MIAMI — Despite all the volatility that has plagued Jacob deGrom this season, he has pitched like an ace. So, the Mets exuded confidence Saturday, even with deGrom matched up against the Marlins’ Jose Fernandez, who has been almost impossible to beat in his own home park.
But it wouldn’t be long until it was clear that deGrom’s roller coaster of a season had taken another dip. In a 7-2 loss to the Marlins, the Mets’ talented righthander followed one of the best starts of his career with one of his worst.
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The lowlights included a pair of hits by his counterpart and a monstrous two-run homer by Giancarlo Stanton, whose third inning blast traveled an estimated 441 feet and off the videoboard that stands behind the leftfield foul pole.
In the fourth, when Stanton singled for his third hit of the night, Terry Collins had seen enough. After taking the rare step of visiting the mound himself when deGrom was under duress earlier in the game, the manager cut short his pitcher’s night.
DeGrom lasted 3 2⁄3 innings, the second-shortest start of his career, with the Mets trailing 4-2. He’d be charged with five runs and 10 hits, both season highs.
With the loss, the Mets (51-45) trail the Marlins by 1 1⁄2 games for the second wild-card spot. They will have one more shot to gain ground in Sunday’s series finale before beginning a three-game set against the Cardinals, which is a half-game ahead of the Mets in the wild-card standings.
DeGrom entered the game with a 2.38 ERA, fourth in the National League. He had settled down despite velocity that improved very slowly as the season progressed, perhaps a residual effect from the workload he carried last season as he helped the Mets to the pennant.
The Mets hoped that deGrom had moved past those concerns. In his three previous July starts, he was 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA, capping off that stretch with a one-hitter against the Phillies on Sunday. In his first career complete game and shutout, deGrom’s fastball hummed in the mid-to-high 90s, just as it was last season.
But against the Marlins, deGrom took a step backward. Just as earlier in the season, his fastballs lacked their typical zip, crossing the plate in the 91-94 mph range. The Marlins would pounce.
The Mets led 2-1 in the third on an RBI single by Yoenis Cespedes and a sacrifice fly by James Loney, the only damage they’d do to Fernandez.
Stanton’s mammoth two-run shot off deGrom’s hanging curveball in the third gave the Marlins the lead for good. And even when the Mets encountered chances to sway the outcome, they failed to capitalize.
In the fifth, with the Mets down 5-2, Asdrubal Cabrera struck out to leave the bases loaded. It was the second time he failed to deliver a hit with runners in scoring position, keeping him hitless in his last 31 at-bats in those situations.
Fernandez cruised from that point, holding the Mets to two runs and seven hits in seven innings. On his 110th and final pitch, he blew a 97-mph fastball past Cespedes, his seventh strikeout of the night. He walked off the field to a rousing ovation.
Fernandez improved to 26-1 lifetime at Marlins Park, where his ERA is 1.47.
Meanwhile, the Mets found themselves suffering for a lack of offensive production. Kelly Johnson flied out to leave the bases loaded in the eighth, stunting a chance at a late rally. Second baseman Neil Walker went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts, dropping him to 4-for-45 since July 4.
..... - Newsday