Dodgers 6, Mets 2: Dan Haren allowed three hits over seven innings of one-run ball and Matt Kemp had two RBIs as Los Angeles cruised past visiting New York in the opener of a three-game series.

Dee Gordon went 3-for-5 with a run scored for the Dodgers, who remained 3 1/2 games ahead of San Francisco in the National League West. Haren (11-10) bounced back from his shortest outing of the season by striking out six with no walks on 89 pitches.

Curtis Granderson snapped a 94 at-bat homerless drought with a blast into the right-field bullpen to begin the game, but the Mets wouldn't score again until the ninth. Jonathon Niese (7-9) yielded five runs (two earned) over 6 2/3 innings for New York, which committed three errors and lost for the 12th time in its last 14 games against the Dodgers.

Haren struck out the side in the third inning and the Dodgers pulled even in the bottom half as Erisbel Arruebarrena singled and later scored from second on Gordon’s base hit down the third-base line. Los Angeles moved ahead 2-1 in the fifth on Haren’s RBI single following a botched suicide squeeze.

Niese nearly escaped a jam in the seventh after Gordon tripled with two outs and Yasiel Puig walked, but one runner scored when shortstop Wilmer Flores committed a throwing error on Adrian Gonzalez’s routine grounder. Kemp followed with a two-run double off Carlos Torres and the Dodgers added a run in the eighth on Ellis’ RBI double.

GAME NOTEBOOK: New York RHP Rafael Montero made his first career relief appearance in the eighth inning and allowed one run. … Dodgers 3B Justin Turner went 2-for-3 and is batting .380 in 18 games this month. … The Mets activated RHP Bartolo Colon from the bereavement list and optioned RHP Gonzalez Germen to Triple-A Las Vegas.