Scherzer gets lots of help in win over Mets
LOS ANGELES — Trea Turner, Albert Pujols and Chris Taylor each homered, and Max Scherzer won for the third time in four starts since being acquired as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the slumping New York Mets 4-3 on Saturday.
The surging Dodgers have won nine consecutive games, matching a season-best winning streak. Six of those wins have come against the Mets, who have dropped eight of nine overall.
Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth for his 27th save. He hit Kevin Pillar to lead off the inning, then got Brandon Nimmo to ground out and struck out Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso.
The Dodgers had a three-run lead through six innings before Alonso hit a two-run home run, his 28th of the season, off reliever Blake Treinen in the seventh.
New York squandered a ripe opportunity in the fifth when it loaded the bases against Scherzer, all with two outs. Scherzer struck out J.D. Davis to end the threat, but it was a taxing 34-pitch inning for Scherzer, whose day was done after that big strikeout.
Nimmo homered for the Mets, a
solo shot to right field off Scherzer in the fifth inning. Scherzer allowed just that one run and five hits. He struck out eight and walked one. Nimmo had three hits.
Rich Hill (6-5) allowed three solo homers over five innings, including Pujols’ 15th of the season. The 41-year-old Pujols previously homered against the 40-year-old Hill on Aug. 17, 2007. The 14-year, four-day span between consecutive home runs off a pitcher is the third longest in MLB history, according
to STATS. The only longer stretches were Carlos Beltran and Bartolo Colon, (15 years, 313 days) and Barry Bonds, Jesse Orosco (14 years, 69 days).
Scherzer (11-4) has allowed five earned runs in 21 ⅓ innings (2.11 ERA) since being acquired along with Turner from the Washington Nationals on July 30. The Dodgers have won all four games in which Scherzer has started, including a pair against the Mets.
Turner had three hits.
The Mets had a star-studded matchup at Dodger Stadium, at least before the game, when pitcher Noah Syndergaard (Tommy John surgery) and shortstop Francisco Lindor (right oblique strain) faced each other in live batting practice. Syndergaard threw 20 pitches to Lindor and infielder Luis Guillorme. Lindor could return to the lineup as early as Sunday.
The teams conclude the series Sunday with Mets RHP Marcus Stroman (8-12, 2.84) facing LHP David Price (4-1, 3.62). Stroman is tied for ninth in MLB in ERA. He struck out a career-high nine batters in his last start and gave up three runs and five hits in seven innings in a loss to the Giants. Price is 0-1 with a 3.62 ERA in 11 starts this season and 4-0 with a 3.63 ERA in 21 relief appearances. He’s facing the Mets for just the second time in his career.
Trainer’s room
Mets: INF Javier Baez (back spasms) could be activated as early as Sunday.
Dodgers: OF Mookie Betts (hip) was running bases at full speed Saturday and could return to the lineup next week . ... LHP Clayton Kershaw (elbow) is expected to throw off a mound this week.