Ryu dominant again, Dodgers blank Mets 2-0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hyun-Jin Ryu pitched four-hit ball into the eighth inning of his latest dominant outing, leading the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 2-0 win over the New York Mets on Thursday night.

Chris Taylor tripled off hard-luck loser Jason Vargas to start the bottom of the first and scored when Max Muncy followed with a double. That was all the offense for either team until Kiké Hernández singled home an insurance run with two outs in the eighth.

Ryu (8-1) struck out seven and walked one in 7 2/3 innings, lowering his major league-best ERA to 1.48. Kenley Jansen got four outs for his 16th save as the NL West leaders took three of four in the series.

Greeted by a standing ovation, Ryu has 69 strikeouts and only five walks in 11 starts.

Los Angeles, which boasts the top record in the National League at 38-19, has won 16 of the past 19 matchups with the Mets.

With one out in the ninth, Pete Alonso was awarded first base on a hit by pitch even though replays showed the ball hit his bat and not his hand or arm. Alonso even returned to home plate and waited with his bat in hand as the play was reviewed, yet the call on the field was upheld.

Sent back to first base, Alonso chuckled a bit as he chatted with David Freese.

Jansen struck out Todd Frazier, who threw his bat wildly at a ball in the dirt, and retired Carlos Gomez on a harmless fly to end it.

Vargas, a California native, allowed just one run and six hits in a season-high seven innings that mostly spared a taxed Mets bullpen. He needed 26 pitches to get through the first, but settled in after that. Vargas (1-3) struck out six and walked three — two in the first inning.

Ryu didn’t run into trouble until the seventh when Alonso hit a leadoff double. The left-hander retired the next three batters with ease, two via groundouts.

Taylor’s leadoff triple was a sinking liner that got under the glove and past a charging J.D. Davis as he made a dive for the ball in left field.

Hernandez’s soft single in the eighth off Hector Santiago scored Freese, who doubled and finished with two hits.

With two outs and a runner on in the eighth, Jansen entered and struck out pinch-hitter Dominic Smith, reacting with a fist pump.

STEALING SIGNS?

Mets manager Mickey Callaway verbalized his suspicion that the Dodgers were stealing signs after Wednesday’s game in a New York Post report. Asked to respond to the accusation, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said: “I think, for us, we feel that we go up there and play 27 outs every night the best way we can. If we come up short, it’s a combo that we didn’t play well and giving the other team credit. I guess if they feel differently about the quality of at-bats we put up against these guys was not as a result of our talent and preparation, then that’s their decision. I can’t change their thoughts.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: 3B Justin Turner (hamstring) felt a little tightness in his hamstring when he scored in the ninth inning Wednesday night. He was given Thursday night off but was available off the bench. … LHP Tony Cingrani (shoulder) has still not been cleared for baseball activities after having his shoulder re-evaluated.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Zack Wheeler (4-3, 4.63 ERA) pitches Friday night in Arizona. He has 41 strikeouts in five May starts but a 4.19 ERA during that span.

Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda (6-2, 3.67) takes the ball at home against Philadelphia. He has won his last three starts.