The Los Angeles Dodgers wrapped up a three-game series at Citi Field with an 8-0 win to complete their first season sweep of the New York Mets in franchise history. The Dodgers outscored the Mets, 57-15, and out-homered them, 25-10, in the seven meetings this year.
A successful challenge to overturn an out call on Justin Turner’s stolen base attempt led to a three-run first inning for the Dodgers. Turner’s swim move on his head-first slide avoided Amed Rosario’s tag attempt and kept the inning alive.
Cody Bellinger walked and after a successful double steal that didn’t draw a throw to either bag, Logan Forsythe grounded a two-run single into center field. Austin Barnes then followed with an RBI double to left field.
Turner further tormented his former club by hitting a two-run home run off Steven Matz in the third inning to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 5-0. The homer was Turner’s 13th this season and second in as many games.
Hyun-Jin Ryu picked up where he left off last week in what was also an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball telecast. Ryu struck out the side in the first inning and did not allow a hit until Travis d’Arnaud led off the third with a single.
Ryu responded by retiring the next 15 batters faced to complete seven scoreless innings. He finished with eight strikeouts, and his back-to-back shutout starts were a first since April 11 and 17, 2014.
The Mets received similar results from Matz, Erik Goeddel, Hansel Robles and Josh Smoker as they combined to retire 15 in a row after Forsythe’s two-out walk in the third inning. The streak was snapped when Smoker allowed a two-out double to Turner in the eighth.
That led to trouble as Cody Bellinger followed in Turner’s footsteps by hitting his second home run in the last two games. Bellinger’s line-drive blast to center field traveled 447 feet, and it was his 14th of 32 home runs this season to come in the eighth inning or later.
Chris Taylor capped off the Dodgers’ scoring with a two-out triple in the ninth. Tony Cingrani shook off a subpar Dodgers debut to record two strikeouts in his second appearance with the team. Kenley Jansen, who had last pitched on Aug. 1, issued a one-out walk but otherwise struck out the side in mop-up duty.
