Robleski Shuts Out Mets in Dodgers’ 4-0 Victory

Justin Robleski only managed a couple of strikeouts on Monday night, finishing with just four for the entire game. Yet, in the series opener against the struggling Mets, he led the Dodgers to a solid 4-0 victory.

This game perhaps highlighted the ongoing struggles of the Mets’ expensive offense, which, leading up to this matchup, had lost five consecutive games while scoring merely nine runs.

Notably, this was Robleski’s first time pitching more than six innings in the MLB, and, interestingly, it marked the first occasion he had gone eight innings at any level professionally. It’s safe to say he did a great job keeping the ball in the strike zone while allowing the Mets to falter on their own.

Robleski didn’t allow a hit until the fifth inning, with the Dodgers’ stellar defense helping him out. A standout moment came in the second inning when shortstop Miguel Rojas made a diving stop.

After that highlight, however, Robleski faced another at-bat where he grounded into a double play, wiping out the efforts of Jorge Polanco, who had just hit a single. But from that point forward, Wroblewski really hit his stride, retiring nine consecutive batters and holding the Mets scoreless until he allowed a runner in the eighth.

His outing concluded with Francisco Alvarez hitting a two-out single.

Of the 90 pitches he delivered, 64 found the strike zone. Despite the Mets making contact on 23 of those pitches, only 10 were classified as “hard hits” (i.e., over 95 mph), with six of those being grounders.

What This Means

In what is being dubbed the #BillionDollarBattle, two teams projected to exceed $1 billion in spending this season faced off, shedding light on where that money is wisely invested. The Mets (7-10) were expected to pose a significant challenge to the Dodgers (12-4) this year, but their rocky start has suggested otherwise.

Who is Hot

Freddie Freeman had been, ironically, the unluckiest hitter for the Dodgers during the first 15 games. However, on this particular night, his luck began to shift.

Freeman finished 2-for-4, with a sharp single that clocked in at 160 mph in the fifth and a 162 mph double in the seventh. A turn of fortune came when he was safe at first base due to a bobble from Mets second baseman Marcus Semien, which should have ended the inning. This proved crucial; following that play, Andy Pages hit a three-run homer, his fifth this season, becoming the first player in the majors to reach 20 RBIs.

Who is Not

Max Muncy had a rough night at the plate, unable to capitalize on a series of strong outings earlier in the homestand. He went 0-for-4, striking out three times, and two of those occurred during pivotal moments, like in the first inning with the bases loaded and again in the fifth.

Despite his struggles at bat, Muncy still made some impressive plays defensively at third base, contributing to one of the Dodgers’ standout defensive performances this season.

Looking Ahead

The highly anticipated pitching clash is set for Tuesday at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers will send out Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-1, 2.50 ERA) while the Mets will counter with rookie right-hander Nolan McLean (1-1, 2.70 ERA).