Five-run 6th lifts Dodgers over Mets, 6-0
New York Mets manager Terry Collins (10) and catcher Ronny Paulino, second from right, argue with home plate umpire Greg Gibson (53) that a tag was put on Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Juan Uribe during the second inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles. (July 7, 2011) Credit: AP
LOS ANGELES -- For a while, it looked as if plate umpire Greg Gibson would be the scapegoat for the Mets in Thursday night's 6-0 loss to the Dodgers. But by the sixth inning, the fault switched over to a shaky Dillon Gee, who also was hurt by a sloppy defensive effort that helped end the Mets' winning streak at four games.
"We can't make mistakes," Terry Collins said. "We've said that even when Jose [Reyes] has been in the lineup. We can't throw the ball around, kick the ball around and expect to win. It's just not the kind of club we have."
The umpire made another mistake, too. Gibson, who blew a call Wednesday night at first base, botched another one at the plate Thursday night that turned a sure out into a 1-0 lead for the Dodgers on Aaron Miles' sacrifice fly in the second inning.
But after that lone blemish, the night got much more ugly for Gee, who was beaten up for four hits and five runs in the sixth. Matt Kemp had a two-run double and Juan Uribe and Miles each had an RBI double off Gee in the inning. Dioner Navarro added an RBI triple off Manny Acosta, with the run charged to Gee.
"I feel like the key point of that inning was leaving that changeup up to Kemp," Gee said. "Obviously, the changeup is my best pitch, but I don't want to go that too much. Hindsight is 20-20."
More disturbing than any one pitch was Gee's collapse in the sixth inning for a second consecutive start. Last Saturday, against the Yankees, Gee cruised until the sixth, when they battered him for four runs, including a homer by Curtis Granderson and a two-run triple by Robinson Cano.
"It's certainly puzzling," Collins said. "That's the second time in a row in that inning he's just lost command of his stuff and his concentration's been broken. I don't know, it's certainly something we got to fix for sure."
Gee (8-3) has lost three of his last four decisions after starting the season 7-0, and his ERA has ballooned from 2.86 to 3.76 since June 15. The Mets made three errors, including one by Gee, but only one of his six runs was unearned.
"It's disappointing that I've had two games in a row like that," Gee said. "It's just a coincidence. I feel like I can turn things around."
After winning four straight without Reyes, who was placed on the disabled list Thursday, the Mets looked lethargic against Clayton Kershaw (9-4). Angel Pagan had two of the Mets' five hits against Kershaw, who loaded the bases with two outs in the eighth inning before striking out Ronny Paulino on a nasty changeup.
Kershaw, the first of seven straight elite pitchers on deck for the Mets, walked two and struck out nine. Up next in San Francisco this weekend: Ryan Vogelsong, two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, respectively.
Justin Turner went 0-for-4 as his franchise rookie record of reaching base by a hit, walk or hit by pitch ended at 28 games. Carlos Beltran's hitting streak ended at 11 games as he was 0-for-3 with a walk.
The Mets loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, with Daniel Murphy picking up his second hit of the game, but Hong-Chih Kuo struck out pinch hitter Lucas Duda and Pagan grounded out to preserve the Dodgers' shutout.
Gibson owed the Mets after admitting to Collins that he blew a call at first base during Wednesday night's game. If that was the case, Gibson had a funny way of paying them back.
With one out in the second inning, Gee drilled Uribe and then sabotaged himself by butchering James Loney's comebacker to the mound. Gee knocked it down, but after rushing to scoop the ball, he threw wide to second base, and the error allowed Uribe to advance to third.
Next up was Miles, who hit a fly ball to leftfield that looked deep enough to score even the portly Uribe. But Jason Bay's humpbacked throw to the plate arrived on the fly at the same time as Uribe, who was tagged by Paulino in one motion as he made the catch.
Gibson signaled safe -- and for the second straight night, he was wrong. The replay clearly showed that Paulino tagged Uribe before he touched the plate, and Collins emerged for his second heated discussion with Gibson in as many games.
Collins' behavior appeared to warrant an ejection, but Gibson refused to toss him. When asked if he wanted to talk about Gibson's explanation, Collins clammed up.
"Nah,'' he said, "not really."
