LOS ANGELES — The Mets ran into a version of Clayton Kershaw reminiscent of the Dodgers ace from a decade ago, and he left them flailing at a big left-handed windmill.
Opportunities were almost nil until the seventh inning Tuesday night, when the Mets received their shot after Mark Canha and Jeff McNeil singled in succession.
Kershaw, almost certainly facing his last batter for the Dodgers, ran the count full to Tommy Pham.
Out came a slider that Pham swung at and missed, ending both Kershaw’s and essentially the Mets’ night.
After one of their best offensive games of the season the previous night, the Mets flatlined in a 5-0 loss at Chavez Ravine that ended their five-game winning streak.
The Mets will still have a shot at the series win on Wednesday in a matinee that features Max Scherzer against Noah Syndergaard.
The 35-year-old Kershaw allowed three hits and struck out nine over his seven shutout innings to earn his 200th career win.
It was a contrast to the Mets’ display on Monday, when they scored eight runs on 14 hits against talented Dustin May and the Dodgers’ bullpen.
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Against that same bullpen on Tuesday, the Mets caught an unfortunate break in the eighth inning: pinch-hitter Brett Baty hit a line drive that Miguel Vargas snagged and turned into a double play with Francisco Alvarez off the bag at first base.
Alvarez was pinch-running for Daniel Vogelbach, who had singled leading off the inning.
Tylor Megill wasn’t his sharpest, but he managed to keep the Mets in the game. Because Carlos Carrasco was placed on the injured list before the game with elbow inflammation, the likelihood is strong the Mets will need to keep Megill and David Peterson in the rotation even once Justin Verlander is ready, possibly in the first week of May.
Megill loaded the bases in the fifth, but on his 96th and final pitch of the night, he retired Luke Williams to keep the Mets’ deficit at three runs.
Overall, the right-hander allowed three earned runs on seven hits and four walks with four strikeouts.
His primary tormentor was J.D. Martinez, who hit two homers that accounted for the three runs against him.
A native of nearby Long Beach, Megill was pitching at Dodger Stadium for the first time in his career. The three runs he allowed were his most in four starts this season.
Martinez launched a two-run homer in the first inning to give the Dodgers an early lead. Freddie Freeman (who homered twice Monday night) singled before Martinez cleared the center-field fence.
And Martinez wasn’t finished: with two outs in the third he homered into the right-field seats, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0.
The multi-homer game was the 19th of Martinez’s career.
Megill allowed two additional runners to reach base in the inning, but with runners on second and third retired Vargas on a hard-hit ball to left field.
The Dodgers scored two insurance runs in the eighth against John Curtiss, who had a second straight rough outing.
The right-hander allowed two hits and a walk.
Included was a run-scoring single to Martinez for his fourth RBI in the game.
The Mets wasted an early opportunity against Kershaw. Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a fly to right that Jason Heyward mishandled into a three-base error.
But Nimmo was left stranded as Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso struck out in succession.
Kershaw didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning, when Lindor got an infield single with one out, but the left-hander quickly retired Alonso and Canha before the Mets could gain any momentum.
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