Game #116: Dodgers 4, Mets 2

Ask even the least knowledgeable baseball fan and they will tell you, "The Mets got messed around last night."

Shaky defense in the 6th led to three Dodgers runs and the Mets missed an opportunity in the 7th thanks to blown calls at the plate, falling in the series opener at Dodger Stadium 4-2.

The Bad Stuff:

• Up 2-0 in the 6th, Daniel Murphy missed two key plays at second base, turning what could have been two-out, nobody-on into two infield singles. Adrian Gonzalez followed up with a single that scored lead runner Carl Crawford, and Mark Ellis came home on a rare throwing error by Juan Lagares. Gonzalez went to third on the error and subsequently came home on Yasiel Puig's sac fly to make it 3-2.
• New York had a prime opportunity to strike back in the 7th, loading the bases with one out, at which point Juan Lagares may have been the first player in baseball history to strike out on ball five (can we get a check on that, Elias?): first, a less-than-half-swing on a 2-0 sinker was ruled a swing and a strike by first place umpire Jeff Kellogg; second, a 3-2 sinker that appeared to be a foot outside the strike zone was called strike three by home plate ump Chad Fairchild, robbing Lagares of the RBI walk and keeping the Mets behind. Daniel Murphy then sent a rocket out to right that Puig was able to chase down, and what should have been a 4-3 Mets lead was still a 3-2 deficit.
• Nick Punto's home run off Carlos Torres in the bottom of the 7th put a cushion in between LA and its guests, and New York failed to capitalize once again in the 8th, stranding two more of its nine men left on throughout the game. They also hit 3-10 with RISP.

The Good Stuff:

• Jenrry Mejia took the hard-luck loss after going six strong innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits, walking no one and striking out four. If not for the collapse of his defense, he may have thrown into the 8th, as he needed only 85 pitches to get through six.
• John Buck and Omar Quintanilla each had RBI singles in the top of the 2nd as New York got to ex-Marlin Ricky Nolasco early.
• Buck, Mr. Q, Eric Young, and Marlon Byrd each finished with two hits, although Byrd's 3rd-inning double was the only XBH for the Mets all night.

Final Analysis:
That wasn't great. That was far from great, in fact: it was bad. Never mind the questionable calls, the Mets should have had enough runs on the board by then to counterbalance. They should have had enough defense to keep the Dodgers off the board through the 6th. But shoulda, coulda, woulda doesn't cut it in the major leagues. Very disappointing loss.

MM