Mets send Dodgers to fifth straight loss
LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers finally scored on Thursday night. But their rare offensive output wasn't enough to keep them from dropping out of first place in the National League West.
A trio of run-scoring extra-base hits propelled the New York Mets to a 3-2 victory before 49,006 in the first game of a four-game weekend series at Dodger Stadium.
The loss was the fifth straight for the Dodgers and ninth in the last 10 contests, and it dropped them a game behind the San Francisco Giants in the National League West.
Matt Kemp, on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain, missed his 41st game of the season, and Andre Ethier was out with a strained left oblique, an injury he suffered Wednesday against the Giants in San Francisco. Thursday was just the third game the Dodgers have played all season with both Ethier and Kemp out of the lineup.
"When you have Ethier and Kemp out of the lineup at the same time, you've got to take advantage," said Mets manager Terry Collins.
David Wright went 2-for-3 with a walk for the Mets to increase his road batting average to .409, best in the majors. Wright has reached base via hit or walk in 18 consecutive games.
Chris Young (2-1) pitched into the seventh inning for his third straight start, giving the Mets his third consecutive quality start. He didn't walk a batter in 6 1/3 innings, and he allowed two runs on six hits while striking out six for his second win of the season.
Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his first save of the season for the Mets.
"I thought it was a great outing for him. Obviously his stuff is electric," Collins said. "It was a huge step forward."
Former Met Chris Capuano (9-3) allowed three runs in seven innings and struck out five, the third straight quality start by a Dodgers pitcher, but he was saddled with his third loss of the season.
"I knew it was going to be a tough night, but as tough as it was I felt we were going to break through at some point," Capuano said.
The Mets opened the scoring in the first inning when Ruben Tejada singled through the hole at shortstop with one out and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Wright doubled down the third-base line to score Tejada.
Wright led off the top of the fourth inning by hitting a slider from Capuano into the left-field pavilion for a 2-0 lead. The home run was the ninth of the season for Wright, who moved into a third-place tie with Howard Johnson in franchise history with 192 career home runs.
Dee Gordon led off the bottom of the fourth for the Dodgers with a double to right center field, then scored two pitches later when Elian Herrera tripled over the head of a drawn-in Andres Torres in center field. Juan Rivera singled to center field to score Herrera tie the score at 2.
The fourth-inning runs for the Dodgers snapped a streak of 33 consecutive scoreless innings, dating back to Sunday against the Angels in Anaheim.
"It felt good to score a couple of runs to be honest with you," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly. "We didn't do enough to win the game, but at least it was a game you felt like you were in all day until the end."
The Mets regained the lead in the top of the fifth inning when catcher Mike Nickeas singled with one out, was sacrificed to second by Young, then scored on an opposite-field double to shallow right field by Torres for a 3-2 advantage.
NOTES: Ethier was able to avoid the disabled list and is listed as day-to-day. "They're still calling it a strain, but it's on the better side for a left-handed hitter, the left side. It couldn't be any better," Mattingly said. ... Dodgers first baseman James Loney, who returned to the lineup after three games on the bench in San Francisco, went 0-for-4 and is without a hit in his last 22 at-bats, dropping his batting average to .240. ... Dodgers relief pitcher Javy Guerra, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee on June 5, threw a bullpen session on Thursday and is scheduled to throw a simulated game on Friday. Guerra could begin a minor-league rehab assignment as soon as Sunday. ... Mets outfielder Jason Bay, on the disabled list since June 16 with a concussion, has been riding a stationary bicycle in New York and could resume baseball activities by the weekend.
