New York Mets vs Los Angeles Dodgers Match Player Stats On Jun 21, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jun 22, 2017

LOS ANGELES -- Left-hander Rich Hill bounced back from a subpar effort, and Yasiel Puig hit a three-run home run to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to their sixth straight win, 8-2 over the beleaguered New York Mets, on Wednesday.

The Dodgers (47-26) moved into first place in the National League West, a half-game ahead of the Colorado Rockies, who were beaten by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since May 25, the Dodgers are 20-6. And they are 28-10 in home games this year.

Yasmani Grandal hit solo home runs in the sixth and eighth innings, giving him nine homers this season. The Dodgers have 30 in their past 11 games.

Hill (4-3) went five innings, allowing four hits, three walks and one run while striking out eight. Four relievers struck out seven more Mets in the last four innings.

The loss was the sixth in the last seven games for the Mets and extended their injury-exacerbated pitching woes. They have allowed 71 runs in their past nine games -- 30 to the Dodgers in the past three.

The Mets (31-40) have three starting pitchers on the disabled list, and they recalled rookie Tyler Pill from Triple-A Las Vegas to make an emergency start Wednesday. Pill (0-3) gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks over six innings. He struck out six.

Hill, coming off one of the worst starts of his career (two innings, eight hits, seven runs), didn't begin well Wednesday. In the first inning, he was greeted by Curtis Granderson's home run to center field and a double by Wilmer Flores. However, Hill struck out two of the next three hitters to escape further trouble.

His most impressive inning was the fourth. A walk, single and dropped popup by Chase Utley loaded the bases with no outs, but Hill went to his overhand curve to strike out Jose Reyes, Gavin Cecchini and Pill.

The Dodgers got a run in the third thanks to a two-base throwing error by third baseman T.J. Rivera and Hill's sacrifice fly, the veteran pitcher's first RBI since 2009.

The Dodgers blew the game open in the fourth, aided by another error. Cody Bellinger legged out a double to right field and took third when Jay Bruce air-mailed his throw to second. Logan Forsythe followed with a double to left for a 2-1 lead.

Pill got an out and walked left-handed hitter Joc Pederson intentionally to get to Puig, who slugged a 3-1 pitch to left field for his 13th homer of the season and a 5-1 lead.

The Dodgers right fielder, who is appealing a one-game suspension for making an indecent gesture after a homer in Cleveland, loped to first and exchanged words with Mets first baseman Flores and catcher Travis d'Arnaud when he touched the plate. Between innings, Reyes and Yoenis Cespedes stopped Puig on his way to right field and had a brief, animated discussion.

NOTES: The Dodgers recalled RHP Brandon Morrow from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was 2-0 in five relief appearances earlier this season, not allowing a run while striking out seven in six innings. He replaces RHP Brock Stewart, who pitched three innings of relief Wednesday and earned a save before being optioned to the minors. ... Dodgers 1B Adrian Gonzalez says he will not rush back from his herniated disk as he did earlier this season, and he may not return until late July. Gonzalez received an epidural injection for the injury after going on the DL and is working to strengthen his back. His two trips to the DL this season were the first in his career ... Mets RHP Zach Wheeler was placed on the 10-day disabled list with biceps tendinitis. The Mets recalled Erik Goeddel from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned INF Matt Reynolds (.177) to Las Vegas.