Behind a wonderful performance by Johan Santana, the New York Mets (50-47) bounced back to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-1, in the second game of a four-game series at Chavez Ravine.
The Mets improved to an ugly 20-31 on the road and 2-7 on the road trip.
The Atlanta Braves lost a 7-6 decision to the Florida Marlins, pulling the Mets to 6 1/2 games behind in the National League East. The Philadelphia Phillies also picked up a full game on the Braves, beating the Colorado Rockies 6-0.
New York Mets @ Los Angeles Dodgers … recap and boxscore
Post Game Notes:
Johan Santana (8-5, 2.79) pitched seven innings, allowing one run and five hits. He threw 98 pitches, 74 for strikes. Santana is now 4-0 lifetime against the Dodgers.
From Elias Sports Bureau:
Santana is 4-0 (against the Dodgers) with an ERA of 0.65, having allowed only two earned runs over 27 2/3 innings. Since the National League began recording earned runs in 1912, only one pitcher has won each of his first four games against the Dodgers, all as a starting pitcher, with an ERA as low as Santana’s: that was Hippo Vaughn, a left-hander with the Cubs in the second decade of the last century. Vaughn went 4-0 with an ERA of 0.50 in his first four games (all starts) against the then-Brooklyn Dodgers.
Bobby Parnell pitched a scoreless eighth inning, followed by an eight-pitch inning by Francisco Rodriguez in the ninth.
Jerry Manuel was thrown out of the game in the second inning after arguing a call with first base umpire Doug Eddings.
Ike Davis crushed his 14th home run of the season, a solo shot off Vincente Padilla in the second inning.
David Wright was 0-for-4, striking out three times in the game. He has struck out five times in the first two games of the series. Wright’s season average has dropped to .301.
Props to Jason Bay tonight. He collected two hits, including a huge bases-loaded double in the eighth inning. Bay made a fantastic catch in the third inning, kissing the left field fence in front of the Dodgers bullpen.
Courtesy of our friends at Elias Sports Bureau and ESPN-New York:
For the Mets – the only major-league team without a grand-slam homer this season – (Bay’s three-run double) was a rare three-run hit, only their ninth of the season and the first for Bay. (While with the Red Sox last year, Bay hit six three-run homers.)
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Post Game Quotes:
Johan Santana (on Mets season): “It’s not over yet. We still have to be consistent. That will be key in order for us to climb up.”
Jason Bay (on going face-first into the left field fence): “I’ll probably have a little bump and bruise tomorrow. I kind of hyper-extended [my left knee]. It’s not the usual way to get contorted. I haven’t even seen the replay. I heard everybody yelling, ‘Ohhh.'”
Jerry Manuel (on getting ejected): “I felt he was ready to make an out call regardless of what he saw. He said I was yelling. I think I was.”
