Dodgers overpower Mets, extend historic streak
NEW YORK — Yasiel Puig hit a tiebreaking homer in the seventh inning and the thundering Los Angeles Dodgers went deep five times, rallying past the New York Mets 7-4 on Saturday to extend their incredible surge.
Chris Taylor, Justin Turner, Corey Seager and rookie Cody Bellinger also connected for the Dodgers, who are 43-7 since June 7. That’s the best 50-game run by a big league team since the 1912 New York Giants compiled the same mark from May 14 to July 3.
Los Angeles has won all but one of its last 13 games, upping the top record in the majors to an astounding 78-32. That puts the Dodgers at 46 games above .500 for the first time since they were 98-51 on Sept. 15, 1962.
Leadoff man Michael Conforto, Wilmer Flores and Curtis Granderson homered in the first inning off Dodgers lefty Rich Hill, the NL pitcher of the month for July.
Mets starter Seth Lugo held Los Angeles hitless until the fifth, but it didn’t last. CUBS 7, NATIONALS 4: Willson Contreras homered and drove in three runs, Alex Avila homered for his first hit with the Cubs and Chicago beat Washington to even the series between division leaders. BREWERS 3, RAYS 0: Zach Davies gave up one hit in seven innings and Milwaukee remained a half-game behind the NL Centralleading Chicago Cubs with a victory over Tampa Bay. RED SOX 4, WHITE SOX 1: Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr. hit two-run homers, and Drew Pomeranz won a career-best fifth straight decision to help Boston beat Chicago. MLB SUSPENDS A’S JOYCE: Oakland outfielder Matt Joyce received a twogame suspension without pay for directing a gay slur toward a fan in Anaheim and he will take part in a public outreach initiative with PFLAG, a family and ally organization supporting the LGBTQ community. Major League Baseball made the announcement, saying Joyce’s penalty was set to begin Saturday, when he also apologized through the team. Joyce said he is “beyond sorry,” and the Athletics also made a statement insisting his language was unacceptable and wouldn’t be tolerated.