Emerging from a considerably soft portion of their schedule after playing two of the worst teams in baseball, the Mets kept their winning ways going in Los Angeles against the defending champs on Monday night with a 4-3, 10-inning victory over the Dodgers.
Francisco Alvarez’s run-scoring double and Francisco Lindor’s RBI single provided just enough insurance for Jose Butto to close Los Angeles out after Andy Pages scored the Dodgers’ ghost runner to pull within one.
With the tying run on third, Butto coaxed a Tommy Edman comebacker to end it, giving the Mets (38-22) their fourth straight win.
The Mets nursed a 2-0 lead for most of the night, sparked by Lindor’s sixth lead-off home run of the season. Brandon Nimmo’s RBI ground-rule double doubled New York’s advantage in the fifth.
But Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani single-handedly got his side back in it. He halved the host’s deficit with a booming solo home run in the seventh inning off reliever Max Kranick, his 23rd round-tripper of the season.
Ohtani then drove in the tying run off closer Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
Mets starter Paul Blackburn put together a strong season debut after dealing with right-knee inflammation that cropped up late in spring training. The veteran right-hander spun five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits with three strikeouts and a walk.
The result continues New York’s seemingly inexplicable streak of winning games when Lindor home runs, extending the run to 27 straight games dating back to last season.
