After hitting five doubles and coming close on a pair of near-home runs, the Dodgers finally got one to go over the wall in the ninth inning. Trayce Thompson homered off Hansel Robles with two outs in the ninth inning, giving the Dodgers a 3-2 win over the Mets on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.
It was the first walk-off win of the season for the Dodgers, and their first pinch-hit walk-off home run by a Dodger since Scott Van Slyke on Sept. 10, 2013 against Arizona.
#WeLoveLA pic.twitter.com/1kJZXRMMvm
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) May 11, 2016
It was the second straight night with a home run for Thompson, who leads the club with three Dodger Stadium home runs on the season. It was the team's 11th home run in 15 home games this season.
Thompson in May is 6-for-19 (.316) with five extra-base hits — three home runs and two doubles.
The Dodgers hit four doubles in the first three innings against Mets starter Jacob deGrom, including back-to-back two-baggers to open the game by Chase Utley and Corey Seager, both of whom scored in a two-run first inning.
But the Dodgers couldn't cash any more of them in, and much to their chagrin missed out on potential extra-base hits in both the fourth and fifth innings. The first one was a drive by Yasiel Puig tracked down by Yoenis Cespedes at the wall in center field, one of three times Puig hit the ball hard in his first three trips.
Yasiel Puig's exit velos tonight:
— Andrew Simon (@AndrewSimonMLB) May 11, 2016
- 103.2 mph - single
- 105.3 mph - out
- 108.9 mph - out
Gonzalez in the fifth inning hit a drive to center field off the top of the wall, narrowly missing a home run, but was thrown out at second base by Cespedes, leaving Gonzalez without an extra-base hit for a 16th straight game.
Those two first-inning runs were all deGrom would allow in seven strong innings, and in the last 10 months has allowed four total runs in four starts to the Dodgers in 27⅔ innings, including the NLDS, with 32 strikeouts and six walks.
Thompson was pinch hitting for Kenley Jansen, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the win.
Home, sweet home
The Mets countered the Dodgers' first-inning rally with two runs of their own in the second, fueled by three singled and helped along by a throwing error by Chase Utley at second base. But that as all New York would score off of Alex Wood, who tied his season best with nine strikeouts.
The final punch out came against lefty Michael Conforto to open the seventh inning, Wood's final batter faced. It was the third time in three home starts this season Wood has pitched into the seventh, and continued a familiar pattern. Since joining the Dodgers on July 30, 2015, Wood has eight quality starts in eight starts at Dodger Stadium, with a 2.00 ERA, 46 strikeouts and 11 walks in 54 innings.
But in 11 road starts with the team, he has a 6.79 ERA, 40 strikeouts and 26 walks in 55⅔ innings. Here's how odd Wood's season has gone — he has faced batters in the sixth inning three times in four road starts in 2016, but failed to record an out — batters are 6-for-7 with a home run, a walk and one reached on error. Yet at Dodger Stadium his starts have lasted seven innings, seven innings, and 6⅓ innings on Tuesday.
Tuesday particulars
Home run: Trayce Thompson (4)
WP - Kenley Jansen (1-0): 1 IP, 1 strikeout
LP - Hansel Robles (0-2): ⅔ IP, 1 hit, 1 run