|
 It took until one out was left in the game, but pinch hitter
Trayce Thompson finally delivered with his first-ever walk-off hit,
driving Hansel Robles' fastball into the left field bleachers for a
walk-off home run to give the Dodgers a 3-2 win over the New York
Mets on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.
"I was just trying to keep it simple and trying to look for a heater
or something simple and square it up," Thompson said. "It was a
fastball over the plate that I was there to handle."
It was the Dodgers' first walk-off, pinch-hit home run since Scott
Van Slyke hit an 11th-inning shot to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks
on Sept. 10, 2013.
"It's special to get in here and celebrate with your teammates,"
Thompson said. "It's definitely a crazy feeling. It happened so
fast, but I'm happy to help the team win."
Kenley Jansen (1-0) earned the win with one inning of scoreless
relief.
Robles (0-2) retired two batters before serving up the Thompson home
run.
 Mets starter Jacob deGrom went seven innings and gave up two runs on
eight hits. He struck out four without issuing a walk.
Dodgers starter Alex Wood continued to impress at home but did not
factor into the decision, leaving the game still searching for his
second win of the season. Wood gave up two runs (one earned) on four
hits, struck out nine and walked two in 6 1/3 innings.
Wood is 4-2 with a 2.00 ERA in eight starts at Dodger Stadium,
benefitting from a minor mechanical adjust made prior to his April
29 start against the San Diego Padres.
"I've felt pretty crisp the last three starts," Wood said. "I think
it's just making everything really consistent across the board. I
feel pretty good with all three of my pitches these last three
starts. It was really big, to be honest, to figure out my timing and
my consistency with everything."
The Dodgers got to deGrom early when Chase Utley and Corey Seager
both doubled to open the first inning. Seager's double to center
field scored Utley easily, and Gonzalez's fly ball to left field
scored Seager to make it 2-0.
Mets manager Terry Collins said that deGrom is fighting through
mechanical issues. "This guy was in trouble for the first five
innings but still gave us seven innings, and that tells me a lot,"
Collins said. "He's not where we know he can be. This guy is usually
pinpoint, and he hasn't been that, and that's why he's been
struggling. But I'll tell you one thing, I like running him out
there every fifth day."
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The Mets tied the game in the second inning when Wood failed to get
the first two batters out and Utley threw away a routine grounder.
Cespedes singled up the middle to lead off, and Wilmer Flores
reached on an infield single. Michael Conforto hit a grounder to
Utley, who bobbled it, allowing Cespedes to score from second.
Kevin Plawecki continued his hot streak with an RBI single up the
middle, scoring Flores and tying the game at 2-2.
New York center fielder Yoenis Cespedes kept the game tied in the
fourth and fifth innings. Yasiel Puig hit a high fly ball to lead
off the fourth inning, but Cespedes made a leaping catch at the wall
for the out.
With two outs in the fifth, Adrian Gonzalez tried to keep the inning
alive by stretching a two-out single into a double. Cespedes played
the ball off the wall and gunned down Gonzalez with time to spare at
second.
NOTES: The Dodgers went with a heavy left-handed-hitting lineup
against RHP Jacob deGrom with five lefties and one switch hitter.
... Dodgers 2B Chase Utley returned to the lineup Tuesday batting
leadoff, and he went 1-for-4. In 23 starts as the leadoff hitter,
Utley is hitting .299 (29-for-97). ... Los Angeles SS Corey Seager
also returned to the lineup Tuesday after getting the night off. He
went 2-for-4 with an RBI. ... Dodgers OF Alex Guerrero (knee) began
a rehab assignment at Class A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday, going
1-for-5. ... Mets INF Neil Walker was out of the lineup for the
third consecutive game due to a badly bruised left shin that he
sustained Saturday in San Diego.
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reserved.]
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