Down 2-0 in the sixth inning? That doesn't seem like much of a challenge for the 2013 Dodgers, who won their sixth straight game on Monday night, 4-2 over the Mets.
The Mets plated a pair of runs in the second inning and for a while Jenrry Mejia looked like he would make it hold up for New York. But after Ricky Nolasco held the Mets in check the rest of the night, the Dodgers used three straight singles and a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to take the lead.
Adrian Gonzalez, who was 3-for-4 on the night, drove in a run for his seventh straight game, the longest streak by a Dodger since Matt Kemp drove in a run in nine straight games from the end of the 2011 season into 2012.
The last such streak that long in one season was in 2004, when Adrian Beltre drove in a run in eight straight games.
Nick Punto homered down the right field line in the seventh to continue his scorching August. During the month Punto is 10-for-21 (.476) with six walks. It was Punto's second home run of the season, which ruined a streak of consecutive one-homer seasons that could have been extended to five.
Punto has homered at least once in 11 straight seasons, and has 17 total home runs in his career.
Nolasco pitched into the seventh inning, his first time pitching at least six innings since his Dodgers debut. He allowed two runs on seven hits to pick up his ninth win of the season. The Dodgers have won Nolasco's five straight Nolasco starts.
But then again, they win just about every start these days.
The Dodgers have won six straight games, the third time they have reached that season high since June 22. The team is 21-3 since the All-Star break, and their 38-8 record is the best 46-game stretch in franchise history, matching the 1899 team.
Ronald Belisario, Paco Rodriguez and Kenley Jansen combined to record the final eight outs, six by strikeout, to close out the win. Jansen retired all four batters, three via strikeout, for his second four-out save of the season. Jansen has retired 32 of his last 33 batters faced, and on the season has 87 strikeouts against just eight unintentional walks.
Jansen has struck out 15 of his last 20 batters faced.
The Dodgers are 18 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2009 season, when they won 95 games. What seven weeks ago seemed like an impossible goal now seems downright likely.
These are your 2013 Dodgers.
Up next
The Dodgers go for a season-high seventh straight victory on Tuesday night, facing Mets ace Matt Harvey. He will face Hyun-jin Ryu, who is 5-1 with a 1.83 ERA in 10 home starts this season.
Monday particulars
Home run - Nick Punto (2)
WP - Ricky Nolasco (9-9): 6⅓ IP, 7 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts
LP - Jenrry Mejia (1-2): 6 IP, 6 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 4 strikeouts
Sv - Kenley Jansen (18): 1⅓ IP, 3 strikeouts