Diaz blows 2-run lead, then game is suspended by rain
The Mets were on track to break even for the first time since May 27 when Mother Nature had a different idea that caused the game to be suspended. Rain came down in sheets at Citi Field, turned the infield glassy and conjured up puddles on the warning track. The Mets were leading the Cardinals, 4-2, with three outs remaining in the game when the umpires just about had enough. The tarp rolled out and unfurled in the outfield when Mets players stayed on the field, calling for the final three outs to be played.
The umpires agreed and, moments later, the grounds crew again rolled the tarp back up. Edwin Diaz took the mound for the ninth inning following a brief nineminute rain delay. Diaz walked leadoff batter Marcell Ozuna, but salvaged two more outs as the rain pursued. Kolten Wong lined an RBI single to center field that scored Ozuna and Harrison Bader ripped a double down the left-field line. Amed Rosario couldn’t get a grip on the relay to home that likely would’ve caught Wong at the plate. Instead, the Cardinals tied the game at 4-4.
Thursda was Diaz’s third blown save of the year, and it spoiled a strong tworun outing from ace Jacob deGrom.
After nearly an hour of rain delay, the game was suspended and will be picked up in the bottom of the ninth on Friday at 6:10 p.m. at Citi Field.
DeGrom dominated the Cardinals lineup with eight strikeouts — including a whiff against his final batter of the game in Bader. The reigning Cy Young award winner held St. Louis to two earned runs on six hits (one home run) over seven strong innings and 116 pitches.
DeGrom was at the peak of his frustrated competitiveness when Cardinals leadoff hitter Matt Carpenter lined an infield RBI single that beat the shift to score the game’s first run in the third inning. The grounder to short should have been a routine 6-3 out to end the frame. Instead, Bader scored easily.
The Mets ace flounced into the dugout once the inning was over and aggressively
threw his glove on the floor. Seemingly unsatisfied, deGrom picked his glove back up and threw it against the wall, missing the dugout water cooler by an inch.
Nonetheless, competition fueled deGrom and he dazzled for the remainder of his outing. Besides a solo homer to Met-killer Paul DeJong in the sixth inning, deGrom was largely unhittable with battery partner Wilson Ramos behind the plate. The 30year-old has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his last nine starts and lowered his team-best ERA to 3.38.
LOWRIE ‘NOT CLOSE’
Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen signing Jed Lowrie to become the team’s starting third baseman never really made sense six months ago. It makes even less sense now.
Lowrie continues his glacial recovery from a left knee capsule sprain and left hamstring strain in the Mets minor-league facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla. The 35-year-old infielder sustained the knee injury in the first week of spring training, and the hamstring setback occurred last month while he rehabbed in games with Triple-A Syracuse.
Coming off an All-Star year with the Oakland A’s, Lowrie has yet to make a Major League appearance for the Mets. He signed with the club on a two-year, $20 million deal in January. In his absence, Mets everyday third baseman Todd Frazier is batting .315 with a .947 OPS, 13 RBI, four homers, five doubles and a whole lot of clubhouse leadership over his last 27 games entering Thursday.
Prior to the Mets’ 68th game of the season, a series opener against the Cardinals at Citi Field, Callaway was questioned for an update on the wounded Lowrie. When asked if there is anything new to report on Lowrie’s recovery, Callaway hurriedly said, “No, no.”
“(Lowrie is) not close to being in games yet,” Callaway said.