Mets at Dodgers
At this point, it’s almost news when the Los Angeles Dodgers don’t hit at least four home runs in a single game. The red-hot Dodgers have won five straight games and 11 of their last 12 heading into Wednesday’s matchup against the visiting New York Mets, who have allowed a total of nine homers and been outscored 22-6 in the first two contests of the four-game series.
One day after Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger recorded his fifth multi-homer performance in a 10-6 victory, Corey Seager followed with the second three-homer effort of his career in Tuesday’s 12-0 rout. Bellinger went 3-for-4 with his National League-best 22nd home run and four RBIs in Tuesday’s win as Los Angeles moved a season-high 20 games over .500 and remained one-half game behind first-place Colorado in the NL West. While the Dodgers are powering forward, the Mets have lost five of their last six and fallen a season high-tying eight games below .500. New York could use a strong start from Tyler Pill on Wednesday after Zack Wheeler and Robert Gsellman opened the series with back-to-back early exits.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, ESPN, SNY (New York), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Mets RH Tyler Pill (0-2, 3.75 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Rich Hill (3-3, 5.14)
Pill will be recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas to make a spot start in place of Matt Harvey before the Mets go back to a five-man rotation next week. The 27-year-old Pill last pitched for the Mets in relief on June 10 at Atlanta, working one scoreless inning. He earned a return to the majors after allowing two runs over seven frames in Thursday’s start for Las Vegas, where he’s gone 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA in eight turns this season.
Hill turned in his worst performance of the season on Thursday, allowing seven runs over four innings in a 12-5 loss to Cleveland. The 37-year-old was 12-5 with a 2.12 ERA last season but hasn't lasted longer than five innings in any of his eight starts this year. Hill has gone 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA in six starts at Dodger Stadium this season but owns an 0-2 record and 13.50 ERA in four career games (two starts) against the Mets.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Dodgers are 36-14 in their last 50 games, their best 50-game stretch since 2013.
2. Mets SS Asdrubal Cabrera (thumb) began a rehab assignment Tuesday with Single-A St. Lucie and could return to the team Friday in San Francisco.
3. Dodgers 3B Justin Turner went 0-for-4 on Tuesday, ending his 14-game hitting streak.