NEW YORK — Pete Alonso ended the longest home run drought of his career with a two-run shot and the New York Mets took advantage of some shoddy Los Angeles Dodgers defense in a 3-1 victory Sunday night.
Shohei Ohtani hit a leadoff homer — hours after throwing 22 pitches of live batting practice in a significant rehab step — but that was all Los Angeles could muster against Kodai Senga (5-3) and three relievers.
A hustling Juan Soto contributed an RBI groundout and a difficult running catch in deep right field to help New York take two of three from the Dodgers after losing to them in six games in last year's National League Championship Series.
Los Angeles committed a season-high four errors, two of which led to all three Mets runs.
Alonso homered in the first off hard-luck loser Landon Knack (2-2), who permitted one earned run and four hits in six innings for the NL West leaders. He struck out five, walked none and set down 11 straight during one stretch.
The slugger connected on the next pitch after third baseman Max Muncy booted a two-out grounder by Soto, who beat a rushed throw to first.
It was the 236th career homer and 10th this season for Alonso, who had gone 16 games and 65 at-bats without a longball — both career worsts.
Senga struck out five and walked four in 5 1/3 innings of five-hit ball. He retired cleanup batter Will Smith on a bases-loaded grounder to end the fifth.
