The Los Angeles Dodgers secured their 15th overall series sweep this season and first season sweep of the New York Mets with an 8-0 victory in front of a national audience on Sunday night. The recipe was largely more of the same for the Dodgers.
Justin Turner’s stolen base in the first inning, which he was initially ruled out on and required the Dodgers to challenge, led to a three-run innings. Cody Bellinger followed the stolen base with a two-out walk, then he and Turner completed a double steal.
Both runners got enough of a jump of Mets starter Steven Matz that Travis d’Arnaud didn’t not have a play at either bag. The aggressiveness paid off as Logan Forsythe grounded a two-run single up the middle.
Turner then provided some breathing room in the third inning as went opposite-field for a two-run home run. The homer was Turner’s 13th this season, second in as many games, sixth of his career against his former team.
The Dodgers were held quiet over the next several innings, until Turner and Bellinger again got involved. The former doubled with two outs, while the latter clubbed a line-drive, two-run homer to center field.
The home run was Bellinger’s 32nd this season and measured at 447-feet, the longest of his young career. What’s more, half of Bellinger’s homers have come in the seventh inning or later.
Pitching with a lead from the opening frame, Hyun-Jin Ryu went seven shutout innings. More impressively, he allowed just one hit, recorded eight strikeouts, and finished his night of work by retiring 15 consecutive batters.
Ryu lost a no-hitter on d’Arnaud’s leadoff single in the third inning. Ryu has thrown a combined 14 consecutive scoreless innings over his last two starts, while allowing just six hits, issuing one walk and collecting 15 strikeouts.
