-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts hits an RBI single during the fifth inning of their game against the New York Mets on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
New York Mets starting pitcher Taijuan Walker throws to the plate during the first inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, right, steals second as New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil takes a late throw during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts, center, looks to second base umpire Manny Gonzalez, left, after stealing second base as New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil puts a late tag on him during the first inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the New York Mets on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Gonsolin pitched six shutout innings in a 2-0 win. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
Pete Alonso of the New York Mets looks on after striking out during the second inning against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
New York Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar throws the ball to first base for the out during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
New York Mets starting pitcher Taijuan Walker delivers a pitch against the Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
Gavin Lux of the Dodgers steals second base against Jeff McNeil of the New York Mets during the third inning at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
New York Mets starting pitcher Taijuan Walker reacts after striking out Trea Turner of the Dodgers during the third inning at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux throws out the New York Mets’ Jeff McNeil at first during the fourth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws to the plate during the first inning of their game against the New York Mets on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. Gonsolin pitched six shutout innings in a 2-0 win. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
A general view as Tony Gonsolin of the Dodgers warms up before the start of the fourth inning against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
The New York Mets’ J.D. Davis, right, drops his bat as he hits a double while Dodgers catcher Will Smith watches during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers center fielder Cody Bellinger makes a catch on a ball hit by the New York Mets’ Eduardo Escobar during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor runs to first base after a single during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor dives back to first base during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts hits and RBI single during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor celebrates as he returns to the dugout after scoring during the fifth inning of their game against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Chris Taylor is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring on a single by Mookie Betts during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
New York Mets second baseman Jeff McNeil, left, throws out the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman at first as Mookie Betts, right, is temporarily caught between first and second during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. Betts eventually made it to second safely. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux, right, is tagged out at third by New York Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar after Lux was caught n a rundown between third and home during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
New York Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar holds up his glove after a rundown between third base and home against Gavin Lux of the Dodgers during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Gavin Lux, below, gets up after being tagged out at third by New York Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar after Lux was caught n a rundown between third and home during the fifth inning of a baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts and Brandon Nimmo of the New York Mets look on during a call review during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner hits an RBI double during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
New York Mets starting pitcher Taijuan Walker looks on after giving up an RBI double to the Dodgers’ Justin Turner during the sixth inning on Thursday night at Dodger Stadium. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
The Dodgers’ Justin Turner celebrates his RBI double during the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel throws to the plate during the ninth inning of a game against the New York Mets Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner throws the ball to first base for an out during the ninth inning against the New York Mets at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
Dodgers relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel, left, looks toward center field after striking out the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso to end the baseball game Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Los Angeles. The Dodgers won 2-0. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
-
Pete Alonso of the New York Mets looks on after striking out to end the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Dodgers won 2-0. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
-
Dodgers catcher Will Smith, left, and relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel celebrate their 2-0 win against the New York Mets after the game at Dodger Stadium on June 02, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES — Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor couldn’t play Thursday night because he slammed his right hand in his hotel room door.
Tony Gonsolin slammed the door on the rest of the Mets.
Gonsolin held the Mets scoreless for the first six innings of a combined shutout as the Dodgers took the first game of a four-game East-meets-West matchup of the National League’s two best teams, beating the New York Mets, 2-0, Thursday night.
“Just going out there and throwing strikes and trying to trust my stuff,” said Gonsolin, who is now 6-0 with a 1.59 ERA, the lowest among qualified pitchers. “Letting the defense play and they definitely played today. So yeah, just trying to keep that up and keep that going moving into the next start.”
The Dodgers and Mets came into the series 1-2 in MLB in runs scored. The Mets lead the majors in batting average, hits and on-base percentage. The Dodgers lead in slugging percentage and OPS as well as runs scored.
So naturally, they combined for just seven hits and one run in the first five innings Thursday as Gonsolin and Mets starter Taijuan Walker ignored the numbers.
Mookie Betts certainly lived up to the advanced billing. He was 2 for 4 on Thursday, his eighth multi-hit game in his past 12 starts. After batting .342 in May (with 12 home runs and a 1.157 OPS), he has continued his spring fling, starting June with five hits in his first nine at-bats.
“As long as he keeps his mindset where it’s at – which you can bet on,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Betts continuing his MVP-level play. “And mechanically, I think he’s keeping his posture. He’s staying in the strike zone. If he can do that, he’s tough to get out.”
Betts led off the bottom of the first with a single, stole second and went to third on a fly out but was stranded there. The Dodgers stranded Gavin Lux at third in the third inning as well after he led off with a single, stole second base and moved up on a ground out by Freddie Freeman (mired in a 4-for-27 mini-slump).
The Dodgers finally broke through in the fifth with three consecutive singles, Betts’ RBI single following Chris Taylor and Lux.
In the sixth, Trea Turner and Justin Turner each doubled to make it 2-0. The double extended Trea Turner’s latest hitting streak to 25 games.
That was all the Dodgers could manage on a night when they went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
With Gonsolin on the mound these days, two runs are all they need.
The Dodgers right-hander allowed just two hits and walked one over his six scoreless innings while striking out five.
“He’s fun to play behind right now,” said Taylor, who made two outstanding catches on sinking line drives, taking hits away in left field. “He’s attacking the zone with his full mix. When he’s throwing strikes, he’s tough to hit. He can throw the splitter, the slider, the fastball for a strike. He’s got three really good pitches and he does a good job of mixing it up.”
Gonsolin had never gone six innings in consecutive starts as a big-leaguer before doing it in each of his past four starts. He has allowed two runs or less in nine of his 10 starts.
“He’s just going at guys. He’s not trying to make perfect pitches,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said of the difference in Gonsolin this year. “He’s attacking the zone. He’s getting ahead and getting in good counts and then putting guys away.”
The relief relay of Brusdar Graterol, Daniel Hudson and Craig Kimbrel combined to retire nine of the final 10 Mets batters and close out the three-hit shutout.
In his first appearance since blowing his first save with the Dodgers on Monday, Kimbrel retired the side in order in the ninth, striking out Pete Alonso to end the game.
“I just felt the throw was nice and easy,” Roberts said of Kimbrel. “Really good to see him back and throw the ball the way he did tonight.”
“The fastball was ultimately the savior today.” @goooose15 (6 IP, 0 ER, 5 Ks, 1 BB) on his 6 innings of work and starting the season 6-0. pic.twitter.com/DUzybsJefD
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 3, 2022
“Collectively we did a really nice job preventing runs tonight.” Dave Roberts on the #Dodgers pitching and Tony Gonsolin’s growth on the mound. pic.twitter.com/pHWYd8gZ0m
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) June 3, 2022
from Signage https://ift.tt/vZkzLXF
via Irvine Sign Company
