After getting shutout in both games of yesterday’s double-header against Miami (14-12), the Mets (13-16) got one back behind a gem from Jacob deGrom on Wednesday evening. The ace tied his career high of 14 strikeouts while allowing just one run on two hits, with two walks.

Unfortunately, deGrom would be credited with a no-decision after the Marlins rallied for three against the Mets bullpen to tie it up, 4-4 in the eighth. New York rallied to scrape out a run in the bottom half of the frame with a pair of hits from Robinson Cano and Wilson Ramos to take the final 5-4 lead. 

Diaz blew the save, and Brad Brach got the win closing the last four outs of the evening with a walk and a strikeout. (Box Score)

PITCHING

Jacob deGrom got the start in Queens and was routinely brilliant on the mound. He opened his night issuing a one-out walk to Matt Joyce, but the defense turned a 5-4-3 double play on a ground ball hit by Jesus Aguilar to get the ace out of the first inning. 

Coming into the second with a one-run lead, Jake kicked off the frame with a strikeout but again gave up a one-out walk. He put the next two away. Settling into his groove, deGrom struck out the side in the third- all three Ks swinging. 

With no outs in the fourth, the first Miami hit of the night came on a bloop hit by Matt Joyce that fell between four Mets infielders for a double. Joyce took third on a ground ball by Jesus Aguilar and scored on a subsequent Corey Dickerson groundout to make it 2-1. DeGrom struckout Brian Anderson looking to end the inning. 

New York’s ace allowed a leadoff base hit to Lewin Diaz in the fifth, but retired his next three batters in order. He started his third tour of the Marlins’ batting order in the sixth and struck out the side for the second time of the game-and just the second time this season. Pitching in the seventh inning for the first time this year, deGrom threw a 1-2-3 frame and added two strikeouts to tie his career-high of 14. 

The two-time defending Cy Young winner ended his evening with seven innings pitched, allowing just one run on two hits with two walks and 14 strikeouts. 

With his 14 Ks Wednesday evening, the 32-year-old has now struck out double-digit batters in 43 out of 177 games started in his career for 24% of his starts, per Anthony Dicomo of MLB.com. He also matched this year’s major-league high of strikeouts in an outing, tying Cleveland’s Shane Bieber‘s mark of 14 from his Opening Day start against Kansas City.

Per usual in a deGrom start, things started going downhill when the ace exited the game. Justin Wilson had a shaky outing in relief for the eighth. The lefty gave up back-to-back opposite field base hits to Jorge Alfaro and Jonathan Villar to put two on with no one out, as the Marlins put up a fight. Then, Jon Berti hit a soft liner over McNeil’s head into right field to load the bases with the tying run at first. With right-handed pinch-hitter Lewis Brinson up to bat, Wilson was lifted for Edwin Diaz. He left the game after making just one out and giving up three hits.

Diaz got a strikeout with the bases juiced but gave up a single to Jesus Aguilar to send in another Fish run. He walked Corey Dickerson, who was previously 0-for-5 against the reliever in his career, forcing in another run and cut the Mets lead to 4-3.

Diaz exited with an apparent injury despite fighting to stay on the mound. Rojas said after the game it was a leg cramp. Brad Brach took over with two outs and the bases loaded, with a 2-1 count on Brian Anderson. The right-hander threw two balls to walk in a run, but the walk was charged to Diaz and counted as a blown save. In deGrom’s career night, his chance of earning the win was ruined by implosion in relief.

Brach came back out for the ninth and struck out Jorge Alfaro. He registered a four-pitch walk to Jonathan Villar to put the tying run on was but lucky when the second baseman was picked off stealing second. Getting the final out, Brach earned the win after an inning and 1/3 tossed with a walk and a strikeout.

 

OFFENSE

New York’s offense scored five runs on nine hits while going 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and leaving seven on base Wednesday evening. A recurring theme this season, the Mets have consistently struggled to bring runners home-especially in deGrom starts. They are 2-for-24 with RISP so far in the series against Miami. 

Michael Conforto knocked a one-out base hit to left field on a 3-2 count to get the club’s first base runner of the evening. J.D. Davis followed with a single to put runners on the corners and with two outs, Robinson Cano knocked an RBI ground-rule double to get New York on the board, 1-0 in the first.

McNeil picked up the Mets’ fourth hit with a leadoff single in the second, but was left stranded. Conforto launched a leadoff solo homer to right field for a 2-0 New York lead in the home half of the third. Cano then knocked a two-out base hit to left field, but Alonso went down swinging to end the frame. 

The Mets failed to score in the fourth. They picked up a pair of runs in the fifth, beginning when Brandon Nimmo led off with a solo shot to right field to make it 3-1. Up next, Conforto singled then stole second, and New York had first and third with no one out when Davis struck out swinging but reached on a passed ball by Jorge Alfaro. After a pitching change, Dom Smith grounded out with Conforto scoring on the play as Davis took second. Then with two out, Alonso was intentionally walked for second and third but McNeil lined out to left to strand the pair. 

Wilson Ramos took a leadoff walk in the home half of the sixth. Conforto also walked to begin the bottom of the seventh, but was picked off stealing second base. 

After a bullpen implosion in the top of the eighth that tied the game up, 4-4, Cano sparked a rally with a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning. Pinch-runner Billy Hamilton advanced to second on a McNeil groundout and in desperation, Ramos notched a two-out, go-ahead RBI single into right-field to regain the New York lead. This big hit truly brought home the win for the Metsies. 

Conforto was 2-for-2 with two walks, three runs scored and his fifth home run of the year. Cano went 3-for-4 with a double.

UP NEXT 

The Mets look to even things up with the last of the four-game series against the Marlins tomorrow evening. The Marlins will throw Sixto Sanchez (1-0, 5.40 ERA), and the Mets’ starter has yet to be decided. 

Sanchez’ last outing against the Nationals resulted in a win. He threw five innings and allowed three runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts. The rookie will be making just his second ever major league start against New York on Thursday evening. 

First pitch in Queens will be at 7:10 PM on August 27. The game will be televised by SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880-AM.