Eovaldi dominates Mets

New York — The weather was nearly perfect and so was Nathan Eovaldi.

The right-hander retired his first 18 batters, C.J. Cron hit an early three-run homer and the Tampa Bay Rays routed the New York Mets 9-0 on Sunday.

"The fastball location was really there, and the cutter," Eovaldi said. "Those two pitches I really felt like I located probably the best I could have."

Eovaldi took a perfect game into the seventh before Brandon Nimmo lined a leadoff single to right field. Nimmo was quickly erased on a double play, and Eovaldi faced the minimum while needing only 79 pitches to get through seven innings.

"I was trying to back-door that cutter and I missed down and in, and that's right in his swing path," he said.

Eovaldi, who returned this season from his second Tommy John surgery, struck out nine and helped himself with an RBI single. Andrew Kittredge pitched the final two innings for the Rays, giving up a single in the ninth before finishing the two-hitter.

Joey Wendle and Jake Bauers also homered for Tampa Bay, which has won 11 of 15.

It was the second time this season Eovaldi (3-3) made it through six innings without allowing a hit. He threw six hitless innings in May against Oakland for a 6-0 Rays win in his first major league start since 2016.

"Cutter was really good today. Amazing," catcher Jesus Sucre said. "His fastball was so sharp today. They didn't have a chance."

Three times this year Eovaldi has gone six or more innings and given up no more than one hit, tied with Pittsburgh's Trevor Williams for most in the majors.

"Credit to him for pitching well, but you never want to get no-hit. You never want to be a part of that," Nimmo said.

Cron's home run gave the Rays a 3-0 lead in the first. He connected on a fastball down the middle from Chris Flexen (0-2) and drove it into the second deck in left field.