Dodgers remain confident after Game 2 loss

LOS ANGELES — Everything was going according to script for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium, but then all hell broke lose in the late innings of their 7-6 loss to the Houston Astros, evening the series at one game each.

On the whiteboard in the Dodgers’ locker room one night earlier, there was a message that read, “Everyone’s got plans ... till they get hit in the mouth! Hit these boys in their f***** mouths and don’t look back!”

The Dodgers took a few uppercuts to the chin in Game 2, in the form of four home runs from an Astros offense that was mostly dormant since the start of the American League Championship Series. Three of those home runs were hit in extra innings — Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa each took Josh Fields deep in the 10th, and George Springer hit a two-run shot against Brandon McCarthy that proved to be the game-winner in the 11th — the first time any team has hit three home runs in extra innings of a postseason contest.

But the stunner was the solo shot by Marwin Gonzalez in the ninth inning against closer Kenley Jansen to tie the score, handing Jansen the first blown save of his postseason career.

“I wanted the ball up and in,” Jansen explained. “The ball’s been carrying the whole night tonight. It was one missed pitch, and he got me.”

With a two-run lead, the Dodgers asked Jansen to get six outs in Game 2, entering with no outs and an inherited runner on second base. He converted 14 of 15 save attempts longer than one inning this season, including the postseason, but never two innings. Jansen has one two-inning save in the 2016 postseason, and two more appearances of at least two innings.

Jansen allowed that run to score in the eighth inning to pull Houston within one, then surrendered the game-tying shot to Gonzalez in the ninth.

“The bottom line is I’ll take Kenley any day of the week with a one-run lead going into the ninth inning,” manager Dave Roberts said.

It was just the second blown save in 46 attempts for Jansen in 2017, including the postseason. The Dodgers were 98-0 this season, including the playoffs, when leading at the beginning of the ninth inning, the only team in baseball not to lose in that situation in 2017.

Until Game 2, that is.

“There’s a lot of ways you can take this. Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and give the other team credit,” said Kiké Hernandez. “They have a really good ball club and a really good lineup, and put some good swings on the baseball tonight. We did too, but fell just a little bit short.”

Hernandez singled home the tying run with two outs in the 10th inning, after a home run by Yasiel Puig earlier in the frame. In the 11th inning, down two runs again, Charlie Culberson homered, and though he celebrated rather boisterously did not think he tied the game.

“We’re not frustrated. Nobody is going to tell us it’s going to be easy. The Houston Astros are the best team in the American League,” Jansen said. “We played well. They came and hit two homers, we came back and hit two homers. We fought to the end. You can’t beat yourself up over that.”

“He’s our guy,” said Corey Seager of Jansen, who has a 1.25 ERA this season, including the playoffs.

Game 3 is Friday night at Minute Maid Park in Houston. The Dodgers last lost consecutive games from Sept. 17-20. That was five weeks ago.

“We’ve got a very resilient group, a lot of guys that have been around a long time,” Roberts said. “We’ll be ready to go.”