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Santana Throws Masterpiece, Mets Blank Dodgers 5-0

LOS ANGELES (WFAN/AP) — Johan Santana scattered three hits over eight innings, Ike Davis hit a three-run homer, and the New York Mets handed the Los Angeles Dodgers their season-worst seventh straight loss with a 5-0 victory Saturday.

In his fifth start since pitching the first no-hitter in Mets history on June 1 against St. Louis, Santana (6-4) did not give up a hit between Dee Gordon's leadoff single in the first inning and Scott Van Slyke's leadoff single in the eighth. Tony Gwynn Jr. singled two batters later and both runners advanced on Adam Kennedy's ground-out. Gordon grounded out to third.

Santana continued his hot June as he threw 107 pitches, and struck out three and walked two. The two-time AL Cy Young winner and four-time All-Star, who missed all of last season while recovering from shoulder surgery in September 2010, finished June 4-2 with a 2.77 ERA in six starts.

The Dodgers were shut out for the fifth time in six games — including all three at San Francisco — and have produced only two runs in their last 57 innings.

Losing pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (0-5) gave up five runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings for the Dodgers, who are in a 1-11 free-fall. They have gone from five games ahead in the NL West to a game behind the Giants. At one point, Los Angeles led by as many as 7½ games on May 27.

Santana is 5-0 with a 0.50 ERA in five career starts against the Dodgers, who were again missing Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier and Mark Ellis. They haven't led at any point of a game since June 24 at Angel Stadium, when they had a 2-0 advantage in the top of the second inning and saw Aaron Harang give up two runs in the bottom half.

The 22-year-old Eovaldi has pitched 41 innings in his seven starts this season, and his teammates have totaled just three runs while he's been in the game — giving him the lowest run support in the majors.

Daniel Murphy's sacrifice fly in the second inning drove in Davis with the first run after he led off with a double.

The Mets used the same formula to account for their second run — a lead-off double by Murphy and a scoring flyball by Josh Thole. Davis made it 5-0 in the sixth, chasing Eovaldi with his 11th homer, a towering drive to center field one pitch after an intentional walk to David Wright with Andres Torres at third base.

NOTES: In every one of Santana's five starts since his no-hitter, he allowed a hit before recording his fourth out of the game. He gave up a two-run homer to the Yankees' Robinson Cano in the second inning, a two-run double in the second by Tampa Bay's Matt Joyce, a second-inning double by Baltimore's Matt Wieters, and a first-inning single by the Cubs' Alfonso Soriano.

Murphy has 10 RBIs in four games, equaling the total he had in his previous 25 games and 96 at-bats. ... The Dodgers have been on the losing end in all seven of Eovaldi's starts, scoring no more than two runs in six of them.

Saturday was the 50th anniversary of the first of Sandy Koufax's four career no-hitters, a 5-0 victory over the Mets at Dodger Stadium. ... Torres, the Mets' stolen base leader, was picked off first base in the third inning by catcher A.J. Ellis ... The Dodgers signed 18-year-old SS Corey Seager, the 18th overall pick in the draft and the brother of Seattle Mariners 3B Kyle Seager. He took batting practice with manager Don Mattingly pitching to him, received a tour of Dodger Stadium and was introduced to the crowd before the start of the game.

Can the Mets keep it up?  Share your thoughts below...

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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