Mets Game 88: Loss to Dodgers

Dodgers 6 Mets 0

As Meatloaf might have sung, had he recorded a follow-up tune — three out of four ain’t bad.

Mets Game Notes

Dillon Gee was effective through five frames, then everything fell apart in the sixth. Even when he was pitching well, Gee was hanging his curve, didn’t have great bite on the change, and his fastball command was off. He threw a first-pitch strike to only half of the first 18 batters he faced (through the first five innings) — a habit that eventually caught up with him.

In contrast, Clayton Kershaw was dominating and efficient — he didn’t reach 100 pitches until there was one out in the 8th, and completed 8, allowing only 5 hits and 2 walks, striking out 9 in a 113-pitch effort. He’s pretty good.

Matt Kemp was clearly looking for, and sitting on, the curveball in this game — and possibly, the entire series. In the sixth inning, he let go two hittable fastballs before taking a big hack at a deuce and eventually jumping all over another curve for his 2-RBI double. Not too many hitters look for breaking stuff; one who I know did it often was Gary Sheffield.

With two outs in the 8th inning, men on first and second, down by 6, and Carlos Beltran at the plate, Ruben Tejada stole third base. Why? No idea. He barely made it safely, and probably could have been called out — it was that close. The excuse is that Tejada is 21 years old, but, that is the type of thing most players learn in their teens — certainly, in the minor leagues.

Next Mets Game

Mets move on to San Francisco to play a three-game weekend series against the Giants. Game one begins at 10:15 PM Eastern Time and pits R.A. Dickey vs. Ryan Vogelsong.