fbpx

Dodgers Wind Up On Wrong End Of Late Home Run, Have 3-Game Winning Streak Snapped By Mets

Matthew Moreno
4 Min Read
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Their opponent changed but the Los Angeles Dodgers nonetheless were locked in another tight game that swung on a dramatic home run. Brandon Nimmo’s pinch-hit three-run homer carried the New York Mets to a 4-2 victory that snapped the Dodgers’ three-game winning streak.

DRESS LIKE THE PLAYERS IN OUR EXCLUSIVE ‘WORLD SERIES ATTITUDE’ SHIRT

Before that, Jacob deGrom singlehandedly kept the Mets in the game by settling in on the mound and providing his own run support. Having previously singled with two outs in the third inning, deGrom flared an RBI base hit into right field to tie the game in the fifth.

That prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to visit the mound, though Alex Wood lobbied his way into remaining in the game. The decision didn’t cost the Dodgers as Wood retired Amed Rosario two pitches later to end the inning.

Wood’s five innings of work marked a third time in his past four starts he’s failed to pitch deeper than that into a game.

Justin Turner’s solo home run in the first inning gave the Dodgers an early lead but they otherwise struggled to generate much of anything against deGrom. Turner entered play 0-for-16 in his career when facing deGrom in the regular season.

deGrom retired five in a row after the homer and held the Dodgers without a hit until Manny Machado’s leadoff single in the fourth. Yasiel Puig and Turner both reached on fielding errors in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively, but they were stranded.

While the Dodgers failed to come up with hits, they at least forced the right-hander to labor. deGrom needed 34 pitches alone to get through the sixth inning alone. And at 109 pitches, he was pinch-hit for in the seventh.

deGrom held the Dodgers to just the one hit, and had six strikeouts against one walk. Los Angeles immediately had an opportunity to take the lead on the Mets’ bullpen but couldn’t get out of their own way.

Alex Verdugo’s leadoff double and Cody Bellinger’s single put runners at the corners with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh. But Yasmani Grandal struck out and Puig grounded into an inning-ending double play on a 2-0 pitch.

Matt Kemp, hero in each of the past two games, was left standing in the on-deck circle.

The Dodgers then ran into a bit of bad luck in the eighth as Turner’s two-out walk was followed by Machado’s ground-rule double. Had the ball not bounced and carried over the short fence in the right field corner, it’s plausible Turner would’ve scored the go-ahead run.

Kemp did get his opportunity in the bottom of the ninth, representing the tying run with one out. Third time was not a charm as he hit into a game-ending double play.

With the Colorado Rockies defeating the San Diego Padres, the Dodgers slipped to a half-game back of first place in the National League West.

Matthew Moreno is a journalist from Whittier, Calif., who is a credentialed reporter and is currently the Managing Editor of DodgerBlue.com and LakersNation.com. In addition to covering Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angels Lakers, Matthew has a strong passion for keeping up to date with the sneakerhead culture. It began with Michael Jordan and Air Jordan shoes, and has carried over to Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Matthew previously was the lead editor and digital strategist at Dodgers Nation, and the co-editor and lead writer at Reign of Troy, where he covered USC Trojans Football. Matthew graduated from California State Long Beach University with a major in journalism and minor in communications. Contact: matt@mediumlargela.com