Dodgers stumble in search for momentum in loss to Mets
by Ron Gutterman
The early theme brewing for the 2023 Dodgers is the inability to gain rhythm.
Hours after a shutout victory in a milestone game for Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers took a step back. The Dodgers lost 5–3 to the Mets on Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium and finished their second homestand of the year at 2–4.
The Dodgers are 9–10 heading into a seven-game road trip that begins tomorrow in Chicago.
“I wouldn’t say there’s concern,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I think when you look around the league, a lot of teams are fluttering. We want to get our guys healthy, that’s probably number one.”
The Dodgers are two games behind Arizona — the only team above. 500 in the National League West.
The Dodgers trailed 3–2 in the top of the ninth inning, but the Mets added two runs in frame on a Mark Canha double against reliever Shelby Miller.
The Dodger bullpen allowed three runs over three innings.
Noah Syndergaard started and finished with a final line of two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks over six innings pitched.
“I feel like I executed all my pitches today,” Syndergaard said. “This is probably the best I’ve felt.”
Fourteen of Syndergaard’s 18 recorded outs were batted ball outs with an exit velocity under 90 mph.
He allowed just three balls in play above 95 mph for the entire outing, with two of them being lineouts. The third was a two-run home run by Brandon Nimmo in the fifth inning that gave the Mets a 2–1 lead.
Syndergaard now has a season ERA of 4.91 and a WHIP of 1.23 in 22 innings over four starts.
The Offense
The Dodger offense has hit a rough patch. Over the course of their six-game homestand, they averaged 3.3 runs per game and scored two runs in three of the six games.
On Wednesday, they — like the Mets — struggled with hard contact. LA tallied five balls in play above 95 mph, two of which went for outs. They had just two hits — a David Peralta sacrifice fly and home run — leave the bat at over 100 mph (100.6).
Homestand Stats
The Dodgers finish their second homestand of the season with a 2–4 record. They had just one homestand with a losing record all of last season when they went 2–5 from May 30-June 5 against the Pirates and Mets.
The 3.3 runs per game scored by the Dodgers is the fewest over a full homestand since Aug. 27-Sep. 1 of 2021 against the Rockies and Braves.
Scherzer returns to LA
It was a brief return to Dodger Stadium for Max Scherzer, who started 11 regular season and three playoff games for LA in 2021. He was one of the team’s marquee trade deadline acquisitions on July 30 of that season.
Wednesday marked his first start in LA since leaving for the Mets prior to the 2022 season.
Scherzer pitched three scoreless innings with one hit, two walks and three strikeouts. Scherzer was ejected from the game ahead of the fourth inning. Umpires twice did their routine glove/hand check and at one point Scherzer was asked to change gloves. He was thrown out after an argument with umpires.
Looking Ahead
The Dodgers (9–10) hit the road for a seven-game, eight-day trip against the Cubs and Pirates. Thursday’s series opener in Chicago begins at 4:40 p.m. PST.
Michael Grove gets the start for the Dodgers with Jameson Taillon representing the Cubs.
