NEW YORK _ The Los Angeles Dodgers were reeling when Jedd Gyorko stepped into the batter's box to pinch-hit in the eighth inning of their 3-2 win Sunday night. They had spent seven innings wasting prime scoring opportunities against New York Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler. They were down to six outs to rebound.
Then they got a gift. Mets left-hander Justin Wilson began his relief appearance by walking Gyorko, balking, and throwing a wild pitch to advance Gyorko to third. Max Muncy struck out _ the Dodgers' sixth consecutive strikeout with a runner in scoring position. Chris Taylor, however, cashed in on the chance with an RBI double off the wall in center field to tie the score 2-2.
Gyorko came through again in the ninth inning, delivering a go-ahead, two-out single off Seth Lugo, the Mets' best reliever. Gyorko's bouncer up the middle gave the Dodgers the series victory over a club fighting for the National League's final playoff spot hours after they clinched home field advantage in the National League Division Series with the St. Louis Cardinals' loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
For the second night in a row, the Dodgers (97-54) couldn't figure out a hard-throwing right-handed starter. On Saturday, Jacob deGrom dealt seven scoreless innings. On Sunday, Wheeler stumped them.
Wheeler limited Los Angeles to one run over seven innings while striking out nine batters without a walk. He wiggled out of jams in the third, sixth and seventh innings, all of which began with leadoff hits and ended with a runner left on second base. He departed after throwing 97 pitches with the Mets (77-72) leading 2-1.
The Mets struck first, tallying two runs in quick succession in the second inning. Walker Buehler issued a one-out walk to Robinson Cano. J.D. Davis singled. Brandon Nimmo capitalized by cracking a line drive that landed on the chalk down the right-field line. The ball bounced into the corner and Nimmo raced around for a two-run triple.
Buehler didn't allow another baserunner. The right-hander retired the final 11 batters he encountered. He exited after throwing 71 pitches, issuing two walks and recording just one strikeout in his first career appearance at Citi Field.
The short outing was planned. Before the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he wanted to give a few relievers some work. Buehler was informed of the blueprint. Pedro Baez, who had pitched once in the previous week, was called on first. He pitched the sixth inning and Dustin May was given the seventh before Kenley Jansen entered with the game tied in the eighth inning.
The right-hander, following an encouraging outing Thursday in Baltimore, was sharp again. He mowed through Juan Lagares, Jeff McNeil and Pete Alonso, striking out Alonso on three pitches to cap a 10-pitch appearance. Adam Kolarek and Kenta Maeda combined to pitch a clean ninth inning. Maeda retired Wilson Ramos and Cano to secure his second save this season and the fifth of his career.
The Dodgers wasted their first scoring opportunity in the third inning when Gavin Lux supplied a leadoff double and was stranded, but they halved the deficit in the fourth inning. Muncy delivered a leadoff single. Two batters later, after Muncy advanced to second base on a groundout, Corey Seager hit a line drive to left field. Muncy dashed home and just beat the Mets' relay with a feet-first slide.
Joc Pederson provided another leadoff double in the sixth inning and was stranded. In the seventh, Seager reached with a leadoff single and moved to second base on a one-out single from Lux. The rally ended there. Wheeler escaped by striking out Enrique Hernandez and Matt Beaty. He concluded his outing with a fist pump and roar after third-base umpire Ben May ruled Beaty did not check his swing.
It was the Mets' turn to fumble away a chance to score in the bottom of the inning. May allowed a one-out single to Cano and followed that by plunking Davis in the ribs. But he also slammed the door with consecutive strikeouts to keep Los Angeles within a run.
