Rafael Montero Flops, Mets Lose to Dodgers

Rafael Montero looked so good in his major league debut last week against the Yankees. He did not look particularly good in start number two against the Dodgers Tuesday night. He could not make it out of the fifth inning as the Mets lost 9-4.

Opposing pitcher Josh Beckett gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead with a two-out single in the second. The Dodgers went on to load the bases but Montero got out of it by striking out Yasiel Puig.

The Mets got the run back in the bottom of the second. Curtis Granderson led off with a double and later scored on a Wilmer Flores single to tie the game.

The Dodgers got runners to first and third with one out in the third inning but once again Rafael Montero was able to escape.

But Montero could not work the magic again in the fifth. He started the inning by walking Puig, and with one out Adrian Gonzalez hit a long home run to right center to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead. Matt Kemp followed with a double to center over Chris Young’s head (Juan Lagares, who is not with the team after a death in the family, likely would have caught it). Carl Crawford singled up the middle to score Kemp to extend the lead to 4-1. And that was all for Rafael Montero. Jeurys Familia came in. Crawford stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. The infield came in and Juan Uribe hit a broken bat bloop that just made the outfield. Had the infield not been in, Flores would have easily caught it. Instead, Crawford scored to make it a 5-1 game. A double play ended the inning.

Montero threw 97 pitches over his 4.1 innings. He allowed five runs on seven hits, struck out four and walked four.

Consecutive singles by Juan Centeno, pinch hitter Eric Campbell and Eric Young loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the fifth. But Daniel Murphy struck out and in a nine pitch at bat, David Wright grounded out to end the inning. Opportunity squandered.

Carlos Torres got the first two outs of the sixth but then Puig doubled off the wall in right and scored on a Hanley Ramirez single to make it 6-1.

The Mets teed off on Beckett in the sixth. Granderson made it 6-2 with a monster solo blast that nearly reached the Shea Bridge to lead off the inning. Chris Young followed with a shot that would have been a home run in a normal stadium. Instead, it hit off the base of the wall in left and went for a double. Lucas Duda then did indeed clear the fence in right for a two-run homer to cut the lead to 6-4. A walk to Flores ended Beckett’s night. J.P. Howell came on to retire the side.

With one out in the seventh, Wright and Granderson each singled off of Howell. For Granderson it was his third hit on the night. Chris Young was hit by the first pitch thrown by Chris Withrow to load the bases. Duda hit a broken bat bloop to shallow right for the second out. Flores grounded out and once again the Mets left the bases loaded.

With two outs in the eighth Daisuke Matsuzaka hit Puig and walked Ramirez. Out went Dice-K, in came Scott Rice to face the lefty Gonzalez. He walked him to load the bases (is it just me or is Rice lately failing to get the one lefty whom he was brought in to get?). Jose Valverde came in to face Scott Van Slyke. He flew out to end the inning and keep the game close.

The Dodgers got runners to second and third and third with no outs in the ninth. Valverde got one out then gave way to Josh Edgin. With the infield in, Andre Ethier hit a grounder to first. Murphy (who moved to first on a six-way {!} switch in the eighth) threw high to home, allowing the run to score, 7-4 Dodgers. Dee Gordon singled to make it 8-4. Puig singled to make it 9-4.

Mets lose 9-4 in a four hour-plus game that somehow seemed longer.