The Los Angeles Dodgers offense awakened enough to put up three runs when the outcome of the twinbill nightcap in Citi Field was still in doubt , but ultimately it wasn't enough to overcome defensive miscues and spotty pitching as the New York Mets collected eleven hits to offset their own shaky starting pitcher to conclude the sweep of the doubleheader with a 10 - 5 victory.
David Wright and Ike Davis drove in the go-ahead runs in the fifth inning and Wright capped his perfect night with a bases-loaded triple in the sixth to put the game on ice.
Charlie Haeger started the game for the Dodgers on three-days rest and he struggled out of the gate, allowing the first four batters who weren't intentionally making an out to reach base. After Jose Reyes singled in leadoff hitter Angel Pagan who had walked, Jason Bay tripled in a run and Davis cashed him in with a fly ball. Haegar followed that with three scoreless innings though, allowing three hits, but getting a well-timed double play in the process.
When Haegar started the fifth inning of a 3-3 tie with two walks, Joe Torre brought in Ramon Troncoso, who had thrown 17 pitches in 2/3 of an inning in the opener, to face the heart of the Mets lineup. Troncoso, making his 14th appearance in the Dodgers first 20 games, retired Reyes and Bay, but yielded a soft single to Wright and a hard double to Davis to allow the Mets to break the tie and build a lead they would not relinquish.
Jon Link, who also pitched in the day game, loaded the bases to start the sixth inning. George Sherrill, having thrown three pitches in the first game himself, coaxed the ground ball he needed but shortstop Jamey Carroll's errant throw home recorded no outs. After Bay struck out, Wright's triple plated the three unearned runs and the game was out of reach.
The Dodgers scored three runs in the third inning against Oliver Perez, who was replaced after walking Haeger to load the bases after having already allowed two runs in the inning on two walks and two singles. Reliever Hisanori Takahashi walked Reed Johnson to force in another run, but on a controversial 3-2 pitch struck out James Loney, who thought the ball was low and outside, was subsequently ejected and had to be restrained by the base coaches. Takahashi was effective from then on and picked up the win.
Other Notes
- Rafael Furcal sat out the second game with tightness in his right hamstring. Joe Torre termed him doubtful for tomorrow. It was serious enough that the first game ended with Blake DeWitt in the on-deck circle ready to pinch-hit for the Dodger shortstop.
- Troncoso's 14 appearances in the team's first 20 games is a Los Angeles Dodgers team record according to baseball-reference.com. (Thanks Eric for the research.)
- The last time the Dodgers were swept in a doubleheader was September 18, 200
67 in Colorado -
John Maine (0-1, 8.64) starts the series finale for the Mets in tomorrow's day game (10:10 A.M., PDT). John Ely (2-1, 3.00 in AAA)
is expected to behas been called up from Albuquerque to make the start for the Dodgers,though no official roster move has been announcedwith Link optioned back to AAA and Brad Ausmus moved to the 60-day disabled list, to make room on the 25- and 40- man rosters, respectively, per Ken Gurnick of mlb.com.
- Switch-hitters Pagan, Luis Castillo and Reyes batted from the right side against the right-handed Haeger, a strategy hitters sometimes employ against knuckleballers.
WP - Hisanori Takahashi (2-1): 3 1/3 IP, 2 hits, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts
LP - Charlie Haeger (0-3): 4 IP, 5 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, 1 strikeout