NLDS Game 2: Dodgers rally to even series after controversial takeout slide
The Los Angeles Dodgers pulled even in the NL division series on Saturday, defeating the New York Mets 5-2 in a wild and controversial Game 2.
The entire outlook of the game changed very suddenly in the seventh inning. With New York leading 2-1, Enrique Hernandez on third base, Chase Utley on first and one out for the Dodgers, Howie Kendrick hit a ground ball that second baseman Daniel Murphy fielded and and flipped to shortstop Ruben Tejada for an apparent force out at second. However, Tejada was unable to complete the play after Utley slid in very hard and very late, actually sending Tejada head over heels.
Unfortunately, Tejada was taken off the field by cart after sustaining what appeared to be a serious right leg injury. The Mets later confirmed Tejada suffered a fractured right fibula, so his postseason is obviously over.
As for the game, the tying run scored on the play, and it was later determined by replay that Tejada was unable to even record the force out, because his toe missed the bag. Utley was ruled, despite never clearly touching the base himself and then voluntarily running off the field. The Dodgers went on to score three more runs in the inning to break the game open.
Here’s how MLB saw the controversial play.
Here’s how everyone else appeared to see it.
It was a wild sequence that changed the game and potentially changed the series on multiple levels. Aside from whether the play was legal or called properly on the field, there’s the issue of Tejada’s health and how both sides will ulimately react to the play. It will undoubtedly overshadow all that happened before it on Saturday, including the excellent pitcher’s duel.
As expected, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Greinke were outstanding on the heels of Friday’s historic strikeout fest. Both were every bit as stingy, even if their strikeout totals were slightly less than those posted by Jacob deGrom and Clayton Kershaw.
• Adrian Gonzalez is 0-for-6 in this series with six strikeouts against Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, but he’s 2-for-2 against relievers, including a go-ahead two-run double against Addison Reed that immediately followed the controversial slide.
• Zack Greinke made two mistakes early and paid for them with home runs. He ended up tossing seven innings and faced just two batters over the minimum. Those would be the two home runs. He’ll get credited with the victory.
• We can’t help but be impressed by Michael Conforto. In his first postseason plate appearance against a former Cy Young winner in Greinke, he did not look a bit overwhelmed. He took an aggressive cut, and the result was an absolute rocket home run. Also, he made some history.
• Noah Syndergaard was overpowring early, frequently touching 100 mph in the three first innings. He settled into the mid-90s with his fastball as the night wore on and remained effective. His efficiency definitely improved, which allowed him to pitch into the seventh inning. It just wasn’t enough for New York.
• Addison Reed was in a tough spot, having to pitch directly after the chaos. He promptly allowed Gonzalez’s two-run double, followed by Justin Turner’s RBI double. The Mets were unable to recover.
This stat remained alive on Saturday.
• The violent collision at second base will dominate talk. Was it a dirty play on Utley’s behalf? It was certainly aggressive, if nothing else. Did the umpire handle it properly? There’s a lot in play here, and none of it favors the Mets.
• The dust has barely settled on this one, but everyone knows Matt Harvey’s postseason debut awaits on Monday. With all the talk surrounding his workload and what he’ll be allowed to do, this could be the most analyzed start of the entire postseason. And that could be true before he even takes the hill. Get ready.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
