After a crippling six-game road trip, the weary winless Mets found comfort in Queens thanks to Jacob deGrom’s seven-inning scoreless, four hit, nine strikeout outing.
Clicking their cleats feeling like there was no place like home, it seemed like to an eternity since a Mets pitcher finally found their way through the seventh unscathed, sporting a three-run lead.
Yet true to form, Terry Collins cast of characters, incapable of doing anything without a dose of drama kept the crowd on the edge of their stadium seats. Degrom, battling a blister, convinced Collins and trainer Ray Ramirez he was fine to continue pitching, then promptly loaded the bases on a double, walk and hit a batsman. But Jose Reyes’ over the shoulder juggling catch, saving at least one run, got deGrom out of a jam, as the righty retired the next batter on a fly ball to end the inning.
The ever-changing batting order put Michael Conforto back in the leadoff spot where he flourished with a first inning single, scoring on a Curtis Granderson ground-rule double, capping off his night with a solo shot in the seventh to extend the lead 3-0.
Rene Rivera continues to give Collins pause to return Travis d’Arnaud as the every day catcher, extending his hitting streak to eleven with an RBI single in the sixth.
And another bright spot for the split personality bullpen that secured a much needed win for their fearless starting pitcher, who restored some faith, albeit for one night, in Flushing.
