GSELL’ NO, NOT AGAIN
YOUNG RIGHTY LATEST STARTER INJURED AS METS FALL IN MIAMI
MIAMI — Drumroll, please, as the name of the latest injured Mets starting pitcher is revealed.
Robert Gsellman joined the parade Tuesday night, finishing lame in a sprint to first base, only adding to the sting of the Mets’ 6-3 loss to the Marlins that snapped a three-game winning streak.
The right-hander, who was attempting to beat out a grounder in the fourth inning, departed the game with a strained left hamstring, further depleting a rotation that already has Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler on the disabled list.
“We’re dropping like flies and I wanted to stay out there and compete and give the team a chance to win,” Gsellman said. “Unfortunately I had to come out.”
And then the Mets went about flushing a ballgame, as their bullpen — with an assist from some suspect defense — surrendered three runs in the seventh inning. The loss was the Mets’ fourth straight at Marlins Park, and dropped manager Terry Collins’ crew to 3-5 on this road trip.
Gsellman was attempting to beat Dan Straily’s throw to first on a comebacker off the pitcher’s glove when he took an awkward stride. Gsellman was called out at first base and then exited the field with trainer Ray Ramirez.
“Just another frustrating night as far as injuries go,” Collins said.
With Gsellman sidelined, Jacob deGrom will become the only starting pitcher among the team’s top seven to have avoided the DL this season.
“If it was a common occurrence, if it was leg injuries then we need to examine it,” Collins said. “But when you have the variety of injuries we’ve had, a lat, a scapula, a hamstring, a partial tear in the ligament, loose pediments, there is no one description. It’s just a little frustrating at times to continue to see them go down.”
Gsellman (5-6) allowed three earned runs on five hits over three innings for a third straight sluggish start. Rafael Montero will take that spot in the rotation, assuming Montero is no longer needed to replace Wheeler. The Mets are hopeful the right-hander Wheeler will be removed from the DL on Saturday to pitch against the Phillies. Otherwise, the Mets would likely need rookie Tyler Pill from Triple-A Las Vegas.
Neil Ramirez and Jerry Blevins combined to allow three runs in the seventh, sinking the Mets in a 6-3 hole, with the defense culpable.
After JT Riddle slapped a grounder off Lucas Duda’s glove — generously ruled a single — Ichiro Suzuki hit a grounder to third, on which Wilmer Flores stepped away from the ball. The RBI single gave the Marlins a 4-3 lead.
“I just had a bad read on it,” Flores said.
Christian Yelich’s two-run single later in the inning provided the Marlins with a cushion.
Paul Sewald kept the Mets in the game with three innings of shutout relief after entering in the fourth. It was a third straight appearance for Sewald in which he did not allow a run after the Dodgers hammered him last Thursday.
Travis d’Arnaud homered in the seventh to tie it, after delivering an RBI single in the fourth that sliced the Marlins’ lead to 3-2. Duda continued a hot road trip with a double before Jose Reyes drew a two-out walk and d’Arnaud delivered. But the rally died with Gsellman’s innocent grounder off Straily’s glove that was retrieved by the pitcher.
Gsellman had a brutal first inning, in which he allowed four hits to put the Mets in a 3-1 hole. Justin Bour’s two-run single was the big hit, before Martin Prado delivered an RBI double.
Curtis Granderson hit the second pitch of the game off the right-field foul pole for his 11th homer of the season. The homer was the fourth of the road trip for Granderson.