Daily Clips

May 12, 2016

LOS ANGELES DODGERS

DAILY CLIPS

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016

DODGERS.COM:

Maeda, Dodgers thwarted by Thor's power- Anthony DiComo and Ken Gurnick

Maeda stunned by Syndergaard's feat- Jack Baer

Roberts says offensive woes are merely a blip- Jack Baer

Dodgers turn to ace to close out series vs. Mets- Jack Baer

OC REGISTER:

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says he is not beholden to analytics- Bill Plunkett

Noah Syndergaard hammers two home runs as Mets beat Dodgers, 4-3- Bill Plunkett

On deck: Mets at Dodgers, Thursday, 7 p.m.- Bill Plunkett

LA TIMES:

Noah Syndergaard, Mets hammer Dodgers into submission- Andy McCullough

Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts looking for production from left fielders- Andy McCullough

DODGER INSIDER:

Thor subject: Syndergaard blasts two off Maeda- Jon Weisman

Yikes, that’s a lot of strikes- Cary Osborne

Delving into Kenta Maeda’s transition to the U.S.- Jon Weisman

Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation: Coaching coaches- Erin Edwards

Adrian Gonzalez part of ‘Play Ball Weekend’ activities- Cary Osborne

What’s up, Trayce Thompson?- Jon Weisman

TRUEBLUELA.COM: Noah Syndergaard lowers the boom on Dodgers- Eric Stephen

Loons throw a pair of 2-hitters in doubleheader sweep- David Hood

ESPN LA:

Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes have point and shoot cannons- One Nacion

To The Max (Podcast): Dave Roberts on juggling playing time for veterans, his epic SB, Tony Gwynn - Buster Onley

Kenta Maeda laments his 'regrettable' night for Dodgers- Doug Padilla

Dodgers throttled by Mets' Noah Syndergaard- Doug Padilla

Syndergaard homers twice in Mets' 4-3 win over Dodgers- Associated Press

Mixing and matching is not Dodgers' issue so far- Doug Padilla

NBC LA:

Dodgers Drop Game to Mets, 4-3, at Hands of Thor's Hammer- Miachael Duarte

LOS ANGELES DODGERS DAILY CLIPS

THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2016

DODGERS.COM Maeda, Dodgers thwarted by Thor's power By Anthony DiComo and Ken Gurnick LOS ANGELES -- Noah Syndergaard became the second pitcher in club history to launch two homers in a game, powering and pitching the Mets to a 4-3 win over Kenta Maeda and the Dodgers Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. "This is a dream," Syndergaard said. "It was an awesome experience." On the mound, Syndergaard (3-2) allowed solo home runs to Corey Seager and Yasmani Grandal, but struck out six in eight innings. At the plate, Syndergaard matched Walt Terrell's 33-year-old club single-game record for home runs by a pitcher and tied the franchise mark for single-game RBIs by a pitcher with four (seven others). "The nine-hitter hit two home runs and drove in four runs. You don't see that every day," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. Syndergaard homered to right-center leading off the third inning and blasted a three-run shot to center in the fifth inning after squaring to bunt, but not offering, on all previous pitches of the at-bat against Maeda. It was the first multi-homer game by a pitcher since Arizona's Micah Owings in 2007. Syndergaard came into the game 0-for-8 with six strikeouts this year. "It's one of those where [Syndergaard] couldn't execute, so the manager says, 'OK, just try to hit, you already homered once,'" Roberts said of Syndergaard's second home run. "Pitcher hit a breaking ball, backdoor, down and away, out of the ballpark. You probably don't see that again all year. I was in disbelief. Outside of those two pitches to Syndergaard, it's a 2-0 win." Maeda (3-2), who has lost two of his last three starts, was charged with four runs on six hits in five-plus innings, his shortest start as a Dodger. According to StatsPass' Home Run Search, Maeda is just the second Dodgers pitcher to allow multiple home runs in a single game to pitchers, joining Doug McWeeny, who allowed homers to the Pirates' Erv Brame and Fred Fussell on July 7, 1929, in the Brooklyn Robins' 17-6 loss at Ebbets Field. "They were definitely not good pitches, the ones that he hit for home runs," said Maeda. "It ended up being a regrettable result contributing to a total of four runs." Jeurys Familia allowed a ninth-inning run, but picked up the save and is 12-for-12 in those opportunities. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Thor strikes twice: Syndergaard's homers both gave the Mets a lead. The pitcher's first home run was impactful enough, a 402-foot shot to open the scoring in the second inning. But it was his second homer that proved most significant, turning a one-run deficit into a two-run lead. Syndergaard became the first Mets pitcher to drive home four runs in a game since Steven Matz in his big league debut last June. "I know he's got big-time power, but that was a huge home run," Mets manager Terry Collins said of Syndergaard's second homer in particular. "That was a huge night for Noah." Maeda dodges one bullet: The Mets had runners on first and third with one out in the second inning when Eric Campbell hit a possible double-play bouncer to shortstop Seager, who instead threw home for the second out. But Maeda struck out Rene Rivera to end the inning. He pitched, too: Don't let Syndergaard's accomplishments at the plate overshadow his work on the mound. That, after all, is his primary job, and Syndergaard performed it Wednesday with aplomb. After giving up early home runs to Seager and Grandal, the right-hander retired 11 straight from the fourth through eighth innings. Though Syndergaard completed eight innings in only 95 pitches, Collins did not send him out for the ninth. "I felt really comfortable out on the mound today, a little strong," Syndergaard said. "I was able to repeat my delivery pretty easily. All in all, I felt pretty good out there." Dodgers in relief: The streaky Dodgers' bullpen has not allowed an earned run (one unearned run) in its last 15 innings over five games, striking out 21. Joe Blanton struck out four Mets in two innings in this game. Chris Hatcher inherited two runners from Maeda and stranded them, while Adam Liberatore handed a bases-loaded jam to Louis Coleman and he struck out Campbell to end the seventh inning. "The 'pen is hitting their stride right now," said Roberts. QUOTABLE "The guy's an animal. He's a big, strong kid. He's Thor." -- Mets second baseman Neil Walker on Syndergaard SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Over their last full turn of the rotation, Mets starting pitchers are batting .400 with three homers, four runs scored, seven RBIs and a 1.533 OPS. Only Jacob deGrom is hitless over that stretch. According to StatsPass' Home Run Search, Maeda is just the second Dodgers pitcher to allow multiple home runs in a single game to pitchers, joining Doug McWeeny, who allowed homers to the Pirates' Erv Brame and Fred Fussell on July 7, 1929, in the Brooklyn Robins' 17-6 loss at Ebbets Field. WHAT'S NEXT Mets: If Bartolo Colon wishes to keep the pitching staff's bats rolling at the plate, he'll need to do so against three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw. Those two will square off in a 10:10 p.m. ET finale Thursday at Dodger Stadium, with the series in the balance. Dodgers: Kershaw starts for the Dodgers in the 7:10 p.m. PT series finale. Kershaw enters having struck out at least 10 without a walk in each of his last three starts. He is 6-0 in nine regular-season starts against the Mets.

Maeda stunned by Syndergaard's feat By Jack Baer LOS ANGELES -- Kenta Maeda was prepared for the Mets hitters, he had watched tape on them, and he was able to execute despite not having his sharpest stuff. Yet it was the one hitter Maeda never saw coming that led to the Dodgers' 4-3 loss on Wednesday. Noah Syndergaard's two home runs in his first two at-bats left Maeda in disbelief, along with manager Dave Roberts and the rest of the Dodgers dugout. Maeda was still processing the second one as Syndergaard rounded the bases. One pitch ago Syndergaard had been trying to lay down a bunt, and now he had hit a ball more than 100 mph into the right-field bleachers. "I don't know if it was he felt it was a decent enough pitch hit out of the ballpark or he didn't think he was going to hit as opposed to trying to sacrifice bunt," Roberts said. "Earlier in that sequence he was trying to get the bunt down and Terry [Collins] took the bunt off. I don't know if that was it, but [Maeda] was stunned. Still thought he had enough to go back out there for another inning." Maeda had understandably not watched tape on Syndergaard as a hitter. The first home run came off a first-pitch fastball that accidentally found the center of the strike zone, one that any hitter should have no trouble punishing. The second was pure strength from Syndergaard, a 2-2 breaking ball down and away that the pitcher somehow managed to drive. "Even though I was able to get to two strikes, I had to finish him off, and I wasn't able to do that," Maeda said through a translator. "It was a mistake, I wasn't able to execute well." Maeda also said that he could not remember the last time he allowed a home run to another pitcher, let alone two. Maeda's previous team for eight years, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, plays in Japan's Central League, which does not use the designated hitter. The problems with Syndergaard were the most obvious signs on a night in which Maeda struggled. He was able to limit the first eight hitters to no RBIs, but Roberts saw a pitcher that wasn't pitching his best stuff. "He was using his breaking ball a lot tonight and it just didn't have that sharpness to it," Roberts said. "They got a couple looks prior, but one through eight, I thought he did a great job. He wasn't as sharp as he has been with the fastball command or the breaking ball crispness, but he still finds ways to get guys out." While Maeda has almost always said in past starts that he will use his mistakes to improve, there's not much to take from a pitcher hitting multiple home runs for the first time in MLB since 2007 and the first time against the Dodgers since 1958. "When you look at Maeda vs. Syndergaard, you're thinking low-scoring game. But you don't expect Syndergaard to hit two homers," Roberts said. "A pitcher hit a breaking ball, backdoor, down and away, out of the ballpark. You probably don't see that again all year."

Roberts says offensive woes are merely a blip By Jack Baer LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made a not-so-bold proclamation before Wednesday's game against the Mets: "I believe Howie Kendrick is not going to hit .170 this year." Of course, he had already said as much when he inserted the veteran into the third spot in the lineup, in spite of a .198/.235/.210 batting line in 85 plate appearances. While Kendrick's struggles have been some of the most acute on the team, he is not the only one feeling the heat for lack of production. Not a single member of the team is hitting .300 on the season and they collectively rank just 24th in batting average over the last 30 days. While that might be worrying, Roberts essentially said he hasn't noticed. "I don't pay attention [to average], personally," Roberts said. "I look at quality of at-bats, the contact, how hard they're hitting the baseball. There are things we get as far as data to specify how hard the guys are hitting the baseball. For me, I try to take the long view where, if you're getting good at-bats, hitting the baseball hard, then it will turn and you'll start to get some hits." As far as hitting the ball hard goes, Roberts has a point. Going back to Kendrick, the infielder has a 90.64 mph average batted-ball velocity according to Statcast™, which is higher than league average. On the other hand, Kendrick has an average launch angle of -0.32 degrees, more than 10 degrees below league average. "We're swinging at a lot of balls out of the zone and hitting a lot of balls into the ground," Roberts said. "When you're not swinging at strikes and putting the ball into the ground more than you're putting them in the air, it's tough to score runs." Roberts said he has confidence the team's track record will help them overcome those issues, along with patience. "It's a narrative every year with teams across baseball, when a team starts slower offensively, 'Are these guys going to hit?' It's something, for me on the coaching side, I never buy into, because it happens every single year. And every single year, guys find a way to get hits and then the baseball card looks the same, disregarding injury or something like that," Roberts said. Injury notes

• Andre Ethier will receive another scan on his right leg in a week to see if the fractured tibia has healed. The outfielder is still wearing a brace on his lower leg and is up to bearing 25 percent of his weight on the team's Ultra G machine, a device for cardiovascular, non-weight bearing activity. "Until we get complete clearance that the bone is healed, we have to tread lightly," Roberts said.

• Scott Van Slyke is still two to three weeks away from beginning a rehab assignment. He has begun swinging the bat and hitting off a tee.

Dodgers turn to ace to close out series vs. Mets By Jack Baer In a matchup of two past Cy Young winners, it may be the bat of one that fans pay the most attention to. Fresh off breaking social media with his first career home run, Bartolo Colon will face Clayton Kershaw in Thursday's series finale. Home run aside, Colon's off to a strong start in his age-43 season with a 2.82 ERA and 8.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has quality starts in three of his last four appearances, but will take on a team that has historically given him trouble. In seven career starts against the Dodgers, Colon possesses a career 5.16 ERA. Only two of those starts have come since 2006. In two starts vs. Los Angeles in the last two seasons, Colon has only allowed three earned runs in 14 innings. Meanwhile, Kershaw has looked as strong as ever, with a 2.04 ERA and an eye-popping 21.33 strikeouts for every walk. That ratio is helped by his 24 strikeouts to zero bases on balls in his last two starts. The Dodgers ace also leads the league with a 0.774 WHIP. Things to know about this game

• David Wright, Curtis Granderson, and Lucas Duda lead the current Mets in plate appearances against Kershaw. In 124 combined plate appearances, they're hitting .142/.224/.150 against him. Wright holds the sole extra-base hit of the group, a double.

• Howie Kendrick has slumped since his season debut, but Colon might not be the best opportunity for him to bounce back. In his career, he's 3-for-25 with no walks or extra-base hits against the right-hander.

• Trayce Thompson raved about the velocity and stuff of the Mets pitching staff after his walk-off homer Tuesday.

"You've got to know all these guys have good fastballs," Thompson said. "You just have to go out there and be ready to hit, that's it." He probably didn't mean Colon, whose fastball is averaging 87.78 mph per Statcast.

OC REGISTER Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says he is not beholden to analytics By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – For a team seen as the ultimate in analytics-driven decision-making, it bordered on blasphemy. “I break from analytics every single night,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before Wednesday’s game against the New York Mets.

He cited recent examples involving Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson when each was left in to bat against like-handed pitchers rather than lifted for a pinch-hitter as the numbers would have suggested. “There’s things that I do every night that go against analytics.” Roberts implied that some of those decisions involve his bullpen. Over the weekend in Toronto, he talked about relying on constant evaluation and conversations with his relievers as much – if not more – than any data the front office provides him. “For me, you try to continue to put guys in the best possible position to have success,” Roberts said in Toronto. “You look at guys’ usage and make sure they’re not being overused and they feel strong or they feel good. But a lot of it for me and Rick (Honeycutt, pitching coach) and (bullpen coach) Josh Bard is seeing their psyches because there’s up and downs but the people who have to be the most confident are the guys themselves. “I personally don’t look at a lot of the numbers. I look at more the look in their eye and seeing the confidence in the voices in the conversations we’re having. If you don’t have that, then it becomes a red flag.” Roberts said he has “great conversations” with the Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, GM Farhan Zaidi and others in the front office about how to use the data the Dodgers’ analytics department provides on a daily basis. “We challenge each other,” Roberts said. “I think that’s great.” The results on the field have been less than “great.” The Dodgers have yet to win more than three games in a row this season and, going into Wednesday’s game, their record had not strayed more than one game to either side of .500 in the past two weeks. So, Roberts was asked if he thought the team’s record would be better or worse if he did make every decision based on analytics. A long pause followed – a very long pause. “Honestly, I don’t know. I really don’t,” he said. “You can’t (say). The thing is the game is played by humans. There’s a lot of things where you’re looking at their bullpen, who they’ve got left, who they’ve got coming in – you’ve got to play the game, the strategy. There’s no black and white.” ALSO Alex Guerrero continued his rehab assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday night by playing left field. Guerrero went 1 for 5 while playing third base Tuesday and hit a two-run home run in his first at-bat Wednesday. … Right-hander Mike Bolsinger is scheduled to make his second rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday. Bolsinger went four innings and threw 46 pitches in his first start for the OKC Dodgers last week. … Roberts said left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu is expected to throw to hitters again in another simulated-game setting early next week. That could be the final step before a rehab assignment starting the following weekend.

Noah Syndergaard hammers two home runs as Mets beat Dodgers, 4-3 By Bill Plunkett LOS ANGELES – Oh, sure. Bartolo Colon hits a home run and now every pitcher thinks he can do it. Nicknamed for the Norse god of thunder – Thor – lightning struck twice for Noah Syndergaard. He hit two home runs at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday night, providing all of his own offense in a 4-3 victory as the New York Mets beat the Dodgers. Syndergaard became the first pitcher with a multi-homer game since Micah Owings did it for the Arizona Diamondbacks at Turner Field in Atlanta on Aug. 18, 2007. “That this is a dream. It’s not real,” Syndergaard said when asked what he thought as his second home run cleared the fence. “I don’t think I ever hit two home runs when I played Little League. To be able to hit two home runs in a big-league ballgame – especially with a pitcher like (Kenta) Maeda out there – is an awesome experience.” It wasn’t quite the same Maeda who transitioned easily into the major leagues in April. He didn’t retire a batter in the sixth inning, giving up two hits before he was pulled for the shortest outing of his nascent Dodgers career. After giving up just one run in 25-1/3 innings over his first four starts, Maeda has given up 10 runs in 17-2/3 innings over his past three (all losses for the Dodgers). “He wasn’t as sharp as he has been with his fastball command or his breaking-ball sharpness,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He still found a way to limit damage outside of that (Syndergaard’s two home runs). “The No. 9 hitter hit two home runs, drove in four runs. You don’t expect that. You don’t see that every day.” No, you don’t. And there were no signs of impending eruption from Syndergaard. Coming into the game, the Mets right-hander was 0 for 8 with six strikeouts this season and had nine hits (including one home run) and 32 strikeouts in 51 major-league plate appearances. But he took Maeda deep when he led off the third inning, jumping on a first-pitch fastball and sending it 407 feet over the wall in right-center field. Corey Seager matched that for the Dodgers in the bottom half of the inning and Yasmani Grandal gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead when he returned the favor to Syndergaard, jumping on his first-pitch fastball in the fourth inning and sending it into the right-field pavilion. But this would be the worst start since Maeda joined the Dodgers. He hit Eric Campbell with a pitch to start the fifth inning and walked Rene Rivera to put two runners on for Syndergaard. Not withstanding his third-inning home run, Mets manager Terry Collins asked Syndergaard to bunt the runners over. But the count got to 2-and-2 without Syndergaard getting a bunt down.

“It crossed my mind (to just let him hit away from the start of the at-bat),” Collins said. “I had him bunt. Then I had him hit a homer.” Great strategy. Syndergaard crushed a slider down and away from Maeda, clearing the fence in left-center (400 feet) for a three-run home run that left Maeda visibly stunned on the mound. “For the pitcher to hit a breaking ball, backdoor, down and away and hit it out of the ballpark – you probably won’t see that again all year,” Roberts said. “I was in disbelief.” Other than the Seager and Grandal home runs, the Dodgers managed just four more hits in eight innings off Syndergaard. After Carl Crawford’s two-out single in the fourth inning, the next 11 Dodgers went down before Seager dropped a soft single into center field with one out in the eighth. A double-play ball nipped that in the bud. The Dodgers did push across another run against Mets closer Jeurys Familia. But since ending a three-game series in Colorado with a five-run ninth inning rally on April 24, they have lost 10 of 15 games with a lineup that has hit .218 and averaged 3.1 runs per game. They had just one at-bat with a runner in scoring position against Syndergaaard (Grandal struck out to end the first inning and strand runners at the corners) and have hit .150 (15 for 100) in those situations over the past 15 games. “There were some balls hit hard tonight that we didn’t have anything to show for,” Roberts said. “The idea was to get balls up in the zone and give ourselves a chance. We weren’t giving at-bats away by swinging at balls in the dirt. I thought we competed well tonight. “When you look at Maeda vs. Syndergaard, you’re thinking low-scoring game. But you don’t expect Syndergaard to hit two home runs.” On deck: Mets at Dodgers, Thursday, 7 p.m. By Bill Plunkett Where: Dodger Stadium TV: SNLA (where available) Did you know: Minor-league shortstop Tim Locastro hit for the cycle for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Wednesday. Acquired by the Dodgers from the Toronto Blue Jays last July, Locastro went 4 for 5, getting a triple in the eighth inning to complete the cycle. Locastro is batting .357 (third in the California League) with a 13-game hitting streak. THE PITCHERS DODGERS LHP CLAYTON KERSHAW (4-1, 2.04 ERA)

Vs. Mets: 6-0, 1.34 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 65-29, 2.08 ERA Hates to face: Wilmer Flores, 3 for 9 (.333) Loves to face: Alejandro De Aza, 0 for 4, 3 strikeouts METS RHP BARTOLO COLON (4-1, 2.83 ERA) Vs. Dodgers: 2-5, 5.16 ERA At Dodger Stadium: 2-1, 5.30 ERA Hates to face: Adrian Gonzalez, 12 for 25 (.480), 2 doubles, 3 home runs Loves to face: Justin Turner, 0 for 9, 3 strikeouts UPCOMING MATCHUPS Friday – Cardinals RHP Michael Wacha (2-3, 3.12 ERA) at Dodgers RHP Ross Stripling (0-2, 3.82 ERA), 7:10 p.m. SNLA Saturday – Cardinals RHP Carlos Martinez (4-2, 2.61 ERA) at Dodgers LHP Scott Kazmir (2-3, 5.54 ERA), 6:10 p.m. SNLA Sunday – Cardinals RHP Mike Leake (1-3, 5.10 ERA) at Dodgers LHP Alex Wood (1-3, 4.58 ERA), 5 p.m. ESPN

LA TIMES

Noah Syndergaard, Mets hammer Dodgers into submission By Andy McCullough Blond locks dangling down to his shoulders, blue eyes burning beneath his cap, he looks like a character plucked from a Norse myth and clothed with a New York Mets uniform. His fans call him “Thor,” and Noah Syndergaard lives his gimmick. He is not a superhero. He merely resembles one when he steps between the lines of a baseball diamond. In a 4-3 defeat of the Dodgers on Wednesday night, Syndergaard stilled his hosts with his arm and stunned them with his bat. He drove in four runs on a pair of home runs, becoming the first pitcher in nearly a decade to go deep twice in one night. As a sidebar to the offensive carnage, the right-hander logged eight innings, struck out six and stymied any Dodgers momentum created by Tuesday's walk-off victory.

“You don't expect that,” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts said. “You don't see that every day.” Syndergaard cuts an imposing figure on the mound. His vitals — 6 feet 6, 240 pounds, 100-mph fastball — do not convey the sum of his presence. His command is pristine. His confidence is vast. His future looks glittering. Yet his present form proved plenty difficult for the Dodgers (17-17) on Wednesday. He limited them to solo home runs by Corey Seager in the third inning and Yasmani Grandal in the fourth. He yielded one hit after the fourth, a bloop single by Seager in the eighth, before Jeurys Familia allowed a run in the ninth. “You tip your cap to him,” Seager said. “What else can you do? Syndergaard punished Kenta Maeda and contributed to the briefest start of Maeda's young career. In his previous six outings, Maeda completed the sixth inning every time. On Wednesday he exited after facing two batters in the sixth and recording no outs. Syndergaard wields an array of pitches that appears plucked from a video game. In addition to the triple-digit fastball, his slider resides in the lower 90s and so does his changeup, a speed on par with Maeda's fastball. When Syndergaard came to the plate in the third, he displayed no passivity. Maeda flung an 89-mph fastball over the middle. Syndergaard, who bats left-handed, pounded a solo home run over the right-field fence. “They were definitely not good pitches, the ones he hit for home runs,” Maeda said. Syndergaard added a slider to his arsenal in the second half of 2015 and unleashed it as a regular weapon this spring. The pitch, at times, appears unfair, moving with usual velocity for an offspeed offering. But it still requires proper location. In the bottom of the third, Syndergaard left a slider over the plate. Seager ripped his third home run of the season and tied the score. An inning later, Syndergaard fired a 97-mph bullet to start an at-bat with Grandal. Once again, his command was lackluster. Grandal pounced on the waist-high pitch and belted a homer. Handed a lead, Maeda lost his command in the fifth. He hit backup infielder Eric Campbell with a fastball. He walked backup catcher Rene Rivera after a sequence of five consecutive sliders failed to put Rivera away. Then Syndergaard came up again. There were two on and none out. Syndergaard showed no intention of heroics. He squared his shoulders to bunt. But four pitches later, the count ran to 2-2. Syndergaard received a sign to swing away. When Maeda tried to spot a slider on the outside corner, low and away, he did. Syndergaard was not fooled. He stayed back on the pitch and lifted a three-run shot to center field. Maeda stared into the outfield as Syndergaard jogged around the bases again.

“Even though I was able to get two strikes, I had to finish him off,” Maeda said. “I wasn't able to do that.” An inning later, Syndergaard batted again. By then, Maeda had departed after yielding a pair of hits to start the inning. Roberts asked Chris Hatcher to douse the flames. Hatcher responded by walking Rivera. Up came Syndergaard with the bases loaded. For a couple minutes, the ballpark felt like Shea Stadium transplanted west. Syndergaard teased the fans by smacking foul balls down the right-field line. After a splitter in the dirt, Hatcher conferred with Grandal. They decided to stick with heat. Syndergaard whiffed on a 96-mph fastball. “When you look at Maeda versus Syndergaard, you're thinking a low-scoring game,” Roberts said. “But you don't expect Syndergaard to hit two homers.” Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts looking for production from left fielders By Andy McCullough In the wake of Andre Ethier's broken leg, five Dodgers took turns in left field during the first five weeks of the season. As a group, they have been one of the least productive units in baseball, entering Wednesday's game against the New York Mets ranked 26th with a collective .607 on-base percentage. Manager Dave Roberts chose Carl Crawford to play left Wednesday. He opted for Crawford, a left-handed hitter, over Trayce Thompson, a right-handed hitter. Thompson hit a walk-off home run Tuesday night, but the Dodgers preferred a left-handed hitter against right-handed pitcher Noah Syndergaard and his triple-digit fastball. Roberts sounded annoyed when asked if he was solely reliant on analytics for in-game decisions. "There's things that I do every single night that go against 'the Book,' or whatever," Roberts said. "I'm mindful that every game is a different game. Although momentum is important, and rhythm certainly is important, but a streak or momentum is based on the next day's starting pitcher." And so the Dodgers offered Crawford another opportunity to revive his season. He entered the game with a .190 average. He chalked up his slow start to the reality of his part-time status, which he said makes finding a rhythm at the plate more difficult.

"This is just the way it goes for me, when you're not playing every day," Crawford said before the game. "You have to just keep going and keep grinding it out. You don't have the luxury of getting into a groove. You have to just play, and over time, it seems to get better." Injuries to Ethier and Scott Van Slyke (lower back irritation) dashed the team's initial plan for left field. Neither player is particularly close to a return. Ethier is still wearing a brace for his fractured right tibia. And Van Slyke is at least two weeks from starting a rehabilitation assignment, Roberts said. Ryu's rehab Hyun-Jin Ryu (shoulder surgery) will face live hitters in a simulated game early next week, Roberts said. The next step is starting a rehabilitation assignment about a week after he clears the last simulated hurdle.

DODGER INSIDER

Thor subject: Syndergaard blasts two off Maeda By Jon Weisman The first time was a shocker. The second time was a stunner. No, this isn’t about the two home runs Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard allowed. It’s about the two he hit. Facing Kenta Maeda, Syndergaard hit two no-doubt blasts, each leaving the bat at 104 mph, the first a solo shot to break a scoreless tie in the first, the second a backbreaker to rally New York from a 2-1 deficit to a 4-2 lead, and eventually a 4-3 victory. The 23-year-old Syndergaard, who throws right but bats left, became the third pitcher to homer twice in a game off Dodger pitching, following Jim Hearn on July 9, 1955 (off Karl Spooner and Clem Labine) at the Polo Grounds, and Lew Burdette on July 10, 1958 (off Johnny Podres and Ed Roebuck) at the Coliseum. According to Stats LLC, Maeda is the second Dodger franchise pitcher to allow multiple home runs to pitchers in one game, joining Doug McWeeny, victimized by the Pirates’ Erv Brame and Fred Fussell on July 7, 1929 in the Brooklyn Robins’ 17-6 loss at Ebbets Field. The only previous pitcher to homer twice at Dodger Stadium was Darren Dreifort, on August 8, 2000 off Phil Norton and Todd Van Poppel. Crazily, Syndergaard came up in the sixth inning with a chance to push this night to TILT with a grand slam, but after crushing the first two pitches from Chris Hatcher foul, struck out. The Mets would waste bases-loaded opportunities in that inning as well as the seventh.

Nevertheless, Syndergaard flipped the lid on a night in which Corey Seager and Yasmani Grandal homered in back-to-back innings to give the Dodgers a one-run lead in the fourth. Maeda had mostly cruised to that point. Yoenis Cespedes singled to start a two-on, none-out jam in the second inning, but Maeda escaped, and retired the next nine position players he faced (with Syndergaard being the notable exception). But starting the fifth inning, Maeda hit Eric Campbell in the back with the baseball, then wasted eight pitches walking Rene Rivera, who was 1 for 10 on the season. Syndergaard crushed a 2-2 slider from Maeda 396 feet to left-center field. Maeda pitched two batters into the sixth inning, retiring neither and leaving with the shortest of his seven MLB starts: five innings. His ERA rose to 2.30. “He was using his breaking ball a lot tonight and just didn’t have that sharpness to it, working behind hitters,” Dave Roberts said. “Didn’t have the fastball command. The homer to Syndergaard, the first one, was a misfire, and the other one was a backdoor breaking ball located down and away, and he’s a strong kid. “He still found a way to limit damage outside of that. You get the nine hitter hitting two home runs and driving in four runs, you don’t see that every day.” Meanwhile, Syndergaard retired the next 10 batters he faced after his second home run, including pinch-hitter Trayce Thompson, Tuesday’s walkoff hero, who had homered twice in this series. A one-out single by Seager in the eighth was erased when Howie Kendrick hit into a double play. Despite having thrown only 95 pitches, Syndergaard did not come out for the ninth inning, keeping alive a remarkable fact. Based on research at Baseball-Reference.com, the last time a pitcher hit two homers while throwing a complete game was in 1971, when it happened four times — including three in one week.

• Rick Wise, June 23, 1971 (a no-hitter) • Wise again, August 28, 1971 • Fergie Jenkins, September 1, 1971 • Sonny Siebert, September 2, 1971

The Dodger bullpen kept the game close with four shutout innings, half of those by Joe Blanton. Adrian Gonzalez led off the bottom of the ninth with a double off Jeurys Familia and eventually scored on a 110 mph groundout up the middle by Joc Pederson, but Yasiel Puig struck out to end the game. Yikes, that’s a lot of strikes By Cary Osborne Twenty strikeouts in one game is incredible.

But what made Washington pitcher Max Scherzer’s 20K performance Wednesday even more incredible is that he threw 96 strikes out of 119 pitches — both the amount of strikes and the percentage (80.7 percent strikes) are rarities. Still, when it comes to strike-throwers, the conversation starts with the Dodgers and one Sandy Koufax. Koufax is tied for the most strikes thrown in a game with 128 (to the extent such records exist). On September 20, 1961, Koufax went 13 innings and threw an outrageous 205 pitches (the third-most pitches all-time in a game). He shares the record with St. Louis Cardinal Herm Wehmeier, who threw 128 strikes against the Brooklyn Dodgers on May 2, 1957 in a 12-inning performance. Wehmeier threw 203 pitches. The most strikes thrown in a nine-inning game also has a Dodger connection. San Francisco hurler Billy O’Dell threw 111 strikes against Los Angeles April 16, 1962. He threw 172 pitches, surrendered 15 hits and eight runs and still won the game. The Dodgers have 29 of the 84 all-time 100-strike games. Here are some notables:

• Koufax has nine of them, including a 110-strike performance in nine innings on July 26, 1964. • Don Drysdale has eight, the most being 112 twice (both in extra-inning games). • Orel Hershiser was the last, with 108 on Oct. 1, 1989 (he pitched 11 innings). • Tim Leary threw 100 on April 18, 1988. • Don Newcombe has the best strike percentage in a Dodger 100-strike game: 100 strikes out of

131 pitches on June 21, 1955 — 76.3 percent. • Clayton Kershaw’s best is 96 from May 14, 2013. He threw 132 pitches in 8 2/3 innings vs.

Washington. So what was the best strike percentage by a Dodger pitcher ever with at least 90 strikes thrown? If you know, you’ve got to be the ultimate Dodger fan. Carlos Perez on September 14, 1998 threw 92 strikes on 116 pitches — 79.3 percent. Perez had one walk and struck out nine. Delving into Kenta Maeda’s transition to the U.S. By Jon Weisman In the cover story for the latest issue of Dodger Insider magazine, Kenta Maeda — tonight’s starting pitcher for the Dodgers — speaks to Cary Osborne about the differences between Japan and the United States, and the adjustments he has been making.

“I was the ace of the staff in Japan,” said Maeda, who enters tonight’s game with a 1.66 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 38 innings. “Coming over here, I need to prove myself again to hopefully eventually be in that position.” Rick Honeycutt and Dave Roberts chime in to discuss why Maeda is capable of transcending in this journey across the Pacific. Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation: Coaching coaches By Erin Edwards A good coach can make all the difference for kids in sports. The role of a coach is vital in developing the child on and off the field, providing him or her with the support they need. Coaches give kids outlets and can be significant role models for kids. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation youth baseball and softball program, Dodgers RBI (Reviving Baseball In Inner Cities), believes in providing support for all coaches. The majority of our coaches are parent and community volunteers simply wanting to help as much as they can. With the LA84 Foundation’s sponsorship, LADF offers three coaching sessions per season. In each session, Positive Coaching Alliance leads discussions on the philosophy of coaching, while Coaching Simplified conducts a skills-and-drills session, pitching pointers and softball specific strategies. This past weekend, the second of three sessions took place at the Rancho Cienega Sports Complex. More than 50 Dodgers RBI coaches from South Los Angeles, Venice, Compton, Inglewood and East Los Angeles attended and were enthusiastic about the opportunity. One coach stated that what he liked best about the clinic were the throwing and fielding drills, saying, “I learned more about softball pitching, which is important because I do not have any experience in this.” Numerous coaches expressed that they would like to come to more events because they were impressed by the level of expert instruction. Dodgers RBI is not just baseball, it’s a program. For more information and ongoing updates, please visit dodgers.com/ladf and follow LADF on social media: Twitter (@DodgersFdn), Instagram (dodgersfoundation) and Facebook (LosAngelesDodgersFoundation). Adrian Gonzalez part of ‘Play Ball Weekend’ activities By Cary Osborne

Saturday and Sunday mark the inaugural “Play Ball Weekend,” a Major League initiative supported by all 30 clubs with an intent to inspire widespread participation in both formal and casual baseball and softball activities. The Dodgers and the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation are leading the efforts in Los Angeles, and Adrian Gonzalez is among the participants. A sneak preview comes today, with Dodger alum Matt Luke hosting a Wiffle ball game for third and fourth graders at Glen Alta Elementary School. Each participant will receive a Dodger hat, a Wiffle ball set and tickets to Saturday’s Dodger game as part of Kids 4 Dodgers Baseball. Saturday, the Dodgers will play Wiffle ball at the beach with 60 youngsters from the Boys & Girls Clubs. Each participant will receive a Dodger hat, a Wiffle ball set and tickets to the May 23 game. Sunday, Gonzalez will host kids from Manhattan Beach Little League on Sunday as part of ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Little League. The Little Leaguers will watch batting practice and receive some first-base instruction from the Dodger Gold Glover. Also on Sunday, more than 7,000 kids will participate in a Little League Parade around the warning track at Dodger Stadium. Major League players, coaches and managers all will wear specially made Play Ball T-shirts during batting practice and Play Ball patches on their uniforms during the weekend’s games. As a part of Kids 4 Dodger Baseball, more than 1,000 local students will receive an all-inclusive Dodger game experience during Play Ball Weekend. Kids 4 Dodgers Baseball provides Los Angeles-area underserved youth with a Dodger game experience courtesy of the Dodgers, which includes transportation to and from Dodger Stadium in a customized Dodger bus, tickets, a voucher for a Dodger Dog and beverage and a Kids 4 Dodgers Baseball T-shirt. Eight Dodgers RBI partner organizations will also be recognized on the field during pregame ceremonies this weekend: City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation East and South Agency, Hollywood Indies Little League, Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club, MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton, Boys & Girls Clubs of Venice, and City of Inglewood Department of Parks, Recreation and Library Services. The Dodgers and Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation got an early start on “Play Ball Weekend” on Saturday when former Dodger Billy Ashley and the Dodger character distributed bats at Dodgers Dreamfields at Baldwin Hills Recreation Center and Rancho Cienega Sports Complex for 400 Dodgers RBI players and Miracle League youngsters.

What’s up, Trayce Thompson? By Jon Weisman Trayce Thompson has almost nothing in common with Alex Guerrero, except for this: People wondering, like they did last May with Guerrero, if he’s for real. Right now, Guerrero’s future with the Dodgers is unclear, but only a year ago, countless Dodger fans were clamoring for him to start, while others were still saying to hold the phone (or whatever it is kids hold these days). Entering play on May 11, 2015, Guerrero had a .380 on-base percentage and .800 slugging percentage with six home runs in only 45 at-bats, and four more homers were still to come over the next four weeks, including a game-winning grand slam in Colorado. But after leaving that series in Coors Field behind, Guerrero came to the plate 122 more times for the Dodgers, OBPing .197 and slugging .220, essentially playing himself into the limbo in which he will again find himself, once he completes his current minor-league rehab assignment. Again, Thompson is not Guerrero. Not only has he had a more conventional path to the Major Leagues (aside from the basketball family he came from), but Thompson has the range to cover three outfield positions, the occasional misplay aside. But Thompson is the home-run hero of the moment. He has hit four in the past 16 days, in only 28 at-bats, on Tuesday giving the Dodgers their first walkoff win since August 31 and their first walkoff homer since August 2. Suddenly, he is second on the entire Dodgers in home runs this season, behind only frequent platoon partner Joc Pederson, and he is literally the only player on the team to homer in more than one game this year at Dodger Stadium. Offensively, he has become the No. 3 contributor to the Dodgers this season, according to Fangraphs (which simultaneously downgrades his defense). Thompson has raised his 2016 OPS to .847. Moreover, his career OPS, now in 203 plate appearances since his August 4 debut with the White Sox, is .880. That includes a healthy .779 mark against right-handed pitching, which Thompson supposedly should struggle with. “He and the hitting coaches have really figured something out with him,” Dave Roberts said after Tuesday’s game, according to Jack Baer of MLB.com. “Not that he was broke before, but his stroke is really fine-tuned. I think they’re doing some things mechanically that he feels comfortable with and doing consistently. Trayce is a winner, I can’t say enough about him. The game honors you. When you work hard and do things the right way, things like this happen.” According to Baer, Thompson agreed that he has seen benefits from the work with Dodger coaches Turner Ward, Tim Hyers and Manny Mota, as well as Roberts. “I was really late on a lot of fastballs earlier in the season and Spring Training,” Thompson said. “I made some adjustments, and it’s been paying off. I narrowed my stance a little bit so I can get to my backside.”

Los Angeles Dodgers greet Trayce Thompson at home after his walk off home run in the ninth against the New York Mets Tuesday, May 10,2016 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles,California. The Dodgers beat the Mets 3-2. Jon SooHoo/©Los Angeles Dodgers,LLC 2016Corey Seager praised Thompson’s poise to Doug Padilla of ESPN.com. “I don’t know how he did it,” Seager said. “He took two heaters and still battled back and ended up swinging at the first thing that doesn’t bounce. That’s awesome. It’s an awesome moment. “He’s calm as hell. It’s unbelievable. He didn’t even have any jitters after the game. It was like as if nothing happened right there. It was special. A lot of people, their motors are going fast. His just wasn’t. No heartbeat at all.” At least one warning sign remains: Thompson has walked only three times this season — none in 37 plate appearances since April 21 — compared with 19 strikeouts. As recently as April 24, Thompson’s OPS was only .624. So what do the Dodgers have here? A potential everyday player, or an enigma like Guerrero? Or is he what he’s been so far this season: a worthy part-timer? It’s hard to know yet, but certainly, you have to enjoy the way Thompson has made it interesting.

TRUEBLUELA.COM Noah Syndergaard lowers the boom on Dodgers By Eric Stephen Noah Syndergaard had his way with the Dodgers on Wednesday night, leading the Mets to a 4-3 win in the back-and-forth series at Dodger Stadium. But it wasn't just his work on the mound that garnered the appropriate acclaim. Syndergaard homered twice in the win, joining a select group of pitchers. The Mets pitcher homered to right center field in the third inning off Kenta Maeda to open the scoring. But the Dodgers slowly clawed back, with solo home runs by Corey Seager in the third inning and Yasmani Grandal in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead. Syndergaard batted again in the fifth inning, though with runners on first and second with nobody out he was squared to bunt. After taking four pitches, including two strikes, Syndergaard swung away and launched a ball over the wall in center field, giving the Mets a 4-2 advantage. So even with the neutral home run exchange of Syndergaard both hitting and allowing two long balls, the Dodgers found themselves behind thanks largely to Maeda hitting Eric Campbell and walking eighth-place hitter Rene Rivera directly before Syndergaard's second blast. Syndergaard is the first major league pitcher to hit two home runs in a game since Micah Owings did so for Arizona on Aug. 18, 2007.

He is the first pitcher with two home runs against the Dodgers since Lew Burdette of Milwaukee on July 10, 1958. Syndergaard is one of only two pitchers to hit two home runs in a game at Dodger Stadium, which opened in 1962. The other was Darren Dreifort, who did so on Aug. 8, 2000 against the Cubs. The four RBI for Syndergaard tied a record for a pitcher at Dodger Stadium, done five other times, the last by Jake Peavy for San Diego on July 26, 2006. Even with the home runs allowed, Syndergaard had a fine night on the mound, which included six strikeouts and a walk in eight innings for this third win of the year. There was also this: Daren Willman @darenw Noah Syndergaard is the only pitcher in the 100/100 club so far this year... Throw a pitch 100 MPH and hit one 100 MPH. A double to the wall by Neil Walker in the sixth inning ended an 0-for-22 slump, and it put runners on second and third base with nobody out, ending Maeda's shortest night in the bigs to date. It was the first time in seven major league start the right-hander failed to last at least six innings. It also snapped a string of 10 straight games with at least six strikeouts by a Dodgers starting pitcher, the club's franchise record dating back to at least 1913. Maeda struck out three in his five-plus innings. It could have been worse for Maeda and the Dodgers, but Chris Hatcher stranded both runners in scoring position in recording the three outs of the sixth inning, including the final two by strikeout. Up next The Dodgers try for a series split on Thursday night, with ace Clayton Kershaw on the mound in the finale. The Mets turn to ageless wonder Bartolo Colon. Monday particulars Home runs: Corey Seager (3), Yasmani Grandal (2); Noah Syndergaard 2 (2) WP - Noah Syndergaard (3-2): 8 IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts LP - Kenta Maeda (3-2): 5+ IP, 6 hits, 4 runs, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts Sv - Jeurys Famila (12): 1 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 1 strikeout Loons throw a pair of 2-hitters in doubleheader sweep By David Hood

The Loons held the Tincaps scoreless and almost hitless for fourteen innings on Wednesday, while the Drillers and Quakes were walk off winners. Player of the day Brock Stewart's prospect bubble continued to add helium on Wednesday night. Stewart pitched his second straight scoreless start, going seven innings while only allowing one hit, with six strikeouts and one walk. Stewart's strong peripheral numbers have carried over as he's climbed a level in the system and he starting to look like a solid middle rotation option for the future. Triple-A Oklahoma City The Dodgers scored four runs in the top of the second inning to open a big lead that they would not relinquish, defeating the Round Rock Express (Rangers) 9-5. Austin Barnes went two for four with a double and a walk while again showing his positional versatility by playing both catcher and third. James Ramsey went two for five with his second home run of the season, while Micah Johnson also had a pair of hits and a stolen base. Jeremy Kehrt earned the win, surrendering only two unearned runs in five innings. Casey Fien made his organizational debut, striking out the side in the ninth inning, but allowing one run on three hits as well. Jharel Cotton also struggled in relief, allowing a two run home run in his three innings of work. OKC Dodgers @okc_dodgers Well this is a new one...The game is currently delayed due to a swarm of bees near home plate. Scoreless in the 1st inning. Double-A Tulsa The Drillers watched their early lead evaporate in a shaky eighth inning only to walk off 4-3 victors over the Arkansas Travelers (Angels) in the eleventh inning. The Drillers spoiled another strong start by Brock Stewart by surrendering three runs in the eighth inning. Jordan Schafer's rough relief outing was not helped by a pair of errors from Drillers' fielders. Ralston Cash threw a pair of clean innings in extras to earn the victory. Jacob Scavuzzo paced the offense with three hits in five at bats. Cody Bellinger and Kyle Farmer both contributed a pair of hits to the winning cause. Lars Anderson clinched the victory with a pinch hit single in the ninth inning. High Class-A Rancho Cucamonga The Quakes rallied for two runs in the ninth to overcome the Lancaster Jethawks (Astros) 6-5. Erik Mejia hit a two run triple in the final frame to drive in the winning runs as part of a one for five night. Alex Guerrero homered on his only hit in four appearances as part of his rehab assignment. Johan Mieses led the offense with a three for five game including his fourth home run of the season. Mieses has been heating up of late and carries a .293 average over his last ten games.

The bullpen allowed the Quakes rally by finishing the final four and a third innings with scoress baseball. Scott Griggs pitched a clean ninth inning to earn the win. Low Class-A Great Lakes The Loons' pitching was brilliant across a double header on Wednesday, throwing a pair of two hitters in winning both games against the Fort Wayne Tincaps (Padres) 3-0 and 5-0 respectively. Victor Gonzalez won game one, going five innings and allowing one hit, striking out five and walking three. Marcus Crescentini earned his fourth save with a clean seventh inning. In game two, Michael Boyle went the distance, striking out six and walking none in his seven inning shutout. Ariel Sandoval and Edwin Rios provided much of the offense in game one, each hitting a solo home run. The home run was one of a pair of hits by Sandoval in the early game. Sandoval would also add a pair of hits and a run scored in game two. Brendon Davis would also go two for four in game two, getting a hit in each game of the double header. Transactions No transactions today. Tuesday box scores Oklahoma City 9, Round Rock 5 Tulsa 4, Arkansas 3 in 11 Innings Rancho Cucamonga 6, Lancaster 5 Great Lakes 3, Fort Wayne 0 in Game 1 Great Lakes 5, Fort Wayne 0 in Game 2 Thursday schedule 4:00 p.m. PT: Great Lakes (Nolan Long) at Dayton (Franderlin Romero) 5:05 p.m.: Oklahoma City (Mike Bolsinger) at Round Rock (TBD) 5:05 p.m.: Tulsa (TBD) vs. Arkansas (Tyler Carpenter) 7:05 p.m.: Rancho Cucamonga (Josh Sborz) vs. Lancaster (Scott Weathersby)

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Yasiel Puig and Yoenis Cespedes have point and shoot cannons

By One Nacion Two Cuban outfielders have shown this MLB season that no throw is too far and no runner racing for a base is safe. Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets plays center and left field. Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers plays right field. Both Cubans have tossed remarkably accurate throws from distance to get players out. When the Dodgers played the Mets recently, Cespedes, himself, was unwilling to tempt fate and test his countryman's ability to make a throw. Puig and Cespedes each have four outfield assists this season. Kenta Maeda laments his 'regrettable' night for Dodgers By Doug Padilla LOS ANGELES -- Kenta Maeda knew there would be a learning curve when he came to the United States. He never could have imagined this. Looking more ill than stunned, Maeda hung his head in the center of the Dodger Stadium infield in the fifth inning Wednesday, surrounded by more than 40,000 amazed fans in the stands and an opposing pitcher that was literally running circles around him … for the second time. Getting outpitched by the New York Mets' Noah Syndergaard was one thing. Getting tagged by the opposing pitcher for a pair of home runs appeared to be deflating as it gets. The Los Angeles Dodgers hit two home runs of their own -- one by Corey Seager, the other by Yasmani Grandal -- but they were no match for the two Syndergaard hit in the Mets' 4-3 victory. "They were definitely not good pitches, the ones he hit for home runs," Maeda said through an interpreter. "It ended up being a regrettable result that contributed to a total of four runs." Kenta Maeda's loss to the Mets on Wednesday was the worst start of his young major league career. Harry How/Getty Images Perhaps the poorly placed fastball on Syndergaard's third-inning home run was less-than impressive. But his breaking ball toward the outside part of the plate in the fifth inning to the pitcher nicknamed "Thor" was not the most shameful pitch ever. It was just Syndergaard's day, a concept that was hard to deny, especially after his second home run came only after he failed to lay down a bunt with runners on first and second. "Yeah, he was in disbelief," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I don't know if he felt it was a decent enough pitch then to be hit out of the ballpark. Or he didn't think he was going to hit, as opposed to bunt, because earlier in that sequence he was trying to get the bunt down and [Mets manager Terry Collins] took the bunt off. I don't know if that was it. But, yeah, he was stunned."

Roberts admitted that Maeda was not at his best Wednesday, but he was not about to endorse the concept that the league is simply catching up to the unknown pitcher now. The right-hander still has a 2.30 ERA after seven big league starts and did not give up an RBI Wednesday to any of the Mets players who are actually paid to get hits. "I don't see many pitchers watching video on other pitchers," Roberts said. "You take away those Syndergaard at-bats I think Kenta threw the ball well. I really did. … I thought, one through eight, he did a great job. But he wasn't as sharp as he has been with fastball command or breaking-ball crispness. But he still finds a way to get guys out." Maybe more evidence is needed to say that the league has found a Maeda weakness. But as far as the facts go, the right-hander gave up just one earned run through his first four starts. Over his next three outings, he has lost twice and given up a combined 10 runs. "Overall they're a very well-balance team," Maeda said. "I was able to get the outs until the end. But those two home runs did hurt and it was something that was a regrettable result." Maeda's five-plus innings made it the shortest outing of his young major league career, and it necessitated a busy four-inning night from the bullpen. When the rotation was rearranged last week and Maeda and Clayton Kershaw were scheduled to start pitching back-to-back, it looked like it was a way for the bullpen to get two easy days behind a pair of dependable starters. That scenario did not play out this time around. "For the pitcher to hit a breaking ball, backdoor, down and away and hit it out of the ballpark -- you probably won't see that again all year," Roberts said. "I was in disbelief. Outside of those two pitches to Syndergaard, it's a 2-0 win." Except Maeda did need 94 pitches to get into the sixth inning, where he was unable to record an out. "It was one of those things where it was the pitcher, so you don't expect him to hit two home runs and you can kind of be around the plate for strikes," Seager said of his teammate. "But he looked good other than that. He threw the ball well." It turns the focus back on the Dodgers' dismal offense, which entered the game having scored just 2.67 runs per game at home this year, second to last to the Phillies. That number actually went down with another two-run offering Wednesday. Syndergaard did hit 100 mph on the radar gun, though, so it wasn't like the Dodgers were without their challenges. "I thought we put some good swings on it," Roberts said. "The idea was to get balls up in the zone and give ourselves a chance. We weren't giving at-bats away by swinging at balls in the dirt. I thought we competed well tonight. When you look at Maeda versus Syndergaard, you're thinking low-scoring game. But you don't expect Syndergaard to hit two home runs."

Dodgers throttled by Mets' Noah Syndergaard By Doug Padilla LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers’ offense was held in check yet again, and to add further agony, the opposing pitcher did them in from the mound and at the plate. New York Mets starter Noah Syndergaard not only went eight strong innings, he also hit two home runs off Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda. The Mets avenged Tuesday night’s walk-off victory by the Dodgers with a 4-3 triumph of their own Wednesday. Syndergaard was the story and then some. If his third-inning solo home run wasn’t enough, he blasted a three-run home run in the fifth inning, when he failed to lay down a bunt and swung away with two strikes. Syndergaard was not only the second Mets pitcher to hit two home runs in a game (Walt Terrell did it in 1983), he became the third pitcher to hit two home runs in a game against the Dodgers since 1913. The Dodgers flashed some power of their own, but solo home runs from Corey Seager (third inning) and Yasmani Grandal (fourth inning) were not nearly enough to interrupt the Syndergaard show. The Dodgers’ run-scoring issues at home continued. They have not scored more than three runs in a game at Dodger Stadium since April 15. The Dodgers added a run in the ninth inning on a Joc Pederson ground out, but Yasiel Puig struck out to end the game. It added up to continued mediocrity for the Dodgers, whose record returned to .500 at 17-17. Syndergaard homers twice in Mets' 4-3 win over Dodgers By Associated Press LOS ANGELES -- Credit Thor with the victory on the mound and at the plate. Noah Syndergaard became the second pitcher in Mets history to hit two home runs in a game on Wednesday night, driving in all of New York's runs in a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. "I don't think I ever hit two home runs in Little League," he said. "To hit two home runs in a big league game, especially with a pitcher like (Kenta) Maeta out there, it was an ultimate experience." Syndergaard (3-2) allowed two runs and six hits in eight innings, tying the longest outing of his career, struck out six and walked one. He gave up five hits in the first four innings and then retired 11 in a row. EDITOR'S PICKS

"This guy holds his velocity," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "He was throwing 99 mph in the eighth." Nicknamed "Thor" after the Marvel Comics character known as the god of thunder who possesses an enchanted hammer, Syndergaard swung a mighty black bat with his blond locks flowing beneath his helmet. He had to provide all the offense himself after his teammates produced just one run in his previous two starts. "I do think this does add to the nickname," he said. Syndergaard hit a solo homer on the first pitch from Maeda (3-2) in the third inning, and slammed a three-run shot in the fifth. In that at-bat, Syndergaard tried unsuccessfully to bunt before manager Terry Collins gave him the sign to swing away. "When you're supposed to bunt, you'd like to see him get the bunt down," Collins said. "But if you don't get the bunt down, you might as well hit a homer." Maeda had a stunned look on his face as he watched Syndergaard's second homer go out. "He was in disbelief," Roberts said. Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager marveled at the feat, too. "Tip your hat to him," he said. "Doesn't happen often." Walt Terrell was the first Mets pitcher to hit two homers in a game at Wrigley Field on Aug. 6, 1983. The last major league pitcher to homer twice in a game was Arizona's Micah Owings, who accomplished the feat against Atlanta on Aug. 18, 2007. Jim Tobin of the Boston Braves holds the modern-day big league record for pitchers with three home runs in a game against the Chicago Cubs on May 13, 1942. Syndergaard came up with a chance to tie Tobin's mark with the bases loaded in the sixth. Facing Chris Hatcher, he took big rips on his first three pitches, fouling off each of them. With Syndergaard behind 1-2 in the count, Hatcher and catcher Yasmani Grandal convened for a chat as though Barry Bonds was at the plate. Syndergaard struck out swinging on his next pitch to end the threat. He also struck out swinging in the eighth, taking big cuts in the six-pitch at-bat. Jeurys Familia gave up a run in the ninth, but earned his 12th save in as many chances to tie for the majors' saves lead. Maeda gave up four runs and six hits in five innings, struck out three and walked two. He failed to pitch at least six innings for the first time in seven starts this season. "He was using his breaking ball a lot and just didn't have that sharpness," Roberts said. "He was working behind hitters."

Syndergaard's power display gave the Mets 51 homers through their first 33 games to lead the majors. They've hit 49 in the last 25 games and also lead the majors with 35 homers on the road. Last Saturday, Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon hit the first home run of his career at age 42 in San Diego. "He's throwing 100 (mph) and he's hitting home runs to the opposite field in Dodger Stadium. It's legendary," Mets second baseman Neil Walker said. "He's a big strong kid. He's Thor." The Dodgers tied it at 1 in the third on Seager's homer. Grandal homered on Syndergaard's first pitch leading off the fourth for a 2-1 lead. Syndergaard had been 0 for 8 this season. He has three career homers -- two this season. He had just four career RBI coming in and doubled that total Wednesday. His first career homer came last May 27 against Philadelphia, when he went 3 for 3. TRAINER'S ROOM Mets: LHP Steven Matz will miss his next turn in the rotation Saturday at Colorado because his elbow has flared up. He plans to play catch Thursday and will see a doctor in New York when the team wraps up its West Coast trip. ... Walker returned to the lineup after missing three games with a sore right leg. Dodgers: INF-OF Alex Guerrero played his second game at Class A Rancho Cucamonga as part of a rehab assignment. He's been on the DL with injuries to his left groin and left knee sustained in spring training. STOPPING THE SKID Walker doubled in the sixth, snapping an 0-for-22 skid that tied the longest of his career. DODGERS' PEN The L.A. relief corps struck out eight in four scoreless innings and hasn't allowed an earned run -- one unearned -- in their last five games since May 7, striking out 21 in 15.0 innings over that span. Louis Coleman extended his scoreless innings streak to 8 1/3 in his last eight games; Adam Liberatore pushed his run to 7 2/3 scoreless innings in 11 big-league appearances this season; and Joe Blanton struck out four in two scoreless innings, tossing scoreless relief for the 12th time in his last 13 games. UP NEXT Mets: RHP Bartolo Colon, fresh off hitting his first career home run at age 42 in San Diego, starts the series finale. He is 3-1 with a 2.82 ERA. Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (4-1, 2.02) has allowed two earned runs in 16 innings over his previous two starts, struck out 24 and walked none. Mixing and matching is not Dodgers' issue so far By Doug Padilla

LOS ANGELES -- Less than two months into his first job as Los Angeles Dodgers manager and Dave Roberts’ ever-changing lineups are starting to come into question. A day after Trayce Thompson hit a winning home run, he was back on the bench while Carl Crawford started in left field. On Tuesday, Roberts appeared to be questioned about a unique arrangement to his lineup where Yasiel Puig was dropped to the No. 7 spot and Crawford hit eighth. The issue appeared to be one that dogged former manager Don Mattingly: that the front office is using analytics to set the lineup, with limited input from Roberts. Roberts was asked about a reliance on analytics to set the batting order and how rigid the club is in that area. “I break from analytics every single night,” Roberts retorted. “Two nights ago, Trayce had an at-bat against [Mets reliever Jim] Henderson, right-on-right. I broke with analytics and gave Joc [Pederson] a start against the left-hander. There are things that I do every night that go against analytics. I’m also mindful that every game is a different game. “It’s not to say that guys can’t do it. But I think it’s your job as manager to say, ‘What guy might give us a better chance?’ So as manager you take all those things into consideration and make a decision.” Lineup changes and platoons are not nearly as much of an issue as the veterans who actually have a set place in the order. Adrian Gonzalez was batting .281 heading into Wednesday’s game, a respectable average on the surface, but over the past 14 games he is batting .170 with a .273 on-base percentage and a .170 slugging percentage. Justin Turner, on his way back from knee surgery in the offseason, carried a .352 slugging percentage into Wednesday’s game, with his lone home run coming last week at Toronto. That duo was supposed to form the heart of the Dodgers’ order, but it is where the offense has bogged down. Meanwhile, Pederson, who is in a semi-platoon with Thompson in center field, has a team-leading six home runs. Thompson has four, including long balls in each of the past two games and highlighted by Tuesday's winner. Why was Thompson not in the lineup Wednesday, then? It might have more to do with having to face hard-throwing Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard than analytics. Roberts went with the lefty Crawford instead. Roberts was asked if the team would be better or worse off if the club went strictly by analytics. There was a long pause. “Honestly, I don’t know; I really don’t,” Roberts said. “You can’t [say]. The thing is the game is played by humans. There’s a lot of things where you’re looking at their bullpen, who they’ve got left, who they’ve got coming in. You’ve got to play the game, the strategy. There’s no black and white.”

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Dodgers Drop Game to Mets, 4-3, at Hands of Thor's Hammer By Miachael Duarte LOS ANGELES – Noah "Thor" Syndergaard hit two homers off Kenta Maeda and the New York Mets stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 on Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium. Syndergaard struck first, like a blow to the gut, when he hit a solo shot to the left field pavilion in the top of the third inning. Syndergaard's bomb was his first of the season and just the second of his career. Corey Seager crushed a Syndergaard slider in the bottom half of the inning that temporarily tied the game at 1-1. "It was a little more easier," Seager said of facing Syndergaard a second time, after seeing him last fall in the NLDS. "Seeing a guy for the first time is tough, especially when he's that caliber." An inning later, Yasmani Grandal took Thor yard as the Dodgers built a 2-1 lead over the National League pennant winners. The game turned like a thunder-cloud from heaven in the top half of the fifth as the Norse god unloaded his second home run of the night, this time a three-run blast to left-centerfield. "My immediate thought was 'this is a dream, it's not real' I don't think I've ever hit two home runs when I played little league," Syndergaard said after the game. "To be able to hit two home runs in a Major League ballgame, especially with a pitcher like Maeda up there, it's an awesome experience." Thor's towering blast was the first multi-homer game by a pitcher since Micah Owings (now an outfielder) did it in 2007, and the first time a Mets pitcher did it since Walt Terrell in 1983. "A pitcher hitting two home runs out of the ballpark is probably something you won't see again all year," Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts said. "I was in disbelief and outside of those two pitches to Syndergaard, it's a 2-to-nothing win." Maeda served up both bombs to his counterpart, and ironically, Syndergaard showed bunt, unable to advance the runners before swinging away at a 80MPH slider one pitch later. "I had to finish him off with two strikes, and I was unable to do that," Maeda said through a translator. "Basically, I was unable to execute well on that at-bat." Maeda suffered his second loss of the season allowing four runs on six hits with three strikeouts in five innings. Maeda's three punchouts snapped a streak of 10 consecutive games by Dodgers' starters of at least six or more strikeouts, a franchise record. "Overall, they are a well-balanced team," Maeda said of the Mets. "I was able to get the outs, but those two home runs hurt. It was a regrettable result."

Syndergaard (3-2) got the win, allowing two runs on six hits with six strikeouts in eight strong innings. "I felt real comfortable and real strong," Syndergaard said. "Hopefully, I can carry it over into my next start." Jeurys Familia allowed a run in the ninth, but still earned his MLB-leading 12th save of the season. Players of the Game: Noah Syndergaard: Two home runs, 4 RBI, 2 runs with 6 SO in 8 IP. Corey Seager: Home run. Yasmani Grandal: Home run. Three Takeaways: 1. Thunder Struck: The Norse god, Thor, otherwise known as right-hander Noah Syndergaard did it all on Wednesday. The long-haired flame thrower struck out six and had two home runs off Kenta Maeda as he was responsible for all of the Mets' runs. 2. Strikeout Streak Snapped: The Los Angeles Dodgers starting rotation had a 10-game streak of six or more strikeouts snapped by Kenta Maeda's three-strikeout performance on Wednesday night. The 10 consecutive games with at least six strikeouts by starters was the longest streak in franchise history. 3. Flying Solo: The Dodgers only two runs of the night came on solo shots by Corey Seager and Yasmani Grandal off of Noah Syndergaard. Up Next: Mets (21-12): Soon to be 43-year-old Bartolo Colon takes the mound on Thursday just six days after he hit the first home run of his career in San Diego as New York looks to take three of four in the series. Dodgers (17-17): Los Angeles counters with ace Clayton Kershaw in the finale of the four-game series at 7:10 PM.