Mets Secure Series Win With 4-2 Victory Over Marlins
Jacob deGrom appeared human on Sunday, but that was probably due to an afflicted middle finger (we know that story, don’t we, Mr. Met). Immortals aside, the New York Mets beat a team they had to beat in the Miami Marlins, securing a much-needed series win with their 4-2 victory at Citi Field (box score).
The Andres Gimenez show trudged on, as the 21-year-old infielder went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Jeff McNeil added two RBIs (without a base hit, no less), and Brandon Nimmo welcomed himself back to the lineup with an RBI single of his own.
The Mets’ bullpen pitched four scoreless innings after deGrom’s five innings of two-run ball to lock down the win.
Pitching
DeGrom wasn’t quite himself on Sunday — especially not day-game deGrom — but he was still as oppressing as ever for opposing hitters.
Aside from a control-plagued but damage-free second inning (an apparent blister on his right middle finger could have been the culprit) and a ball left a little too far over the heart of the plate to Jesus Aguilar in the fifth, cutting the Mets’ lead to 3-2, deGrom was solid, allowing two earned runs over five innings of work (98 pitches, 65 strikes) with six strikeouts and two walks.
Jared Hughes took the hill in the sixth, working around an Alvarez base hit (advanced to second on Nido passed ball) with a strikeout of Villar to end the inning and to register his fourth scoreless appearance in four outings this season.
Dellin Betances navigated around a leadoff walk to Berti, getting Dickerson to fly out and drawing a Davis-incited 5-4-3 double play from Aguilar to keep the Mets ahead, 4-2.
Edwin Diaz struck out Anderson and Joyce to start the eighth before Ryan Lavarnway singled and Alvarez doubled to bring the lead run to the plate, but the embattled righty fought back to strike out Monte Harrison on a high-zone 99 MPH heater.
Seth Lugo got the nod in the ninth and got the job done, placing the golden sombrero on Villar and erasing a walk to Berti with a 6-6-3 double-play ball to end the game.
Offense
Marlins right-hander Pablo Lopez retired the Mets in order in the first and J.D. Davis walked with one out in the second but New York was otherwise stifled again. Thankfully, the slow start was short-lived.
Andres Gimenez continued his hot streak, notching the Mets’ first hit of the game leading off the third and stole second (his third swiped bag of the year) and Tomas Nido — spelling Wilson Ramos behind the plate on Sunday — and Brandon Nimmo — back in centerfield after a night off — walked behind him to load the bases with none out.
Jeff McNeil‘s RBI groundout put the Mets ahead 1-0 and, after an Alonso strikeout, Michael Conforto‘s flare into shallow left field dropped out of a sliding Dickerson’s glove to score Nido and stake the Mets to a 2-0 lead.
Gimenez added a double in the fourth — his first major-league two-base hit — and came home on Nimmo’s first-pitch opposite-field RBI single to make it a 3-0 game.
Conforto singled with one out in the fifth and Davis shot a base hit into right field, moving Conforto to third and getting things cooking for New York, but Conforto was cut down attempting to score on Smith’s dribbler in front of the plate and Amed Rosario struck out to end the threat.
Gimenez notched his third hit of the game on a perfectly executed drag bunt down the first-base line leading off the sixth, Nido singled, and Nimmo was hit by a pitch to bring McNeil up with the bases loaded and none out again.
McNeil’s sacrifice fly scored Gimenez, but Alonso’s 6-4-3 double play ended a big opportunity with only one run to show for it; 4-2, Mets.
Dom Smith doubled off the glove of Matt Joyce with two outs in the seventh but Rosario struck out again to leave him stranded. His batting average is down to .226 on the season.
On Deck
The Mets send Steven Matz (0-2, 5.65 ERA) to the hill to take on fellow left-hander Patrick Corbin (1-0, 3.00 ERA) for the first of four games with the Washington Nationals.
The game will be televised on SNY and broadcast on WCBS 880 AM.