Wednesday night in Los Angeles was difficult for the New York Mets. The evening marked the end a three game sweep of the team by the Los Angeles Dodgers, who claimed the final victory 2-1. The Mets may have boasted a solid performance by pitcher Livan Hernandez, and they may have proven former-outfielder Daniel Murphy a competent first baseman, but their weak offense gave the game to the Dodgers.

Despite having runners in scoring positions, the Mets went 0 for 9 on Wednesday. In four games, the Mets have scored only six runs, leaving them with a dismal total of 3 for 33.

Wednesday’s worst gaffe came in the eighth. Luis Castillo and Carlos Beltran managed leadoff walks and even advanced after a fly by David Wright, but Murphy went out at first and Fernando Tatis grounded after a pinch-hit to end the inning.

To top it off, Jose Reyes aggravated a calf injury during the game. The injury had kept him out of 5 previous games, and he joined Wednesday’s lineup only sporadically. An MRI on Thursday indicated that Reyes suffered from tendonitis, and it is still unclear whether the shortstop will join his teammates against Boston this weekend.

Reyes is not the only teammate whose absence may leave a significant gap in the team’s already lackluster offense. Carlos Delgado, who holds the all-time home run and RBI records among Puerto Rican players, is out for 10 weeks following a hip surgery, while infielder Alex Cora is out indefinitely due to a torn ligament in his right thumb.

Nor do the Mets have any apt replacements.

“We played poorly,” Wright said, “and they played great.”

However, the Mets were not at a complete loss. Hernandez pitched beautifully, giving one run in the first inning but then retiring 12 of 13 batters. He also managed to strike out Juan Pierre with an 87 m.p.h. fastball with Casey Blake and Matt Kemp on base.

At the same time, Murphy bolstered the Mets with strong defense. He snagged everything the Dodgers could throw, and then some; he even caught Rafael Furcal’s fifth inning line ball and finished the double play.

The Mets may have showcased some talent, but the Dodgers had more. The LA team is bringing back fond memories of 1988, when it snagged the World Series. The Dodgers boast an 8 ½ game lead in the National League West, their largest since that fateful year.

The team claims the best record in the MLB, having won four in a row and seven of the last eight and a 17-3 home record. And this without Manny Ramirez, who was suspended after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

The Dodgers have been able to capture first-inning leads in each of the three games against the Mets, pressuring the New York team and leaving Mets coach Jerry Manuel green with envy. The Dodgers’ first two hitters – Pierre and Rafael Furcal – reached with consecutive singles, advanced after a groundout, and Pierre scored after a sacrifice fly by Andre Ethier.

Then in the eighth, Dodgers catcher Russell Martin hit a single against J.J. Putz, bringing Orlando Hudson home for the scoring point.

Manager Joe Torre explained the victory: “We play every inning, and that sounds pretty simple, but it’s not easy to do. We’ve been a patient ballclub and we’ve played well under pressure. That says a lot to me.”

And a lot to everyone else.

The Dodgers will play the Angels on Friday.