LOS ANGELES (AP) — On the same night Brett Baty arrived, Daniel Vogelbach found his power stroke to take his turn putting a charge in the New York Mets’ offense.
Vogelbach homered and drove in three runs, Baty delivered an RBI single in his season debut and the Mets rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-6 on Monday for their fifth straight victory.
“We’re playing good baseball right now and something this team has, they just play together,” Vogelbach said. “Everybody looks out for each other, everybody plays for each other and I never feel like we think we’re out of it, no matter where the score is or where we’re at in the game.”
Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo each had three hits for the Mets, who scored three times in the seventh inning to overcome a rough outing by starter David Peterson (1-2).
Freddie Freeman hit two home runs and Max Muncy also went deep against Peterson, but the Dodgers’ bullpen failed to protect a 6-5 lead heading into the seventh. Los Angeles relievers entered with a 4.76 ERA, which ranked 24th in the majors.
Adam Ottavino earned his second save with a perfect ninth, aided by a tough catch from Nimmo at the center-field fence.
Baty, ranked as the Mets’ No. 2 prospect by MLB.com, went 1 for 4, driving in a run with a two-out single in a three-run fourth. He was recalled from the minors Monday to replace slumping veteran Eduardo Escobar at third base.
“Brett’s got a good demeanor about him,” New York manager Buck Showalter said.
The Mets loaded the bases with nobody out in the seventh against left-handed reliever Alex Vesia (0-2). Phil Bickford balked in the tying run, Francisco Lindor followed with an RBI groundout and Alonso added an RBI single for an 8-6 advantage.
“It’s a good pitching staff we’re facing and we just made use of the mistakes they made. They don’t make many,” Showalter said. “They pound the zone and throw a lot of strikes, but we seemed to answer every time they answered, so it was a good back-and-forth game.”
Dodgers starter Dustin May had his worst outing of the season, giving up five runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings with no walks and one strikeout.
“If you look at the whole body of work, all of the at-bats, one through nine, they took better at-bats,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “They spoiled pitches when they needed to and that was the difference in the game.”
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first on Freeman’s first home run before Vogelbach answered with a two-run shot in the second. It was the first home run of the season for Vogelbach, who entered with a .217 slugging percentage.
The Dodgers pushed in front 3-2 in the second inning on a two-run double from catcher Austin Wynns, making his debut with the team after he was signed on Sunday.
McNeil had an RBI single in the fourth. Vogelbach knocked in a run with a groundout, and Baty’s RBI single gave New York a 5-3 lead.
Freeman’s second homer of the game, and third of the season, was a two-run shot in the fifth to tie the score 5-all. It was Freeman’s first multi-homer game with the Dodgers and the 18th of his career.
“Both teams got to the starters and we needed one more hit and didn’t get it,” Freeman said. “It’s kind of been the tale of the first couple of weeks of the season for us, but I saw some positives and guys were hitting the ball good today.”
Los Angeles moved on top 6-5 in the sixth on a home run from Muncy, his seventh of the season.
Peterson gave up six runs in six innings.
ROSTER MOVES
Mets: In addition to bringing up Baty from Triple-A Syracuse, the Mets recalled RHP Edwin Uceta, who began is major league career in 2021 with the Dodgers. OF Tim Locastro was placed on the injured list with back spasms, and RHP José Butto was optioned to Syracuse.
Dodgers: LHP Justin Bruihl was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and RHP Andre Jackson was optioned down.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: LF Chris Taylor left in the eighth inning with soreness in his left side and is day-to-day. … RHP Tony Gonsolin, on the injured list since the start of the season with a sprained left ankle, will make a four-inning rehab start Thursday at Triple-A Oklahoma City. … RHP Ryan Pepiot, expected to assume Gonsolin’s spot in the rotation, still has not started a throwing program after beginning the season on the IL with a left oblique strain.
UP NEXT
Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (3-0, 2.25 ERA) looks to remain unbeaten in the middle game of the series.
Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 3.50) is 10-0 with a 2.17 ERA in 16 regular-season starts against the Mets.
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