Dodgers stave off Mets' comeback victory to even series

With a big comeback in the eighth inning, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Mets 6-5 on Thursday to even this thrilling Major League Baseball series at 2-2.

The Mets, who had won two of three games since Monday in Los Angeles got off to a red hot start at Dodger Stadium by taking a four-run lead.

Their star Pete Alonso, of Spanish descent, opened the slate with a home run in the second inning and Brandon Nimmo and Dominican Starling Marte added homers in the third.

A double by Mookie Betts woke up the home side in the third inning. Their superstar Shohei Ohtani and Betts then scored after hits by Will Smith and Dominican Teóscar Hernández.

The Mets stopped the bleeding with a single by Alonso that allowed Marte to put two runs away in the top of the eighth inning.

But mistakes by the Mets in the ninth inning facilitated the Dodgers' comeback when, after a run by Betts, Reed Garrett and Venezuelan catcher Francisco Álvarez collided at the plate allowing Smith to tie the score.

Cuban Andy Pages capped the home win thanks to a single by Michael Conforto.

Japanese star Shohei Ohtani had  two hits and struck out twice in his four at-bats while Dominican star Juan Soto contributed two walks in his three appearances for the mets.

The Dodgers remain the N.L. West division leaders with 38 wins and 25 losses, and the Mets dominate the N.L. East with a slightly better 39-24 record.

In New York, the Yankees beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-0 and took the series win 2-1.