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Mets open road trip in LA

Jul 4, 2011 - 2:52 PM (Sports Network) - The New York Mets will take their show to the west coast tonight when they begin a seven-game road trip with the first of four straight meetings against the Los Angeles Dodgers from Chavez Ravine.

New York, which will also visit San Francisco for three games, salvaged the finale of a three-game set versus the crosstown rival Yankees with Sunday's 3-2 win in 10 innings at Citi Field. Mets red-hot outfielder Jason Bay singled home Scott Hairston with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to secure the win for the Mets, who ended a three-game slide and won for the seventh time in 11 tries.

"They just play, they play until the game's over...they take the blows and bounce back," said Mets manager Terry Collins of his club. "They're fun to be around because they don't let stuff get to them."

Bay also evened the score at 2-2 when he scored on Ronny Paulino's single off of Yankees closer Mariano Rivera in the home portion of the ninth inning. Bay is batting .344 with two home runs and 12 RBI in his last 16 games. Daniel Murphy recorded three hits and an RBI in Sunday's win, while closer Francisco Rodriguez was credited with the win for tossing two scoreless innings of relief. Starter R.A. Dickey gave up one run over five innings in the no- decision. He left early with a tight left glute and hopes to make his next start later this week.

Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, who was voted to start next week's All-Star Game, did not play on Sunday because of a hamstring injury, but could return to the lineup Tuesday. An MRI Sunday revealed a Grade 1 strain.

"I have to make sure that I'm going to be ready to go, because I don't want to go to the game and play one inning or two innings and have to come out of the game," Reyes said on New York's site. "When I want to play, I have to make sure that my leg is going to be able to stay for a full game."

Reyes leads the majors with a .354 batting average and 15 triples, and is second with 30 stolen bases.

Chris Capuano will handle pitching duties for the Mets tonight and he has won two straight and four of his last five starts. He survived last Wednesday's 16-9 win at Detroit and allowed five runs on six hits in five innings with six strikeouts and no walks. The win lifted his overall mark to 7-7 in 17 games (15 starts) to go along with a 4.27 ERA.

The left-hander will try to even his career mark against the Dodgers, as he owns a 2-3 record with a 3.38 ERA in the first 10 appearances, eight of which have been starts.

Los Angeles is back at home after an unsuccessful road trip against the Twins and Angels. It went 2-4 on the trek and suffered back-to-back losses in Anaheim, including a 3-1 loss in Sunday night's series finale at the Big A.

The Angels scored all three of their runs in the seventh inning off of Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley, who went the full eight innings for the losers and allowed three runs on three hits and two walks with six K's. James Loney drove in the lone run for the Dodgers and finished with three hits.

"We have to find ways to get guys in," said Dodgers outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. "When we don't, that puts pressure on Chad, who kept us in the game all night."

The Dodgers will also host San Diego for three games and have lost seven of their last 10 games. Rookie Rubby De La Rosa draws the start for LA tonight and he's aiming to stop a personal three-game losing streak. He pitched well enough for the win his last time out in a 1-0 loss at Minnesota last Wednesday, as he delivered seven innings of one-run ball and four K's.

De La Rosa is 3-3 with a 4.41 ERA in eight games (5 starts) this season and will face the Mets for the first time. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four games, two of which have been starts, at Dodger Stadium.

New York won two of three meetings with Los Angeles from May 6-8 at Citi Field and is 6-4 in the past 10 matchups in this series.