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          New York Mets

          Rapid Reaction: Dodgers 7, Mets 2

          • Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff WriterJul 25, 2015, 01:52 AM
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              Adam Rubin has covered the Mets since 2003. He's a graduate of Mepham High School on Long Island and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He joined ESPNNewYork after spending 10 years at the New York Daily News.
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          NEW YORK -- Help is on the way, but will it be enough?

          With the New York Mets poised to acquire Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson from the Atlanta Braves, the Amazins continued to stumble to open the second half of the season.

          Filling in for new father Zack Greinke, unheralded left-hander Ian Thomas held the Mets in check in his first major league start on Friday, and the Los Angeles Dodgers won 7-2.

          An eventful day at Citi Field included:

          • Prospect Michael Conforto going 0-for-3 with an RBI in his major league debut.

          • Jonathon Niese producing his shortest outing of the season after the Mets weighed scratching him, with his wife Leah imminently due to give birth in Toledo, Ohio.

          • Ex-Met Justin Turner producing an RBI double and solo homer in his first two at-bats. Turner, who was non-tendered by the Mets on Dec. 2, 2013, is having a career year with the Dodgers.

          The Mets (49-48) have now lost six of eight games since the All-Star break while facing three straight division leaders.

          Conforto’s stay may be short-lived with the Mets needing to clear roster spots for the additions of Uribe and Johnson. He grounded out sharply to first base against Thomas on the first major league pitch he faced. He then produced a run-scoring groundout with Lucas Duda on third base in the fifth to snap the Mets’ 18-inning scoreless drought. Conforto also grounded out to shortstop against Juan Nicasio in the seventh.

          Niese allowed six runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batter in three innings. He surrendered third-inning homers to Turner and Yasiel Puig and departed for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the frame with the Mets trailing 6-0. Niese had produced a 2.01 ERA over his previous seven starts.

          Thomas allowed one run on three hits in five innings.

          The Mets closed to within 6-2 on Daniel Murphy’s RBI single against reliever Joel Peralta in the sixth, but Duda struck out against Nicasio to end the threat.

          Old nemesis Jimmy Rollins capped the Dodgers’ scoring by homering against the Mets for the second straight day. Rollins connected on a solo shot against Hansel Robles in the eighth. The shortstop has 32 career homers against the Mets. Only his former Philadelphia Phillies teammates Ryan Howard (42) and Chase Utley (35) have more among active players.

          What’s next: Matt Harvey (8-7, 3.19 ERA) pitches for the Mets in the 7:10 p.m. ET game. His opponent remains unannounced. Greinke is due to return from paternity leave to pitch Saturday or Sunday.