Curtis Granderson once again provided the New York Mets with an early lead by hitting a home run in the first inning for a second consecutive game. But the Los Angeles Dodgers completed a sweep, setting a franchise record for most home runs in a four-game series with 15.
Just as they have throughout their hot current stretch, the Dodgers struck quickly and with authority. Justin Turner hit a two-out solo home run to tie the game in the bottom of the third. Cody Belling followed with a ground-rule double, and Kiké Hernandez delivered a go-ahead home run.
Travis d’Arnaud’s solo home run in the fourth pulled the Mets back to within a run. They managed to put two runners on the fifth inning, including the lead off man, though failed to capitalize on the opportunity.
Hyun-Jin Ryu’s night came to an close after five innings. He threw 86 pitches, allowed five hits (pair of homers), two runs, issued two walks, and struck out three.
It was a seventh start this season where Ryu failed to exceed more than five innings, and third such instance in a row.
The decision to put Chris Hatcher in a high-leverage situation backfired for the Dodgers. While Yoenis Cespedes flied out after hitting a foul ball that was a few feet from being a home run, a Jay Bruce walk led to trouble.
Lucas Duda’s RBI double tied the game before Hatcher could get out of the inning. He curiously remained in the game to start the seventh but only to retire the lone batter faced. Grant Dayton and Pedro Baez then combined to complete a scoreless inning.
Joc Pederson ambushed Mets reliever Paul Sewald by clubbing the first pitch he saw for a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh. Not only did Pederson jump on Sewald’s first offering, he hit it more than halfway up the pavilion in right-center field.
That wound up being the least of the Mets’ issues, as the Dodgers went on to load the bases with two outs. Baez was left in the game to bat for himself, and he drew a four-pitch walk. Jerry Blevins then walked Austin Barnes, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 6-3.
Kenley Jansen inherited two baserunners in the eighth and faced a bases-loaded situation when Bellinger bobbled a grounder. But Jansen got Miguel Conforto to foul out on the first pitch he saw, and Jansen proceeded to convert his sixth four-out save this season.
Of the Dodgers’ home runs during the series against the Mets, three were hit by Bellinger, Yasmani Grandal and Corey Seager (all in one game). Turner hit a pair of home runs; while Kiké Hernandez, Pederson, Yasiel Puig and Chris Taylor each had one.
Los Angeles heads into their key three-game weekend series against the Colorado Rockies riding a season-best seven-game winning streak and with a 1.5-game lead in the National League West standings over Colorado and the Arizona Diamondbacks.
