Game Recap: Bellinger Foils Mets in 9-5 Loss to Dodgers

The New York Mets (26-27) were defeated by the Los Angeles Dodgers (36-18) 9-5 on Monday night at Dodgers stadium (Box Score).

Following an impressive 6-1 home stand, the Mets fell to the Dodgers in game one of their seven game west coast road trip. Despite not having his best stuff tonight, Jacob deGrom left the game after five innings with a 3-2 lead.

Unfortunately, the Mets’ bullpen would give the lead right back to the Dodgers in the bottom of the sixth inning when Tyler Bashlor and Daniel Zamora combined to allow six runs in the frame. Overall, the Mets’ bullpen gave up seven runs on 10 hits tonight in three innings.

Despite cutting the lead to three runs in the 8th inning, the Mets late comeback attempt was shot down on Cody Bellinger‘s ridiculous throw to gun down Carlos Gomez at third base, which also negated a J.D. Davis sac-fly. This play pretty much summed up the Mets night, which saw three runners get thrown out on the base paths.

Pitching 

It was certainly not the best night to be a pitcher in either dugout as the game saw a combined 13 runs on 32 hits. Mets’ pitchers surrendered nine runs on 17 hits on their end alone.

As previously mentioned, Jacob deGrom was in no way his usual dominant self tonight, but nonetheless battled for five innings allowing two runs on seven hits, while only recording a mere two strikeouts.

The Dodgers’ lineup threatened early against deGrom in the bottom of the first when they loaded the bases on three straight hits to start the inning. Although Bellinger popped out in the next at-bat, Corey Seager followed him by beating out a potential double play ball, which got the Dodgers on the board with their first run. Luckily, deGrom got Alex Verdugo to ground out to end the threat and limit the damage to one run.

After getting two quick outs in the second inning, deGrom surrendered a single to the pitcher Clayton Kershaw and Joc Pederson in consecutive at-bats. Max Muncy would then get rung up to end the frame, but deGrom’s pitch count was already over 50 after two.

Despite inducing three ground balls in the bottom of the third, deGrom gave up the lead on a Bellinger (19) solo shot to right center. Although deGrom only allowed two more base runners for the remainder of the night, his day was over after five innings after tossing 105 pitches.

Tyler Bashlor entered in relief for deGrom in the bottom of the sixth inning when things began to unravel. Bachelor retired the first battered he faced, but then almost immediately surrendered the game tying homer to Chris Taylor.

Bashlor then gave up two straight hits to Russell Martin and David Freese, which forced Mickey Callaway to pull him in favor for lefty Daniel Zamora. Unfortunately, Zamora did not fair much better, as he surrendered a three-run bomb to Enrique Hernandez, which gave the Dodgers a 6-3 lead.

The Dodgers’ bats were not finished in the inning, as Max Muncy singled and Justin Turner doubled. Zamora would then intentionally walk Bellinger to load the bases for Seager, who got hit with a pitch to extend the Dodgers lead to 7-3. Verdugo capped off the scoring in the frame with a sac-fly to make the score 8-3.

Wilmer Font entered to finish off the inning for Zamora and was able to stop the bleeding for the moment. Font stayed in to pitch a one-two-three seventh inning, as well.

Drew Gagnon came on for the eighth inning, where he gave up two singles to Verdugo and Belinger to put runners on first and second with two outs. Next up was Chris Taylor, who singled to center to add on the Dodgers ninth run of the night.

Hitting 

The Met bats scored five runs tonight on 15 hits, but unfortunately it wasn’t enough tonight to take down the Dodgers.

Legendary lefty ace Clayton Kershaw started against the Mets and the offense got to him early in the top of the first. Rosario led off the game with a double to right field and would eventually come around to score three batters later on Pete Alonso‘s RBI single.

Todd Frazier added a single of his own, but Michael Conforto was cut down by Bellinger at the plate denying the Mets of what could have been their second run of the frame.

After going down 2-1 in the third, J.D. Davis continued his tear at the plate by slugging a two-run homer off of Kershaw to put the Mets back up 3-2.

Despite stringing across several hits throughout the game, the team was unable to scratch across anymore runs until they faced Dodgers reliever Joe Kelly in the top of the eighth. Infielder Adeiny Hechavarria would come through again on a two-run homer to left field off of Kelly to cut the Dodgers deficit to 8-5.

The Mets then loaded the bases with one out when Dave Roberts opted to bring in closer Kenley Jansen for a five out save. In the next at-bat, Davis flew out to right field in what was expected to be a sac-fly, but instead Bellinger threw out Carlos Gomez trying to take third base.

This play was ultimately ruled to have occurred before the run crossed the plate, meaning the run did not count. Instead of scoring the sixth run to cut the lead to 8-6, Bellinger provided an inning ending double play on his second outfield assist of the game.

The eighth inning rally killer all but sealed the Mets fate tonight, as they went down easily against Jansen in the ninth inning one-two-three to drop the first game of the series.

Top Performers: Rosario 3-for-5, double, two runs scored, Hechavarria 3-for-5 with two RBI, Alonso 2-for-5 with an RBI, Davis 1-for-5 with a two-run homer.

Next Up

Steven Matz looks to get the Mets back in the win column as he faces off against fellow lefty Rich Hill. First pitch is at 10:10 p.m. E.T. and the game will be televised on SNY.