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The Mets scored only three hits and gave up four runs in the late inning, as they fell 5-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on Saturday-evening.
Here are some takeaways…
– Koda Senga allow a leadoff single Mookie Bettsbut then fell out Freddy Freeman and got a 6-4-3 double play to escape the first inning. After giving up an one-out single in the top of the second, Senga struck out back-to-back to keep it scoreless.
Peter Alonso recorded New York’s first hit of the night Tony Gonsolin in the bottom of the second (and broke an 0-for-15 streak at the plate), but Daniel Vogelbach immediately went into a 3-6-3 double play. Francisco Alvarez then hit a sharp lineout to third base to end the inning.
– Senga retired the first two Dodgers in the top of the third, but gave up a home run from the opposite field to Betts that gave LA an 1-0 lead. The right-hander walked Freeman before striking out Will Smith to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the third, Gonsolin struckout DJ Stewart And Brett Batyand then got Luis Guillorme to groundout for the 1-2-3 inning.
Senga made it a quick 1-2-3 fourth with back-to-back strikeouts Max Muncy And JD Martinezand then forced David Peralta grounds. Brandon Nimmo started the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to center, crushing a hanging curveball to make the game 1-1. Francisco Lindor run to keep the momentum going Jeff MacNeil grounded into an easy 6-3 double play and Alonso struckout to end the inning.
– In the top of the fifth, Senga threw another 1-2-3 inning, including a few strikeouts. The Mets then hit three flyouts for a quick bottom of the inning. Senga ran into some trouble in the sixth, gave up a single to Betts, hit Smith and walked Muncy to load the bases. Senga struckout Martinez with a ghost fork for the second out and escaped from trouble thanks to a grounder right back to him.
Senga’s night ended after 103 pitches in six strong innings, as the righthander gave up only one run on four hits with two walks and nine strikeouts. He lowered his season ERA to 3.20 and pitched to a 2.45 ERA in his last eight starts.
– Alex Vesia came to pitch for Gonsolin in the bottom of the sixth and sent the Mets down in order with two strikeouts and a flyout. Brooks Raley relieved Senga on the mound in the top of the seventh and struckout Chris Taylor to open the frame. Miguel Rojas moved into second on an error by Stewart to give the Dodgers a runner in scoring position with two outs. Raley walked Betts intentionally, then got Freeman to pop out to end the team.
Lindor led off with a walk in the bottom of the seventh, and after McNeil flied out, Alonso grounded into the inning-ending double play.
– Adam Ottavino came in to throw the eighth, as he gave up an one-out single to Muncy, who then moved to third on the hit-and-run with Martinez to give LA runners at the corners. Peralta initially grounded hard to Alonso, as he turned and got the power on second base, but the high throw made Lindor’s throw back a second late, allowing the run to score and giving the Dodgers a 2–1 lead yielded.
Tommy Pham entered on a pinch-hit by Vogelbach and walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning, as he would advance to third base on Alvarez’s single. Mark KanhaBaty and Guillorme went down to end the scoring opportunity.
– Betts singled in the top of the ninth Grant Hartwig, and advanced to third on Smith’s one-out double. Muncy hit a high pop-up to third base, but Baty lost it in the lights and the run scored to make it 3-1. Martinez batted in another with an RBI single, as the Dodgers took a 4–1 lead. Peralta singled to tack another to put LA ahead 5-1.
Nimmo grounded out, Lindor struckout and McNeil grounded out as the Mets dropped their fourth consecutive game.
Highlights
What’s next
The Mets wrap up their three-game series on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. on PIX11.
New York will send veteran Max Scherzer (8-3, 4.31 ERA) to face the Los Angeles right-hander Bobby Miller (5-1, 4.50 ERA).
