Clayton Kershaw silences Mets as Dodgers earn series split

LOS ANGELES -- Not even Bartolo Colon could slug the New York Mets out of a sizable early deficit against Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.

Kershaw tossed a three-hit shutout and the Dodgers beat the Mets, 5-0, on Thursday to earn a split of the teams' four-game series.

The Mets (21-13) dropped into a tie with the idle Washington Nationals for first place in the National League East.

Colon (3-2) had been unbeaten in five starts since suffering his lone defeat on April 9, but he was tattooed in a four-run first inning. Chase Utley, Corey Seager and Justin Turner opened the frame with consecutive singles, and Yasmani Grandal contributed a three-run homer. Utley (3-for-4) tacked on a solo…