Dodgers cruise past Mets

NEW YORK – Clayton Kershaw breezed through six perfectly easy innings against the worst-hitting team in baseball, facing an especially meek Mets lineup that made a no-hitter seem more likely than not.

Not long after the Dodgers’ left-hander realized that he was working on a perfect game to start the seventh inning, it was gone. Kershaw had to settle for a three-hit shutout, leading Los Angeles to a 3-0 victory against New York on Thursday night.

Kershaw (8-6) now has thrown 29 consecutive scoreless innings.