LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — In a stark Monday night contrast between a reigning dynasty and a reeling contender, Justin Wrobleski delivered a masterful performance on the mound and Andy Pages provided the decisive blow at the plate as the Los Angeles Dodgers shut out the New York Mets 4-0 at Dodger Stadium.

A crowd of 52,838 watched the two-time defending World Series champions methodically dispatch the Mets, extending their early-season mastery and deepening New York’s despair. The Dodgers improved to 12-4, maintaining their grip on the National League West, while the Mets fell to 7-10 with their sixth consecutive defeat, having been blanked for the fourth time already this young season.

The story of the game was written in the first three innings and then etched in stone by Wrobleski’s brilliance. The Dodgers struck quickly against Mets left-hander David Peterson in the bottom of the first. Shohei Ohtani was hit by a pitch, Kyle Tucker worked a walk, and Will Smith drove an RBI single through the infield to score Ohtani for an early 1-0 lead. Peterson limited further damage by striking out Freddie Freeman, Andy Pages and Max Muncy in succession to strand the bases loaded.

That escape proved temporary. In the third, Peterson’s command wavered again, issuing walks to Tucker and Teoscar Hernández around a sharp lineout from Smith. Freeman then grounded into a fielder’s choice, leaving runners at the corners with two outs for Pages. The Dodgers’ center fielder did not miss his opportunity, launching a towering three-run homer, his fifth of the season, over the left-field wall to break the game open at 4-0.

That swing constituted the most important sequence of the contest, transforming a tense, one-run duel into a comfortable lead and providing Wrobleski with all the support he would require. The 25-year-old left-hander was in complete command, carving through a listless Mets lineup with efficiency and poise. He set a new career high with eight innings pitched, allowing just two singles while striking out two and walking none. He faced only three batters over the minimum, inducing weak contact and benefiting from two double plays turned behind him.

The Mets, conversely, offered no resistance. Their three hits—singles by Jorge Polanco in the fifth, Francisco Alvarez in the eighth and Marcus Semien in the ninth—were isolated and instantly neutralized. Polanco was erased on a 4-6-3 double play in the fifth, and the Mets grounded into another twin killing in the ninth when Francisco Lindor bounced into a 5-4-3 game-ender. New York never advanced a runner past first base.

Peterson took the loss, falling to 0-3. He lasted five innings, yielding four runs on five hits with seven strikeouts, but was undone by the three walks that directly preceded Pages’ homer. Mets relievers Joey Gerber and Craig Kimbrel provided scoreless work, with Gerber striking out five over two innings, but the offense remained dormant.

For the Dodgers, the victory was a balanced effort. Miguel Rojas continued his hot hitting with a 3-for-4 night, including a double. Freeman added two hits, including a double, and Smith contributed the first-inning RBI single. Tanner Scott worked a perfect ninth inning in a non-save situation to seal the win.

The result defied the pregame projections from Interstat, which had forecast a higher-scoring affair with a 7-3 Dodgers victory and set the over/under at 8.5 runs. The Dodgers, installed as 1.5-run favorites, covered the spread with ease, while the combined four runs fell well under the total. Los Angeles’ win probability, estimated at 67.8% by the ELO system, proved conservative.

The loss extends a brutal stretch for the Mets, who have now been outscored 23-1 over their last three games, including a weekend sweep by Oakland. They will look to halt their skid Tuesday night in the second game of this series. The Dodgers, winners of eight of their last 10, will aim to continue their dominant early-season form, which has them positioned once again as the team to beat in the National League.