, but the Mets were well positioned. Chase Utley’s hard, and seemingly late, slide broke up a potential double play, and Hernandez scored.

Shortstop Ruben Tejada, who fell hard on Utley’s slide, was down on the field for several minutes and was carted off the field. Wilmer Flores will replace him at shortstop.

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Seems he is clutch. After Enrique Hernandez stole second, Utley singled. But Hernandez froze and was held at third. Syndergaard’s night is over. Bartolo Colon is coming in to face the top of the order with runners on the corners and one out. Dodger Stadium is as loud as it has been all series.

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Chase Utley is pinch hitting for Greinke. Let’s see if he’s clutch.

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Nancy Bea Hefley, the Dodgers’ organist for 28 years, just performed the seventh inning stretch for what could be her final time. The Dodgers would at least need to force a Game 5 for another home game this year.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 1, bottom of seventh inning

The Mets go three up, three down in the seventh. Greinke is now at 110 pitches, and with Luis Avilan warming up in the bullpen, he could be done for the night.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 1, top of seventh inning

After Ethier reached base on a walk, Carl Crawford grounded into a double play, and we’ll go into the seventh.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 1, bottom of sixth inning

After a fluky call at first base — initially called an out though, then righyly overturned — Curtis Granderson reached on a one-out single, but David Wright grounded into his second double play of the night to end the top of the inning.

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Hey, there’s another big game going on in Los Angeles tonight. The U.S. and Mexico are tied 1-1 in the second half at the Rose Bowl. Open up a new tab and follow along with that game too!

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 1, top of sixth inning

Tonight is not Adrian Gonzalez’s night. He has three strikeouts, the last looking, and the Dodgers went quietly in the fifth.

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Greinke’s pitch count is up to 86.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 1, bottom of fifth inning

Zack Greinke has settled into a rhythm. He struck out two batters and retired the side in order in the fifth.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 1, top of fifth inning

After Etheir was thrown out at third on a Carl Crawford ground out, Crawford stole second. With two outs, Syndergaard walked Hernandez intentionally to reach Greinke, who put a good swing on the ball but couldn’t lift it into the right-center field gap. It was not unlike Clayton Kershaw’s deep flyout to center field in Game 1. Both, ultimately, were fruitless.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 1, bottom of fourth inning

The Dodgers are on the board and still threatening. Justin Turner led off with a double, and Andre Ethier followed with a double of his own. The Dodgers have a runner in scoring position with no outs, and trail by one run.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 0, bottom of fourth inning

Lucas Duda swung through strike three and Yoenis Cespedes, running on the 3-2 count, was easily mowed down at second base, and the Dodgers ended the fourth inning with a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play.

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Asked to describe this game in five words or less, intrepid reporter Steve Dilbeck replied, “tense, exciting postseason baseball.”

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 0, top of fourth inning

The Dodgers have begun to catch up to Syndergaard, but they couldn’t drive in two base runners in the fourth inning. After Enrique Hernandez and Howie Kendrick singled, Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez struck out to end the inning.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 0, bottom of third inning

There’s Greinke’s first 1-2-3 inning. He’s retired four in a row since Conforto’s home run.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 0, top of third inning

The Dodgers got their first base runner. Andre Ethier walked, and, with two outs, Yasmani Grandal hit a line drive hard but right at the Mets’ shift. They remain hitless through two innings.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 0, bottom of second inning

Amid a rough inning, there was one bright spot. Corey Seager made a really difficult catch look easy. On a pop in between shortstop and left field, Seager ran straight back and casually made a basket catch on his shoulder, then flashed a smile. The bad news, for the Dodgers, is that it came sandwiched between two solo home runs.

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New York Mets 2, Dodgers 0, top of second inning

The Mets have struck again. Michael Conforto hit a hard, low line drive to right field that hit off the foul pole for another solo home run. The Dodgers now trail by two runs early.

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New York Mets 1, Dodgers 0, top of second inning

Once again, the Mets have jumped to an early lead. Yoenis Cespedes smacked a leadoff home run to right field to give the Mets a 1-0 lead, as a chant of “Let’s Go Mets!” breaks out at Dodger Stadium.

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Maybe because of the postseason adrenaline, deGrom threw faster than usual on Friday, and Syndergaard has done the same, albeit very early on.

Yesterday, the Times asked Carl Crawford what those few extra miles per hour do for a pitcher.

“You see what it does,” Crawford said. “Twelve strikeouts, huh?”

He underestimated, actually. deGrom struck out 13.

“That’s what it does,” Crawford said.

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Dodgers 0, New York Mets 0, top of second inning

This Mets rotation is pretty fearsome. Syndergaard dispatched the Dodgers easily, 1-2-3 in the first. He threw six fastball is the triple digits.

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The crowd is gasping audibly after each Noah Syndergaard fastball. He’s touched 101 mph often. And you thought Jacob deGrom threw hard.

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Dodgers 0, New York Mets 0, bottom of first inning

Zack Greinke’s no-hit bid did not last long. Curtis Granderson led off with a single, but David Wright grounded into a double play and Daniel Murphy struckout to end the inning.

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Zack Greinke and the Dodgers have taken the field, and Game 2 is seconds away.

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Here’s some pregame links and notes:

• The Dodgers shook up their lineup in Game 2. Joc Pederson is out, and Enrique Hernandez is in at center field. And Howie Kendrick is batting leadoff for the first time all season.
• The bright side of Game 1, Dodger fans, is that Jacob deGrom is now unlikely to pitch in Game 4.
• Intrepid blogger Steve Dilbeck says the Dodgers need Adrian Gonzalez to deliver in the clutch.
• The Mets’ Game 2 starter, Noah Syndergaard, struggled on the road for much of the year, but he’s earned his manager’s trust.
• Esteemed columnist Bill Plaschke says Manager Don Mattingly made the right decision to pull Clayton Kershaw in the seventh inning of Game 1.
• What’s up with Clayton Kershaw in the seventh inning, anyway?
• And what’s up with Clayton Kershaw and left-handed hitters in the playoffs?

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Are you wondering what Zack Greinke is doing right now to prepare for the game? So are his teammates.

“I don’t really know what Zack does,” Brett Anderson told the Times earlier in the week. “Because no one knows what Zack does.”

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The first pitch is about 30 minutes away, and it’s still really, really hot out. Greinke said yesterday that he expects the ball to traveling farther in the heat.

Fans are trickling into the stadium slowly thanks to some heavy traffic with the U.S. vs. Mexico soccer game at the Rose Bowl, also starting at 6 p.m. (learn more about that here!) and because of a visit from President Obama (thanks, #ObamaJam).

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The Dodgers take on the New York Mets in Game 2 of a NL Division Series matchup Friday night at 6 p.m. at Dodger Stadium. Zack Greinke will pitch for L.A. against Noah Syndergaard of the Mets.

Bill Plaschke, Dylan Hernandez, Steve Dilbeck, Bill Shaikin and Zach Helfand will be at the stadium to bring you all the action. You can follow along with inning-by-inning updates right here.