The Los Angeles Dodgers offense stayed hot Monday night in their series opener against the New York Mets, slugging four home runs that led to a 10-6 victory. It was the Dodgers’ fourth straight win and 10th in their last 11 games.
Los Angeles has averaged 6.5 runs per game, batted .280 and hit 25 home runs over that 11-game stretch. Cody Bellinger and Justin Turner continue to lead the way at the plate.
Bellinger hit his 20th and 21st home runs, giving him sole possession of the National League lead despite not debuting until April 25. In just his 51st career game, Bellinger became the quickest player in Major League history to reach 21 home runs, and he also became the fastest player to reach five career multi-homer games.
Turner has been equally as impressive this season, as he extended his hitting streak to 14 games Monday night, going 4-for-4 with a home run and a walk. He is batting .399/.478/.549 in 48 games this season.
The Dodgers will look to carry that hot offense into Tuesday’s game, where right-handers Brandon McCarthy and Robert Gsellman square off at Dodger Stadium.
McCarthy is 5-3 with a 3.14 ERA, 3.19 FIP and 1.10 WHIP in 11 starts this season. He has struck out 51 and walked 17 in 63 innings of work. McCarthy has been at his best at home this season, going 3-1 with with a 2.83 ERA in six starts.
In two career starts against the Mets, McCarthy is 0-2 with a 3.55 ERA. He last faced them in 2014 when he was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Gsellman, who grew up near Los Angeles in Westchester, has made 15 appearances (12 starts) so far this season. He’s 5-4 with a 5.50 ERA, 4.57 FIP and 1.54 WHIP, while striking out 51 and walking 23 in 68.2 innings. In five appearances on the road the 23-year-old has yielded a 6.33 ERA compared to 5.13 at home.
The Mets lineup features right fielder Jay Bruce, who has been on a tear as of late. After homering off Clayton Kershaw in the series opener, Bruce now has six home runs and 11 RBIs while hitting .404/.440/.872 in his last 12 games.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Logan Forsythe
SS: Corey Seager
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Cody Bellinger
LF: Chris Taylor
C: Yasmani Grandal
RF: Yasiel Puig
CF: Joc Pederson
P: Brandon McCarthy
Mets lineup:
CF: Michael Conforto
SS: Jose Reyes
LF: Yoenis Cespedes
RF: Jay Bruce
1B: Lucas Duda
3B: T.J. Rivera
C: Rene Rivera
2B: Gavin Cecchini
P: Robert Gsellman