ANOTHER GEM FOR MATZ
LEFTY SHUTS DOWN DODGERS, IMPROVES TO 5-1: PUMA, KERNAN
LOS ANGELES — Steven Matz is the darkhorse in the Mets’ stable of studs, seldom mentioned in the debate over who is best. But the rookie lefty is becoming more worthy of serious consideration by the minute.
On Monday he gave his team a fifth straight impressive start, methodically torturing hitters in the Mets’ third consecutive victory, 4-2 over the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine.
Since flopping against the Marlins in his first start of the season, Matz is 5-0 with a 1.09 ERA and has lasted at least six innings in each of those starts. His latest gem consisted of two earned runs allowed on six hits and one walk with five strikeouts over six innings.
“He’s really not only throwing one or two pitches well, he’s throwing three or four really well,” catcher Kevin Plawecki said. “When you get a four-pitch mix working like he does, with the command that he shows, it’s going to be a good outing.”
Trayce Thompson’s tworun homer in the fourth inning represented the Dodgers’ only damage against Matz, who was removed after 98 pitches. The Mets (20-11) moved a season-high nine games above .500 and remain a half-game ahead of the Nationals in the NL East.
“I felt like I had pretty good command and that’s what it’s all about, so I’m happy with how I threw the ball today,” Matz said.
Hansel Robles, Antonio Bastardo, Jim Henderson and Jeurys Familia combined for three scoreless in- nings of relief, from a bullpen that has not shown a weakness over the first five weeks of the season.
The first game between the teams since last year’s NLDS included an appearance from Chase Utley, who grounded out against Robles in the seventh before Familia retired him in the ninth. It was Utley who broke Ruben Tejada’s leg with a takeout slide — that has since been outlawed — in Game 2 of last year’s NLDS.
Manager Terry Collins said Utley’s name was mentioned in the Mets’ pregame strategy meeting, and the message was clear: Last year is over.
“Let’s not got anybody hurt,” Collins said. “Including our guys.”
Matz gave the Mets a gift insurance run in the sixth, when he stroked an RBI double after Howie Kendrick muffed Plawecki’s routine grounder that should have been the third out. But Scott Kazmir (2-3) created some of his own trouble by walking Wilmer Flores with two outs to start the rally.
Thompson took a Matz sinker to the opposite field for a two-run homer to right
in the fourth that sliced the Mets’ lead to 3-2. The blast was the first allowed by Matz since his first start of the season, against the Marlins on April 11.
“You go back to his first start where he really struggled, he didn’t have good command of his fastball, but he stayed with his fastball,” Collins said. “Now, you don’t know what’s coming.”
Kazmir lasted 5 2/3 innings for the Dodgers in which he allowed four runs, one unearned, on six hits with six strikeouts and four walks. The former top Mets pitching prospect has staggered to a 5.54 ERA this season.
Yoenis Cespedes delivered an RBI single that gave the Mets a 3-0 lead in the third, but his base-running blunder cost the Mets a chance at a bigger inning. With one out, Juan Lagares hit a fly to medium left, on which Cespedes was caught off second base. Kike Hernandez made the catch and fired to the bag, completing the double play before David Wright, who had tagged up at third, could reach the plate.
It was a messy inning for the Dodgers, with Kazmir hitting Asdrubal Cabrera before walking Wright to load the bases, with a passed ball included in the mix.
Plawecki continued a solid road trip with a twoout solo homer in the second that gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.
Curtis Granderson hammered the first pitch of the game into the right-field seats for his 37th career leadoff homer. The blast was Granderson’s sixth of the season in an otherwise slow start — he entered batting only .207.