LDN - Sports

DeGrom wins 7th straight start as Mets top Cards

[July 20, 2017] NEW YORK -- Once every five games, for seven innings or so, Jacob deGrom steps to the mound and provides the New York Mets a respite from the chaos and unpredictability that has otherwise enveloped the club.

DeGrom won his seventh consecutive start Wednesday night when he tossed 6 2/3 solid innings as the Mets beat the St Louis Cardinals 7-3 at Citi Field.

"When he's out there, man, it's all business," Mets manager Terry Collins said.

DeGrom (11-3) has been the brightest spot in a lost season for the Mets, who expected to contend for the National League pennant behind a young pitching staff filled with fireballers.

Instead, the Mets (42-50) rank next to last in the National League in ERA and have employed 11 starters -- seven of whom have spent time on the disabled list. New York entered Wednesday 15 games out of first place in the NL East, and they are 11 off the pace for the second NL wild card.

Things would likely be far worse without deGrom, who has a 1.51 ERA with 50 strikeouts and 10 walks in 53 2/3 innings in his past seven starts dating to June 12. Overall this season, New York is 13-6 in deGrom's starts, 29-44 whenever anyone else takes the mound.

"I honestly don't think that much (about) it," deGrom said. "I go out there when it's my day to pitch and try to put up zeros and keep us in the game and give these guys a chance to win."

DeGrom was particularly impressive early Wednesday night, when he needed 25 pitches to escape a scoreless first. The Mets scored three runs in the bottom of the inning against Cardinals starter Mike Leake on run-scoring hits by Yoenis Cespedes (single), Lucas Duda (double) and Wilmer Flores (single), after which deGrom threw just 10 pitches in a perfect second.

"We really needed it after the first inning, to come back out and shut them down so fast and get us back in the dugout," Collins said. "Always keeps the offense going. I thought that had something to do with us scoring some runs in the second inning again."

The Mets extended their lead to 7-0 in the second when Jay Bruce delivered an RBI single, Cespedes laced a run-scoring double and Jose Reyes hit a two-run single.

DeGrom allowed only one runner into scoring position in the next four innings and appeared to strand a runner at first with two outs in the seventh when plate umpire David Rackley ruled Luke Voit swung at strike three.

However, after deGrom and the Mets began walking off the field, first base umpire Joe West overturned the call, saying Voit fouled the pitch off. Voit laced an RBI double to left four pitches later to end deGrom's night one out shy of completing seven innings for the seventh straight start.

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Cardinals left fielder Tommy Pham (28) steps to first on an infield single as New York Mets first baseman Lucas Duda (21) is late with the tag during the fifth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

"A little frustrating," deGrom said with a grin. "I told (catcher) Travis (d'Arnaud) 'Throw that ball in the stands!'"

DeGrom allowed one run, seven hits and one walk while striking out three. He has given up one run or fewer 43 times in 95 career starts, which ties him with former Mets ace Dwight Gooden for the most such starts to open a career since 1900.

"We knew, when he first got here, he (was) going to be a good pitcher for a long time," Collins said.

The Cardinals put five runners on base and pulled within 7-3 in the eighth on Magneuris Sierra's third hit, a two-run single. However, Addison Reed entered with two outs and the bases loaded and pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for his 16th save.

Asdrubal Cabrera had three hits for the Mets, and Cespedes, Reyes and d'Arnaud all had two hits apiece.

Kolten Wong had two hits for the Cardinals (46-48), who were trying to reach .500 for the first time since June 2.

Leake (6-8) was charged with all seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits and one walk while striking out none in two innings -- his third-shortest stint in 221 big league starts.

"I really couldn't get going," Leake said.

A quartet of relievers combined to limit the Mets to three hits the rest of the way. Rookie John Brebbia led the way with three innings of one-hit ball.

"He was terrific -- the whole bullpen was great," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "We needed somebody to come in and pitch a few for us."

NOTES: Mets 2B Neil Walker (left hamstring) ran and took batting practice and is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday. ... Mets RHPs Matt Harvey (shoulder) and Noah Syndergaard (lat) each threw for the second time this week. ... Cardinals OF Randal Grichuk (back) began a rehab assignment with Double-A Springfield, going 1-for-4 with a three-run homer. ... Cardinals 1B Matt Carpenter, who reached base safely in his previous 21 games, went 0-for-2 before being pulled in the fourth inning.

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