Mets' bullpen strikes right chord in jam sessions

LOS ANGELES -- Mets right-hander Phil Maton is a self-described pessimist by nature, but it’s a trait that pays off as a reliever.

As things began to unravel during the sixth inning of the Mets’ 7-3 victory over the Dodgers on Monday afternoon at Dodger Stadium in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series, Maton prepared himself both mentally and physically to be ready if his name was called.

Until that point, lefty Sean Manaea had continued his recent dominance by surrendering just one run -- a home run by Max Muncy -- across five frames. But Manaea's command eluded him as he walked Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández to open the bottom of the sixth with the Mets holding a 6-1 lead.

“Hit a wall,” Manaea said. “I don't know -- just hit a wall. Obviously, not trying to do that. But I really had no other excuse than that.”

When Freddie Freeman sent a potential double-play grounder up the middle, it caromed off the mound and took a hop that sure-handed second baseman Jose Iglesias couldn't field. The error loaded the bases with no outs -- rather than two outs and a runner at third.

It’s said that the game speeds up in the postseason, both on the field and in the dugout, so decisions must be made in an instant. For arguably the biggest sequence of the game, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza turned to Maton, one of his top setup men, to limit the damage.

Maton retired Will Smith on a popout to second, but he hung a two-strike curveball to Tommy Edman, whose ground ball glanced off first baseman Pete Alonso's glove and went into right field for a two-run single.

Following Muncy’s walk to again load the bases, Maton induced an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play from NL Division Series hero Kiké Hernández on a two-strike sweeper that caught the heart of the plate.

The play wasn’t without theatrics. Third baseman Mark Vientos initially bobbled the ball before throwing over to second, where Iglesias took a hard slide from Muncy and fired to first for a stretched-out Alonso to keep his right foot on the base. The calls on the field stood after replay review, ending the Dodgers’ rally with the Mets leading, 6-3.

“Honestly, going for the strikeout there,” Maton said. “We were ahead in the count, at worst, looking for bad contact and fortunately, that's what we got. But in that situation, trying to get the swing and miss.

“Kiké is a really good hitter. He's dangerous. And when we're ahead in the count, we're just trying to do as much as possible to get the swing and miss in that spot. Fortunately, we got him on the ground and had the best outcome.”

• FAQ: Dodgers-Mets NLCS Game 3

Maton lauded Vientos at third base.

“I feel like it's a really fast field here, and he did a really good job recovering from the initial bobble,” Maton said. “And great turn by Iggy, and it's just textbook. They did a great job.”

Mendoza ushered Maton back out for the seventh after the right-hander threw 16 pitches in the sixth. Following Andy Pages’ popout, Maton walked Shohei Ohtani. Like Maton did for Manaea, righty Ryne Stanek picked up Maton by striking out Betts and inducing a groundout from Teoscar Hernández to end the inning.

In the eighth, when Stanek permitted two baserunners with two outs, closer Edwin Díaz did the same by getting Kiké Hernández to fly out. After the first two batters reached in the ninth, Díaz escaped his self-inflicted jam by striking out the heart of the order -- Betts, Teoscar Hernández and Freeman -- to send the NLCS to Queens tied at one game apiece.

“After we scored and we got up 6-0, the key was for Sean to continue to shut down their offense, continue to just give us zeros,” Mendoza said. “He gave that homer to Muncy. But for him to go out there for the sixth -- like I said – after a couple of walks, he got a ground ball and we couldn't make a play.

“At that point, obviously, going to the bullpen. But they did a hell of a job. … And for Stanek, for him to not only get the last two in the seventh, but two more in the eighth, to be able to give the ball to Díaz today, it was how I envisioned it going in the game today.

“It doesn't always work out that way. I'm just glad they came out big time today, and especially for Díaz, the last four outs.”