BETTS HELPS DODGERS BEAT UP SLOPPY METS

Mookie Betts went 4for-4 with a home run and the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers took advantage of a high throw by first baseman Pete Alonso to beat the sloppy New York Mets 5-1 on Saturday night for their sixth straight victory.

Max Muncy scored the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning on David Peralta’s RBI grounder. Alonso, who moments earlier made his second diving play of the night, had a chance to start an inningending double play — but his throw to second base forced shortstop Francisco

Lindor to make a leaping grab and then find the bag, giving Peralta enough time to beat the relay at first.

Los Angeles added three insurance runs in the ninth, the first scoring when rookie third baseman Brett Baty misplayed a high popup for an embarrassing error. To make matters worse, the ball bounced up and dinged Baty right in the face after he made a desperate, staggering dive.

J.D. Martinez and Peralta followed with RBI singles off Grant Hartwig.

Brandon Nimmo homered for the Mets, held to three hits one night after mustering just one — Nimmo’s leadoff double — in a 6-0 loss to the Dodgers. Allstar rookie Kodai Senga struck out nine in six innings of one-run ball, but New York (42-50) dropped its fourth in a row following a six-game winning streak.

Brusdar Graterol (3-2) worked a hitless seventh for the NL West leaders, who have won 14 of 19. New York put runners at the corners with none out in the eighth, but Caleb Ferguson retired pinch-hitter Mark Canha on a foul popup and then struck out Baty and Luis Guillorme on seven pitches.

Baty whiffed all three times up. Adam Ottavino (0-4) took the loss.

Tony Gonsolin limited the Mets to two hits through five innings on a season-low 54 pitches.

It was the fewest pitches needed by a Dodgers starter to complete five innings since Greg Maddux threw 47 over six innings in the final game of his Hall of Fame career on Sept. 27, 2008.

Notable

Pitching prospect Quinn Priester is to make his major league debut Monday night for the Pirates. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said that the Pirates plan to call up Priester from Triple-a Indianapolis to face Cleveland. Priester was the Pirates’ first-round pick in the 2019 draft.

• Braves LHP A.J. Minter was placed on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation, another blow to Atlanta’s bullpen.

• 3B José Miranda was put on the 10-day injured list by the Twins because of a right shoulder impingement, and top prospect Matt Wallner was recalled from Triple-a St. Paul.

• The Guardians placed right-hander Shane Bieber on the 15-day injured list with forearm irritation.