Wed May 7 01:58:16 2008

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Big night for DeWitt as Dodgers edge Mets

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Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Blake DeWitt's inside-the-park homer provided the deciding runs, and the Dodger bullpen threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, as Los Angeles earned a 5-4 win over the New York Mets.

Hiroki Kuroda threw just 3 1/3 innings in his start, surrendering four runs -- two earned -- on eight hits and three walks. Hong-Chih Kuo (2-1) was stellar in relief, as he struck out eight batters and walked one over 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

DeWitt finished 3-for-4 with four runs batted in, while James Loney went 2-for-4 for the red-hot Dodgers, who have won 10 of 11.

Nelson Figueroa (2-2) took the loss after giving up five runs on eight hits in five innings, while walking four and striking out three.

Ryan Church had a double and homer to lead the New York offense, but his lapse in the field may have cost the go-ahead run. Moises Alou, Angel Pagan and Brian Schneider each collected two hits for the Mets, who have lost the first two contests of this three-game set, and four of six overall.

After the Mets scored in each of the first three innings to take a 4-1 lead, the Dodgers began their comeback, thriving on DeWitt's clutch hitting.

Matt Kemp walked with one out, and after a fielder's choice, Loney singled to put runners on the corners. Russell Martin then walked to load the bases, and DeWitt delivered with a single to right to score two.

But the highlight play came in the fifth inning after Martin got on base again, with a single. DeWitt came up and hammered a 2-2 pitch to right-center. Church ran into position and jumped at the wall, but couldn't make the catch as the ball caromed off the padding on top of the fence -- the ball was several inches from clearing it completely.

Church fell to the warning track as the ball bounced into the outfield, and he sat there for a few moments -- as though he thought the ball actually went out. DeWitt raced around the bases as all this occurred, and scored easily to push the Dodgers in front, 5-4. It was his second career homer, with the first coming on Monday in the first game of the series.

Takashi Saito got into some trouble while closing out the game, as Pagan blooped a single to center and Schneider followed with a rocket to right -- both with two outs.

But Saito froze Luis Castillo with a curve that dropped off the table to earn his fifth save of the year.

The Mets got a run in the first inning on a homer from Church, and two in the top of the second -- on RBI singles from Castillo and Jose Reyes, for a 3-0 lead.

Los Angeles got a run back in the second, when Juan Pierre stroked a two-out single to right that plated DeWitt.

But New York shortly restored its three-run edge in the top half of the third on a double steal. As Pagan was swiping second, and Alou notched a rare steal of home.

Game Notes

DeWitt had the Dodgers' first inside-the-park homer since Dave Roberts did it on August 9, 2003 against the Cubs...Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran did not start (flu-like symptoms), but struck out in a pinch-hit appearance...The Mets went 2-for-14 with men in scoring position and stranded 13 runners. The Dodgers were 3-for-9.