For six-and-change innings, it was the pitching duel of the season.
Rookie of the Year candidate Jacob deGrom had only allowed one base runner, a two-out walk to Brandon Belt, through 6.2 frames. Making just his second start with the Giants since being traded from the Red Sox, Jake Peavy set down the first 19 Mets batters to face him.
deGrom’s bid was tarnished by a Pablo Sandoval fly ball into the left-center gap that evaded a diving Juan Lagares. Despite losing the no-hitter, the Mets phenom rebounded, getting Michael Morse on a ground ball to retire the side.
Peavy wasn’t as lucky. Daniel Murphy spoiled the run at perfection with a one-out opposite field double, quickly followed by a soft liner off the bat of David Wright that fell between Morse and Brandon Crawford to set up a first-and-third situation. After Duda was plunked to load the bases, Travis d’Arnaud sent a fly ball into right that scored Murphy, giving the Mets the 1-0 lead.
Lagares and Wilmer Flores would succeed d’Arnaud with a single and double respectively, accounting for the additional three runs. Peavy went seven innings, allowing four runs on four hits, striking out four while walking none, falling to 0-2 in his Giants career.
deGrom ran into trouble in the top off the eighth, surrendering a leadoff single to Belt and a one-out double from Juan Perez. Pinch-hitter Travis Ishikawa drove the pair in on a sharp grounder up the middle, ending deGrom’s night. Jeurys Familia came on and threw just seven pitched to get the final two outs, ending the threat.
deGrom finished his outing with 7.1 innings pitched, allowing two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out seven. Terry Collins said deGrom’s location was as good as he has seen all year.
“I think we all have got to understand that this kid has got something special in him,” Collins said. “And poise is part of it.”
deGrom has now won five consecutive starts, the first time a Mets rookie has done so since Dillon Gee in 2011.
deGrom has established a rookie franchise record in pitching 66.1 innings without allowing a home run. Mark Bomback held the previous mark (60.1 innings) in 1980.The Cubs’ Travis Wood was the last player to take deGrom deep (June 5 at Chicago).
Bartolo Colon takes the mound Sunday at 1:10 p.m. facing southpaw Madison Bumgarner in game three of four in the Giants series.
