Steven Matz and Mets’ bats earn 4-2 win over Dodgers

2:10 AM ET

LOS ANGELES — Steven Matz keeps winning. And the New York Mets keep depositing long balls into the bleachers.

Matz earned his fifth straight win and Curtis Granderson and Kevin Plawecki homered as the Mets beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2 on Monday in the series opener at Dodger Stadium.

The Mets (20-11) maintained a half-game lead over the Washington Nationals for first place in the National League East.

With the Mets leading by two runs and the bases empty in the bottom of the seventh, Chase Utley had an uneventful leadoff groundout as a pinch hitter against Hansel Robles. It was Utley’s first at-bat against the Mets since the National League Division Series in which he fractured Ruben Tejada’s right leg in Game 2. Utley also grounded out uneventfully in the ninth.

Steven Matz won a fifth straight decision as the Mets overcame the Dodgers on Monday. Mark J. Terrill/AP

A dropped fly ball by center fielder Juan Lagares led to an eighth-inning jam, but Jim Henderson entered with two runners on base, struck Yasiel Puig out and coaxed a foul pop out from Trayce Thompson to preserve the Mets’ two-run lead. It was Lagares’ first career major league error on a dropped fly ball. He previously had eight errors while mishandling balls after hits and four errors on throws.

The Mets have outscored opponents 39-5 in Matz’s past five starts. They have 49 homers this season. …

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