NEW YORK (AP) — 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 bestof 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.

Utley is the subject of scorn in New York after his late takeout slide Saturday night broke the right leg of Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada at Dodger Stadium.

Amid much speculation the Mets would seek revenge, manager Terry Collins said before the game Harvey was told not to.

“This is too big a game. We need to not worry about retaliating,” Collins said. “We need to worry about winning. … We can play angry, but we’ve got to play under control.”

In the end, Utley never got in the game and the Mets saved all their hard hits for when they were at the plate.

Harvey labored through five innings in his first outing since missing a mandatory postseason workout and apologizing after he arrived.

Los Angeles lefty Brett Anderson took the loss, tagged for six runs and seven hits in three ineffective innings.

Granderson’s five RBIs matched a Mets postseason record set by Carlos Delgado in Game 4 of the 2006 NLCS at St. Louis, when New York set its previous postseason high with 12 runs.

Seven seasons after it opened, Citi Field was trimmed in traditional postseason bunting for the Mets’ first home playoff game since Carlos Beltran took strike three from Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright to end the 2006 NLCS at Shea Stadium.

Revved-up fans showed up early hungering for payback against Utley, left out of the lineup despite strong career numbers versus Harvey (6 for 18 with a home run).

Regular starter Howie Kendrick remained at second base, and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Utley was on the bench not for safety but solely “baseball reasons.”

Utley was eligible to play after appealing a two-game suspension for his slide, deemed illegal after a review by Major League Baseball.

As loud boos rang out during pregame introductions, Utley stared stone-faced straight into the lens while a camera lingered on his face for a few extra seconds.

The 7 Line Army and other fans waving orange towels brought cutouts with Utley’s face in the bull’s-eye of a target. One sign near the first base dugout read: “Chase Ugly Is Still Philthy,” a nod to his 12-plus years playing Mets nemesis for rival Philadelphia. And even New York Mayor Bill de Blasio weighed in, calling Utley “guilty as sin.”

Cubs 8, Cardinals 6

The young sluggers of the Chicago Cubs are making themselves at home in the playoffs.

On a rare off night for Jake Arrieta, the Windy City rookies bashed their way to the brink of the NL Championship Series.

Jorge Soler, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber connected during a six-homer show for the Cubs, who beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-4 on Monday for a 2-1 lead in the NL Division Series. Arrieta struck out nine before departing in the sixth inning, and the bullpen finished the job in the first postseason game at Wrigley Field in seven years.

A third straight win for the Cubs on Tuesday afternoon, and the once woebegone franchise will advance to the NLCS for the first time in 12 years. The Cardinals, who led the majors with 100 wins this season, have won at least one playoff series in each of the last four years.

Jason Heyward and Stephen Piscotty homered for St. Louis, which got to Arrieta for four runs in his worst start in four months. But the Cardinals were unable to keep the Cubs in the ballpark.

Royals 9, Astros 6

Astros shortstop Carlos Correa couldn’t handle a deflected grounder that might have been a double-play ball, helping the Kansas City Royals rally for five runs in the eighth inning to beat Houston 9-6 Monday and force their playoff series to a decisive Game 5.

Correa homered twice, doubled, singled and drove in four runs in Game 4 of the AL Division Series. Houston took a 6-2 lead into the eighth, but a tough error charged to the 21-yearold rookie keyed the Royals’ comeback to even the matchup at two games apiece.

Game 5 will be back in Kansas City on Wednesday night.

Blue Jays 8, Rangers 4

Adrian Beltre returned to the Texas lineup despite a bad back.

Derek Holland didn’t give the slugging third baseman much of a chance to help the Rangers avoid a trip back to Toronto for a deciding Game 5 in AL Division Series.

Holland gave up three home runs to the first eight batters Monday, and the Blue Jays used 2012 Cy Young winners R.A. Dickey and David Price in an 8-4 victory in Game 4. After winning the first two games in Toronto, now the Rangers need to do it again to advance.

Game 5 is Wednesday. Cole Hamels starts for the Rangers against Marcus Stroman in a rematch from Game 2, which Texas won in 14 innings.