NEW YORK — After the rain, the dam burst.
Having received the gift of an unexpected day off – complete with a free night in New York – following Monday’s rain, the Dodgers slept off the lingering effects of a five-game losing streak and slowly came back to life, scoring five time in the final. three innings of a 5-2 victory over the New York Mets in 10 innings in the first game of Tuesday’s doubleheader.
The Dodgers’ slumping offense showed few signs of revival, managing just three hits in seven scoreless innings against right-hander Tylor Megill.
The Dodgers’ offensive highlight against Megill came in the second inning when Teoscar Hernandez immediately sent a ball over the wall in center field. But he didn’t stay above the wall. Mets center fielder Tyrone Taylor leapt high, reached the wall and momentarily put Hernandez’s disc in his glove. He popped out on Taylor’s downfield but the Torrance High product got back on the field, forcing Hernandez to hold on with a double.
Making only his third start of the season and his second since a shoulder injury placed him on the injured list for more than a month, Megill tore through the Dodgers lineup, throwing more than 15 pitches in a single round (17 in fourth). . That stress-free existence allowed Megill (Los Alamitos High, Loyola Marymount) to complete seven innings for just the third time in 55 career starts.
Tyler Glasnow did what he could to minimize the demands of the Dodgers offense. He allowed just two hits in seven innings. One of those hits, however, was a two-run homer by Francisco Lindor in the bottom of the second.
The Dodgers offense finally put a run on the board in the eighth inning – with a little help. An error by Mets third baseman Brett Baty extended the inning long enough for the Dodgers to score their first run of the game when Freddie Freeman bounced an RBI single into the infield.
But that left the game in the hands of the bottom half of the Dodgers’ lineup, the land where the rallies went to die this season.
Hernandez and Gavin Lux started this rally with back-to-back singles, bringing up Chris Taylor and his .110 batting average. Taylor had struck out in each of his first three at-bats Tuesday, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts failed to hit him.
Instead, Taylor threw up a bunt attempt, but it landed on the grass in front of Ottavino as he charged from the mound. The tying point was scored on the play.
Daniel Hudson escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the ninth and Mookie Betts gave the Dodgers their first since Friday with an RBI single to drive in the free runner. Freeman followed with a two-run home run.
More to come on this story.
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