TRY THIS ON FOR CY
de GROM BOOSTS AWARD CHANCES AS METS WIN LATE ON NIMMO BLAST
LOS ANGELES — If the Cubs and Dodgers reach the postseason again, Jacob deGrom’s past week will look even better.
Both teams are in strong position, but might not be sitting as pretty as deGrom, whose NL Cy Young award candidacy continues to boom.
Monday night the Mets ace manhandled the Dodgers over six innings, but — surprise, surprise — was stuck with a no-decision after his lineup failed to produce early in a 4-2 victory in front of 45,206 at Chavez Ravine.
Brandon Nimmo blasted a three-run, pinch-hit homer in the ninth against Kenta Maeda, as the Mets ended a 12-game losing streak against the Dodgers that dated to May 28, 2016. A night earlier at Citi Field, David Wright had homered against the Dodgers — the last major league game played by the Mets captain as he attempts a comeback — as part of the victory.
DeGrom exited after six innings in which he allowed one earned run on two hits with six strikeouts and one walk. He entered with a major league leading 1.68 ERA and left with that number unchanged, throwing 109 pitches.
The right-hander set a major league record (since 1913) with a 25th straight start in the same season of allowing three runs or fewer.
In addition, deGrom’s performance was a 20th straight quality start (six innings, three earned runs or fewer), tying a franchise record set by Tom Seaver in 1973.
“Any time you are mentioned with players like that it is nice to hear,” deGrom said. “It’s an honor. We love playing this game and that is how I take the mound. I just want to go out there, give it my best and put this team in a position to win.”
In his previous start, against a dangerous Cubs lineup, deGrom pitched eight innings and allowed one run. His chances of working into the seventh on Monday were hampered by Todd Frazier and Amed Rosario fielding errors that extended the fifth and sixth innings, respectively.
The Phillies’ Aaron Nola, who is battling deGrom in the Cy Young race, allowed four earned runs over 5 2/3 innings against the Cubs on Sunday and saw his ERA jump from 2.10 to 2.23.
Another strong Cy Young candidate, the Nationals’ Max Scherzer, allowed three earned runs over seven innings against the Cardinals on Monday and increased his ERA from 2.22 to 2.28.
“The way [deGrom] has pitched and kept runs from scoring and pitching deep into every game tells the tale,” manager Mickey Callaway said. “He has been the best pitcher in all of baseball.”
DeGrom again produced offensively, with an RBI single in the fifth that tied it 1-1 against Alex Wood. In his previous start, deGrom knocked in the Mets’ only run against the Cubs with a single. DeGrom’s latest RBI came during an inning Devin Mesoraco singled and then was removed from the game with neck and back stiffness. He will be evaluated Tuesday.
Justin Turner continued to torment his former team, blasting a solo homer in the first inning that put deGrom in a fast 1-0 hole. Turner entered with a career .936 OPS against the Mets, who non-tendered him following the 2013 season.
“That home run to Turner I was trying to go [inside],” deGrom said. “That whole first inning I was kind of yanking the ball, so I left that one over the middle, so I was conscious of that and after that just tried to focus on the glove and hit my spots.”