Mets avoid sweep with big win over Dodgers
Posted: Wed May 7 6:43 PM
Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Raul Casanova finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a pair of runs scored as New York crushed Los Angeles, 12-1, in the finale of a three-game set from Dodger Stadium.
Luis Castillo and David Wright also drove in a pair while Ryan Church homered and scored three times for the Mets, who salvaged a game in the series and finished one run off their season-high set April 2 in a 13-0 win over Florida.
"Where was this yesterday, or the day before," Church said of his club which lost 5-1 Monday and 5-4 on Tuesday. "It's fun to be part of this. It's good to see we're finally able to do it."
John Maine (4-2) scattered four hits and one run over 8 1/3 innings en route to his third straight winning start. He also knocked in two runs.
Matt Kemp knocked in the lone run and Andruw Jones doubled and scored for the Dodgers, who had won 10 their last 11 games.
LA starter Brad Penny (5-3) was buried in defeat, charged with 10 hits and 10 runs -- all earned -- over 4 2/3 innings.
"It wasn't very good. Hopefully we won't see that for a while," said Dodgers manager Joe Torre about Penny's performance. "He got into some bad count situations and paid the price. We appeared flat, but take nothing away from John Maine. He was pretty special today."
New York wrapped up the game with a six-run fifth, all coming with two outs.
Maine helped his cause with a bloop two-run hit to center that put the Mets ahead 7-0, and after a Jose Reyes walk loaded the bases, Penny's outing was over. Scott Proctor walked Castillo to force in a run, then Wright's ground-rule double to left scored two more. A wild pitch with Carlos Beltran at the plate brought in Castillo, but a groundout to second finally ended the frame.
In the sixth, Church slammed the first pitch he saw from Proctor over the wall in right for a 12-0 Mets lead.
Maine cruised through his outing, allowing two doubles through eight frames -- one in the third to Chin-Lung Hu and to James Loney in the fifth.
Jones led off the ninth with a pinch-hit double, and after a walk to Juan Pierre and Andre Ethier fly out, scored on a single from Kemp -- ending Maine's shutout bid and signaling the end of his start. Duaner Sanchez retired Delwyn Young on a fielder's choice and fanned Loney to end the contest.
"I wish I could have finished, but I think I threw one too many fastballs at the end," Maine said. "I felt the best I've felt all year. It makes it easier when you get a big lead."
The Mets dented Penny in the second by sending nine men to the plate and scoring four runs on Marlon Anderson's RBI ground-rule double to center, Casanova's two-run single, and an RBI hit from Castillo.
Beltran began the third with a single, advanced to third when Church singled to right, then scored on a fielder's choice with Angel Pagan at the plate. Game Notes
Penny fell to 5-12 lifetime against the Mets, and 3-1 in Los Angeles...Mets left-fielder Pagan went crashing into the seats along the left-field line to snag a foul from Ethier in the bottom of the first inning. After getting up slowly and being examined by team staff, he was able to stay in the game until the fourth, when he exited with right shoulder stiffness...Kemp extended his hitting streak to 12 games...The Mets return home Friday to open up a three-game series with Cincinnati, while the Dodgers welcome Houston for three also starting Friday.