Bad luck, weak offense doom Dodgers in 8-0 loss to Mets

Fly balls lost in the sun, ground balls off umpires, wild throws, players leaving the game after being hit by pitches.

Murphy’s Law was in full effect Sunday afternoon for the Dodgers. Just about anything that could go the Mets’ way did so in a series-clinching 8-0 victory.

But all that bad luck merely piled on to a day in which the Dodgers struggled in almost every facet of the game.

Mike Bolsinger labored through five innings against New York, surrendering four runs as the Mets manufactured eight singles, two walks and one double. It was his fifth straight start of 5 1/3 innings or fewer and the eighth time he hasn’t lasted six innings.

He certainly did not benefit from a ground ball in the fourth inning off the bat of center fielder Juan Lagares that ricocheted off the leg of second base umpire Dan Bellino. The next batter, Curtis Granderson, took advantage of the good fortune with the Mets’ lone extra base hit against Bolsinger, a line drive double to left field that was a part of a three-run inning.

Bolsinger’s final pitch count of 101 was identical to that of the Mets’ starter, rookie Steven Matz, but they had completely different outings. Matz scattered five baserunners and only two hits over six innings en route to his second win in as many starts. He is the fifth pitcher in franchise history to win his first two appearances.

The Dodgers were not able to take advantage of Matz’s occasional mistakes. In the bottom of the first, Adrian Gonzalez was hit by a 95-mph sinker on the right hand to put two on with two out. Not only did Yasiel Puig ground out to end one of the team’s best scoring opportunities all game, Gonzalez later left with a contusion on the hand.

The Dodgers did not get a runner into scoring position again until there were two outs in the ninth inning. The No. 2-7 hitters in the lineup went a combined one for 20, with six strikeouts and 10 runners left on base.

The Dodgers bullpen, one of the strongest in the NL with a 3.20 ERA, had trouble of its own, and wasn’t helped out by the defense.

With two outs and two on in the top of the seventh inning, Juan Nicasio got the No. 9 hitter, Juan Lagares, to loft a lazy fly ball to right field. Yasiel Puig, however, lost track of the ball in the sun and it dropped behind him for a two-run, standup triple.

An inning later, Howie Kendrick fielded a grounder and started a potential double play, tossing the ball to shortstop Enrique Hernandez, but Hernandez sent the ball sailing into the first base dugout. Wilmer Flores followed with a double to add the final run of the afternoon.

Three Dodgers relievers combined to give up four runs on six hits, two walks and a hit batsman. The Mets needed only one, Logan Verrett, to finish the final three innings. He allowed one baserunner while picking up his first career save.