LOS ANGELES—Starling Marte hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the sixth and first baseman Pete Alonso made a spectacular rally-killing play in the bottom of the inning for the New York Mets, who beat the struggling Los Angeles Dodgers 6–4 Saturday, April 20, to extend their winning streak to six games.
The Mets won their fifth straight series and have gone 12–3 after an 0–5 start.
“The energy is what stands out. It’s the energy and how we’re playing for each other,” Marte said through an interpreter. “We’re all supporting each other and having each other’s back and we’re playing really good baseball.”
The Dodgers’ struggles at the plate continued as they lost for the seventh time in nine games. They went 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13.
They’ve lost three straight series for the first time since June, and three straight series at home for the first time since August 2018.
The Mets won despite issuing 10 walks, their most since Aug. 15. They hadn’t walked 10 in a win since May 13, 2014, in a 12–7 victory at the New York Yankees.
Reed Garrett struck out the side and hopped off the mound in celebration after getting his first big league save after 39 in the minors and two in Japan. He earned the win in Friday night’s 9–4 victory, throwing 33 pitches.
“It’s incredible,” the 31-year-old Garrett said. “It was one of those things where it kind of sped up a little bit on me. It’s a loud atmosphere. The adrenaline is a little bit higher than normal. So today I was just doing the best I could to slow it down and execute my pitches.”
Michael Tonkin (1–2) got the win, three days after the Mets claimed him off waivers from Minnesota, which had acquired him from New York in an April 9 trade.
The Dodgers had tied the game 2–2 in the fifth when Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly brought in Shohei Ohtani.
But the Mets took advantage of mistakes by two relievers to take a 5–2 lead on Marte’s 432-foot shot that landed on a screen extending from the batter’s eye beyond the center field fence. It was Marte’s fourth and it came on the second pitch from Ryan Brasier.
“I’m just seeing it good and I hit it,” Marte said. “I know I was facing a really good pitcher in that moment and he has good pitches and when you see one in the zone you take that type of approach with it.”
Manager Carlos Mendoza said Marte’s contributions have been “huge. We all know that when he’s healthy, he’s a really good player. He’s been doing it for a long time and here he is, you know, having success, quality at-bats. The biggest thing not only is he healthy, feeling good, but he’s having fun.”
Ryan Yarbrough (2–1) issued a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Zack Short and then hit Brandon Nimmo with a pitch with one out to make way for Brasier. Marte’s homer was the third Brasier has allowed in 10 games.
The Dodgers pulled within one run on Freddie Freeman’s two-run single in the sixth, but missed on two other big scoring chances. Drew Smith struck out Ohtani with the bases loaded just ahead of Freeman.
With the bases loaded again, Muncy grounded to Alonso, who fielded the ball near the edge of the outfield grass, sprinted in and dove to tag the bag for the third out.
“Pretty special play, especially in that situation there,” Mendoza said. “For him to not only knocking it down but having the awareness of getting up and tagging first base. It was a huge win for us, top to bottom. Defensively, pitching, offensively, I thought we did a hell of a job.”
Francisco Lindor drove in two runs for the Mets, including on a single in the eighth. Marte also hit an RBI single in the fourth.
Two Mets relievers walked the bases loaded in the eighth before Edwin Díaz struck out Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy.
The Dodgers chased Mets starter José Buttó in the fifth and then tied it at 2 when Muncy’s sacrifice fly off Tonkin brought in Ohtani.
Los Angeles starter Gavin Stone lasted just 3 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs and four hits while walking five and striking out one.
Both starters struggled in a first inning that lasted 32 minutes, yet they allowed only one run each.
Buttó walked two in the first inning and then walked the bases loaded with two outs in the second before striking out Hernández.
