Field Level Media
May 30, 2019
Alex Verdugo hit a game-ending sacrifice fly in the ninth inning Wednesday as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from what was once a five-run deficit for a 9-8 victory over the visiting New York Mets.
The Dodgers finished off the Mets with four runs in the ninth inning, a comeback that was started with back-to-back home runs from Joc Pederson and Max Muncy against Mets closer Edwin Diaz. The home runs reduced the deficit to 8-7 before Justin Turner doubled, and then Cody Bellinger tied the game with an RBI double.
The Dodgers victory spoiled a two-homer night from Mets rookie Pete Alonso, the third multi-homer game in his two months in the major leagues. His 19 home runs on the season are just seven behind Darryl Strawberry's Mets rookie record set in 1983.
The Dodgers won for the seventh time in their last nine games and just barely avoided consecutive defeats for the first time since April 23-24 against the Chicago Cubs.
Alonso gave the Mets a 2-0 lead in the first inning with a two-run shot to center field off Dodgers starter Walker Buehler. Adeiny Hechavarria made it 3-0 in the second inning with an RBI double.
The Dodgers scrambled back with RBI doubles from Matt Beaty and Verdugo, before Turner tied it 3-3 in the third inning with an RBI single.
Alonso broke the tie with another two-run shot, this one to left field in the fifth inning. He now has seven home runs over his last 12 games going back to his two-homer game on May 17 against the Miami Marlins.
The only two players ahead of Alonso in the home-run chase are the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger (20) and the Brewers' Christian Yelich (21).
The Mets padded their lead in the seventh inning on back-to-back home runs by Amed Rosario, his sixth, and Dominic Smith, his second.
Mets starter Noah Syndergaard gave up three runs on seven hits over six innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Diaz (1-3) recorded just one out while giving up his four ninth-inning runs on five hits and an intentional walk.
Buehler gave up five runs on seven hits over five innings. Left-hander Scott Alexander (3-1) pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the victory.
Corey Seager had three extra-base hits for the Dodgers, collecting two doubles and an eighth-inning home run, his sixth, to cut the Mets' lead to 8-5.
--Field Level Media