Mets rookie deGrom ties K mark; Marlins win 6-5
NEW YORK (AP) -- Jacob deGrom struck out his first eight batters to match a major league record before the Miami Marlins finally started making contact Monday night and rallied late for a 6-5 victory over the New York Mets.
Adeiny Hechavarria hit a two-run single and Jeff Mathis put Miami in front with an RBI single that capped a three-run eighth inning. But with both teams under .500 with two weeks left in the season, it was deGrom who provided the excitement early on.
On a night when New York's goofy mascot, Mr. Met, wore a shaggy wig to mimic deGrom, the rookie finished with 13 strikeouts in seven innings. He whiffed eight consecutive Marlins to begin the game, tying a mark set by Jim Deshaies of the Houston Astros against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sept. 23, 1986.
Deshaies and deGrom are the only pitchers to accomplish the feat since 1900.
Now a Chicago Cubs broadcaster, Deshaies noted the occasion on Twitter: "Congratulations to Jacob Degrom for tying one of the most hallowed records in all of sport," he posted.
A top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, deGrom equaled the record by freezing Mathis with a 95 mph fastball for a called third strike. The right-hander then gave up a sharp single to opposing pitcher Jarred Cosart on a 1-0 pitch.
As deGrom quickly piled up Ks, the Citi Field crowd of 23,027 began clapping whenever he got two strikes on a hitter. He received a warm ovation following Cosart's base hit.
Despite squandering a two-run lead, deGrom was in line to win before Miami scored three runs in the eighth against New York's best relievers.
Casey McGehee got the comeback started with a one-out single and Hechavarria tied it 5-all with a two-run single off rookie Jeurys Familia (2-5), a reliable setup man all season. Familia gave up four straight hits before Mathis put the Marlins ahead with a two-out RBI single off closer Jenrry Mejia.
With the bases loaded, Sam Dyson (3-1) threw a called third strike past Dilson Herrera to end the seventh. Chris Hatcher struck out two in a perfect eighth and Steve Cishek closed for his 36th save in 40 chances.
An error by McGehee at third base helped the Mets take a 5-3 lead with three unearned runs in the seventh. Daniel Murphy tied it with an RBI single, Travis d'Arnaud broke his bat on a go-ahead double and reliever A.J. Ramos walked three consecutive batters to force in a run.
Mets manager Terry Collins and trainer Ray Ramirez went to the mound after Justin Bour's leadoff single in the seventh got a piece of deGrom's right foot. The right-hander appeared to be fine, but all of a sudden the Marlins solved him.
Hechavarria doubled and ex-Met Jordany Valdespin looped a two-run single that tied it 2-all. Valdespin scored on a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Reed Johnson.
Dating back to Aug. 23, deGrom had gone 28 innings without allowing an earned run.
Wilmer Flores hit a two-run double in the first off Cosart, who wasn't happy with himself. With a towel wrapped around his left hand, the right-hander threw jabs at a pair of water coolers in the dugout.
Cosart lasted six innings and did not permit another run.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton, seriously injured last Thursday when he was struck square in the face by a pitch, has some appointments with doctors on Tuesday. After that, manager Mike Redmond said, he should know more about whether it's even possible the slugger could return this season. ... Valdespin became the fourth player to start in right field for Miami in four games since Stanton was hurt. Ed Lucas, Garrett Jones and Reed Johnson were the others.
Mets: RHP Vic Black was examined by a doctor and has a mild rotator cuff strain, general manager Sandy Alderson said. The reliever will rest for the next five or six days before he tries to throw again. It's conceivable Black won't pitch again this season, Alderson said, but the Mets are not shutting him down just yet. ... LF Matt den Dekker made his first start since he was hit by a pitch on his left hand last Tuesday.
UP NEXT
Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-11, 4.29 ERA) starts the middle game of the series Tuesday night against Bartolo Colon (13-12, 4.14), who was ejected from his most recent outing, a 6-2 loss to Washington last Thursday.
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