The Los Angeles Dodgers will continue their nine-game road trip on the East Coast when they start a three-game series against the New York Mets Tuesday at Citi Field.
The Dodgers lost two of three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks to start the trek and dropped a 5-3 decision in Sunday's rubber match. One game after suffering a lopsided 18-7 setback in the desert, the Dodgers still couldn't solve the D'backs and starting pitcher Dan Haren was touched for five runs -- four earned -- and 10 hits in six innings.
Hanley Ramirez and Adrian Gonzalez both homered for Los Angeles, which is 14-9 as the visitor this season.
"In this ballpark you have to be able to put runs on the board and we just didn't do it," said Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.
Yasiel Puig, who was recently named NL Player of the Week, was 0-for-3.
Josh Beckett gets the call for the Dodgers Tuesday and earned his first win of the season last Tuesday in a 7-1 defeat of the Miami Marlins. Beckett gave up an unearned run over 6 1/3 innings and is 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in seven starts.
Beckett has achieved success in his career against the Mets, going 6-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 14 starts.
New York is back in the friendly confines of Citi Field for the next nine games versus Los Angeles, Arizona and Pittsburgh, and lost two of three games in Washington over the weekend.
The Mets sustained a 6-3 setback in Sunday's rubber match with the Nationals, as Zack Wheeler was reached for five runs -- three earned -- in six innings.
Juan Centeno drove in two runs and Juan Lagares added an RBI in New York's fourth loss in five games.
"We know when you're facing this staff in particular to be able to bust the game open is few and far between," said New York third baseman David Wright, who had two hits and scored a run. "You're going to have to chip away, but it seemed like we couldn't go out and throw zeros on the board after we would score."
Mets pitching prospect Rafael Montero gets the call Tuesday and made his major league debut in last Wednesday's 4-0 loss to the Yankees. Montero was dealt the loss for allowing three runs and five hits, including two homers, in six innings.
The right-hander struck out three and walked two batters, and is trying to make a case for New York's rotation.
Los Angeles and New York are meeting for the first time since the Dodgers won five of six matchups a season ago.
[SportsNetwork.com]
