NO GLOVE LOST: Daniel Murphy can’t come up with a bloop off the bat of the Dodgers’ Mark Ellis during the Mets’ 4-2 loss last night. (Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES—There you had it, a flashback to the bad old days of this Mets season, when defense seemed optional.
In an ugly sixth inning last night, Daniel Murphy couldn’t make two plays that were within his reach and Juan Lagares committed a big throwing error that helped bury the Mets in a 4-2 loss to the Dodgers before an enthusiastic 42,915 at Chavez Ravine.
The defensive shortcomings, coupled with wasted opportunities late, handed Jenrry Mejia (1-2) an undeserved loss on a night the Dodgers improved to 21-3 since the All-Star break and 38-8 since June 22.
The Mets’ unraveling came in the sixth. After Carl Crawford and Mark Ellis reached base on consecutive singles off Murphy’s glove, Adrian Gonzalez delivered an RBI single to center. Lagares threw to third in an attempt to nail Ellis, but the ball short-hopped Wilmer Flores, allowing the run to score. Yasiel Puig’s ensuing sacrifice fly gave the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.
Crawford hit a grounder leading off the inning that Murphy attempted to backhand, but booted. Ellis then hit a bloop that deflected off the leaping Murphy’s glove.
“It was very frustrating at the time because those were two plays I felt I could make,” Murphy said. “To not make them, and Mejia is throwing the ball so well and all of a sudden you look up and there’s three [runs]. For me, it left a bad taste.”
In the seventh, Nick Punto slammed a Carlos Torres pitch over the rightfield fence, extending the Dodgers’ lead by a run. It came moments after Eric Young Jr. went tumbling head-first over the wall in foul territory in left, attempting to catch Punto’s pop up. Young remained in the game and appeared uninjured.
Mejia lasted six innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out four and walking none. The right-hander has walked onl ythree batters over his four starts this season, spanning 24 1/3 innings.
“He’s on the attack,” catcher John Buck said. “He’s not trying to nibble on the edges.”
The Mets had a shot to take the lead in the seventh, loading the bases with one out, but Lagares was called out on strikes by Chad Fairchild — on ball four — before Murphy hit a shot to right against lefty Paco Rodriguez that Puig snagged on the run.
“I’m not going to sit here and get on the umpire,”manager Terry Collins said. “We had opportunities to score runs and we didn’t put the ball in play, so that’s what it came down to.”
In the eighth, pinch-hitter Justin Turner struck out against Kenley Jansen with runners on first and second with two outs.
Mejia retired the first eight batters he faced before Ricky Nolasco delivered a two-out single in the third.Mejia struck out rookie sensation Puig on three pitches to start the second inning. In the fourth, Puig whiffed on four pitches.
The Mets used successive singles by Ike Davis, Flores, John Buck and Omar Quintanilla to take a 2-0 lead in the second against Nolasco. But after Mejia failed to get down a bunt and struck out, Young. hit into a double play.
Davis walked in the third, giving him 12 straight games in which he’s reached base at least twice, tying John Olerud’s club record, set in 1998. Marlon Byrd had doubled with two outs to begin the threat, but Nolasco retired Flores.