Payback for Ethier as Dodgers beat Mets

One day after the Mets ended Andre Ethier's 30-game hitting streak, his two-run seventh-inning home run was too much for them to overcome on Mother's Day.

Ethier ripped a 2-and-1 pitch from R.A. Dickey over the rightfield porch to help give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 4-2 win Sunday in front of 26,312 at Citi Field.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Mets (15-19), who begin a six-game road trip Monday night in Colorado. Despite the loss, they won two of three from the Dodgers to finish the homestand at 3-3.

Daniel Murphy's pinch-hit single and Jose Reyes' RBI triple in the bottom of the ninth provided a glimmer of hope, trimming the Mets' deficit to two runs. But Carlos Beltran, who had been given the day off by manager Terry Collins, flew out as a pinch hitter and David Wright struck out to end the game.

"So far this season, we've really been a team of streaks, good and bad," said Wright, who went 0-for-3 with two walks. "It's very important to capitalize when we're playing well and win as many of those as we can. In an ideal world, minimize those cold streaks."

Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw (4-3) kept the Mets off-balance for 6 2/3 innings, allowing six hits and one run. The 23-year-old lefthander struck out eight and walked three.

"You're not going to get a lot of chances [against him]," Jason Bay said.

The Mets, however, failed to capitalize on Kershaw's seventh-inning exit. After Justin Turner reached on a fielder's choice with two outs, Kenley Jansen entered the game and walked Wright to load the bases. However, Bay (0-for-4, .241) flew out to end the threat.

For the sixth straight start, Dickey (1-4) failed to record a win. He kept the Mets close for most of the afternoon, but he made two costly mistakes. He hit Kershaw with a pitch to start the third. A passed ball that hit the heel of Ronny Paulino's glove and ricocheted off the catcher's chest protector allowed Kershaw to move to second. The Dodgers pitcher advanced on a groundout and scored on Aaron Miles' single.

"That's the funny thing about the pitch -- it can be capricious sometimes," said the knuckleballer, who allowed 10 hits and three earned runs in seven innings. "You throw it, it was going right down the middle about halfway and then it took a left turn. It's frustrating, but at the same time, it's part of being able to negotiate what you do for a living."

Dickey had the option of walking Ethier with one out and a runner on second base in the seventh, but instead he tried to "pitch him carefully" and hung a 73-mph knuckleball over the plate.

"It's such a long season, 27 starts," Dickey said. "You've got to figure these things will turn if you just stay consistent. And that's what I'm trying to do."

Aside from the passed ball, Collins praised Paulino's effort behind the plate. The catcher, who had never caught a knuckleballer, was inserted in the lineup over Josh Thole primarily for his bat against the lefty Kershaw. He went 2-for-4 and put the Mets up 1-0 in the first with an RBI single.

"I thought he did great," Collins said. "When you've got a knuckleball as good as R.A.'s and you only botch one, that's a pretty darn good day."