LOS ANGELES — The Mets’ infield defense hurt them until it saved them.
A few regrettable plays threatened to upturn a game the Mets seemed to have in hand before they turned a steely double play in the 7-3, NLCS-tying victory in Game 2 at Dodger Stadium.
With the game in the balance in Monday’s sixth inning, a mostly solid defense began to sprout holes. With two on base and no one out, Freddie Freeman smacked a line drive up the middle that took a strange bounce off the mound and directly to Jose Iglesias at second.
One of the most sure-handed infielders of his generation let the potential double-play ball go through his legs and into the outfield to load the bases.
“[Sean Manaea] got a ground ball,” manager Carlos Mendoza said, “and we couldn’t make a play.”
Up five runs, Mendoza removed Manaea and inserted Phil Maton, who did what he was supposed to: He induced a pop-up from Will Smith and a possible double-play ball from Tommy Edman. But Edman’s hard grounder to the right side went under the glove of a diving Pete Alonso, who got to the ball but could not snag it or knock it down.
The ball “got through Pete,” Mendoza said, the hit squirting into right field for a two-run single that narrowed the Mets’ lead to 6-3.
Pete Alonso keeps his foot on the bag to complete a double play in Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers on Oct. 14, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
After a Max Muncy walk reloaded the bases, two defensive miscues were forgiven by one, last wobbly but effective defensive effort.
Kiké Hernandez, the potential go-ahead run, grounded to Mark Vientos, who did not field it cleanly. The ball popped into and out of his glove, but he did not panic, corralled it again, and threw a strike to Iglesias at second.
Jose Iglesias makes an error against the Dodgers. MLBIglesias caught the ball with his foot on the bag and absorbed a breakup slide from Muncy while throwing strong to Alonso, whose stretch ensured a run-saving and perhaps game-saving double play.
“I feel like it’s a really fast field here, and [Vientos] did a really good job of recovering from the initial bobble,” Maton said. “Great turn by Iggy. It’s just textbook. They did a great job.”
The Mets’ defense has not been a strength to begin this series — Starling Marte’s misplay on a carom off the wall cost them a run Sunday — but the gloves were needed for one play, and they came through for one play.
