RAJ & JAKE SAVE METS!
Davis hits 3-run double, deGrom sharp as Mets blank Dodgers
Jacob deGrom’s latest gem kept the right-hander in the NL Cy Young race, and the Mets in the Wild Card race. The Mets ace hurled seven shutout innings with eight
strikeouts against the highest scoring team in the National League. He dueled against Hyun-Jin Ryu, the southpaw with the lowest ERA (2.35) in Major League Baseball. Neither starter had allowed more than three hits, as the Mets and Dodgers were deadlocked.
Ultimately, it was veteran Rajai Davis who broke up the scoreless game and came up clutch for the Mets. With the bases loaded on two outs in the eighth, Davis cleared the bases with a pinch-hit three-run double to the left-field corner off Dodgers right-hander Julio Urias. Manager Mickey Call
away said he chose Davis for that crucial at-bat because he’s a high-ball hitter and Urias likes to throw the ball up. Both of Davis’ pinch-hits this season have driven in three runs. The 38-year-old also hit a three-run homer against the Nationals on May 22.
Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down his third save of the season and secure a 3-0 win over the Dodgers. Seth Lugo got the win after taking the ball from deGrom in the eighth and striking out the side.
The Mets remain three games behind the Cubs for the second Wild Card spot.
“It’s always fun when you can get that big hit,” said Davis, who hopes to get more such opportunities at the plate. “Especially when you can do it at home. You can hear that roar from the crowd. It’s always nice when you hear that roar.”
DeGrom threw 101 pitches on a 72-degree evening in Flushing. He limited the Dodgers potent lineup to three hits and allowed no walks. The 30year-old leads the NL with a 2.09 ERA since May 22. DeGrom is 6-3 in that span over 21 starts with 172 strikeouts. The ace lowered his season ERA to 2.61 after retiring 16 consecutive batters over the course of his seven scoreless frames.
The reigning Cy Young winner has the chance to secure the prestigious pitching award in back-to-back seasons. Following Saturday night’s no-decision, his 13th of the year, deGrom now has 17 starts of 7plus innings pitched this season. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in 15 of those 17 starts.
No one else in the NL has more than 13 such starts, a mark currently held by Ryu.
“I hit a little bit of a wall there in the seventh, but that’s 101 pitches. I feel really good,” deGrom said. “Those are good hitters over there. They battle you. I was kind of going right after them, trying to get them to put the ball in play early on.”
The Met offense was completely disarmed against Ryu. The lefty gave up just two hits all night and retired 13 straight Mets batters from the third to the seventh inning. Ryu matched deGrom with seven shutout innings, striking out six batters across 90 economical pitches. Ryu, along with Max Scherzer and deGrom, remains a contender for the Cy Young award.
“Ryu is having a great year. I had a feeling it was going to be a close game,” deGrom said. “I just wanted to give us a chance to win the game, and we did.”
The Mets needed to prove to the Dodgers on Saturday that they can still play with the best in baseball. Now they have a chance to take the series Sunday night before their final road trip of the season, with three games in Colorado and three in Cincinnati. They close the season with a seven game homestand, four against the Marlins and three against the Braves.