Mets retaliate with big win over Dodgers

The New York Mets retaliated last night. Mets manager Terry Collins hinted at it during a post game press conference after Game Two and Mets starter Matt Harvey said he would do what was right for his team.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that if the Mets did retaliate they would be ready. Apparently the Dodgers’ pitchers weren’t ready. Their retaliation? A blow out win over the Dodgers.

The Mets scored a total of 13 runs and in some innings the full lineup was getting an at-bat. The Dodgers managed seven runs, which would have been enough in Game One, but the Mets, spurred on by the crowd at Citi Field chanting, “We want Utley! We want Utley!” went after the L.A. pitchers with small ball and long balls, doubles, a triple and two homeruns.

Right fielder Curtis Granderson drove in five runs himself, with two doubles that bounced off the walls in center and left field. The crowd erupted into a deafening roar when his first double cleared the loaded bases. It also made up for his throwing error that allowed a third run to score in the top of the inning.

The Dodgers got on the board first with three runs in the second, thanks in part to Granderson’s error. But in the bottom of the inning, with Brett Anderson pitching for the Dodgers, the Mets came back with four runs. After that Harvey kept the Dodgers from scoring again while he was in the game.

The Mets scored again in the third with a two-run homer by Travis d’Arnaud; then in the fourth with a single by Daniel Murphy that scored Juan Lagares and then the second deck homerun by Yoenis Cespedes that scored David Wright, who was intentionally walked, and Murphy. Cespedes had three hits in the game.

At the end of the fourth inning the score was 10-3.

In the top of the seventh Adrian Gonzalez managed a solo homerun off Bartolo Colon, the 42-year old reliever who otherwise pitched pretty well.

But in the bottom of the inning Michael Conforto hit a sacrifice fly that scored d’Arnaud and then Granderson hit his second double, scoring Wilmer Flores and Lagares.

Erik Goedell came on to pitch for the Mets in the ninth, with the score at 13-4. Kike Hernandez and Corey Seager both got singles off Goedell, and then Howie Kendrick homered to left, bringing the score to 13-7, but the Dodgers were still seven runs short of winning the game. Jeurys Familia came on to close for the Mets.

When the teams were announced on the field before the game, Chase Utley, who had taken down Rubén Tejada in Game Two, was roundly booed by the Citi Field crowd. When Tejada walked out with a cane, his right leg and foot in a cast, the crowd stood and gave him a standing ovation. Throughout the stadium there were signs honoring the shortstop. He took one for the team.

Tonight the teams go at it again in Citi Field, the Mets just one run away from advancing. Clayton Kershaw will take the mound on short rest. Everyone wonders if he can pitch at his regular season form and save the Dodgers, but he can’t do it himself. Their bats need to score some runs, more than two or three, if they want to finish the series with a win at Dodger Stadium Thursday.

Steven Matz takes the mound for the Mets. He got the win July 5 against the Dodgers in L.A., with a 2-0 shutout.

Below is the video from Game Two with Chase Utley’s comments about the slide that broke Rubén Tejada’s leg.

(Photos by Claudia Gestro except top photo, which is from YouTube video: Rubén Tejada being honored by crowd)
(L.A. Post-Examiner Staff contributed to this article)