LDN - Sports

Lugo pitches Mets past Marlins

[August 31, 2016] NEW YORK -- Just as they would have predicted back in April, the New York Mets are in playoff contention in late August thanks to their starting pitching -- but not the starting pitchers they envisioned.

Rookie right-hander Seth Lugo became the latest unexpected stopper for the Mets on Tuesday night, when he allowed two runs in six solid innings as New York continued its surge toward a wild card spot by beating the Miami Marlins 7-4 at Citi Field.

The Mets (68-64) have won the first two contests of a four-game series against the Marlins to improve to 8-2 in their last 10 games, a stretch in which New York has gone from sixth place in the National League wild card race to third and cut the St. Louis Cardinals' lead from 5 1/2 games to 2 1/2.

The Mets have also gained four games on the Marlins (67-65), who fell out of second place in the NL East on Tuesday for the first time since July 25.

"We need everybody to contribute -- we don't want one or two or three people, we just want the whole team, everybody who comes up here to contribute," said Jose Reyes, who had four hits and two runs scored. "If everybody's capable to do that, I think we're going to be fine."

The Mets have moved into contention with only one member of their projected late-season rotation -- right-hander Noah Syndergaard -- performing up to expectations, or performing at all. Matt Harvey is out for the season following surgery to repair thoracic outlet syndrome, Steven Matz is on the disabled list with a sore shoulder and Zack Wheeler is unlikely to pitch this season because of a slow recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Jacob deGrom had his start Monday skipped because of his recent struggles, but even accounting for his performance last Wednesday (five runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings), the sextet of deGrom, Syndergaard, 43-year-old Bartolo Colon and youngsters Lugo, Rafael Montero and Robert Gsellman has produced a 2.76 ERA in the last 10 games.

Gsellman took the loss in his first major league start Sunday, when he gave up four runs over six innings. Montero made the leap from Double-A Binghamton on Monday and threw five shutout innings in his first start for the Mets since April 2015.

"Our young guys have stepped up," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "The moves we made last year (at the trade deadline) to get our help, we traded a lot of very, very good young pitching away. We're really lucky this organization's stocked (with pitching), because these guys have come up and they've literally saved us with all the injuries we've had to the pitching staff."

Lugo, whom the Mets selected in the 34th round of the 2011 draft, is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts since he joined the rotation Aug. 19. He said the intensity of pitching in a playoff race has helped hasten his transition.

"I think it helps having a little bit of pressure," Lugo said. "It's a little easier when there's something on the line. Gives you focus."

Lugo (2-2) allowed both runs on three hits in the first inning, when Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer, but allowed just four baserunners -- via two hits, a walk and a hit batsman -- the rest of the way. He retired the final eight batters he faced and ended the night with four strikeouts.

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Mets starting pitcher Seth Lugo (67) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets took the lead for good in the bottom of the first, when Reyes led off with a single and scored on Asdrubal Cabrera's two-run homer before Wilmer Flores laced a tie-breaking single.

Curtis Granderson homered pinch-hitting for Lugo leading off the sixth and Alejandro De Aza added a one-out RBI single. Granderson, who remained in the game in right field, hit a two-run homer in the seventh.

The Marlins stirred in the ninth, when J.T. Realmuto hit a solo shot and Dee Gordon delivered an RBI single, before Jeurys Familia recorded the final out for his team record-tying 43rd save.

"We played until the last out today, but today it wasn't enough," said Marlins starting pitcher Tom Koehler, who fell to 9-10 after allowing five runs, 10 hits and three walks while striking out six over five innings.

The Marlins have lost four straight during which they have scored only six runs, and are 2-6 in the last eight games, a span in which they have scored 18.

"We've just got to go out there and basically just keep playing hard, but we can't try to fix it overnight," Koehler said. "It's not going to work that way."

NOTES: The Mets recalled RHP Logan Verrett from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned RHP Rafael Montero to Double-A Binghamton. ... New York LHP Steven Matz (left shoulder stiffness) will not come off the disabled list Thursday as the team hoped. RHP Jacob deGrom will take Matz's spot. ... Marlins LHP Adam Conley (finger) was cleared by doctors to begin throwing. ... Marlins LF Christian Yelich made his first career start in the cleanup spot.

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