Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
The Mets were met with a very good Dodgers’ pitching staff on Thursday night as they were three-hit and ultimately ended up being shut out by the Dodgers 2-0.
Taijuan Walker (3-0, 2.88 ERA) took the mound for the Mets (35-17) on Thursday night against Tony Gonsolin (5-0, 1.59 ERA) and the Dodgers (33-17).
The Mets went down quietly in the top of the first as they were retired in order by Gonsolin.
Mookie Betts quickly got the Dodgers’ offense kick-started with a lead-off single to left field off of Walker. Three batters later Walker walked Will Smith to put two on with two outs. The Dodgers left those runners stranded as Walker got out of the inning with a groundout of Edwin Rios
Both the Mets and Dodgers went down quietly in the second. The Mets got one baserunner on a one-out walk of Jeff McNeil, but they left him stranded as Gonsolin retired the next two batters he faced. Walker retired the Dodgers in the bottom half of the inning.
The third inning was another quick one as the Mets were retired in order in the top half of the inning and the Dodgers acquired just one base runner on a lead-off single by Gavin Lux that the Dodgers were unable to produce on top of.
After three innings the game remained scoreless and the Mets had yet to find their bats and their first hit of the night.
The Mets got their first hit of the night in the top of the fourth off the bat of Luis Guilllorme who hit a one-out single to center field to get the Mets’ offense started. Guillorme was retired at second on a force out produced by Pete Alonso for the second out of the inning and a ground out by McNeil left Alonso stranded.
Walker continued to have a productive outing in the fourth as he retired the Dodgers in order
The Mets struck for their second hit of the night in the top of the fifth on a two-out double by J.D. Davis to center field. But Patrick Mazeika left Davis stranded in scoring position as he struck out to end the inning.
After a scoreless four & a half innings, the Dodgers struck first in the bottom of the fifth. The Dodgers’ offense was ignited by back-to-back one-out singles by Chris Taylor and Lux to put two on for the Dodgers. Betts then continued to hit the ball well, collecting his second hit of the night – an RBI single to center field that scored Taylor from third and moved Lux to second as the Dodgers took a 1-0 lead over the Mets in the fifth.
That was the only run produced by the Dodgers in the fifth as Walker got out of the inning and avoided further damage being done.
The Mets went down in order for the third time of the night in the top of the sixth and the Dodgers continued to find their power.
After the Mets were retired in order in the top half of the inning, Trea Turner immediately got the Dodgers’ offense restarted with a lead-off double to left field. Three batters later, Justin Turner scored Trea Turner on a two-out RBI double to center field to extend the Dodgers’ lead to 2-0 over the Mets in the sixth inning.
That ended up being the last batter Walker faced as the Mets went to their bullpen. Buck Showalter brought in Colin Holderman to replace Walker on the mound.
Holderman retired Cody Bellinger on a strikeout to end the sixth inning.
Taijuan Walker’s final line:
5.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO, 0 HR, 2.88 ERA
The Dodgers went to their bullpen in the seventh inning. They brought in Brusdar Graterol to replace Tony Gonsolin on the mound.
Tony Gonsolin’s final line:
6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR, 1.59 ER
McNeil reached base for the second time Thursday night on a one-out single to left field in the seventh. He was 1-for-2 through seven innings. The Mets, however, left McNeil stranded once again for the second time of the night.
The Dodgers acquired two base runners in the bottom half of the inning as Taylor led off with a single to Center Field and Lux reached on an error. Lux was 2-3 through seven innings.
After a shaky start to the seventh, Holderman settled in and found his groove. He retired the next three batters he faced to get out of the inning.
The Dodgers went to their bullpen again in the eighth. They handed the ball to Daniel Hudson in relief of Graterol.
Hudson retired the Mets in order on two strikeouts and a fly-out.
The Mets went to their bullpen as well in the eighth. They brought in Chasen Shreve to replace Holderman on the mound
Shreve walked Smith (it was Smith’s second walk of the night) to lead off the bottom of the eighth but retired the next three batters he faced to get out of the inning and keep it a 2-0 game going into the ninth.
The Dodgers went back to their bullpen in the ninth inning as they brought in Craig Kimbrel to replace Hudson on the mound
Kimbrel closed it out and retired the Mets in order in the ninth as the Dodgers took the opening game of the series with a 2-0 win over the Mets.
With Thursday’s loss, the Mets fall to 35-18. The Dodgers improve to 34-17
The Mets were also the MLB’s only team to have not been shut out, so Thursday’s loss means each team in the MLB has been shut out at least once in 2022
Gonsolin (6-0) was credited with the win for the Dodgers; Walker (3-1) was credited with his first loss of the season, and Kimbrel was credited with his eleventh save
With Thursday’s win, the Dodgers have beaten the Mets in 23 of the last 28 games against the Mets.
The Mets and Dodgers continue their series on Friday night at 10:10 PM EST (7:10 PM PST). It is expected to be Chris Bassitt (4-2, 3.66 ERA) on the mound for the Mets against Tyler Anderson (0-0, 2.90 ERA) for the Dodgers.
