Mets Top Dodgers for 3rd Win in Row
The Mets opened a four-game series with the Dodgers in sunny Los Angeles on Monday, and they walked away with their third straight win.
Curtis Granderson deposited the first pitch of the game into the bleachers in right to give the Mets the early lead.
Kevin Plawecki followed suit in the second with a solo shot of his own to make it a 2-0 game.
The Mets added a run in the third, but they could have had a couple more if not for some poor baserunning. Granderson led off the inning with a single to left. He decided to challenge Enrique Hernandez, and he was easily thrown out at second. Asdrubal Cabrera was hit by a pitch and went to second on a passed ball. David Wright walked. Yoenis Cespedes then singled to left to score Cabrera to make it 3-0. Hernandez airmailed the throw home and Wright should have gone to third, but he stayed at second. Duda walked to load the bases. Juan Lagares lofted a fly ball to left that should have easily scored Wright. But Cespedes wandered off second and Hernandez threw him out for an inning-ending double play.
Trayce Thompson hit a two-out, two-run homer in the fourth to pull the Dodgers to within a run, 3-2.
Wilmer Flores was on first with two outs in the sixth when Plawecki hit a grounder to second that should have ended the inning. But Howie Kendrick dropped the ball to extend the inning. It proved costly because Steven Matz doubled down the line in left to score Flores to make it 4-2. That knocked Dodgers starter Scott Kazmir from the game. Adam Liberatore came in with runners on second and third. Granderson grounded out to short to end the inning.
Matz turned in another fine performance, going six innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He struck out five and walked one. He upped his record to 5-1 with a 2.86 ERA.
Antonio Bastardo ran into trouble in the eighth, some of which was not his fault. With one out, Adrian Gonzalez reached on a rare error by Lagares in center. He walked old pal Justin Turner, and that was all for Bastardo. Jim Henderson came on to face Yasiel Puig and struck him out for the second out. A foul out ended the threat.
Jeurys Familia came on to close the door in the ninth for his 11th save, tied for the most in the NL.
Mets win 4-2.