Dodgers left-handed reliever Alex Vesia emerged from the bullpen, not closer and former Met Edwin Díaz, in the ninth inning with a one-run lead.
En route to the Dodgers’ 2-1 win over the Mets, Vesia struck out the side. He hopped and fist pumped as the Dodgers formed their handshake line. With the win, the Dodgers ensured at least a series win, with the chance to sweep on Wednesday.
The Dodgers and Mets traded blows in the first inning. Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto gave up a leadoff home run to the Mets’ Francisco Lindor on the third pitch of the game.
Then Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker, batting second, drew a walk and advanced to third on Will Smith’s double to left field. Freddie Freeman chopped a soft grounder to Mets first baseman Mark Vientos, who made no attempt to look back or throw out Tucker as he raced home, and Tucker scored standing up.
Then the pitching battle commenced. Neither Yamamoto nor Mets starter Nolan McLean allowed another baserunner until the fifth inning, when McLean blinked first.
He walked Hyeseong Kim and had an errant pickoff attempt that allowed Kim to get to second. But he was stranded there.
Yamamoto, after that leadoff home run, retired the next 20 batters. His streak finally ended with two outs in the seventh inning as Bo Bichette landed a double up the line in shallow left field.
Yamamoto then walked Francisco Alvarez and escaped the jam by striking out Brett Baty.
He didn’t give up consecutive hits until the eighth, when Carson Benge singled on a short line drive to left field and Lindor snuck a ground ball between first baseman Freeman and second baseman Alex Freeland, who both made diving attempts.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called in right-handed reliever Blake Treinen to face Luis Robert Jr. with two outs and runners on the corners. Treinen struck out Robert on a sweeper that caught the bottom of the strike zone and withstood an ABS challenge.
With the score still tied in the bottom of the eighth, the Mets turned to left-handed reliever Brooks Raley. And the Dodgers (13-4) had Miguel Rojas pinch-hit for Kim.
Rojas drew a walk. Then Santiago Espinal moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. The Mets intentionally walked Shohei Ohtani. And then Tucker shook off his recent slump and dropped a go-ahead single into left field.
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