Recap: NY Mets vs. Los Angeles

Sports Network | July 8, 2009

Flushing, NY (Sports Network) - David Wright and Jeremy Reed singled in runs during the third inning as the New York Mets broke out of a big scoreless drought and held off the Los Angeles Dodgers, 5-4, in the middle installment of a three-game series.

The Mets were blanked, 8-0, Tuesday night and came into Wednesday on a 22- inning scoreless streak, but snapped a four-game skid and won for just the third time in 12 games.

Oliver Perez (2-2) threw five innings and overcame seven walks in his return from the disabled list. The left-hander, who had been sidelined since early May due to right knee tendinitis, allowed four hits and two runs, while fanning a pair of batters.

Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda (3-5) threw his shortest outing of the season, as he surrendered eight hits and five runs -- four earned -- over 4 1/3 innings.

Dodgers left fielder Manny Ramirez, who knocked in three runs before being ejected in the fifth inning of Tuesday's game, went 1-for-5 with a solo homer in the ninth off Francisco Rodriguez.

Rafael Furcal drove in two runs, while Matt Kemp had three hits and a pair of runs scored in defeat.

Ramirez led off the final inning by belting his eighth homer of the season, a shot that barely got over the wall in right field. Casey Blake walked, but after Mark Loretta struck out, Russell Martin singled to left field. Rodriguez's attempted pick-off throw caromed off the back of Blake into center field, but the runners didn't advance. Andre Ethier grounded into a double play to end the game as Rodriguez secured his 22nd save of the season.

Loretta singled in Orlando Hudson in the top of the first inning, but the Mets tied it in the second. Reed doubled with one out and moved to third on a groundout before scoring on a two-out infield single, a chopper up the middle by Luis Castillo.

Perez walked three batters in succession with two outs in the third but escaped the jam when Ethier lined out to third.

The Mets then plated three runs in the bottom of the frame to go ahead for good. Daniel Murphy doubled with one out and scored on a Wright single to left-center as he snapped an 0-for-17 slump. Gary Sheffield walked before Ryan Church hit a grounder that went under the glove of third baseman Blake, allowing another run to score. Reed followed with an RBI single to right field.

Furcal singled in Kemp in the fourth, but New York expanded its lead to 5-2 in the fifth. Kuroda exited the game after loading the bases, but Brian Schneider greeted Cory Wade with an RBI single to right field. Wade recorded two straight outs to avoid further damage.

Los Angeles couldn't capitalize with runners at the corners and one out in the sixth as Bobby Parnell fanned Hudson and retired Ramirez on a ground ball.

Then in the seventh, Murphy made one of the best defensive plays of the season. Loretta's ground ball caromed off first base and Murphy, ranging to his right, retrieved it with his bare hand and flipped the ball behind his back to Parnell covering for the close out.

Kemp tripled to right field in the eighth when the ball got past a charging Church and later scored on Furcal's groundout.

Ramirez has 535 career homers, moving him past Jimmie Foxx into 16th place all-time. Mickey Mantle is next at 536...Before this game, the Mets didn't score since the fifth inning of Saturday's setback to the Phillies. They were blanked 2-0 on Sunday...Los Angeles placed reliever Ronald Belisario on the 15-day DL Wednesday due to a strained right elbow. They also recalled Wade from Triple-A Albuquerque...Perez's seven walks were close to a career-worst. He had eight in a May 23, 2008 contest at Colorado...The Dodgers came into Wednesday having won four of their last five games...Blake walked four times.