5/19: Mets make four fewer errors, but lose anyway

It would have been nearly impossible for the Mets to play any worse on Tuesday than they did on Monday. As it turned out, they played much better, but couldn't overcome yet another strong start from Chad Billingsley.

Billingsley went 6 1/3 innings and retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced, and the Dodger bullpen backed him up with 2 2/3 scoreless innings to preserve the 5-3 LA win. It was the third straight win for the first-place Dodgers, who moved to 7.5 games ahead of San Francisco with the Giants' loss to San Diego.

Billingsley (6-1) not only helped himself on the mound, but also at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a walk, a single, and an RBI double that came with two outs in the fourth after a Casey Blake single. Blake later hit a three-run homer in the game, his team-leading ninth of the season, to give the Dodgers a two-run lead that they would never relinquish.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Mets led 3-2 when James Loney and Matt Kemp both singled with one out to bring up Blake. John Maine threw an inside fastball and the Dodgers' veteran leader powered it into the leftfield bleachers. Chad Billingsley then singled to chase Maine from the game.

For a while, it looked like Maine (3-3) was going to be the double-threat victor in the game. In the top of the second inning, Billingsley walked the bases loaded to bring up the Met pitcher with two outs. On an 0-1 pitch, Maine lined a two-run single up the middle to give New York the lead. They would add another run in the third when David Wright singled in Carlos Beltran, who reached base on a Rafael Furcal throwing error.

The Dodgers started the scoring in the first inning, tacking on their major-league-leading 43rd first-inning run. Juan Pierre led off with a line drive to left field that glanced off David Murphy's glove for a two-base error. After a Rafael Furcal walk, Orlando Hudson brought in Pierre with a single to center to give LA a 1-0 lead.

Hudson would leave the game in the 7th with a bruised shoulder after diving for and missing a soft line drive hit by Jose Reyes. He is day-to-day.

Reyes' single put two runners on with two outs for the Mets in the seventh. Gary Sheffield then pinch-hit for David Murphy, but Ronald Belisario induced an inning-ending groundout from him.

The Mets would rally one last time in the top of the eighth, as Carlos Beltran greeted Cory Wade with a single and David Wright drew a walk to put runners on first and second with nobody out. But then Ryan Church flied out to left, and Ramon Martinez bounced into a double play to end the inning.

Jonathon Broxton pitched a perfect ninth, striking out one, to collect his 10th save in 12 chances.

The Mets' loss, coupled with a 4-3 Philadelphia win, dropped them into second place in the NL East. They are currently one game behind the Phillies, despite having a +22 run differential to Philadelphia's +13. The Dodgers currently have the best run differential in the majors at +73.

On Wednesday night, the Dodgers will send Jeff Weaver to the mound in search of a sweep, while the Mets will counter with veteran workhorse Livan Hernandez. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 PM PT.

Game notes: Jose Reyes returned to game action for the first time since May 15th. He went 1-for-4 with a single and made several good plays in the field...Eric Stults was slated to start on Wednesday, but has been scratched with a sore thumb. There is no word on whether he will be placed on the DL...Carlos Delgado had hip surgery on Tuesday and is expected to return around the All-Star Break...Hiroki Kuroda is expected to make a rehab start at High-A Inland Empire on Friday...David Wright boosted his career line against the Dodgers to .426/.510/.656...The Dodgers are 7-5 without Manny Ramirez.