Dodgers push winning streak to six with 4-2 victory over Mets

The scoreboard must be a depressing place for the Arizona Diamondbacks these days. Every time they look at it, it must seem the Dodgers are winning.

Because clearly, that is all the Dodgers do these days. Win against the weak and strong, against the renowned and the relative unknown, with dramatics or simple precision.

Naturally they won again Monday night, looking sluggish in the early going and then rallying for a 4-2 victory over the New York Mets that pushed their winning streak to six consecutive games.

BOX SCORE: Dodgers 4, Mets 2

This one seemed almost routine, but the Dodgers are 38-8 (corrected) in their last 46 games, quickly turning what once was a 9½-game deficit to the Diamondbacks into a 7½-game lead.

The Dodgers looked ripe to be taken early Monday with the Mets putting together four consecutive hits to open the second inning against Ricky Nolasco and taking a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, right-hander Jenrry Mejia was dominating a Dodgers team that had averaged 7.6 runs per game in its last five games.

Mejia, 23, held the Dodgers scoreless and to three singles through five innings. And when the Dodgers finally broke through against him, it wasn’t like they were smacking the ball all over the field.

The Dodgers opened the sixth inning with three consecutive hits, two going off the glove of second baseman Daniel Murphy and one beyond the reach of shortstop Omar Quintanilla.

Adrian Gonzalez provided the third single to dirve in one run, but center fielder Juan Lagares’ throw went wild for an error, allowing Mark Ellis to also score and Gonzalez to advance to third base. Yasiel Puig lifted a fly deep enough to left field to drive in the less-than-fleet Gonzalez from third.

Nick Punto made it a 4-2 lead in the seventh inning with a home run against Carlos Torres. It’s the first time since 2008 that Punto has hit more than one home run in a season.

Monday marked the first time in six starts that Nolasco (9-9) pitched into the sixth inning. He got into trouble in the seventh but was bailed out by the bullpen and the speed of Puig.

After giving up a one-out hit and a walk, Nolasco was relieved by Ronald Belisario. Eric Young hit a dribbler in front of the mound that Belisario fielded but threw wide of first base. Gonzalez caught the throw but it left the bases loaded.

Belisario struck out Lagares and Paco Rodriguez was brought in to face the left-handed-hitting Murphy, who sent a liner into the right-center field gap that Puig flagged down.

Kenley Jansen pitched the last 1 1/3 innings to earn his 18th save. The Dodgers’ bullpen has pitched 16 consecutive scoreless innings.