The combination of dead bats and burnt Rice on Thursday kept the Mets from extending their stretch of home series victories to begin the season.
Scott Rice’s first hiccup of his major league career – the lefty allowed two runs in the ninth inning – and a five-hit afternoon by the Mets translated into a 3-2 loss to the Dodgers at Citi Field.
After winning series against the Padres, Marlins and Nationals at home to start the month, the Mets (10-10) lost two of three to the Dodgers. The Phillies will arrive at Citi Field on Friday to start a three-game series.
Ike Davis’ solo homer in the ninth against Brandon League made it close, but the Mets struggled against Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu, who allowed one run on three hits over seven innings.
Rice, who spent 14 years in the minor leagues before making his major league debut this season, surrendered a go-ahead RBI single to Andre Ethier in the ninth. Bobby Parnell then surrendered an RBI single to Juan Uribe. Nick Punto’s leadoff double against Rice started the go-ahead rally.
In his best performance of the season, Jeremy Hefner lasted seven innings and allowed allowed one earned run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Not bad considering the righty entered with a 7.07 ERA and had allowed six home runs over his previous eight innings.
Davis killed the Mets’ chances of taking the lead in the sixth, when he struck out with runners on second and third following Marlon Byrd’s double with two outs. Davis later hit his fourth homer of the season.
David Wright’s sacrifice fly in he sixth made it 1-1. Ruben Tejada’s leadoff walk and Daniel Murphy’s ensuing single started the rally before Tejada raced to third on a wild pitch.
Matt Kemp’s RBI single in the first gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Hefner drilled Carl Crawford leading off the game and Adrian Gonzalez’s ground out moved the runner to second before Kemp delivered. Kemp had the Dodgers’ biggest hit on Wednesday, a two-run homer against Matt Harvey in the sixth inning.
Hefner walked the leadoff hitter in the second and fifth innings, but each time got a double play to help him escape unscathed. Justin Sellers hit into an inning-ending double play in the second and Ramon Hernandez was the victim in the fifth.
mpuma@nypost.com