The Mets had just three hits and allowed four runs in the bottom of the inning as they fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-1, Saturday night at Citi Field.
Here are some takeaways…
– Kodai Senga leave a first single to Mookie Betsbut then scratched Freddie Freeman and earned a 6-4-3 double play to escape the first set. After allowing a one-out single in the top of the second, Senga recorded back-to-back strikeouts to make it a scoreless game.
Pete Alonso recorded the first New York hit of the evening on Tony Gonsolin at the bottom of the second (and snapped an 0-for-15 streak at the plate), but Daniel Vogelbach immediately anchored in a 3-6-3 double game. Francisco Alvarez then hit a clean lineout on third to end the inning.
–Senga retired the first two Dodgers in the top of the third, but allowed Betts to home run in the opposite field, giving LA a 1-0 lead. The right-hander walked Freeman before striking Will Smith to get out of the sleeve. Late in the third, Gonsolin hit DJ Steward And Brett Batythen i got Luis Guillorme down for round 1-2-3.
Senga went a quick 1-2-3 fourth with consecutive strikeouts of Max Muncy And JD Martinezthen forced David Peralta on the ground. Brandon Nimmo started the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to the center, smashing out an overhanging curveball to tie the game at 1-1. Francois Lindor market to maintain forward momentum Jeff McNeil grounded in an easy 6-3 double play and Alonso retired to end the inning.
– In the top of the fifth, Senga pitched another 1-2-3 inning, including a pair of strikeouts. The Mets then hit three flyouts for a quick down the inning. Senga had a small problem in the sixth, leaving a single to Betts, hitting Smith and walking Muncy to charge the bases. Senga hit Martinez with a phantom fork for the second out and escaped the jam thanks to a grounder right behind him.
Senga’s night ended after 103 pitches in six solid innings of work, as the right-hander allowed just one run on four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. He lowered his season ERA to 3.20 and threw a 2.45 ERA in his last eight starts.
– Alex Vesia came pitching for Gonsolin in the bottom of the sixth and sent the Mets in order with two strikeouts and a flyout. Brooks Raley replaced Senga on the mound at the top of the seventh, and hit Chris Taylor to open the frame. Miguel Rojas reached second on a fielding error by Stewart to give the Dodgers a runner in scoring position with two outs. Raley intentionally walked Betts, then brought Freeman out to finish the side.
Lindor marched to lead in the bottom of the seventh, and after McNeil got airborne, Alonso dug in on the endgame double play.
– Adam Ottavino came pitching the eighth, as he let a one-out single to Muncy, who then went third on the hit-and-run with Martinez to give the LA runners into the corners. Peralta hit hard ground at Alonso first, as he turned and got the strength in second, but the high throw knocked Lindor back a second too late, allowing the run to score to give the Dodgers a lead of 2-1.
Tommy Pham came on to pinch Vogelbach’s jab and walked to lead the bottom of the eight, as he went third on Alvarez’s single. Marc CanhaBaty and Guillorme went down in order to end the scoring opportunity.
– Betts chose a single in the top of the ninth Grant Hartwig, and placed third on the double with a strikeout from Smith. Muncy hit a pop-up high in the third, but Baty lost it in the lights and the run scored to make it 3-1. Martinez drove another with an RBI single, as the Dodgers took a 4-1 lead. Peralta opted to tack on another and put LA up 5-1.
Nimmo was eliminated, Lindor was eliminated and McNeil was eliminated as the Mets lost their four straight games.
Strong points
And after
The Mets wrap up their three-game series Sunday at 1:40 p.m. on PIX11.
New York will send a veteran Max Scherzer (8-3, 4.31 ERA) to face the Los Angeles right-hander Bobby Miller (5-1, 4.50 MPM).