The Los Angeles Dodgers concluded an impressive road trip with a 14-4 blowout win over the New York Mets on Sunday, keeping pace with the San Francisco Giants in the National League West standings.
The Dodgers wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard as they pushed across six runs and slugged three homers off Carlos Carrasco in the first two innings. “It was good,” manager Dave Roberts said of the club’s early run production.
“Looking out at this road trip, two contending teams at their place, and to play two tight ones in the first two games of this series, be able to tack on and stay away from some (bullpen) guys, was really important.
“It was good for some guys to breakout offensively. A lot of good things.”
The Dodgers went 5-1 against the Philadelphia Phillies and Mets over the past week but did not gain any ground on the Giants. They remain four games behind in the division with 44 games remaining on their schedule.
“Obviously we would’ve loved to, but we can’t control what they we do,” Roberts said of not picking up any games on the Giants. “We’ve just got to keep winning baseball games.”
Despite not making a dent on their deficit in the NL West standings, Max Muncy was proud of what the Dodgers accomplished against two teams fighting for a playoff spot themselves. “It was huge for us. We can’t worry about the Giants, we have to worry about ourselves,” he said.
“Just have to go out there and keep playing good games. At the end of the season it’s going to be how it’s going to be. We can’t worry about other teams, we’ve just got to worry about ourselves.”
Justin Turner, who returned to the Dodgers lineup on Sunday and promptly hit a first-inning home run against his former team, echoed Muncy’s comments. “We can’t worry abut what they’re doing,” Turner said of the Giants.
“We have to do our job, take care of our games and go out and win baseball games every night. If we take care of our business, I think we’ll be right where we need to be at the end.”
Barnes believes Dodgers still have time to catch Giants
After the Dodgers’ only loss against the Phillies last week, Austin Barnes confidently said the team still has time to leapfrog the Giants.
“No, but we’ve got to get going,” he answered when asked if the Dodgers are running out of time to move into first place in the NL West.
“We can’t worry about the Giants. Obviously we have to win baseball games. If we take care of what we’re supposed to take care of, it should take care of itself.
“Obviously the Giants are playing well, but we can’t be worried about them. We’ve got to be worried about the guys in our locker room and do what we have to do every day to win a baseball game.”
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