Mets Crash Kevin Correia’s Birthday Party with Four Homers

The Mets staved off a three-game sweep with a lop-sided win over the Dodgers on Sunday afternoon. Kevin Correia got roughed up for 7 runs in just 3 innings of work. Correia was hit hard with three homeruns, one of which came after a costly error on Adrian Gonzalez in the third inning on a missed catch. The Mets hung up two in the second, a high-five in the third, and then they took three from Carlos Frias in the seventh.

The Dodgers’ offense was shut down by oldie but goodie Bartolo Colon, who was placed on waivers by the Mets. The Dodgers scored once in the first off Colon thanks to a double by Gonzalez and a RBI single by Kemp. The other Dodger run came in the sixth on a RBI single from Gonzalez who has been the main producer out of the Dodger lineup on a daily basis this season.

The Dodgers were absolutely embarrassed when Matt Kemp grounded into a triple play in the sixth inning when Yasiel Puig‘s poor base running reared its ugly head once again when he got thrown out at the plate.

Carlos Frias was cruising through three innings, until the bad seventh inning. I can’t blame Frias who was asked to take over after the disastrous start from Correia.

The Dodgers tacked on a meaningless run in the bottom of the eighth on Gordon’s 12th triple of the year. It was too little too late, and the Dodgers fail to finish off the Mets.

The Mets hit their fourth homerun of the game, second for Lucas Duda, in the ninth off Jamey Wright. Duda had a crazy good game with 3 hits (2 homeruns) and 5 RBIs.

Dodgers 3 9 1

Mets 11 14 0

WP- Colon (12-10)

LP- Correia (7-14)

HR- d’Arnaud (12), Duda 2 (26), Tejada (3)

Andre Ethier, who is in left field, takes care of the first two outs in the top of the first inning. David Wright, who continues to have a down year, hits a lazy fly ball to Matt Kemp in right to finish off the scoreless inning for starter and birthday boy Kevin Correia.

The Dodgers jump all over veteran Bartolo Colon quickly. After Ruben Tejada makes a great stop and play to rob Yasiel Puig of

Kevin Correia loses on his birthday after allowing 7 runs on 7 hits in 3 innings. Photo: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

a base hit, Adrian Gonzalez ropes a double down the left field line with two outs in the bottom of the first. Matt Kemp’s RBI single to left brings in Gonzo to make it 1-0 Dodgers. Hanley Ramirez, who has just been activated from the disabled list, grounds out to short to end the inning.

The Mets gets the run right back in the top of the second. Travis d’Arnaud homers to center field, and it’s all tied up 1-1. Juan Lagares follows with a single to center. The Mets pick up another an RBI triple by Eric young Jr. which first gets by Dee, skips into right field where Matt Kemp makes an awkward slide causing an apparent hand injury. Puig is luckily backing up Kemp, but he even bobbles the ball slightly before he can get it back into the infield. Lagares brings in the second run of the inning off Correia.

The Dodgers go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the second. Colon retires Andre Ethier, Justin Turner and A.J. Ellis in order.

Lucas Duda puts the Mets up 5-1 with a giant three-run homerun to right field. The homerun was gigantic, and it went all the way up the right field pavilion. Daniel Murphy and David Wright hitch a ride after the homerun after they hit consecutive singles off Correia before the homer. Hanley Ramirez extends the inning for the Mets after he throws the ball away on a routine grounder by Lagares. (First ruled as an error on Hanley, it was officially changed to an E3 on Adrian Gonzalez for not being able to catch the throw.)

Then Ruben Tejada proceeds to go deep, and his two-run shot to left center puts New York up 7-1.

Colon pitches another perfect inning as pinch-hitter Darwin Barney grounds out to first, and both Gordon and Puig ground out to short. David Wright had to come out of the game with muscle spasms.

Kevin Correia is done after 3 innings. He allowed 7 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits with 1 strikeout and no walks on 48 pitches.

Carlos Frias takes over for the battered Kevin Correia in the top of the fourth. He pitches a nice 1-2-3 inning.

Adrian Gonzalez doubles to lead-off the bottom of the fourth. Colon strikes out Kemp and Hanley. Ethier grounds out, and the

Bartolo Colon picks up his 12th win of the year for the Mets. Photo: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Dodgers waste the lead-off double.

Carlos Frias retires the side in the top of the sixth on three groundouts.

Colon keeps rollin’, and he Dodgers go down in order in the bottom of the sixth. A.J. Ellis and Frias both strike out.

Frias pitches another 1-2-3 inning, and the rookie has now retired nine in a row. He’s quietly making a great impression out of the Dodger bullpen.

In the bottom of the sixth, Dee Gordon leads off with a single. Puig draws a walk. Gonzalez singles to left field, and he once again drives in a run for the Dodgers as Gordon crosses the plate. 7-2, and still nobody out. Matt Kemp grounds into a double play, and Yasiel Puig is mowed down at the plate trying to score giving the Mets a 5-4-3-2 triple play. Puig ran the Dodgers right out of that inning.

The Mets tack on three more runs in the seventh off three consecutive singles by Matt den Dekker, Curtis Granderson and Daniel Murphy. Eric Campbell flies out allowing Granderson to move over to third. Duda comes up with a RBI single to left field, and the Mets are now clobbering the Dodgers 9-1. d’Arnaud singles, and Mattingly finally goes out to take Frias out. Then comes up the DonnieSwitch™. Scott Van Slyke will come in to play right field, and Pedro Baez will get the ball with the bases loaded and one out. Scott Van Slyke makes a hard catch in right field while battling the sun, and Murphy scores on the sacrifice fly. Tejada pops out to mercifully end the inning. 10-1 Mets.

Buddy Carlyle will relieve Bartolo Colon in the bottom of the seventh. The Dodgers can’t muster anything other than a Andre Ethier single.

Bartolo Colon pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits with 5 strikeouts and 1 walk on 92 pitches.

In the eighth, the Dodgers shuffle around some players. Miguel Rojas will take over in left field. Yes, you read that right. Ethier moves over to right field. Scott Van Slyke will play first base. The new first baseman, SVS, takes care of Eric Young Jr. on a grounder for the first out of the inning. Buddy Caryle, the opposing relief pitcher, singles. Baez retires Granderson and Murphy to

The Mets defeated the Dodgers 11-3 on a fateful Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

end the inning.

The Dodgers add another run in the bottom of the eighth. Scott Van Slyke opens the inning with a line drive single to center field off Carlyle. Dee Gordon drives a triple to the center field gap, and the Dodgers are now  trailing 10-3. That’s Gordon’s Major League leading 12th triple on the season. Puig and Rojas both strike out. Drew Butera comes close to hitting a pinch-hit homerun, but E.Y. Jr. makes a great catch in left field.

Jamey Wright will come in for the top of the ninth. Duda comes up with his second homerun of the day, this one to right field not quite as far as the one he hit earlier against Correia. 11-3 Mets.

Carlos Torres will take over on the mound for the Mets in the bottom of the ninth. Hanley Ramirez strikes out, and he ends up going 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Andre Ethier comes up with his second hit, a single to center, with one out. Turner grounds out. A.J. Ellis draws a walk to extend the inning. Van Slyke pops out to d’Arnaud in foul territory to end the game.

The Dodgers fall to 74-58 on the season. The Dodgers are now 5 games ahead of the Giants. The Dodgers have Monday off before they begin a three-game series in Arizona. Roberto Hernandez will face the D-back’s Trevor Cahill on Tuesday evening.