NEW YORK — With big hits rather than beanballs, the New York Mets wiped out the Los Angeles Dodgers and took control of their testy Division Series.
Curtis Granderson drove in five runs with two doubles off the wall, Travis d’Arnaud and Yoenis Cespedes homered, and New York’s dangerous bats busted loose for a 13-7 victory Monday night that gave the Mets a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five NL playoff.
Before a bloodthirsty crowd of 44,276 in the first postseason game at Citi Field, the Mets broke their postseason scoring record as New York public enemy Chase Utley watched from the Los Angeles bench. The NL East champs quickly erased an early three-run deficit and made a winner of a mediocre Matt Harvey in his playoff debut.
Back in the postseason for the first time in nine years, New York can reach the NL Championship Series with another win at home Tuesday night in Game 4.
Trying to save the Dodgers’ season, ace lefty Clayton Kershaw will start on three days’ rest. Hometown rookie Steven Matz goes for the Mets.