Dodgers vs. New York Mets recap: Jacob deGrom shines as Dodgers lose 2-1

NEW YORK — Dave Roberts said pregame Wednesday night would be a big ask.

In a 2-1 loss, the Dodgers didn’t have enough answers at the plate.

Jacob deGrom pitched seven strong innings, giving up just one run. Edwin Díaz got the save. And these two teams will play a rubber match tomorrow.

The Dodgers are 90-39.

Final: Mets 2, Dodgers 1

Both starting pitchers had strong nights.

Jacob deGrom went seven innings, giving up one run on three hits, one walk and nine strikeouts.

Tyler Anderson pitched seven innings, giving up two runs on eight hits, no walks and three strikeouts.

After deGrom exited, Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless eighth, setting up closer Edwin Díaz — whose walk-off song was played by a live performance from Timmy Trumpet — to face the Dodgers in the ninth.

End 8th: Mets lead 2-1

Off the bat, it seemed like Justin Turner had tied the game.

The Dodgers third baseman had finally put the barrel on one of Jacob deGrom’s fastballs, sending a deep drive to center field that seemed headed over the wall.

At the last second, though, Mets center fielder Brandon Nimmo leapt at the barrier and robbed it, bringing back a likely home run that would have knotted the score.

deGrom struck out the other two batters he faced in the inning, giving him nine in the game. At 93 pitches, he might be finished.

Mid 7th: Mets lead 2-1

Jacob deGrom made a rare mistake in the sixth.

Mookie Betts made him pay.

In an 0-and-1 count, deGrom threw a slider that stayed over the heart of the plate. Betts, who has preached a more aggressive approach at the plate this year, was ready for it, sending a solo home run to left to put the Dodgers on the board.

The blast was Betts’ 32nd of the season, matching his career-high from his MVP-winning season of 2018.

Freddie Freeman slapped a two-out single to center field later in the inning, but then deGrom got Will Smith to fly out to retire the side.

Mid 6th: Mets lead 2-1

The Dodgers finally got their first hit of the game, when Justin Turner rolled a single through the left side of the infield to break up deGrom’s no-hit bid.

However, the Dodgers couldn’t take advantage, stranding their second runner of the night to remain scoreless through five innings.

deGrom has thrown 61 pitches.

Mid 5th: Mets lead 2-0

Jacob deGrom is doing his thing through three innings.

After giving up a one-out walk to Trea Turner in the first, the Mets ace struck out Freddie Freeman and Will Smith to end the inning.

Since then, he’s retired the side in order in both the second and third, navigating the first three innings on just 36 pitches.

Tyler Anderson was also on the verge of getting through the first three frames scoreless. But with two outs in the third, he gave up a single to Brandon Nimmo and two-run home run to Starling Marte.

End 3rd: Mets lead 2-0

NEW YORK — The Dodgers will be facing perhaps their toughest pitching matchup of the year on Wednesday night, when they square off against Jacob deGrom in the second game of their series against the Mets.

After missing the first half of the season with an injury, deGrom has once again looked like one of the sport’s best pitchers since returning this month.

In five starts, he has a 2.15 ERA and 46 strikeouts in 29.1 innings.

His fastball has been averaging 99.3 mph. His slider has gotten a whiff on more than half of the swings against it.

And now, he’ll face a Dodgers team against which he has a career 2.87 ERA, although an 0-4 record — the only NL team he’s never been credited with a win against.

“It’s gonna be tough, it’s a challenge,” manager Dave Roberts said. “When he’s out there, he’s probably the best guy you’ll see ... So, it’s probably one of those things you got to try to get him early and hopefully try to get a big hit here or there. But controlling the zone is obviously tough. This is a big ask tonight.”

Roberts noted Wednesday could be a potential playoff matchup, and that seeing deGrom could be a benefit to the Dodgers hitters down the road.

“Just to see how the ball is coming out, he’s obviously sitting 99-100 and the slider is 93, so just to put eyes on him I think is very helpful,” Roberts said.

Here is the lineup the Dodgers will throw out against deGrom, while Tyler Anderson (13-2, 2.69 ERA) will take the mound:

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NEW YORK — Jake Reed knew he was going to pitch Tuesday night. But not even he could have imagined such an improbable scene.

Protecting a one-run lead in the ninth against the New York Mets — in the first game of a series that manager Dave Roberts billed as a potential playoff preview — the Dodgers treated the moment like anything but a tense October night.

Closer Craig Kimbrel wasn’t summoned to pitch in back-to-back games. Setup man Evan Phillips wasn’t asked to return to the mound for a second inning. The team already determined that every other reliever who hadn’t been used would rest.

So, in a battle between the National League’s best teams … in front of a buzzing crowd of 40,607 at Citi Field ... in the kind of dramatic, late-inning sequence that could repeat itself two months from now … it was a pitcher who’d been cut by both clubs in the last two seasons, and had been added back to the Dodgers roster only that afternoon, who came trotting out of the bullpen for the unlikeliest of save opportunities.

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Here’s a look at the Dodgers broadcast and streaming schedule for the remainder of the 2022 regular season: