Bullpen drops the ball again
PHILADELPHIA » Jacob deGrom exited early from a rare rough outing because of a right hamstring spasm, but the New York Mets overcame a four-run deficit and rallied past the Phillies 5-4 on Thursday night.
Phillies reliever Hector Neris (2-2) dropped the ball on the mound for a balk that moved the goahead run to second base in the ninth inning. Mets rookie Andres Gimenez hit an RBI single to put New York ahead.
The 32-year-old deGrom (4-2) had a surprisingly difficult two innings that pointed toward an apparent injury and could derail his bid for a third straight NL Cy Young Award.
He allowed three earned runs in a start for the first time this season, pushing his ERA back over 2.00 at 2.09. The right-hander, who struck out 12 Phillies on Sept. 6, was pulled after only 40 pitches and one strikeout.
He appeared to spike a water bottle in frustration in the dugout after a brief chat with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and trainer Brian Chicklo.
Hefner visited deGrom on the mound in the second inning when he allowed all his runs, but there was no immediate indication when he was injured. Michael Wacha replaced deGrom in the third with New York trailing 3-0.
But the Mets became the latest team to strike against the beleaguered bullpen.
J.D. Davis tied it 4-all in the eighth off Adam Morgan on an RBI double off the wall on a misplayed ball by Adam Haseley in right field that took deGrom off the hook. The Phillies blew a save for the 11th time this season.
Miguel Castro (2-1) struck out the final two batters of the eighth and left two runners stranded to earn the win. Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for his fourth save.
The Phillies blew one they needed as they chase their first NL playoff berth since 2011. They hit deGrom uncharacteristically hard in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Andrew Knapp knocked an RBI double to right, Haseley hit a sacrifice fly and Andrew McCutchen’s fielder’s choice capped the scoring against deGrom.
DeGrom had been 8-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 16 career
Phillies starts vs. Philadelphia. He failed to record a strikeout on his first time through a team’s batting order for the first time in 103 starts.
Wacha allowed Jean Segura’s sixth homer in the fourth to make it 4-0.
Zack Wheeler seemed poised to cruise toward his third win of the season against his former team. Like deGrom, Wheeler was bothered by an injury — though one more gross than severe. Wheeler missed his last start after he ripped the fingernail of his right middle finger when he tripped putting on a pair of jeans.
The Mets got a run in the fourth and Davis hit a two-run homer off Wheeler in the sixth to make it 4-3. Wheeler gave up three runs and seven hits in 7.1 innings. He struck out two.
TRAINER’S ROOM