– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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NEW YORK — Sure, the gray uniforms and blue script font on the jerseys make any game the Los Angeles Dodgers play in New York City seem like a perfect fit despite being headquartered 3,000 miles away. Given that, it cannot be too surprising how successful the defending world champions have been in the newest park for Major League Baseball in the Big Apple.
Max Muncy hit a pair of home runs as the Dodgers scored three runs in each of the first two innings on their way to a 14-4 rout of the New York Mets at Citi Field to complete a three-game weekend sweep. Catcher Will Smith homered for a third consecutive game and Max Scherzer struck out seven in six innings of work as Los Angeles completed a six-game East Coast road trip in Philadelphia and New York with a 5-1 record.
“Going 5-1 on the road, really positive,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I thought we pitched really well, won some close ball games against some good ball clubs. Anytime you can go 5-1 against two good ball clubs, you’ve done some really good things.
Unlike the two one-run wins they escaped with in the first two games, the Dodgers jumped to a 3-0 lead before Scherzer even took the mound. Trea Turner singled to right to start the game, and two batters later, former Met Justin Turner launched a two-run homer to left-centerfield to set Los Angeles on its way. Later in the inning, Smith took Carrasco deep down the left-field line for his 18th home run and a 3-0 lead.
Once again, Carrasco, who missed most of the season with a torn hamstring and only made his Mets debut on July 30, allowed a first-inning home run in a home start. In his three appearances at Citi Field, Carrasco has allowed seven first-inning runs and four home runs.
More of the same occurred in the second inning for the Dodgers and Carrasco, with Trea Turner doubling in a run before Muncy launched the first of his two homers to give Los Angeles a 6-0 advantage. Six of the first nine balls that the Dodgers put in play had an exit velocity of at least 95 miles per hour.
The sixth inning saw another three-run inning for the Dodgers, with Muncy hitting another two-run shot to highlight the frame.
Los Angeles has won 14 of the last 15 games they have played in Citi Field against the Mets, and the teams will reconvene at Dodger Stadium for a four-game set starting on Thursday.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Sunday evening’s contest, with photographs taken by DC-area photographer Clifford Ray Williams. After clicking on the first photo to enlarge the picture, make sure to press the left and right arrow buttons to scroll through the rest of the pictures. There are 18 pictures in total.
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