After getting a walk-off win on Tuesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers faced a tall order in the third of a four-game series with the New York Mets as hard-throwing Noah Syndergaard was on the bump.
The Dodgers had Kenta Maeda on the mound for his seventh start of the season. Maeda opened the game with a strikeout of Curtis Anderson. The right-hander then proceeded to retire the next two batters faced, getting through the first inning on an efficient 10 pitches.
Syndergaard recorded two quick outs, including catching Corey Seager looking at called strike three. Howie Kendrick reached safely after hitting a comebacker that Syndergaard failed to cleanly field.
Adrian Gonzalez followed with a base hit to put runners on the corners, but Yasmani Grandal struck out on three pitches to end a scoreless first inning. Yoenis Cespedes led off the second with a base hit down the right field line, electing not to test Yasiel Puig’s arm.
Lucas Duda worked a walk to give the Mets two on with none out. Cespedes later stole third base without drawing a throw, but was easily thrown out at home plate on a grounder to Seager. Rene Rivera then went down swinging to end the inning.
Puig pulled a one-out single into left field in the second, but was erased on a force out as Neil Walker made a diving stop on a Carl Crawford grounder up the middle. Nothing else came of the inning, with Maeda grounding out.
Syndergaard helped himself by jumping on Maeda’s first pitch in the third for a leadoff solo home run.
CONTINUE READING: Dodgers get second home run, then go quiet
